bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benefits of diffusion-weighted imaging in pediatric acute osteoarticular infections
Authors: Habre Céline , Botti Paul , Laurent Méryle , Ceroni Dimitri , Toso Seema , Hanquinet Sylviane
Published: April 2022

Background

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended for the diagnosis of acute osteoarticular infections in children. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) may be an alternative to the injection of gadolinium.

Objective

To evaluate unenhanced MRI with DWI in comparison to contrast-enhanced MRI for the diagnostic work-up of acute osteoarticular infections in children.

Materials and methods

This retrospective study included 36 children (age range: 7 months-12 years) with extra-spinal osteoarticular infections and MRI performed within 24 h of admission. MRI protocol included short tau inversion recovery (STIR), water-only T2 Dixon, T1, DWI, and gadolinium-enhanced T1 sequences. Two readers reviewed three sets of images: 1) unenhanced sequences, 2) unenhanced sequences with DWI and 3) unenhanced followed by contrast-enhanced sequences (reference standard). Sensitivity and specificity of sets 1 and 2 were compared to set 3 and assessed to identify osteoarticular infections: osteomyelitis (long bones, metaphyseal equivalents), septic arthritis and abscess (soft tissues, bone).

Results

All 14 cases of osteomyelitis in the metaphyses and diaphyses of long bones and all 27 cases of septic arthritis were identified by unenhanced sequences, but 4/16 abscesses were missed. For the diagnosis of abscess, DWI increased sensitivity to 100%. Among the 18 osteomyelitis in metaphyseal equivalents, 4 femoral head chondroepiphyses were identified by contrast-enhanced sequences only.

Conclusion

MRI for suspected pediatric acute osteoarticular infections is the best diagnostic modality to guide patient management. An unenhanced protocol with DWI may be an alternative to a contrast-based protocol, even in the presence of an abscess. However, gadolinium remains necessary to assess for chondroepiphyseal involvement of the femoral head.
CardiSort: a convolutional neural network for cross vendor automated sorting of cardiac MR images
Authors: Lim Ruth P. , Kachel Stefan , Villa Adriana D. M. , Kearney Leighton , Bettencourt Nuno , Young Alistair A. , Chiribiri Amedeo , Scannell Cian M.
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To develop an image-based automatic deep learning method to classify cardiac MR images by sequence type and imaging plane for improved clinical post-processing efficiency.

Methods

Multivendor cardiac MRI studies were retrospectively collected from 4 centres and 3 vendors. A two-head convolutional neural network (‘CardiSort’) was trained to classify 35 sequences by imaging sequence (n = 17) and plane (n = 10). Single vendor training (SVT) on single-centre images (n = 234 patients) and multivendor training (MVT) with multicentre images (n = 434 patients, 3 centres) were performed. Model accuracy and F1 scores on a hold-out test set were calculated, with ground truth labels by an expert radiologist. External validation of MVT (MVTexternal) was performed on data from 3 previously unseen magnet systems from 2 vendors (n = 80 patients).

Results

Model sequence/plane/overall accuracy and F1-scores were 85.2%/93.2%/81.8% and 0.82 for SVT and 96.1%/97.9%/94.3% and 0.94 MVT on the hold-out test set. MVTexternal yielded sequence/plane/combined accuracy and F1-scores of 92.7%/93.0%/86.6% and 0.86. There was high accuracy for common sequences and conventional cardiac planes. Poor accuracy was observed for underrepresented classes and sequences where there was greater variability in acquisition parameters across centres, such as perfusion imaging.

Conclusions

A deep learning network was developed on multivendor data to classify MRI studies into component sequences and planes, with external validation. With refinement, it has potential to improve workflow by enabling automated sequence selection, an important first step in completely automated post-processing pipelines.

Key Points

• Deep learning can be applied for consistent and efficient classification of cardiac MR image types.

• A multicentre, multivendor study using a deep learning algorithm (CardiSort) showed high classification accuracy on a hold-out test set with good generalisation to images from previously unseen magnet systems.

• CardiSort has potential to improve clinical workflows, as a vital first step in developing fully automated post-processing pipelines.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in oncological patients: long-term oncological outcome analysis of the treatment of subcutaneous venous access device scars in 89 breast cancer patients
Authors: Eichler Christian , Üner Jens , Thangarajah Fabinshy , Radosa Julia , Zinser Max , Fischer Lotta Ada , Puppe Julian , Warm Matthias , Malter Wolfram , Lenz Caroline
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is widely used product, and meta-analyses showed this product to be beneficial when applied to a wound area. This study group has already demonstrated increased patient satisfaction and lower complication rates in breast cancer patients who received PRP after removal of their subcutaneous venous access device. This work is a follow-up analysis focusing on oncologic safety. Currently, there is no long-term data on the use of PRP products in cancer patients available yet.

Methods

Between the years 2012–2016, venous access device removal was supported with the application of Arthrex ACP® (Autologous Conditioned Plasma)—a PRP product to improve the wound-healing process. All surgeries were performed in the breast cancer center of the municipal hospital of Cologne, Holweide, Germany. 35 patients received an application of Arthrex ACP® after port removal compared to the control group of 54 patients. Endpoints were local recurrence-free, distant recurrence-free as well as overall survival.

Results

Median follow-up was 45 months. No (0) adverse events were shown for cancer recurrence within the subcutaneous venous access device scar area. Thus, there seems to be no local oncogenic potential of the PRP product. All other endpoints as well as any-cause death numerically favor PRP use.

Conclusion

PRP products such as Arthrex ACP® seem to be oncological inert when applied after removal of subcutaneous access devices. This is the first study providing long-term data about overall survival, distant recurrence-free and local recurrence-free survival after applying PRP in high-risk cancer patients.
Immunohistochemical assessment of PD-L1 expression using three different monoclonal antibodies in triple negative breast cancer patients
Authors: Schmidt Gilda , Guhl Margit Maria , Solomayer Erich-Franz , Wagenpfeil Gudrun , Hammadeh Mohammed Eid , Juhasz-Boess Ingolf , Endrikat Jan , Kasoha Mariz , Bohle Rainer Maria
Published: April 2022

Background

PD-L1 receptor expression in breast cancer tissue can be assessed with different anti-human PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies. The performance of three specific monoclonal antibodies in a head-to-head comparison is unknown. In addition, a potential correlation of PD-L1 expression and clinico-pathological parameters has not been investigated.

Methods

This was a retrospective study on tissue samples of patients with histologically confirmed triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). PD-L1 receptors were immune histochemically stained with three anti-human PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies: 22C3 and 28-8 for staining of tumor cell membranes (TC) and cytoplasm (Cyt), SP142 for immune cell staining (IC). Three different tissue samples of each patient were evaluated separately by two observers in a blinded fashion. The percentage of PD-L1 positive tumor cells in relation to the total number of tumor cells was determined. For antibodies 22C3 and 28-8 PD-L1 staining of 0 to < 1% of tumor cells was rated "negative", 1–50% was rated "positive" and > 50% was rated "strong positive". Cyt staining was defined as “negative” when no signal was observed and as “positive”, when any positive signal was observed. For IC staining with SP142 all samples with PD-L1 expression ≥ 1% were rated as “positive”. Finally, the relationship between PD-L1 expression and clinico-pathological parameters was analyzed.

Results

Tissue samples from 59 of 60 enrolled patients could be analyzed. Mean age was 55 years. Both the monoclonal antibodies 22C3 and 28-8 had similar properties, and were positive for both TC in 13 patients (22%) and for Cyt staining in 24 patients (40.7%). IC staining with antibody SP142 was positive in 24 patients (40.7%), who were also positive for Cyt staining. The differences between TC and Cyt staining and TC and IC staining were significant (p = 0.001). Cases with positive TC staining showed higher Ki67 expression compared to those with negative staining, 40 vs 30%, respectively (p = 0.05). None of the other clinico-pathological parameters showed any correlation with PDL1 expression.

Conclusions

Antibodies 22C3 and 28-8 can be used interchangeably for PD-L1 determination in tumor cells of TNBC patients. Results for Cyt staining with 22C3 or 28-8 and IC staining with SP142 were identical. In our study PD-L1 expression correlates with Ki67 expression but not with OS or DFS.
Validation of a quantitative lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA)-based point-of-care (POC) rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies
Authors: Pieri Massimo , Nicolai Eleonora , Nuccetelli Marzia , Sarubbi Serena , Tomassetti Flaminia , Pelagalli Martina , Minieri Marilena , Terrinoni Alessandro , Bernardini Sergio
Published: April 2022

With the widespread use of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, a rapid and reliable method to detect SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is extremely important for monitoring vaccine effectiveness and immunity in the population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of the RapiRead™ reader and the TestNOW™ COVID-19 NAb rapid point-of-care (POC) test for quantitative measurement of antibodies against the spike protein receptor-binding domain of severe respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in different biological matrices compared to chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) methods. Ninety-four samples were collected and analyzed using a RapiRead™ reader and TestNOW™ COVID-19 NAb kits for detecting neutralizing antibodies, and then using two CLIAs. The data were compared statistically using the Kruskal-Wallis test for more than two groups or the Mann-Whitney test for two groups. Specificity and sensitivity were evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Good correlation was observed between the rapid lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) test system and both CLIA methods. RapiRead™ reader/TestNOW™ COVID-19 NAb vs. Maglumi: correlation coefficient (r) = 0.728 for all patients; r = 0.841 for vaccinated patients. RapiRead™ reader/TestNOW™ COVID-19 NAb vs. Mindray: r = 0.6394 in all patients; r = 0.8724 in vaccinated patients. The time stability of the POC serological test was also assessed considering two times of reading, 12 and 14 minutes. The data revealed no significant differences. The use of a RapiRead™ reader and TestNOW™ COVID-19 NAb assay is a quantitative, rapid, and valid method for detecting SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and could be a useful tool for screening studies of SARS-CoV-2 infection and assessing the efficacy of vaccines in a non-laboratory context.
The lived experience of gender dysphoria in autistic young people: a phenomenological study with young people and their parents
Authors: Cooper Kate , Butler Catherine , Russell Ailsa , Mandy William
Published: April 2022

Gender dysphoria is distress in relation to incongruence between an individual’s gender and sex assigned at birth. Gender clinics offer support for gender dysphoria, and there is a higher prevalence of autism in young people attending such clinics than in the general population. We aimed to investigate the lived experiences of autistic young people who have experienced gender dysphoria, and their parents, using a multi-perspectival IPA design. Young autistic people aged 13–17 years (n = 15), and their parents (n = 16), completed in-depth interviews about the young person’s experience of gender dysphoria. We analysed each individual transcript to generate individual themes, and for each of the dyads, developed themes which acknowledged the similarities and differences in parent–child perspectives. The first superordinate theme was coping with distress which had two subordinate themes; understanding difficult feelings and focus on alleviating distress with external support. This theme described how young people were overwhelmed by negative feelings which they came to understand as being about gender incongruence and looked to alleviate these feelings through a gender transition. The second superordinate theme was working out who I am which had two subordinate themes: the centrality of different identities and needs and thinking about gender. This theme described how young people and their parents focused on different needs; while young people more often focused on their gender-related needs, parents focused on autism-related needs. We conclude that young people and parents may have different perspectives and priorities when it comes to meeting the needs of autistic young people who experience gender dysphoria.
Generating repairs for inconsistent models
Authors: Marchezan Luciano , Kretschmer Roland , Assunção Wesley K. G. , Reder Alexander , Egyed Alexander
Published: April 2022

There are many repair alternatives for resolving model inconsistencies, each involving one or more model changes. Enumerating them all could overwhelm the developer because the number of possible repairs can grow exponentially. To address this problem, this paper focuses on the immediate cause of an inconsistency. By focusing on the cause, we can generate a repair tree with a subset of repair actions focusing on fixing this cause. This strategy identifies model elements that must be repaired, as opposed to additional model elements that may or may not have to be repaired later. Furthermore, our approach can provide an ownership-based filter for filtering repairs that modify model elements not owned by a developer. This filtering can further reduce the repair possibilities, aiding the developer when choosing repairs to be performed. We evaluated our approach on 24 UML models and four Java systems, using 17 UML consistency rules and 14 Java consistency rules. The evaluation data contained 39,683 inconsistencies, showing our approach’s usability as the repair trees sizes ranged from five to nine on average per model. Also, these repair trees were generated in 0.3 seconds on average, showing our approach’s scalability. Based on the results, we discuss the correctness and minimalism with regard to the cause of the inconsistency. Lastly, we evaluated the filtering mechanism, showing that it is possible to further reduce the number of repairs generated by focusing on ownership.
Trade and welfare effects of a potential free trade agreement between Japan and the United States
Authors: Walter Timo
Published: April 2022

This paper addresses the trade and welfare implications of a bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and Japan. In 2019, the two countries signed a “stage one” trade agreement, with the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA) and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement as two small trade agreements. A comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) is currently under discussion between Washington and Tokyo, with the U.S. government alternatively joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Based on the theoretical model of Caliendo and Parro (Rev Econ Stud, 82(1):1–44, 2015) , I analyze the welfare gains of such a bilateral FTA in the style of Aichele et al. (Where is the value added? China’s WTO entry, trade and value chains, ZBW-Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Leibniz, 2014). I simulate trade and welfare impacts for the USJTA and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement, as well as for a deep bilateral FTA. In addition, I examine and compare the welfare implications of the established CPTPP with the scenario of the U.S. or China joining CPTPP. My findings show that Japan’s welfare increases by 0.3% and U.S. welfare increases by 0.14% as a result of the FTA. Welfare of both countries would increase if the U.S. entered CPTPP, with Japanese welfare being even higher if China acceded to CPTPP.
Gender-Egalitarian Attitudes and Assortative Mating by Age and Education
Authors: Trimarchi Alessandra
Published: April 2022

In the last decades, conventional patterns of assortative mating have been challenged by changes in the gender-gap in education. In many countries, educationallyhypogamousunions (i.e. the woman is more educated than the man) now outnumberhypergamousunions (i.e. the man is more educated than the woman). The extent to which such structural changes have also been accompanied by gender egalitarian attitudes has not yet been investigated. This paper fills the gap by focusing on both age and educational assortative mating, using data from wave 1 and 2 of the Generations and Gender Surveys for 6 European countries. I investigate the role of gender-role attitudes of single men and women, measured in the first wave, on their age and educational assortative mating outcomes observed in the second wave. To this aim, I applied multinomial logistic regressions, and used as reference outcome categoryremaining singlein the second wave. Compared to non-egalitarian men, I found that men holding gender-egalitarian views are more likely to form hypogamous unions instead of remaining single, in terms of both age and educational assortative mating. Egalitarian women are more likely than non-egalitarian women to form age-hypogamous unions instead of remaining single, but they are less likely to form educationally hypogamous unions. I discuss the implications of these results in relation to the convergence of mating preferences between men and women.
Sudden excitations of harmonic normal modes
Authors: Aldazabal I. , Nagy I.
Published: April 2022

The N-harmonium boson system, i.e., a completely integrable model of N particles where both the external confinement and the two-particle interaction are harmonic, is investigated under the action of sudden time-dependent perturbation. This quench-like external perturbation of confinement has a quadrupolar space-character. The time-independent transition probabilities, which characterize the impact of quench as average occupation numbers, form a complete distribution in the sense of probability theory. The quench-generated energy shift $$\Delta E$$

Δ
E

in the correlated many-body system, and a purity-type Rényi entropy $$S_{\alpha =2}$$

S

α
=
2

are calculated. Challenging reinterpretations of such an energy change in terms of variables of a classical thermodynamical system of $$N(N-1)/2$$

N
(
N
-
1
)
/
2

pairs are given as well. As in the case of the ground-state correlated system, an entropy could characterize a global link to energetically optimized independent-particle models.
Aircraft landing planning under uncertain conditions
Authors: Vié Marie-Sklaerder , Zufferey Nicolas , Leus Roel
Published: April 2022

Aircraft Landing Planning is challenging because the inherently limited capacity of airport runways causes bottlenecks. This type of planning involves different stakeholders (e.g., airlines, air traffic services providers, airport authorities, and passengers) and faces various uncertainties (e.g., take-off time variability, or wind speeds). This study, conducted in collaboration with the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), proposes a mathematical formulation of the problem and a simulation framework that accounts for uncertainties. We also propose different solution methods: a descent and a tabu search, as well as a mechanism for guiding restarts, to diversify the search process. These methods provide, in our simulated environment, more effective and stable solutions than the popular first-come-first-served practice regarding three objective functions (namely, delay, fuel, and landing sequence stability), which are considered lexicographically. Indeed, the average delays and fuel costs are reduced by 50% and 10%, respectively, at the cost of a small number of landing-sequence modifications, as each flight is repositioned an average of 0.5 times. Moreover, the computations can be performed quickly, which is crucial because re-optimization needs to be done online when flight information is updated.
The catalytic thermo-oxidative decomposition of glimepiride using the isoconversional method
Authors: Riyaz Najamus Sahar , Badran Ismail
Published: April 2022

Applying the isoconversional method to data obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) can provide vital kinetic information. In this work, the thermal decomposition and oxidation of the antidiabetic drug glimepiride is analyzed in the presence of N2and O2. The study was done with and without metal oxide catalysts to explore their potential application in solid wastewater upgrading. The analysis was conducted using thermogravimetric analysis. The isoconversional methods of Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose and Friedman were used to estimate the effective activation energies as a function of the extent of conversion (α). Density functional calculations were used to estimate the bond dissociation energies in glimepiride. TheEavalues obtained from the Friedman method and the DFT calculations indicate an initial S–N bond breaking in glimepiride. The pre-exponential factor (A) and the kinetic triplet (ΔH‡, ΔS‡, and ΔG‡) are also discussed. When glimepiride oxidation was studied in the presence of the metal oxides, the catalyst activity was found to follow the order$${\text{VO}}_{{2}} > {\text{ CuO }} > {\text{ MnO}}_{{2}} > {\text{ Al}}_{{2}} {\text{O}}_{{3}} > {\text{ TiO}}_{{2}}$$VO2>CuO>MnO2>Al2O3>TiO2.
Levels of skills and predictive patterns of reading comprehension in bilingual children with an early age of acquisition
Authors: Gunnerud Hilde Lowell , Foldnes Njål , Melby-Lervåg Monica
Published: April 2022

Bilingualism appears to be related to poor language and reading comprehension in the instructional language (L2). However, in the long term, an early age of second language acquisition (AoA) may produce higher levels of second language skills than a later onset of L2 exposure. Most studies on school-aged second language learners (L2 learners) include children with 3–7 years of second language (L2) exposure. We compared 91 early bilingual (Norwegian and a variety of different native languages) 5th graders with 196 monolingual peers on a range of linguistic skills and their relationships with reading comprehension. All bilingual learners in the sample had been exposed to the instructional language by at least the age of 2. The results, using structural equation modelling and latent variables, show that early bilingual learners’ vocabulary, listening comprehension, and reading comprehension are significantly lower than those of monolingual learners. Nevertheless, they have similar levels of knowledge of conjunctions and decoding skills and corresponding predictive patterns from linguistic skills to reading comprehension. We discuss the implications of the findings.
Comparing panic alarm systems for high-risk domestic abuse victims: a randomised controlled trial on prevention and criminal justice system outcomes
Authors: Hodgkinson William , Ariel Barak , Harinam Vincent
Published: April 2022

Background

The use of panic alarm systems for victims of domestic abuse is becoming increasingly popular. However, tests of these devices are rare. Consequently, it is presently unknown whether domestic abuse offenders are deterred by warning stickers informing them that a panic alarm system is installed on the premises, or whether alarm systems reduce domestic abuse recidivism. There is also a lack of data regarding whether adding an audio-recording feature to the panic alarm results in more prosecutions of domestic abuse offenders compared to standard panic alarm systems. Measuring the efficacy of warning stickers and audio recordings will enhance understanding of the overall effectiveness of panic alarm systems for domestic abuse.

Methods

This study used a pre-test-post-test, control group design, in which 300 eligible high-risk domestic abuse victims in London, UK, were randomly allocated to either a standard panic alarm system or a panic alarm system with audio-recording capabilities and a red warning sticker on a durable, A6-size sign displayed at eye level at the entrance to the premises. Each sticker was well lit to ensure maximum visibility. The gain scores of multiple measures at 6 months prior and 6 months post-randomisation were used to assess the treatment effects (including the number of calls for service, recorded crimes, and harm score), and a negative binomial generalised linear model was utilised to estimate the likelihood of criminal charges for domestic abuse offenders in the two systems.

Outcomes

Pre-post comparisons of recidivism suggested an overall reduction in both treatment arms, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two types of alarm systems across these crime measures. Nevertheless, the estimation model indicated a significant 57% increase in charges using the audio-recording alarm relative to the standard panic alarm system.

Conclusions

Using deterrent stickers to warn domestic abuse offenders of panic alarm systems does not lead to a reduction in subsequent harm to victims. Compared to ordinary panic alarms for high-risk domestic abuse victims, audio-recording systems provide valuable evidence that increases subsequent charges, and thus, these systems should be explored further.
Authoritarian leadership styles and performance: a systematic literature review and research agenda
Authors: Pizzolitto Elia , Verna Ida , Venditti Michelina
Published: April 2022

Although authoritarian leadership styles are often associated with negative performance, work climate deterioration, increased power distance, and centralized control, contradictory empirical evidence has emerged in the literature. In this paper, we perform a systematic literature review with three aims: (1) understand the effects of authoritarian leadership styles on performance, (2) study the temporal and geographical evolution of the scientific debate, and (3) establish a research agenda for the future. The results show that in the last two decades, the interest for the field has shifted from Western to Eastern countries. Moreover, many authors encourage leaders to increase or decrease their degree of authoritarian leadership depending on the context to more effectively connect leadership with performance. Therefore, leadership should be studied in light of a more complex approach that considers hybrid leadership styles and their effects on performance. Finally, we discuss our study’s limitations and managerial implications.
Genotype-by-Environment Interaction for Quantitative Trait Loci Affecting Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Associated Traits in Potato
Authors: Getahun Baye Berihun , Tiruneh Mulugeta Atnaf , Aliche Ernest , Malossetti Marcos , Visser Richard GF , van der Linden C Gerard
Published: April 2022

Deciphering the genetic basis of complex traits like nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) requires understanding the genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction and linking physiological functions and agronomic traits to DNA markers. Multi-environment experiments were conducted in different environments representing low and high nitrogen levels combined with rain-fed and irrigation production conditions at three different locations in Ethiopia: Debre-Tabor, Injibara and Koga, in 2013 and 2015. The objectives of the study were to determine the G × E interaction and stability of genotypes for NUE of potato and to identify markers associated with NUE and NUE-related agronomic and physiological traits in potato under these diverse environments. Data were analyzed using GenStat, and genotype plus the genotype and environment (GGE) biplot model; the marker-trait associations were discovered using the R-software package GWASpoly. The analysis of variance that included location and production system had estimates for genotype variance (σ2g) that were low compared with the estimates for environment variance (σ2e) and genotype-by-environment interaction variance (σ2ge) for most measured traits at both N levels. The GGE analysis identified two mega-environments that coincided with the two production systems. The high N level environments both at Debre-Tabor and Injibara, and the low N environment at Koga, respectively, were the most suitable environments for discriminating the potato cultivars and being representative test environments for NUE evaluation in the rain-fed mega-environment and irrigation mega-environment. A total of 77 marker trait associations were identified for NUE and NUE-related agronomic and physiological traits. Multi-trait genomic regions that harbored significant marker-trait associations for NUE and NUE-related traits were found on chromosomes III, V and VI. The effect of production season was greater than the effect of N levels on QTL × environment interaction for most NUE-related traits.
Thermal Spraying of Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics: A Review on Processing Routes and Performance
Authors: Lynam A. , Romero A. Rincon , Xu F. , Wellman R. W. , Hussain T.
Published: April 2022

Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are materials defined as having melting points over 3000 °C and withstand temperatures beyond 2000 °C without losing functionality. As service environments become even more extreme, such materials will be needed for the next generation of aeronautic vehicles. Whether it is atmospheric re-entry or sustained hypersonic flight, materials with resistance to extreme temperature will be in demand. Due to the size and shape limitations encountered by current processing methods of bulk UHTCs research of UHTC coatings, specifically thermal spray UHTC coatings, is accelerating. This paper first presents a general summary of UHTC properties, followed by a comprehensive summary of the processing routes and microstructures of current UHTC thermal spray coatings. Then, a detailed review of the oxidation and ablation resistance of UHTC thermal spray coatings is outlined. Finally, potential avenues for the development of new UHTC coating compositions are explored.
Epoxy functionalized iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles for catalase enzyme covalent immobilization
Authors: Ali Ali O. , Ali Korany A. , Shahein Yasser E. , Shokeer Abeer , Sharada Hayat M. , Abdalla Mohga S.
Published: April 2022

An aqueous solution of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles was synthesized using the method of co-precipitation. The nanoparticles were activated with epichlorohydrin for covalently immobilizing the catalase enzyme. The immobilization conditions were optimized as 0.07 mg/ml catalase for 1 h contact time. The properties of free and immobilized catalase were also investigated. The immobilized enzyme showed enhanced activity at alkaline pH and retained about 90% of its relative activity between pH (6–8) and resisted the high temperature and retained 90% of its relative activity at 50 °C. Kinetic parameters of free and immobilized catalase were investigated. While the Vmax value of the immobilized enzyme was reduced 2.4 fold compared to the free enzyme, the KM value of the immobilized catalase was higher by 2.2 fold than the free enzyme. The formulated matrix enhanced the velocity of the immobilized catalase more than the free one and was able to be used for about 18 cycles with retention of 80% of its activity. The immobilized catalase on epoxy functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles is promising as a nano-bio-catalyst carrying out in many industries and different fields.
Hiding Behind Machines: Artificial Agents May Help to Evade Punishment
Authors: Feier Till , Gogoll Jan , Uhl Matthias
Published: April 2022

The transfer of tasks with sometimes far-reaching implications to autonomous systems raises a number of ethical questions. In addition to fundamental questions about the moral agency of these systems, behavioral issues arise. We investigate the empirically accessible question of whether the imposition of harm by an agent is systematically judged differently when the agent is artificial and not human. The results of a laboratory experiment suggest that decision-makers can actually avoid punishment more easily by delegating to machines than by delegating to other people. Our results imply that the availability of artificial agents could provide stronger incentives for decision-makers to delegate sensitive decisions.
By the hand of the smelter: tracing the impact of decision-making in bloomery iron smelting
Authors: Stepanov Ivan S. , Sauder Lee , Keen Jake , Workman Vanessa , Eliyahu-Behar Adi
Published: April 2022

Slag analyses from archaeological iron smelting sites are common. Rigorous analyses of iron and slag from successful experimental smelting, however, are still rare. Furthermore, thorough analyses from a series of smelts, and of the slag produced in different phases of the smelt, are exceedingly rare. The present study investigates the effect of an iron smelter’s decision-making and skills on the products of the smelting process: iron and slag. Four smelting experiments were carried out in a shaft furnace with slag tapping using iron ores from the Southern Levant. Using various analytical techniques, including portable X-ray fluorescence, optical and electron microscopy, metallography, and hardness tests enabled us to correlate the properties of the final products with adjustment of various parameters during the smelting process. The latter include airflow and charging rate, temperature, residence time in the reducing zone, ore-charcoal ratio, and control of the slag characteristics. Results obtained allowed us to empirically demonstrate the direct impact of decisions made by the smelter during the complex technological practice of bloomery smelting. Analysis also highlights the benefits of moderately reducing conditions controlled by the smelter to produce good-quality, low-carbon iron, which is particularly relevant within the geological setting of the Southern Levant.
Adams-Bohart, Yoon-Nelson, and Thomas modeling of the fix-bed continuous column adsorption of amoxicillin onto silver nanoparticle-maize leaf composite
Authors: Omitola Odunola B. , Abonyi Matthew N. , Akpomie Kovo G. , Dawodu Folasegun A.
Published: April 2022

This study focused on the use of a fix-bed column in the removal of amoxicillin from an aqueous solution by the application of silver nano-based adsorbents. The silver nanoparticle and nanocomposite were produced by a green synthetic approach. Column adsorption was performed at a flow rate of 5.88 mL/min, bed height of (5.0–7.0 cm), and amoxicillin concentration of 20–40 mg/L. Adsorption data were fitted to Thomas, Adams-Bohart, and Yoon-Nelson models. The color change from light yellow to dark brown showed that silver ions have been reduced to silver atoms. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showed the characteristic silver peak of the nano-adsorbents at 3.0 keV containing 57.29% silver in the synthesized silver nanoparticle. Analysis of silver nanoparticles-maize leaf composite revealed its pore distribution to be uneven with an average pore size of 7.44 nm. The data were best fitted to the Thomas model more than Adams-Bohart and Yoon-Nelson’s models. Thomas’s model showed that an increase in concentration and flow rate led to an increase in qo (maximum adsorption capacity) and kTH (Thomas rate constant), However, the increase in bed height led to a decrease in both qo and kTH. The correlation coefficients were in the range 0.6528–0.9797. The results revealed that the silver nanoparticles-maize leaf combo is suitable for the continuous adsorption of amoxicillin in aqueous media with the best performance at a lower concentration, higher bed height, and flow rate.
Immunological Mechanisms in Allergic Contact Dermatitis
Authors: Rustemeyer Thomas
Published: April 2022

Purpose of the review

The understanding of the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) has increased dramatically.

Recent findings

Besides CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, other cell types such as innate lymphoid cells, natural killer T cells (NKT), natural killer cells, and T regulatory cells have emerged as crucial key players. New immunological insights have unravelled that the predominant effector cell type determines the clinical pictures. Hence, a better understanding of the involvement of distinct effector cells has shed light on the diversity of ACD reactions and subsequent clinical pictures. Another new perspective has arisen in the elicitation phase. Here, Langerhans cells can play a role in the development of immune tolerance and not, as previously thought, exclusively in the allergen-driven hypersensitivity reaction. B cells also appear to play an important role in triggering ACD by secreting IgM antibodies in response to interleukin (IL)-4 produced by NKT cells, leading to complement activation and chemotaxis of immune cells.

Allergic contact dermatitis is a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction triggered by skin contact with the chemical of interest in individuals previously sensitised to the same or a chemically related substance. The understanding of the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of allergic contact dermatitis has improved considerably. In addition to CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, other cell types such as natural killer T cells (NKT) and regulatory T cells have emerged as important participants. The binding of haptens is the first step in the development of allergic contact dermatitis. Haptens are low molecular weight (mostly <500 Dalton) chemicals that are able to penetrate the stratum corneum of the skin or can enter the body upon systemic administration. Haptens are not immunogenic per se but can be effectively recognised by the immune system after binding to a protein carrier. In the clinically inapparent sensitisation phase, Langerhans cells and dendritic cells initiate an adaptive immune response by capturing and processing antigens and presenting them to naïve T cells in the paracortical regions of the lymph nodes. In the elicitation phase, the clinical manifestations of allergic contact dermatitis are the result of a T cell-mediated inflammatory response that occurs in the skin upon re-exposure to the bite and is mediated by the activation of bite-specific T cells in the skin or other organs.
The influence of skill-based policies on the immigrant selection process
Authors: Macaluso Mariele
Published: April 2022

Understanding the type of immigration flow that maximises the expected economic benefits in the destination countries is one of the main debated topics both in the economic literature and in policy agendas worldwide. In recent years, governments have developed regulations of migration flows by adopting some form of selective immigration policy based on either human capital criteria or skill needs. Admission policies in the destination countries are likely to affect the direction and magnitude of selection as well as the socio-economic performance of immigrants. However, the relationship between quality-selective policy and immigrants’ skill composition remains largely unexplored. This paper aims to survey the existing literature on how selective-immigration policies shape the characteristics of immigrants from the receiving-country perspective. First, it introduces the main route of admissions and the theoretical models to understand how the direction of selection works; second, it discusses the theoretical models; third, it reviews the empirical works. A final concluding section briefly points out the actual findings and future avenues of work.
Comparisons and predictions of intercity population migration propensity in major urban clusters in China: based on use of the Baidu index
Authors: Li Huihui , Xiao Zhouyan
Published: April 2022

The development of the Internet and big data have made it possible to study population migration and flow between cities. This study analyzes the probability of the population migration propensity of China’s three major urban clusters, identifies the direction of population movements, and uses Markov chains to predict the probability of population migration propensity moving forward in order to assess the intercity population migration trends of urban clusters in the future. Internet search engine data is used, and a population migration propensity intensity model is used for calculations. The results show that the Pearl River Delta urban cluster and the Yangtze River Delta urban clusters are areas of active population migration, and that intercity population migration is a part of this activity. Intercity population migration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban cluster is not as active as it is in the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta urban cluster. Although the physical distance between Beijing and surrounding cities is relatively small, the correlation degree of migration propensity is not high. In the future, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Zhoushan in the Yangtze River Delta urban cluster; Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Huizhou, and Zhongshan in the Pearl River Delta urban cluster; and Tianjin in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban cluster will be the main destinations of China’s population migration.
Convolutional signature for sequential data
Authors: Min Ming , Ichiba Tomoyuki
Published: April 2022

Signature is an infinite graded sequence of statistics known to characterize geometric rough paths. While the use of the signature in machine learning is successful in low-dimensional cases, it suffers from the curse of dimensionality in high-dimensional cases, as the number of features in the truncated signature transform grows exponentially fast. With the idea of Convolutional Neural Network, we propose a novel neural network to address this problem. Our model reduces the number of features efficiently in a data-dependent way. Some empirical experiments including high-dimensional financial time series classification and natural language processing are provided to support our convolutional signature model.
Modifying a Smectite using Organic Nutrients to Enhance its Efficacy at Removing Aflatoxin B1 from Corn Fermentation Solution
Authors: Alam Sabrina Sharmeen , Deng Youjun
Published: April 2022

Aflatoxins in contaminated corn do not degrade in corn fermentation solution (CFS) during biofuel production; rather, they are enriched in the co-product, dried distillers grain. Aflatoxin B1 (AfB1) is the most toxic form of all aflatoxins. Removing AfB1 from CFS is desirable to minimize its toxicity to animals. Smectites can adsorb AfB1 from aqueous solutions and, therefore, inactivate the toxin, but proteins in CFS inhibit the adsorption of AfB1 by smectites. The current study aimed to minimize the interference by CFS in adsorption of AfB1 on smectite by modifying a calcium-smectite (Ca-3MS) with a small nutritive organic compound, e.g. carnitine, choline, arginine, histidine, or tryptophan. The organo-smectites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and adsorption of AfB1 in CFS by these composites was examined. Various degrees of intercalation of the organic nutrients into the smectites were observed with XRD and FTIR. After immersing the smectite and organo-smectites in the CFS, the d001 values of Ca-3MS expanded to ~1.82 nm due to protein interaction, but the organo-smectites were confined to ~1.39 nm, which indicated that the protein had limited access to the organo-smectite interlayers. The IR bands at ~1652, 1544, 1538, and 1454 cm–1 from the organo-smectites revealed, however, that complete protein inhibition was not achieved. The organo-smectites were capable of adsorbing AfB1 in simple aqueous solution with maximal adsorption capacity up to 0.55 mol kg–1. Significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) AfB1 adsorption was achieved by choline- and carnitine-modified smectites compared with the original Ca-3MS in the presence of competing protein (pepsin) in simple aqueous solution. In real CFS, both AfB1 adsorption capacities (Qmax) and affinities (K) by all organo-smectites were greater (Qmax = up to 0.45 mol kg–1 and K = up to 0.165 μM–1) than those by Ca-3MS (Qmax = 0.22 mol kg–1 and K = 0.031 μM–1). The study suggested that using smectites modified with an organic nutritive compound could be an effective, economical, and safe strategy for removing mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, during biofuel production.
Circ_0005576 Exerts an Oncogenic Role in Cervical Cancer via miR-1305-Dependent Regulation of PAIP1
Authors: Wang Yajing , Du Fang , Xie Zongyuan , Lai Junhao , Li Yuanjie , Xu Yongping , Tong Rui
Published: April 2022

Cervical cancer (CC) is a leading cause of high morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are considered to be essential regulators of various cancers, including CC. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role and mechanism of circ_0005576 in CC progression. The levels of circ_0005576, miR-1305, and poly(A)-binding protein-interacting protein 1 (PAIP1) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) or western blot assay. The stability and location of circ_0005576 were determined by ribonuclease R (RNase R) assay and subcellular fractionation distribution assay, respectively. Cell proliferation was evaluated by CCK-8 assay, EDU incorporation assay, and colony formation assay. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by transwell assay. The interactions between miR-1305 and circ_0005576 or PAIP1 were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The protein expression of cyclin D1, vimentin, and matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9) was tested by western blot. Moreover, mice xenograft models were constructed to analyze tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0005576 and PAIP1 were upregulated, while miR-1305 was downregulated in CC tissues and cells. Circ_0005576 was a stable circRNA that was mainly distributed in the cytoplasm of cells. Knockdown of circ_0005576 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CC cells, while the silence of miR-1305 facilitated the development of CC cells. Meanwhile, circ_0005576 could sponge miR-1305 to promote PAIP1 expression. Furthermore, PAIP1 overexpression relieved the influence of circ_0005576 silence on the growth of CC cells. Additionally, circ_0005576 silence hindered CC tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0005576 depletion suppressed tumor development in CC by regulating the miR-1305/PAIP1 axis, suggesting that circ_0005576 might be a potential biomarker for CC treatment.