bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in Radiomics Signatures Between Patients with Early and Advanced T‐Stage Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Facilitate Prognostication
Authors: Wu Shuangshuang , Li Haojiang , Dong Annan , Tian Li , Ruan Guangying , Liu Lizhi , Shao Yuanzhi
Published: April 2021

Background

Accurately predicting the risk of death, recurrence, and metastasis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is potentially important for personalized diagnosis and treatment. Survival outcomes of patients vary greatly in distinct stages of NPC. Prognostic models of stratified patients may aid in prognostication.

Purpose

To explore the prognostic performance of MRI‐based radiomics signatures in stratified patients with NPC.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

Seven hundred and seventy‐eight patients with NPC (T1‐2 stage: 298, T3‐4 stage: 480; training cohort: 525, validation cohort: 253).

Field Strength/Sequence

Fast‐spin echo (FSE) axial T1‐weighted images, FSE axial T2‐weighted images, contrast‐enhanced FSE axial T1‐weighted images at 1.5 T or 3.0 T.

Assessment

Radiomics signatures, clinical nomograms, and radiomics nomograms combining the radiomic score (Radscore) and clinical factors for predicting progression‐free survival (PFS) were constructed on T1‐2 stage patient cohort (A), T3‐4 stage patient cohort (B), and the entire dataset (C).

Statistical Tests

Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was applied for radiomics modeling. Harrell's concordance indices (C‐index) were employed to evaluate the predictive power of each model.

Results

Among 4,410 MRI‐extracted features, we selected 16, 16, and 14 radiomics features most relevant to PFS for Models A, B, and C, respectively. Only 0, 1, and 4 features were found overlapped between models A/B, A/C, and B/C, respectively. Radiomics signatures constructed on T1‐2 stage and T3‐4 stage patients yielded C‐indices of 0.820 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.763–0.877) and 0.726 (0.687–0.765), respectively, which were larger than those on the entire validation cohort (0.675 [0.637–0.713]). Radiomics nomograms combining Radscore and clinical factors achieved significantly better performance than clinical nomograms (P < 0.05 for all).

Data Conclusion

The selected radiomics features and prognostic performance of radiomics signatures differed per the type of NPC patients incorporated into the models. Radiomics models based on pre‐stratified tumor stages had better prognostic performance than those on unstratified dataset.

Level of Evidence: 4

Technical Efficacy Stage: 5
Volume measurements on weightbearing computed tomography can detect subtle syndesmotic instability
Authors: Ashkani Esfahani Soheil , Bhimani Rohan , Lubberts Bart , Kerkhoffs Gino M. , Waryasz Gregory , DiGiovanni Christopher W. , Guss Daniel
Published: April 2021

While weightbearing computed tomography (WBCT) allows three‐dimensional (3D) visualization of the distal syndesmosis, image interpretation has largely relied on one‐dimensional (1D) distance and, more recently, two‐dimensional (2D) area measurements. This study aimed to (1) determine the sensitivity and specificity of 2D area and 3D volume WBCT measurements towards detecting subtle syndesmotic instability, (2) evaluate whether the patterns of changes in the 3D shape of the syndesmosis can be attributed to the type of ligament injury. A total of 24 patients with unilateral subtle syndesmotic instability and 24 individuals with uninjured ankles (controls) with bilateral ankle WBCT were assessed retrospectively. First, 2D areas at 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 cm, and 3D volumes at 1, 3, 5, and 10 cm above the tibial plafond were measured bilaterally. Secondly, the 3D model of the distal tibiofibular space was created based on WBCT in a subset of 8 out of 24 patients in whom the type of ligament injury was recognized via magnetic resonance imaging. The 3D model of the injured side was superimposed on the uninjured contralateral side to visualize the pattern of changes in different planes. Volume measurement up to 5 cm above the tibial plafond showed the lowest p‐value (<0.001 vs. other methods), higher sensitivity (95.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 87.8–100), and specificity (83.3%, 95% CI: 68.4–98.2) for detection of syndesmotic instability. No specific pattern of changes in the 3D shape could be attributed to a type of ligament rupture. We suggest 3D volume measurements, best measured up to 5 cm proximal to the plafond, as a promising means of diagnosing syndesmotic instability, particularly for subtle cases that are hard to detect. Clinical significance: The ability to compare the ankle joints bilaterally in a 3D manner under physiologic weight provided by weightbearing CT has led to a more accurate diagnostic method. Using volumetric measurement up to 5 cm above the tibial plafond showed higher sensitivity and specificity for recognizing an unstable syndesmosis, especially in subtle cases. However, our preliminary investigations showed that the pattern of 3D alterations in the distal tibiofibular joint space based on WBCT images does not indicate the type of syndesmotic ligamentous injury. Our results can also help image viewing programs to improve their measurement tools to facilitate 3D measurement for the syndesmosis as well as other conditions that may benefit from 3D evaluation of the clinical images.
Is bleeding on probing a reliable clinical indicator of peri‐implant diseases?
Authors: Dukka Himabindu , Saleh Muhammad H. A. , Ravidà Andrea , Greenwell Henry , Wang Hom‐Lay
Published: April 2021

Bleeding on probing (BOP) is regarded as an indispensable diagnostic tool for evaluating periodontal disease activity; however, its role in peri‐implant disease is more intricate. Much of the confusion about the interpretation originates from drawing parallels between periodontal and peri‐implant conditions. BOP can originate from two forms of probing in implants: traumatic or pathologic induction. This, in addition to the dichotomous scale of BOP can complicate diagnosis. The objective of this commentary is to discuss the following: 1) the value of BOP as a diagnostic tool for peri‐implant diseases; 2) the reasons it should be distinct from value for diagnosing periodontal and peri‐implant diseases; and 3) the current best evidence on how to implement it in daily clinical practice. A comprehensive bleeding index is proposed for evaluating and monitoring peri‐implant conditions. BOP should be used in addition to other parameters such as visual signs of inflammation, probing depth, and progressive bone loss before a peri‐implant diagnosis is established.
The Corrosion Inhibition Performance and Mechanism of Rhamnolipid for X65 Steel in CO2‐Saturated Oilfield‐Produced Water
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wang Meng , Liu Chongshu , Fang Zhaomei
Published: April 2021

The corrosion inhibition effect and mechanism of rhamnolipid (RL) were studied for X65 steel in oilfield‐produced water saturated with CO2 using the weight loss method, electrochemical measurements, surface analysis, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and quantum chemical calculations. The results prove that RL is an excellent inhibitor against CO2 corrosion and predominantly inhibits the anodic corrosion reaction of X65 steel. The inhibition performance of RL is connected with surface activity and molecular structure. RL adsorbs on the metal surface by the reactivity centers to form a protective film, and the film has good inhibition ability for X65 steel for up to 168 h.
Contemporary trials evaluating neoadjuvant therapy for resectable pancreatic cancer
Authors: Chawla Akhil
Published: April 2021

While the use of neoadjuvant therapy is well‐accepted in the treatment of borderline resectable and locally advanced pancreatic cancers, the benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resectable disease has been a topic of debate. Recently, key trials evaluating neoadjuvant chemotherapy for resectable pancreatic cancer have reported results. This review describes key clinical trials evaluating the use of preoperative therapy in patients with technically resectable pancreatic cancer with a focus on their contribution to the available evidence.
Transcriptional profiling of intervertebral disc in a post‐traumatic early degeneration organ culture model
Authors: Cui Shangbin , Zhou Zhiyu , Chen Xu , Wei Fuxin , Richards R. Geoff , Alini Mauro , Grad Sibylle , Li Zhen
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The goal of this study is to characterize transcriptome changes and gene regulation networks in an organ culture system that mimics early post‐traumatic intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration.

Methods

To mimic a traumatic insult, bovine caudal IVDs underwent one strike loading. The control group was cultured under physiological loading. At 24 hours after one strike or physiological loading, RNA was extracted from nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) tissue. High throughput next generation RNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the one strike loading group and the control group. Gene Ontology (GO) functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed to analyze DEGs and pathways. Protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network was analyzed with cytoscape software. DEGs were verified using qRT‐PCR. Degenerated human IVD tissue was collected for immunofluorescence staining to verify the expression of DEGs in human disc tissue.

Results

One strike loading resulted in significant gene expression changes compared with physiological loading. In total 253 DEGs were found in NP tissue and 208 DEGs in AF tissue. Many of the highly dysregulated genes have known functions in disc degeneration and extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis. ACTB, ACTG, PFN1, MYL12B in NP tissue and FGF1, SPP1 in AF tissue were verified by qRT‐PCR and immunofluorescence imaging. The identified DEGs were involved in focal adhesion, ECM‐receptor interaction, PI3K‐AKT, and cytokine‐cytokine receptor interaction pathways. Three clusters of PPI networks were identified. GO enrichment revealed that these DEGs were mainly involved in inflammatory response, the ECM and growth factor signaling and protein folding biological process.

Conclusion

Our study revealed different DEGs, pathways, biological process and PPI networks involved in post‐traumatic IVD degeneration. These findings will advance the understanding of the pathogenesis of IVD degeneration, and help to identify novel biomarkers for the disease diagnosis.
The new characterization of ruled surfaces corresponding dual Bézier curves
Authors: Incesu Muhsin
Published: April 2021

Let
be a Bézier curve in D3, that is, the control points of
are the vectors in D3 = {u = (u1, u2, u3) : ui ∈ D,i = 1,2,3} which is the set of dual vectors whose each coordinate components are dual numbers defined as a+εa* : a,a* ∈ R,ε ≠ 0; ε2 = 0. So the spherical projection of
is a spherical curve denoted by
on the unit sphere in D3 and every point of
corresponds to a directed line in real space R3 by Study transformation. In this study, the ruled surface X(t, ν) corresponding to this projection curve
of dual Bézier curve
is stated in terms of the parametric equation of the real and dual part of a given dual Bézier curve
. Also, in this study, some fundamental characteristics such as the striction curve, the Gaussian curvature, and the distribution parameter of the ruled surface X(t, ν) corresponding to this projection curve
of the dual Bézier curve
are investigated. These concepts at any point are stated in terms of the control points of the given dual Bézier curve
.
Multifunctional near field focusing transmission metasurface based on polarization sensitivity
Authors: Huang Huifen , Zhang Jian
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a near field focusing transmission metasurface (MS) based on polarization sensitivity is developed at microwave frequency. The MS unit cell has only three metal layers, which is less than the published dual‐polarized transmission structure. And the phase shifting range can cover 320° for x‐ and y‐polarized waves. The biggest bright spot of the focusing MS made of the proposed units is its changeable focus point by rotating the horn 0°–90° round its central axis: focusing switching between one and two focusing points. In addition, the developed MS has the following advantages: multifunctional, low sidelobe, high focusing efficiency, small size, wideband, and less layer number. The focusing relative bandwidth is 9.7%, and the maximum focusing efficiency is 30% at center frequency 15.5 GHz. The efficiency is higher than that of published results in transmission orthogonal polarization mode. The proposed MS has potential applications in medical treatment, noncontact sensing system.
Inventory financing under Risk‐Adjusted‐Return‐On‐Capital criterion
Authors: Zhang Yuxuan , Li Pingke , Yang S. Alex , Huang Simin
Published: April 2021

Risk‐Adjusted‐Return‐On‐Capital (RAROC) is a loan‐pricing criterion under which a bank sets the loan term such that a certain rate of return is achieved on the regulatory capital required by the Basel regulation. Some banks calculate the amount of regulatory capital for each loan under the standardized approach (“standardized banks,” the regulatory capital is proportional to the loan amount), and others under the internal rating‐based (IRB) approach (“IRB banks,” the regulatory capital is related to the Value‐at‐Risk of the loan). This article examines the impact of the RAROC criterion on the bank's loan‐pricing decision and the retailer's inventory decision. We find that among the loan terms that satisfy the bank's RAROC criterion, the one that benefits the retailer the most requires the bank to specify an inventory advance rate in addition to the interest rate. Under this loan term, the retailer's inventory level is more sensitive to his asset level when facing an IRB bank compared to a standardized bank. An IRB (standardized) loan leads to higher profit and inventory level for retailers with high (low) asset. For retailers with medium asset, an IRB loan results in a higher retailer profit but a lower consumer welfare. Calibrated numerical study reveals that the benefit of choosing standardized banks (relative to IRB banks) can be as high as 30% for industries with severe capital constraints, volatile demands, and low profit margins, highlighting the importance for retailers to carefully choose the type of banks to borrow from. When the interest rate is capped by regulation, retailers borrowing from a standardized bank are more likely to be influenced by the interest rate cap than those borrowing from an IRB bank. Under strong empire‐building incentives (the bank will offer loan terms to maximize the size of the loan), retailers with medium initial asset level shift their preference from IRB banks to standardized banks.
Ferumoxytol‐enhanced magnetic resonance T1 reactivity for depiction of myocardial hypoperfusion
Authors: Colbert Caroline M. , Le Anna H. , Shao Jiaxin , Currier Jesse W. , Ajijola Olujimi A. , Hu Peng , Nguyen Kim‐Lien
Published: April 2021

Myocardial T1 reactivity, defined as the relative change in T1 between rest and vasodilator‐induced stress, has been proposed as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarker of tissue perfusion. We hypothesize that the superparamagnetic iron‐oxide nanoparticle, ferumoxytol, sensitizes T1 to changes in the intramyocardial vascular compartment and improves the sensitivity and specificity of T1 reactivity as an imaging biomarker of tissue perfusion. We aim to assess the diagnostic performance of ferumoxytol‐enhanced (FE) myocardial T1 reactivity in swine models of myocardial hypoperfusion. We induced acute myocardial hypoperfusion in 13 swine via percutaneous, transcatheter deployment of a 3D printed intracoronary stenosis implant into the left anterior descending coronary artery. We performed native and FE adenosine stress testing using 5(3)3(3)3 MOLLI and SASHA T1 mapping sequences with bSSFP readout on a clinical 3.0 T magnet. MOLLI T1 maps were fitted using both the conventional MOLLI and the Instantaneous Signal Loss (InSiL) T1‐fitting algorithms. Regardless of the MOLLI or SASHA pulse sequence or T1‐fitting algorithm, ferumoxytol contrast increased the dynamic range of T1 reactivity in both the remote and ischemic myocardial regions. Relative to remote myocardium, native and FE T1 reactivity were blunted in ischemic myocardium (p < 0.05) with InSiL‐MOLLI, MOLLI and SASHA. An InSiL‐MOLLI–derived FE T1 reactivity threshold of −4.65% had 73.3% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity for prediction of regional wall motion abnormalities (AUC 0.915, 95% CI 0.786–0.979), whereas a SASHA‐derived FE T1 reactivity threshold of −5.25% had 75.0% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity (AUC 0.905, 95% CI 0.751–0.979). Ferumoxytol significantly increased the dynamic range of T1 reactivity as a measure of myocardial hypoperfusion in vasodilator stress T1 mapping studies. FE T1 reactivity maps can be used to quantitatively distinguish ischemic and remote myocardium with high specificity in swine models of acute myocardial hypoperfusion.
Bevacizumab Combined with S-1 and Raltitrexed for Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Refractory to Standard Therapies: A Phase II Study
Authors: Chen Ye , Zhou Yu-Wen , Cheng Ke , Li Zhi-Ping , Luo De-Yun , Qiu Meng , Li Qiu , Wang Xin , Shen Ya-Li , Cao Dan , Yang Yu , Bi Feng , Liu Ji-Yan , Gou Hong-Feng
Published: April 2021

Lessons Learned

Background

In patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) refractory to standard therapies, S-1 plus raltitrexed showed a good objective response rate (ORR) and significant survival benefit in our previous study. In the present study, we assessed the activity and safety of bevacizumab combined with S-1 and raltitrexed.

Methods

This investigator-initiated, open-label, single-arm, phase II trial was performed at West China Hospital in China. Patients with mCRC who had disease progression after fluoropyrimidine, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin and had at least one measurable lesion were eligible for this trial. Anti–epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) (for tumors with wild-type RAS) and anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in the first or second line was allowed, but patients who had been treated with bevacizumab across two consecutive chemotherapy regimens were excluded. Patients received bevacizumab (7.5 mg/kg on day 1), oral S-1 (80–120 mg per day for 14 days), and raltitrexed (3 mg/m2 on day 1) every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was ORR. Secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and toxicity.

Results

From September 2015 to November 2019, 44 patients were enrolled. Tumor response evaluation was available in 44 patients at the time of the analysis. There were no complete responses; the ORR was 15.9%, and the disease control rate was 54.5%. Median PFS and OS were 110 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 65.0–155.0) and 367 days (95% CI, 310.4–423.6), respectively. The combination was well tolerated.

Conclusion

Bevacizumab combined with S-1 and raltitrexed showed promising antitumor activity and safety in refractory mCRC.
Diabetic kidney disease and transplantation options
Authors: Wong Wan S , McKay Gerard , Stevens Kathryn I
Published: April 2021

Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in treatment options for diabetic kidney disease, a substantial proportion of patients still progress to end‐stage renal disease. While not without its own risk and complications, transplantation remains the best modality of renal replacement therapy in terms of patient outcome and cost‐effectiveness when compared to dialysis.

This article reviews diabetic kidney disease with a focus on options for transplantation including kidney, pancreas and islet cell transplantation. Copyright © 2021 John Wiley & Sons.
Embracing new technology to overcome severe hypoglycaemia in a patient with visual impairment
Authors: Bishop Katherine , Bridges Jane , Rigby Phil , Pond Jeff , Ewins David
Published: April 2021

A 56‐year‐old man with type 1 diabetes, who had been blind since childhood, was experiencing frequent episodes of hypoglycaemia requiring medical assistance. The use of insulin pump therapy or flash glucose monitoring devices was not suitable due to the lack of accessibility of these systems to patients with visual impairment.

With the support of his secondary care team, he began using the Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring system, which features an open platform for wireless data transmission to smart devices, allowing him to access non‐visual feedback via his smartphone. This has eliminated his episodes of severe hypoglycaemia, in addition to significantly improving his quality of life and overall glycaemic control. Copyright © 2021 John Wiley & Sons.
Bronchodilator responsiveness in cystic fibrosis children treated for pulmonary exacerbations
Authors: Pollak Mordechai , Shaw Michelle , Wilson David , Solomon Melinda , Ratjen Felix , Grasemann Hartmut
Published: April 2021

Background

Cystic fibrosis (CF) pulmonary exacerbations (PEx) are associated with a significant drop in pulmonary function. The clinical value of measuring bronchodilator (BD) responsiveness during treatment for PEx to monitor or predict recovery of lung function is unclear.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of spirometry with BD response testing obtained during hospital admissions for PEx in pediatric CF patients. Repeated events were included for patients with BD testing during multiple admissions.

Results

Two hundred forty‐nine spirometries with BD testing in 102 patients were completed around Day 7 (Days 4–10) of hospital admission for treatment of CF PEx. Median (IQR) forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) was 70.6% predicted (58.1, 84.6) before the PEx event (best FEV1 in 6 months before admission), 54.4% (41.5, 66.9) at admission, 62.3% (48.4, 74.7) around Day 7 of admission and 67.1% predicted (53.8, 78.2) at the end of treatment. BD response around Day 7 correlated poorly with FEV1 before PEx (r = −.16, p = .02) and did not correlate with recovery to baseline FEV1 at end of treatment (r = .08, p = .22). Only 23/249 (9%) individual tests had a BD response in FEV1 of ≥12% and 200 ml. BD response was not related to age or severity of lung disease and led to an immediate change in clinical management in only four cases.

Conclusions

Significant BD response in CF patients treated for PEx is rare, shows poor correlation with baseline pulmonary function and does not correlate with the recovery of FEV1 with treatment. These data suggest that routine testing for BD response is not indicated during PEx.
Identifying metal binding amino acids based on backbone geometries as a tool for metalloprotein engineering
Authors: Nguyen Hoang , Kleingardner Jesse
Published: April 2021

Metal cofactors within proteins perform a versatile set of essential cellular functions. In order to take advantage of the diverse functionality of metalloproteins, researchers have been working to design or modify metal binding sites in proteins to rationally tune the function or activity of the metal cofactor. This study has performed an analysis on the backbone atom geometries of metal‐binding amino acids among 10 different metal binding sites within the entire protein data bank. A set of 13 geometric parameters (features) was identified that is capable of predicting the presence of a metal cofactor in the protein structure with overall accuracies of up to 97% given only the relative positions of their backbone atoms. The decision tree machine‐learning algorithm used can quickly analyze an entire protein structure for the presence of sets of primary metal coordination spheres upon mutagenesis, independent of their original amino acid identities. The methodology was designed for application in the field of metalloprotein engineering. A cluster analysis using the data set was also performed and demonstrated that the features chosen are useful for identifying clusters of structurally similar metal‐binding sites.
Risk assessment for an acetone storage tank in a chemical plant in Istanbul, Turkey: Simulation of dangerous scenarios
Authors: Iskender Hikmet
Published: April 2021

Acetone is one of the most commonly used materials in industry, mainly as a strong solvent in drug, plastic, fiber, paint, and other industries. Acetone is a colorless liquid which evaporates easily and is also a hazardous chemical with consequences of exposure ranging from injuries to death. The release of acetone from a storage tank is a potential hazard to workers, plants, and also the environment. To decrease the impact of acetone vapor, puddle, and leakage, industrial plants have a mitigation plan based on risk reduction for acetone. The aim of this paper is to obtain risk distribution for accidental acetone release from a storage tank by modeling with Areal Location of Hazardous Atmosphere software. Risk distribution was defined in three threat zones. The red threat zone, orange threat zone, and yellow threat zone were determined to extend to distances of 62, 85, and 400 m for the toxic area of acetone vapor cloud; the red threat zone and yellow threat zone were calculated to be 35 and 95 m for the flammable area; and the orange threat zone and yellow threat zone were found to be 27 and 46 m for vapor cloud explosion. Moreover, the maximum average evaporation rate of acetone was 176 g/min. This paper demonstrates important modeling to prevent acetone‐related accident risks in an industrial plant.
Cover Image, Volume 77, Issue 5
Authors: Wang Jin‐Yan , Zhang Hao , Siemann Evan , Fan Neng‐Neng , Ji Xiang‐Yun , Chen Yi‐Juan , Jiang Jie‐Xian , Wan Nian‐Feng
Published: April 2021

The cover image is based on the Research Article Plants impact cellular immunity of caterpillars to an entomovirus by Jin‐Yan Wang et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6270.

image
A robust multivariate Shewhart chart for contaminated normal environments
Authors: Raji Ishaq Adeyanju , Lee Muhammad Hisyam , Riaz Muhammad , Abujiya Mu'azu Ramat , Abbas Nasir
Published: April 2021

Lately, the multivariate setup of control charts, especially the memory‐less chart has received less attention of researchers as compared to the univariate setup. However, the multivariate setup is of paramount importance in this big‐data era. In this research work, we study the multivariate Shewhart chart for monitoring location parameter by examining the robustness of this scheme with the mean estimator. We also explored the scheme with some other robust parametric estimators in different process environments. The multivariate estimators such as median, midrange, tri‐mean (TM), and Hodges–Lehmann (HL) estimators were examined under uncontaminated, location contaminated, variance contaminated, and both location–variance contaminated normal environments. Through a synthetic Monte Carlo simulation and application of the schemes on a real‐life dataset, the findings suggest that the proposed estimators outperform the default estimator of the multivariate scheme (mean). The performance measures of comparing these estimators through the charts are the average run length, standard deviation run length, extra‐quadratic loss, and relative average run length. The charts resulting from applying the schemes on real‐life dataset recorded from glass manufacturing process also buttresses the simulation findings.
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry ion suppression/enhancement caused by column bleed for three mixed‐mode reversed‐phase/anion‐exchange high‐performance liquid chromatography columns
Authors: Walter Thomas H. , Blaze M. T. Melvin , Boissel Cheryl
Published: April 2021

Rationale

Mixed‐mode reversed‐phase/anion exchange liquid chromatography is useful for separations of mixtures containing anions (e.g. ionized acids). However, when using this form of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection, the bleed of amine‐containing hydrolysis products from the columns may cause ion suppression or enhancement.

Methods

Using electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry detection, we determined the ion suppression or enhancement caused by column bleed for three mixed‐mode reversed‐phase/weak anion‐exchange columns containing stationary phases that differ in chemical structure. Two of the stationary phases are based on silica particles, while the third uses ethylene‐bridged hybrid organic/inorganic particles, which have improved hydrolytic stability. Mixtures of acidic and basic analytes were combined with the chromatography flow postcolumn, both with and without a column, and their mass spectrometry ion signal responses (peak areas) were determined. The ratio of signal response with and without a column is the matrix factor. Positive ion electrospray measurements were carried out using 0.1% formic acid (pH ~ 2.7) as a mobile phase additive, and 10mM ammonium formate (pH ~ 6.4) was used for negative ion electrospray detection.

Results

The matrix factors under both positive and negative ionization modes were closest to 1 (0.74–1.16) for the hybrid particle‐based columns, showing minimal ion suppression or enhancement. In contrast, the silica‐based columns gave matrix factors ranging from 0.04 to 1.86, indicating high levels of ion suppression or enhancement. These results may be explained by the differences in the structures of the stationary phases, which affect the relative amounts of hydrolysis products that elute from the columns.

Conclusions

The low levels of mass spectrometry ion suppression or enhancement caused by column bleed from the hybrid particle‐based columns should allow for accurate quantitative mass spectrometric detection combined with mixed‐mode reversed‐phase/weak anion‐exchange chromatography.
The real potential of current passive satellite data to map aboveground biomass in tropical forests
Authors: Jha Nidhi , Tripathi Nitin Kumar , Barbier Nicolas , Virdis Salvatore G. P. , Chanthorn Wirong , Viennois Gaëlle , Brockelman Warren Y. , Nathalang Anuttara , Tongsima Sissades , Sasaki Nophea , Pélissier Raphaël , Réjou‐Méchain Maxime
Published: April 2021

Forest biomass estimation at large scale is challenging and generally entails large uncertainty in tropical regions. With their wall‐to‐wall coverage ability, passive remote sensing signals are frequently used to extrapolate field estimates of forest aboveground biomass (AGB). However, studies often use limited reference data and/or flawed validation schemes and thus report unreliable extrapolation error estimates. Here, we compared the ability of three medium‐ to high‐resolution passive satellite sensors, Landsat‐8 (L8), Sentinel‐2B (S2) and Worldview‐3 (WV3), to map AGB in a forest landscape of Thailand. We used a large airborne LiDAR‐derived AGB dataset as a reference to train and validate a random forest algorithm and conducted robust error assessments and variable selection using spatialized cross‐validations. Our results indicate that the selected predictors strongly varied among the three sensors and between analyses restricted to low (≤200 Mg ha−1) and high (>200 Mg ha−1) AGB areas. WV3 and S2 data outperformed L8 data to extrapolate AGB (RMSE of 68 and 72 against 84 Mg ha−1, respectively) due to the inclusion of the red‐edge band and, probably, to their higher spatial and spectral resolution. Sensitivity to large AGB values was higher for WV3 than for S2 and L8 with saturation point of 247 Mg ha−1 against 204 and 192 Mg ha−1. AGB values above these saturation points remained poorly predictable, especially for L8, indicating that several tropical forest AGB maps should be interpreted with extreme caution. However, predicted gradients of lower AGB values (≤200 Mg ha−1), i.e., in early forest successional stages, were fairly consistent among sensors (r > 0.70), even if the mean absolute difference between estimates was large when AGB predictions were extrapolated out of the calibration area at regional level (34%). We finally showed that calibrating the model only within the sensitivity AGB domain (e.g., <200 Mg ha−1) minimizes the risk of induced bias for estimating small AGB values. These results provide important benchmarks for interpreting previously published maps and to improve future validation schemes.
Soil nitrogen cycling under contrasting management systems in Amazon Coffea canephora agroecosystems
Authors: López Rosa Elena Ibarra , Navarrete Eduardo F. Chávez , Rosado Jimmy T. Pico , García Cristian R. Subía , Margenot Andrew J.
Published: April 2021

Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre ex Froehner) is well suited to the humid tropical climate of the Amazon basin. It is often produced under contrasting conditions of low‐input agroforestry systems and intensively managed monocultures that differ in N constraints on productivity. We evaluated indicators of soil N cycling and coffee plant N sufficiency using a full factorial of two input managements (organic vs. conventional) and the absence or presence of the interplanted leguminous tree (LT) Erythrina spp. in a replicated robusta coffee field trial in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Activities of soil protease, three aminopeptidases, N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase, cellobiohydrolase, and β‐glucosidase were evaluated in tandem with soil NH4–N and NO3–N, potentially mineralizable N (PMN), and permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), as well as coffee leaf N, leaf N/P ratio (N/P), and yield. The LT decreased soil enzyme activities, PMN, and extractable NH4–N, as well as leaf N and leaf N/P. Enzyme activities and NH4–N were greater under organic input, but conventional input resulted in greater PMN, leaf N, leaf N/P, and yield. Permanganate oxidizable C and NO3–N were similar across input and interplanting but were more variable in the presence of LT relative to its absence. Lower soil enzymatic activities, labile N pools, and leaf N in coffee systems with Erythrina spp. suggest that, although a common smallholder practice in this region, interplanting this leguminous perennial has marginal impacts on soil N cycling and may not necessarily improve N supply for robusta coffee.
Empowering health systems research to engage with technical, organizational, social and economic forces: Lessons from the 2014 Ebola epidemic
Authors: Sambo Luis G. , Jackson Michael C.
Published: April 2021

This paper draws lessons from the Ebola Virus Disease epidemic to suggest how health systems research can be strengthened to assist better with preparedness for and mitigation of future public health emergencies. The epidemic killed more than 11 000 people in West Africa between February 2014 and January 2016. The causes of the epidemic and the response to the outbreak harbour many lessons concerning how health systems were overwhelmed and need to be re‐designed in order to cope with future public health emergencies and limit their escalation. From these lessons, it is possible to identify the most significant systemic issues that must be addressed to ensure health systems can exhibit greater resilience in the face of similar events in the future. The paper goes on to consider the current capacity of health systems research (HSR) to assist with the management of these issues and to suggest that critical systems thinking and practice could empower health systems researchers and practitioners in a manner that would give them much greater potency. The research has additional importance now that Covid‐19 has demonstrated that pandemics are not ‘black swan’ events.
Conceptualizing blockchain‐based value co‐creation: A service science perspective
Authors: Mačiulienė Monika , Skaržauskienė Aelita
Published: April 2021

Co‐creation and open innovation have become an important source of competitive advantage. Over the past decades, huge amounts of information have become accessible to the external stakeholders of the organizations, changing the traditional value creation processes. However, co‐creation comes with its challenges, including the complex engagement of stakeholders, difficulties in opening up value chains and issues of trust and intellectual property. The arrival of blockchain and cryptographic asset‐driven decentralized technologies has brought to the world an entirely new spectrum of possibilities regarding social, financial and technological innovations. Now it is possible to achieve superior levels of transparency, security and fairness to the public, especially when compared with the rather limited business models that dominate Web 2.0 commercial products. While the first applications of blockchain technology were for digital currency transactions, that same technology is now being applied to the development of the blockchain‐based decentralized platforms. This calls for research to integrate other relevant fields such as organizational management, public policy, community engagement and marketing. This qualitative preliminary study aims to build an integrative and transdisciplinary framework of blockchain service ecosystems based on theoretical premises of Service Science through which blockchain‐based value co‐creation can be analysed. The systemic approach presented in this paper provides much‐needed guidance for developers of decentralized organizations on how to create sustainable platforms and to maintain them profitable in the long run. The focus of the proposed conceptual model is to initiate a scholarly curiosity in understanding possible solutions and potential impact of blockchain technology in the way we collaborate as a society.
Fighting a war without weapons? Lessons from the COVID‐19 outbreak
Authors: Vasileiou Evangelos
Published: April 2021

The recent pandemic of COVID‐19 revealed that a highly transmissible virus threatens all humanity because extensive mobility, migration, and millions of passengers who travel worldwide shape our globalized environment and make containment of a virus more difficult. In a war between humans and viruses, we should have the necessary weapons, such as masks, gloves, ventilators, and so forth. However, during the COVID‐19 outbreak, there was a shortage of this basic medical and personal protective equipment (MAPPE), even for the health workers. This note focuses on this issue and suggests that a global organization, which stores and renews basic MAPPE would be beneficial in the fight against the next pandemic and that such an organization can be established without significantly increasing the public expenses of the countries.
Evaluating Exclusion Barriers for Treefrogs in Agricultural Landscapes
Authors: Hughes Daniel F. , Green Michelle L. , Warner Jonathan K. , Davidson Paul C.
Published: April 2021

Agricultural co‐management aims to promote environmental sustainability while maintaining food‐safety standards. Amphibians, especially treefrogs, are known to enter fields of fresh produce intended for human consumption, which raises concerns for food safety and quality. We evaluated the effects of modifications to reduce the scalability of exclusion barriers on the fence‐crossing behavior of Pacific treefrogs (Hyliola regilla) from lettuce fields in the Salinas Valley of California during January to May 2019. From small‐scale field experiments, we found that fences modified with a horizontal lip at the top prevented all treefrogs from successfully crossing over. Fences incorporating sandpaper were also effective at deterring treefrog crossings compared to fences made of fiberglass square mesh (window screen) and polypropylene fabric (silt fence). The fence design that inhibited the most treefrog crossings—aluminum flashing with a horizontal lip—was a modification to commercially available material that is feasible to install at large scales, is durable over long periods of time, and can help to exclude additional nuisance wildlife, such as small mammals and lizards. Our findings provide quantitative evidence on the efficacy of an exclusion barrier constructed with off‐the‐shelf material that can be easily modified to improve the co‐management of amphibians and agriculture. © 2021 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.
A Plea for Legal Peace
Authors: Pavoni Riccardo
Published: April 2021

This chapter advocates legal peace between Germany and Italy as the most sensible and appropriate way to deal with the aftermath of Sentenza 238/2014 of the Italian Constitutional Court and its declaration of the unconstitutionality of the 2012 International Court of Justice (ICJ) Judgment in Jurisdictional Immunities. This plea does not only arise from frustration with the current impasse but also from the suspicion that the public good of legal peace has never seriously been canvassed by the Italian and German governments. Section II takes stock of the legal developments relating to the dispute between Germany and Italy since Sentenza 238/2014 was delivered. It especially focuses on the attitudes of the governments concerned, both in the context of the ongoing proceedings before Italian courts and elsewhere. It finds such attitudes opaque and unduly dismissive of the necessity to devise legal peace in the interest of the victims and of the integrity of international law. Section III highlights how the behaviour of the governments so far was at odds with the successful outcome of other intergovernmental negotiations concerning reparations for crimes committed during World War II (WWII), a process which has not been entirely finalized, as evidenced by the 2014 Agreement between the US and France on compensation for the French railroad deportees who were excluded from prior French reparation programmes. The Agreement between the US and France and all previous similar arrangements were concluded under mounting pressure of litigation before domestic courts against those states (and/or their companies) that were responsible for unredressed WWII crimes, thus a situation resembling the current state of the dispute between Germany and Italy. It is telling that litigation ended when the courts took cognizance of the stipulation of intergovernmental agreements establishing fair mechanisms for compensating the plaintiffs and victims of the relevant crimes. Such practice, therefore, is essentially in line with the proposition that state immunity (for human rights violations) is essentially conditional on effective alternative remedies for the victims. This and other controversial aspects related to the law of state immunity—such as the nature of state immunity, the North American remedies against immunity for state sponsors of terrorism, and the persistent dynamism of pertinent practice—are revisited in section IV. The purpose is to suggest that certainty about the law of international immunities, as allegedly flowing from the 2012 ICJ Judgment, is more apparent than real and that this consideration should a fortiori urge the realization of legal peace in the German–Italian affair.
New $$ \mathcal{N} $$ = (0, 4) AdS3 near-horizons in Type IIB
Authors: Faedo Federico , Lozano Yolanda , Petri Nicolò
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We construct new families of $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= (0, 4) AdS3 × S2 × $$ {\tilde{S}}^2 $$

S
˜

2

× S1 backgrounds fibred over a 2d Riemann surface in Type IIB string theory. These solutions are obtained by extracting the near-horizon limit of D3-brane box configurations, consisting of D3-D5-NS5 branes ending on D5′-NS5′ background branes. We relate our families of solutions to previous AdS3 × S2 × CY2 and AdS3 × S3 × S2 solutions to Type IIA recently constructed in the literature. We construct explicit 2d quiver CFTs associated to the D3-brane box configurations, and check that the central charges match the holographic result. We extend our solutions to include D7-branes, and show that a subclass of these solutions can be interpreted in terms of D3-D5-NS5 defect branes embedded in a 5d fixed point theory. This is explicitly realised by linking our solutions to a 6d domain wall that asymptotes locally the AdS6 × S2 × Σ2 solution T-dual to the Brandhuber-Oz vacuum.
Heavy-flavor hadro-production with heavy-quark masses renormalized in the $$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$, MSR and on-shell schemes
Authors: Garzelli M. V. , Kemmler L. , Moch S. , Zenaiev O.
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We present predictions for heavy-quark production at the Large Hadron Collider making use of the $$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

MS
¯

and MSR renormalization schemes for the heavy-quark mass as alternatives to the widely used on-shell renormalization scheme. We compute single and double differential distributions including QCD corrections at next-to-leading order and investigate the renormalization and factorization scale dependence as well as the perturbative convergence in these mass renormalization schemes. The implementation is based on publicly available programs, MCFM and xFitter, extending their capabilities. Our results are applied to extract the top-quark mass using measurements of the total and differential $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

production cross-sections and to investigate constraints on parton distribution functions, especially on the gluon distribution at low x values, from available LHC data on heavy-flavor hadro-production.
Nucleon momentum fraction, helicity and transversity from 2+1-flavor lattice QCD
Authors:   Nucleon Matrix Elements (NME) collaboration, Mondal Santanu , Gupta Rajan , Park Sungwoo , Yoon Boram , Bhattacharya Tanmoy , Joó Bálint , Winter Frank
Published: April 2021

Abstract

A detailed analysis of the systematic uncertainties in the calculation of the isovector momentum fraction, 〈x〉u − d, helicity moment, 〈x〉Δu − Δd, and the transversity moment, 〈x〉δu − δd, of the nucleon is presented using high-statistics data on seven ensembles of gauge configurations generated by the JLab/W&M/LANL/MIT collaborations using 2 + 1-flavors of dynamical Wilson-clover quarks. The much higher statistics have facilitated better control over all systematics compared to previous lattice calculations. The least understood systematic — excited-state contamination — is quantified by studying the variation of the results as a function of different estimates of the mass gap of the first excited state, obtained from two- and three-point correlation functions, and as a function of the pion mass Mπ. The final results are obtained using a simultaneous fit in the lattice spacing a, pion mass Mπ and the finite volume parameter MπL keeping leading order corrections. The data show no significant dependence on the lattice spacing and some evidence for finite-volume corrections. Our final results, in the $$ \overline{\mathrm{MS}} $$

MS
¯

scheme at 2 GeV, are 〈x〉u − d = 0.155(17)(20), 〈x〉Δu − Δd = 0.183(14)(20) and 〈x〉δu − δd = 0.220(18)(20), where the first error is the overall analysis uncertainty assuming excited-state contributions have been removed, and the second is an additional systematic uncertainty due to possible residual excited-state contributions. These results are consistent with phenomenological global fit values.
Exact holographic RG flows in extended SUGRA
Authors: Anabalón A. , Astefanesei D. , Choque D. , Gallerati A. , Trigiante M.
Published: April 2021

Abstract

We present a family of exact planar hairy neutral black hole solutions in extended supergravity with Fayet-Iliopoulos (FI) terms. We consider a model where the magnetic part of FI sector vanishes and obtain the superpotential at finite temperature in analytic form. Then, we discuss the thermodynamics and some holographic properties of these solutions. We regularize the action by two different methods, one with gravitational and scalar counterterms and the other using the thermal superpotential as a counterterm, and compute the holographic stress tensor. We also construct the c-function of the corresponding RG flow and obtain an exact holographic β-function for this model.