bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque Imaging by Small‐Molecule High‐Affinity Positron Emission Tomography Radiopharmaceutical
Authors: Yang Zhen , Li Feng , Yelamanchili Dedipya , Zeng Zihua , Rosales Corina , Youker Keith A. , Shen Haifa , Ferrari Mauro , Mahmarian John , Pownall Henry J. , Hamilton Dale J. , Li Zheng
Published: April 2019

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and rupture of high‐risk or vulnerable plaques underlies most acute adverse cardiovascular events, that is, myocardial infarction and stroke. Methods to noninvasively detect and quantify the presence of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques at the molecular/cellular level are highly desirable for timely therapeutic intervention. Currently, intraplaque neovascularization has been considered as a hallmark of unstable, vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. Here, a high‐affinity positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer is developed targeting vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFR) based on a clinically used tyrosine kinase inhibitor vandetanib (ZD6474) and its potential for noninvasive detection of vulnerable plaques is tested. The in vivo PET imaging of ApoE−/− mice shows high specificity and sensitivity of the VEGFR‐PET radiotracer to vulnerable plaques. A further corroborating test of the imaging potential for clinical application is also conducted on human arterial atherosclerotic lesions. Specific VEGFR‐PET radiotracer uptake is observed by vulnerable plaques in the human arterial specimen with confirmed advanced coronary artery disease. This study suggests VEGFR as a valid biomarker for vulnerable plaque detection, and specific VEGFR‐PET is effective for noninvasive imaging of plaque vulnerability in at‐risk patients.
Short‐Channel Vertical Organic Field‐Effect Transistors with High On/Off Ratios
Authors: Dogan Tamer , Verbeek Roy , Kronemeijer Auke J. , Bobbert Peter A. , Gelinck Gerwin H. , van der Wiel Wilfred G.
Published: April 2019

A unique vertical organic field‐effect transistor structure in which highly doped silicon nanopillars are utilized as a gate electrode is demonstrated. An additional dielectric layer, partly covering the source, suppresses bulk conduction and lowers the OFF current. Using a semiconducting polymer as active channel material, short‐channel (100 nm) transistors with ON/OFF current ratios up to 106 are realized. The electronic behavior is explained using space‐charge and contact‐limited current models and numerical simulations. The current density and switching speed of the devices are in the order of 0.1 A cm−2 and 0.1 MHz, respectively, at biases of only a few volts. These characteristics make the devices very promising for applications where large current densities, high switching speeds, and high ON/OFF ratios are required.
Designing the Charge Storage Properties of Li‐Exchanged Sodium Vanadium Fluorophosphate for Powering Implantable Biomedical Devices
Authors: Lai Chun‐Han (Matt) , Ashby David S. , Bashian Nicholas H. , Schoiber Jürgen , Liu Ta‐Chung , Lee Glenn S. , Chen San‐Yuan , Wu Pu‐Wei , Melot Brent C. , Dunn Bruce S.
Published: April 2019

The growing demand for bioelectronics has generated widespread interest in implantable energy storage. These implantable bioelectronic devices, powered by a complementary battery/capacitor system, have faced difficulty in miniaturization without compromising their functionality. This paper reports on the development of a promising high‐rate cathode material for implantable power sources based on Li‐exchanged Na1.5VOPO4F0.5 anchored on reduced graphene oxide (LNVOPF‐rGO). LNVOPF is unique in that it offers dual charge storage mechanisms, which enable it to exhibit mixed battery/capacitor electrochemical behavior. In this work, electrochemical Li‐ion exchange of the LNVOPF structure is characterized by operando X‐ray diffraction. Through designed nanostructuring, the charge storage kinetics of LNVOPF are improved, as reflected in the stored capacity of 107 mAh g−1 at 20C. A practical full cell device composed of LNVOPF and T‐Nb2O5, which serves as a pseudocapacitive anode, is fabricated to demonstrate not only high energy/power density storage (100 Wh kg−1 at 4000 W kg−1) but also reliable pulse capability and biocompatibility, a desirable combination for applications in biostimulating devices. This work underscores the potential of miniaturizing biomedical devices by replacing a conventional battery/capacitor couple with a single power source.
Zn0.35Co0.65O – A Stable and Highly Active Oxygen Evolution Catalyst Formed by Zinc Leaching and Tetrahedral Coordinated Cobalt in Wurtzite Structure
Authors: Wahl Sebastian , El‐Refaei Sayed M. , Buzanich Ana Guilherme , Amsalem Patrick , Lee Kug‐Seung , Koch Norbert , Doublet Marie‐Liesse , Pinna Nicola
Published: April 2019

To arrive to sustainable hydrogen‐based energy solutions, the understanding of water‐splitting catalysts plays the most crucial role. Herein, state‐of‐the‐art hypotheses are combined on electrocatalytic active metal sites toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to develop a highly efficient catalyst based on Earth‐abundant cobalt and zinc oxides. The precursor catalyst Zn0.35Co0.65O is synthesized via a fast microwave‐assisted approach at low temperatures. Subsequently, it transforms in situ from the wurtzite structure to the layered γ‐Co(O)OH, while most of its zinc leaches out. This material shows outstanding catalytic performance and stability toward the OER in 1 m KOH (overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 ηinitial = 306 mV, η98 h = 318 mV). By comparing the electrochemical results and ex situ analyses to today's literature, clear structure‐activity correlations are able to be identified. The findings suggest that coordinately unsaturated cobalt octahedra on the surface are indeed the active centers for the OER.
Cross Talk between Transition Metal Cathode and Li Metal Anode: Unraveling Its Influence on the Deposition/Dissolution Behavior and Morphology of Lithium
Authors: Betz Johannes , Brinkmann Jan‐Paul , Nölle Roman , Lürenbaum Constantin , Kolek Martin , Stan Marian Cristian , Winter Martin , Placke Tobias
Published: April 2019

Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) combining a Li metal anode with a transition metal (TM) cathode can achieve higher practical energy densities (Wh L−1) than Li/S or Li/O2 cells. Research for improving the electrochemical behavior of the Li metal anode by, for example, modifying the liquid electrolyte is often conducted in symmetrical Li/Li or Li/Cu cells. This study now demonstrates the influence of the TM cathode on the Li metal anode, thus full cell behavior is analyzed in a way not considered so far in research with LMBs. Therefore, the deposition/dissolution behavior of Li metal and the resulting morphology is investigated with three different cathode materials (LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2, and LiFePO4) by post mortem analysis with a scanning electron microscope. The observed large differences of the Li metal morphology are ascribed to the dissolution and crossover of TMs found deposited on Li metal and in the electrolyte by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and total reflection X‐ray fluorescence analysis. To support this correlation, the TM dissolution is simulated by adding Mn salt to the electrolyte. This study offers new insights into the cross talk between the Li metal anodes and TM cathodes, which is essential, when investigating Li metal electrodes for LMB full cells.
Penumbra detection in acute stroke with perfusion magnetic resonance imaging: Validation with 15O‐positron emission tomography
Authors: Zaro‐Weber Olivier , Fleischer Hermann , Reiblich Lucas , Schuster Alexander , Moeller‐Hartmann Walter , Heiss Wolf‐Dieter
Published: April 2019

Objective

Accurate identification of the ischemic penumbra, the therapeutic target in acute clinical stroke, is of critical importance to identify patients who might benefit from reperfusion therapies beyond the established time windows. Therefore, we aimed to validate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mismatch–based penumbra detection against full quantitative positron emission tomography (15O‐PET), the gold standard for penumbra detection in acute ischemic stroke.

Methods

Ten patients (group A) with acute and subacute ischemic stroke underwent perfusion‐weighted (PW)/diffusion‐weighted MRI and consecutive full quantitative 15O‐PET within 48 hours of stroke onset. Penumbra as defined by 15O‐PET cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen extraction fraction, and oxygen metabolism was used to validate a wide range of established PW measures (eg, time‐to‐maximum [Tmax]) to optimize penumbral tissue detection. Validation was carried out using a voxel‐based receiver‐operating‐characteristic curve analysis. The same validation based on penumbra as defined by quantitative 15O‐PET CBF was performed for comparative reasons in 23 patients measured within 48 hours of stroke onset (group B).

Results

The PW map Tmax (area‐under‐the‐curve = 0.88) performed best in detecting penumbral tissue up to 48 hours after stroke onset. The optimal threshold to discriminate penumbra from oligemia was Tmax >5.6 seconds with a sensitivity and specificity of >80%.

Interpretation

The performance of the best PW measure Tmax to detect the upper penumbral flow threshold in ischemic stroke is excellent. Tmax >5.6 seconds–based penumbra detection is reliable to guide treatment decisions up to 48 hours after stroke onset and might help to expand reperfusion treatment beyond the current time windows. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:875–886.
A Novel Penning‐Trap Design for the High‐Precision Measurement of the 3He2 + Nuclear Magnetic Moment
Authors: Schneider Antonia , Mooser Andreas , Rischka Alexander , Blaum Klaus , Ulmer Stefan , Walz Jochen
Published: April 2019

A new experiment is constructed aiming at the first direct high‐precision measurement of the helium‐3 nuclear magnetic moment with a relative precision of parts‐per‐billion or better. Methods similar to those used in proton and antiproton magnetic moment measurements are applied. As those techniques rely on the challenging detection of single spin‐flips, a novel Penning trap design optimized for nuclear spin‐flip detection is developed.
Effects of anthropogenic noise as a source of acoustic stress in wild populations of Hippocampus guttulatus in the Ria Formosa, south Portugal
Authors: Palma Jorge , Magalhães Marisa , Correia Miguel , Andrade José Pedro
Published: April 2019

This study evaluated the effects of underwater noise as a source of acoustic stress in the wild populations of Hippocampus guttulatus in the Ria Formosa, south Portugal. Two different scenarios of underwater noise were tested: transient motor boat sound (63.4–127.6 dB) and constant sound produced by the motor of the boat directly above the animals (up to 137.1 dB).

Observations were obtained in the wild between 4 and 10 m depth throughout a 3 min period, using a video camera and a hydrophone set, and compared with a control sample.

A significant increase (P < 0.05) in the respiratory rate was observed in 87% of the observed fish. Opercular movements per minute (OMPM) increased from 35.7 ± 10 (control sample) to 41.2 ± 15.5 after the first minute, to 45.5 ± 13.3 after the second (both under transient sound) and to 49.7 ± 12.5 after the third (under constant sound exposure). Differences in means between the control fish and fish observed during the second (P < 0.01) and third minute of observation (P < 0.0001) were significant. Concordantly, a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the OMPM of fish observed in the first minute and the third minute was noted. In addition to the OMPM increase, 37.5% of the animals abandoned the observation location presumably in an attempt to avoid the negative sound stimuli.

The noise caused by boat traffic generated an immediate physiological response, expressed as an increase in OMPM, and a behavioural response resulting in site abandonment, which together can be considered as a negative impact on the seahorse populations. This work contributes to an increasing number of studies that have shown that boat traffic can induce ecological and environmental consequences to aquatic species. Future research should evaluate how navigation exclusion areas could have a positive impact on the seahorse populations inhabiting shallow coastal areas.
Enterprise security economics: A self‐defense versus cyber‐insurance dilemma
Authors: Miaoui Yosra , Boudriga Noureddine
Published: April 2019

We propose a model that optimizes enterprise investments in cybersecurity using expected utility theory. The model allows computing (a) investment in self‐defense to reduce the risk of security breaches, (b) investment in cyber insurance to transfer the residual risk to insurance companies, and (c) investment in forensic readiness to make the insured firms capable of generating provable insurance claims about security breaches. A three‐phase–based model of vulnerability rate evolution over time is proposed and used to estimate the different planned security expenditures throughout the investment horizon. At the starting time of investment, a decision maker invests to cover the existing risk of breach and periodically spends to cover the additional risk observed due to the release of new vulnerabilities. In this work, the intermediate tranches are determined while considering three different attitudes of decision makers, namely, optimistic, pessimistic, and realistic. An analysis is conducted to assess the performance of the proposed models.
Operando Observation of Formation and Annihilation of Inhomogeneous Reaction Distribution in a Composite Electrode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Nakamura Takashi , Chiba Kazuki , Fakkao Mahunnop , Kimura Yuta , Nitta Kiyofumi , Terada Yasuko , Uchimoto Yoshiharu , Amezawa Koji
Published: April 2019

Inhomogeneous reaction distribution in battery electrodes can be a cause of serious capacity loss and degradation. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of the reaction distribution formation. In this study, formation and annihilation of inhomogeneous charge/discharge reaction in a model LiCoO2 composite electrode were directly observed by operando two‐dimensional X‐ray absorption spectroscopy. The reaction distribution was clearly observed, and it was demonstrated that the reacted area became smaller with increasing the current density. The inhomogeneous charged situation remained even after 20 h of the open‐circuit rest and the discharge treatments. These results suggested that it is difficult to remove the inhomogeneity once it is formed in a composite electrode. High‐rate charge/discharge cycles may accumulate the inhomogeneity of the state of charge and result in significant capacity losses. The formation of the reaction distribution was strongly affected by the salt concentration in the liquid electrolyte. The expansion and annihilation rates of the charge/discharge reaction did not simply depend on the apparent ionic conductivity of the liquid electrolyte. This suggested that the salt concentration in a composite electrode varies locally by the lithiation/delithiation reactions especially under high‐rate operation. Such a local variation of the salt concentration can suppress or facilitate the charge/discharge reactions in a composite electrode.
Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts for Lithium‐Oxygen Batteries
Authors: Bae Youngjoon , Park Hyeokjun , Ko Youngmin , Kim Hyunah , Park Sung Kwan , Kang Kisuk
Published: April 2019

The front cover artwork is provided by the group of Prof. Kisuk Kang at the Materials Science and Engineering of Seoul National University. The image shows that the bifunctional catalyst (tunnel) lowers the polarization (congested roads) which occurs in both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during Li‐O2 battery operation. Read the full text of the Minireview at 10.1002/batt.201800127.
Development and validation of liquid chromatography–electrospray–tandem mass spectrometry method for determination of flibanserin in human plasma: Application to pharmacokinetic study on healthy female volunteers
Authors: Sultan Maha A. , El‐Eryan Rasha Th. , Attia Ali K. , Eissa Mona J.
Published: April 2019

A novel rapid and highly sensitive ultra performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) bioanalytical method was established for the analysis of flibanserin in human plasma. Flibanserin d4 was used as internal standard (IS). Flibanserin and the internal standard (IS) were extracted from the plasma using protein precipitation technique with acetonitrile. A Kinetex C18 (2.6 μm, 2.1 × 50 mm) column was used for chromatographic separation and the mobile phase was a mixture of 20 mm ammonium acetate buffer (pH 4.5)–acetonitrile (50:50, v/v) with an isocratic elution mode and a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The analysis was performed on a Xefo TQD Waters mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode with a positive electrospray ionization interface. The US Food and Drug Administration guidelines were followed during the bio‐analytical methods validation regarding linearity, precision, accuracy, carryover, selectivity, dilution integrity and stability. The analysis run time was carried out within 2 min over a wide linear concentration range of 5–1000 ng mL−1. Finally, the proposed method was successfully used in a pharmacokinetic study that measured flibanserin concentration in healthy, non‐pregnant female volunteers after a single 100 mg oral dose of flibanserin.
Simultaneous determination of major components of Huangqi–Honghua extract in rat plasma using LC–MS/MS and application to a pharmacokinetic study
Authors: Wang Yimei , Qiao Yi , Xu Xiaomin , Ding Xiaohong , Li Weiwei , Yuan Bo , Xu Haiyan
Published: April 2019

A sensitive and reliable LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for simultaneous quantification of the major components of Huangqi–Honghua extact in rat plasma, including hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), astragaloside IV (ASIV), calycosin‐7‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside (CAG), calycosin, calycosin‐3′‐O‐glucuronide (C‐3′‐G) and calycosin‐3′‐O‐sulfate (C‐3′‐S). After extraction by protein precipitation with acetonitrile and methanol from plasma, the analytes were separated on a Hypersil BDS C18 column by gradient elution with acetonitrile and 5 mM ammonium acetate. The detection was carried out on a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer equipped with electrospray ionization source switched between negative and positive modes. HSYA was monitored in negative ionization mode from 0 to 4.9 min, and ASIV, CAG, calycosin, C‐3′‐G and C‐3′‐S were determined in positive ionization mode from 4.9 to 10 min. The lower limits of quantification of the analytes were 6.25 ng/mL for HSYA, 0.781 ng/mL for CAG and 1.56 ng/mL for ASIV and calycosin. The intra‐ and inter‐assay precision (RSD) values were within 13.43%, and accuracy (RE) ranged from −8.75 to 9.92%. The validated method was then applied to the pharmacokinetic study of HSYA, ASIV, CAG, calycosin, C‐3′‐G and C‐3′‐S in rat after an oral administration of Huangqi–Honghua extract.
Model‐based monitoring of industrial reversed phase chromatography to predict insulin variants
Authors: Roch Patricia , Sellberg Anton , Andersson Niklas , Gunne Matthias , Hauptmann Peter , Nilsson Bernt , Mandenius Carl‐Fredrik
Published: April 2019

Downstream processing in the manufacturing biopharmaceutical industry is a multistep process separating the desired product from process‐ and product‐related impurities. However, removing product‐related impurities, such as product variants, without compromising the product yield or prolonging the process time due to extensive quality control analytics, remains a major challenge. Here, we show how mechanistic model‐based monitoring, based on analytical quality control data, can predict product variants by modeling their chromatographic separation during product polishing with reversed phase chromatography. The system was described by a kinetic dispersive model with a modified Langmuir isotherm. Solely quality control analytical data on product and product variant concentrations were used to calibrate the model. This model‐based monitoring approach was developed for an insulin purification process. Industrial materials were used in the separation of insulin and two insulin variants, one eluting at the product peak front and one eluting at the product peak tail. The model, fitted to analytical data, used one component to simulate each protein, or two components when a peak displayed a shoulder. This monitoring approach allowed the prediction of the elution patterns of insulin and both insulin variants. The results indicate the potential of using model‐based monitoring in downstream polishing at industrial scale to take pooling decisions.
Deciphering the scalene association among type‐2 diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and chronic myeloid leukemia via enrichment analysis of disease‐gene network
Authors: Liu Qiong , Zhang Yingying , Wang Pengqian , Liu Jun , Li Bing , Yu Yanan , Wu Hongli , Kang Ruixia , Zhang Xiaoxu , Wang Zhong
Published: April 2019

The potential biological relationship between type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been focused in numerous studies. To investigate the molecular associations among T2DM, prostate cancer (PCa), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), using a biomolecular network enrichment analysis. We obtained a list of disease‐related genes and constructed disease networks. Then, GO enrichment analysis was performed to identify the significant functions and pathways of overlapping modules in the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) database. More than 75% of these overlapping genes were found to be consistent with the findings of previous studies. In the three diseases, we found that Sarcoglycan delta (SGCD) and Rho family GTPase 3 (RND3) were the overlapping genes and identified negative regulation of apoptotic process and negative regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter RNA as the two overlapping biological functions. CML and PCa were the most closely related, with 34 overlapping genes, five overlapping modules, 27 overlapping biological functions, and nine overlapping pathways. There were 13 overlapping genes, one overlapping modules, four overlapping biological functions and one overlapping pathway (FoxO signaling pathway) were found in T2DM and CML.And T2DM and PCa were the least related pair in our study, with only six overlapping genes, five overlapping modules, and one overlapping biological function. SGCD and RND3 were the main gene‐to‐gene relationship among T2DM, CML, and PCa; apoptosis, development, and transcription from RNA polymerase II promote processes were the main functional connections among T2DM, CML, and PCa by network enrichment analysis. There is a “scalene” relationship among T2DM, CML, and PCa at gene, pathway, biological process, and module levels: CML and PCa were the most closely related, the second were T2DM and PCa, and T2DM and PCa were the least related pair in our study. Our study provides a new avenue for further studies on T2DM and cancers, which may promote the discovery and development of novel therapeutic and can be used to treat multiple diseases.
Perineal wound disruption and postoperative infection following resection of a benign cystic sacrococcygeal teratoma in a neonate in a resource‐limited setting: A case report
Authors: Katusiime Christine
Published: April 2019

Key Clinical Message

Case reports highlighting the complications of SCT surgical resection in resource‐limited settings particularly sub‐Saharan Africa are few. It is imperative to take into account that achieving the desirable cosmetic results may not be possible because of large tumor size and postoperative infection. It is therefore of necessity to consider integration of plastic surgical reconstructive programs into pediatric surgery follow‐up programs in resource‐limited settings.
Sulfur‐Deficient TiS2‐x for Promoted Polysulfide Redox Conversion in Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Zhao Yingyue , Cai Wenlong , Fang Yuting , Ao Huaisheng , Zhu Yongchun , Qian Yitai
Published: April 2019

Sulfur‐deficient TiS2–x is prepared through high temperature vacuum annealing. Electron spin resonance (ESR) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data confirm the presence of sulfur vacancies in TiS2–x. Effective polysulfide adsorption and promotion to polysulfide redox conversion was proven by adsorption simulation experiments and electrochemical measurements. Thus, TiS2–x is used as cathode promoter for Li−S half‐cells to improve the overall electrochemical performance. As expected, the TiS2–x/S electrode shows a high and stable capacity of 751 mAh g−1 even after 500 cycles and a fade rate as low as 0.04 % per cycle at 1 C. Besides, the high sulfur loading of the electrode of 4 mg cm−2 also displays an admirable cycling performance of 963 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention up to 91.7 % over 50 cycles at 0.2 C.
Crystalline IGZO ceramics (crystalline oxide semiconductor)–based devices for artificial intelligence
Authors: Yamazaki Shunpei , Ohshita Satoru , Oota Masashi , Baba Haruyuki , Onuki Tatsuya , Kunitake Hitoshi , Ohshima Kazuaki , Shimada Daigo , Kimura Hajime , Murakawa Tsutomu , Atsumi Tomoaki , Kato Kiyoshi
Published: April 2019

In 2009, a crystalline oxide semiconductor with a layered structure, which we refer to as c‐axis–aligned crystalline indium‐gallium‐zinc oxide (CAAC‐IGZO), was first discovered. CAAC‐IGZO has a peculiar crystal structure in which clear grain boundaries are not observed despite high c‐axis alignment and absence of a‐b plane alignment. When compared to a Si field‐effect transistor (FET), a metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (MOS) FET, utilizing CAAC‐IGZO, presents lower off‐state current (on the order of yA [10−24 A]). These unique characteristics allow CAAC‐IGZO to realize devices with low power consumption. With the emerging era of artificial intelligence, wherein power saving becomes more significant, CAAC‐IGZO has attracted attention as a potential replacement for Si. This paper describes the characteristics and potentials of CAAC‐IGZO for the development of memory devices with unprecedented functions.
Deep learning models for diagnosing spleen and stomach diseases in smart Chinese medicine with cloud computing
Authors: Zhang Qingchen , Bai Changchuan , Chen Zhikui , Li Peng , Yu Hang , Wang Shuo , Gao He
Published: April 2019

Cloud computing is significantly contributing to the development of smart Chinese medicine. The diagnosis and treatment of spleen and stomach diseases has been arousing great interest in smart Chinese medicine with cloud computing since many persons are suffering from spleen and stomach diseases. Currently, spleen and stomach diseases present some new characteristics with the dramatic changes in natural climate, social environment, and human living habits. Recently, deep learning, together with cloud computing techniques, has successfully used in medical image analysis and therefore it is the most promising model for diagnosing spleen and stomach disease in smart Chinese medicine. In this paper, we present a survey on deep learning models in medical image analysis for computer‐aided diagnosis in modern medicine. Afterwards, we summarize the syndrome types of spleen and stomach diseases and furthermore analyze the causes and pathogenesis for each syndrome. Finally, we discuss the open challenges and research directions of deep learning models applicable to the computer‐aided diagnosis of spleen and stomach diseases, which is expected to contribute to the development of smart Chinese medicine with cloud computing.
XMSN: An efficient cross‐layer protocol for mixed wireless sensor networks
Authors: Maitra Tanmoy , Roy Sarbani
Published: April 2019

The application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) technology in monitoring systems is demanding more efficient services to fulfill the requirements of the monitoring task. For this purpose, the simultaneous presence of features such as different communication mediums (air and water) used by nodes and various sizes of data generated by heterogeneous nodes are the key obstacles to build a communication protocol, which can ensure the reliable data delivery. This work terms such WSNs as mixed wireless sensor networks (MWSNs) which contains the aforementioned features. In this paper, we introduce a new cross‐layer protocol for mixed wireless sensor network (XMSN) which can adapt these features. The proposed cross layer protocol XMSN for such mixed environment is implemented and analyzed extensively in Castalia simulator. The performance of XMSN is compared with composition of well‐known protocols, namely, CTP plus BoX‐MAC‐2. The result shows that XMSN has better efficiency in terms of end‐to‐end delay, energy consumption, and goodput than that of CTP plus BoX‐MAC‐2 protocol.
Large‐sized rare tree species contribute disproportionately to functional diversity in resource acquisition in African tropical forest
Authors: Kearsley Elizabeth , Hufkens Koen , Verbeeck Hans , Bauters Marijn , Beeckman Hans , Boeckx Pascal , Huygens Dries
Published: April 2019

Increasing evidence is available for a positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem productivity and standing biomass, also in highly diverse systems as tropical forests. Biodiversity conservation could therefore be a critical aspect of climate mitigation policies. There is, however, limited understanding of the role of individual species for this relationship, which could aid in focusing conservation efforts and forest management planning. This study characterizes the functional specialization and redundancy for 95% of all tree species (basal area weighted percentage) in a diverse tropical forest in the central Congo Basin and relates this to species' abundance, contribution to aboveground carbon, and maximum size. Functional characterization is based on a set of traits related to resource acquisition (wood density, specific leaf area, leaf carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content, and leaf stable carbon isotope composition). We show that within both mixed and monodominant tropical forest ecosystems, the highest functional specialization and lowest functional redundancy are solely found in rare tree species and significantly more in rare species holding large‐sized individuals. Rare species cover the entire range of low and high functional redundancy, contributing both unique and redundant functions. Loss of species supporting functional redundancy could be buffered by other species in the community, including more abundant species. This is not the case for species supporting high functional specialization and low functional redundancy, which would need specific conservation attention. In terms of tropical forest management planning, we argue that specific conservation of large‐sized trees is imperative for long‐term maintenance of ecosystem functioning.
Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) population structure shifts through deep time: Management implications for southern California's northern Channel Islands
Authors: Haas Hannah , Braje Todd J. , Edwards Matthew S. , Erlandson Jon M. , Whitaker Stephen G.
Published: April 2019

For over 10,000 years, black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) were an important resource in southern California, first for coastal Native Americans, then beginning in the nineteenth century, as one of the state's first commercial shellfisheries. By 1993, after years of heavy fishing, rising sea surface temperatures (SST), and the spread of withering syndrome (WS), black abalone populations declined dramatically, resulting in the closure of the Alta California fishery. After nearly 25 years of management and recovery efforts, black abalone are showing signs of ecological rebound along some Channel Island shorelines. These include the presence of juvenile abalone and increasing densities, largely from data collected by Channel Islands National Park (CINP) monitoring efforts that began in 1985.

In an effort to apply deeper historical perspectives to modern fisheries management and restoration, we analyzed black abalone size data from San Miguel Island at prehistoric and historical archeological sites spanning the last 10,000 years and compared these populations to those described by CINP biologists between 1985 and 2013.

We found a statistically significant relationship between SST and black abalone size distributions during the ancient record, along with dramatic shifts in population size structure toward larger individuals between the nineteenth century and modern periods. A pattern of larger mean black abalone sizes was identified during warm SSTs, when compared against intervals of cooler SSTs.

Synthesis and applications. Our study provides a deep historical perspective of abalone population size distributions, patterns within these distributions through time, and parallels to modern abalone populations. Our results may help managers determine whether the current (and future) size and age structure of intertidal black abalone populations around the northern Channel Islands are “natural” and healthy, measured against the 10,000 year history of black abalone fishing in southern California.
Recurrent changes in cichlid dentition linked to climate‐driven lake‐level fluctuations
Authors: Dieleman Jorunn , Van Bocxlaer Bert , Nyingi Wanja Dorothy , Lyaruu Anna , Verschuren Dirk
Published: April 2019

Climate‐induced habitat change has often been invoked as an important driver of speciation and evolutionary radiation in cichlid fishes, yet studies linking morphological change directly to long‐term environmental fluctuations are scarce. Here, we track changes through time in the oral dentition ofOreochromis hunteri, the endemic and only indigenous fish species inhabiting the East African crater Lake Chala (Kenya/Tanzania), in relation to climate‐driven lake‐level fluctuations during the last 25,000 yr. Fossil teeth were recovered from six periods representing alternating high and low lake‐level stands associated with late‐Pleistocene and Holocene trends in rainfall and drought. To construct a reference framework for morphological variation in fossil assemblages, we first analyzed the variability in oral tooth morphology within the modern‐day fish population. These analyses established that, like other cichlids,O. hunterigradually replace their bicuspid/tricuspid oral dentition with more unicuspid teeth as they grow. In the fossil assemblages, we found systematic and recurrent changes in the relative abundance of these oral tooth types, with a higher proportion of unicuspids during low‐stands. Moreover,O. hunteriliving during low‐stands systematically developed unicuspid dentition at a smaller body size, compared with conspecifics living during high‐stands. Considering that low‐stand conditions created a sizable area of oxygenated soft‐bottom habitat that is lacking during high‐stands, we propose that the associated change in oral dentition reflects the fishes’ exploitation of this new habitat either for feeding or for reproduction. The recurrent nature of the observed shifts provides evidence for the ability ofO. hunterito systematically adapt to local habitat change, and strongly suggests that morphological change in oral dentition promoted its long‐term population persistence in an aquatic ecosystem presenting the dual challenge of being both sensitive to climate change (creating constantly shifting selective pressures) and isolated from surrounding populations (limiting gene flow). In Lake Chala, ancient climate‐driven lake‐level fluctuations did not directly promote speciation inO. hunteri, but the population bottlenecks they may have caused potentially contributed to its divergence from sister speciesOreochromis jipe.
Tree diversity is not always a strong driver of soil microbial diversity: a 7‐yr‐old diversity experiment with trees
Authors: Rivest Maxime , Whalen Joann K. , Rivest David
Published: April 2019

Trees provide organic substrates in the form of root exudates, litterfall, and fine root turnover. They modify soil physical properties and support soil biological activities. Therefore, trees are hypothesized to control soil biodiversity in forested areas. We predicted that (1) experimental forest plantations with higher tree alpha‐diversity have greater soil microbial alpha‐diversity and (2) that plantations with more divergent tree community composition would have more divergent soil microbial assemblages (Whitaker's beta‐diversity). We tested these predictions by measuring soil bacteria and fungi in a 7‐yr‐old tree biodiversity experiment. The experimental plantation contained 37 different tree assemblages, which were composed of one to four native species from temperate mixed deciduous forests. Further, there was a gradient of functional diversity nested within each level of species diversity. Soil samples were assessed for bacteria and fungi by amplicon sequencing. Tree alpha‐diversity weakly, but significantly, affected bacterial alpha‐diversity, without affecting fungal alpha‐diversity. Tree community composition was weakly, but significantly, linked to soil bacterial and fungal assemblages. In these 7‐yr‐old experimental plantations, tree diversity was not the most influential driver of soil microbial diversity.
Hierarchical Ni(HCO3)2 Nanosheets Anchored on Carbon Nanofibers as Binder‐Free Anodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Kong Fanjun , He Xiaolei , Chen Jiyun , Tao Shi , Qian Bin , Jiang Xuefan , Luo Hongmei
Published: April 2019

Transition metal carbonates are promising anodes for energy storage and conversion due to their advantages of facile synthesis, large theoretical capacities, and high electrochemical activities. However, the poor electronic conductivity, slow ion transport, and high volume expansion lead to the capacity loss of transition metal carbonates. Herein, hierarchical Ni(HCO3)2 nanosheets are directly grown on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) via electrospinning and hydrothermal methods. The 3D CNFs can not only improve the electronic conductivity and shorten diffusion length but also fasten electron/ionic transport and release the volume change. Ni(HCO3)2 nanosheets anchored on CNFs exhibit excellent lithium storage performance with a high cycling stability and good rate capability. It delivers an initial discharge capacity of 3807.6 mAh g−1 and a reversible capacity of 1261.1 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 200 mA g−1. This work may shed light on the preparation of other binder‐free transition metal carbonates and make them as high‐performance electrodes in flexible electronic devices.
Desalination and power generation of caspian sea by applying new designed microbial desalination cells in batch operation mode
Authors: R. Kalankesh Laleh , Rodríguez‐Couto Susana , Zazouli Mohammad Ali
Published: April 2019

The Caspian Sea is one of the largest water sources located in the north of Iran; so this research was carried out to investigate the new design of microbial desalination cell (MDC) (double layer) efficiency in water desalination and power generation of the enormous saline water source in the north of Iran. Actual (i.e., Caspian Sea) and artificial seawater with different initial salt concentrations (5, 25, and 35 g/L NaCl) and, different hydraulic retention times (24, 48, and 72 h) in batch and open circuit voltage (OCV) mode were examined. In addition, the oxidation and reduction processes during desalination of each stage were monitored at 10 min intervals for 60 min. According to the obtained experimental data, both the desalination efficiency and the power generation decreased from 65 ± 1% to 41 ± 1% and 80 ± 4.5 mW/cm2 to 51.20 ± 2.5 mW/cm2 by increasing the retention time from 24 to 72 h for Caspian Sea water and 5 g/L NaCl, respectively. Maximum and minimum desalination efficiencies were 48 ± 1% and 65 ± 1% for Caspian Sea water and 5 g/L NaCl, respectively. Moreover, the maximum power densities were 72.83 ± 3.36 mW/cm2 and 80.00 ± 4.00 mW/cm2 for 35 g/L NaCl and seawater, respectively. As far as the authors know, this is the first study on the application of the new designed stacked MDC for power generation and desalination of water from the Caspian Sea. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13146, 2019
The geomorphologic forcing of wild boars
Authors: Mauri Luca , Sallustio Lorenzo , Tarolli Paolo
Published: April 2019

Among the main invasive species, the wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the most responsible for soil degradation in Europe and many Italian regions. At the same time, the stable presence of this species in agricultural areas has induced a conflict with humans, causing economic losses, environmental degradation and also social issues. A clear quantification of the potential damages (in terms of soil bioturbation) of this species at large scale is, however, still obscure. The purpose of this research is to analyse the role of wild boars as a geomorphologic agent, presenting a general diagnostic framework regarding the geomorphic impact of this species, classifying and mapping potential sediment hotspots and their likely connection to rivers and road networks. Accordingly, a record of wild boar damage types is first presented, and their possible interaction with hydrological and geomorphological processes is described. Then, a pilot case study is discussed on mapping and quantifying wild boar damages in a hilly agricultural landscape located in northeast Italy. The wild boar damages were geolocalized using a geographical positioning system (GPS) in two years of intensive field campaigns among agricultural fields involved in wild boar damaging activities. For each damaged area (total 406), several measures of soil erosion depth were taken and the degradation surface of interest mapped for a total of 10 150 measures. The volume of removed soil was then estimated, considering the average depth of damages previously recorded. Finally, the Index of Connectivity was applied to provide a classification of the considered damages based on their connection to both river and road networks. The results indicate that the ongoing uncontrolled wild boar expansion may not affect crops only or be a risk for people, but can also increase soil erosion, with a potential connection to hydrographic networks and human infrastructures. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A robust blind adaptive multiuser detection based on maximum correntropy criterion in satellite CDMA systems
Authors: Yue Pengcheng , Qu Hua , Zhao Jihong , Wang Meng , Liu Xi
Published: April 2019

Satellite code‐division multiple‐access systems use multiuser detection (MUD) methods to deal with multiple‐access interferences. Among the different kinds of MUD, blind adaptive MUD regarding the system as a state‐space model is widely used for its tracking capability and independence of training sequences. The innovation process noise of the state‐space model is usually assumed to follow the Gaussian distribution, and the minimum mean‐square error criterion is the default criterion for most conventional blind adaptive MUD methods. In the past few years, the impulsive noise of the innovation process has attracted attention, declaring that a Gaussian distribution is not suitable for simulating the impulsive noise. Thus, more criteria are proposed to enhance the robustness of the blind adaptive MUD. This paper improves the robustness of MUD methods under impulsive noise by bringing forward a new cost function based on the maximum correntropy criterion and deduces the expression of the blind adaptive detector. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves superior performance in terms of bit error rate, convergence, and robustness compared with other methods.
A novel solution for an efficient tele‐collaborating in surgical medical education: Three‐dimensional tele‐immersion systems
Authors: Gahatraj S. , Alsadoon Abeer , Prasad P.W.C. , Haddad Sami , Alrubaie Ahmad , Pham Linh , Deva Anand , Hsu Jeremy
Published: April 2019

Three‐dimensional tele‐immersion systems for tele‐collaboration in surgical medical education (SME) have not been implemented due to issues of variable bandwidth availability and delay requirements for high real‐time video quality. The proposed solution in this paper aims to implement a three‐dimensional tele‐immersion system for tele‐collaboration in SME with improved video quality, minimized end‐to‐end delay, and an adaptation ratio, to increase tele‐collaboration experience. The proposed system is based on an algorithm that enhances compression, creates bandwidth adaptivity, and leads to low latency (ECBAaLL), to make efficient use of limited network bandwidth and reduce end‐to‐end delay, by introducing a raptor code and an enhanced algorithm based on segmentation. The results achieved in terms of video quality, end‐to‐end delay, and adaptation ratio of the video streams reflect that the proposed new algorithm improves the quality per stream of the real‐time videos by 8% and reduces the end‐to‐end delay of the video packets by 6%‐7% and that, with the new algorithm, the adaptation ratio of the bandwidth‐adapted videos is increased by 4%‐5%. This work focuses on reducing transmission delays and implementing an improved compression algorithm with reduced end‐to‐end delay and high video adaptation. Hence, the outcome is the quality of video streams for available bandwidth budget with minimal end‐to‐end and processing time delays on a real‐time tele‐collaboration environment in SME.
Antioxidant activity of vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) extract on lipid and protein oxidation in cooked mixed pork patties during refrigerated storage
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Xu Yu , Xue Hai , Jiang Guo‐Chuan , Liu Xue‐Jun
Published: April 2019

To prevent oxidation and maintain the quality of meat products, it is essential to add antioxidants. The aim of this work was to investigate the antioxidant activity of vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) extract (VTE) and evaluate the effects of VTE on the quality characteristics and lipid and protein oxidation of cooked mixed pork patties during refrigerated storage. VTE had a significant DPPH radical scavenging activity, and its IC50 was 15.35 µg/ml. VTE‐treated mixed pork patties had a better texture than that of the control group (p < 0.05). VTE could significantly inhibit an increase in the TBARS value and the formation of carbonyl compounds (p < 0.05), and the inhibition was stronger than that of the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) group (p < 0.05), while the amount of sulfhydryl groups significantly decreased (p < 0.05). The color of VTE itself made the mixed pork patties darker (p < 0.05), but this did not affect the sensory scores and overall acceptability of the VTE‐treated patties, indicating the VTE can be incorporated into mixed pork patties. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the VTE inhibited the oxidation of the cooked mixed pork patties during refrigerated storage. These findings may be significant to helping extend the shelf life of meat products.