bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scammers are on the rise — and they're using social media to recruit college students
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: February 2023

LAS VEGAS — Anna Delvey. The Tinder Swindler. Elizabeth Holmes. Scams are increasingly in the news these days and for good reason; they are on the rise and may be potentially impacting the students on your campus.
Educate your campus about stalking — and follow these best practices for stalking investigations
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: February 2023

According to data from Help in Crisis, college students are the most likely demographic in America to experience stalking — but 43% of those who have been stalked wouldn't qualify it as such. That means that students on your campus might not be aware of just how prevalent or problematic stalking is — including the ways it can escalate into other forms of violence — or even, indeed, what behaviors qualify as stalking.
Air‐tolerant upconverted circularly polarized luminescence enabled by confined space of chiral micelle
Authors: Huang Jiang , Yang Xuefeng , Zhou Jin , Xie Helou , Duan Pengfei
Published: February 2023

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has been widely demonstrated that the circular polarization in excited state can be significantly amplified through the triplet‐triplet annihilation‐based upconversion (TTA‐UC) luminescence process in various chiral nano‐assemblies. However, constructing such an upconverted circularly polarized luminescence (UC‐CPL) system in the aqueous phase remains a challenge. In this work, a kind of amphiphilic chiral cationic gemini surfactant is utilized to construct chiral spherical micelle in the aqueous phase, whose internal chiral cavity can provide a hydrophobic and deoxygenated environment for air‐sensitive TTA‐UC system. In addition, due to the co‐assembly process between the emitters and chiral micelles, achiral emitters of upconversion pairs exhibit induced chiroptical properties. More importantly, the luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) can be amplified by one order of magnitude through TTA‐UC process. This work provides an effective and useful strategy for realizing UC‐CPL in aqueous phase.
Nuclear membrane irregularity in high‐grade urothelial carcinoma cells can be measured by using circularity and solidity as morphometric shape definitions in digital image analysis of urinary tract cytology specimens
Authors: Harvey Samuel E. , VandenBussche Christopher J.
Published: February 2023

Background

The Paris System for Reporting Urine Cytology defines objective (elevated nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio ≥0.7) and subjective (nuclear membrane irregularity, hyperchromicity, and coarse chromatin) cytomorphologic criteria to identify conventional high‐grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) cells. Digital image analysis allows quantitative and objective measurement of these subjective criteria. In this study, digital image analysis was used to quantitate nuclear membrane irregularity in HGUC cells.

Methods

Whole‐slide images of HGUC urine specimens were acquired, and HGUC nuclei were manually annotated using the open‐source bioimage analysis software QuPath. Custom scripts were used to calculate nuclear morphometrics and perform downstream analysis.

Results

In total, 1395 HGUC cell nuclei were annotated across 24 HGUC specimens (48.1 ± 6.0 nuclei per case) using both pixel‐level and smooth annotation approaches. Nuclear membrane irregularity was estimated by calculating nuclear circularity and solidity. Annotating at pixel‐level resolution artifactually increases nuclear membrane perimeter, thus smoothing is necessary to better approximate a pathologist's assessment of nuclear membrane irregularity. After smoothing, nuclear circularity and solidity discriminate between HGUC cell nuclei with visually apparent differences in nuclear membrane irregularity.

Conclusions

Nuclear membrane irregularity defined by The Paris System for Reporting Urine Cytology is inherently subjective. This study identifies nuclear morphometrics that visually correlate with nuclear membrane irregularity. HGUC specimens show intercase variation in nuclear morphometrics, with some nuclei appearing remarkably regular while others show marked irregularity. A small population of irregular nuclei generates most of the intracase variation in nuclear morphometrics. These results highlight nuclear membrane irregularity as an important, but not definitive, cytomorphologic criterion in HGUC diagnosis.
Risk stratification of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic or benign cytology on repeat FNA: Implications for molecular testing and surveillance
Authors: Hall Elizabeth A. , Hartzband Pamela , VanderLaan Paul A. , Nishino Michiya
Published: February 2023

Background

Evidence guiding the management of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with nondiagnostic (ND) or benign cytology on repeat fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is limited. This study evaluates the utility of molecular testing and estimates the risk of noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary‐like nuclear features (NIFTP) and cancer among such nodules.

Methods

This was a retrospective single‐institution review of thyroid nodules from adults that were classified as atypia of undetermined significance (AUS) or follicular neoplasm (FN) on initial FNA and underwent repeat FNA for cytology and Afirma testing (June 2013–July 2021). The association between repeat FNA cytology and RNA yield for Afirma was determined. Histologic outcomes were integrated with Afirma results to define end points for each nodule.

Results

A total of 691 AUS and FN nodules underwent repeat FNA and Afirma testing. Diagnostic Afirma results were obtained in 98% of cases overall and in 91% of nodules with ND cytology on repeat FNA. Using combined molecular and histologic end points, the NIFTP and/or cancer prevalence for nodules with ND cytology on repeat FNA was 9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.042–0.182), falling between those nodules classified as benign (5%; 95% CI, 0.029–0.094) and those classified as AUS or FN (18%; 95% CI, 0.140–0.218) on repeat FNA, although not reaching statistical significance from either subgroup (p = .38 and .10, respectively).

Conclusions

AUS and FN nodules that are ND on repeat FNA have low but nonnegligible risk of NIFTP and/or cancer and may benefit from molecular testing, given the low test failure rate in this subgroup. Conversely, AUS and FN nodules reclassified as benign on repeat FNA have a very low risk of NIFTP and/or cancer and are unlikely to benefit from molecular testing.
Burden of illness in aromatic l‐amino acid decarboxylase deficiency
Authors: DiBacco Melissa L. , Hinahara Jordan , Goss Thomas F. , Pearl Phillip L.
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Deficiency of aromatic l‐amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), a key enzyme in monoamine synthesis, is an ultrarare disorder of monoamine synthesis estimated to affect fewer than 50 patients in the United States, although rates of misdiagnosis may be high. In its severe form, this congenital hypodopaminergic state results in profound hypotonia, developmental impairment, oculogyric crises, dystonia, dysautonomia, hypoglycemia, and premature death. The present study assesses the burden of illness for patients and caregivers by assessment of medical resource utilization (MRU) and quality of life (QOL) measures to enable future health technology assessment activities for emerging therapeutic options.

Methods

Data from patients’ medical records from the prior two years were examined to estimate burden in terms of direct costs; indirect care burden (including caregiver impact on sleep, health, and vocational opportunities) and QOL were also assessed using the BURQOL‐RD, AQoL‐6, and Visual Analogue Scale questionnaires.

Results

Data were available for five US cases (three males, two females; age, 2–24 years, median, 5 years). MRU ranged from $6162.73 to $49 043.94 annually per patient. Although the proportion of costs (inpatient and outpatient visits, labs/tests, drugs, devices/durable medical equipment, and speech/physical therapy) varied greatly, the average annual direct cost of healthcare was approximately $25 000. Caregivers described profound care burden and QOL effects, with an average indirect care burden cost assessment of nearly $43 000 yearly. The mean economic burden of AADC deficiency per year was estimated at $68 000.

Conclusion

MRU and QOL varied considerably by patient. This is attributable to the disease's variable phenotypic severity and differing patient needs. Frequent contact with the healthcare system, however, is a constant for patients with AADC deficiency and their caregivers. Quantifying MRU and QOL for rare genetic diseases is critical for assessing the value of emerging targeted therapies.
Opportunistic coding across on‐route dominating nodes in a flow‐orientedSDNenabledWSN
Authors: Singh Amit
Published: February 2023

With the aid of network coding, numerous packets can be mixed at intermediary nodes if any encoding opportunity exists. However, it is challenging to choose intermediate relay nodes of probable opportunistic coding in distributed wireless networks. In this work, a wireless sensor network (WSN) is employed with a software defined network (SDN) architecture along with a connected dominating set (CDS)‐based routing technique. The SDN offers a centrally managed architecture that lowers energy usage and network traffic by reducing the controlling and managing overheads in sensory networks. In addition, the CDS‐based routing and the potential for opportunistic coding at dominant nodes are coupled to enhance network performance. The proposed CDS‐based flow‐oriented coding‐aware energy‐efficient routing (CFCER) is contrasted with existing traditional wireless sensor networks and software‐defined sensor networks in terms of throughput, packet delay, and energy usage. CFCER increases network throughput by 15% more than SDN‐based WSN and by about 25% more than traditional WSN. However, compared to standard WSN, a significant improvement was made in packet delay and energy conservation. Over SDN‐WSN, packet delay is reduced by about 18%, and the energy consumption is cut by 10%.
Experimental results and analysis of midrange underwater wireless power transfer
Authors: Niu Wangqiang , Yu Xuejie , Zhang Weiting
Published: February 2023

It is reported generally in previous studies that the transmission efficiency of wireless power transfer (WPT) system in seawater is lower than that in air due to eddy current loss. In this study, it is found experimentally that the transfer efficiency in seawater can reach 17 times of that in air on average at midrange for a WPT system with two 22.5‐cm planar coils and a 460‐kHz resonance frequency. These show that the eddy current assists wireless transfer in seawater, and then the eddy current is treated as a relay coil to explain the experimental observations. Compared with the model from electromagnetic field theory, which is complex and difficult to grasp, the circuit model proposed in this study is concise and easy to understand. Though the underwater WPT system has a relatively low average transfer efficiency of 20% at midrange, it can be used in a transfer distance priority scene.
Bison influences on composition and diversity of riparian plant communities in Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Kauffman J. Boone , Cummings Dian Lyn , Kauffman Cimarron , Beschta Robert L. , Brooks Jeremy , MacNeill Keeley , Ripple William J.
Published: February 2023

Riparian zones are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the Intermountain West, USA, and provide valuable ecosystem services, including high rates of biotic productivity, nutrient processing, and carbon storage. Thus, their sustainability is a high priority for land managers. Large ungulates affect composition and structure of riparian/stream ecosystems through herbivory and physical effects, via trailing and trampling. Bison (Bison bison) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) have been characterized as “ecosystem engineers” because of their demonstrated effects on phenology, aboveground productivity of grasses, and woody vegetation structure. Bison have greatly increased in numbers during the last two decades and spend large periods of time in the broad open floodplains of the Northern Range of the Park, where they are hypothesized to have multiple effects on plant species composition and diversity. We sampled indicators of bison use as well as riparian vegetation composition, diversity, and structure along eight headwater streams within YNP's Northern Range. Total fecal density ranged from 333 to 1833 fecal chips and/or piles/ha, stubble heights ranged from 7 to 49 cm, and streambank disturbance ranged from 9% to 62%. High levels of bison use were positively correlated with exotic species dominance and negatively correlated with species richness, native species diversity, willow (Salix spp.) cover, and wetland species dominance. At three sites, the intensity of bison use exceeded recommended utilization thresholds to avoid degradation of streams and riparian zones on public lands. The influences of large herbivores, principally bison, on vegetation composition and structure suggest the cumulative effects of the current densities on the Northern Range are contributing to biotic impoverishment, representing the loss of ecosystem services that are provided by native riparian plant communities. In addition, contemporary levels of bison use may be exacerbating climate change effects as observed through ungulate‐related shifts in composition toward plant assemblages adapted to warmer and drier conditions. However, the resilience of native riparian vegetation suggests that sites currently heavily utilized by bison would have the potential for recovery with a reduction in pressure by this herbivore.
Unique Thermal Structural Phase Transitions Exhibited by Unsymmetrical Organometallic Gold(III)‐Dithiolene Complexes with Pentylthio and Hexylthio Groups
Authors: Arata Sonomi , Kim Yuna , Hoshino Norihisa , Tahara Keishiro , Takahashi Kiyonori , Kadoya Tomofumi , Inoue Tomonori , Nakamura Takayoshi , Akutagawa Tomoyuki , Yamada Jun‐ichi , Kubo Kazuya
Published: February 2023

Unsymmetrical gold(III)‐dithiolene complexes are potential candidates for molecular materials that exhibit thermal structural phase transitions. In this study, unsymmetrical ppy‐gold(III) (ppy−=C‐deprotonated‐2‐phenylpyridine(−)) complexes [AuC5] and [AuC6] coordinated by dithiolene ligands containing tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) skeletons with pentylthio (2‐{bis(pentylthio)‐1,3‐dithiol‐2‐ylidene}‐1,3‐dithiol‐4,5‐dithiolate(2−)) and hexylthio groups (2‐{bis(hexylthio)‐1,3‐dithiol‐2‐ylidene}‐1,3‐dithiol‐4,5‐dithiolate(2−)) were synthesized. Both complexes exhibited a large absorption band at approximately 508 nm, owing to intramolecular ligand‐to‐ligand charge transfer. One‐dimensional columnar structures with head‐to‐tail molecular arrangements around the metal ions were constructed in the crystals. The flexible alkylthio groups were intercalated into crystalline spaces between dithiolene ligands in the columns. [AuC5] exhibits a simple phase transition at 198 °C between crystalline and isotropic phases irreversibly. The crystalline phase of [AuC6] observed at 25 °C melted at 148 °C. Another crystalline phase grew above 148 °C with a very slow crystallization rate from the liquid phase and was completely transformed into an isotropic phase at 200 °C.
Boosting the Li|LAGP interfacial compatibility with trace nonflammable all‐fluorinated electrolyte: The role of solid electrolyte interphase
Authors: Liu Qi , Yu Jiahao , Guo Weiqian , Pan Yanfang , Han Cuiping , Liu Hong‐bo , Li Baohua
Published: February 2023

NASCION‐type lithium (Li) conductors provide a great chance to break the challenges of solid‐state lithium batteries (SSLBs) emphasizing superior safety and high energy density. Nonetheless, their practical employment has been hampered by the poor interfacial compatibility. Herein, we successfully block interfacial side reactions by in situ constructing a LiF‐enrich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer between Li metal and LAGP (Li1.5Al0.5Ge1.5(PO4)3) through dropping trace fluoroacetonitrile‐based all‐fluorinated electrolyte. Noted that the formed high Young's modulus but fast‐kinetics LiF‐rich SEI layer successfully suppresses growth of Li dendrite, further tailoring the superior interfacial chemistry. Consequently, such robust SEI upgrades critical current density of LAGP to a record‐high value of >1.5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, a hybride full cells assembled with the commercial‐level cathode deliver prominently cycling lifespan (>250 cycles) and outstanding rate performance. The present SEI engineering strategy enables a huge leap toward the industrialized deployments of SSLBs.

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Cross‐shore suspended sediment transport in a macro‐tidal and low‐sloping upper shoreface
Authors: Pezerat Marc , Bertin Xavier , Coulombier Thibault
Published: February 2023

The driving mechanisms of sediment transport across the upper shoreface have been poorly examined to date because of the scarcity of field measurements beyond the intertidal area, which is mainly due to instrumentation difficulties. Here, we investigate the cross‐shore suspended sediment transport from synchronized time series of bottom pressure, current velocity and suspended sediment concentration measured by 13 m water depth, in a macro‐tidal and low‐sloping shoreface, under storm waves and fair weather conditions. Depending on the tidal phase and the incoming wave height, the measuring structure was alternatively located in the shoaling zone and in the outer surf zone. The analysis of field observations first revealed that steady currents dominate suspended transport, with a notable contribution of the wave‐driven return current under storm wave conditions. Cross‐spectral analysis further indicates that short waves globally induce an offshore‐directed transport under energetic conditions associated with a crest‐to‐trough phase lag effect. The contribution of infragravity (IG) waves, which reaches as much as 20% of the total transport, shows contrasting directions depending on whether IG waves are bound to the short wave groups or propagate as free waves.
A Cross‐Shaped Monomer as Building Block for Molecular Textiles
Authors: Kroonen Camiel C. E. , D'Addio Adriano , Prescimone Alessandro , Fuhr Olaf , Fenske Dieter , Mayor Marcel
Published: February 2023

The exploration of new materials is timeless. Especially 2D‐materials have gotten much interest in the last decades. This work proposes a new route towards a fascinating class of 2D materials: molecular textiles. The suggested bottom‐up approach focuses on the 2D self‐assembly of a cross‐shaped monomer at the water/air interface. A 3D cross‐shaped motive was designed, synthesized, and characterized, which exhibits the required structural features, i. e., static and dynamic control. Analysis of the cross‐shaped motive by 1H‐NMR spectroscopy, X‐ray structure, and chiral stationary phase HPLC proved the rigidity and stability of the system, and thus also its potential for the here suggested new strategy towards molecular textiles. Three variants of a Schiff‐base precursor pair functionalized monomer were synthesized and characterized by 1H‐NMR spectroscopy, 13C‐NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Finally, the network formation of the monomer is shown to be triggered by deprotonation of its ammonium salt, corroborated with FT‐IR analysis.
The Covid‐19 pandemic and European trade flows: Evidence from a dynamic panel model
Authors: Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Sova Anamaria Diana , Sova Robert
Published: February 2023

This paper investigates the impact of the Covid‐19 pandemic on trade flows in the case of the European countries. First, an ARDL dynamic panel model is estimated using the PMG method to analyse monthly data covering the most recent period (2019M1–2021M12); then, the GMM and PCSE approaches are applied to a much longer span of quarterly data (2000Q1–2021Q4), which also includes the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007–2009, in order to compare the trade impact of two different crises. The findings based on the monthly data provide clear evidence of the significant negative effects of the Covid‐19 pandemic on both exports and imports in both the short and the long run, and also suggest that digitalisation was instrumental in mitigating the impact of the crisis and speeding up the recovery. The quarterly analysis over a longer time period indicates that both the GFC and the Covid‐19 pandemic had negative effects on trade but of a different magnitude. The use of digital technology enabling remote work and e‐commerce are again some of the factors likely explaining why international trade fell by less and also rebounded much more quickly during the Covid‐19 pandemic compared to the GFC.
A CNN transfer learning‐based approach for segmentation and classification of brain stroke from noncontrast CT images
Authors: Kaya Buket , Önal Muhammed
Published: February 2023

Imaging is needed in stroke cases in order to understand what the type of stroke (ischemic, hemorrhagic) is, to rule out bleeding, to determine the infarct area and to plan treatment. Noncontrast CT is the primary imaging protocol used in the initial evaluation of patients with suspected stroke. As apart from studies in the literature, this paper proposes novel automated classification and segmentation approaches which are capable of extracting hemorrhage and ischemic lesions (infarcts) simultaneously from the noncontrasts brain CT images during the treatment of brain stroke patients. It is aimed to automate the detection of stroke lesions with a high accuracy rate using the U‐Net model for segmentation. In the experiments performed on the real data set, a precision value of 95.06% is obtained for the classification model. For segmentation, the IoU coefficient values from the experiments are 92.01% for hemorrhagic and 82.22% for ischemic, respectively.
Titanium dioxide nanostructures doped with nickel and its performance in photocatalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol
Authors: Alvarez Lemus Mayra A. , Rodríguez Ariana Lizbeth Jiménez , García Mendoza Cinthia , García Ruth Lezama , Zaleta David S. García , Frías Márquez Dora M. , Quintana Owen Patricia , López González Rosendo
Published: February 2023

Background

In this work, we investigated the effect of nickel on the photocatalytic properties of TiO2 nanostructures. The photocatalysts were obtained in a two‐stage procedure. First, the sol–gel method was used for obtaining TiO2 and Ni‐TiO2 at 1.0 wt% of Ni, which was then followed by hydrothermal treatment under highly alkaline conditions with NaOH at 110°C.

Results

The obtained powders were thermally treated at 400°C. The main crystalline phase was anatase for all the samples, and a lower Eg value was estimated for the Ni/TiO2 sample (3.13 eV). The specific BET areas were obtained from N2 isotherms at 77 K, being 141 and 153 m2/g for pure TiO2 and 1.0% Ni‐TiO2 samples, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the rod shape of the particles with diameters between 10 and 20 nm and length between 100 and 400 nm. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed the presence of oxygen vacancies and surface hydroxyl oxygen species in all samples, but in a higher ratio for the Ni/TiO2‐HT‐400 sample. The photocatalytic test was performed using two different radiation sources: 254 nm and a simulated solar lamp (300 W), for the photoreduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol, which was followed by UV–vis spectroscopy.

Conclusions

The Ni/TiO2‐HT‐400 sample showed a high efficiency, reaching 100% reduction after 15 min (simulated solar radiation) and 40 min (λ = 254 nm) after the first cycle, while for the second cycle these values decreased to 63% and 78%, respectively. The increase in the photocatalytic reduction of TiO2 nanostructures was achieved mainly through the presence of oxygen vacancies along with the decrease in electron–hole recombination. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Effect of troxerutin consumption during gestation period on reflexive motor behavior in mice offspring
Authors: Bahrami Arghavan , Hassanpour Shahin , Zendehdel Morteza
Published: February 2023

This study aimed to determine the effects of troxerutin consumption during gestation on reflexive motor behavior in mice offspring. Forty pregnant female mice were allocated into four groups. In the control group, mice received water, while in groups 2–4, female mice p.o. administered troxerutin (50, 100, and 150 mg/kg) at 5, 8, 11, 14, and 17 days of gestation (GD). Following delivery, pups were selected based on their experimental group, and reflexive motor behaviors were determined. Also, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and total antioxidant status (TAS) were determined. Based on the findings, maternal exposure to troxerutin (100 and 150 mg/kg) increased ambulation scores in offspring's compared with control group (P < 0.05). Also, prenatal exposure to troxerutin increased front‐ and hind‐limb suspension scores in newborns compared with control group (P < 0.05). Maternal exposure to troxerutin increased grip strength and negative geotaxis in newborns in comparison with control mice (P < 0.05). Prenatal exposure to troxerutin (100 and 150 mg/kg) decreased hind‐limb foot angle and surface righting in pups compared with control group (P < 0.05). Maternal exposure to troxerutin decreased MDA production and increased SOD, GPx, and TAS levels in offspring (P < 0.05). These results suggested that prenatal consumption of the troxerutin improves reflexive motor behaviors in mice pups.
Live‐virus neutralization of the omicron variant in children and adults 14 months after SARS‐CoV‐2 wild‐type infection
Authors: Stich Maximilian , Benning Louise , Speer Claudius , Garbade Sven F. , Bartenschlager Marie , Kim Heeyoung , Jeltsch Kathrin , Tabatabai Julia , Niesert Moritz , Janda Aleš , Renk Hanna , Elling Roland , Hoffmann Georg Friedrich , Kräusslich Hans‐Georg , Müller Barbara , Bartenschlager Ralf , Tönshoff Burkhard
Published: February 2023

Data on cross‐neutralization of the SARS‐CoV‐2 omicron variant more than 1 year after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection are urgently needed, especially in children, to predict the likelihood of reinfection and to guide vaccination strategies. In a prospective observational cohort study, we evaluated live‐virus neutralization of the SARS‐CoV‐2 omicron (BA.1) variant in children compared with adults 14 months after mild or asymptomatic wild‐type SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. We also evaluated immunity to reinfection conferred by previous infection plus COVID‐19 mRNA vaccination. We studied 36 adults and 34 children 14 months after acute SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. While 94% of unvaccinated adults (16/17) and children (32/34) neutralized the delta (B.1.617.2) variant, only 1/17 (5.9%) unvaccinated adults, 0/16 (0%) adolescents and 5/18 (27.8%) children <12 years of age had neutralizing activity against omicron (BA.1). In convalescent adults, one or two doses of mRNA vaccine increased delta and omicron neutralization 32‐fold, similar to a third mRNA vaccination in uninfected adults. Neutralization of omicron was 8‐fold lower than that of delta in both groups. In conclusion, our data indicate that humoral immunity induced by previous SARS‐CoV‐2 wild‐type infection more than 1 year ago is insufficient to neutralize the current immune escape omicron variant.
An alternative strategy based on ultra‐high‐performance supercritical fluid chromatography for full monosaccharide compositional analysis of polysaccharides in Schisandra chinensis fruits
Authors: Gao Jia‐Ning , Li Xin , Liang Jun , Kuang Hai‐Xue , Xia Yong‐Gang
Published: February 2023

Due to green and environment‐friendly characteristics, ultra‐high‐performance supercritical fluid chromatography has been widely used in analytical fields in recent years, but until now few reports are available for monosaccharide compositional analysis of macromolecule polysaccharides. In this study, an ultra‐high‐performance supercritical fluid chromatography technology with an unusual binary modifier is used to determine the monosaccharide compositions of natural polysaccharides. Each carbohydrate herein is simultaneously labeled as 1‐pheny‐3‐methyl‐5‐pyrazolone and acetyl‐derivative via pre‐column derivatizations aiming to increase UV absorption sensitivity and decrease water solubility. Ten common monosaccharides are fully separated and detected on ultra‐high‐performance supercritical fluid chromatography combined with a photo‐diode array detector by systematic optimization of multiple relevant parameters, for example, column stationary phases, organic modifiers, additives, flow rates, and so on. Compared with carbon dioxide as a mobile phase, the addition of a binary modifier increases the resolution of analytes. Additionally, this method has the advantages of small consumption of organic solvent, safety, and being environmental‐friendly. It has been successfully applied for full monosaccharide compositional analysis of heteropolysaccharides from Schisandra chinensis fruits. To sum up, a new alternative approach is provided for monosaccharide compositional analysis of natural polysaccharides.
Clinical Value of Artificial Intelligence‐Based Computer‐Aided Diagnosis System Versus Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound for Differentiation of Benign From Malignant Thyroid Nodules in Different Backgrounds
Authors: Liu Ting , Wu Chuang , Wang Guojuan , Jia Yingying , Zhu Yangyang , Nie Fang
Published: February 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the value of the AI‐SONIC ultrasound‐assisted diagnosis system versus contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for differential diagnosis of thyroid nodules in diffuse and non‐diffuse backgrounds.

Methods

A total of 555 thyroid nodules with pathologically confirmed diagnosis were included in this retrospective study. The diagnostic efficacies of AI‐SONIC and CEUS for differentiating benign from malignant nodules in diffuse and non‐diffuse backgrounds were evaluated, with pathological diagnosis as the gold standard.

Results

The agreement between AI‐SONIC diagnosis and pathological diagnosis was moderate in diffuse backgrounds (κ = 0.417) and almost perfect in non‐diffuse backgrounds (κ = 0.81). The agreement between CEUS diagnosis and pathological diagnosis was substantial in diffuse backgrounds (κ = 0.684) and moderate in non‐diffuse backgrounds (κ = 0.407). In diffuse backgrounds, AI‐SONIC had slightly higher sensitivity (95.7 vs 89.4%,P = .375), but CEUS had significantly higher specificity (80.0 vs 40.0%,P = .008). In non‐diffuse background, AI‐SONIC had significantly higher sensitivity (96.2 vs 73.4%,P < .001), specificity (82.9 vs 71.2%,P = .007), and negative predictive value (90.3 vs 53.3%,P < .001).

Conclusion

In non‐diffuse backgrounds, AI‐SONIC is superior to CEUS for differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules. In diffuse backgrounds, AI‐SONIC could be useful for screening of cases to detect suspicious nodules requiring further examination by CEUS.
Intersectionality of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in the Otolaryngology Match From 2013 to 2019
Authors: Konuthula Neeraja , Epstein Sherise , Wang Xing , Whipple Mark E. , Bly Randall A. , Bowe Sarah N.
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in the otolaryngology‐head and neck surgery (OHNS) match have been described individually, but not intersectionally. Intersectionality recognizes how multiple forms of discrimination (e.g., sexism, racism) can have a combined effect. The objective of this study was to analyze racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in the OHNS match using an intersectional approach.

Methods

Cross‐sectional evaluation of data from otolaryngology applicants from the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and of corresponding otolaryngology residents from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) from 2013 to 2019. Data were stratified by race, ethnicity, and gender. The Cochran‐Armitage tests assessed trends over time in the proportions of applicants and corresponding residents. Chi‐square tests with Yates' continuity correction were performed to evaluate differences between the aggregate proportions of applicants and corresponding residents.

Results

The proportion of White men in the resident pool was increased compared to the applicant pool (ACGME 0.417, ERAS 0.375; Δ + 0.042; 95% CI 0.012 to 0.071; p = 0.03). This was also the case for White women (ACGME 0.206, ERAS 0.175; Δ + 0.031; 95% CI 0.007 to 0.055; p = 0.05). In contrast, there was a smaller proportion of residents compared to applicants among Multiracial men (ACGME 0.014, ERAS 0.047; Δ − 0.033; 95% CI −0.043 to −0.023; p < 0.001) and Multiracial women (ACGME 0.010, ERAS 0.026; Δ − 0.016; 95% CI −0.024 to −0.008; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The findings of this study imply that White men have a persistent advantage, while several racial, ethnic, and gender minorities are disadvantaged in the OHNS match. Further research is necessary to examine why these differences exist in residency selection, including evaluation during the screening, reviewing, interviewing, and ranking stages. Laryngoscope, 133:2558–2563, 2023
LANDSAT multispectral image analysis of bedrock exposure rate in highly heterogeneous karst areas through mixed pixel decomposition considering spectral variability
Authors: Ruan Ou , Liu Suihua , Zhou Xu , Luo Jie , Hu Haitao , Yin Xia , Yuan Na
Published: February 2023

Mixed pixels and spectral variations commonly occur in images of karst areas because these areas have rugged topography and high surface heterogeneity. Consequently, the bedrock exposure rate cannot be accurately estimated using the existing rock index method based on remote sensing and the fixed endmember mixed pixel decomposition model. In order to solve this problem, using LANDSAT operational land imager/thematic mapper (OLI/TM) images as the data source, this study estimated the bedrock exposure rate based on a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) considering spectral variability. In addition, this approach was compared with existing commonly used methods for estimating bedrock exposure rate. The results show that: (1) GLMM showed the highest performance in estimating bedrock exposure rate, with a total accuracy of 88.05% and a kappa coefficient of 0.845, and the accuracy exceeded 70% for different levels of bedrock exposure rate. However, the total accuracy of other commonly used bedrock exposure methods is was below 66%, being higher only in areas with bedrock exposure rates less than 20% and more than 70%. (2) By applying each method to different terrain scenes, GLMM was found to be more stable than other methods, and the estimated bedrock exposure rate is the closest to the ground reference value with a root mean square error less than 0.093. Other methods, including fully constrained least squares unmixing (FCLSU) and karst bare‐rock index (KBRI), have a certain gap in different scenes, and their accuracy is not high. (3) Without any ground reference data, the accuracy of the direct unmixing result of GLMM is very close to that calculated by the regression model, and the accuracy difference among different grades of bedrock exposure rate is less than 5%, thus outperforming the other methods. GLMM can effectively estimate the bedrock exposure rate at different times using different data. Therefore, GLMM has great potential in extracting rocky desertification information in karst areas. It can also be a reference method for the rapid, accurate, and long‐term evaluation of rocky desertification in karst areas.
Highly Elastic, Healable, and Durable Anhydrous High‐Temperature Proton Exchange Membranes Cross‐Linked with Highly Dense Hydrogen Bonds
Authors: Wang Wenjie , Tai Guitian , Li Yixuan , Sun Junqi
Published: February 2023

Proton exchange membranes (PEMs) with excellent durability and working stability are important for PEM fuel cells with extended service life and enhanced reliability. In this study, highly elastic, healable, and durable electrolyte membranes are fabricated by the complexation of poly(urea–urethane), ionic liquids (ILs), and MXene nanosheets (denoted as PU–IL–MX). The resulting PU–IL–MX electrolyte membranes have a tensile strength of ≈3.86 MPa and a strain at break of ≈281.89%. The PU–IL–MX electrolyte membranes can act as high temperature PEMs to conduct protons under an anhydrous condition of the temperatures above 100 °C. Importantly, the ultrahigh density of hydrogen‐bond‐cross‐linked network renders PU–IL–MX membranes excellent IL retention properties. The membranes can maintain more than ≈98% of their original weight and show no decline of proton conductivity after being placed under highly humid conditions of ≈80 °C and relative humidity of ≈85% for 10 days. Moreover, due to the reversibility of hydrogen bonds, the membranes can heal damage under the working conditions of fuel cells to restore their original mechanical properties, proton conductivities, and cell performances.
Effect of deformation temperature and degree on tensile properties of the extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composite with extrusion – forging multistage hot deformation
Authors: Shi W. C. , Chen A. , Cui B. S. , Gong D. M. , Xue C. M. , Xu F.
Published: February 2023

The effect of extrusion – forging multistage hot deformation on tensile properties of the 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composites is investigated. The extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composites are used as blanks. The tensile properties of the extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composite followed by secondary deformation are studied. The effects of holding temperature and deformation degree on tensile properties of the extruded composite are discussed. The results show that due to the reduction in stress concentration and dislocations, ultimate tensile strength of the extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composite held at 400 °C for 1 h is lower than that of the extruded composite without holding. Increasing holding temperature from 300 °C to 450 °C, ultimate tensile strength of the extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composite increases firstly and then decreases. The extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composite held at 400 °C for 1 h followed by secondary forging with the larger length to width ratio of 4 : 1 has the ultimate tensile strength of 456.1 MPa, higher than that of the extruded 2024Al/Al18B4O33w composite without secondary forging.
ECEL1 novel mutation in arthrogryposis type 5D: A molecular dynamic simulation study
Authors: Ahangari Najmeh , Gholampour‐Faroji Nazanin , Doosti Mohammad , Ghayour Mobarhan Majid , Shahrokhzadeh Sima , Karimiani Ehsan Ghayoor , Hasani‐sabzevar Bahareh , Torbati Paria Najarzadeh , Haddad‐Mashadrizeh Aliakbar
Published: February 2023

Background

ECEL1 has been presented as a causal gene of an autosomal recessive form distal arthrogryposis (DA) which affects the distal joints. The present study focused on bioinformatic analysis of a novel mutation in ECEL1, c.535A>G (p. Lys179Glu), which was reported in a family with 2 affected boys and fetus through prenatal diagnosis.

Methods

Whole‐exome sequencing data analyzed followed by molecular dynamic (MD) simulation of native ECEL1 protein and mutant structures using GROMACS software. One variant c.535A>G, p. Lys179Glu (homozygous) on gene ECEL1 has been detected in proband which was validated in all family members through Sanger sequencing.

Results

We demonstrated remarkable constructional differences by MD simulation between wild‐type and novel mutant of ECEL1 gene. The reason for the lack of the Zn ion binding in mutation in the ECEL1 protein has been identified by average atomic distance and SMD analysis among the wild‐type and mutant.

Conclusion

Overall, in this study, we present knowledge of the effect of the studied variant on the ECEL1 protein leading to neurodegenerative disorder in humans. This work may hopefully be supplementary to classical molecular dynamics to dissolve the mutational effects of cofactor‐dependent protein.
BUS‐Set: A benchmark for quantitative evaluation of breast ultrasound segmentation networks with public datasets
Authors: Thomas Cory , Byra Michal , Marti Robert , Yap Moi Hoon , Zwiggelaar Reyer
Published: February 2023

Purpose

BUS‐Set is a reproducible benchmark for breast ultrasound (BUS) lesion segmentation, comprising of publicly available images with the aim of improving future comparisons between machine learning models within the field of BUS.

Method

Four publicly available datasets were compiled creating an overall set of 1154 BUS images, from five different scanner types. Full dataset details have been provided, which include clinical labels and detailed annotations. Furthermore, nine state‐of‐the‐art deep learning architectures were selected to form the initial benchmark segmentation result, tested using five‐fold cross‐validation and MANOVA/ANOVA with Tukey statistical significance test with a threshold of 0.01. Additional evaluation of these architectures was conducted, exploring possible training bias, and lesion size and type effects.

Results

Of the nine state‐of‐the‐art benchmarked architectures, Mask R‐CNN obtained the highest overall results, with the following mean metric scores: Dice score of 0.851, intersection over union of 0.786 and pixel accuracy of 0.975. MANOVA/ANOVA and Tukey test results showed Mask R‐CNN to be statistically significant better compared to all other benchmarked models with a p‐value >0.01. Moreover, Mask R‐CNN achieved the highest mean Dice score of 0.839 on an additional 16 image dataset, that contained multiple lesions per image. Further analysis on regions of interest was conducted, assessing Hamming distance, depth‐to‐width ratio (DWR), circularity, and elongation, which showed that the Mask R‐CNN's segmentations maintained the most morphological features with correlation coefficients of 0.888, 0.532, 0.876 for DWR, circularity, and elongation, respectively. Based on the correlation coefficients, statistical test indicated that Mask R‐CNN was only significantly different to Sk‐U‐Net.

Conclusions

BUS‐Set is a fully reproducible benchmark for BUS lesion segmentation obtained through the use of public datasets and GitHub. Of the state‐of‐the‐art convolution neural network (CNN)‐based architectures, Mask R‐CNN achieved the highest performance overall, further analysis indicated that a training bias may have occurred due to the lesion size variation in the dataset. All dataset and architecture details are available at GitHub: https://github.com/corcor27/BUS‐Set, which allows for a fully reproducible benchmark.
Model‐based prediction of effective target exposure for MEN1611 in combination with trastuzumab in HER2‐positive advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients
Authors: Tosca Elena M. , Borella Elisa , Piana Chiara , Bouchene Salim , Merlino Giuseppe , Fiascarelli Alessio , Mazzei Paolo , Magni Paolo
Published: February 2023

MEN1611 is a novel orally bioavailable PI3K inhibitor currently in clinical development for patients with HER2‐positive (HER2+) PI3KCA mutated advanced/metastatic breast cancer (BC) in combination with trastuzumab (TZB). In this work, a translational model‐based approach to determine the minimum target exposure of MEN1611 in combination with TZB was applied. First, pharmacokinetic (PK) models for MEN1611 and TZB in mice were developed. Then, in vivo tumor growth inhibition (TGI) data from seven combination studies in mice xenograft models representative of the human HER2+ BC non‐responsive to TZB (alterations of the PI3K/AkT/mTOR pathway) were analyzed using a PK‐pharmacodynamic (PD) TGI model for co‐administration of MEN1611 and TZB. The established PK‐PD relationship was used to quantify the minimum effective MEN1611 concentration, as a function of TZB concentration, needed for tumor eradication in xenograft mice. Finally, a range of minimum effective exposures for MEN1611 were extrapolated to patients with BC, considering the typical steady‐state TZB plasma levels in patients with BC following three alternative regimens (i.v. 4 mg/kg loading dose +2 mg/kg q1w, i.v. 8 mg/kg loading dose +6 mg/kg q3w or s.c. 600 mg q3w). A threshold of about 2000 ng·h/ml for MEN1611 exposure associated with a high likelihood of effective antitumor activity in a large majority of patients was identified for the 3‐weekly and the weekly i.v. schedule for TZB. A slightly lower exposure (i.e., 25% lower) was found for the 3‐weekly s.c. schedule. This important outcome confirmed the adequacy of the therapeutic dose administered in the ongoing phase 1b B‐PRECISE‐01 study in patients with HER2+ PI3KCA mutated advanced/metastatic BC.
Characterizing the exposure–response relationship of idecabtagene vicleucel in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Connarn Jamie N. , Witjes Han , van Zutphen‐van Geffen Marielle , de Greef Rik , Campbell Timothy B. , Hege Kristen , Zhou Simon , Lamba Manisha
Published: February 2023

Idecabtagene vicleucel (ide‐cel; bb2121) is a B‐cell maturation antigen–directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy approved for treatment of patients with heavily pretreated relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. This analysis evaluated exposure–response (ER) relationships of ide‐cel with key efficacy end points and safety events. Ide‐cel exposure data were available from 127 patients treated at target doses of 150, 300, or 450 × 106 CAR+ T cells from the phase II KarMMa study (NCT03361748). Key exposure metrics, including area under the curve of the transgene level from 0 to 28 days and maximum transgene level, were calculated using noncompartmental methods. Logistic regression models, using both linear and maximum response function of exposure on the logit scale, were evaluated to quantify observed ER trends, and modified by including statistically significant individual covariates in a stepwise regression analysis. There was wide overlap of exposures across the target doses. ER relationships were observed for the overall and complete response rates, with higher response rates associated with higher exposures. Model‐based evaluations identified female sex and baseline serum monoclonal protein less than or equal to 10 g/L as predictive of a higher objective response rate and a higher complete response rate, respectively. ER relationships were observed for safety events of cytokine release syndrome requiring tocilizumab or corticosteroids. The established ER models were used to quantify the ide‐cel dose–response, which showed a positive benefit–risk assessment for the range of ide‐cel exposures associated with the target dose range of 150–450 × 106 CAR+ T cells.
Canting Angle Behavior of Magnetic Moments in Y‐Substituted Tb2BaNiO5 and Its Relevance for Magnetoelectric Coupling
Authors: Kumar Ram , Rayaprol Sudhindra , Hoser Andreas , Sampathkumaran Echur Varadadesikan
Published: February 2023

The Haldane‐spin chain compound, Tb2BaNiO5, has been known to be an exotic multiferroic system, exhibiting antiferromagnetic anomalies at T
N1 = 63 K and T
N2 = 25 K, with ferroelectricity appearing below T
N2 only. Previous reports in addition have established that, interestingly, Tb ions play a direct and decisive role to lead to multiferroic properties with a critical canting angle of magnetic moments, unlike other well‐known multiferroics. Herein, the results of temperature‐dependent neutron powder diffraction studies on Tb2–x
Y
x
BaNiO5 are reported, to get an insight into the critical canting angle for multiferroic behavior. While multiferroic transition temperature decreases linearly with Y concentration, there is an abrupt drop of relative canting angle (of Tb and Ni magnetic moments) with respect to that in the parent compound for an initial substitution of x = 0.5 in the multiferroic region, without any notable change thereafter. Therefore, it is inferred that this critical canting angle is made up of two components—cooperative (long‐range) and local (short‐range) contributions.