bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, version II and Mini Nutritional Assessment – Short Form in detecting nutritional risk among community-dwelling seniors in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Authors: Pavlović Jelena R , Maksimović Miloš Ž , Klopanović Olha V , Vasilić Zoran S , Ivković Nedeljka M , Račić Maja N
Published: September 2020

Objective:

The aim of the current study is to compare Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, version II (SCREEN II) and Mini Nutritional Assessment – Short Form (MNA-SF), where each is used to identify nutritional risk prevalence among community-dwelling people aged 65 years and above in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Design:

A cross-sectional study. Nutritional risk assessed using the nutritionist’s risk rating, anthropometric measurements, functional indicators, cognitive parameters, SCREEN II and MNA-SF.

Setting:

The municipalities of Foca, East Sarajevo and Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Participants:

Eight hundred twenty-one community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years.

Results:

The prevalence of high nutritional risk per nutritionist’s risk rating, SCREEN II and MNA-SF was 26, 60, and 7 %, respectively. With the nutritionist’s rating score ≥5 as the criterion, the MNA-SF cut-off point of ≤11 (indicating any possible risk) had poor sensitivity (55·7 %), specificity (46·6 %) and AUC (0·563; P = 0·024). When the criterion of >7 was applied, good sensitivity (95·3 %) and specificity (88·9 %) were obtained for the MNA-SF cut-off score of ≤7. AUC for this comparison was 0·742 (considered fair). Cut-off points of <54 (AUC = 0·816) and <50 (AUC = 0·881) for SCREEN II (indicating moderate to high risk) corresponded with good sensitivity (82·2 %; 80·9 %) and fair specificity (72·1 %; 75·0 %).

Conclusion:

MNA-SF may have a limited role in nutritional risk screening among community-dwelling seniors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. SCREEN II has promising results in regard to validity, but further studies are warranted.
Maternal height and double-burden of malnutrition households in Mexico: stunted children with overweight or obese mothers
Authors: Félix-Beltrán Lucía , Macinko James , Kuhn Randall
Published: September 2020

Objective:

To assess the association between short maternal height and four types of mother–child nutritional status groupings within Mexican households.

Design:

We classified mother–child dyads into four groups: stunted child and a non-overweight/non-obese mother (stunting-only), non-stunted child and an overweight/obese mother (overweight-only), stunted child with an overweight/obese mother (double-burden) and households with neither child stunting nor overweight/obese mothers (neither-condition). We assessed the association between maternal height and mother–child nutrition status using multinomial logistic regression, controlling for socio-economic covariates.

Setting:

Nationally representative cross-section of households from the 2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey.

Participants:

Children <5 years of age were matched to their mothers, resulting in a sample of 4706 mother–child dyads.

Results:

We found that among children with stunting, 53·3% have an overweight/obese mother. Double-burden was observed in 8·1% of Mexican households. Maternal short stature increased the probability of stunting-only by 3·5% points (p.p.) and double-burden by 9·7 p.p. (P< 0·05). The inverse association was observed for overweight-only and neither-condition households, where the probability of these outcomes decreased by 7·2 and 6 p.p. in households with short-statured mothers (P< 0·05), respectively.

Conclusions:

Women with short stature are more likely to develop overweight and simultaneously have a stunted child than those who are not short-statured. Our findings underline the challenges faced by public health systems, which have to balance the provision of services for both an undernourished and increasingly overweight/obese population.
Compact CPW-fed super wideband planar elliptical antenna
Authors: Rafique Umair , Din Sami ud , Khalil Hisham
Published: September 2020

A compact co-planar waveguide (CPW) fed planar elliptical antenna has been designed and presented for super wideband (SWB) characteristics. The designed antenna has an overall size of 30 × 30 × 1.57 mm3, and it consists of an elliptical patch radiator fed using a modified 50 Ω CPW-fed tapered microstrip feed line. By using a semi-ring shaped structure with a tapered feed line, an impedance bandwidth of 180.66% has been observed from 1.27 to 25 GHz with a ratio bandwidth of 19.68:1. To validate simulation results, the designed antenna has been fabricated and measured, and a reasonable agreement has been observed between simulated and measured results. It has also been observed that the designed antenna offers good radiation properties over the entire operating bandwidth. The simulated average gain and radiation efficiency of the proposed SWB antenna is noted to be 4.3 dBi and 95.77%, respectively; while the measured average gain and radiation efficiency is 3.8 dBi and 94.69%, respectively.
Self-reported physical health status of donor sperm-conceived adults
Authors: Adams Damian H. , Gerace Adam , Davies Michael J. , de Lacey Sheryl
Published: September 2020

Donor-conceived neonates have poorer birth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm delivery that are associated with poorer long-term health in adulthood through the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) theory. The aim of this study was to conduct the first investigation of the adult health outcomes of donor-conceived people. An online health survey was completed by 272 donor sperm-conceived adults and 877 spontaneously conceived adults from around the world. Donor and spontaneously conceived groups were matched for age, sex, height, smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, own fertility and maternal smoking. Donor sperm-conceived adults had significantly higher reports of being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (P= 0.031), thyroid disease (P= 0.031), acute bronchitis (P= 0.008), environmental allergies (P= 0.046), sleep apnoea (P= 0.037) and having ear tubes/grommets surgically implanted (P= 0.046). This is the first study to investigate the health outcomes of adult donor sperm-conceived people. Donor sperm-conceived adults self-reported elevated frequencies of various health conditions. The outcomes are consistent with birth defect data from donor sperm treatment and are consistent with the DOHaD linking perturbed early growth and chronic disease in adulthood.
Urologische Notfälle: Paraphimose
Authors: Stangl Fabian P. , Thalmann George N.
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Die Paraphimose ist ein seltener, jedoch akuter urologischer Notfall, welcher durch eine Einklemmung des Präputiums hinter dem Sulcus coronarius entsteht. Die Therapie ist einfach und schnell, auch im niedergelassenen Bereich umsetzbar. In den meisten Fällen ist eine kurze Kompression des präputialen Ödems mit anschliessender manueller Reposition der Paraphimose suffizient. In Ausnahmefällen ist eine chirurgische Intervention, mittels dorsaler Inzision des Schnürringes, indiziert. Da der Paraphimose in den meisten Fällen eine, im Säuglings- oder Kleinkindalter physiologische, relative oder totale Phimose zugrunde liegt, ist die Inzidenz deutlich höher als im Erwachsenalter. Nichtsdestotrotz tritt die Paraphimose auch im fortgeschrittenen Alter bei persistierenden primären oder sekundären Phimosen auf.
Wildfires Trigger Long-Term Permafrost Thawing
Authors: Kornei Katherine
Published: September 2020

Researchers used satellite data to trace ground subsidence in a permafrost-rich region in eastern Siberia following a wildfire.
New Tool Quantifies and Predicts Snow Droughts
Authors: Shultz David
Published: September 2020

A new metric for calculating snow water equivalence relies on three methodologies: modeling, satellite imagery, and direct observation.
The Influence of Extreme Heat on Police and Fire Department Services in 23 U.S. Cities
Authors: Williams Augusta , McDonogh‐Wong Larissa , Spengler John D.
Published: September 2020

Recent research suggests that extreme heat affects the demand for emergency services, including police and fire department incidents. Yet there is limited understanding of impacts across U.S. cities, with varying population sizes, and between different climates. This study sought to examine the daily utilization of police and fire department services, during hot days in 23 U.S. cities representing six climate zones using relative risk (RR) and time series analyses of daily police and fire department incidents. The warm season analyses utilized three temperature metrics: daily maximum temperature (TMAX), daily maximum heat index (HIMAX), and the preceding daily minimum temperature (TMIN). Across these cities, the RR of police department incidents on days where TMAX was at or above the 95th percentile significantly increased within a range from 3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.3%, 6.3%) to 57% (95% CI: 24.5%, 89.7%), compared with a nonhot day. At the same temperature thresholds, the RR of fire department dispatches increased from 6% (95% CI: 3.0%, 8.6%) to 18% (95% CI: 15.2%, 21.6%). These results remained consistent across temperature metrics and consecutive days of extreme heat. The estimated effects of daily maximum temperature, daily maximum heat index, and daily minimum temperature were nonlinear for police and fire department incidents across all cities. These findings inform climate change adaptation strategies, preparing budgets and personnel for emergency agencies to ensure resilience as periods of extreme heat increase in frequency, severity, and duration.
Improving Permafrost Physics in a Distributed Cryosphere‐Hydrology Model and Its Evaluations at the Upper Yellow River Basin
Authors: Song Lei , Wang Lei , Li Xiuping , Zhou Jing , Luo Dongliang , Jin Huijun , Qi Jia , Zeng Tian , Yin Yuanyuan
Published: September 2020

Frozen soil undergoing freeze‐thaw cycles has effects on local hydrology, ecosystems, and engineering infrastructure by global warming. It is important to clarify the hydrological processes of frozen soil, especially permafrost. In this study, the performance of a distributed cryosphere‐hydrology model (WEB‐DHM, Water and Energy Budget‐based Distributed Hydrological Model) was significantly improved by the addition of enthalpy‐based permafrost physics. First, we formulated the water phase change in the unconfined aquifer and its exchanges of water and heat with the upper soil layers, with enthalpy adopted as a prognostic variable instead of soil temperature in the energy balance equation to avoid instability when calculating water phase changes. Second, more reasonable initial conditions for the bottom soil layer (overlying the unconfined aquifer) were considered. The improved model (hereinafter WEB‐DHM‐pf) was carefully evaluated at three sites with seasonally frozen ground and one permafrost site over the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (“the Third Pole”), to demonstrate the capability of predicting the internal processes of frozen soil at the point scale, particularly the “zero‐curtain” phenomenon in permafrost. Four different experiments were conducted to assess the impacts of augmentation of single model improvement on simulating soil water/ice and temperature dynamics in frozen soil. Finally, the WEB‐DHM‐pf was demonstrated to be capable of accurately reproducing the zero curtain, detecting long‐term changes in frozen soil at the point scale, and discriminating basin‐wide permafrost from seasonally frozen ground in a basin at the headwaters of the Yellow River.
On the Interdecadal Variation of the Warm Water Volume in the Tropical Pacific Around 1999/2000
Authors: Li Xiaofan , Hu Zeng‐Zhen , Huang Bohua , Jin Fei‐Fei
Published: September 2020

A profound change in the variations of warm water volume (WWV) of the tropical Pacific occurred around 1999/2000, coincided with the interdecadal shift of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) properties to a higher frequency and smaller amplitude regime. The persistence of WWV is decreased for all calendar months since 2000, associated with a decrease in its variance and an increase in its frequency. Moreover, the WWV‐sea surface temperature relationship associated with the ENSO cycle is weakened during 2000–2019, implying that the recharge/discharge process is less efficient in driving the phase transition of an ENSO cycle and ENSO became less periodical compared with that during 1979–1999. Corresponding to the weaker precursory connection of WWV to ENSO, the geographical origin of precedent thermocline anomalies has shown a northwestward migration since 2000. This is consistent with the suppression of the equatorial air‐sea feedback and the systematical northwestward shift of the atmosphere‐ocean coupling center in the tropical Pacific. Changed annual cycle and enhanced zonal contrast of sea surface temperature in the equatorial Pacific may be connected with the interdecadal variations of the ENSO and WWV features.
The Influence of Tropical Cyclones on the Evolution of River Conveyance Capacity in Puerto Rico
Authors: Li Yihan , Wright Daniel B. , Byrne Patrick K.
Published: September 2020

Tropical cyclones (TCs) in Puerto Rico and other tropical environments cause some of the world's most intense rainfall rates and pose major challenges to current and future flood resilience. One potential consequence of TC‐induced floods is the reconfiguration of river channels due to sediment scour or deposition. This reconfiguration has the potential to alter subsequent flood hazard by changing channel conveyance capacity, violating statistical independence assumptions that underpin conventional recurrence interval concepts. In this study, we examine changes in channel conveyance capacity in Puerto Rico and compare these changes to streamflow trends. Results show that relatively modest long‐term changes in river channel capacity are composed of numerous short‐term transients which are of much larger magnitude. These transients are most often caused by abrupt scour or deposition during TCs and are comparable in magnitude to long‐term trends in peak streamflows. An abrupt change is typically followed by a multiyear “recovery period” as the channel reestablishes quasi‐equilibrium. Flood events with recurrence intervals of approximately 10 years and above appear to be sufficient to cause these changes; channel reconfiguration thus may be more common in Puerto Rico than in less extreme hydroclimates. Short‐term conveyance capacity changes are not considered in typical flood hazard assessments, which could substantially overstate or understate flood threat at any particular time, depending on the recent history of TC rainfall and flooding. Improving flood resiliency in Puerto Rico and elsewhere will require better understanding of rapid conveyance capacity changes, their causes, and how they influence flood hazard and risk.
The cell organization underlying structural colour is involved in Flavobacterium IR1 predation
Authors: Hamidjaja Raditijo , Capoulade Jérémie , Catón Laura , Ingham Colin J
Published: September 2020

Flavobacterium IR1 is a gliding bacterium with a high degree of colonial organization as a 2D photonic crystal, resulting in vivid structural coloration when illuminated. Enterobacter cloacae B12, an unrelated bacterium, was isolated from the brown macroalga Fucus vesiculosus from the same location as IR1. IR1 was found to be a predator of B12. A process of surrounding, infiltration, undercutting and killing of B12 supported improved growth of IR1. A combination of motility and capillarity facilitated the engulfment of B12 colonies by IR1. Predation was independent of illumination. Mutants of IR1 that formed photonic crystals less effectively than the wild type were reduced in predation. Conversely, formation of a photonic crystal was not advantageous in resisting predation by Rhodococcus spp. PIR4. These observations suggest that the organization required to create structural colour has a biological function (facilitating predation) but one that is not directly related to the photonic properties of the colony. This work is the first experimental evidence supporting a role for this widespread type of cell organization in the Flavobacteriia.
Dual targeting of NUAK1 and ULK1 using the multitargeted inhibitor MRT68921 exerts potent antitumor activities
Authors: Chen Yiran , Xie Xiaoling , Wang Chunsheng , Hu Yuxing , Zhang Honghao , Zhang Lenghe , Tu Sanfang , He Yanjie , Li Yuhua
Published: September 2020

Utilizing oxidative stress has recently been regarded as a potential strategy for tumor therapy. The NUAK family SNF1-like kinase 1 (NUAK1) is a critical component of the antioxidant defense system and is necessary for the survival of tumors. Therefore, NUAK1 is considered an attractive therapeutic target in cancer. However, antioxidant therapy induced elevated ROS levels to activate the Unc-51-like kinase 1 (ULK1) pathway to promote protective autophagy and ULK1-dependent mitophagy. Thus, the combined inhibition of NUAK1 and ULK1 showed a strong synergistic effect in different tumor types. Herein, the potential antitumor activities of a dual NUAK1/ULK1 inhibitor MRT68921 were evaluated in both tumor cell lines and animal models. MRT68921 significantly kills tumor cells by breaking the balance of oxidative stress signals. These results highlight the potential of MRT68921 as an effective agent for tumor therapy.
Ericoid mycorrhizal fungus enhances microcutting rooting of Rhododendron fortunei and subsequent growth
Authors: Wei Xiangying , Chen Jianjun , Zhang Chunying , Liu Hong , Zheng Xiuxia , Mu Jingli
Published: September 2020

Adventitious root (AR) formation is a unique feature of plant reproduction and plays a vital role in crop production as many horticultural and forestry plants are propagated through cuttings. A growing number of reports have shown that microbes, particularly mycorrhizal fungi are able to promote AR formation, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. This study established an in vitro culture system and investigated AR formation in microcuttings ofRhododendron fortuneiLindl. inoculated withOidiodendron maiusBarron Om19, an ericoid mycorrhizal fungus strain. Hormones and precursors involved in the biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in Om19 mycelium were analyzed. Om19 was able to produce a large quantity of tryptophan (Trp) and also indole-3-pyruvate (IPA) and IAA, indicating that IAA biosynthesis in Om19 could be through a Trp-dependent pathway. After inoculation of Om19, ARs were quickly formed in microcuttings. Symbiosis related genes were activated in ARs, and Om19 effectively colonized the roots.YUC3, a key gene in plant biosynthesis of IAA and genes involved in nitrogen (N) uptake and metabolism, phosphorus (P) uptake were highly upregulated. Plants absorbed significantly greater quantity of mineral nutrients, and their growth was substantially enhanced compared to the control plants without Om19 inoculation. A working model for Om19 enhanced AR formation was proposed. The rapid formation of ARs in cuttings could be due in part to the induction of IAA biosynthesized by Om19 and also attributed to Trp catalyzed biosynthesis of IAA in plants. AR formation, in turn, provided Om19 preferred sites for colonization. Our study suggested that in addition to promoting AR formation, Om19 could potentially be used as a new biofertilizer for enhancing production of ericaceous plants, such as blueberry, cranberry, and rhododendron.
Relative configuration of micrograms of natural compounds using proton residual chemical shift anisotropy
Authors: Nath Nilamoni , Fuentes-Monteverde Juan Carlos , Pech-Puch Dawrin , Rodríguez Jaime , Jiménez Carlos , Noll Markus , Kreiter Alexander , Reggelin Michael , Navarro-Vázquez Armando , Griesinger Christian
Published: September 2020

3D molecular structure determination is a challenge for organic compounds or natural products available in minute amounts. Proton/proton and proton/carbon correlations yield the constitution. J couplings and NOEs oftentimes supported by one-bond 1H,13C residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) or by 13C residual chemical shift anisotropies (RCSAs) provide the relative configuration. However, these RDCs or carbon RCSAs rely on 1% natural abundance of 13C preventing their use for compounds available only in quantities of a few 10’s of µgs. By contrast, 1H RCSAs provide similar information on spatial orientation of structural moieties within a molecule, while using the abundant 1H spin. Herein, 1H RCSAs are accurately measured using constrained aligning gels or liquid crystals and applied to the 3D structural determination of molecules with varying complexities. Even more, deuterated alignment media allow the elucidation of the relative configuration of around 35 µg of a briarane compound isolated from Briareum asbestinum.
Representation of features as images with neighborhood dependencies for compatibility with convolutional neural networks
Authors: Bazgir Omid , Zhang Ruibo , Dhruba Saugato Rahman , Rahman Raziur , Ghosh Souparno , Pal Ranadip
Published: September 2020

Deep learning with Convolutional Neural Networks has shown great promise in image-based classification and enhancement but is often unsuitable for predictive modeling using features without spatial correlations. We present a feature representation approach termed REFINED (REpresentation of Features as Images with NEighborhood Dependencies) to arrange high-dimensional vectors in a compact image form conducible for CNN-based deep learning. We consider the similarities between features to generate a concise feature map in the form of a two-dimensional image by minimizing the pairwise distance values following a Bayesian Metric Multidimensional Scaling Approach. We hypothesize that this approach enables embedded feature extraction and, integrated with CNN-based deep learning, can boost the predictive accuracy. We illustrate the superior predictive capabilities of the proposed framework as compared to state-of-the-art methodologies in drug sensitivity prediction scenarios using synthetic datasets, drug chemical descriptors as predictors from NCI60, and both transcriptomic information and drug descriptors as predictors from GDSC.
Reconfigurable radiofrequency filters based on versatile soliton microcombs
Authors: Hu Jianqi , He Jijun , Liu Junqiu , Raja Arslan S. , Karpov Maxim , Lukashchuk Anton , Kippenberg Tobias J. , Brès Camille-Sophie
Published: September 2020

The rapidly maturing integrated Kerr microcombs show significant potential for microwave photonics. Yet, state-of-the-art microcomb-based radiofrequency filters have required programmable pulse shapers, which inevitably increase the system cost, footprint, and complexity. Here, by leveraging the smooth spectral envelope of single solitons, we demonstrate microcomb-based radiofrequency filters free from any additional pulse shaping. More importantly, we achieve all-optical reconfiguration of the radiofrequency filters by exploiting the intrinsically rich soliton configurations. Specifically, we harness the perfect soliton crystals to multiply the comb spacing thereby dividing the filter passband frequencies. Also, the versatile spectral interference patterns of two solitons enable wide reconfigurability of filter passband frequencies, according to their relative azimuthal angles within the round-trip. The proposed schemes demand neither an interferometric setup nor another pulse shaper for filter reconfiguration, providing a simplified synthesis of widely reconfigurable microcomb-based radiofrequency filters.
Author Correction: Mapping histone modifications in low cell number and single cells using antibody-guided chromatin tagmentation (ACT-seq)
Authors: Carter Benjamin , Ku Wai Lim , Kang Jee Youn , Hu Gangqing , Perrie Jonathan , Tang Qingsong , Zhao Keji
Published: September 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Conservation recommendations for Oryza rufipogon Griff. in China based on genetic diversity analysis
Authors: Wang Junrui , Shi Jinxia , Liu Sha , Sun Xiping , Huang Juan , Qiao Weihua , Cheng Yunlian , Zhang Lifang , Zheng Xiaoming , Yang Qingwen
Published: September 2020

Over the past 30 years, human disturbance and habitat fragmentation have severely endangered the survival of common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon Griff.) in China. A better understanding of the genetic structure of O. rufipogon populations will therefore be useful for the development of conservation strategies. We examined the diversity and genetic structure of natural O. rufipogon populations at the national, provincial, and local levels using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Twenty representative populations from sites across China showed high levels of genetic variability, and approximately 44% of the total genetic variation was among populations. At the local level, we studied fourteen populations in Guangxi Province and four populations in Jiangxi Province. Populations from similar ecosystems showed less genetic differentiation, and local environmental conditions rather than geographic distance appeared to have influenced gene flow during population genetic evolution. We identified a triangular area, including northern Hainan, southern Guangdong, and southwestern Guangxi, as the genetic diversity center of O. rufipogon in China, and we proposed that this area should be given priority during the development of ex situ and in situ conservation strategies. Populations from less common ecosystem types should also be given priority for in situ conservation.
Aquatic suspended particulate matter as source of eDNA for fish metabarcoding
Authors: Díaz Cecilia , Wege Franziska-Frederike , Tang Cuong Q. , Crampton-Platt Alexandra , Rüdel Heinz , Eilebrecht Elke , Koschorreck Jan
Published: September 2020

The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for monitoring aquatic macrofauna allows the non-invasive species determination and measurement of their DNA abundance and typically involves the analysis of eDNA captured from water samples. In this proof-of-concept study, we focused on the novel use of eDNA extracted from archived suspended particulate matter (SPM) for identifying fish species using metabarcoding, which benefits from the prospect of retrospective monitoring and also analysis of fish communities through time. We used archived SPM samples of the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB), which were collected using sedimentation traps from different riverine points in Germany. Environmental DNA was extracted from nine SPM samples differing in location, organic content, and porosity (among other factors) using four different methods for the isolation of high-quality DNA. Application of the PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit with an overnight incubation in lysis buffer, resulted in DNA extraction with the highest purity and eDNA metabarcoding of these eDNA fragments was used to detect a total of 29 fish taxa among the analyzed samples. Here we demonstrated for the first time that SPM is a promising source of eDNA for metabarcoding analysis, which could provide valuable retrospective information (when using archived SPM) for fish monitoring, complementing the currently used approaches.
Is the risk of second primary malignancy increased in multiple myeloma in the novel therapy era? A population-based, retrospective cohort study in Taiwan
Authors: Liu Yanfang , Hou Hsin-An , Qiu Hong , Tang Chao-Hsiun
Published: September 2020

Longer survival in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) after treatment with novel agents (NA) such as thalidomide, bortezomib, and lenalidomide may be associated with increased risks of developing second primary malignancies (SPM). Few data describe the risk of SPM in patients with MM in Asia. This population-based retrospective cohort study assessed the risk of SPM in MM using the Taiwan National Cancer Registry and National Health Insurance Research databases from 2000 to 2014. Among 4,327 patients with newly diagnosed MM initiated with either novel agents alone (NA), chemotherapy combined with novel agents (CCNA), or chemotherapy alone (CA), the cumulative incidence of SPM overall was 1.33% at year 3. The SPM incidence per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 0.914 (0.745–1.123) overall, 0.762 (0.609–1.766) for solid tumours, and 0.149 (0.090–0.247) for haematological malignancies. We compared risks of SPM using a cause-specific Cox regression model considering death as a competing risk for developing SPM. After controlling for age, gender, Charlson Co-morbidity Index, and time-period, the risk of developing any SPM or any haematological malignancy was significantly reduced in patients initiated on NA (2010–2014 period) compared to chemotherapy alone (adjusted hazard ratio 0.24, 95% CI 0.07–0.85, and 0.10, 95% CI 0.02–0.62, respectively). Contemporary treatment regiments using NA (mainly bortezomib) were associated with a lower risk for a SPM in comparison with CA.
Percutaneous intervertebral bridging cementoplasty for adjacent multilevel osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures with vertebral endplate-disc complex injury: technical note
Authors: Wang Song , Duan Chunyan , Yang Han , Kang Jianping , Wang Qing
Published: September 2020

This paper describes a minimally invasive technique of percutaneous intervertebral bridging cementoplasty (PIBC) to augment the fractured vertebrae and immobilize the intervertebral space with endplate-disc complex injury simultaneously. Thirty-two patients with adjacent multilevel osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures (AMOTLFs) and vertebral endplate-disc complex injury (EDCI) treated by PIBC were retrospectively reviewed. The PIBC technique was a combination of puncture, balloon expansion and bridging cementoplasty. The clinical and radiological assessments were reviewed. The operation time was 82.8 ± 32.5 min, and blood loss was 76.9 ± 31.7 mL. A cement bridge was connected between the two fractured vertebrae across the injured intervertebral space. VAS at three time points including pre-operation, post-operation 1 day and final follow-up was 6.9 ± 0.9, 2.9 ± 0.8 and 1.7 ± 0.8, respectively; ODI at three time points was (71.1 ± 7.8)%, (18.4 ± 5.7)%, and (10.3 ± 5.7)%, respectively; Cobb angle at three time points was 46.0° ± 10.4°, 25.9° ± 8.5°, and 27.5° ± 7.1°, respectively. Compared with pre-operation, VAS, ODI and Cobb angle were significantly improved at post-operation 1 day and final follow-up (P < 0.05). Clinical asymptomatic cement leakage was observed in thirteen patients. No vessel or neurological injury was observed. PIBC may be an alternative way of treatment for AMOTLFs with EDCI. The technique is a minimally invasive surgery to augment the fractured vertebrae and immobilize the injured intervertebral space simultaneously.
Quantifying drug tissue biodistribution by integrating high content screening with deep-learning analysis
Authors: Li Zhuyin , Xiao Youping , Peng Jia , Locke Darren , Holmes Derek , Li Lei , Hamilton Shannon , Cook Erica , Myer Larnie , Vanderwall Dana , Cloutier Normand , Siddiqui Akbar M. , Whitehead Paul , Bishop Richard , Zhao Lei , Cvijic Mary Ellen
Published: September 2020

Quantitatively determining in vivo achievable drug concentrations in targeted organs of animal models and subsequent target engagement confirmation is a challenge to drug discovery and translation due to lack of bioassay technologies that can discriminate drug binding with different mechanisms. We have developed a multiplexed and high-throughput method to quantify drug distribution in tissues by integrating high content screening (HCS) with U-Net based deep learning (DL) image analysis models. This technology combination allowed direct visualization and quantification of biologics drug binding in targeted tissues with cellular resolution, thus enabling biologists to objectively determine drug binding kinetics.
Mendelian randomization analyses of genetically predicted circulating levels of cytokines with risk of breast cancer
Authors: Li Shen , Xu Yan , Zhang Yao , Nie Lili , Ma Zhihua , Ma Ling , Fang Xiaoyu , Ma Xiangyu
Published: September 2020

To determine whether genetically predicted circulating levels of cytokines are associated with risk of overall breast cancer (BC), estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and ER-negative BC, we conducted two-sample MR analyses using data from the most comprehensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on cytokines in 8293 Finnish participants and the largest BC GWAS from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) with totally 122,977 BC cases and 105,974 healthy controls. We systematically screened 41 cytokines (of which 24 cytokines have available instruments) and identified that genetically predicted circulating levels (1-SD increase) of MCP1 (OR: 1.08; 95% CIs: 1.03–1.12; P value: 3.55 × 10−4), MIP1b (OR: 1.02; 95% CIs: 1.01–1.04; P value: 2.70 × 10−3) and IL13 (OR: 1.06; 95% CIs: 1.03–1.10; P value: 3.33 × 10−4) were significantly associated with increased risk of overall BC, as well as ER-positive BC. In addition, higher levels of MIP1b and IL13 were also significantly associated with increased risk of ER-negative BC. These findings suggest the crucial role of cytokines in BC carcinogenesis and potential of targeting specific inflammatory cytokines for BC prevention.
Just add water: for instant and scalable conversion of metal acetates to metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Srinivasapriyan Vijayan
Published: September 2020

MOFs are typically synthesized under severe conditions that require high pressure and temperature. So herein we necessitated advances in their expeditious and scalable synthesis at ambient conditions.
Se deficiency induces renal pathological changes by regulating selenoprotein expression, disrupting redox balance, and activating inflammation
Authors: Li Shuang , Zhao Qingyu , Zhang Kai , Sun Wenjuan , Jia Xueting , Yang Yuanyuan , Yin Jingdong , Tang Chaohua , Zhang Junmin
Published: September 2020

Selenium (Se) is closely associated with kidney disease, and renal injury often occurs together with hyposelenemia. This study was designed to reveal the mechanism underlying renal injury induced by Se deficiency in pigs. Twenty-four castrated male Yorkshire pigs were divided into two groups fed either a Se-deficient diet (0.007 mg Se per kg) or a Se-adequate diet (0.3 mg Se per kg). Serum and kidney samples were collected at the 16th week of the trial, processed, and analyzed for serum biochemistry, Se concentration, kidney index markers, histology, selenoprotein mRNA expression, redox status, and inflammatory cytokines. Dietary Se deficiency induced kidney injury, decreased (P > 0.05) Se concentrations, and increased (P > 0.05) kidney index and serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and carbon dioxide values. Histological analysis indicated that Se deficiency induced inflammatory lesions and renal tubular atrophy in the renal medulla. Se deficiency downregulated (P > 0.05) nine selenoprotein genes (GPX1, SELENOW, SELENOH, SELENOP, GPX3, TXNRD2, SELENOI, SELENON, and SELENOM) and upregulated (P > 0.05) SEPHS2 in the kidneys. Se deficiency decreased (P > 0.05) the activity of glutathione peroxidase, thioredoxin reductase, and catalase, as well as the hydroxyl radical inhibition capacity, and increased (P > 0.05) the content of malondialdehyde and nitric oxide. Se deficiency increased (P > 0.05) the expression of the transcription factors NF-κB and HIF-1α, and regulated inflammatory cytokines. Se deficiency increased (P > 0.05) the expression of IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, IL-17, and cyclooxygenase-2, and decreased (P > 0.05) the expression of IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β. These results indicated that Se deficiency induces kidney injury through the regulation of selenoproteins, oxidative stress, and inflammation.
Reduction of the ambient effect in multilayer InSe transistors and a strategy toward stable 2D-based optoelectronic applications
Authors: Wang Yanhao , Gao Jianwei , Wei Bin , Han Yingkuan , Wang Chao , Gao Yakun , Liu Hong , Han Lin , Zhang Yu
Published: September 2020

Both positive and negative photoconductivities are observed in InSe FETs for the first time, and a physical mechanism is proposed.
Ion-specific clustering of metal–amphiphile complexes in rare earth separations
Authors: Nayak Srikanth , Lovering Kaitlin , Uysal Ahmet
Published: September 2020

SAXS reveals the specific effect of anions and lanthanide ions on the hierarchical structure of complex fluids in liquid-liquid extraction. The anion-dependency of the mesostructure indicates different lanthanide extraction mechanisms.
Simultaneous manifestation of metallic conductivity and single-molecule magnetism in a layered molecule-based compound
Authors: Shen Yongbing , Ito Hiroshi , Zhang Haitao , Yamochi Hideki , Katagiri Seiu , Yoshina Shinji K. , Otsuka Akihiro , Ishikawa Manabu , Cosquer Goulven , Uchida Kaiji , Herrmann Carmen , Yoshida Takefumi , Breedlove Brian K. , Yamashita Masahiro
Published: September 2020

A metallic single-molecule magnet was synthesised demonstrating simultaneous metallic conduction and excellent SMM properties at the same temperature range for the first time, with potential applications in molecule-based quantum spintronics.
Metformin inhibits the growth of ovarian cancer cells by promoting the Parkin-induced p53 ubiquitination
Authors: Min Xiaojia , Zhang Tingting , Lin Ying , Wang Bo , Zhu Kean
Published: September 2020

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal diseases among women. The chemo-resistance has been a big challenge for the cancer treatment. It has been reported that metformin may inhibit ovarian cancer and is able to impede the development of drug resistance, but the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we explored the molecular roles of metformin in Parkin expression and p53 ubiquitination in chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Firstly, ovarian cancer and chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cells were selected for determining the expression of Parkin, p53, and p53 signaling pathway-related factors. Then the cell proliferation and viability after loss- and gain-of-function assays were measured. Besides, immunoprecipitation (IP) was used to determine the interactions between Parkin and p53, and the ubiquitination level of p53 was measured using in vitro ubiquitination assay. Finally, the degradation of p53 proteasome regulated by Parkin was monitored using the MG132 proteasome inhibitor. We found that metformin significantly inhibited the growth of ovarian cancer parental cells and chemo-resistant cells, and metformin promoted Parkin expression in chemo-resistant cells. Further, up-regulated Parkin expression promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of p53, and metformin inhibited the expression of p53 to suppress the proliferation of chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Mechanistically, metformin could inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells by promoting the Parkin-induced p53 ubiquitination. Altogether, our study demonstrated an inhibitory role of metformin in the growth of chemo-resistant cancer cells through promoting the Parkin-induced p53 ubiquitination, which provides a novel mechanism of metformin for treating ovarian cancer.
Relationship Between Single Word Reading, Connected Text Reading, and Reading Comprehension in Persons With Aphasia
Authors: Smith Kimberly G. , Ryan Anna E.
Published: September 2020

Purpose

This study examined the relationship between single word reading, connected text reading, and comprehension in persons with aphasia.

Method

Thirteen persons with aphasia read orally from the Arizona Battery for Reading and Spelling real-word and nonword lists and the Gray Oral Reading Tests–Fifth Edition. The comprehension questions following each paragraph of the Gray Oral Reading Tests–Fifth Edition were answered and scored. The Reading Comprehension Battery for Aphasia–Second Edition provided a measure of silent reading comprehension. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation were used to examine associations among reading measures.

Results

Persons with aphasia showed associations between single word reading and connected text reading accuracy; however, single word reading ability was not associated with oral or silent reading comprehension.

Conclusions

Although preliminary, the findings provide support for word-level reading abilities underlying connected text reading accuracy but suggest additional cognitive mechanisms are involved in text-level reading comprehension that are not explained by single word reading alone. The findings indicate clinicians should use caution when inferring comprehension abilities from single word reading performance as reading comprehension abilities are likely best assessed using text-level comprehension assessments.
Variability of Electrolaryngeal Speech Intelligibility in Multitalker Babble
Authors: Cox Steven R. , McNicholl Kimberly , Shadle Christine H. , Chen Wei-rong
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to report the variability of electrolarynx (EL) users' speech intelligibility in quiet and in multitalker babble.

Method

Ten EL users (five Servox® Digital, five TruTone™) who were at least 2 years postlaryngectomy provided recordings of five sentences from the 1965 Revised List of Phonetically Balanced Sentences. Recordings were judged by two groups of naïve listeners in quiet and in the presence of multitalker babble. Fifteen listeners orthographically transcribed a total of 750 sentences containing 3,750 key words in quiet, and another 15 listeners orthographically transcribed the same sentences mixed with multitalker babble.

Results

Significant differences in speech intelligibility were observed between listening conditions; 17.9% more key words were correctly identified in quiet compared to multitalker babble. Significant differences in fundamental frequency (F
0
) standard deviation and range but not speech intelligibility were observed between EL device types. A positive correlation of moderate significance was observed between F
0
standard deviation and intelligibility for TruTone users in multitalker babble.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that listeners are able to identify a significantly higher percentage of EL users' speech in quiet compared to multitalker babble, but a large variability in EL users' speech intelligibility exists. Continued investigation involving a larger number of EL users is necessary to confirm this study's findings. Future research should explore the relationships among F
0
measures, speaker characteristics (e.g., rate of speech, articulatory precision), and speech intelligibility, in addition to improving alaryngeal rehabilitation training protocols for EL users.
A Novel Low Common-Mode Voltage Modulation Strategy for
ANPC-5L Inverter
Authors: Wang Fusheng , Weng Sai , Ye Lizhong , Chen Tao
Published: September 2020

In order to suppress the leakage current of the active neutral point clamed five-level (ANPC-5L) inverter, this paper proposes a novel low common-mode voltage (CMV) modulation strategy based on the space vector modulation thought. Only the 55 voltage vectors with low CMV amplitude instead of all 125 voltage vectors are utilized. The CMV amplitude is suppressed to one-twelfth of the DC bus voltage (Vdc). In the simplified five-level space vector diagram, “obtuse triangle” synthesis principle is used to control the CMV changes twice in each carrier cycle, and get lower output current total harmonic distortion (THD). According to the vector thought, a carrier implementation method based on zero sequence voltage injection and carrier splitting is proposed. This method simplifies the calculation and is easy to implement.Simulation results prove the correctness and feasibility of this low CMV modulation strategy.
Research on Decentralized Trading Strategy of Electricity Market
Based on Blockchain Technology
Authors: Chen Cenyue , An Yuan , Li Jianing
Published: September 2020

With the gradual opening of the bilateral electricity market and the increase in distributed new energy generation, under the new market structure, various types of members should be encouraged to develop flexible cooperation and competition models in the new situation in order to improve the operating efficiency in the electricity market, encouraging the reduction of operating costs to improve the economic benefits of the market. Based on the relevant theories of blockchain technology, this paper proposes a decentralized small-scale distribution network intra-network transaction model and market mechanism, which can eventually be truly decentralized and achieve a lower cost and high efficiency market.
Research on capacity optimization of micro-grid hybrid energy storage system based on simulated annealing artificial fish swarm algorith with memory function
Authors: An Yuan , Li Jianing , Chen Cenyue
Published: September 2020

The intermittence and uncertainty of wind power and photovoltaic power have hindered the large-scale development of both. Therefore, it is very necessary to properly configure energy storage devices in the wind-solar complementary power grid. For the hybrid energy storage system composed of storage battery and supercapacitor, the optimization model of hybrid energy storage capacity is established with the minimum comprehensive cost as the objective function and the energy saving and charging state as the constraints. A simulated annealing artificial fish school algorithm with memory function is proposed to solve the model. The results show that the hybrid energy storage system can greatly save costs and improve system economy.
Research on optimization method of primary frequency modulation capability based on different ratios of hydropower
Authors: Pan Xiaojie , Fan Maosen , Zhang Wenchao , Zhang Liwei , Chen Xing
Published: September 2020

With the continuous development of China’s cross-regional interconnected power grid, large- capacity and long-distance transmission have become an important feature of China’s power grid. As the transmission capacity of single-return transmission lines continues to increase, the risk of frequency fluctuations increases, making grid operation scheduling more concerned with the performance of the unit’s primary frequency modulation. This paper tests the frequency stability of a power system under different scenarios, in which the proportion of water and thermal power in the system is different. The results represent that a system with a large proportion of hydropower has poorer frequency stability. This paper offers a method of primary frequency modulation, which proposed to improve the frequency stability of the system by increasing the time delay of the hydropower unit’s governor. The results of simulation prove that this method is an available solution to solve the problem of poor system frequency stability when a system has a high ratio of hydropower.
Analysis and Treatment for Fatigue Vibration of Instrument Tubes in a PWR Nuclear Power Plant Conventional Island
Authors: Jiaye Shao
Published: September 2020

Several instrument tubes vibrated during the C stage commissioning period of a PWR nuclear power plant. This essay firstly analyzed the selection of instrument tubes and the velocity of the tubes vibration. Moreover, the author proposed solution towards the tubes vibration which was proved to be effective after applying on the nuclear power plant instrument tubes. The method proposed should be applicable when similar situation reoccurred in other plants.
Multi objective reactive power and voltage optimization of distribution network based on adaptive genetic annealing algorithm
Authors: Yang Yong , Chen Lei , Zheng Weiyan , Wei Xinquan , Lv Guangxian , Liu Peng
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a multi-objective reactive power optimization model of distribution network is established, which takes the minimum of line loss, reactive compensation capacitor switching loss and node voltage deviation as objective, considering the constraints of node voltage, reactive power of wind turbine, capacitor switching times. The improved adaptive genetic annealing algorithm is used to solve the model. IEEE33 system is taken as an example to verify the effectiveness of the reactive power optimization model. When the shunt capacitor and wind turbine are in the optimal reactive power compensation, the line loss of the distribution network can be minimized.