bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic field-induced emissivity tuning of InSb-based metamaterials in the terahertz frequency regime
Authors: Caratenuto Andrew , Chen Fangqi , Tian Yanpei , Antezza Mauro , Xiao Gang , Zheng Yi
Published: August 2021

This work demonstrates the magnetic field-induced spectral properties of metamaterials incorporating both indium antimonide (InSb) and tungsten (W) in the terahertz (THz) frequency regime. Nanostructure materials, layer thicknesses and surface grating fill factors are modified, impacting light-matter interactions and consequently modifying thermal emission. We describe and validate a method for determining spectral properties of InSb under an applied direct current (DC) magnetic field, and employ this method to analyze how these properties can be tuned by modulating the field magnitude. Notably, an InSb-W metamaterial exhibiting unity narrowband emission is designed, suitable as an emitter for wavelengths around 55 µm (approximately 5.5 THz), which is magnetically tunable in bandwidth and peak wavelength.
Recent progress of silicon integrated light emitters and photodetectors for optical communication based on two-dimensional materials
Authors: Li Feng , Zheng Jiabao , Yao Qi , Bie Ya-Qing
Published: August 2021

Van der Waals materials are expected to meet the miniaturization and integration challenges in photonic integrated circuits (PIC) as active devices for optical communication. Recently, ultralow threshold lasers, ultra-sensitive or large bandwidth photodetectors have been demonstrated on silicon photonics platforms that are compatible with the state-of-the-art CMOS process. Here we summarize the characteristics of these hetero-integrated light-emitting and photodetecting devices, with focuses on materials, physical mechanisms, and device performances. We also discuss the strategies of future PIC architectures for valley-photonics, hybrid and 3D integrations. This review aims to summarize the most recent progress and to help identify the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly developing area.
630-nm red InGaN micro-light-emitting diodes (<20  μm × 20  μm) exceeding 1  mW/mm2 for full-color micro-displays
Authors: Zhuang Zhe , Iida Daisuke , Velazquez-Rizo Martin , Ohkawa Kazuhiro
Published: August 2021

We demonstrated

10
×
10

arrays of InGaN

17
  
μm
×
17
  
μm

micro-light-emitting diodes (μLEDs) with a peak wavelength from 662 to 630 nm at

10
–
50
  
A
/

cm

2

. The on-wafer external quantum efficiency reached 0.18% at

50
  

A
/
cm

2

. The output power density of the red μLEDs was obtained as

1.76
  

mW
/
mm

2

, which was estimated to be higher than that of

20
  
μm
×
20
  
μm

AlInGaP red μLEDs (

∼
630
  
nm

). Finally, we demonstrate that InGaN red/green/blue μLEDs could exhibit a wide color gamut covering 81.3% and 79.1% of the Rec. 2020 color space in CIE 1931 and 1976 diagrams, respectively.
Bayesian structural time series for biomedical sensor data: A flexible modeling framework for evaluating interventions
Authors: Liu Jason , Spakowicz Daniel J. , Ash Garrett I. , Hoyd Rebecca , Ahluwalia Rohan , Zhang Andrew , Lou Shaoke , Lee Donghoon , Zhang Jing , Presley Carolyn , Greene Ann , Stults-Kolehmainen Matthew , Nally Laura M. , Baker Julien S. , Fucito Lisa M. , Weinzimer Stuart A. , Papachristos Andrew V. , Gerstein Mark
Published: August 2021

The development of mobile-health technology has the potential to revolutionize personalized medicine. Biomedical sensors (e.g., wearables) can assist with determining treatment plans for individuals, provide quantitative information to healthcare providers, and give objective measurements of health, leading to the goal of precise phenotypic correlates for genotypes. Even though treatments and interventions are becoming more specific and datasets more abundant, measuring the causal impact of health interventions requires careful considerations of complex covariate structures, as well as knowledge of the temporal and spatial properties of the data. Thus, interpreting biomedical sensor data needs to make use of specialized statistical models. Here, we show how the Bayesian structural time series framework, widely used in economics, can be applied to these data. This framework corrects for covariates to provide accurate assessments of the significance of interventions. Furthermore, it allows for a time-dependent confidence interval of impact, which is useful for considering individualized assessments of intervention efficacy. We provide a customized biomedical adaptor tool, MhealthCI, around a specific implementation of the Bayesian structural time series framework that uniformly processes, prepares, and registers diverse biomedical data. We apply the software implementation of MhealthCI to a structured set of examples in biomedicine to showcase the ability of the framework to evaluate interventions with varying levels of data richness and covariate complexity and also compare the performance to other models. Specifically, we show how the framework is able to evaluate an exercise intervention’s effect on stabilizing blood glucose in a diabetes dataset. We also provide a future-anticipating illustration from a behavioral dataset showcasing how the framework integrates complex spatial covariates. Overall, we show the robustness of the Bayesian structural time series framework when applied to biomedical sensor data, highlighting its increasing value for current and future datasets.
Accuracy of an experimental whole-blood test for detecting reactivation of echinococcal cysts
Authors: Petrone Linda , Tamarozzi Francesca , Vola Ambra , Gomez Morales Maria Angeles , Ludovisi Alessandra , Najafi Fard Saeid , Mariconti Mara , Brunetti Enrico , Goletti Delia
Published: August 2021

Background

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a complex disease for which clear understanding of clinical manifestations is needed to avoid misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and severe complications. We evaluated the accuracy of a whole-blood stimulation test based on Interleukin (IL)-4 detection in response to Antigen B (AgB) ofEchinococcus granulosus sensu latoto discriminate cyst viability and detect cyst reactivation in patients with hepatic CE.

Methodology/Principal findings

Thirty patients with CE3b cysts and 37 patients with spontaneously-inactivated CE4-CE5 cysts were recruited (T0). After enrollment, 5 patients with CE3b cysts received albendazole, resulting in cyst solidification (CE4) in 4/5. Within a two-year follow-up, the whole-blood test was repeated at two time-points, in ≥14 (T1) and in ≥4 (T2) patients per group. IL-4 and a panel of other soluble factors were measured in the stimulated plasma.

Baseline IL-4 levels were significantly higher in patients with CE3b compared to those with CE4 cysts (p = 0.006). Test accuracy for CE3b diagnosis had a sensitivity of 33–60% and a specificity of 76–95%, depending on the cut-off applied. Overall, IL-4 levels did not change significantly over time in either group; however, patients within the CE3b group showed a significant decrease of IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, IFN-γ, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, FGF at T1 compared to T0 (p≤0.042).

Conclusions/Significance

Whole-blood IL-4-response to AgB is significantly higher in patients with active compared to inactive CE but apparently not modulated over time after treatment. On the contrary, the levels of IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, G-CSF, IFN-γ, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, FGF significantly decreased in active CE during follow-up. Additional studies are needed to understand whether these findings might have a clinical significance for patients’ follow-up.
The tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris has the active mitochondrial alternative oxidase that could be studied at animal organismal level
Authors: Wojciechowska Daria , Roszkowska Milena , Kaczmarek Łukasz , Jarmuszkiewicz Wiesława , Karachitos Andonis , Kmita Hanna
Published: August 2021

Mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) is predicted to be present in mitochondria of several invertebrate taxa including tardigrades. Independently of the reason concerning the enzyme occurrence in animal mitochondria, expression of AOX in human mitochondria is regarded as a potential therapeutic strategy. Till now, relevant data were obtained due to heterologous AOX expression in cells and animals without natively expressed AOX. Application of animals natively expressing AOX could importantly contribute to the research. Thus, we decided to investigate AOX activity in intact specimens of the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris. We observed that H. exemplaris specimens’ tolerance to the blockage of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) cytochrome pathway was diminished in the presence of AOX inhibitor and the inhibitor-sensitive respiration enabled the tardigrade respiration under condition of the blockage. Importantly, these observations correlated with relevant changes of the mitochondrial inner membrane potential (Δψ) detected in intact animals. Moreover, detection of AOX at protein level required the MRC cytochrome pathway blockage. Overall, we demonstrated that AOX activity in tardigrades can be monitored by the animals’ behavior observation as well as by measurement of intact specimens’ whole-body respiration and Δψ. Furthermore, it is also possible to check the impact of the MRC cytochrome pathway blockage on AOX level as well as AOX inhibition in the absence of the blockage on animal functioning. Thus, H. exemplaris could be consider as a whole-animal model suitable to study AOX.
Predicting subsurface sonar observations with satellite-derived ocean surface data in the California Current Ecosystem
Authors: Gadeken Kellie R. , Joseph Maxwell B. , McGlinchy Joseph , Karnauskas Kristopher B. , Wall Carrie C.
Published: August 2021

Vessel-based sonar systems that focus on the water column provide valuable information on the distribution of underwater marine organisms, but such data are expensive to collect and limited in their spatiotemporal coverage. Satellite data, however, are widely available across large regions and provide information on surface ocean conditions. If satellite data can be linked to subsurface sonar measurements, it may be possible to predict marine life over broader spatial regions with higher frequency using satellite observations. Here, we use random forest models to evaluate the potential for predicting a sonar-derived proxy for subsurface biomass as a function of satellite imagery in the California Current Ecosystem. We find that satellite data may be useful for prediction under some circumstances, but across a range of sonar frequencies and depths, overall model performance was low. Performance in spatial interpolation tasks exceeded performance in spatial and temporal extrapolation, suggesting that this approach is not yet reliable for forecasting or spatial extrapolation. We conclude with some potential limitations and extensions of this work.
Variation between hospital caesarean delivery rates when Robson’s classification is considered: An observational study from a French perinatal network
Authors: Quibel Thibaud , Rozenberg Patrick , Bouyer Camille , Bouyer Jean
Published: August 2021

Introduction

WHO has recommended using Robson’s Ten Group Classification System (TGCS) to monitor and analyze CD rates. Its failure to take some maternal and organizational factors into account, however, could limit the interpretation of CD rate comparisons, because it may contribute to variations in hospital CD rates.

Objective

To study the contribution of maternal socioeconomic and clinical characteristics and hospital organizational factors to the variation in CD rates when using Robson’s ten-group classification system for CD rate comparisons.

Methods

This prospective, observational, population-based study included all deliveries at a gestational age > 24 weeks at the 10 hospitals of the French MYPA perinatal network in the Paris area. CD rates were calculated for each TGCS group in each hospital. Interhospital variations in these rates were investigated with hierarchical logistic regression models to quantify the variation explained by differences in patient and hospital characteristics when the TGCS is considered. Variations in CD rates between hospitals were estimated with median odds ratios (MOR) to express interhospital variance on the standard odds ratio scale. The percentage of variation explained by TGCS and maternal and hospital characteristics was also calculated.

Results

The global CD rate was 24.0% (interhospital range: 17–32%). CD rates within each TGCS group differed significantly between hospitals (P<0.001). CD was significantly associated with maternal age (>40 years), severe preeclampsia, and two organizational factors: hospital status (private maternities) and the deliveries per staff member per 24 hours. The MOR in the empty model was 1.27 and did not change after taking the TGCS into account. Adding maternal characteristics and hospital organizational factors lowered the MOR to 1.14 and reduced the variation between hospital CD rates by 70%.

Conclusion

Maternal characteristics and hospital factors are needed to address variation in CD rates among the TGCS groups. Therefore, comparisons of these rates that do not consider these factors should be interpreted carefully.
The single-leg heel raise does not predict maximal plantar flexion strength in healthy males and females
Authors: Sara Lauren K. , Gutsch Savannah B. , Hunter Sandra K.
Published: August 2021

Introduction

The single-leg heel raise test (SLHR) is commonly used in clinical settings to approximate plantar flexor strength, yet this is neither validated nor supported physiologically. The purposes of this study were to: determine (1) associations between SLHR repetitions, maximal plantar flexor strength, and reductions in strength; and (2) whether sex differences exist in performance of the SLHR.

Methods

Twenty-eight young, healthy participants (14 males,14 females, 19–30 years) performed repeated single-leg heel raises to task failure. Pre- and post-task measures included maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC), and voluntary activation and contractile properties of the plantar flexor muscles, assessed using peripheral electrical stimulation of the tibial nerve. Surface electromyography was recorded for the medial and lateral gastrocnemius, soleus, and anterior tibialis muscles.

Results

The SLHR resulted in 20.5% reductions in MVIC torque (p<0.001). However, the number of SLHR repetitions was not correlated with either the baseline MVIC (maximal strength; p = 0.979) or the reduction in MVIC following the SLHR (p = 0.23). There were no sex differences in either the number of SLHR repetitions (p = 0.14), baseline MVIC torque (p = 0.198), or the reduction of MVIC (p = 0.14). MVIC decline was positively associated with the reduction in voluntary activation (r = 0.841, p<0.001), but was not associated with the change in twitch amplitude (p = 0.597).

Conclusions

The SLHR was similar in young males and females yet was a poor predictor of maximal plantar flexor strength but evaluates performance fatigability of the lower extremity specific to dynamic contractions. The reduction in maximal strength at task failure was explained by reduced neural drive to the plantar flexor muscles in both males and females.

Impact statement

SLHR performance is not a clinical assessment of plantar flexor strength but assesses dynamic lower extremity fatigability that is similar in males and females. Alternate clinical measures for maximal plantar flexion strength need to be developed.
Estimating equivalence scales and non-food needs in Egypt: Parametric and semiparametric regression modeling
Authors: Awwad Fuad A. , Abdel-Rahman Suzan , Abonazel Mohamed R.
Published: August 2021

This paper investigated the appropriate specifications of Engel curves for non-food expenditure categories and estimated the deprivation indices of non-food needs in rural areas using a semi parametric examination of the presence of saturation points. The study used the extended partial linear model (EPLM) and adopted two estimation methods—the double residual estimator and differencing estimator—to obtain flexible shapes across different expenditure categories and estimate equivalence scales. We drew on data of the Egyptian Household Income, Expenditure, and Consumption Survey (HIEC). Our paper provides empirical evidence that the rankings of most non-food expenditure categories is of rank three at most. Rural households showed high economies of scale in non-food consumption, with child’s needs accounting for only 10% of adult’s non-food needs. Based on semi-parametrically estimated consumption behavior, the tendency of non-food expenditure categories to saturate did not emerge. While based on parametrically estimated consumption behavior, rural areas exhibited higher deprivation indices in terms of health and education expenditure categories, which indicates the need to design specific programs economically targeting such vulnerable households.
Can Menzerath’s law be a criterion of complexity in communication?
Authors: G. Torre Iván , Dębowski Łukasz , Hernández-Fernández Antoni
Published: August 2021

Menzerath’s law is a quantitative linguistic law which states that, on average, the longer is a linguistic construct, the shorter are its constituents. In contrast, Menzerath-Altmann’s law (MAL) is a precise mathematical power-law-exponential formula which expresses the expected length of the linguistic construct conditioned on the number of its constituents. In this paper, we investigate the anatomy of MAL for constructs being word tokens and constituents being syllables, measuring its length in graphemes. First, we derive the exact form of MAL for texts generated by the memoryless source with three emitted symbols, which can be interpreted as amonkey typingmodel or a null model. We show that this null model complies with Menzerath’s law, revealing that Menzerath’s law itself can hardly be a criterion of complexity in communication. This observation does not apply to the more precise Menzerath-Altmann’s law, which predicts an inverted regime for sufficiently range constructs, i.e., the longer is a word, the longer are its syllables. To support this claim, we analyze MAL on data from 21 languages, consisting of texts from the Standardized Project Gutenberg. We show the presence of the inverted regime, not exhibited by the null model, and we demonstrate robustness of our results. We also report the complicated distribution of syllable sizes with respect to their position in the word, which might be related with the emerging MAL. Altogether, our results indicate that Menzerath’s law—in terms of correlations—is a spurious observation, while complex patterns and efficiency dynamics should be rather attributed to specific forms of Menzerath-Altmann’s law.
Classifying California’s stream thermal regimes for cold-water conservation
Authors: Willis Ann D. , Peek Ryan A. , Rypel Andrew L.
Published: August 2021

Stream temperature science and management is rapidly shifting from single-metric driven approaches to multi-metric, thermal regime characterizations of streamscapes. Given considerable investments in recovery of cold-water fisheries (e.g., Pacific salmon and other declining native species), understanding where cold water is likely to persist, and how cold-water thermal regimes vary, is critical for conservation. California’s unique position at the southern end of cold-water ecosystems in the northern hemisphere, variable geography and hydrology, and extensive flow regulation requires a systematic approach to thermal regime classification. We used publicly available, long-term (> 8 years) stream temperature data from 77 sites across California to model their thermal regimes, calculate three temperature metrics, and use the metrics to classify each regime with an agglomerative nesting algorithm. Then, we assessed the variation in each class and considered underlying physical or anthropogenic factors that could explain differences between classes. Finally, we considered how different classes might fit existing criteria for cool- or cold-water thermal regimes, and how those differences complicate efforts to manage stream temperature through regulation. Our results demonstrate that cool- and cold-water thermal regimes vary spatially across California. Several salient findings emerge from this study. Groundwater-dominated streams are a ubiquitous, but as yet, poorly explored class of thermal regimes. Further, flow regulation below dams imposes serial discontinuities, including artificial thermal regimes on downstream ecosystems. Finally, and contrary to what is often assumed, California reservoirs do not contain sufficient cold-water storage to replicate desirable, reach-scale thermal regimes. While barriers to cold-water conservation are considerable and the trajectory of cold-water species towards extinction is dire, protecting reaches that demonstrate resilience to climate warming remains worthwhile.
Applying resource bricolage theory to the city integration of new-generation migrant workers in China
Authors: Zheng Ai-xiang
Published: August 2021

New-generation migrant workers in Chinese cities are struggling with a lack of urban resources, such as capital, skills, and relationships. To cope with the pressure of these resource constraints, new-generation migrant workers obtain urban development opportunities through resource bricolage. Based on a questionnaire survey of 365 new-generation migrant workers, we used a multiple regression analysis to study the mechanism underlying the effects of resource bricolage on the city integration of new-generation migrant workers. There were four findings: (1) resource bricolage had a significant positive effect on career growth and city integration; (2) career growth had a mediation effect on the relationship between resource bricolage and city integration; (3) environmental dynamism had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between resource bricolage and city integration for new-generation migrant workers; and (4) resource bricolage and environmental dynamism had a moderating effect on city integration through the mediation effect of career growth. The results suggest that resource bricolage promotes the career growth of new-generation migrant workers and further promotes their city integration, and that the environmental dynamism faced by workers is the external condition for promoting integration through resource bricolage. The study emphasizes the importance of resource bricolage in new-generation migrant workers’ city integration.
Forecasting renewable energy for environmental resilience through computational intelligence
Authors: Khan Mansoor , Al-Ammar Essam A. , Naeem Muhammad Rashid , Ko Wonsuk , Choi Hyeong-Jin , Kang Hyun-Koo
Published: August 2021

Wind power forecasting plays a key role in the design and maintenance of wind power generation which can directly help to enhance environment resilience. Offshore wind power forecasting has become more challenging due to their operation in a harsh and multi-faceted environment. In this paper, the data generated from offshore wind turbines are used for power forecasting purposes. First, fragmented data is filtered and Deep Auto-Encoding is used to select high dimensional features. Second, a mixture of the CNN and LSTM models is used to train prominent wind features and further improve forecasting accuracy. Finally, the CNN-LSTM deep learning hybrid model is fine-tuned with various parameters for reliable forecasting of wind energy on three different offshore Windfarms. A state-of-the-art comparison against existing models is presented based on root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) respectively. The forecasting analyses indicate that the proposed CNN-LSTM strategy is quite successful for offshore wind turbines by retaining the lowest RMSE and MAE along with high forecasting accuracy. The experimental findings will be helpful to design environment resilient energy transition pathways.
Epidemiology of sports-related fatalities during organized school sports in Japanese high schools between 2009 and 2018
Authors: Yamanaka Miwako Suzuki , Hosokawa Yuri , Ayusawa Mamoru , Hirose Norikazu , Kaneoka Koji
Published: August 2021

Limited literature has investigated epidemiology of sports-related fatalities during high school organizes sports in Japan. Therefore, the purposes of this study are to determine the frequency and incidence rate of sports-related fatalities in Japanese high schools by cause and sports, and to examine the type of on-site first responder. Insurance claim data of sports-related fatalities in Japanese high schools reported to Japan Sports Council Injury and Accident Mutual Aid Benefit System between 2009 and 2018 were retrieved as the primary data source. All fatalities were classified into direct or indirect type by the reported etiology and further categorized into cardiac-related, head and neck injury, exertional heat stroke (EHS), or other. Frequency and incidence rate were calculated by cause of death and sports, and incidence rates were expressed per 100,000 athlete-years (AY) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Information regarding first responder to the incident was also retrieved and examined by frequency. A total of 63 sports-related fatalities were analyzed. The overall incidence rate was 0.45 (95%CI = 0.25–0.65) per 100,000AY. The incidence rates of direct and indirect fatalities declined from 0.36 and 0.50 per 100,000AY to 0.28 and 0.00 per 100,000AY, respectively. The leading cause of deaths was cardiac-related (n = 30/63, 47.6%), followed by head and neck injury (n = 15/63, 23.8%) and EHS (n = 14/63, 22.2%). The number of fatalities was highest in male baseball (n = 12/63, 19.0%) and the incidence rate was highest in male judo (4.79 per 100,000 AY, 95%CI: 0.68–8.15). Coach was the most frequently reported first responder onsite (n = 52/63, 82.5%). Medically trained personnel were involved in onsite care in two cases (3.2%). In conclusion, the occurrence of sports-related fatalities has declined over time from 2009 to 2018. To deliver appropriate medical care onsite for better survival, employment of medically trained personnel should be promoted in high school sports setting in Japan.
High risk of burnout in medical students in Serbia, by gender: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Ilic Irena , Zivanovic Macuzic Ivana , Kocic Sanja , Ilic Milena
Published: August 2021

Introduction

Burnout syndrome is common among medical students, but findings about the gender differences in burnout are not consistent. The aim of this study was to assess high risk of burnout syndrome among medical students at one University in Serbia, by gender.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac in 2014. The Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey was used for assessment of burnout level. A questionnaire on basic socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, habits, etc.) and academic performance (year of study, cumulative total average grade, length of study, housing, study financing, etc.) was used. The study included a total of 760 medical students (760/836 medical students; participation rate: 90.9%). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Results

Significant gender differences were detected in prevalence of high risk of burnout syndrome (male students– 19.0% vs. female students– 12.8%, p = 0.024). A significant independent predictor of high risk for burnout syndrome in male medical students was study year (p for trend = 0.011), while in female medical students–study year (p for trend = 0.002) and use of sedatives (adjusted OR = 5.74, 95% CI = 1.96–16.77, p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results indicate the need to assess the risk of burnout syndrome at the very beginning of medical studies, in order to more effectively control the modifiable risk factors.
Effects of host extinction and vector preferences on vector-borne disease risk in phylogenetically structured host-hector communities
Authors: Nunn Charles L. , Vining Alexander Q. , Chakraborty Debapriyo , Reiskind Michael H. , Young Hillary S.
Published: August 2021

Anthropogenic disturbance impacts the phylogenetic composition and diversity of ecological communities. While changes in diversity are known to dramatically change species interactions and alter disease dynamics, the effects of phylogenetic changes in host and vector communities on disease have been relatively poorly studied. Using a theoretical model, we investigated how phylogeny and extinction influence network structural characteristics relevant to disease transmission in disturbed environments. We modelled a multi-host, multi-vector community as a bipartite ecological network, where nodes represent host and vector species and edges represent connections among them through vector feeding, and we simulated vector preferences and threat status on host and parasite phylogenies. We then simulated loss of hosts, including phylogenetically clustered losses, to investigate how extinction influences network structure. We compared effects of phylogeny and extinction to those of host specificity, which we predicted to strongly increase network modularity and reduce disease prevalence. The simulations revealed that extinction often increased modularity, with higher modularity as species loss increased, although not as much as increasing host specificity did. These results suggest that extinction itself, all else being equal, may reduce disease prevalence in disturbed communities. However, in real communities, systematic patterns in species loss (e.g. favoring high competence species) or changes in abundance may counteract these effects. Unexpectedly, we found that effects of phylogenetic signal in host and vector traits were relatively weak, and only important when phylogenetic signal of host and vector traits were similar, or when these traits both varied.
Primary kidney disease modifies the effect of comorbidities on kidney replacement therapy patients’ survival
Authors: Helve Jaakko , Haapio Mikko , Groop Per-Henrik , Finne Patrik
Published: August 2021

Background

Comorbidities are associated with increased mortality among patients receiving long-term kidney replacement therapy (KRT). However, it is not known whether primary kidney disease modifies the effect of comorbidities on KRT patients’ survival.

Methods

An incident cohort of all patients (n = 8696) entering chronic KRT in Finland in 2000–2017 was followed until death or end of 2017. All data were obtained from the Finnish Registry for Kidney Diseases. Information on comorbidities (coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, malignancy, obesity, underweight, and hypertension) was collected at the start of KRT. The main outcome measure was relative risk of death according to comorbidities analyzed in six groups of primary kidney disease: type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes, glomerulonephritis (GN), polycystic kidney disease (PKD), nephrosclerosis, and other or unknown diagnoses. Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox regression were used for survival analyses.

Results

In the multivariable model, heart failure increased the risk of death threefold among PKD and GN patients, whereas in patients with other kidney diagnoses the increased risk was less than twofold. Obesity was associated with worse survival only among GN patients. Presence of three or more comorbidities increased the age- and sex-adjusted relative risk of death 4.5-fold in GN and PKD patients, but the increase was only 2.5-fold in patients in other diagnosis groups.

Conclusions

Primary kidney disease should be considered when assessing the effect of comorbidities on survival of KRT patients as it varies significantly according to type of primary kidney disease.
Physical structure and biological composition of canopies in tropical secondary and old-growth forests
Authors: Clark David B. , Oberbauer Steven F. , Clark Deborah A. , Ryan Michael G. , Dubayah Ralph O.
Published: August 2021

The area of tropical secondary forests is increasing rapidly, but data on the physical and biological structure of the canopies of these forests are limited. To obtain such data and to measure the ontogeny of canopy structure during tropical rainforest succession, we studied patch-scale (5 m2) canopy structure in three areas of 18–36 year-old secondary forest in Costa Rica, and compared the results to data from old-growth forest at the same site. All stands were sampled with a stratified random design with complete harvest from ground level to the top of the canopy from a modular portable tower. All canopies were organized into distinct high- and low-leaf-density layers (strata), and multiple strata developed quickly with increasing patch height. The relation of total Leaf Area Index (LAI, leaf area per area of ground) to patch canopy height, the existence of distinct high and low leaf- density layers (strata and free air spaces), the depth and LAI of the canopy strata and free air spaces, and the relation of the number of strata to patch canopy height were remarkably constant across the entire successional gradient. Trees were the most important contributor to LAI at all stages, while contribution of palm LAI increased through succession. We hypothesize that canopy physical structure at the patch scale is driven by light competition and discuss how this hypothesis could be tested. That canopy physical structure was relatively independent of the identity of the species present suggests that canopy physical structure may be conserved even as canopy floristics shift due to changing climate.
Microwave-Induced Surface-Mediated Highly Efficient Regioselective
Nitration of Aromatic Compounds: Effects of Penetration Depth
Authors: Das Aparna , Yadav Ram Naresh , Banik Bimal K.
Published: August 2021

Surface mediated highly regioselective nitration of aromatic compounds under diverse microwaveinduced
conditions was investigated in this work. The effects of the penetration depth of the surfaces
were found to be more crucial than other dielectric parameters. Despite significant progress of
microwave-induced reactions, no reports have examined the penetration depth of the surfaces used in
these processes.
Evaluation of Antimicrobial, Thrombolytic and CNS-Depressant
Activities of Three Medicinal Plants Available in Bangladesh
Authors: Tabassum Fatema , Akhi Amena Akther , Chumki Mukta Akter , Rahman Lioyaja , -Noor Furhatun , Nur Manik Md. Imran
Published: August 2021

The aim of the present study was to explore antimicrobial, thrombolytic and CNS-depressant activity
of three medicinal plants Plumbago zeylanica, Trewia nudiflora and Aphanamixis polystachya available
in Bangladesh. At room temperature, the plant parts were subjected to cold extraction with methanol,
giving rise to concentrated methanolic extracts (MEF) followed by fractionation applying revised
Kupchan partitioning procedure to obtain different soluble fractions namely to hexene fraction (HXF),
ethyl acetate fraction (EAF), chloroform fraction (CLF) and aqueous fraction (AQF). To study the
antimicrobial activity of these fractions, the disc diffusion method was used, where kenamycin was
used as standard. Thrombolytic potential was determined by investigating clot rupture (% clot lysis) for
this purpose streptokinase was employed as the positive control whereas water was the negative control.
For the evaluation of CNS depressant activity, the open-field method was utilized and diazepam was
chosen as the reference standard. Among the three plants, the crude methanolic fraction of P. zeylanica
demonstrated good antimicrobial action over the majority of the bacterial strains assayed and the
crude methanolic extract exhibited the maximum antimicrobial activity against S. aeruginosa (zone
of inhibition was 23.46 ± 2.19 mm). The chloroform fraction of T. nudiflora showed the highest
thrombolytic activity (43.45 ± 2.12% clot lysis). It was observed that the four extracts from the plants
under investigation had CNS depressant activity. Particularly, the aqueous fraction of P. zeylanica
(12.00 ± 0.913); n-hexane fraction of T. nudiflora (09.75±0.854) and A. polystachya (08.50 ± 0.645)
demonstrated consistently significant CNS depressant activity, in terms of the number of squares
crossed at 120 min; producing a prominent decrease in the measurement of movement.
An Updated Review on Synthesis and Biological Activities of Thiosemicarbazide Analogs
Authors: Kumar Akhalesh , Mishra Rakhi , Mazumder Avijit , Mazumder Rupa , Kumar Arun
Published: August 2021

This review paper focuses on the different synthetic methodologies that researchers have adopted to
synthesize various thiosemicarbazide derivatives with different biological activities of synthesized
compounds in the last 20 years. Most of the investigations available in the literature are directed to the
biological activities of thiosemicarbazide derivatives with less discussion on its synthetic schemes.
This review article presents various reaction scheme, which has been adopted for thiosemicarbazide
derivative synthesis along with the reported pharmacological activities of synthesized analogs. The
available literature in the article aims to encourage more studies on the synthesis of thiosemicarbazide
derivatives, which will help for drug discovery having thiosemicarbazide nucleus.
Theoretical Study to Predict the Ability to Use Different
Organic Substituents as Carrier Linkages for Diclofenac
Authors: Kubba Rehab Majed , Shanshal Aisha Muthana
Published: August 2021

The research includes unrestricted (UDFT) and (UPM3) quantum mechanical calculations for studying the reaction path of bonds rupture energies of (O-R) and (C-OAr) in twelve diclofenac derivatives containing different substituted organic groups. All the calculations were performed at the optimize geometries in vacuum phase by using Gaussian 09 program. Comparison was done between the studied diclofenac derivatives and the standard ionic diclofenac of sodium and potassium included geometrical structures, physical properties, total energies of the reactants and products, activation energies and transition states. The results showed that some substituted organic groups could be used to form good carrier bonds for the acidic drug diclofenac, while others were less efficient depending on the nature of the substituted carrier, and that there is a preference for carriers of the type (–R) over the carriers of the type (–Ar).
Synthesis and Spectral Characterization of Mn(II) and Co(II)
Complexes with Tetradentate Macrocyclic Ligand
Authors: Bansal Usha , Goyal Samta , Agrawal Swati
Published: August 2021

Manganese(II) and cobalt(II) complexes were synthesized with [N4] tetradentate macrocyclic ligand
using different metal salts i.e. MnCl2, Mn(NO3)2, CoCl2 and Co(NCS)2. The ligand was prepared by
condensation of glyoxal and carbahydrazide. All these were characterized by elemental analysis, molar
conductance measurements, magnetic moment, IR, mass, electronic and EPR spectral studies. Elemental
analysis indicates that the complexes have composition MLX2 where (X = Cl–, NO3
–,NCS–). All the
complexes were found to be non-electrolytic in nature so can be formulated as [MLX2]. Infrared
spectra of metal complexes suggest that the ligand behaves as tetradentate. On the basis of magnetic
moment, electronic and EPR spectral data, all the metal complexes were found to be high spin with
octahedral geometry.
Development and Validation of Highly Sensitive Spectrophotometric
Methods for Cefpirome Determination in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms
Authors: Hiremath Basavaraj
Published: August 2021

Quantitative spectrophotometric determination of cefpirome in pure and pharmaceutical dosage has
been developed. Method I produces a pink-coloured chromogen peak at λmax 510 nm by reacting
diazotized cefpirome drugs with diphenylamine (DPA) in a neutral medium. Method II obtained of a
coloured Schiff bases when cefpirome reacts with alcoholic p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (PDAB)
to produce a yellow-coloured chromogen with a maximum absorption wavelength of 415 nm. In both
methods I and II, Beer’s law is followed in the concentration ranges of 0.3-3.0 and 0.5-5.0 μg/mL,
respectively, with molar absorptivity of 5.13 × 104 and 2.54 × 104 for each form. At three separate
concentrations, intra-day and inter-day (RSD) and relative error (RE) are measured. The current methods
are simple, reliable, inexpensive, speedy and highly reproducible and have been tested in broad range
of pharmaceutical formulations with statistical comparisons to reference methods.
Vegetable Oil-Based Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System of
Eprosartan Mesylate: in vitro and ex vivo Evaluation
Authors: Bindhani Sabitri , Mohapatra Snehamayee , Kar Rajat Kumar
Published: August 2021

This study was planned to increase the intestinal permeability and thereby bioavailability of eprosartan
mesylate (EPM) by designing a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) by the use of
vegetable oils. Various SMEDDS-based formulations were prepared with oleic acid and peppermint
oil. Tween 80 was used as surfactant and PEG 400 as co-surfactant. Pseudo ternary phase diagrams
were constructed for identifying emulsification region between 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, 3:1 ratio of SCOS mix.
Eight batches of SMEDDS were found to be thermodynamically stable and from which SMEDDSOF9
and PF5 were best formulations due to their highest drug content, minimum particle size. They have
shown highest release of drug in vitro and higher in vitro drug diffusion and ex vivo permeation
analysis than pure drug. FTIR study ascertained no incompatibility between drug and excipients present
in formulation. From the accelerated stability study, slight effect on particle size and zeta potential,
assay content along with cumulative % of drug release was found. The results demonstrated the
SMEDDS of EPM are potent drug delivery system to increase dissolution rate and bioavailability of
drug via increased intestinal permeability and consequently improving the therapeutic efficacy of
eprosartan mesylate.
Titrimetric Analysis of Chloride Concentration in Beers using Synthetic Mercury(II) Compound
Authors: Labhade S.R. , Labhade K.R.
Published: August 2021

The monothiocyanato-mercuric(II) nitrate [Hg(SCN)NO3] reagent has been prepared synthetically in
an aqueous medium and subjected for studies of titrimetric analysis of chloride concentration in beers.
In this studies, a measured volume of beer sample was added into known and an excess amount of
Hg(SCN)NO3 reagent and the surplus Hg(SCN)NO3 was determined by back titration against standard
potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) solution using ferric nitrate [Fe(NO3)3] indicator. The chloride ion and
Hg(SCN)NO3 were found to be reacting in the 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. The amount of chloride in beer
was determined with the amount of Hg(SCN)NO3 utilized in the titration reaction. The presence of
organic and inorganic materials had no effect on the titrimetric assay of chloride concentration in
beers as proved by the chloride recovery experiment. The statistical analysis of results showed average
standard deviation of 0.01034 and average relative error 1.12%, which indicates the accuracy of the
procedure.
Optimization of Salt-Free Reactive Dyeing Process for Cotton with
Coconut Oil/Water Dual-Phase Dyeing System
Authors: Seemork K. , Setthayanond J. , Suwanruji P. , Tooptompong P.
Published: August 2021

In this study, the coconut oil/water dual-phase dyeing system for developing salt-free reactive dyeing
process for cotton was established. The selected dyes in this work were hot-dyeing reactive dyes,
including C.I. Reactive Red 243, C.I. Reactive Blue 214 and C.I. Reactive Orange 70. A dual-phase
dyeing system was performed under various coconut oil to water ratios and a comparative study was
conducted on the conventional aqueous-based reactive dyeing in the presence and absence of salt. The
results showed that the oil to water ratio of 3:1 imparted the highest colour yields (K/S values) and
achieved a superior colour yield to the conventional aqueous-based dyeing. The results also pointed
out that better dye fixation could be attained by dyeing cotton with the coconut oil/water dual-phase
dyeing process under the optimum conditions. A comparable degree of dye exhaustion was observed
for the aqueous-based and the dual-phase dyeing processes, however, the dye fixation was higher for
the dual-phase dyeing, indicating less dye hydrolysis in this dyeing system. Consequently, superior
colour fastnesses to washing and rubbing were obtained, less dye staining was observed in the case of
dual-phase dyeing. A study on reusability of the coconut oil recovered from the spent dyebath for
another reactive dyeing cycle was also conducted. The oil from the spent dyebath was directly taken to
use without any further purification as a dual-phase medium along with water and the obtained result
indicated a reusability potential of coconut oil. From this research, it infers that cleaner reactive dyeing
process with the coconut oil/water dual-phase system for cotton could be developed.
Design, Synthesis and Study of Non-Linear Optical Properties of Phenyl Bridged
Diphenylamine-s-triazine Based Donor-Acceptor Triads Containing Different π-Acceptor Groups
Authors: Suma C.S. , Dhanya N.P. , Seena S.
Published: August 2021

Novel donor-acceptor triads of starburst D-A-A type incorporating electron deficient triazine moiety
as a non-conjugating π-spacer/acceptor with two acceptor/anchoring arms comprising of cyanoacetic
acid (DTP-CYA), rhodanine-3-acetic acid (DTP-RHA), barbituric acid (DTP-BA) or thiobarbituric
acid (DTP-TBA) linked to triazine core via a phenyl bridge have been synthesized. Diphenylamine is
used as the donor moiety and the role of the π-spacer on the absorption spectra and other electronic
properties were studied. All the compounds were tested for their non-linear optical properties and
determined the non-linear absorption coefficient (β) and non-linear refractive index (n2) in DMF
solutions. Improved non-linear optical properties were obtained when compared to the compounds
with triazine moiety as a non-conjugating π-spacer/acceptor with rhodanine-3-acetic acid (DTOP-RHA),
barbituric acid (DTOP-BA) or thiobarbituric acid (DTOP-TBA) as anchoring/acceptor groups. DTOP
series compounds are in the geometry of the molecule where the phenyl π-bridge and the triazine unit
are coplanar with the arylidne acceptor unit. The enhanced performance may be due to the structural
variants, which expected to improve through bond coupling between the donor and the terminal acceptor
parts of the molecules and all compounds show asymmetry in the electron density due to the basic
donor-acceptor nature of the structure.
Catalysts for Biodiesel Production: A Review
Authors: Miyuranga K.A.V. , Thilakarathne D. , Arachchige Udara S.P.R. , Jayasinghe R.A. , Weerasekara N.A.
Published: August 2021

As the world population and modernization increase, energy demand increases. One of the
non-sustainable energy sources is fossil fuels. However, fossil fuel consumption raises various
environmental and economic issues. Most of the studies focus on sustainable energy sources, which
can replace fossil fuel dependence. Biodiesel is an alternative sustainable fuel for diesel power. Biodiesel
can produce through the transesterification process. Since the catalyst plays a significant role in the
biodiesel yield during a defined reaction time, the addition of a catalyst can increases the reaction rate.
This article is outlined the several catalysts used by multiple researchers over the years to increase
biodiesel yields.