bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the design and effectiveness of Simulink‐based educational material for a communication systems course
Authors: Coruk R. Busra , Yalcinkaya Bengisu , Kara Ali
Published: October 2020

The methods used in engineering education have gained diversity in parallel with rapidly evolving technology. New technological methods along with the traditional methods have been adopted for undergraduate education. Today, Simulink‐based educational materials are used in many fields in engineering education. However, in the literature, the contribution of such educational materials to the learning process has not been measured thoroughly. This study presents a comprehensive measurement method to improve the created course material and show the effectiveness of developed course material in students' success. First, educational material was developed for an undergraduate electrical engineering course: communication systems. A feedback group made up of diverse student learners was employed extensively in the material development phase. Next, the impact of the developed material on the success of the students was examined using both qualitative and quantitative measurement tools including questionnaires, one‐to‐one interviews, and class and university level anonymous surveys. This also included students’ performance regarding laboratory quizzes and achievement of course learning outcomes. Overall, the measurement results show that the course material increased students' success in the course. Moreover, students' general perception of the course material was positive.
(Remote) class is now in session: Consider antitrust issues in higher education
Authors: Gutierrez Iván Resendiz
Published: October 2020

The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has recently indicated antitrust laws will be enforced vigorously and higher education institutions may be subject to that enforcement. Institutions would benefit from paying close attention to two areas in particular — financial aid policies and competitive information‐sharing.
Libations and liability: Learn how ruling increases standard of care for colleges, universities
Authors: Sapp Jacob
Published: October 2020

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently expanded the standard of care that Massachusetts’ colleges and universities owe to students who are voluntarily intoxicated on campus.
Did university violate ADA by dismissing student?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: October 2020

The plaintiff was a student at the Drexel University College of Medicine. He requested and received accommodations for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
Sex‐stratified analysis of the safety of percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion
Authors: Osman Mohammed , Patel Brijesh , Munir Muhammad Bilal , Kawsara Akram , Kheiri Babikir , Balla Sudarshan , Daggubati Ramesh , Michos Erin D. , Alkhouli Mohamad
Published: October 2020

Objectives and Background

There is insufficient current evidence about whether sex impacts outcomes of percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO). The aim of this study was to investigate the association between sex and short‐term outcomes of LAAO.

Methods

Patients who were hospitalized and underwent LAAO from October 2015 to December 2017 in the National Readmission Database were queried. The primary endpoint of interest was major in‐hospital adverse events. Secondary endpoints included, 30‐day readmission rate, nonhome discharge, and cost of hospitalization. Propensity score matching (1:1) was performed to compare the outcomes among women and men.

Results

A total of 9,281 patients were included in the current analysis [women = 3,659 (39%); men = 5,622 (61%)]. Comparing women to men, women had lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus (30.6% vs 35.7%, p < .01), heart failure (28.6% vs 30.8%, p = .03), vascular disease (55.5% vs 69.6%, p < .01) and renal failure (18.3% vs 21.2%, p < .01), and higher CHA2DS2VASc score (5 [IQR4‐6] vs 4 [IQR3‐6], p < .01). After propensity‐score matching, women had higher rate of major in‐hospital adverse events (2.8% vs 1.9%; p < .01), and nonhome discharges (11.4% vs 6.7%; p < .01). Additionally, 30‐day readmission rate was higher among women (10% vs 8.6%, p = .03).

Conclusion

Among hospitalized patients undergoing LAAO, women carry higher risk for major in‐hospital adverse events, nonhome discharge, and 30‐day readmission rates.
Pediatric rosacea in a patient with a dark phototype: Clinical and dermoscopic features
Authors: Chabchoub Ines , Litaiem Noureddine , Zeglaoui Faten
Published: October 2020

Rosacea is rare in children and patients with dark phototype. Dermoscopy helps make the correct diagnosis. Positive family history of rosacea is reported in affected children, which suggests a strong familial inheritance of the disorder.
Identification of Isomeric N‐Glycans by Conformer Distribution Fingerprinting using Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Sastre Toraño Javier , Aizpurua‐Olaizola Oier , Wei Na , Li Tiehai , Unione Luca , Jiménez‐Osés Gonzalo , Corzana Francisco , Somovilla Victor J. , Falcon‐Perez Juan M. , Boons Geert‐Jan
Published: October 2020

Glycans possess unparalleled structural complexity arising from chemically similar monosaccharide building blocks, configurations of anomeric linkages and different branching patterns, potentially giving rise to many isomers. This level of complexity is one of the main reasons that identification of exact glycan structures in biological samples still lags behind that of other biomolecules. Here, we introduce a methodology to identify isomeric N‐glycans by determining gas phase conformer distributions (CDs) by measuring arrival time distributions (ATDs) using drift‐tube ion mobility spectrometry‐mass spectrometry. Key to the approach is the use of a range of well‐defined synthetic glycans that made it possible to investigate conformer distributions in the gas phase of isomeric glycans in a systematic manner. In addition, we have computed CD fingerprints by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, which compared well with experimentally determined CDs. It supports that ATDs resemble conformational populations in the gas phase and offer the prospect that such an approach can contribute to generating a library of CCS distributions (CCSDs) for structure identification.
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on telehealth research in cancer prevention and care: A call to sustain telehealth advances
Authors: Park Elyse R. , Chiles Caroline , Cinciripini Paul M. , Foley Kristie L. , Fucito Lisa M. , Haas Jennifer S. , Joseph Anne M. , Ostroff Jamie S. , Rigotti Nancy A. , Shelley Donna R. , Taylor Kathryn L. , Zeliadt Steven B. , Toll Benjamin A. ,   the Smoking Cessation at Lung Examination (SCALE) Research Group
Published: October 2020

History has shown that we must adapt and learn from crises so that we can improve how we deliver care and conduct research to improve clinical outcomes. The COVID‐19 pandemic has expedited work regarding virtual research methods and serves as an opportunity to evaluate how to initiate, implement, and sustain cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment research going forward.
Treatment strategy of adding transcatheter arterial chemoembolization to sorafenib for advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lee Wei‐Chen , Hung Hao‐Chien , Lee Jin‐Chiao , Wang Yu‐Chao , Cheng Chih‐Hsien , Wu Tsung‐Han , Lee Chen‐Fang , Wu Ting‐Jung , Chou Hong‐Shiue , Chan Kun‐Ming
Published: October 2020

Background

Therapeutic effect and immunosuppressor cell alteration in adding transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) to sorafenib for advanced stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear.

Aims

To examine the therapeutic effect and immunosuppressor cell alteration in adding TACE to sorafenib.

Methods

Forty‐four advanced stage HCC patients were divided into group A (n = 17) treated by sorafenib (400‐600 mg/day) alone and group B patients (n = 27) treated by sorafenib and TACE. The frequency of regulatory T‐cells and myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and patients' outcomes were examined. Advanced HCC patients' survival was improved by adding TACE to sorafenib if N/L was reduced from ≥2.5 to <2.5 by TACE.

Results

The median (interquartile) follow‐up for all patients was 8.5 (3.5 to 15.5) with a range from 1 to 71 months. The median (interquartile) survival was 5.0 (2.3‐11.3) months for group A and 11.0 (5.0‐19.0) months for group B patients (P = .024). In group A, the patients (n = 8) with neutrophil‐to‐lymphocytes ratio (N/L) < 2.5 had better survival than the patients (n = 9) with N/L ≥ 2.5 (P = .006). In group B, 6 of 13 patients with N/L ≥ 2.5 had N/L reduction to <2.5 after combination therapy of sorafenib and TACE, and their 6‐month, 1‐year and 2‐year survival were improved (P = .013). For immune cell examination, the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T‐lymphocytes, regulatory T‐cell and MDSC were not altered by sorafenib treatment. However, actual number of lymphocytes had a tendency to increase (from 978.5 ± 319.4/mm3 prior to treatment to 1378.0 ± 403.3/mm3, P = .086) for the patients with N/L reduction.

Conclusion

Immunosuppressor cells were not altered by sorafeinb. Patients' survival was improved if N/L ≥ 2.5 was reduced to <2.5 by TACE.
Space‐address decoupled scratchpad memory management for neural network accelerators
Authors: Zhang Zhenxing , Sun Shiyan , Chen Xunyu , Zhi Tian , Guo Qi , Chen Yunji
Published: October 2020

Deep neural networks have been demonstrated to be useful in varieties of intelligent tasks, and various specialized NN accelerators have been proposed recently to improve the hardware efficiency, which are typically equipped with software‐managed scratchpad memory (SPM) for high performance and energy efficiency. However, traditional SPM management techniques cause memory fragmentation for NN accelerators, and thus lead to low utilization of precious SPM. The main reason is that traditional techniques are originally designed for managing fixed‐length registers rather than variable‐length memory blocks. In this article, we propose a novel SPM management approach for NN accelerators. The basic intuition is that NN computation/memory behaviors are predictable and relatively regular compared with traditional applications, and thus most information can be determined at compile time. In addition, by exploiting the variable‐length feature of SPM, we propose to divide the allocation process into two passes: the space assignment and the address assignment pass, which are simultaneously (and implicitly) performed in traditional one‐pass allocation techniques. Experimental results on the memory requests of a representative NN accelerator demonstrate that the proposed approach can significantly reduce the memory consumption by 30% at most compared with state‐of‐the‐art SPM management techniques, and the memory usage is only 2% larger than that of the theoretical optimal allocation.
Seasonal dynamics of flock interaction networks across a human‐modified landscape in lowland Amazonian rain forest
Authors: Rutt Cameron L. , Stouffer Philip C
Published: October 2020

Although lowland tropical rain forests were once widely believed to be the archetype of stability, seasonal variation exists. In these environments, seasonality is defined by rainfall, leading to a predictable pattern of biotic and abiotic changes. Only the full annual cycle reveals niche breadth, yet most studies of tropical organisms ignore seasonality, thereby underestimating realized conditions. If human‐modified habitats display more seasonal stress than intact habitats, then ignoring seasonality will have particularly important repercussions for conservation. We examined the seasonal dynamics of Amazonian mixed‐species flocks, an important species interaction network, across three habitats with increasing human disturbance. We quantified seasonal space use, species richness and attendance, and four ecological network metrics for flocks in primary forest, small forest fragments, and regenerating secondary forest in central Amazonia. Our results indicate that, even in intact, lowland rain forest, mixed‐species flocks exhibit seasonal differences. During the dry season, flocks included more species, generally ranged over larger areas, and displayed network structures that were less complex and less cohesive. We speculate that—because most flocking species nest during the dry season, a time of reduced arthropod abundance—flocks are simultaneously constrained by these two competing pressures. Moreover, these seasonal differences were most pronounced in forest fragments and secondary forest, habitats that are less buffered from the changing seasons. Our results suggest that seasonality influences the conservation value of human‐modified habitats, raising important questions about how rain forest organisms will cope with an increasingly unstable climate.
Long‐term prognosis of patients treated by coronary sinus‐based percutaneous annuloplasty: single centre experience
Authors: Lipiecki Janusz , Fahrat Hicham , Monzy Séverine , Caillot Nicolat , Siminiak Tomasz , Johnson Tim , Vogt Suzanne , Stark Matthew A. , Goldberg Steven L.
Published: October 2020

Aims

This study aims to report long‐term mortality, echocardiographic, and clinical outcomes of patients receiving treatment for functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) with the Carillon device.

Methods and results

This was a single centre analysis of prospectively collected data from patients treated with the Carillon Mitral Contour System for symptomatic congestive heart failure despite guideline‐directed medical therapy, who were included from a single centre from the TITAN II study. All patients presented with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 2 or greater symptoms, grade 2+ to 4+ FMR, left ventricular enlargement, and reduced ejection fraction. Surviving patients were evaluated for long‐term follow‐up post‐procedure, averaging 6.9 years. Fifteen (15) patients (mean age 72 years, 60% male, 100% NYHA class III or IV, 50% MR grade 3+ or 4+) were treated with the Carillon device. The Kaplan–Meier mortality rate was 40% at 6 years of follow‐up. Long‐term survival through 6 years was associated with echocardiographic improvement in mitral regurgitation (change in effective regurgitant orifice area in survivors versus non‐survivors from baseline to 1 year follow‐up, −9.0 ± 5.6 vs. −1.7 ± 1.5, P = 0.02) and clinical status at 12 months (difference in NYHA at 1 year follow‐up between survivors versus non‐survivors, P = 0. 05) which was sustained throughout follow‐up. All patients at 6 year follow‐up had ≤2+ MR, with 6 of 7 having 0–1+ MR. Left ventricular end‐diastolic volume was reduced from 154.0 ± 65.7 mL at baseline to 104.5 ± 59.2 mL at 6 year follow‐up, P = 0.03 in survivors with both measurements.

Conclusions

Among patients with congestive heart failure treated with the Carillon device, long‐term survival is associated with favourable 1 year and sustained improvements in mitral regurgitation, left ventricular volume, ejection fraction, and clinical status.
Techno‐economic analysis of a stand‐alone photovoltaic system with three different storage systems for feeding isolated houses in south Algeria
Authors: Ammari Chouaib , Belatrache Djamel , Makhloufi Salim , Saifi Nadia
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a technical and economic simulation of a solar photovoltaic system with three different storage types. Battery lead‐acid, battery lithium‐ion, and hydrogen storage have been used to cover the consumption of houses in an isolated village in southwest Algeria. The main objective of this study is trying to use the roof of the houses to cover consumption by installing solar panels and build a room for electric equipment like inverter, battery, power system management, and so forth. The proposed hybrid system size is 50 photovoltaic panels with 7 kW electrolyzer and a tank of 6 kg for hydrogen storage. The hourly consumption of this houses was estimated during two seasons; season of low consumption (winter) and season of high consumption (summer). The results obtained from Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable PRO software have been validated using MATLAB/Simulink software. The results show that the best storage system is the hydrogen storage due to low excess energy with no unmet load, the results show also that the system that uses hydrogen storage is the most economic system compared to the other storage types (lead‐acid and lithium‐ion) due to low investment cost and long lifetime. This system costs 51 282€.
Silicon Oxynitrophosphide Nanoscale Coating Enhances Antioxidant Marker‐Induced Angiogenesis During in vivo Cranial Bone‐Defect Healing
Authors: do Monte Felipe A , Ahuja Neelam , Awad Kamal R , Pan Zui , Young Simon , Kim Harry KW , Aswath Pranesh , Brotto Marco , Varanasi Venu G
Published: October 2020

Critical‐sized bone defects are challenging to heal because of the sudden and large volume of lost bone. Fixative plates are often used to stabilize defects, yet oxidative stress and delayed angiogenesis are contributing factors to poor biocompatibility and delayed bone healing. This study tests the angiogenic and antioxidant properties of amorphous silicon oxynitrophosphide (SiONPx) nanoscale‐coating material on endothelial cells to regenerate vascular tissue in vitro and in bone defects. in vitro studies evaluate the effect of silicon oxynitride (SiONx) and two different SiONPx compositions on human endothelial cells exposed to ROS (eg, hydrogen peroxide) that simulates oxidative stress conditions. in vivo studies using adult male Sprague Dawley rats (approximately 450 g) were performed to compare a bare plate, a SiONPx‐coated implant plate, and a sham control group using a rat standard‐sized calvarial defect. Results from this study showed that plates coated with SiONPx significantly reduced cell death, and enhanced vascular tubule formation and matrix deposition by upregulating angiogenic and antioxidant expression (eg, vascular endothelial growth factor A, angiopoetin‐1, superoxide dismutase 1, nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2, and catalase 1). Moreover, endothelial cell markers (CD31) showed a significant tubular structure in the SiONPx coating group compared with an empty and uncoated plate group. This reveals that atomic doping of phosphate into the nanoscale coating of SiONx produced markedly elevated levels of antioxidant and angiogenic markers that enhance vascular tissue regeneration. This study found that SiONPx or SiONx nanoscale‐coated materials enhance antioxidant expression, angiogenic marker expression, and reduce ROS levels needed for accelerating vascular tissue regeneration. These results further suggest that SiONPx nanoscale coating could be a promising candidate for titanium plate for rapid and enhanced cranial bone‐defect healing. © 2020 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Downregulating lncRNA PRNCR1 ameliorates LPS‐induced pulmonary vascular endothelial cell injury by modulating miR‐330‐5p/TLR4 axis
Authors: Yu Yingqing , Sun Hongzhi , Zhu Lei , Ji Lianfeng , Liu Haibo
Published: October 2020

Pulmonary vascular endothelial cell (PVEC) injury following acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome seriously affects disease development. Recently, accumulating evidence has suggested that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) exerts significant effects in vascular endothelial cell injury. However, PRNCR1, a novel lncRNA, remains scarcely understood in terms of its functions in PVEC injury. Both in vivo and in vitro models of PVEC injury were constructed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. The relative expressions of PRNCR1, miR‐330‐5p, and TLR4 were detected by quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Besides, gain and loss assays of PRNCR1/miR‐330‐5p were conducted to verify their effects on LPS‐induced PVEC injury. Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay used to measure cell viability and flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. Besides, the protein levels of caspase 3, nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB), and inflammatory cytokines (including tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐1β [IL‐1β], and IL‐6) were evaluated via Western blot and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, a dual‐luciferase activity experiment and RNA immunoprecipitation were applied to confirm the targeting relationship between PRNCR1 and miR‐330‐5p, miR‐330‐5p, and TLR4. PRNCR1 and TLR4 levels were significantly upregulated in LPS‐treated PVEC, both in vivo and in vitro, while miR‐330‐5p were downregulated. Inhibiting PRNCR1 or overexpressing miR‐330‐5p markedly attenuated LPS‐induced PVEC injury, expressions of TLR4, NF‐κB, and inflammatory cytokines. Mechanistically, PRNCR1 functioned as a competitive endogenous RNA by sponging miR‐330‐5p and then promoting TLR4 expression. PRNCR1 was upregulated in LPS‐induced PVEC and aggravated its injury via modulating the miR‐330‐5p/TLR4 axis.
Analysis of SARS‐CoV‐2 mutations in Mexico, Belize, and isolated regions of Guatemala and its implication in the diagnosis
Authors: Hernández‐Huerta María Teresa , Pérez‐Campos Mayoral Laura , Romero Díaz Carlos , Martínez Cruz Margarito , Mayoral‐Andrade Gabriel , Sánchez Navarro Luis Manuel , Pina‐Canseco María Del Socorro , Cruz Parada Eli , Martínez Cruz Ruth , Pérez‐Campos Mayoral Eduardo , Pérez Santiago Alma Dolores , Vásquez Martínez Gabriela , Pérez‐Campos Eduardo , Matias‐Cervantes Carlos Alberto
Published: October 2020

The genomic sequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) worldwide are publicly available and are derived from studies due to the increase in the number of cases. The importance of study of mutations is related to the possible virulence and diagnosis of SARS‐CoV‐2. To identify circulating mutations present in SARS‐CoV‐2 genomic sequences in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala to find out if the same strain spread to the south, and analyze the specificity of the primers used for diagnosis in these samples. Twenty three complete SARS‐CoV‐2 genomic sequences, available in the GISAID database from May 8 to September 11, 2020 were analyzed and aligned versus the genomic sequence reported in Wuhan, China (NC_045512.2), using Clustal Omega. Open reading frames were translated using the ExPASy Translate Tool and UCSF Chimera (v.1.12) for amino acid substitutions analysis. Finally, the sequences were aligned versus primers used in the diagnosis of COVID‐19. One hundred and eighty seven distinct variants were identified, of which 102 are missense, 66 synonymous and 19 noncoding. P4715L and P5828L substitutions in replicase polyprotein were found, as well as D614G in spike protein and L84S in ORF8 in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. The primers design by CDC of United States showed a positive E value. The genomic sequences of SARS‐CoV‐2 in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala present similar mutations related to a virulent strain of greater infectivity, which could mean a greater capacity for inclusion in the host genome and be related to an increased spread of the virus in these countries, furthermore, its diagnosis would be affected.
Rapid ultrasound‐assisted microextraction of atorvastatin in the sample of blood plasma by nickel metal organic modified with alumina nanoparticles
Authors: Bahrani Sonia , Ghaedi Mehrorang , Asfaram Arash , Mansoorkhani Mohammad Javad Khoshnood , Javadian Hamedreza
Published: October 2020

In the present work, nickel‐1,4‐benzenedioxyacetic acid was synthesized as a rod‐like metal organic material and then modified with alumina nanoparticles to synthesize nickel metal organic modified‐Al2O3 nanoparticles. The material was found as an efficient sorbent for the enrichment of atorvastatin in human blood plasma. After the extraction of the sample of plasma by ultrasound‐assisted dispersive solid phase extraction, high performance liquid chromatography‐ultraviolet was used to determine the quantitatively pre‐concentrated interest analyte. The conditions for optimum extraction were achieved by the optimization of the volume of eluent, dosage of the sorbent, and time of sonication. Solution pH of 7.0, 250 μL of ethanol, 45 mg of the sorbent, and 10 min of sonication time were the conditions for extracting the atorvastatin maximum recovery of higher than 97.0%. By using desirability function for the optimization of the process, the present method showed a response that was linear ranging from 0.2 to 800 ng/mL with regression coefficient of 0.999 in the plasma of human blood with a satisfactory detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL, while the precision of interday for the current method was found to be <5%. It can be concluded that dispersive solid phase extraction method is effective for the extraction of atorvastatin from human plasma samples (97.4‐102%) due to its easy operation, simplicity, repeatability, and reliability.
Mechanistic insights into biomimetic CO2 hydration activity of titania nanoclusters
Authors: Verma Manju , Deshpande Parag A.
Published: October 2020

Anatase TiO2, a widely used semiconductor metal oxide support, was tested for biomimetic carbonic anhydrase activity catalyzing the reversible hydration of CO2 to bicarbonate ions. Owing to superior photocatalytic response of nanoclusters of TiO2 and its apparent role in catalyzing CO2 hydration, (TiO2)15 nanocluster was tested for the reaction using density functional theory calculations. Free energy landscape of the reaction was developed following the biological mechanism consisting of H2O adsorption, deprotonation, CO2 complexation, CO2 bending, intramolecular proton transfer, and bicarbonate ion displacement. The identity of the intermediates of the mechanistic cycle was further confirmed by computational nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopic studies. A close correspondence of the computational and reported experimental spectroscopic analyses confirmed the identity of the intermediates and the presence of biomimesis over the TiO2 cluster.
Photoluminescence and Energy Transfer Study of Sr3Y0.96(BO3)3:0.02Ce3+0.02Mn2+ Phosphor for WLED Application
Authors: Hargunani Sanjay P. , Sonekar Rajkumar P. , Dhoble Sanjay J. , Omanwar Shreeniwas K.
Published: October 2020

Sr3Y(BO3)3;Sr3Y0.98(BO3)3:0.02Ce3+;Sr3Y0.98(BO3)3:0.02Mn2+ Sr3Y0.96(BO3):0.02Ce3+0.02Mn2+phosphors are synthesized by solution combustion method at 650 °C in muffle furnace. Synthesized phosphors are annealed at 950 °C for 3 h under weak reducing atmosphere provided by activated charcoal/carbon to achieve desire oxidation state of dopants. Photoluminescence study shows that Sr3Y0.98(BO3)3:0.02Mn2+ phosphors converts blue light (462 nm) into red (614 nm) due to 4T1(4G) to 6A1(6s) transition of Mn2+ in host crystal. Sr3Y0.98(BO3)3:0.02Ce3+ converts UV radiation (261 nm: 2f5/2→5d1 of Ce3+) into blue light of wavelength 486 nm which is attributed to the inter‐configuration 5d1→4f1 transition of Ce3+. In Sr3Y0.96(BO3)3:0.02Ce3+ 0.02Mn2+ phosphors resonant energy transfer occurs from Ce3+ to Mn2+ in host matrix, resulting into intense red emission (614 nm) from UV light (263 nm). Using photoluminescence intensity comparison, the study confirms the resonant‐ET from sensitizer Ce3+ to activator Mn2+ in the crystal. So the report it as UV‐activated red emitting phosphor for UV‐PC‐WLED.
Superhydrophobic Coating Using TiO2 NPs/PMHS Composite for Self‐Cleaning Application
Authors: Sutar Rajaram S. , Manadeshi Shriram D. , Latthe Sanjay S. , Kulal S. R. , Salunkhe G. D. , Rangar K. K. , Lavate R. A. , Raut S. B. , Sapkal A.C. , Bhosale Appasaheb K. , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar , Liu Shanhu , Xing Ruimin
Published: October 2020

In the present research work, spray deposition technique is adopted for the fabrication of superhydrophobic coating on glass slide using TiO2 nanoparticles and polymethylhydrosyloxane (PMHS) composite. The prepared superhydrophobic coating revealed hierarchical surface morphology due to different micro and nanoscaled grains of TiO2 NPs/PMHS composite. The water drops hardly stay on the superhydrophobic coating and roll off the surface at sliding angle of 6° due to high water contact angle of 163 ± 2°. As a result, the prepared superhydrophobic coating revealed excellent self‐cleaning performance. To evaluate the mechanical durability the prepared superhydrophobic coating, the coating surface is exposed to water jet, water drop impact, adhesive tape peeling, and sandpaper abrasion tests. This coating approach can be applied to the substrates of any size and shape.
Combustion Synthesis and Photoluminescence Studies of Blue‐Emitting CaAl12O19:Ce3+ Lamp Phosphors
Authors: Panse V. R. , Choubey S. R. , Pattanaik Amitansu , Dhoble S. J.
Published: October 2020

The spectroscopic properties of Ce3+ with a favorable response and the ability to integrate the Ce3+ ion into diverse host inorganic material, trivalent cerium‐activated material is activated with cerium ion cover transformed interest for most of the applications. These materials recombine with high light capitulate, constructive emission wavelength, and faster fluorescence decay with stability of temperature, which make them attractive for use in detectors for elevated energy physics and also medical imaging. Therefore, with the support of outstanding luminescence properties, inorganic materials activated with Ce3+ ions are applied in lightings industries, detectors with display systems for ionizing radiation. Here synthesis and photoluminescence (PL) investigation of CaAl12O19:Ce3+ carried out using combustion synthesis method. The structural and morphological studies and confirmation of phase and purity are done using XRD and SEM. PL spectra of Ce3+ due to the 4f–5d transition of Ce3+ ions peaking at 331 nm. The photoluminescence emission spectra of CaAl12O19:Ce3+ phosphor exhibit blue emission band centered at 440 nm. Usually, configuration of Ce3+ ion in ground state is divide into two levels, viz., 2F5/2 and 2F7/2 whereas the 5d1 excited configuration is divide by the crystal playing field ranging from 2 to 5 components.
Photocatalytic Environmental Remediation of Cassiterite–Titania Nanocomposite
Authors: Mane Chandrakant B. , Pawar Ramkrushna P. , Patil Rajendra P. , Patil Sarjerao B.
Published: October 2020

Nanocrystalline cassiterite (SnO2), titania (TiO2), and cassiterite–titania (SnO2–TiO2) are synthesized by microwave method. X‐ray diffraction study reveals that cassiterite properly supported on the surface of titania. Nano sized cassiterite, titania, and cassiterite–titania nanocomposite are confirmed by transmission electron microscopy technique. The particle size of the SnO2, TiO2, and their nanocomposite is in the range of 12–18 nm. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is observed in the SnO2–TiO2 composite as compared to SnO2 and TiO2.
Effect of Sintering Temperature on Structural, Morphological, and Magnetic Properties of Nickel Ferrite Prepared via a Polyol Method
Authors: Patil Rajendra P. , Waghmare Mahendra B. , Kalantre Vilas M. , Kadam Mohan R. , Chikalkar Milind G. , Delekar Sagar D.
Published: October 2020

The effects of sintering temperature on the structural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline nickel ferrite synthesized by the novel polyol method are investigated. The effects of heat treatment temperature on crystalline phases formation, microstructure, and magnetic properties of Ni ferrite are investigated by x‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric, and differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), and B‐H loop tracer technique. The XRD plot of the powder samples sintered at different temperature shows increase in the peak intensity values with respect to temperature of sintering thereby showing an increasing crystallinity of the samples with an increasing sintering temperature. FT‐IR spectra for sample sintered at 773 K shows two sharp bands on octahedral and tetrahedral sites. Scanning electron micrographs show spherical and uniform grains which is observed on sintering temperature 773 K. Particle size of nickel ferrite is in the range of 11–15 nm, and depends on the sintering temperature and sintering time. The saturation magnetization increased from 23.45 to 45.61 emu g−1 and coercivity increases from 327.27 to 1097.03 Oe with an increase in particle size.
Chemical molecular‐based approach to overcome multidrug resistance in cancer by targeting P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp)
Authors: Zhang Hang , Xu Haiwei , Ashby Charles R. , Assaraf Yehuda G. , Chen Zhe‐Sheng , Liu Hong‐Min
Published: October 2020

Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains one of the major impediments for efficacious cancer chemotherapy. Increased efflux of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs by transmembrane ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily is considered one of the primary causes for cancer MDR, in which the role of P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp/ABCB1) has been most well‐established. The clinical co‐administration of P‐gp drug efflux inhibitors, in combination with anticancer drugs which are P‐gp transport substrates, was considered to be a treatment modality to surmount MDR in anticancer therapy by blocking P‐gp‐mediated multidrug efflux. Extensive attempts have been carried out to screen for sets of nontoxic, selective, and efficacious P‐gp efflux inhibitors. In this review, we highlight the recent achievements in drug design, characterization, structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies, and mechanisms of action of the newly synthetic, potent small molecules P‐gp inhibitors in the past 5 years. The development of P‐gp inhibitors will increase our knowledge of the mechanisms and functions of P‐gp‐mediated drug efflux which will benefit drug discovery and clinical cancer therapeutics where P‐gp transporter overexpression has been implicated in MDR.
Use of sliced or minced peripheral nerve segments for nerve regeneration through a biodegradable nerve conduit: A preliminary study in the rat
Authors: Nagumo Yoshiaki , Isogai Noritaka , Kusuhara Hirohisa , Asamura Shinichi , Onodera Yuta , Teramura Takeshi , Sueyoshi Yu
Published: October 2020

Background

Using the rat sciatic nerve model, the difference in outcome using a nerve segment either sliced open or minced with a blade incorporated into a nerve conduit were compared and the relative effects upon the rate and completeness of the nerve regeneration was determined.

Materials and Methods

A 10‐mm gap was created in the rat sciatic nerve and bridged with a biodegradable nerve conduit. Segments of the resected nerve (2‐mm lengths) were prepared by either slicing the nerve with one longitudinal cut or by scalpel mincing of the nerve tissue, with insertion of the prepared nerve segment into the center of the conduit. Flow cytometry and Western blotting of these preparations were performed to measure viable cells and to examine the expression of Erk1/2 for neural regeneration potential with both treatments. in vivo nerve regeneration was evaluated at 2, 4, 8, and 20 weeks, using immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, muscle wet weight, and nerve conduction velocity determination.

Results

The sliced nerve group showed significantly greater Schwann cell migration with the subsequent axonal elongation at 4 weeks after implantation, in comparison to the minced nerve group and controls (unaltered conduit grafts). By 20 weeks anterior tibial muscle weight and nerve conduction velocity were also greater in the sliced nerve group in comparison to the other groups (p < .05).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that insertion of a sliced section of nerve into a biodegradable nerve conduit can shorten the time for and improve the quality of nerve regeneration.
Taming momentum crashes through triple momentum investing
Authors: Singh Simarjeet , Walia Nidhi , Jain Jinesh , Garg Aashish
Published: October 2020

Absolute, relative, and dual momentum strategies generate significant payoffs in the Indian stock market. However, these payoffs are subjected to severe periodic losses. The present study finds that these losses are predictable and these losses occur when market rebounds after enormous losses. Further, the authors propose an alternative momentum framework, that is, Triple momentum approach to avoid these momentum crashes. Triple momentum strategy not only doubles the Adjusted Sharpe ratio of dual momentum strategy, but also results in significant improvements in higher‐order moments and downside risks.
Effect of acquisition rates on off‐task behavior of kindergarten students while learning sight words
Authors: Burns Matthew K. , Aguilar Lisa N. , Warmbold‐Brann Kristy , Preast June L. , Taylor Crystal N.
Published: October 2020

Assessing a student's acquisition rates (ARs) is a reliable way to determine how many new words should be taught in one lesson without reducing retention. Exceeding a student's AR can result in frustration and problem behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of AR on the off‐task behavior of kindergarten students while participating in a commonly used sight‐word instruction video. Participants included 39 kindergarten students whose ARs were assessed before showing the sight‐word video. Behavior was measured as on‐ and off‐task using momentary time‐sampling with 10‐s intervals. Results indicated that students' time off task increased after exceeding their ARs, with a noticeable immediate increase. The implications and limitations of these results are discussed.
Rhodiola crenulata protects against Alzheimer's disease in rats: A brain lipidomics study by Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry coupled with high‐performance reversed‐phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography
Authors: Sun Wei , Liu Chun , Wang Yanan , Zhou Xing , Sui Wenwen , Zhang Yu , Zhang Qingyu , Han Jing , Li Xintong , Han Fei
Published: October 2020

Rationale

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, severe, progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive and memory impairment that ultimately causes death. Most approved drugs can only alleviate some of the symptoms of AD, but no interventions have been found that reverse the underlying disease mechanisms. Rhodiola crenulata extract (RCE) has been reported to alleviate AD symptoms in rats. However, its underlying mechanism of action is still unclear.

Methods

A brain lipidomics study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of RCE against AD in rats to identify potential biomarkers of AD using Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT‐ICR MS) coupled with high‐performance reversed‐phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). Differences in lipid metabolism profiles were evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis. Finally, the possible mechanism of action of RCE on AD was investigated by analysing metabolic pathways.

Results

The RPLCHILIC/FT‐ICR MS results showed 20 lipid components with significant differences between the control and model groups. After administration of RCE, the levels of 10 lipids in AD rats tended to shift toward reference levels. The pathway analysis revealed that the protective effect of RCE against AD might be related to regulation of glycerophospholipid metabolism.

Conclusions

This study provides a novel perspective on the potential intervention mechanism of RCE in the treatment of AD.
A study on autonomous suturing task assignment in robot‐assisted minimally invasive surgery
Authors: Gao Shuai , Ji Shijun , Feng Mei , Lu Xiuquan , Tong Weihua
Published: October 2020

Background

Sutures are a set of standard actions which are accomplished by multi‐instruments, researchers studied the robot autonomy of suturing, which was based on movement planning completed by a single instrument, but did not consider the assignment of suturing tasks to instruments.

Method

A method was proposed for the autonomous suturing task assignment to instruments, which built a comprehensive evaluation index under some constraint conditions to determine the optimal scheme of the suturing task assignment to instruments.

Results

An experiment of duodenal ulcer repair with a suturing operation was conducted under the guidance of a surgeon, and the results showed that the optimal scheme of the suturing task assignment was obtained by using the proposed method.

Conclusions

The proposed method can be used for autonomous suturing task assignment, which is beneficial for improving the intelligence of robot operation.
Successive shortest paths in complete graphs with random edge weights
Authors: Gerke Stefanie , Mezei Balázs F. , Sorkin Gregory B.
Published: October 2020

Consider a complete graph Kn with edge weights drawn independently from a uniform distribution U(0, 1). The weight of the shortest (minimum‐weight) path P1 between two given vertices is known to be , asymptotically. Define a second‐shortest path P2 to be the shortest path edge‐disjoint from P1, and consider more generally the shortest path Pk edge‐disjoint from all earlier paths. We show that the cost Xk of Pk converges in probability to
uniformly for all k ≤ n − 1. We show analogous results when the edge weights are drawn from an exponential distribution. The same results characterize the collectively cheapest k edge‐disjoint paths, that is, a minimum‐cost k‐flow. We also obtain the expectation of Xk conditioned on the existence of Pk.
Mechanistic Insights into the N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyzed Synthesis of α,δ‐Diketones: A DFT Approach
Authors: Shyam Abhijit , Pradhan Amit K. , Mondal Paritosh
Published: October 2020

Density functional theory (DFT) has been utilized to understand the mechanism for N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed synthesis of 1‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)‐2,4‐diphenylbutane‐1,4‐dione from p‐methoxybenzaldehyde and E‐chalcone. Quantum chemical simulations suggest that the catalytic cycle for the formation of α,δ‐diketone commences with nucleophilic interaction of in situ generated active catalyst NHC and p‐methoxybenzaldehyde to form a tetrahedral zwitterionic intermediate, which on subsequent proton transfer reactions result the Breslow intermediate. 1,4‐umpolung addition of Breslow intermediate to E‐chalcone followed by a proton shift facilitates the release of NHC from the catalytic cycle along with the generation of enolic form of the product. Enolic form finally transforms into the desired product under the assistance of both protonated and free 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU). Furthermore, conceptual DFT and frontier molecular orbital analyses help to unravel the role NHC in this catalytic cycle. Apart from NHC, protonated and free DBU, existence of advantageous π‐π stacking interaction is also very effective in lowering the activation energy barrier efficiently.
In search of positive mental health: Personality profiles and genetic polymorphisms
Authors: Nestor Paul G. , Hasler Victoria Choate , O'Donovan Keira , Lapp Hannah E. , Boodai Sara B. , Hunter Richard
Published: October 2020

Individuals vary greatly in their mental health and these differences may play a critical role in stress resistance, risk reduction and illness recovery. Here we ask how these differences may be related to normal variation in personality and genotype. One hundred healthy college students completed measures of mental health (Mental Health Continuum‐Short Form [MHC‐SF]), personality (NEO Five Factor Inventory) and adverse childhood experiences. Participants also provided saliva samples, genotyped for both the serotonin transporter (5‐HTTLPR) and the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), each assayed for naturally occurring polymorphisms, 5‐HTTLPR (short/long) and BDNF (valine/methionine). Mental health correlated strongly with the NEO triad of conscientiousness‐extraversion‐neuroticism, with largest contributions to MHC‐SF scores for conscientiousness, followed by extraversion and then neuroticism. The personality trait interaction of extraversion × conscientiousness uniquely accounted for approximately 44.22% 44.62% of the variance in MHC‐SF scores. Polygenic comparisons showed a significant gene × gene interaction, with highest mental health for 5‐HTTLPR‐S, Met carriers. Together these results provided support for distinct yet interacting roles of personality and genetics in the phenotypical expression of mental health.
Ru(bpy)32+‐Loaded Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as Electrochemiluminescent Probes of a Lateral Flow Immunosensor for Highly Sensitive and Quantitative Detection of Troponin I
Authors: Hong Donggu , Jo Eun‐Jung , Kim Kihyeun , Song Mun‐Beom , Kim Min‐Gon
Published: October 2020

The lateral flow immunosensor (LFI) is a widely used diagnostic tool for biomarker detection; however, its sensitivity is often insufficient for analyzing targets at low concentrations. Here, an electrochemiluminescent LFI (ECL‐LFI) is developed for highly sensitive detection of troponin I (TnI) using Ru(bpy)32+‐loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (RMSNs). A large amount of Ru(bpy)32+ is successfully loaded into the mesoporous silica nanoparticles with excellent loading capacity and shows strong ECL signals in reaction to tripropylamine. Antibody‐immobilized RMSNs are applied to detect TnI by fluorescence and ECL analysis after a sandwich immunoassay on the ECL‐LFI strip. The ECL‐LFI enables the highly sensitive detection of TnI‐spiked human serum within 20 min at femtomolar levels (≈0.81 pg mL−1) and with a wide dynamic range (0.001–100 ng mL−1), significantly outperforming conventional fluorescence detection (>3 orders of magnitude). Furthermore, TnI concentrations in 35 clinical serum samples across a low range (0.01–48.31 ng mL−1) are successfully quantified with an excellent linear correlation (R2 = 0.9915) using a clinical immunoassay analyzer. These results demonstrate the efficacy of this system as a high‐performance sensing strategy capable of capitalizing on future point‐of‐care testing markets for biomolecule detection.
A Simple and Effective Method for Observing Starch in Whole Plant Cells and in Raw and Processed Food Ingredients
Authors: Parker Mary L. , Ryden Peter , Wilde Peter J. , Edwards Cathrina H.
Published: October 2020

A method is described which uses cyclohexanediaminetetraacetic acid (CDTA) to produce numerous separated whole cells from plant tissue. CDTA chelates divalent cations that cross‐link the pectic polysaccharides of the middle lamella, allowing gentle separation of the cells without harsh physical treatments. These individual cells are ideal for observing starch granules in situ by microscopy without the requirement for fixation, embedding, sectioning, or prior starch extraction. Starch can easily be observed either unstained, or by polarizing optics, or after staining with iodide (I2/KI). Staining with I2/KI in combination with polarizing optics gives information on polarizing colors that indicate compositional differences within granules. Examples of the starch complement in developing, mature, and cooked rr wrinkled pea cells, and in banana and potato tissue are shown. The CDTA‐separation method is ideal for the survey of starch mutants and other cell components as it preserves cytoplasmic organization and prevents microbial degradation during storage.
Try these strategies to incorporate diversity, inclusion efforts into your work
Authors: Pavlik Amelia
Published: October 2020

As a staff member at Pennsylvania State University, Jill Rodgers‐Lash realized that understanding and embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion issues were important to her both personally and professionally.
Stay focused and reduce stress while working from home, meeting virtually
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: October 2020

One of the major challenges almost all sectors have faced during the COVID‐19 pandemic has been the adjustment to working from home and conducting business virtually. The transition, along with seemingly endless virtual conference meetings and the anxiety and stress over the pandemic, might have made it difficult to focus over the last few months or to feel productive.