bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ruthenium‐ and Copper‐Catalyzed Propargylic Substitution Reactions of Propargylic Alcohol Derivatives with Hydrazones
Authors: Liu Shiyao , Tanabe Yoshiaki , Kuriyama Shogo , Sakata Ken , Nishibayashi Yoshiaki
Published: November 2021

Invited for the cover of this issue are Ken Sakata, Yoshiaki Nishibayashi, and co‐workers at The University of Tokyo and Toho University. The image depicts the propargylic substitution reaction of a propargylic alcohol with an N‐monosubstituted hydrazone, where the nucleophilicity of the hydrazone is controlled by the choice of catalytic system. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202103287.
Iterative Process Design with Surrogate‐Assisted Global Flowsheet Optimization
Authors: Janus Tim , Engell Sebastian
Published: November 2021

Flowsheet optimization is an important part of process design where commercial process simulators are widely used, due to their extensive library of models and ease of use. However, the application of a framework for global flowsheet optimization upon them is computationally expensive. Based on machine learning methods, we added mechanisms for rejection and generation of candidates to a framework for global flowsheet optimization. These extensions halve the amount of time needed for optimization such that the integration of the framework in a workflow for iterative process design becomes applicable.
Gas consumption analysis of Ethereum blockchain transactions
Authors: Khan Muhammad Milhan Afzal , Sarwar Hafiz Muhammad Azeem , Awais Muhammad
Published: November 2021

In Ethereum blockchain, whenever a transaction of smart contract is executed, transaction fee is charged in terms of Ethers. To calculate the transaction fee, a computational unit, gas is introduced in smart contracts. Gas consumption is calculated against the smart contract source code execution. The transaction initiator sets the gas price against per unit of gas and the total gas limit. If the gas limit is sufficient, the transaction will be mined otherwise it will be reverted. Smart contracts of Ethereum can be written in any high‐level language such as Solidity, Vyper, Python, Java and so forth, but Solidity is massively used for smart contracts creation. In this article, we have examined the 5000 transactions of Solidity based smart contracts from Etherscan and performed statistical analysis on opcodes and source code parameters used in these transactions to identify gas costly patterns. Our statistical results (correlation and regression) analyze the relationship of Solidity parameters and opcodes with the gas consumption. Factors causing an increase or decrease in the gas consumption of smart contracts are highlighted in this article. The regression analysis showed that 87.8% of the variability in the response variable (gas consumption) is due to the parameters used in this analysis. Our results will help the smart contract developers to write the gas optimized smart contracts. The results can be beneficial for end users as they will have to pay gas price for less number of gas units.
An accurate foreground moving object detection based on segmentation techniques and optimal classifier
Authors: Nagaraju Melam , Babu B. Sobhan , Sai Somayajulu Meduri V. N. S. S. R. K. , Sarma K. Subrahmanya Kousik , Vetagiri Advaitha
Published: November 2021

In video surveillance schemes, the motion object detection plays a significant role. To subtract the object background, a segmentation technique based on feature extraction is utilized in which the change in the training rate makes an alteration in the background. Thereafter, the extracted features are trained by using the self‐organizing map (SOM) network in which the weight parameters in the network is optimized with the help of artificial bee colony (ABC) optimization algorithm, so, the proposed methodology is named as HSOM‐ABC technique. This methodology is carried out to perform the classification process in this research. Initially, the whole dataset is preprocessed with the help of grayscale conversion method which converts the original image into grayscale color. After this, fuzzy c‐means clustering is applied to perform the segmentation process and this method divides the foreground and background parts efficiently. Then, feature extraction is done with the help of local binary pattern method which extract the relevant features from the segmented image. Finally, HSOM‐ABC method is proposed to accurate classification process. Hence, the moving objects are identified by categorizing the background and foreground images. MatLab platform is chosen for the proposed work simulation and the performance is evaluated by means of different parameters and it is compared with new existing approaches. Experimental outcomes show that the proposed strategy achieves higher precision value than any other existing methods.
Diet composition of the African manatee: Spatial and temporal variation within the Sanaga River Watershed, Cameroon
Authors: Takoukam Kamla Aristide , Gomes Dylan G. E. , Beck Cathy A. , Keith‐Diagne Lucy W. , Hunter Margaret E. , Francis‐Floyd Ruth , Bonde Robert K.
Published: November 2021

The present study aimed to investigate the diet of African manatees in Cameroon to better inform conservation decisions within protected areas. A large knowledge gap on diet and seasonal changes in forage availability limits the ability to develop informed local management plans for the African manatee in much of its range. This research took place in the Sanaga River Watershed, which includes two protected areas in the Littoral Region of Cameroon: the Douala‐Edea National Park and the Lake Ossa Wildlife Reserve. We analyzed 113 manatee fecal samples and surveyed shoreline emergent and submerged vegetation within the Sanaga River Watershed. We used microhistological analyses to determine the relative contribution of each plant species to African manatee diets and compared across locations and across seasons (wet vs. dry season). We found that the shoreline vegetation is diverse with over 160 plant species, unevenly distributed across space and season, and dominated by emergent vegetation mostly represented by the antelope grass (Echinochloa pyramidalis). We recorded a total of 36 plant species from fecal samples with a spatial and temporal distribution mostly reflecting that of the corresponding shoreline vegetation. African manatees appear to be primarily opportunistically feeding on available vegetation across the seasons and habitat. This work documents the current, but changing, state of plant availability in the Sanaga River Watershed and reports the African manatee diet in Cameroon for the first time. This information can play a critical role in successfully managing the species and these protected areas. If we wish to protect the African manatee and the aquatic ecosystems within the Sanaga River Watershed, we must understand how forage availability changes over time, especially as its waters become nutrient enriched, eutrophic, and exposed to invasive species of plants in a changing world.
The thermoregulatory role of relative bill and leg surface areas in a Mediterranean population of Great tit (Parus major)
Authors: Playà‐Montmany Núria , González‐Medina Erick , Cabello‐Vergel Julián , Parejo Manuel , Abad‐Gómez José M. , Sánchez‐Guzmán Juan M. , Villegas Auxiliadora , Masero José A.
Published: November 2021

There is growing evidence on the role of legs and bill as ‘thermal windows’ in birds coping with heat stress. However, there is a lack of empirical work examining the relationship between the relative bill and/or leg surface areas and key thermoregulatory traits such as the limits of the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) or the cooling efficiency at high temperatures. Here, we explored this relationship in a Mediterranean population of Great tit (Parus major) facing increasing thermal stress in its environment. The lower and upper critical limits of the TNZ were found to be 17.7 ± 1.6ºC and 34.5 ± 0.7°C, respectively, and the basal metabolic rate was 0.96 ± 0.12 ml O2 min−1 on average. The evaporative water loss (EWL) inflection point was established at 31.85 ± 0.27°C and was not significantly different from the value of the upper critical limit. No significant relationship was observed between the relative bill or tarsi size and TNZ critical limits, breadth, mass‐independent VO2, or mass‐independent EWL at any environmental temperature (from 10 to 40°C). However, Great tit males (but not females) with larger tarsi areas (a proxy of leg surface area) showed higher cooling efficiencies at 40°C. We found no support for the hypothesis that the bill surface area plays a significant role as a thermal window in Great tits, but the leg surface areas may play a role in males’ physiological responses to high temperatures. On the one hand, we argue that the studied population occupies habitats with available microclimates and fresh water for drinking during summer, so active heat dissipation by EWL might be favored instead of dry heat loss through the bill surface. Conversely, male dominance behaviors could imply a greater dependence on cutaneous EWL through the upper leg surfaces as a consequence of higher exposure to harsh environmental conditions than faced by females.
Assessing the nutritional consequences of switching foraging behavior in wood bison
Authors: Hecker Lee J. , Edwards Mark A. , Nielsen Scott E.
Published: November 2021

Diet is one of the most common traits used to organize species of animals into niches. For ruminant herbivores, the breadth and uniqueness of their dietary niche are placed on a spectrum from browsers that consume woody (i.e., browse) and herbaceous (i.e., forbs) plants, to grazers with graminoid‐rich diets. However, seasonal changes in plant availability and quality can lead to switching of their dietary niche, even within species. In this study, we examined whether a population of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) in northeast Alberta, Canada, seasonally switched their foraging behavior, and if so, whether this was associated with changes in nutrient acquisition. We hypothesized that bison should switch foraging behaviors from grazing in the winter when standing, dead graminoids are the only foliar plants readily available to browsing during spring and summer as nutritious and digestible foliar parts of browse and forbs become available. If bison are switching foraging strategy to maximize protein consumption, then there should be a corresponding shift in the nutritional niche. Alternatively, if bison are eating different plants, but consuming similar amounts of nutrients, then bison are switching their dietary niche to maintain a particular nutrient composition. We found wood bison were grazers in the winter and spring, but switch to a browsing during summer. However, only winter nutrient consumption of consumed plants differed significantly among seasons. Between spring and summer, bison maintained a specific nutritional composition in their diet despite compositional differences in the consumed plants. Our evidence suggests that bison are selecting plants to maintain a target macronutrient composition. We posit that herbivore's can and will switch their dietary niche to maintain a target nutrient composition.
Comprehensive investigation of fever cases enrolled during 2019 dengue outbreaks from three hyperendemic regions of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India
Authors: Datta Sourav , Ghosh Manab , Paul Moumita , Halder Prantiki , Mallik Sudeshna , Mukhopadhyay Sumi , Saha Bibhuti , Kundu Pratip Kumar
Published: November 2021

For the past several decades, dengue fever has been emerging in epidemic proportions in several regions of the world. During August–September 2019, an increasing number of fever cases were being reported from some areas of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Accordingly, outbreak investigation of fever cases from these affected areas of Bongoan, Barasat, and Habra was carried out. To characterize clinical and biochemical features of fever cases as well as to investigate the utility of CRP as a Dengue severity marker in resource‐limited settings. We systematically enrolled 108 patients from the affected region of North 24 Parganas. Standard diagnostic assays along with routine serological and biochemical parameters were performed. Of the 108 patients, 77 (71%) were confirmed with Dengue infection followed by 22 (20%) DENV seronegative and 9 (8%) coinfected DENV cases. Among the 77 confirmed Dengue patients, 53 (69%) had primary infection while 24 (31%) had secondary infection. Among the DENV clinical symptoms, fever (r = 0.50; p = 0.004), headache (r = 0.40; p = 0.03) and abdominal pain (r = −0.40; p = 0.02) were found to bear significant correlation with DENV viral load. The predominant circulating serotype was found to be DENV2. CRP Dengue severity cut‐off level of 10.15 mg/L (AUC: 0.85; 86% sensitivity, 77% specificity) was obtained. CRP had correlation with viral load (r = 0.4, p = 0.05) within febrile phase of infection. The performance of biomarkers can be influenced by local epidemiology, geography, and several patient factors, therefore, CRP Dengue severity cut‐off value may be region‐specific. This study for the first time attempts to estimate CRP Dengue severity cut‐off value based on routine immunoturbidometric evaluation from Dengue Hyperendemic zones of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, Eastern India.
Molecular epidemiological study of the G protein of human respiratory syncytial virus detected in patients with acute respiratory infections in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Authors: Lee Yea‐Eun , Choi Ok‐Kyung , Bang Seon‐Jae , Cho Han‐Gil , Lee Hyun‐Kyung , Han Baek‐Sang , Lee Sun‐Hwa , Cheng Jinhua , Cho Joo‐Hyung , Suh Joo‐Won
Published: November 2021

To investigate the molecular characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) detected in Gyeonggi Province from 2015/16 to 2017/18, 2331 specimens from patients with sporadic acute respiratory illness and 85 specimens from four HRSV outbreaks in the postpartum care center were analyzed by real‐time reverse transcription PCR. HRSVs were detected in 97 of the 2416 (4.0%) specimens, and among the positive specimens, 38 (39.2%) were identified as HRSV‐A and 59 (60.8%) as HRSV‐B. During the study periods, HRSV‐B predominated in all seasons, except in 2016/17 during which HRSV‐A predominated. Depending on the age groups, HRSV prevalence was the highest in 0‐ to 2‐year‐old patients. Comparison of noninfected subjects with HRSV‐infected subjects revealed that HRSV infection more frequently resulted in fever, nasal obstruction, and wheezing, although the frequency of sore throat was low; however, comparison of the symptoms between HRSV‐A‐ and HRSV‐B‐infected patients revealed no significant differences in symptoms. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all HRSV‐A patients had an ON1 genotype, and all HRSV‐B patients had an BA9 genotype. These results provide a valuable reference regarding the circulating pattern and molecular characterization of HRSV. Continuous monitoring will be essential to detect newly emerging HRSV genotypes.
Experimental study and molecular simulation on aggregation behavior of surface‐active ionic liquids containing saturated nitrogen heterocycles in aqueous solution
Authors: Gao Mingwei , Guo Xu , Liu Peng , Zhao Mingwei , Yin Hui , Dai Caili
Published: November 2021

The aggregation behavior of N‐decyl‐N‐methylmorpholinium bromide (DMMB) in aqueous solutions was systematically investigated by experimental measurements and molecular simulation, including surface tension, electrical conductivity, fluorescence measurement, 1H NMR and dissipative particle dynamic (DPD) simulation. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) of DMMB which was obtained by different techniques showed a pretty good agreement. From the surface tension measurements, a series of surface adsorption properties such as surface tension at the cmc (γcmc), effectiveness of surface tension reduction (∏cmc), maximum surface excess concentration (Γmax), minimum surface area per molecule (Amin), were determined. The cmc values and a variety of thermodynamic parameters (, and ) of micellization in the temperature range of 25–45°C were obtained via electrical conductivity experiments. In the investigated temperature range, the thermodynamic parameters reveal that micelle formation is entropy‐driven. Furthermore, micelle aggregation number (Nagg) of DMMB was calculated through the fluorescence measurement. Analysis of the 1H NMR spectrum indicates the micelle formation mechanism. The DPD simulation reflects the process of micro‐phase separation. From the simulation results, at concentrations higher than cmc, spherical micelles can be formed. The investigation of DMMB micelles may help us gain a better understanding about surfactant micellization process and expand the range of potential application in materials science.
Surgical Site Infections in patients undergoing major oncological surgery during the COVID‐19 paNdemic (SCION): A propensity‐matched analysis
Authors: Pantvaidya Gouri , Joshi Shalaka , Nayak Prakash , Kannan Sadhana , DeSouza Ashwin , Poddar Pabashi , Prakash Gagan , Vijaykumaran Preeti , Nair Deepa , Vaish Richa , Patkar Shraddha , Niyogi Devayani , Joshi Poonam , Chaudhari Vikram , Singh Vikas , Mathews Saumya , Pramesh C. S. , Badwe Rajendra A. , Puri Ajay
Published: November 2021

Background and Objectives

There are reports of outcomes of elective major cancer surgery during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We evaluated if reinforcement of hand hygiene, universal masking, and distancing as a part of pandemic precautions led to a decrease in the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) in major oncologic resections.

Methods

Propensity score matching using the nearest neighbor algorithm was performed on 3123 patients over seven covariates (age, comorbidities, surgery duration, prior treatment, disease stage, reconstruction, and surgical wound type) yielding 2614 matched (pre‐COVID 1612 and COVID 1002) patients. Conditional logistic regression was used to identify if SSI incidence was lower amongst patients operated during the pandemic.

Results

There was a 4.2% (p = 0.006) decrease in SSI in patients operated during the pandemic. On multivariate regression, surgery during the COVID‐19 period (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.61–0.98; p = 0.03), prior chemoradiation (OR = 2.46; CI = 1.45–4.17; p < 0.001), duration of surgery >4 h (OR = 2.17; 95%CI = 1.55–3.05; p < 0.001) and clean contaminated wounds (OR = 2.50; 95% CI = 1.09–2.18; p = 0.012) were significantly associated with SSI.

Conclusion

Increased compliance with hand hygiene, near‐universal mask usage, and social distancing during the COVID‐19 pandemic possibly led to a 23% decreased odds of SSI in major oncologic resections. Extending these low‐cost interventions in the post‐pandemic era can decrease morbidity associated with SSI in cancer surgery.
Recent progress in the development of chiral stationary phases for high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Zhang Jun‐Hui , Xie Sheng‐Ming , Yuan Li‐Ming
Published: November 2021

Separations and analyses of chiral compounds are important in many fields, including pharmaceutical production, preparation of chemical intermediates, and biochemistry. High‐performance liquid chromatography using a chiral stationary phase is regarded as one of the most valuable methods for enantiomeric separation and analysis because it is highly efficient, is broadly applicable, and has powerful separation capability. The focus for development of this method is the identification of novel chiral stationary phases with superior recognition performance and good stability. The present article reviews recent progress in the development of new chiral stationary phases for high‐performance liquid chromatography between January 2018 and June 2021. These newly reported chiral stationary phases are divided into three categories: small organic molecule‐based (cyclodextrin and its derivatives, macrocyclic antibiotics, cinchona alkaloids, and other low molecular weight chiral molecules), macromolecule‐based (cellulose and amylose derivatives, chitin and chitosan derivatives, and synthetic helical polymers) and chiral porous material‐based (chiral metal‐organic frameworks, chiral covalent organic frameworks, and chiral inorganic mesoporous silicas). Each type of chiral stationary phase is discussed in detail.
Deep learning‐based ultrasonic dynamic video detection and segmentation of thyroid gland and its surrounding cervical soft tissues
Authors: Luo Hongxia , Ma Laifa , Wu Xiangqiong , Tan Guanghua , Zhu Hui , Wu Senmin , Li Kenli , Yang Yan , Li Shengli
Published: November 2021

Background

The prevalence of thyroid diseases has been increasing year by year. In this study, we established and validated a deep learning method (Cascade region‐based convolutional neural network, R‐CNN) based on ultrasound videos for automatic detection and segmentation of the thyroid gland and its surrounding tissues in order to reduce the workload of radiologists and improve the detection and diagnosis rate of thyroid disease.

Methods

Seventy‐one patients with normal thyroid ultrasound were included. The ultrasound videos of 59 patients were used as the training dataset, the data of 12 patients were used as the validation dataset, and in addition, the data of 9 patents were used as the testing dataset. Ultrasound videos of thyroid examination, including five standard sections (left and right lobe transverse scan, central isthmus transverse scan, left and right lobe longitudinal scan), were collected from all patients. The radiologists labeled the neck tissues, including anterior cervical muscle, cricoid cartilage, trachea, thyroid gland, endothyroid vessels, carotid artery, internal jugular vein, and esophagus. A large dataset was constructed to train and test the deep learning method. The performance was evaluated using the COCO metrics AP, AP50, and AP75. We compared the Cascade R‐CNN with a state‐of‐the‐art method CenterMask in the test dataset.

Results

We annotated 166817, 34364, and 29227 regions in training, validation and testing samples. The model could achieve a good detection performance for the thyroid left lobe, right lobe, isthmus, muscles, trachea, carotid artery, and jugular vein; the AP50 of these tissues were 86.5%, 87.5%, 89.1%, 96.1%, 96.6%, 97.7%, and 91.8%, respectively. In addition, the model showed good segmentation performance for the muscles, trachea, and carotid artery; the AP50 of these tissues were 96%, 96.6%, and 97.8%, respectively. For the left lobe, right lobe, isthmus, esophagus, and jugular vein, AP50 was ≥86%. However, the segmentation results for the cricoid cartilage and endothyroid vessels were not high (AP50 of 53.9% and 48.5%, respectively). For fair comparison, the performance of Cascade R‐CNN is better than that of CenterMask for detection and segmentation tasks. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The new method could successfully detect and segment the thyroid gland and its surrounding tissues.
Triterpenes and limonoids of Cedrela: Distribution, biosynthesis, and 1H and 13C NMR data
Authors: Vasquez‐Ruiz Vianey , Ramírez‐Cisneros M. Ángeles , Rios Maria Yolanda
Published: November 2021

Cedrela genus, a member of the Meliaceae family, presents both chemical characteristics associated with and those that distinguish it from the rest of its members. The presence of triterpenes and limonoids is the characteristic of the Meliaceae family, but the class and type of these chemical constituents are distinctive for each genus. Cedrela includes cycloartane, ursane, oleanane, tirucallane, butyrospermane, and apotirucallane triterpenes, and its limonoids belongs to six class and nine types, known as class Ia‐type havanensines, class Ib‐type delevoyin, class II‐type gedunin, class IIIb‐type andirobin, class IIIg‐type mexicanolide, class IVa‐type evoludone, class Va‐type obacunol, class V‐type limonin, and class VIII. Each of these structural arrangements includes specific traits, defined by their biosynthetic origin, which can be established by means of structural elucidation techniques, particularly 1H and 13C NMR, which assisted by 2D NMR techniques, allowing to deduce their structures unequivocally. The constant presence of these skeletal arrangements in Cedrela ensures that they are its chemophenetic markers and their recurrence is an important criterion for their identity. This review is a compilation of the occurrence of triterpenes and limonoids in Cedrela genus, detailing their biosynthetic association and collecting and organizing their NMR data, with the purpose of facilitating its location, analysis, and use in the phytochemical study of species from this genus.
Privacy‐preserving and efficient user matching based on attribute encryption in mobile social networks
Authors: Wu Lei , Zhao Shengnan , Wei Xia , Meng Lingzhen
Published: November 2021

With the rapid popularity of social networking platforms, users can be matched when sharing their profiles. However, there is a risk of leakage of sensitive user information during the user matching process, which leads to the lack of user privacy protection. In this paper, we propose a privacy protection scheme based on the encryption of hidden attributes during user matching in mobile social networks, which uses linear secret sharing scheme (LSSS) as the access structure based on ciphertext policy attribute‐based encryption (CP‐ABE), and the match server can perform friend recommendation by completing bi‐directional attribute matching determination without disclosing user attribute information. In addition, the use of selective keywords protects the privacy of requesters and publishers in selecting keywords and selecting plaintext attacks. The scheme reduces the encryption and decryption overhead for users by dividing encryption into a preparation phase and an online phase and shifting most of the decryption overhead from the requester to the match server. The experimental results show that the scheme ensures user privacy while effectively reducing communication overhead.
Elevated depressive symptoms among newer and younger healthcare workers in Japan during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Katsuta Narimasa , Ito Kanami , Fukuda Hiroshi , Seyama Kuniaki , Hori Satoshi , Shida Yuka , Nagura Rie , Nojiri Shuko , Sato Hiroyuki
Published: November 2021

Aim

Depression is a frequent outcome of long‐term stress, but no studies have examined depression rates among Japanese healthcare workers fighting the COVID‐19 pandemic. Therefore, we conducted a web‐based interview of hospital employees to assess depression prevalence and factors.

Methods

This observational cohort study was conducted from July to August, 2020, as part of a mandatory health checkup of Juntendo University Hospital employees (Tokyo, Japan). A total of 4239 participants completed a web‐based questionnaire on medical history and current health status. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) was used for self‐assessment, with a score of ≥16 considered to indicate depression.

Results

Among all employees, the proportion of depression was 31.3% in 2020, the highest measured in the last 10 years and substantially greater than the pre‐pandemic value in 2019 (27.5%). The proportion of depression for 2020 was significantly higher in new recruits than in employees with more than 2 years of experience (47.0% vs 29.9%, respectively, P < .0001) and in new recruits in 2019 (26.4%, P < .0001). When subdivided by occupation, nurses demonstrated the highest depression rate (43.2%), followed by paramedics (35.1%) and clerks (31.6%), whereas residents (22.9%), doctors (20.4%), teaching staff (18.0%), and part‐time staff (15.3%) reported lower depression rates. The positive CES‐D score significantly correlated with age (P < .0001).

Conclusions

Younger and newer employees demonstrated the highest rates of depression independent of occupation. Therefore, mental healthcare programs focusing on these vulnerable groups need to be established.
Using the nursing delirium screening scale in assessing postoperative delirium: A meta‐regression
Authors: Ho Mu‐Hsing , Choi Edmond Pui Hang , Chiu Hsiao‐Yean , Shen Hsiao Shu‐Tai , Traynor Victoria
Published: November 2021

The nursing delirium screening scale (Nu‐DESC) was developed for the rapid assessment of delirium, but little is known regarding the performance of the Nu‐DESC in assessing postoperative delirium. The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to review and summarize the evidence of the diagnostic accuracy of the Nu‐DESC in assessing postoperative delirium. The EMBASE, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and a Chinese e‐Journal database were searched from the period of the inception of the Nu‐DESC to June 18, 2020. Participants were adult (age ≥ 18 years) postoperative patients who received any type of surgery and any method of anesthesia. The quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies‐2 was employed to assess the risk of bias among the selected studies, and meta‐regression analyses were used to detect sources of between‐study heterogeneity. Eleven studies involving 2062 postoperative patients in surgical settings were included. The Nu‐DESC revealed a pooled sensitivity of 0.73 (95% confidence interval, 0.44–0.90) and a specificity of 0.93 (0.87–0.96). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.94 (0.91–0.96), which also confirmed the accuracy of the Nu‐DESC. Covariates, including the region of study and the standard reference used, were identified as possible sources of heterogeneity in the meta‐regression. The findings of this review can update existing clinical guidelines for postoperative delirium. On the basis of its satisfactory diagnostic performance, we suggest that the Nu‐DESC could be considered for nurses and allied health professionals for assessing postoperative delirium. However, because of the heterogeneity, the result of this meta‐analysis should be considered with caution.
Factors affecting the analytical performance of molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica
Authors: Susanti Ike , Mutakin Mutakin , Hasanah Aliya N.
Published: November 2021

Sample preparation was carried out for the removal of interfering substances in the complex matrix sample. Molecularly imprinted mesoporous silica (MIP‐MS) is the specific adsorbent used in the sample preparation for solid‐phase extraction. MIP‐MS can increase the binding capacity, selectivity, and site accessibility of the molecular target. MIP‐MS was synthesized using several materials, such as a silica precursor, surfactant, organosilane, functional monomer, and template molecule. Each material influences the formation and analytical performance of the MIP‐MS. This review discusses the factors affecting the analytical performance in MIP‐MS synthesis, such as the template molecular concentration, the ratio of the silica precursor and organosilane concentration, the type of functional monomer, and the functional monomer concentration. In addition, factors affecting the analytical performance in the adsorption–desorption study, such as pH, mass sorbent, eluting solvent, and washing solvent, to reach high‐analyte recovery are also described.
Smooth Surface Morphology and Long Carrier Lifetime of InGaP Realized by Low‐Temperature‐Grown Cover Layer
Authors: Asami Meita , Watanabe Kentaroh , Nakano Yoshiaki , Sugiyama Masakazu
Published: November 2021

The growth of high‐crystal‐quality GaAs on InGaP without sacrificing the carrier lifetime and shunt resistance of the InGaP layer is reported, utilizing a 10 nm‐thick low‐temperature‐grown InGaP cover layer (LTGCL). Electronic devices with a GaAs/InGaP heterostructure such as solar cells, high‐electron‐mobility transistors (HEMTs), and lasers have attracted considerable attention because of their superior characteristics compared with conventional homostructure devices. However, the device performance has scope for improvement, particularly, the interface quality. To realize high‐performance GaAs/InGaP heterostructure devices, high‐crystal‐quality GaAs needs to be grown on high‐temperature‐grown InGaP, which has a long carrier lifetime and high shunt resistance. High‐temperature‐grown InGaP, however, has a rough surface, which degrades the crystal quality of the overlying GaAs. To solve this problem, the use of high‐temperature‐grown InGaP with an LTGCL is proposed, which has an atomic‐scale smooth surface. The advantages of using an LTGCL are discussed with a heterostructure solar cell as an example. The findings of this study indicate that the LTGCL can contribute to further improvement of the performance of heterostructure devices.
Synergistic Effect of Iodide Ion and N‐methyl‐N,N,N‐trioctylammonium Chloride on Corrosion Inhibition of Carbon Steel in 0.5 M H2SO4: Experimental and Computational Approach
Authors: Singh Priyanka , Singh Chauhan Dheeraj , Singh Chauhan Sampat , Ahmad Quraishi Mumtaz , Swarupa Tripathy Sushree
Published: November 2021

An ionic liquid Aliquat 336 was for the first time analyzed for its adsorption and corrosion inhibition behavior for carbon steel surface in 0.5 M H2SO4. The inhibition performance was studied using gravimetric and electrochemical techniques supported by surface analytical measurements. The inhibitor exerted an efficiency of 96.53 % at 12×10−6 M. Significant improvement was achieved with iodide ions, which at 3.01×10−4 M, produced a remarkable rise in the efficiency to 99.03 %. The adsorption of the inhibitor on the metallic surface followed the Langmuir isotherm at 298 K in the concentration range of 2.47 to 12.37×10−6 M. Polarization studies indicated a mixed‐mode of inhibitor action with the cathodic predominance. The SEM studies showed a smooth metal surface in contact with the inhibitor, and a representative decrease in surface roughness was observed by AFM studies. Monte Carlo simulations showed inhibitor adsorption in a flat orientation on the metal surface with high adsorption energy.
Grinding Synthesis of 2‐Amino‐4H‐benzo[b]pyran Derivatives Catalyzed By Highly Efficient GPTMS/Guanidine Protected Magnetic Nanoparticles**
Authors: Taherkhani Hooman , Ramazani Ali , Sajjadifar Sami , Aghahosseini Hamideh , Rezaei Aram , Rezayati Sobhan
Published: November 2021

In this study, we synthesized the GPTMS‐guanidine attached to the magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2@GPTMS@guanidine) as a novel and efficient heterogeneous nanocatalyst through cheap and available materials. Then, the Fe3O4@SiO2@GPTMS@guanidine nanoparticles were characterized by various analyses such as fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET). The Fe3O4@SiO2@GPTMS@guanidine nanoparticles were used for the effective and green synthesis of 2‐amino‐4H‐benzo[b]pyran derivatives by grinding method through one‐pot three‐component reactions of dimedone, various aromatic aldehydes and malononitrile at room temperature. Moreover, the reaction in the water as green solvent was checked and acceptable results were obtained. The benefits of these methods include reusability of the Fe3O4@SiO2@GPTMS@guanidine, easy purification, and synthesis of derivatives with high yields and short reaction time. The catalyst has the ability to react up to at least 9 times, without a significant reduction in its activity.
Deep Eutectic Solvent Mediated Carbonylation of Amines and Alcohols by Using Dimethyl Carbonate: Selective Symmetrical Urea and Organic Carbonate Synthesis
Authors: Karimi Farzaneh , Shariatipour Monire , Heydari Akbar
Published: November 2021

This work presents one‐pot synthesis of symmetric organic carbonates and ureas by employing cheap and biodegradable deep eutectic solvent as the catalyst and reaction media. The effect of different reaction parameters such as temperature, DMC/amines and alcohols ratio and reaction time were investigated on the reaction efficiency. This new protocol provides a simple, fast, and sustainable approach and proceeds with high efficiency with aliphatic and aromatic amines and alcohols as well. Finally, applicability of this methodology was also examined for reaction of nucleophiles such as phenyl hydrazine and phenyl glycine with dimethyl carbonate. Interestingly, it was found that this reaction system obtained good yields of product for both of them.
Bright Electroluminescent White‐Light‐Emitting Diodes Based on Carbon Dots with Tunable Correlated Color Temperature Enabled by Aggregation
Authors: Wang Zhibin , Jiang Naizhong , Liu Menglong , Zhang Ruidan , Huang Feng , Chen Daqin
Published: November 2021

Carbon dots (CDs) as one of the most promising carbon‐based nanomaterials are inspiring extensive research in optoelectronic applications. White‐light‐emitting diodes (WLEDs) with tunable correlated color temperatures (CCTs) are crucial for applications in white lighting. However, the development of high‐performance CDs‐based electroluminescent WLEDs, especially those with adjustable CCTs, remains a challenge. Herein, white CDs‐LEDs with CCTs from 2863 to 11 240 K are successfully demonstrated by utilizing aggregation‐induced emission red‐shifting and broadening of CDs. As a result, a series of warm white, pure white, and cold white CDs‐LEDs are realized with adjustable emissions in sequence along the blackbody radiation curve. These CDs‐LEDs reach maximum brightness and external quantum efficiency up to 1414–4917 cd m−2 and 0.08–0.87%, respectively, which is among the best performances of white CDs‐LEDs. To the best of the authors′ knowledge, this is the first time that CCT‐tunable white electroluminescent CDs‐LEDs are demonstrated through controlling the aggregation degrees of CDs.
Improved Efficiency of Perovskite Solar Cells with Low‐Temperature‐Processed Carbon by Introduction of a Doping‐Free Polymeric Hole Conductor
Authors: Aung Soe Ko Ko , Vijayan Anuja , Seetawan Tosawat , Boschloo Gerrit
Published: November 2021

Low‐temperature‐processed carbon‐based perovskite solar cells (C‐PSCs) are promising photovoltaic devices, because of their good stability, low cost, and simple preparation methods, which allow for scalable processing. Herein, C‐PSCs with the n−i−p structure are prepared, using a SnO2 nanoparticles film as the electron‐selective contact, MAPbI3 perovskite as the intrinsic absorber layer (MA = methylammonium), and a carbon layer as the hole‐selective layer and conductor. Carbon is, however, not an ideal hole‐selective layer and it is found that improved solar cell performance can be obtained by introducing a polymeric hole conductor between the perovskite and the carbon layer. Specifically, undoped poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is used for this purpose, as it is stable and highly hydrophobic. For ITO/SnO2/MAPbI3/carbon devices, a solar cell efficiency of up to 12.8% is obtained, increasing up to 15.7% with the inclusion of a P3HT layer, which increases open‐circuit potential, photocurrent, and fill factor (FF). In comparison, ITO/SnO2/MAPbI3/P3HT/Au devices performed rather poorly (up to 11.7%). Encouraging stability is obtained for unencapsulated C‐PSC devices: P3HT/carbon devices do not show any degradation in solar cell performance upon storage for 1 month in low humidity, while they maintain 70% of their initial efficiency after 900 h at 82 °C in air.
Optimization of the Selenization Pressure Enabling Efficient Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Solar Cells
Authors: Guo Hongling , Meng Rutao , Hu Long , Lin Chun-Ho , Sun Yali , Liu Yue , Wu Jianyu , Shen Zhan , Chu Dewei , Wang Gang , Wu Li , Liang Guangxing , Xiong Shifu , Liu Fangfang , Zhang Yi , Wu Tom
Published: November 2021

In spite of the merits such as Earth abundance and high performance, Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells suffer from unfavorable SnZn antisite defects and complexes, which act as nonradiative recombination centers and deteriorate the open‐circuit voltage (VOC). Therefore, the management of Sn composition is the prerequisite for achieving high‐efficiency CZTSSe photovoltaic devices. At present, the Sn‐related composition and defect modifications at different selenization pressures remain unclear, which restrain the development of efficient kesterite solar cells. Herein, a facile yet effective strategy to accurately adjust the Sn content in CZTSSe films by simply optimizing the selenization pressure is demonstrated. Compared with the widely used atmospheric pressure, it is unveiled that the appropriate negative pressure (0.7 atm) can tailor the optimal Sn content in the absorber layer, influencing both the Sn‐related defects and the microstructures. In contrast, a lower (0.4 atm) and a higher (1.3 atm) selenization pressure results in undesirable deep CuSn defects and a Sn(S,Se)2 secondary phase, respectively. A champion device fabricated at this optimal selenization pressure (0.7 atm) exhibits a power conversion efficiency of 11.32% with a VOC of 0.496 V. This study paves the path toward highly efficient kesterite solar cells by tailoring the composition‐dependent defects.
Synergy between Confined Cobalt Centers and Oxygen Defects on α‐Fe2O3 Platelets for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Yang Gaoliang , Li Yunxiang , Wang Qi , Wang Xusheng , Zuo Shouwei , Zhang Huabin , Ren Xiaohui , He Yu , Ichihara Fumihiko , Ye Jinhua
Published: November 2021

Cocatalysts loading is one of the most effective strategies for boosting CO2 photoreduction. Thus, constructing robust active sites with a specific chemical environment on the cocatalyst to selectively convert CO2 to chemical fuels is highly desirable, but remains challenging. Herein, α‐Fe2O3 platelets modulated with confined Co centers and oxygen defects are designed as efficient cocatalysts for photocatalytic CO2 reduction with superior activity and CO selectivity. The highly dispersed Co centers can proceed the catalytic processes efficiently as reaction sites, while the oxygen vacancies enable enhancement of the CO2 adsorption/activation. After integrating together, the oxygen defects provide vigorous assistance to promote the catalytic activity of confined Co sites, leading to facilitated charge transfer and reduced energy barriers for CO2 photoreduction. As a result, the optimized catalyst achieves a CO generation rate of 37.8 μmol h−1 with an impressive selectivity of 80.2%, as well as remarkable durability for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. This work demonstrates new insights for developing robust catalysts by controlling confined active sites together with defects engineering for efficient photocatalytic CO2 conversion.
Yielding Behavior and Strengthening Mechanisms of a High Strength Ultrafine‐Grained Cr–Mn–Ni–N Stainless Steel
Authors: Su Guanqiao , Xie Haibo , Huo Mingshuai , Jia Fanghui , Wu Hui , Li Zhou , Bi Hongyun , Chang E. , Xu Haigang , Jiang Zhengyi
Published: November 2021

The microstructure of Cr–Mn–Ni–N stainless steel is regulated by a combination of cold deformation and subsequent martensite reversed annealing. The yield strength and tensile strength of the tested steel are greatly improved to 1220 and 1357 MPa, respectively, by conventional heavy cold rolling (66% thickness reduction) and a subsequent annealing process (750 °C for 5 min) relative to those before cold rolling (austenized state); at the same time, the total elongation keeps an appropriate value. The results show that the grain refinement strengthening acts as the primary factor for the strengthening of the tested steels while the precipitation behavior from the M23C6‐type carbides is not quite effective. Additionally, different yield phenomena and microstructural evolution for tested steels with 66% thickness reduction annealed at 750 °C with different holding times are systematically analyzed and discussed. Lüders‐like deformation features noticeably appear but become weakening with the longer annealing time. The change in initial free mobile dislocation density is the core cause of the preyield plateau phenomenon.
ROS generation is involved in titanium dioxide nanoparticle‐induced AP‐1 activation through p38 MAPK and ERK pathways in JB6 cells
Authors: Kong Lu , Barber Tabatha , Aldinger Joni , Bowman Linda , Leonard Stephen , Zhao Jinshun , Ding Min
Published: November 2021

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is generally regarded as a nontoxic and nongenotoxic white mineral, which is mainly applied in the manufacture of paper, paint, plastic, sunscreen lotion and other products. Recently, TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) have been demonstrated to cause chronic inflammation and lung tumor formation in rats, which may be associated with the particle size of TiO2. Considering the important role of activator protein‐1 (AP‐1) in regulating multiple genes involved in the cell proliferation and inflammation and the induction of neoplastic transformation, we aimed to evaluate the potency of TiO2 NPs (≤ 20 nm) on the activation of AP‐1 signaling pathway and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a mouse epidermal cell line, JB6 cells. MTT, electron spin resonance (ESR), AP‐1 luciferase activity assay in vitro and in vivo, and Western blotting assay were used to clarify this problem. Our results indicated that TiO2 NPs dose‐dependently caused the hydroxyl radical (·OH) generation and sequentially increased the AP‐1 activity in JB6 cells. Using AP‐1‐luciferase reporter transgenic mice models, an obvious increased AP‐1 activity was detected in dermal tissue after exposure to TiO2 NPs for 24 h. Interestingly, TiO2 NPs increased the AP‐1 activity via stimulating the expression of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) family members, including extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinases (ERKs), p38 kinase, and C‐Jun N‐terminal kinases (JNKs). Of note, the AP‐1 activation induced by TiO2 NPs could be blocked by specific inhibitors (SB203580, PD98059, and SP 600125, respectively) that inhibit ERKs and p38 kinase but not JNKs. These findings indicate that ROS generation is involved in TiO2 NPs‐induced AP‐1 activation mediated by MAPKs signal pathway.
Introduction
Authors: Benedetti Fasil Cristiana , Sanchez-Martinez Miguel
Published: November 2021

Innovation and its link with economic growth in advanced economies has taken centre stage in recent decades in the economic policy landscape, while it has simultaneously been one of the fastest growing research fields in economics. This chapter provides a brief overview of salient examples that speak to the importance of this topic in both the policy and academic arenas.
The Frontier of Macroeconomic Modelling: Proceedings of the JRC-IEA Workshop 2017
Authors: Licandro Omar
Published: November 2021

This chapter discusses the Proceedings of the JRC-IEA Roundtable, which objective was to promote a technical debate on the recent developments of DSGE and alternative modelling strategies, the main mechanisms at play and their effectiveness in assessing the impact of R&D and innovation policies. Leading academics presented state-of-the-art macroeconomic models in the area of economic growth and innovation. It follows a debate between academics and practitioners trying to figure out the key elements of a macro model designed to evaluate innovation policies should include.
Taking Stock
Authors: Benedetti Fasil Cristiana , Sanchez-Martinez Miguel , Ravet Julien
Published: November 2021

This Chapter presents the EU policy context that underlies the need for macroeconomic modelling for the conduct of impact evaluations of R&I funding programmes and provides a critical summary and comparison of the different ex-ante macroeconomic impact assessments of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme 2021-2027 presented in the previous three chapters. In particular, it focuses on the results obtained with the three different modelling approaches apdopted, and links them to the dissimilar properties of each of these models.