bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of step length and cadence on hip moment impulse in the frontal plane during the stance phase
Authors: Inai Takuma , Takabayashi Tomoya , Edama Mutsuaki , Kubo Masayoshi
Published: July 2021

Background

An excessive daily cumulative hip moment in the frontal plane (determined as the product of hip moment impulse in the frontal plane during the stance phase and mean number of steps per day) is a risk factor for the progression of hip osteoarthritis. Moreover, walking speed and step length decrease, whereas cadence increases in patients with hip osteoarthritis. However, the effects of step length and cadence on hip moment impulse in the frontal plane during the stance phase are not known. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of step length and cadence on hip moment impulse in the frontal plane during the stance phase.

Methods

We used a public dataset (kinetic and kinematic data) of over-ground walking and selected 31 participants randomly from the full dataset of 57 participants. The selected participants walked at a self-selected speed and repeated the exercise 15 times. We analyzed the data for all 15 trials for each participant. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the hip moment impulse in the frontal plane during the stance phase as the dependent variable and step length and cadence as independent variables.

Results

The adjusted R2 in this model was 0.71 (p < 0.001). The standardized partial regression coefficients of step length and cadence were 0.63 (t = 5.24; p < 0.001) and −0.60 (t =  − 4.58; p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that low cadence, not short step length, increases the hip moment impulse in the frontal plane. Our findings help understand the gait pattern with low hip moment impulse in the frontal plane.
Effect of Inflation On Growth of Manufacturing Sector in Kenya (2008-2017)
Authors: Oduor Julius Wesonga , Ngala Consolata , Ruto Reuben , Abdillahi Umulkher Ali
Published: July 2021

Aim: This study sought to address the effect of inflation on the growth of the manufacturing sector in Kenya.

Research design: The study used descriptive, correlational, and inferential research designs. The study used secondary data, specifically, from the World Bank, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), International Monetary Fund (IMF), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) for the period 2008-2017.

Methodology: Time series data were analyzed quarterly using EViews software. The study employed descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. Pre-test analysis entailed Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) tests for unit root, Bai-Perron Multiple Breakpoint tests, and Bounds Cointegration tests. The post-test analysis included the Breusch-Godfrey tests for autocorrelation, the Breusch-Pagan-Godfrey tests for heteroscedasticity, Variance Inflation Factors (VIF) tests for multicollinearity, Jarque-Bera statistics tests for normality, and CUSUM tests for model stability.

Results: The regression model estimates for inflation were (-0.19269, p<0.05). The results imply that holding other factors constant, a unit increase in inflation reduces manufacturing value-added by 0.19269 units.

Conclusion: Inflation has a statistically and significant negative effect on the growth of the manufacturing sector in Kenya. To achieve manufacturing value-added growth, the study recommends that the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) should have inflation targets and adopt appropriate monetary policies to monitor fluctuating inflation rates. Furthermore, the CBK should keep lending interest rates as low as possible so that manufacturers incur less on acquiring credit from commercial banks and ultimately produce goods at affordable prices.
Chemical Changes during Thermal Processing of Unfermented and Fermented Red Kidney Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and effects on In Vitro Protein Digestibility
Authors: Wulam P. F. , Jiyil M. K. , Mafuyai C. E. , Oche J. I. , Olorunyomi O. A. , Silas M.
Published: July 2021

Background: Legumes are outstanding sources of macronutrients, micronutrients, phytochemicals, as well as antinutritional factors. These components present a complex system enabling interactions with different components within food matrices. The interactions result in insoluble complexes with reduced bioaccessibility of nutrients. The development of appropriate preparation technologies for use at the household and village-level become so imperative to facilitate processing and dietary availability of beans.

Aim of the Study: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thermal processing on the chemical contents of unfermented and fermented red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and the effects of the resulting changes on the in vitro protein digestibility. This will enhance food security and reduction in malnutrition.

Methodology: Unfermented and fermented P. vulgaris were boiled using ordinary cooking pot and a pressure pot and the chemical contents were evaluated by standard methods. In vitro protein digestibility was carried out by pepsin digestion.

Results: Fermentation resulted in a decrease in the traditional cooking time in the ordinary cooking pot by 40.32%. The protein content of the fermented sample increased by about 7%. The in vitro protein digestibility value was increased by more than 30% with greater percentage evident in fermented samples. Sulphur containing amino acids, methionine and cystein were the limiting amino acids but their contents appreciated by 6.64% and 10.92% respectively after fermentation. Total ash, crude fibre, crude fat contents of P. vulgaris were all affected by more than 20% during the open fermentation and cooking of unfermented beans. The antinutritional factors of P. vulgaris decreased most in boiled fermented samples compared with the other processing methods. There was overall improvement in the In vitro protein digestibility, reduction of cooking time and antinutritional factors when P. vulgaris was fermented and cooked.

Conclusion: The outcome of the reserach justifies the fact that combining both fermentation and cooking results in the overall improvement in the nutritional value of P. vulgaris as against cooking without fermentation.
Effects of Short-term and Long-termUse of Lithium on Thyroid Hormones in Nepalese Patients with Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Gupta Rajesh Kumar , Raut Mithileshwer , Bhattarai Aseem , Tuladhar Eans Tara , Sharma Vijay Kumar , Ojha Saroj Prasad , Yadav Binod Kumar , Jha Bharat , Shrestha Rojeet
Published: July 2021

Background: Lithium has been used for decades as mood-stabilizing agents in the management of bipolar disorder and other condition with a manic component. However, some studies have also reported varying degrees of thyroid abnormalities associated with lithium therapy and effect of such therapy on thyroid function is unclear in this part of world. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effect of long term use of lithium on thyroidfunctionin the individual with bipolar disorder receiving lithium therapy.

Methods: A total of 75 bipolar disorder patients (24 males, 51 females) who are under lithium therapy and equal number of control were recruited for this study. Diagnosis of bipolar disorder was made by psychiatrist according to ICD-10-DCR guidelines and DSM-IV criteria. Serum fT3, fT4 and TSH were measured by enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.0 version.

Results: The prevalence of primary hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were found significantly increased in lithium treated group (12% and 17%, respectively) which was further increased with duration of treatment. The mean fT3 and fT4 concentration is low in lithium treated group compared to control group.Butmean TSH level was found significantlyhigher in lithium treated group compared to control (9.67±12.47 vs. 3.41±3.69, p<0.005).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that use of lithium therapy is associated with higher degree of primary hypothyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism and female are more susceptible for the thyroid dysfunction associated with lithium therapy.
To Assess the Impact of Insecticidal Spray on Leaf Curling Caused Due to Sucking Pest and Phytotoxic Effect of Higher Doses of Insecticides in Chilli
Authors: Thakur Deepak , Upadhyay V. R. , Mukati Sumit
Published: July 2021

The investigation was carried out at Samajik Vigyan Kendra, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Bordi, Sehore (M.P.)-INDIA during kharif 2018-19. To assess the impact of  insecticidal spray on leaf curling caused due to sucking pest and phytotoxic effect of higher doses of insecticides in chilli.The bio-efficacy of three different insecticides, namely (i) Chlorfenapyr 240 SC - spray four time with different-different doses, (ii) Fipronil 5% SC and (iii) Imidacloprid 17.8 SL. One untreated plot was also used to   investigate against leaf curl and  phytotoxic effect on chilli. Among these insecticides, Chlorfenapyr 240SC doses 288 g.a.i/hac (gram active ingredient per hactare) has least leaf curl indications (9.68%). It’s most effective  insecticides in chilli. The least impact  of leaf curl recorded in treatment T4- (9.68%) followed by T3- chlorofenapyr (11.88%),T5- Fipronil 5% SC (14.46%), T6- Imidacloprid (16.68%),  T2- chlorofenapyr (17.69%) and the most elevated twisting  in T7- untreated control (56.29). Further, the  phytotoxic effect of treatment T1 - chlorfenapyr and T2 - chlorfenapyr were connected contrasting and T3 - untreated control. In these tried portions no phytotoxic impact likes chlorosis, Epinasty, Necrosis, Scorching , wilting and hyponasty were seen at various interim of perceptions against Chilli crop. The chilli yield was also noted highest in highest dose of T4 (16.0 tonnes ha-1) followed by second highest dose of T3 (15.4 tonnes ha-1), however, it was recorded lowest in untreated control (8.0 tonnes ha-1). The C:B benefit ratio was noted higher in T5- fipronil 5% SC@ 10 g.a.i ha-1 (3.20) followed by T6- imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 50 g.a.i ha-1 (2.99).
Management of Construction and Demolished Waste as an Aggregate Substitute in Cement Concrete
Authors: Mahakud Jayasmita , Mishra Siba Prasad , Mohanty Ramesh Chandra , Panda Sagarika
Published: July 2021

India is in the process of modernization in the construction sector by repairing, renovation, up-gradation. Presently concrete, the universal building materials whose main ingredient is coarse aggregate.  The local natural resources like stone products and sand may exhaust and put the sector deficient of aggregates.  The wise use is to reuse recycled concrete and demolition wastes generated from the construction sectors due to shift from horizontal to vertical growth of urban areas. The replacement of recycled coarse aggregate shall efficiently organize the waste management, moderate the environment degradation, and upsurge sustainability.

Use of recycling material in the construction industry as a recycled concrete is highly challenging. So our project deals about reusing of demolished concrete blocks from C &D wastes by form of Recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) are replacing the Natural coarse aggregate in concrete and use in the construction industry. The replacement of RCA in special concrete of 7 and 28 days of curing and the various physical and mechanical properties of materials and strength test of both concrete such as workability, compressive strength, split tensile strength and flexural strength. The test value are compared both in concrete.

Our project investigates on recycling demolished waste materials in order to reduce construction cost and resolving housing problems faced by the low-income communities of the world. The crushed demolished concrete wastes is segregated by sieving to obtain required sizes of aggregate, several tests were conducted to determine the aggregate properties before recycling it into new concrete.
Evaluation of Traumatic Injuries of Median and Ulnar Nerves at the Wrist after Surgical Repair: Ultrasound and Electrophysiological Correlation
Authors: Saif Omnia F. , El-khouly Radwa M. , Khallaf Hamdy A. , Rihan Fahima S. , Ghany Salwa E. Abd El
Published: July 2021

Aims: To quantify the contribution of ultrasonography (US) as a complementary tool to electrodiagnostic evaluation of traumatic lesions of median and ulnar nerves after surgical repair" 

Patients and Methods: The study included a total of 50 nerves from 40 patients with traumatic injury of wrist median and/ or ulnar nerves. Patients were evaluated at one and three months after primary nerve repair clinically, electrophysiological, and US examinations.

Results: No significant difference (p = 0.125) was found between classification of injury by electrodiagnosis and by US. Good agreement between clinical assessment of the motor power and the severity of injury based on electrodiagnosis was found. Moderate agreement between clinical assessment of motor power and continuity of the repaired nerve based on US was noted. Good agreement between the severity of the injury by electrodiagnosis and the continuity of the repaired nerve by the US (p <0.001*) was detected. The sensitivity of US in detecting nerve continuity was 87.9% one month after repair and 80% after three months.

Conclusion: As a supplement to electrodiagnostic testing, the US can offer a noninvasive and complementary tool for assessing post-operative repair of traumatic nerve lesions with respect to their exact location, course, continuity, extent, and neuroma formation and can be of value in the visualization of the morphological abnormalities associated with nerve injuries, including swelling and perilesional scar tissue formation.
The effect of COVID-19 over Employees’ Mental Health - A Review
Authors: Phugat Nidhi , Chitranshi Jaya
Published: July 2021

COVID-19 has been classified a WHO very hazardous pandemic, with millions of people being infected deceased in only a few months. Many pharmaceutical developers are researching a viral vaccine however there has been no reporting of progress. At the global level, the financial market is seriously affected by the virus and the government preventive actions. These preventative measures have resulted in numerous organizations throwing their staff away or imposing wage reductions. Dread of being infected with the virus, as well as fear that jobs will be lost and the future financial difficulties would degrade the mental health of the employees. This article also examines various settings in situations where different employees feel uneasy as a result of the COVID-19 outburst.
Study of Serum Pancreatic Amylase and Lipase Enzyme in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Bhadarge Gangaram , Dawande Pratibha , Bankar Nandkishor , Kotecha Raunak
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that is greatly exacerbated by a complete lack of insulin or insulin resistance. The pancreas is a multicellular organ, the exocrine half accounting for 84% of its volume and the endocrine half accounting for only 2%. Since these two parts of the world have a close relationship with structure and function, the disruption of one can affect the other. Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) represents the glycemic status of the patient over the previous three months. Evidence suggests that pancreatic endocrine hormones, especially insulin, affect pancreatic exocrine function. Insulin has a detrimental effect on exocrine acinar cells. Exocrine acinar cells attached to it contain a variety of enzymes, including amylase and lipase, which help digest certain food particles.

Aim: Study of serum pancreatic amylase and lipase enzyme in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was done in the Department of Biochemistry, dept. of medicine and Diabetic OPD, Datta Meghe Medical College and Shalinitai Meghe Hospital and Research Centre, Nagpur. For this study 40 diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients of both sexes with age ranging 35-60 years were selected as study group.

Results: FBS, HbA1C, serum pancreatic amylase, and lipase mean effects between control and patients showed statistically significant differences in type 2 diabetes mellitus (P <0.0001).

Conclusion: We concluded that pancreatic amylase and lipase function are impaired in type 2 patients with diabetes, and this observation is particularly important in type 2 diabetes. It has been suggested that the analysis of pancreatic enzymes in diabetic patients may be a useful parameter in determining the progression of the disease.
General Safety Guidelines for Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Practice in COVID-19 Era
Authors: Gupta Anuya S. , Mohanty Roshni
Published: July 2021

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID 19) originated in Wuhan, China and has increased rapidly globally, making it a global pandemic. It is proven to spread via respiratory droplets of positive patients. As we are not aware of the COVID 19 status of all patients coming to the OutPatient Department (OPD), it is advisable to consider every patient as COVID 19 positive and take the essential precautions to avoid infection. All health care workers, especially otorhinolaryngologists, respiratory medicine physicians, and general medicine physicians, are more exposed to the virus daily, as they work closely with COVID 19 positive patients while treating them. Otorhinolaryngologists deal with patients' nasal and oral cavities daily, making them one of  the most exposed categories of health-care workers. Thus, it is extremely important to remain vigilant when examining patients in OPD wards and performing surgeries in the operating room. Hence, proper knowledge is required of the healthcare system's guidelines in each country to prevent the spread of the infection in the medical and paramedical workers. As the disease is spreading rapidly and changing constantly, these recommendations and guidelines may change as the scenario changes. It is of utmost importance to remain up to date with the upcoming guidelines for our healthcare workers' safety.

This article aims to provide an overview of guidelines for the safe practice of ENT that we follow in our tertiary care center, thus minimizing our exposure to COVID-19.
Fluorescence Imaging and Photodynamic Inactivation of Bacteria Based on Cationic Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes with Aggregation‐Induced Emission Properties
Authors: Ho Po‐Yu , Lee Sin‐Ying , Kam Chuen , Zhu Junfei , Shan Guo‐Gang , Hong Yuning , Wong Wai‐Yeung , Chen Sijie
Published: July 2021

Antibacterial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the emerging methods for curbing multidrug‐resistant bacterial infections. Effective fluorescent photosensitizers with dual functions of bacteria imaging and PDT applications are highly desirable. In this study, three cationic and heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes with the formula of [Ir(CˆN)2(NˆN)][PF6] are prepared and characterized. These Ir(III) complexes named Ir(ppy)2bP, Ir(1‐pq)2bP, and Ir(2‐pq)2bP are comprised of three CˆN ligands (i.e., 2‐phenylpyridine (ppy), 1‐phenylisoquinoline (1‐pq), and 2‐phenylquinoline (2‐pq)) and one NˆN bidentate co‐ligand (bP). The photophysical characterizations demonstrate that these Ir(III) complexes are red‐emitting, aggregation‐induced emission active luminogens. The substitution of phenylpyridine with phenylquinoline isomers in the molecules greatly enhances their UV and visible‐light absorbance as well as the photoinduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation ability. All three Ir(III) complexes can stain both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria efficiently. Interestingly, even though Ir(1‐pq)2bP and Ir(2‐pq)2bP are constitutional isomers with very similar structures and similar ROS generation ability in buffer, the former eradicates bacteria much more effectively than the other through white light‐irradiated photodynamic inactivation. This work will provide valuable information on the rational design of Ir(III) complexes for fluorescence imaging and efficient photodynamic inactivation of bacteria.
Zero‐Valent Palladium Single‐Atoms Catalysts Confined in Black Phosphorus for Efficient Semi‐Hydrogenation
Authors: Chen Cheng , Ou Wei , Yam Kah‐Meng , Xi Shibo , Zhao Xiaoxu , Chen Si , Li Jing , Lyu Pin , Ma Lu , Du Yonghua , Yu Wei , Fang Hanyan , Yao Chuanhao , Hai Xiao , Xu Haomin , Koh Ming Joo , Pennycook Stephen J. , Lu Junling , Lin Ming , Su Chenliang , Zhang Chun , Lu Jiong
Published: July 2021

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) represent a new frontier in heterogeneous catalysis due to their remarkable catalytic properties and maximized atomic utilization. However, single atoms often bond to the support with polarized electron density and thus exhibit a high valence state, limiting their catalytic scopes in many chemical transformations. Here, it is demonstrated that 2D black phosphorus (BP) acts as giant phosphorus (P) ligand to confine a high density of single atoms (e.g., Pd1, Pt1) via atomic layer deposition. Unlike other 2D materials, BP with relatively low electronegativity and buckled structure favors the strong confinement of robust zero‐valent palladium SACs in the vacancy site. Metallic Pd1/BP SAC shows a highly selective semi‐hydrogenation of phenylacetylene toward styrene, distinct from metallic Pd nanoparticles that facilitate the formation of fully hydrogenated products. Density functional theory calculations reveal that Pd atom forms covalent‐like bonding with adjacent P atoms, wherein H atoms tend to adsorb, aiding the dissociative adsorption of H2. Zero‐valent Pd in the confined space favors a larger energy gain for the synthesis of partially hydrogenated product over the fully hydrogenated one. This work provides a new route toward the synthesis of zero‐valent SACs on BP for organic transformations.
Monolithic Tandem Multicolor Image Sensor Based on Electrochromic Color‐Radix Demultiplexing
Authors: Choi Young Jin , Jo Sae Byeok , Cho Jeong Ho
Published: July 2021

Optical data acquisition has been set as one of the milestones to testify the developments aimed at harnessing the full potential of the spatial and temporal data processing capabilities of the advanced semiconductor technology. A highly promising approach to drive the level of acquisition beyond the current technological node is the vertical integration of multiple photodetectors. However, vertical integration so far requires the same level of circuit complexity as lateral integration from the incapability of monolithic integration. Here, an electrochromic device architecture is introduced that enables realization of a monolithic tandem multicolor photodetector. The device, composed of vertically stacked p‐type and n‐type graphene barristors, is demonstrated to be capable of regulating the balanced charge transport under any desired illumination wavelengths. It exhibits variable anti‐ambipolar charge transport behavior, which yields sensitive voltage‐controlled photoconductive gain spectra. These electrical behaviors are utilized to fabricate an optoelectronic logic sensor that can demultiplex the desired color coordinate or wavelength in the constituent array with high color accuracy.
Utilization of operation data for parameter estimation of simulated moving bed chromatography
Authors: Suzuki Kensuke , Harada Hideki , Sato Kohei , Okada Kazuo , Tsuruta Masaki , Yajima Tomoyuki , Kawajiri Yoshiaki
Published: July 2021

Many model‐based optimization strategies for simulated moving bed (SMB) processes have been proposed to determine operating conditions efficiently; however, there has not been a technique to utilize operation data to enhance the reliability of a mathematical model. This study focuses on developing a parameter estimation method for SMBs to obtain a reliable model utilizing the operation data collected in SMB plants through daily runs, which may contain measurement errors. To use such data, Tikhonov regularization was employed where the regularization parameter is determined by the framework of the discrepancy principle.

The potential of our estimation method has been demonstrated by sugar separation described by a nonlinear isotherm. The parameter estimation was conducted with 20 operation data sets from an SMB pilot plant. The prediction of the resulting model was validated against test data sets, and the confidence regions of the parameters were evaluated. These tests confirmed that the model has improved compared with the model initially obtained.
Post‐dural puncture headache following lumbar spinal drain: an atypical presentation with cognitive symptoms
Authors: Partownavid P. , Wang L. , Alaei S. , Rahman S.
Published: July 2021

Post‐dural puncture headache is a consequence of cerebrospinal fluid loss, leading to reduced intracranial pressure. Its classical symptoms include a frontal‐occipital headache which is worse on standing, neck stiffness, nausea, hearing loss and photophobia. In this report, we describe an atypical presentation of post‐dural puncture headache in a 72‐year‐old woman following an endovascular repair of an aortic aneurysm, before which a lumbar spinal drain was placed to reduce the risk of spinal cord ischemia. Following drain removal, the patient developed hypoactive delirium, challenges with both depth perception and fine motor skills and a mild headache. An epidural blood patch was performed, which resulted in the complete resolution of her symptoms. This case highlights an atypical presentation of post‐dural puncture headache in an older patient, in whom the major symptoms were cognitive. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage should be considered as a cause of postoperative delirium in patients who have undergone neuraxial anaesthesia.
All‐cellulose composites prepared by partially dissolving cellulose using NaOH/thiourea aqueous solution
Authors: Hu Fuqiang , Wang Miaolin , Wang Na , Hu Yucheng , Gan Meixue , Liu Danqing , Xie Yimin , Feng Qinghua
Published: July 2021

All‐cellulose composites (ACCs) were prepared by partially dissolving cellulose in the filter paper using NaOH/thiourea aqueous solution. The effects of dissolution time, thiourea ratio, and temperature on the properties of ACCs were investigated. ACCs were characterized by scanning electron microscope, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and tensile tests. The results revealed that the fibers in ACCs were tightly intertwined. The crystalline form of cellulose in ACCs was transformed from type I to type I/II mixture, and the crystallinity decreased from 77.32 to 51.40%. The tensile strength of ACCs was remarkably improved to 23.16 MPa. The results confirmed ACCs had a high potential for practical applications in the packaging field.
Relative performance of customized and universal probe sets in target enrichment: A case study in subtribe Malinae
Authors: Ufimov Roman , Zeisek Vojtěch , Píšová Soňa , Baker William J. , Fér Tomáš , van Loo Marcela , Dobeš Christoph , Schmickl Roswitha
Published: July 2021

Premise

Custom probe design for target enrichment in phylogenetics is tedious and often hinders broader phylogenetic synthesis. The universal angiosperm probe set Angiosperms353 may be the solution. Here, we test the relative performance of Angiosperms353 on the Rosaceae subtribe Malinae in comparison with custom probes that we specifically designed for this clade. We then address the impact of bioinformatically altering the performance of Angiosperms353 by replacing the original probe sequences with orthologs extracted from the Malus domestica genome.

Methods

To evaluate the relative performance of these probe sets, we compared the enrichment efficiency, locus recovery, alignment length, proportion of parsimony‐informative sites, proportion of potential paralogs, the topology and support of the resulting species trees, and the gene tree discordance.

Results

Locus recovery was highest for our custom Malinae probe set, and replacing the original Angiosperms353 sequences with a Malus representative improved the locus recovery relative to Angiosperms353. The proportion of parsimony‐informative sites was similar between all probe sets, while the gene tree discordance was lower in the case of the custom probes.

Discussion

A custom probe set benefits from data completeness and can be tailored toward the specificities of the project of choice; however, Angiosperms353 was equally as phylogenetically informative as the custom probes. We therefore recommend using both a custom probe set and Angiosperms353 to facilitate large‐scale systematic studies, where financially possible.
The local responses of aquatic ecosystems to adjacent grassland conservation: Can streams of dreams exist in a degraded riverscape?
Authors: Schumann David A. , Graeb Katie N. B. , Pfrimmer Jarrett , Stafford Joshua D. , Chipps Steven R.
Published: July 2021

Landscape homogenization and the removal of riparian areas have altered stream ecosystems worldwide. Numerous conservation programmes attempt to improve water quality and increase instream habitat heterogeneity to elicit desired biological responses. However, the effectiveness of many conservation efforts on isolated stream fragments remains unknown, especially in grassland regions.

The effects of grassland conservation practices and the re‐establishment of riparian corridors in the James River basin, South Dakota (USA) on stream water quality, habitat availability and aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish assemblages were studied in an agriculturally dominated prairie landscape.

Grassland conservation efforts may have repaired riparian condition, reduced turbidity and created more diverse instream habitat complexes at conservation sites based on comparisons with paired reference reaches. Reference sites were relatively homogeneous, with prevalent siltation, bank erosion and disturbances to the riparian vegetation. Owing to significant riparian vegetation development, overhanging and aquatic vegetation, benthic detritus and woody materials were significantly more common at conservation reaches.

Restoration efforts that assume ‘if you (re‐)build it, they will come’ (i.e. the ‘field of dreams’ hypothesis) underestimate other important barriers to biodiversity restoration in dynamic, grassland riverscapes. Although aquatic organisms in grassland ecosystems are adapted to rapidly inhabit available habitats, the development of niche space at conservation reaches did not directly result in colonization by aquatic life.

Grassland management actions did not address stream connectivity issues or overcome land use influences elsewhere in the riverscape that may govern the responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish. Stream fragmentation and continuing, damaging land use patterns seemed to exceed the positive effects of restoring isolated stream reaches in these heavily degraded catchments. Catchment‐scale management strategies that combine reach‐level restoration actions with efforts to improve connectivity are likely to be more successful in degraded riverscapes.
Efficient Design to Monitor the Site‐specific Sustained Release of a Non‐Emissive Anticancer Drug
Authors: Venu Parvathy , Le Trong‐Nghia , Kumar Pawan , Patra Diptendu , Kumar Rajan , Lee Cheng‐Kang , Rao N. Vijayakameswara , Shunmugam Raja
Published: July 2021

A pH‐responsive smart nanocarrier with significant components was synthesized by conjugating the non‐emissive anticancer drug methyl orange and polyethylene glycol derived folate moiety to the backbone of polynorbornene. Complete synthesis procedure and characterization methods of three monomers included in the work: norbornene‐derived Chlorambucil (Monomer 1), norbornene grafted with polyethylene glycol, and folic acid (Monomer 2) and norbornene attached methyl orange (Monomer 3) connected to the norbornene backbone through ester linkage were clearly discussed. Finally, the random copolymer CHO PEG FOL METH was synthesized by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) using Grubbs′ second‐generation catalyst. Advanced polymer chromatography (APC) was used to find the final polymer‘s molecular weight and polydispersity index (PDI). Dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to explore the prodrug‘s size and morphology. Release experiments of the anticancer drug, Chlorambucil and the coloring agent, methyl orange, were performed at different pH and time. Cell viability assay was carried out for determining the rate of survived cells, followed by the treatment of our final polymer named CHO PEG FOL METH.
Event‐based impulsive consensus for delayed multi‐agent systems
Authors: Wang Yangling , Cao Jinde , Wang Haijun
Published: July 2021

This paper focuses on the average consensus problem for delayed nonlinear multi‐agent systems. To reduce unnecessary energy consumption, a novel event‐triggered impulsive control mechanism is adopted, in which the impulsive time series is determined by some pre‐designed events. Simultaneously, the Zeno‐behavior of the event‐triggering time series is excluded. By using Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional method as well as impulsive control theory, an easy‐to‐check sufficient criterion is derived to ensure the average consensus of the considered nonlinear multi‐agent systems. Finally, the applications and effectiveness of the obtained results is validated with a simulation example.
Two sensitive characteristics and their overlap with two questions per card
Authors: Xu Tonghui , Sedory Stephen A. , Singh Sarjinder
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we developed a new unique unrelated question randomized response model in which each card has two questions, either both questions on the sensitive characteristics or both questions on the two unrelated characteristics. The proposed model is unique in the sense this is the only way of asking two questions printed on each card that leads to protection of the privacy of the respondent. We first develop estimators of the prevalence of the two sensitive characteristics and of their overlap. Then we show that the resultant estimators are unbiased. Next we derive variance expressions for the developed estimators of the proportions. We also compute the relative efficiency and relative privacy protection of the proposed model with respect to its competitors. The variances of the proposed estimators are also verified by comparing them to the Cramer–Rao lower bounds of variance–covariance of the estimators. Estimators of conditional proportion, relative risk, and correlation coefficient are also discussed. Lastly, a real data application of the proposed model is considered, which shows the importance of the use of the proposed model in medical and social science studies.
MiR‐214‐3p plays a protective role in diabetic neuropathic rats by regulating Nav1.3 and TLR4
Authors: Pang Bo , Qiao Ling , Wang Shaoxin , Guo Xin , Xie Yun , Han Liping
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to investigate the functions of miR‐214‐3p in diabetic neuropathic rodents. The diabetic neuropathy was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) in rats, and miR‐214‐3p was delivered via tail vein injection of lentivirus. Hot or cold stimulus tests demonstrated that STZ induced thermal hyperalgesia. Neurophysiological measurements revealed that motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity and nerve blood flow were decreased in diabetic neuropathic rats. However, the STZ‐induced hyperalgesia, and reduced nerve conduction velocity and nerve blood flow were all significantly reversed by miR‐214‐3p administration. HE staining, TUNEL, ELISA, and immunoblotting demonstrated that STZ led to obvious pathological lesion, cell apoptosis, and inflammation in dorsal root ganglion (DRG), evidenced by altered levels of apoptosis‐related protein molecules and inflammatory factors, and activation of Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88/nuclear factor kappa B signaling. The pathological alterations in diabetic neuropathic rats in DRG were significantly ameliorated by miR‐214‐3p application. In addition, sodium channel protein type 3 subunit alpha isoform 1 (Nav1.3) and TLR4 were identified as targets of miR‐214‐3p via dual‐luciferase reporter assay. MiR‐214‐3p may play its roles by downregulating Nav1.3 and TLR4. In summary, miR‐214‐3p alleviated diabetes‐induced nerve injury, and pathological lesion, cell apoptosis, and inflammation in DRG by regulating Nav1.3 and TLR4 in STZ‐induced rats. These findings may provide novel therapeutic targets for clinical treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
A case of severe side effect due to muscle oil injections in combination with chemotherapy in a former bodybuilder
Authors: Gitz‐Johansen Gro , Als Anne Birgitte , Pallesen Kristine Appel Uldall
Published: July 2021

This case report presents an acute painful skin reaction several years after injection of site‐enhancing oils (SEO) induced by chemotherapy. This case exemplifies the long‐term dangerous side effects of the use of SEO, however treatable with prednisolone.
Isolated facial diplegia: A rare presentation of Guillain‐Barre syndrome
Authors: Sardar Sundus , Sasi Sreethish , Menik Arachchige Suresh , Zahid Muhammad , Melikyan Gayane
Published: July 2021

The paper presents a case of bilateral facial nerve palsy and its unique presentation. It discusses the etiologies of bilateral facial nerve palsy. We aim to provide awareness to its presentation, diagnosis, and management.
Primary follicular lymphoma of colon: A case series and review of literature
Authors: Mohammed Abdul , Shariati Farnaz , Paranji Neethi , Waghray Nisheet
Published: July 2021

Follicular lymphoma of the colon is rare, accounting for 1% to 2% of cases in the gastrointestinal tract. Despite the absence of randomized clinical trials, NCCN stage III and IV colonic follicular lymphomas are routinely treated with chemotherapy with good clinical response. We present 2 cases of advanced stage follicular lymphoma of colon that were effectively treated with bendamustine‐based chemotherapy regimens.
The confused puzzles in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody‐associated vasculitis activity evaluation: A case report
Authors: Zhang Ai‐hua , Yao Wei‐long , Liu Wen‐hu
Published: July 2021

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)‐associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of chronic multisystem autoimmune diseases with substantial mortality and morbidity and frequent relapses. The complexity of the disease condition and treatment‐related adverse reactions as well as infections play important roles in the poor outcomes. Unfortunately, the subjective symptoms and objective indicators are not fully parallel, and manifestations between disease activity and treatment‐related adverse reactions are often similar. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary mucormycosis in an old female patient with AAV to highlight these challenges.
Complete eradication of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with unusual skin involvement of high mitotic index after time‐limited venetoclax/obinutuzumab treatment
Authors: Dimou Maria , Iliakis Theodoros , Paradalis Vasileios , Bitsani Aikaterini , Kyrtsonis Marie‐Christine , Panayiotidis Panayiotis
Published: July 2021

The novel time‐limited combinations with the bcl‐2 inhibitor venetoclax can induce deep responses even in CLL cases with unusual and biologically aggressive presentations, like the skin masses of our patient.
Dual coronary ‐ cameral fistula “double the trouble”
Authors: Kalavakunta Jagadeesh K. , Sachdev Sarina , Randhawa Mandeep
Published: July 2021

A patient presenting with worsening dyspnea and left‐sided chest pain underwent heart catheterization, found to have a rare connection between the right and left coronary arteries draining into the left ventricle, consistent with dual coronary‐cameral fistula.
Lipomatosis of appendix in a teenager
Authors: Shanmugarajah Inthujan , Sundrehagen Bendik H. , Warberg Eivind A. , Kazaryan Airazat M.
Published: July 2021

Case of rare diagnosis of lipomatosis of appendix was established based on histologic report of appendicular specimen after laparoscopic appendectomy for suspected appendicitis in 16‐year‐old boy. Application of imaging modality may avoid unnecessary appendectomy.
Stepwise Stress‐Induced Transformations of Metal‐Organic Polyhedral Cluster‐Based Assemblies: Where Conformational and Supramolecular Features Meet
Authors: Terlecki Michał , Sobczak Szymon , Leszczyński Michał K. , Katrusiak Andrzej , Lewiński Janusz
Published: July 2021

Understanding the factors governing the formation of supramolecular structures and phase transitions between various forms of molecular crystals is pivotal for developing dynamic, stimuli‐responsive materials and polymorph‐controlled syntheses. Here, we investigate the pressure‐induced dynamic of both the intrinsic molecular structure and the supramolecular network of a predesigned polyhedral oxo‐centered zinc cluster incorporating monoanionic N,N’‐diphenylformamidinate and featuring N‐bonded phenyl groups in close proximity to the primary coordination sphere. We demonstrate that the model oxo cluster is prone to undergoing pressure‐induced conformational transformations of the secondary coordination sphere and simultaneous stepwise (initially every second polyhedral molecule undergoes the conformational transformations) and reversible transitions from an ambient phase α to high‐pressure phases β and γ, as single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal events. The observed phase transitions illustrate the key role of an interplay between the low‐energy conformation perturbations and cooperative intra‐ and intermolecular noncovalent interactions.
Stimulation of Ca2+‐ATPase Transport Activity by a Small‐Molecule Drug
Authors: Sordi Giacomo , Goti Andrea , Young Howard S. , Palchetti Ilaria , Tadini‐Buoninsegni Francesco
Published: July 2021

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+−ATPase (SERCA) hydrolyzes ATP to transport Ca2+ from the cytoplasm to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) lumen, thereby inducing muscle relaxation. Dysfunctional SERCA has been related to various diseases. The identification of small‐molecule drugs that can activate SERCA may offer a therapeutic approach to treat pathologies connected with SERCA malfunction. Herein, we propose a method to study the mechanism of interaction between SERCA and novel SERCA activators, i. e. CDN1163, using a solid supported membrane (SSM) biosensing approach. Native SR vesicles or reconstituted proteoliposomes containing SERCA were adsorbed on the SSM and activated by ATP concentration jumps. We observed that CDN1163 reversibly interacts with SERCA and enhances ATP‐dependent Ca2+ translocation. The concentration dependence of the CDN1163 effect provided an EC50=6.0±0.3 μM. CDN1163 was shown to act directly on SERCA and to exert its stimulatory effect under physiological Ca2+ concentrations. These results suggest that CDN1163 interaction with SERCA can promote a protein conformational state that favors Ca2+ release into the SR lumen.
LYTACs: An Emerging Tool for the Degradation of Non‐Cytosolic Proteins
Authors: Ramadas Bhavana , Kumar Pain Pritam , Manna Debasish
Published: July 2021

In the last two decades, targeted protein degradation has rapidly gained popularity as a technique to eliminate disease‐causing undruggable proteins. Over the years, many tools have been devised to degrade proteins by exploiting natural protein homeostasis machinery available in our body, with LYTACs being the latest to come on board. LYTACs, or lysosome‐targeting chimeras, make use of the lysosome degradation pathway by recruiting proteins to lysosome‐shuttling receptors located at the cell surface. LYTACs are specifically meant for the degradation of membrane‐bound and extracellular proteins, which account for the products of 40 % of all protein‐encoding genes. In this highlight, we describe two studies that demonstrate the scope of LYTACs and its advantages over the other protein degradation platforms. In the first study, the LYTAC utilizes the cation‐independent mannose‐6‐phosphate receptor (CI−M6PR), while the second study uses the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) which is found only on the surface of liver cells.
Compression and load balancing for efficient sparse matrix‐vector product on multicore processors and graphics processing units
Authors: Aliaga José I. , Anzt Hartwig , Grützmacher Thomas , Quintana‐Ortí Enrique S. , Tomás Andrés E.
Published: July 2021

We contribute to the optimization of the sparse matrix‐vector product by introducing a variant of the coordinate sparse matrix format that balances the workload distribution and compresses both the indexing arrays and the numerical information. Our approach is multi‐platform, in the sense that the realizations for (general‐purpose) multicore processors as well as graphics accelerators (GPUs) are built upon common principles, but differ in the implementation details, which are adapted to avoid thread divergence in the GPU case or maximize compression element‐wise (i.e., for each matrix entry) for multicore architectures. Our evaluation on the two last generations of NVIDIA GPUs as well as Intel and AMD processors demonstrate the benefits of the new kernels when compared with the optimized implementations of the sparse matrix‐vector product in NVIDIA's cuSPARSE and Intel's MKL, respectively.
Utilizing ensemble learning for performance and power modeling and improvement of parallel cancer deep learning CANDLE benchmarks
Authors: Wu Xingfu , Taylor Valerie
Published: July 2021

Machine learning (ML) continues to grow in importance across nearly all domains in modeling to learn from data. Often a tradeoff exists between a model's ability to minimize bias and variance. In this article, we utilize ensemble learning to combine linear, nonlinear, and tree‐/rule‐based ML methods to cope with the bias‐variance tradeoff and result in more accurate models. We use the datasets collected for two parallel cancer deep learning CANDLE benchmarks, NT3 and P1B2, to build performance and power models based on hardware performance counters using single‐object and multiple‐objects ensemble learning to identify the most important counters for improvement on the Cray XC40 Theta at Argonne National Laboratory. Based on the insights from these models, we improve the performance and energy of P1B2 and NT3 by optimizing the deep learning environments TensorFlow, Keras, Horovod, and Python under the huge page size of 8 MB. Experimental results show that ensemble learning not only produces more accurate models but also provides more robust performance counter ranking. We achieve up to 61.15% performance improvement and up to 62.58% energy saving for P1B2 and up to 55.81% performance improvement and up to 52.60% energy saving for NT3 on up to 24,576 cores.