bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved 3D real‐time MRI of speech production
Authors: Zhao Ziwei , Lim Yongwan , Byrd Dani , Narayanan Shrikanth , Nayak Krishna S.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

To provide 3D real‐time MRI of speech production with improved spatio‐temporal sharpness using randomized, variable‐density, stack‐of‐spiral sampling combined with a 3D spatio‐temporally constrained reconstruction.

Methods

We evaluated five candidate (k, t) sampling strategies using a previously proposed gradient‐echo stack‐of‐spiral sequence and a 3D constrained reconstruction with spatial and temporal penalties. Regularization parameters were chosen by expert readers based on qualitative assessment. We experimentally determined the effect of spiral angle increment and kz temporal order. The strategy yielding highest image quality was chosen as the proposed method. We evaluated the proposed and original 3D real‐time MRI methods in 2 healthy subjects performing speech production tasks that invoke rapid movements of articulators seen in multiple planes, using interleaved 2D real‐time MRI as the reference. We quantitatively evaluated tongue boundary sharpness in three locations at two speech rates.

Results

The proposed data‐sampling scheme uses a golden‐angle spiral increment in the kx−ky plane and variable‐density, randomized encoding along kz. It provided a statistically significant improvement in tongue boundary sharpness score (P < .001) in the blade, body, and root of the tongue during normal and 1.5‐times speeded speech. Qualitative improvements were substantial during natural speech tasks of alternating high, low tongue postures during vowels. The proposed method was also able to capture complex tongue shapes during fast alveolar consonant segments. Furthermore, the proposed scheme allows flexible retrospective selection of temporal resolution.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated improved 3D real‐time MRI of speech production using randomized, variable‐density, stack‐of‐spiral sampling with a 3D spatio‐temporally constrained reconstruction.
Changes in motor nerve excitability in acute phase Guillain‐Barré syndrome
Authors: Drenthen Judith , Islam Badrul , Islam Zhahirul , Mohammad Quazi D. , Maathuis Ellen M. , Visser Gerhard H. , van Doorn Pieter A. , Blok Joleen H. , Endtz Hubert P. , Jacobs Bart C.
Published: January 2021

Background

The most common subtypes of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) are acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) and acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN). In the first days after the onset of weakness, standard nerve conduction studies (NCS) may not distinguish GBS subtypes. Reduced nerve excitability may be an early symptom of nerve dysfunction, which can be determined with the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) scan. The aim of this study was to explore whether early changes in motor nerve excitability in GBS patients are related to various subtypes.

Methods

Prospective case–control study in 19 GBS patients from The Netherlands and 22 from Bangladesh. CMAP scans were performed within 2 days of hospital admission and NCS 7–14 days after onset of weakness. CMAP scans were also performed in age‐ and country‐matched controls.

Results

CMAP scan patterns of patients who were classified as AMAN were distinctly different compared to the CMAP scan patterns of the patients who were classified as AIDP. The most pronounced differences were found in the stimulus intensity parameters.

Conclusions

CMAP scans made at hospital admission demonstrate several characteristics that can be used as an early indicator of GBS subtype.
Recent advances of biomass carbon dots on syntheses, characterization, luminescence mechanism, and sensing applications
Authors: Lou Ying , Hao Xinyu , Liao Lei , Zhang Kaiyou , Chen Shuoping , Li Ziyuan , Ou Jun , Qin Aimiao , Li Zhou
Published: January 2021

Carbon dots have attracted much attention due to their high fluorescence intensity, easy modification, good stability, and biocompatibility. However, the realization of low‐cost mass production of high‐quality carbon dots still faces great challenges. Biomass is of non‐toxic and environmentally friendly organism, but a lot of biomass is treated as waste for burning and landfill at present, causing irreparable pollution to the environment. In fact, many biomass resources are ideal candidates for preparing carbon dots. This review focuses on carbon dots including carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) which using biomass as carbon source on the aspects of plants and their derivatives, animals and their derivatives and municipal waste. The characterization of the structure and composition of biomass carbon dots, the regulation of fluorescence color and the methods of improving quantum yield (QY) including heteroatom doping and surface modification are introduced in detail. Moreover, biomass carbon dots for detecting metal ions and non‐metal molecules and their quenching mechanism are emphatically introduced in addition to summarizing the luminescence mechanism, and some promising prospects and challenges in this uplifting field are discussed.
Intersected nonpolar ZnO nanosail arrays aligned epitaxially on LiGaO2 substrate towards enhanced photoelectrochemical responses
Authors: Yan Tao , Min Yunxiao , Lin Mei‐Yi , Chen Chenlong , Lee Chun‐Yu , Zhao Lili , Ye Ning , Chou Mitch M. C. , Liu Hong , Zhou Weijia
Published: January 2021

Intersected nonpolar ZnO nanosail arrays were fabricated epitaxially on Au‐coated LiGaO2 (010) substrate by chemical vapor deposition. In spite of five growth directions, the novel two‐dimensional (2D) nanostructure was confirmed to be single‐crystalline by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The anisotropy of growth and surface energy in three directions as well as the equivalency of crystallography should be responsible for the formation of intersected 2D nanosail arrays. Compared with those of polar nanoprisms and nonpolar film samples, the nanosail arrays exhibit superior photoelectrochemical performances of photocurrent density (620 µA cm–2 at 0.2 V vs. SCE) and photoconversion efficiency. The enhanced photoelectrochemical responses were attributed to the unique nanostructure with large surface area and high surface‐to‐volume ratio as well as nonpolar characteristic. This work demonstrates a simple, low‐cost and pattern‐free pathway to prepare aligned 2D nanosail arrays for technological applications.
Non‐intrusive reduced order modeling: Geometrical framework, high‐order models, and a priori analysis of applicability
Authors: Kostorz Wawrzyniec J. , Muggeridge Ann H. , Jackson Matthew D.
Published: January 2021

We present an intuitive geometrical framework for non‐intrusive model reduction. Based on simple low‐dimensional geometry that is easy to visualize and interpret, the approach enables one to predict model features a priori and explain them a posteriori. Two simple a priori methods for analyzing the suitability of non‐intrusive model reduction are consequently presented and discussed. As a natural consequence of the interpretation proposed a method extension is proposed, namely, higher‐order temporal discretization. It is also demonstrated that some generic properties of the physical system modeled such as periodicity or convergence towards a steady state are easily represented in the framework proposed. The approaches are illustrated using a number of representative test problems including a three‐dimensional case of the Saffman–Taylor instability and an example exhibiting a propagating discontinuity. It is shown that this property makes the underlying non‐intrusive reduced order modeling nonsmooth meaning it will provide a poor representation of the system dynamics.
New extensions of Hermite–Hadamard inequalities via generalized proportional fractional integral
Authors: Mumcu İlker , Set Erhan , Akdemir Ahmet Ocak , Jarad Fahd
Published: January 2021

The main aim this work is to give Hermite–Hadamard inequalities for convex functions via generalized proportional fractional integrals. We also obtained extensions of Hermite–Hadamard type inequalities for generalized proportional fractional integrals.
Ancient anomalies: Twinned and supernumerary incisors in a medieval Nubian
Authors: Phillips Emma L.W. , Irish Joel D. , Antoine Daniel
Published: January 2021

During the analysis of a skeletal assemblage from a medieval cemetery in Nubia (c. AD 500–1550), a young adult female with abnormally developed maxillary incisors was discovered. The possible causes of the two dental anomalies found in this individual and their archaeological context are discussed. The remains are from a medieval assemblage from the Fourth Cataract region of Nubia, which forms part of the Nubian collection curated at the British Museum. The left central incisor has a twinned crown with two root canals, and a supernumerary tooth is present on the right side between the central incisor and lateral incisors. Although two different dental anomalies are present, the bilateral expression suggests that the same biological mechanism could be responsible.
Development of thermally conductive and high‐specific strength polypropylene composites for thermal management applications in automotive
Authors: Gogoi Rupam , Manik Gaurav
Published: January 2021

This study reports the preparation of multifunctional hybrid composites based on polypropylene (PP) for potential thermal management applications in automotive. Short carbon fiber (CF) at 5 and 8 wt%, and silane‐treated hollow glass microsphere (HGM) at 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt% were incorporated separately in PP along with maleic anhydride‐grafted‐polypropylene (MA‐g‐PP). The interplay of filler content and its dispersion and distribution had a significant effect on the thermal conductivity (Kc) of the composites. Highest Kc of 1.20 W/m K was obtained for a CF and HGM wt% of 5 and 20, respectively. The rheological analysis revealed improved flowability as the complex viscosity of composites up to 20 wt% of HGM content was found to be less than PP. The thermal stability improved upon HGM incorporation and the highest thermal stability of ~26°C higher than that for PP was exhibited by hybrid composite with 8 wt% CF and 40 wt% HGM. Furthermore, Nielsen model demonstrated to be the closest fit for the experimental thermal conductivity value of hybrid composites among various micromechanical models used.
Solid particle erosive wear study of polymer composite materials for wind turbine applications
Authors: Vera‐Cardenas Edgar Ernesto , Mendoza‐Mendoza Jesus Cornelio , Martinez‐Perez Armando Irvin , Ledesma‐Ledesma Saul , Rubio‐González Carlos , Vite‐Torres Manuel
Published: January 2021

In this study, erosion wear tests in composites materials (carbon fiber and fiberglass) were performed in order to understand their behavior for blades of wind turbine applications. The erosion tests were also made in coated composites materials with a polyester resin (gel coat), to compare the wear erosion resistance with uncoated materials. The experimental tests were carried out according to some parameters to the ASTM G76 standard. The specimens had a rectangular shape with dimensions of 25 × 18 mm and a thickness of 4 mm. The erosive particle used was obtained from sea sand. High impact angles were used, 75°, 85°, and 90° and the velocity particle was 12 m/s. The duration of each test was 6 min, removing the specimens every 2 min to measure the amount of mass loss. In order to identify the wear mechanisms, scanning electron microscopy was used. The results showed that fiberglass specimens had a higher mass loss at 90° impact angle. The best erosive wear performance was obtained in the uncoated carbon fiber specimens at 85° impact angle.
Evaluating the efficacy of three carrier screening workflows designed to identify at‐risk carrier couples
Authors: Arjunan Aishwarya , Torres Raul , Gardiner Anna , Kaseniit Kristjan Eerik , Wootton Jeff , Ben‐Shachar Rotem , Johansen Taber Katherine
Published: January 2021

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of three different carrier screening workflows designed to identify couples at risk for having offspring with autosomal recessive conditions.

Methods

Partner testing compliance, unnecessary testing, turnaround time, and ability to identify at‐risk couples (ARCs) were measured across all three screening strategies (sequential, tandem, or tandem reflex).

Results

A total of 314,100 individuals who underwent carrier screening were analyzed. Sequential, tandem, and tandem reflex screening yielded compliance frequencies of 25.8%, 100%, and 95.9%, respectively. Among 14,595 couples tested in tandem, 42.2% of females were screen‐negative, resulting in unnecessary testing of the male partner. In contrast, less than 1% of tandem reflex couples included unnecessary male testing. The median turnaround times were 29.2 days (sequential), 8 days (tandem), and 13.3 days (tandem reflex). The proportion of ARCs detected per total number of individual screens were 0.5% for sequential testing and 1.3% for both tandem and tandem reflex testing.

Conclusion

The tandem reflex strategy simplifies a potentially complex clinical scenario by providing a mechanism by which providers can maximize partner compliance and the detection of at‐risk couples while minimizing workflow burden and unnecessary testing and is more efficacious than both sequential and tandem screening strategies.
Modeling of nonlinear extensional and shear rheology of low‐viscosity polymer melts
Authors: Poh Leslie , Li Benke , Yu Wei , Narimissa Esmaeil , Wagner Manfred H.
Published: January 2021

The hierarchical multi‐mode molecular stress function (HMMSF) model developed by Narimissa and Wagner [Rheol. Acta 54, 779–791 (2015), and J. Rheol. 60, 625–636 (2016)] for linear and long‐chain branched (LCB) polymer melts were used to analyze the set of transient elongational and shear viscosity data of two LCB low‐density polyethylenes (1840H and 2426 k), and a linear poly‐(ethylene‐co‐α‐butene), PEB A‐780090 as reported by [Li et al. J. Rheol. 64, 177 (2020)], who had developed a new horizontal extensional rheometer to extend the lower limits of elongational viscosity measurements of polymer melts. Comparison between model predictions and elongational stress growth data reveals excellent agreement within the experimental window, and good consistency with shear stress growth data, based exclusively on the linear‐viscoelastic relaxation spectrum and only two nonlinear model parameters, the dilution modulus GD for extensional flows, and in addition a constraint release parameter for shear flow.
A multilevel model of the association between school climate and racial differences in academic outcomes
Authors: Jones Tiffany M. , Fleming Charles ,   Research and Evaluation Team
Published: January 2021

This study examined the relationships between school‐level school climate and race differences in student grades, accounting for school sociodemographic composition. We found that schools with more positive school climates had smaller race differences in student self‐reported grades. The moderating effect of school climate remained after accounting for the sociodemographic composition of the school and students' own perceptions of climate at their school. This moderating effect was confounded by school grade band (i.e., elementary, middle, or high) since perception of positive school climate was lower in middle and high schools than in elementary schools. Despite the difficulty of disentangling school climate from grade band, the findings suggest school improvement strategies focused on school climate may promote racial equity in academic outcomes. School practitioners' efforts to improve the school climate may also contribute to racial equity in academics.
Benchmarking accuracy and precision of intensity‐based absolute quantification of protein abundances in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Sánchez Benjamín J. , Lahtvee Petri‐Jaan , Campbell Kate , Kasvandik Sergo , Yu Rosemary , Domenzain Iván , Zelezniak Aleksej , Nielsen Jens
Published: January 2021

Protein quantification via label‐free mass spectrometry (MS) has become an increasingly popular method for predicting genome‐wide absolute protein abundances. A known caveat of this approach, however, is the poor technical reproducibility, that is, how consistent predictions are when the same sample is measured repeatedly. Here, we measured proteomics data for Saccharomyces cerevisiae with both biological and inter‐batch technical triplicates, to analyze both accuracy and precision of protein quantification via MS. Moreover, we analyzed how these metrics vary when applying different methods for converting MS intensities to absolute protein abundances. We demonstrate that our simple normalization and rescaling approach can perform as accurately, yet more precisely, than methods which rely on external standards. Additionally, we show that inter‐batch reproducibility is worse than biological reproducibility for all evaluated methods. These results offer a new benchmark for assessing MS data quality for protein quantification, while also underscoring current limitations in this approach.
Enormous Valley Splitting in Monolayer WS2 by Coupling with an N‐Terminated GaN Substrate
Authors: Wu Zhiming , Zeng Hao , Tang Weiqing , Ke Congming , Wu Yaping , Li Xu , Kang Junyong
Published: January 2021

Valleytronics offers another degree of freedom associated with the valley, which is promising for future applications in information processing and storage. Herein, a novel strategy is proposed for generating enormous valley splitting in monolayer WS2 by coupling with an N‐terminated GaN substrate based on first‐principles calculations. The results suggest that N‐terminated GaN is ferromagnetic, inducing considerable valley splitting (251.2 meV) in WS2. This valley splitting is attributed to the combination of the Zeeman effect and valley state hybridization in the top valence band between WS2 and the GaN substrate. Based on the k·p model, the Zeeman magnetic field of 116 T and the equivalent magnetic field generated by the hybridization of ≈1.68 × 103 T are estimated. Furthermore, the strength of the spin‐valley polarization can be modified by tuning the interlayer distance and the in‐plane strain. The valley splitting increases from 251.2 to 426.3 meV when the interlayer distance is decreased from 2.52 to 2.30 Å. The value reaches 353.2 meV for the compressive strain of −3%. New vistas are opened for valley splitting by weak magnetic substrates.
Native O and Se Vacancy Defects in Bi2O5Se, Bi2O9Se3, and Bi2O10Se3 Dielectrics for Nanoelectronics
Authors: Xu Xintong , Li Bowen , Li Huanglong
Published: January 2021

The popularization of silicon transistor technology has arisen because of the high‐quality native oxide passivation of the silicon surface. The high‐k oxide solution to the continuous scaling of the devices is another technology milestone. In the new era of More Moore and More than Moore, 2D semiconductor alternatives as the channel materials are of considerable interest. Major 2D candidates, however, have not demonstrated thermally induced semiconductor/native oxide interfaces, analogous to Si:SiO2, for workable devices. Recently, a prototype 2D transistor based on a native oxide high‐k stack was showcased. The transistor is based on Bi2O2Se, an emerging layered 2D semiconductor, with its native high‐k oxide, Bi2O5Se, grown by thermal oxidation. This holds great promise for the development of 2D electronics. Here, comprehensive first‐principles investigations are carried out on the fundamental electrical properties of the native oxygen and selenium vacancies in Bi2O5Se, and two other less explored oxidized forms of Bi2O2Se, i.e., Bi2O9Se3 and Bi2O10Se3, which are found to have comparable bandgap values to that of Bi2O5Se. The corresponding vacancy defect landscapes are provided as an important guideline for the developmental applications of the Bi2O2Se:Bi2OxSey stack, as a 2D analogue of Si:SiO2.
Exploring the treatment of COVID‐19 with Yinqiao powder based on network pharmacology
Authors: Lin Haixiong , Wang Xiaotong , Liu Minyi , Huang Minling , Shen Zhen , Feng Junjie , Yang Huijun , Li Zige , Gao Junyan , Ye Xiaopeng
Published: January 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). In China, Yinqiao powder is widely used to prevent and treat COVID‐19 patients with Weifen syndrome. In this study, the screening and verification of active ingredients, target selection and DisGeNET scoring, drug–ingredient–gene network construction, protein–protein interaction network construction, molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, gene ontology (GO) functional analysis, gene tissue analysis, and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were used to explore the active ingredients, targets, and potential mechanisms of Yinqiao powder in the treatment of COVID‐19. We also predicted the therapeutic effect of Yinqiao powder using TCM anti‐COVID‐19 (TCMATCOV). Yinqiao powder has a certain therapeutic effect on COVID‐19, with an intervention score of 20.16. Hesperetin, eriodictyol, luteolin, quercetin, and naringenin were the potentially effective active ingredients against COVID‐19. The hub‐proteins were interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), mitogen‐activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and tumor protein P53 (TP53). The potential mechanisms of Yinqiao powder in the treatment of COVID‐19 are the TNF signaling pathway, T‐cell receptor signaling pathway, Toll‐like receptor signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. This study provides a new perspective for discovering potential drugs and mechanisms of COVID‐19.
Neuroprotective effects of Ginkgolide B in focal cerebral ischemia through selective activation of prostaglandin E2 receptor EP4 and the downstream transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor
Authors: Yang Hao , Li Gui‐Ping , Liu Qiu , Zong Shao‐Bo , Li Liang , Xu Zhi‐Liang , Zhou Jun , Cao Liang , Wang Zhen‐Zhong , Zhang Quan‐Chang , Li Ming , Fan Qi‐Ru , Hu Han‐Fei , Xiao Wei
Published: January 2021

The present study was undertaken to identify whether prostaglandin E2 receptor is the potential receptor/binding site for Ginkgolide A, Ginkgolide B, Ginkgolide K, and Bilobalide, the four main ingredients of the Ginkgo biloba L., leaves. Using functional assays, we identified EP4, coupled with Gs protein, as a target of Ginkgolide B. In human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells suffered from oxygen–glucose deprivation/reperfusion, Ginkgolide B‐activated PKA, Akt, and ERK1/2 as well as Src‐mediated transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor. These resulted in downstream signaling pathways, which enhanced cell survival and inhibited apoptosis. Knockdown of EP4 prevented Ginkgolide B‐mediated Src, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Akt, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation and neuroprotective effects. Moreover, Src inhibitor prevented Ginkgolide B‐mediated EGFR transactivation and the downstream Akt and ERK1/2 activation, while the phosphorylation of PKA induced by Ginkgolide B was not affected, indicating Ginkgolide B might transactivate EGFR in a ligand‐independent manner. EP4 knockdown in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model prevented Ginkgolide B‐mediated infarct size reduction and neurological assessment improvement. At the same time, the increased expressions of p‐Akt, p‐ERK1/2, p‐PKA, p‐Src, and p‐EGFR and the deceased expression of cleaved capases‐3 induced by Ginkgolide B in cerebral cortex were blocked due to EP4 knockdown. In conclusion, Ginkgolide B exerts neuroprotective effects in rat MCAO model through the activation of EP4 and the downstream transactivation of EGFR.
Effect of Tempering Temperature on Microstructure Evolution and Hardness of 9Cr1. 5Mo1CoB(FB2) Steel
Authors: Zhang Yongqiang , Li Chuanwei , Shen Gang , Han Lizhan , Gu Jianfeng
Published: January 2021

The microstructure evolution and hardness variation of FB2 steel influenced by tempering are investigated. The results show that water‐cooling from 1100 °C produces lathy martensite microstructure. After tempering at 500 °C, the steel exhibits a martensite structure with 4.2% needle‐like Fe3C particles. The (Cr, Mo)2C and Cr‐rich M7C3 particles are detected in the sample tempered at 570 °CAs the tempering temperature enhances from 620 to 700 °C the (Cr, Mo)2C and Cr‐rich M7C3 in the matrix are replaced by Cr‐rich M23C6. Besides, the (V, Nb)C particles are identified in samples tempered above 620 °C. Thus, the evolution of carbides in FB2 steel during tempering can be summarized as: Fe3C→(Cr, Mo)2C + Cr‐rich M7C3→(Cr, Mo)2C + Cr‐rich M7C3 + Cr‐rich M23C6→Cr‐rich M23C6. Furthermore, the results suggest that M3C, M2C + M7C3, M23C6, and MX have high reaction rates at 500, 570, 620, and 700 °C respectively. In addition, the dislocation density reduces from 6.8 × 1014 m−2 to 2.1 × 1014 m−2, and the volume fraction of carbides increases from 4.2% to 12.6% with increasing temperatures from 500 to 700 °C leading to hardness decrease from 485 to 284 Hv. Finally, the quantitative relationship between the hardness and microstructure evolution during tempering is discussed.
Analytic expression of additional damping ratio based on Bouc–Wen model and performance evaluation
Authors: Wu Shan , He Haoxiang , Wang Baoshun
Published: January 2021

Accurate calculation of the additional damping ratio provided by the damper to the structure is a necessary parameter for evaluating and selecting the optimal damping design scheme. At present, bilinear model is usually adopted to calculate the additional damping ratio of buckling‐restrained brace (BRB) and metal damper, but this method is not accurate. The hysteretic characteristics of the dampers can be simulated accurately by Bouc–Wen model. However, the traditional expression of Bouc–Wen model is implicit, and its energy dissipation cannot directly be quantified. In view of this, the explicit analysis of Bouc–Wen model is carried out, and the analytical solution of energy dissipation of this model is proposed. Furthermore, the formula for calculating the additional damping ratio is obtained. The correctness of the analytical solution is verified by numerical examples, and compared with the bilinear model, the superiority of the proposed method in the calculation accuracy is proved. The effect of the Bouc–Wen model parameters on the additional damping ratio is studied. The difference between Bouc–Wen model and bilinear model with various earthquake excitations is proved by finite element method, and the difference of dynamic response between the damping structures based on different damper models is shown and compared.
Owner compliance in canine epilepsy
Authors: Booth Samantha , Meller Sebastian , Packer Rowena MA , Farquhar Robyn , Maddison Jill E , Volk Holger A
Published: January 2021

Background: Poor medication compliance by human epilepsy patients is one of the leading causes of treatment failure and increased seizure frequency. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to analyse owner compliance in pharmacological treatment of canine idiopathic epilepsy and to identify factors associated with poor compliance.

Methods: The number of antiseizure drug tablets was recorded to determine if the patient received sufficient tablets to cover the time period between prescriptions and to assess compliant prescription cycles. Additionally, compliance was assessed by an online survey of owners.

Results: For the prescription monitoring data from 94 cases from three small animal practices in the United Kingdom revealed an overall median compliance of 56%. Thirt‐three per cent of owners were >80% compliant, while 21% were 100% compliant. During a non‐compliant prescription cycle, a patient missed a median of 6 days (0.11‐519 days) of treatment. Patients on polytherapy had higher compliance rates than on monotherapy (p = 0.031). The survey (229 respondents from online canine epilepsy groups) showed that low daily dosing was associated with better compliance (p = 0.049).

Conclusion: Owner compliance was subpar in this study and could represent a significant issue in epilepsy management, which needs to be considered by veterinary surgeons when treating canine epilepsy.
Lab‐grown organs to help medicines development
Authors: Loeb Josh
Published: January 2021

Josh Loeb Discusses new techniques aiming to reduce the use of animal models in medicines’ development
Surgical repair of a chronic traumatic injury of the right carpal joint in a juvenile hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Authors: Cruciani Benoit , Barret Mathieu , Schneider Francis , Vergneau‐Grosset Claire
Published: January 2021

A free‐ranging juvenile hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) presented to the rehabilitation centre with a chronic full thickness laceration of the right carpal joint, leaving the distal part of the flipper attached by only 2 cm of soft tissue. Open luxation of the carpal joint was noted on radiographs. Surgical reconstruction was elected despite extensive transection and osteo‐articular damage. Soft tissues were debrided and sutured. A cerclage wire was used to improve bone apposition. A type II external skeletal fixator was placed to promote soft tissue healing and pseudojoint formation. The turtle adapted well to the external fixator. Osteolysis was documented on radiographs four weeks postoperatively, and lesions improved with florfenicol treatment. The fixator was removed 3.5 months after the procedure. A year postoperatively, the function of the operated limb was normal, and the turtle was released into the ocean.
The Fast Lane to India's Water Management
Authors: Subramanian Sundaresan
Published: January 2021

India is among the world's most water‐stressed countries. In 2018, NITI Aayog (an Indian government research body) released the results of a study warning that India is facing its “worst” water crisis in history and that demand for potable water will outstrip supply by 2030 if steps are not taken. The study further indicated that critical groundwater resources, which accounted for 40% of India's water supply, are being depleted at “unsustainable” rates and up to 70% of India's water supply is “contaminated.” The impact of water scarcity and the poor quality of water is already being severely felt in India's many regions, and it is only going to deteriorate if steps are not taken quickly to improve water management. Sensing the great challenge and urgency, the Government of India created the Ministry of Jal Shakti in May 2019 to consolidate interrelated functions pertaining to water management. Activities proposed by Jal Shakti are well‐intentioned but going by historical information, the strategy pursued so far has not worked effectively. Without reinventing the wheel, it is time for India's decision makers to pursue the fast lane to water management through innovative measures leveraging global experiences. This paper suggests adopting models of proven partnership projects between world's rivers and between large waterbodies.
Rhodium(III) and Ruthenium(II) Complexes with a Pentadentate Tetrapodal Phosphine Ligand
Authors: Junge Jannik , Engesser Tobias A. , Krahmer Jan , Näther Christian , Tuczek Felix
Published: January 2021

Rhodium(III) and ruthenium(II) complexes supported by a pentadentate tetrapodal (pentaPod) phosphine ligand are synthesized through abstraction of one chloride ligand from initially obtained κ4‐pentaPod coordinated dichloro complexes [MCl2(κ4‐P2MePP2Ph)]+/0 (M=Rh(III), Ru(II)) with alkali salts of weakly coordinating anions. While for the rhodium κ5‐pentaPod complex the remaining, axial chloride ligand could not be replaced by di‐ or triatomic ligands, in case of ruthenium the complexes [Ru(CN)(κ5‐P2MePP2Ph]Al(pftb)4 (5) and [Ru(N3)(κ5‐P2MePP2Ph]Al(pftb)4 (6) could be generated through ligand exchange. By comparison of NMR parameters and employing DFT calculations, additional insights into the electronic influence of different ligands (i. e., Cl−, CN−, N3−) could be gained.
Shape Grammar as a Typology Defining Tool for Ancient Egyptian Funerary Monuments
Authors: Wutte Anja , Duarte José Pinto
Published: January 2021

This paper proposes a parametric shape grammar for ancient Egyptian funerary monuments. The corpus of monuments includes ten rock-cut structures, duly documented. They exhibit different grades of completion and preservation and possess variant archaeological documentation. The generation of a design following the proposed grammar depends both on formal and functional aspects. Metadata indicates the evidential value and numerical occurrence of rules in the generation of designs. The developed grammar can be used to reconstruct unfinished tombs, extend an existing one, or generate new designs according to the rules. It denotes the linear and symmetric structure characteristic of the monuments and reflects the chronological sequence of construction. The proposed grammar encodes the typology of the studied monuments and suggests that ancient Egyptian architecture may have implied a clear set of canons that may be made explicit by developing additional grammars for other building types.
SUMO mediated regulation of transcription factors as a mechanism for transducing environmental cues into cellular signaling in plants
Authors: Roy Dipan , Sadanandom Ari
Published: January 2021

Across all species, transcription factors (TFs) are the most frequent targets of SUMOylation. The effect of SUMO conjugation on the functions of transcription factors has been extensively studied in animal systems, with over 200 transcription factors being documented to be modulated by SUMOylation. This has resulted in the establishment of a number of paradigms that seek to explain the mechanisms by which SUMO regulates transcription factor functions. For instance, SUMO has been shown to modulate TF DNA binding activity; regulate both localization as well as the abundance of TFs and also influence the association of TFs with chromatin. With transcription factors being implicated as master regulators of the cellular signalling pathways that maintain phenotypic plasticity in all organisms, in this review, we will discuss how SUMO mediated regulation of transcription factor activity facilitates molecular pathways to mount an appropriate and coherent biological response to environmental cues.
Root-Associated Mycobiomes of Common Temperate Plants (Calluna vulgaris and Holcus lanatus) Are Strongly Affected by Winter Climate Conditions
Authors: Dahl Mathilde Borg , Peršoh Derek , Jentsch Anke , Kreyling Jürgen
Published: January 2021

Winter temperatures are projected to increase in Central Europe. Subsequently, snow cover will decrease, leading to increased soil temperature variability, with potentially different consequences for soil frost depending on e.g. altitude. Here, we experimentally evaluated the effects of increased winter soil temperature variability on the root associated mycobiome of two plant species (Calluna vulgaris and Holcus lanatus) at two sites in Germany; a colder and wetter upland site with high snow accumulation and a warmer and drier lowland site, with low snow accumulation. Mesocosm monocultures were set-up in spring 2010 at both sites (with soil and plants originating from the lowland site). In the following winter, an experimental warming pulse treatment was initiated by overhead infrared heaters and warming wires at the soil surface for half of the mesocosms at both sites. At the lowland site, the warming treatment resulted in a reduced number of days with soil frost as well as increased the average daily temperature amplitude. Contrary, the treatment caused no changes in these parameters at the upland site, which was in general a much more frost affected site. Soil and plant roots were sampled before and after the following growing season (spring and autumn 2011). High-throughput sequencing was used for profiling of the root-associated fungal (ITS marker) community (mycobiome). Site was found to have a profound effect on the composition of the mycobiome, which at the upland site was dominated by fast growing saprotrophs (Mortierellomycota), and at the lowland site by plant species-specific symbionts (e.g. Rhizoscyphus ericae and Microdochium bolleyi for C. vulgaris and H. lanatus respectively). The transplantation to the colder upland site and the temperature treatment at the warmer lowland site had comparable consequences for the mycobiome, implying that winter climate change resulting in higher temperature variability has large consequences for mycobiome structures regardless of absolute temperature of a given site.
Sex, age, molt strategy, and migration distance explain the phenology of songbirds at a stopover along the East Asian flyway
Authors: Wobker Jonas , Heim Wieland , Schmaljohann Heiko
Published: January 2021

Sex- and age-specific differences in the timing of migration are widespread among animals. In birds, common patterns areprotandry, the earlier arrival of males in spring, and age-differential migration during autumn. However, knowledge of these differences stems mainly from the Palearctic-African and Nearctic-Neotropical flyways, while detailed information about the phenology of migrant birds from the East Asian flyway is far scarcer. To help fill parts of this gap, we analyzed how migration distance, sex, age, and molt strategy affect the spring and autumn phenologies of 36 migrant songbirds (altogether 18,427 individuals) at a stopover site in the Russian Far East. Sex-differential migration was more pronounced in spring than in autumn, with half of the studied species (6 out of 12) showing a protandrous migration pattern. Age-differences in migration were rare in spring but found in nearly half of the studied species (11 out of 25) in autumn. These age effects were associated with the birds’ molt strategy and the mean latitudinal distances from the assumed breeding area to the study site. Adults performing a complete molt before the onset of autumn migration passed the study site later than first-year birds undergoing only a partial molt. This pattern, however, reversed with increasing migration distance to the study site. These sex-, age-, and molt-specific migration patterns agree with those found along other flyways and seem to be common features of land bird migration strategies.

Significance statement

The timing of animal migration is shaped by the availability of resources and the organization of annual cycles. In migrant birds, sex- and age-differential migration is a common phenomenon. For the rarely studied East Asian flyway, we show for the first time and based on a large set of migrant songbirds that earlier migration of males is a common pattern there in spring. Further, the timing and extent of molt explained age-differential migration during autumn. Adults molting their complete plumage at the breeding area before migration showed delayed phenology in comparison to first-year birds, which perform only a partial molt. This pattern, however, reversed with increasing migration distance to the study site. Since our results agree with the general patterns from the other migration flyways, similar drivers for differential migration may act across different flyway systems, provoking a similar evolutionary response.
Evaluation of the prognostic relevance of the recommended minimum number of lymph nodes in colorectal cancer—a propensity score analysis
Authors: Ramser Michaela , Lobbes Leonard A. , Warschkow Rene , Viehl Carsten T. , Lauscher Johannes C. , Droeser Raoul A. , Kettelhack Christoph , Zuber Markus , Weixler Benjamin
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Nodal status in colorectal cancer (CRC) is an important prognostic factor, and adequate lymph node (LN) staging is crucial. Whether the number of resected and analysed LN has a direct impact on overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) is much discussed. Guidelines request a minimum number of 12 LN to be analysed. Whether that threshold marks a prognostic relevant cut-off remains unknown.

Methods

Patients operated for stage I–III CRC were identified from a prospectively maintained database. The impact of the number of analysed LN on OS, CSS and DFS was assessed using Cox regression and propensity score analysis.

Results

Of the 687 patients, 81.8% had ≥ 12 LN resected and analysed. Median LN yield was 17.0 (IQR 13.0–23.0). Resection and analysis of ≥ 12 LN was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.56–0.95, p = 0.033), CSS (HR 0.52, 95% CI: 0.31–0.85, p = 0.030) and DFS (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.95, p = 0.030) in multivariate Cox analysis. After adjusting for biasing factors with propensity score matching, resection of ≥ 12 LN was significantly associated with improved OS (HR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.43–0.81; p = 0.002), CSS (HR = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.20–0.60; p < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.41–0.74; p < 0.001) compared to patients with < 12 LN.

Conclusion

Eliminating biasing factors by a propensity score matching analysis underlines the prognostic importance of the number of analysed LN. The set threshold marks the minimum number of required LN but nevertheless represents a cut-off regarding outcome in stage I–III CRC. This analysis therefore highlights the significance and importance of adherence to surgical oncological standards.
Spine surgeon perceptions of the challenges and benefits of telemedicine: an international study
Authors: Riew Grant J. , Lovecchio Francis , Samartzis Dino , Bernstein David N. , Underwood Ellen Y. , Louie Philip K. , Germscheid Niccole , An Howard S. , Cheung Jason Pui Yin , Chutkan Norman , Mallow Gary Michael , Neva Marko H. , Phillips Frank M. , Sciubba Daniel M. , El-Sharkawi Mohammad , Valacco Marcelo , McCarthy Michael H. , Iyer Sravisht , Makhni Melvin C.
Published: January 2021

Introduction

While telemedicine usage has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains little consensus about how spine surgeons perceive virtual care. The purpose of this study was to explore international perspectives of spine providers on the challenges and benefits of telemedicine.

Methods

Responses from 485 members of AO Spine were analyzed, covering provider perceptions of the challenges and benefits of telemedicine. All questions were optional, and blank responses were excluded from analysis.

Results

The leading challenges reported by surgeons were decreased ability to perform physical examinations (38.6%), possible increased medicolegal exposure (19.3%), and lack of reimbursement parity compared to traditional visits (15.5%). Fewer than 9.0% of respondents experienced technological issues. On average, respondents agreed that telemedicine increases access to care for rural/long-distance patients, provides societal cost savings, and increases patient convenience. Responses were mixed about whether telemedicine leads to greater patient satisfaction. North Americans experienced the most challenges, but also thought telemedicine carried the most benefits, whereas Africans reported the fewest challenges and benefits. Age did not affect responses.

Conclusion

Spine surgeons are supportive of the benefits of telemedicine, and only a small minority experienced technical issues. The decreased ability to perform the physical examination was the top challenge and remains a major obstacle to virtual care for spine surgeons around the world, although interestingly, 61.4% of providers did not acknowledge this to be a major challenge. Significant groundwork in optimizing remote physical examination maneuvers and achieving legal and reimbursement clarity is necessary for widespread implementation.
Wave intensity, an index of ventriculo-arterial interaction, increases in hypertensive subjects but decreases in normotensive subjects during the cold pressor test
Authors: Tanaka Midori , Sugawara Motoaki , Niki Kiyomi , Ogasawara Yasuo
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Cardiovascular reactivity to the cold pressor test (CPT) is considered to be a marker for apparent and potential hypertension. We aimed to elucidate the association between the changes in wave intensity (WI) during CPT and hypertension.

Methods

We recruited 85 volunteers, 33 of whom were hypertensive and 52 normotensive. Using ultrasonic equipment during CPT, we measured carotid arterial WI, which is defined in terms of blood pressure and velocity in the carotid artery.

Results

The peak WI (W1) increased during CPT in 70.6% of hypertensive individuals, but decreased in 72.6% of normotensive individuals. The chi-square (χ2) test showed that the association between the direction of change in W1 (increase or decrease) and the blood pressure (hypertensive or normotensive) was very strong (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Direction of change in W1 during CPT is a clear marker to discriminate cardiovascular reactivity that does not vary depending on each investigator’s subjective point of view.
fMRI-based Decoding of Visual Information from Human Brain Activity: A Brief Review
Authors: Huang Shuo , Shao Wei , Wang Mei-Ling , Zhang Dao-Qiang
Published: January 2021

One of the most significant challenges in the neuroscience community is to understand how the human brain works. Recent progress in neuroimaging techniques have validated that it is possible to decode a person’s thoughts, memories, and emotions via functional magnetic resonance imaging (i.e., fMRI) since it can measure the neural activation of human brains with satisfied spatiotemporal resolutions. However, the unprecedented scale and complexity of the fMRI data have presented critical computational bottlenecks requiring new scientific analytic tools. Given the increasingly important role of machine learning in neuroscience, a great many machine learning algorithms are presented to analyze brain activities from the fMRI data. In this paper, we mainly provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of machine learning methods for analyzing neural activities with the following three aspects, i.e., brain image functional alignment, brain activity pattern analysis, and visual stimuli reconstruction. In addition, online resources and open research problems on brain pattern analysis are also provided for the convenience of future research.
Serial KL-6 measurements in COVID-19 patients
Authors: d’Alessandro Miriana , Bergantini Laura , Cameli Paolo , Curatola Giuseppe , Remediani Lorenzo , Bennett David , Bianchi Francesco , Perillo Felice , Volterrani Luca , Mazzei Maria Antonietta , Bargagli Elena ,   Siena COVID, Lanzarone Nicola , Montagnani Francesca , Perrone Anna , Franchi Federico , Scolletta Sabino , Valente Serafina , Migliorini Lucia , Rossetti Barbara , Vagaggini Cecilia , Capecchi Pier Leopoldo , Cusi Maria Grazia , Frediani Bruno , Mastrocinque Egidio , Cameli Matteo , Bellini Marco Antonio , De Lalla Arianna , Melani Andrea , De Stefano Nicola , Porchia Barbara
Published: January 2021

SARS-CoV2-induced direct cytopathic effects against type II pneumocytes are suspected to play a role in mediating and perpetuating lung damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum KL-6 behavior in COVID-19 patients to investigate its potential role in predicting clinical course. Sixty patients (median age IQR, 65 (52–69), 43 males), hospitalized for COVID-19 at Siena COVID Unit University Hospital, were prospectively enrolled. Twenty-six patients were selected (median age IQR, 63 (55–71), 16 males); all of them underwent follow-up evaluations, including clinical, radiological, functional, and serum KL-6 assessments, after 6 (t1) and 9 (t2) months from hospital discharge. Att0, KL-6 concentrations were significantly higher than those att1 (760 (311–1218) vs. 309 (210–408) p = 0.0208) andt2 (760 (311–1218) vs 324 (279–458),p = 0.0365). Att0, KL-6 concentrations were increased in patients with fibrotic lung alterations than in non-fibrotic group (755 (370–1023) vs. 305 (225–608),p = 0.0225). Area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) analysis showed that basal KL-6 levels showed good accuracy in discriminating patients with fibrotic sequelae radiologically documented (AUC 85%,p = 0.0404). KL-6 concentrations in patients with fibrotic involvement were significantly reduced att1 (755 (370–1023) vs. 290 (197–521),p = 0.0366) andt2 (755 (370–1023) vs. 318 (173–435),p = 0.0490). Serum concentrations of KL-6 in hospitalized COVID-19 patients may contribute to identify severe patients requiring mechanical ventilation and to predict those who will develop pulmonary fibrotic sequelae in the follow-up.