bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paediatric narcolepsy: a review of diagnosis and management
Authors: Blackwell Jane Elizabeth , Kingshott Ruth N , Weighall Anna , Elphick Heather E , Nash Hannah
Published: May 2021

Narcolepsy is a chronic disabling neurological sleep disorder that requires lifelong treatment. We have outlined the clinical features of narcolepsy, the assessment and diagnosis process and have summarised the existing treatment options for children and adolescents with narcolepsy. In the future, the approach to management of paediatric narcolepsy should ideally be in a multidisciplinary setting, involving specialists in sleep medicine, sleep physiology, neurologists and psychologists/psychiatrists. A multidisciplinary approach will help to manage the potential impact of narcolepsy on children and adolescents who are in a stage of their life that is critical to their physical, emotional and social development and their academic attainment.
Use of repurposed and adjuvant drugs in hospital patients with covid-19: multinational network cohort study
Authors: Prats-Uribe Albert , Sena Anthony G , Lai Lana Yin Hui , Ahmed Waheed-Ul-Rahman , Alghoul Heba , Alser Osaid , Alshammari Thamir M , Areia Carlos , Carter William , Casajust Paula , Dawoud Dalia , Golozar Asieh , Jonnagaddala Jitendra , Mehta Paras P , Gong Mengchun , Morales Daniel R , Nyberg Fredrik , Posada Jose D , Recalde Martina , Roel Elena , Shah Karishma , Shah Nigam H , Schilling Lisa M , Subbian Vignesh , Vizcaya David , Zhang Lin , Zhang Ying , Zhu Hong , Liu Li , Cho Jaehyeong , Lynch Kristine E , Matheny Michael E , You Seng Chan , Rijnbeek Peter R , Hripcsak George , Lane Jennifer CE , Burn Edward , Reich Christian , Suchard Marc A , Duarte-Salles Talita , Kostka Kristin , Ryan Patrick B , Prieto-Alhambra Daniel
Published: May 2021

Objective

To investigate the use of repurposed and adjuvant drugs in patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 across three continents.

Design

Multinational network cohort study.

Setting

Hospital electronic health records from the United States, Spain, and China, and nationwide claims data from South Korea.

Participants

303 264 patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 from January 2020 to December 2020.

Main outcome measures

Prescriptions or dispensations of any drug on or 30 days after the date of hospital admission for covid-19.

Results

Of the 303 264 patients included, 290 131 were from the US, 7599 from South Korea, 5230 from Spain, and 304 from China. 3455 drugs were identified. Common repurposed drugs were hydroxychloroquine (used in from <5 (<2%) patients in China to 2165 (85.1%) in Spain), azithromycin (from 15 (4.9%) in China to 1473 (57.9%) in Spain), combined lopinavir and ritonavir (from 156 (<2%) in the VA-OMOP US to 2,652 (34.9%) in South Korea and 1285 (50.5%) in Spain), and umifenovir (0% in the US, South Korea, and Spain and 238 (78.3%) in China). Use of adjunctive drugs varied greatly, with the five most used treatments being enoxaparin, fluoroquinolones, ceftriaxone, vitamin D, and corticosteroids. Hydroxychloroquine use increased rapidly from March to April 2020 but declined steeply in May to June and remained low for the rest of the year. The use of dexamethasone and corticosteroids increased steadily during 2020.

Conclusions

Multiple drugs were used in the first few months of the covid-19 pandemic, with substantial geographical and temporal variation. Hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, lopinavir-ritonavir, and umifenovir (in China only) were the most prescribed repurposed drugs. Antithrombotics, antibiotics, H2 receptor antagonists, and corticosteroids were often used as adjunctive treatments. Research is needed on the comparative risk and benefit of these treatments in the management of covid-19.
Distress Thermometer in breast cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Sun Huihui , Lv Huimin , Zeng Huiai , Niu Limin , Yan Min
Published: May 2021

Objective

This meta-analysis aimed to reach a summarised estimate of distress prevalence screened by Distress Thermometer (DT) among patients with breast cancer and compare different pooled prevalence estimated between different subgroups.

Methods

Two independent interviewers conducted a systematic search from PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid and Cochrane Library and checked related reviews and meta-analyses for eligible studies. The studies that identified distress of patients with breast cancer with DT were included. After extracting demographic characteristics and distress prevalence, the pooled analysis and the forest plot were completed by using STATA V.12.0 software. We conducted a subgroup analysis based on demographic and methodological characteristics of the studies. The publication bias was estimated by funnel plot.

Results

Seventeen studies describing 3870 patients with breast cancer were included in this meta-analysis. The distress prevalence of patients with breast cancer varied from 25.3% to 71.7% among these studies. The pooled distress prevalence was 50% (95% CI 49% to 52%) for the overall sample. The pooled distress prevalence rates in DT ≥7, DT ≥5 and DT ≥4 subgroups were 37% (95% CI 35% to 40%), 45% (95% CI 40% to 49%) and 62% (95% CI 60% to 65%), respectively. The distress prevalence had statistically significant differences between subgroups, which were differentiated by the initial time of distress identified, papers’ publication time, patients’ average age and country. There was no publication bias among the included studies.

Conclusion

The distress prevalence was high among patients with breast cancer. Routine and timely screening of distress for patients with breast cancer is of great significance in oncology management.
Human and preclinical studies of the host–gut microbiome co-metabolite hippurate as a marker and mediator of metabolic health
Authors: Brial François , Chilloux Julien , Nielsen Trine , Vieira-Silva Sara , Falony Gwen , Andrikopoulos Petros , Olanipekun Michael , Hoyles Lesley , Djouadi Fatima , Neves Ana L , Rodriguez-Martinez Andrea , Mouawad Ghiwa Ishac , Pons Nicolas , Forslund Sofia , Le-chatelier Emmanuelle , Le Lay Aurélie , Nicholson Jeremy , Hansen Torben , Hyötyläinen Tuulia , Clément Karine , Oresic Matej , Bork Peer , Ehrlich Stanislav Dusko , Raes Jeroen , Pedersen Oluf Borbye , Gauguier Dominique , Dumas Marc-Emmanuel
Published: May 2021

Objective

Gut microbial products are involved in regulation of host metabolism. In human and experimental studies, we explored the potential role of hippurate, a hepatic phase 2 conjugation product of microbial benzoate, as a marker and mediator of metabolic health.

Design

In 271 middle-aged non-diabetic Danish individuals, who were stratified on habitual dietary intake, we applied1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of urine samples and shotgun-sequencing-based metagenomics of the gut microbiome to explore links between the urine level of hippurate, measures of the gut microbiome, dietary fat and markers of metabolic health. In mechanistic experiments with chronic subcutaneous infusion of hippurate to high-fat-diet-fed obese mice, we tested for causality between hippurate and metabolic phenotypes.

Results

In the human study, we showed that urine hippurate positively associates with microbial gene richness and functional modules for microbial benzoate biosynthetic pathways, one of which is less prevalent in theBacteroides2 enterotype compared with Ruminococcaceae orPrevotellaenterotypes. Through dietary stratification, we identify a subset of study participants consuming a diet rich in saturated fat in which urine hippurate concentration, independently of gene richness, accounts for links with metabolic health. In the high-fat-fed mice experiments, we demonstrate causality through chronic infusion of hippurate (20 nmol/day) resulting in improved glucose tolerance and enhanced insulin secretion.

Conclusion

Our human and experimental studies show that a high urine hippurate concentration is a general marker of metabolic health, and in the context of obesity induced by high-fat diets, hippurate contributes to metabolic improvements, highlighting its potential as a mediator of metabolic health.
Five-year outcomes following left ventricular assist device implantation in England
Authors: Bottle Alex , Faitna Puji , Aylin Paul P , Cowie Martin R
Published: May 2021

Objective

Implant rates of mechanical circulatory supports such as left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) have steadily increased in the last decade. We assessed the utility of administrative data to provide information on hospital use and outcomes.

Methods

Using 2 years of national hospital administrative data for England linked to the death register, we identified all patients with an LVAD and extracted hospital activity for 5 years before and after the LVAD implantation date.

Results

In the two index years April 2011 to March 2013, 157 patients had an LVAD implanted. The mean age was 50.9 (SD 15.4), and 78.3% were men. After 5 years, 92 (58.6%) had died; the recorded cause of death was noncardiovascular in 67.4%. 42 (26.8%) patients received a heart±lung transplantation. Compared with the 12 months before implantation, the 12 months after but not including the month of implantation saw falls in total inpatient and day case admissions, a fall in admissions for heart failure (HF), a rise in non-HF admissions, a fall in emergency department visits not ending in admission and a rise in outpatient appointments (all per patient at risk). Postimplantation complications were common in the subsequent 5 years: 26.1% had a stroke, 23.6% had a device infection and 13.4% had a new LVAD implanted.

Conclusions

Despite patients’ young age, their mortality is high and their hospital use and complications are common in the 5 years following LVAD implantation. Administrative data provide important information on resource use in this patient group.
Differences in stem form and bark anomalies of northern red oak trees in forest stands in Canada and Germany
Authors: Burkardt Katharina , Ammer Christian , Seidel Dominik , Vor Torsten
Published: May 2021

Northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) wood is valuable for a variety of applications not only in its natural distribution range in North America but also in Europe. Timber quality and stem diameter largely determine timber prices and respective uses. Silvicultural management is key to influencing tree growth and stem quality. In Germany, crop tree thinning is currently the standard treatment, while in Canada the shelterwood system is common practice. The objective of this study was to compare stem characteristics related to stem quality of northern red oaks from Canada with those from Germany to determine effects of different silvicultural treatments on stem quality. We examined stem characteristics from a total of 150 dominant northern red oaks in Canadian and German forest stands using the terrestrial laser scanning approach. Northern red oak stems in Canada (shelterwood system) were significantly straighter, whereas German stems (crop tree thinning approach) were significantly smoother on the surface and rounder on the upper parts of the stems (height 4–8 m). The number of bark anomalies decreased with increasing tree competition, indicating that competition is the main driver influencing external stem form and the occurrence or persistence of bark anomalies.
Testing CPT violation, entanglement and gravitational interactions in particle mixing with trapped ions
Authors: Capolupo Antonio , Giampaolo Salvatore Marco , Quaranta Aniello
Published: May 2021

By analyzing the analogies between the effective system of N spins described by the Ising Hamiltonian and the phenomenon of the self-gravity in mixed particle systems, we show that cooled ions held in a segmented ion trap and exposed to a magnetic field gradient can simulate the proposed mechanism of mutual interaction in mixed neutrino system. We show that with trapped ions one can reproduce the expected corrections to the flavor transitions and the CPT violation induced by gravity on flavor fields, which may have played an important role in the early stages of the universe. The results presented are experimentally testable.
Roadmap on dynamics of molecules and clusters in the gas phase
Authors: Zettergren Henning , Domaracka Alicja , Schlathölter Thomas , Bolognesi Paola , Díaz-Tendero Sergio , Łabuda Marta , Tosic Sanja , Maclot Sylvain , Johnsson Per , Steber Amanda , Tikhonov Denis , Castrovilli Mattea Carmen , Avaldi Lorenzo , Bari Sadia , Milosavljević Aleksandar R. , Palacios Alicia , Faraji Shirin , Piekarski Dariusz G. , Rousseau Patrick , Ascenzi Daniela , Romanzin Claire , Erdmann Ewa , Alcamí Manuel , Kopyra Janina , Limão-Vieira Paulo , Kočišek Jaroslav , Fedor Juraj , Albertini Simon , Gatchell Michael , Cederquist Henrik , Schmidt Henning T. , Gruber Elisabeth , Andersen Lars H. , Heber Oded , Toker Yoni , Hansen Klavs , Noble Jennifer A. , Jouvet Christophe , Kjær Christina , Nielsen Steen Brøndsted , Carrascosa Eduardo , Bull James , Candian Alessandra , Petrignani Annemieke
Published: May 2021

This roadmap article highlights recent advances, challenges and future prospects in studies of the dynamics of molecules and clusters in the gas phase. It comprises nineteen contributions by scientists with leading expertise in complementary experimental and theoretical techniques to probe the dynamics on timescales spanning twenty order of magnitudes, from attoseconds to minutes and beyond, and for systems ranging in complexity from the smallest (diatomic) molecules to clusters and nanoparticles. Combining some of these techniques opens up new avenues to unravel hitherto unexplored reaction pathways and mechanisms, and to establish their significance in, e.g.  radiotherapy and radiation damage on the nanoscale, astrophysics, astrochemistry and atmospheric science.

Graphic abstract
Energy Efficient Beacon-Enabled IEEE 802.15.4 Guaranteed Time Slot-Based Adaptive Duty Cycle Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Tolani Manoj , Sunny  , Singh Rajat Kumar
Published: May 2021

In this work, energy-efficient adaptive duty cycle guaranteed time slot algorithm is proposed for beacon-enabled standard medium access control protocol to efficiently handle low, medium and high data traffic loads. The proposed protocol can efficiently handle high traffic load by effective utilization of slots. The protocol can dynamically update the number of slots for contention access period and contention free period in each beacon interval. Therefore, it can capably handle high network load condition. The protocol continuously monitors the utilization capacity of each of the sensor node and allots the contention free period slots to the needy nodes based on their utilization capacity. Simulation analysis is done for three different scenarios. The performance of the proposed protocol is compared with the other existing protocols. Simulation results show the overall superiority of our proposed algorithm in terms of packet delivery and energy consumption.
Secret Key-Based Image Steganography in Spatial Domain
Authors: Gajabe Rajashree , Ali Syed Taqi
Published: May 2021

Day by day, the requirement for secure communication among users is rising in a digital world, to protect the message from the undesirable users. Steganography is a methodology that satisfies the user’s necessity of secure communication by inserting a message into different formats. This paper proposes a secret key-based image steganography to secure the message by concealing the grayscale image inside a cover image. The proposed technique shares the 20 characters long secret key between two clients where the initial eight characters of a secret key are utilized for bit permutation of characters and pixels while the last 12 characters of secret key decide the encryption keys and position of pixels of a grayscale image into the cover. The grayscale image undergoes operation such as encryption and chaotic baker followed by its hiding in a cover to form a stego image. The execution of the proposed strategy is performed on Matlab 2018. It shows that the proposed approach manages to store the maximum message of size 16[Formula: see text]KB into the cover of size [Formula: see text]. The image quality of stego images has been evaluated using PSNR, MSE. For a full payload of 16[Formula: see text]KB, PSNR is around 51[Formula: see text]dB to 53[Formula: see text]dB which is greater than satisfactory PSNR.
Analysis of simultaneous inpainting and geometric separation based on sparse decomposition
Authors: Do Van Tiep , Levie Ron , Kutyniok Gitta
Published: May 2021

Natural images are often the superposition of various parts of different geometric characteristics. For instance, an image might be a mixture of cartoon and texture structures. In addition, images are often given with missing data. In this paper, we develop a method for simultaneously decomposing an image to its two underlying parts and inpainting the missing data. Our separation–inpainting method is based on an [Formula: see text] minimization approach, using two dictionaries, each sparsifying one of the image parts but not the other. We introduce a comprehensive convergence analysis of our method, in a general setting, utilizing the concepts of joint concentration, clustered sparsity, and cluster coherence. As the main application of our theory, we consider the problem of separating and inpainting an image to a cartoon and texture parts.
Optimization Assisted Convolutional Neural Network for Sentiment Analysis with Weighted Holoentropy-based Features
Authors: Krishnan Hema , Elayidom M. Sudheep , Santhanakrishnan T.
Published: May 2021

Analyzing and gathering the people’s reactions on product trading, public services, etc. are crucial. Sentiment analysis (also termed as opinion mining) is a usual dialogue preparing act that plans on discovering the sentiments after opinions in texts on changing subjects. This research work adopts a novel sentiment analysis approach that comprises six phases like (i) Pre-processing, (ii) Keyword extraction and its sentiment categorization, (iii) Semantic word extraction, (iv) Semantic similarity checking, (v) Feature extraction, and (vi) Classification. Accordingly, the Mongodb documented tweets initially underwent pre-processing with stop word removal, stemming, and blank space removal. Regarding the extracted keywords, the existing semantic words are derived after categorizing the sentiment of keywords. Additionally, the semantic similarity score is evaluated along with their keywords. The subsequent step is feature extraction, where the Holoentropy features such as cross Holoentropy and joint Holoentropy are formulated. Along with this, the extraction of weighted holoentropy features is the major work, where weight is multiplied with the holoentropy features. Moreover, in order to enhance the performance of classification results, the constant term utilized in evaluating the weight function is optimized. For this optimal tuning, a new, improved algorithm termed as Self Adaptive Moth Flame Optimization (SA-MFO) is introduced, which is the adaptive version of MFO algorithm. For classification, this paper aims to use the Deep Convolutional Neural network (DCNN), where the batch size is fine-tuned using the same SA-MFO algorithm. Finally, the performance of the proposed work is compared over other conventional models with respect to different performance measures.
Patents as a Competitive Advantage? Analysis of the German Watch Manufacturer Junghans
Authors: Stolz Katharina
Published: May 2021

This paper investigates the relevance of patents as a competitive advantage with regard to the luxury industry. Within the framework of an explorative research design, more than two thousand patents were analyzed, using the international patent classification (IPC) to cluster those patents. The analysis shows that the sole ownership of patents as a resource is not sufficient to achieve business success. In addition, the findings suggest a two-sided relevance of patents within the luxury goods industry as two main groups can be identified: First, traditional manufacturers focusing more on craftmanship, secrecy, and tradition than on novelties and patents. Second, large business groups and high technology businesses dominating the IPC group G04 and emphasizing on the latest technology as well as on patents. Furthermore, the internationalization is also reflected in the patent applications: European patents within category G04 have gained in importance over the last 20 years, while national patents have declined.
Concircularity on GRW-space-times and conformally flat spaces
Authors: Deshmukh Sharief , Al-Dayel Ibrahim
Published: May 2021

There are two smooth functions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] associated to a nontrivial concircular vector field [Formula: see text] on a connected Riemannian manifold [Formula: see text], called potential function and connecting function. In this paper, we show that presence of a timelike nontrivial concircular vector field influences the geometry of generalized Robertson–Walker space-times. We use a timelike concircular vector field [Formula: see text] on an [Formula: see text] -dimensional connected conformally flat Lorentzian manifold, [Formula: see text], to find a characterization of generalized Robertson–Walker space-time with fibers Einstein manifolds. It is interesting to note that for [Formula: see text] the concircular vector field annihilates energy-momentum tensor and also that in this case the potential function [Formula: see text] is harmonic. In the second part of this paper, we show that presence of a nontrivial concircular vector field [Formula: see text] with connecting function [Formula: see text] on a complete and connected [Formula: see text] -dimensional conformally flat Riemannian manifold [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], with Ricci curvature [Formula: see text] non-negative, satisfying [Formula: see text], is necessary and sufficient for [Formula: see text] to be isometric to either a sphere [Formula: see text] or to the Euclidean space [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the scalar curvature.
Degenerations of Jordan Algebras and “Marginal” Algebras
Authors: Gorshkov Ilya , Kaygorodov Ivan , Popov Yury
Published: May 2021

We describe all degenerations of the variety [Formula: see text] of Jordan algebras of dimension three over [Formula: see text]. In particular, we describe all irreducible components in [Formula: see text]. For every [Formula: see text] we define an [Formula: see text]-dimensional rigid “marginal” Jordan algebra of level one. Moreover, we discuss marginal algebras in associative, alternative, left alternative, non-commutative Jordan, Leibniz and anticommutative cases.
Modules of the Intermediate Series over Not-finitely Graded Lie Algebras W(Γ)
Authors: Wu Yadi , Yue Xiaoqing
Published: May 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be a class of not-finitely graded Lie algebras related to generalized Virasoro algebras with basis [Formula: see text], which satisfies relations [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. In this paper, [Formula: see text]-modules of the intermediate series satisfying some conditions are constructed and classified. We also obtain modules of the intermediate series over the related Lie superalgebra.
Speaker Identification and Its Application to Social Network Construction for Chinese Novels
Authors: Jia Yuxiang , Dou Huayi , Cao Shuai , Zan Hongying
Published: May 2021

Character is one of the three elements of a novel, and conversation is an important way to describe characters. The personality, emotion, and interpersonal relationships of characters are reflected in conversations. Thus, extracting conversations, speakers and other conversation elements from novels are crucial for character analysis and content understanding. We start with Jin Yong’s novels, annotate the largest Chinese corpus for speaker identification with 9721 quotes, and analyze language styles of different characters based on quotes. We then propose a machine learning-based speaker identification method, and design feature templates that show a good performance. For the application of speaker identification, we construct the social network of characters in Jin Yong’s novels based on dialog chain, which lays the foundation for the analysis of the relationship between characters in novels.
Impact of a northern-hemispherical cryosphere on late Pliensbachian–early Toarcian climate and environment evolution
Authors: Ruebsam Wolfgang , Schwark Lorenz
Published: May 2021

The historical view of an equable Jurassic greenhouse world has been challenged by recent studies documenting recurrent alternation between contrasting climate modes. Cooling of high-latitudinal areas may have been caused by orogenic processes at the northern margin of the Tethys Ocean that reduced heat transport towards the polar regions. Warm phases correlate to periods of intensified volcanism. The Jenkyns Event occurred during the transition from a late Pliensbachian icehouse into an early Toarcian greenhouse. Parallel evolution of different environmental processes, including sea level, climate and carbon cycle, indicate a causal mechanism tied to astronomical forcing. Insolation-controlled variations in the extent of the cryosphere (ice caps and permafrost) facilitated orbitally paced sea-level cycles via waxing and waning of the polar ice caps, and negative carbon isotope excursions via the release of cryosphere-bound
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C-enriched carbon. This review and synthesis of sedimentological, geochemical and palaeontological palaeoenvironment indicators, and of simulations from climate models, aims to reconstruction, in particular, the high-latitudinal environmental conditions of late Pliensbachian–early Toarcian times. Focus is laid on the extent of the regions that were potentially suitable for hosting a cryosphere. An environmental response to cryosphere dynamics is considered to have been a key component of the Jenkyns Event.
Machine Learning Vulnerability Analysis of FPGA-based Ring Oscillator PUFs and Counter Measures
Authors: Hazari Noor Ahmad , Oun Ahmed , Niamat Mohammed
Published: May 2021

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) exploit the manufacturing process variations inherent in silicon-based chips to generate unique secret keys. Although PUFs are supposed to be unclonable or unbreakable, researchers have found that they are vulnerable to machine learning (ML) attacks. In this article, we analyze the vulnerability of different FPGA-based Ring Oscillator PUFs (ROPUFs) to machine learning attacks. The challenge-response pairs (CRPs) data obtained from different ROPUFs is trained using different machine learning algorithms. From the study, it is found that the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models can be used to train the ROPUFs with a training accuracy of 99.9% and a prediction accuracy of 62% when 5,000 CRPs are used for a

challenge-response ROPUF. In this article, we assume a realistic situation where a small set of the CRP dataset (approximately 15% maximum) is unscrupulously obtained by the hacker. A prediction accuracy of 62% makes the PUF vulnerable to machine learning attacks. Therefore, a secondary goal of this article is the design of a ROPUF capable of thwarting machine learning modeling attacks. The modified XOR-inverter ROPUF drastically reduces the prediction accuracy from 62% to 13.1%, thus making it increasingly difficult for hackers to attack the ROPUF.
Timing-Optimized Hardware Implementation to Accelerate Polynomial Multiplication in the NTRU Algorithm
Authors: Camacho-Ruiz Eros , Sánchez-Solano Santiago , Brox Piedad , Martínez-Rodríguez Macarena C.
Published: May 2021

Post-quantum cryptographic algorithms have emerged to secure communication channels between electronic devices faced with the advent of quantum computers. The performance of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms on embedded systems has to be evaluated to achieve a good trade-off between required resources (area) and timing. This work presents two optimized implementations to speed up the NTRUEncrypt algorithm on a system-on-chip. The strategy is based on accelerating the most time-consuming operation that is the truncated polynomial multiplication. Hardware dedicated modules for multiplication are designed by exploiting the presence of consecutive zeros in the coefficients of the blinding polynomial. The results are validated on a PYNQ-Z2 platform that includes a Zynq-7000 SoC from Xilinx and supports a Python-based programming environment. The optimized version that exploits the presence of double, triple, and quadruple consecutive zeros offers the best performance in timing, in addition to considerably reducing the possibility of an information leakage against an eventual attack on the device, making it practically negligible.
Analytical Technologies for Liquid Biopsy of Subcellular Materials
Authors: Campos Camila D.M. , Childers Katie , Gamage Sachindra S.T. , Wijerathne Harshani , Zhao Zheng , Soper Steven A.
Published: May 2021

Liquid biopsy markers, which can be secured from a simple blood draw or other biological samples, are used to manage a variety of diseases and even monitor for bacterial or viral infections. Although there are several different types of liquid biopsy markers, the subcellular ones, including cell-free DNA, microRNA, extracellular vesicles, and viral particles, are evolving in terms of their utility. A challenge with liquid biopsy markers is that they must be enriched from the biological sample prior to analysis because they are a vast minority in a mixed population, and potential interferences may be present in the sample matrix that can inhibit profiling the molecular cargo from the subcellular marker. In this article, we discuss existing and developing analytical enrichment platforms used to isolate subcellular liquid biopsy markers, and discuss their figures of merit such as recovery, throughput, and purity.
Neoantigen Controversies
Authors: Castro Andrea , Zanetti Maurizio , Carter Hannah
Published: May 2021

Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized our ability to catalog the landscape of somatic mutations in tumor genomes. These mutations can sometimes create so-called neoantigens, which allow the immune system to detect and eliminate tumor cells. However, efforts that stimulate the immune system to eliminate tumors based on their molecular differences have had less success than has been hoped for, and there are conflicting reports about the role of neoantigens in the success of this approach. Here we review some of the conflicting evidence in the literature and highlight key aspects of the tumor–immune interface that are emerging as major determinants of whether mutation-derived neoantigens will contribute to an immunotherapy response. Accounting for these factors is expected to improve success rates of future immunotherapy approaches.
From the Editor: Global Warming – A Real Issue
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: May 2021

Back in 1997, more than 84 countries signed the Kyoto protocol, a treaty intended to cut anthropogenic releases of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In the ensuing years, opposition to this treaty has steadily grown, fueled in part by (a) scientific uncertainty as to whether global warming is real and whether humans are really contributing to the problem; (b) the notion that emission cutbacks will thwart economic progress; and (c) concerns about how the proposed limits on emissions are to be enforced in an equitable manner on developed versus developing countries on a worldwide basis.
From the Editor: Hot and Cold
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: May 2021

In formulating my thoughts for this piece, I was somehow reminded of the cyclical nature of science—something that Larry Faulkner referred to in his Acheson Award address (Interface, Winter 2000)—of how a given research field suddenly becomes “hot.”
From the Editor: A Nano Issue
Authors: Rajeshwar Krishnan
Published: May 2021

Well, we have finally jumped on the bandwagon of nanoscience and nanotechnology in bringing out a special issue on this topic! I read somewhere of how we have progressed from the Iron Age to the silicon age and now to the “molecular age.” Chemists, physicists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers have a golden opportunity to synthesize, characterize, and manipulate architectures at a molecular (nanoscopic) level.
From the President: A New World View
Authors: Talbot Jan B.
Published: May 2021

The juxtaposition of the ECS meeting held in San Francisco the first week in September and the events of the following week—with the terrorists attacks on September 11 and the turmoil since—is striking. It is difficult for me to reconcile my thoughts concerning these sets of events. This second joint meeting between ECS and the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE), attended by over 2,000 people, was the successful realization of several years of planning. It was also a unique and momentous experience for me to share leadership with another woman society president, Dr. Erica Kálmán, of ISE. The meeting exemplified not only international cooperation, but also equality of opportunity, regardless of culture, race, religion, and gender. The following week, terrorist violence shattered our sense of cooperation, security, and peace in the world.
Emerging Nanoscience and Functional Artificial Nanoarchitectures
Authors: Hupp Joe
Published: May 2021

Nanoscience and nanotechnology—not so long ago only futuristic, speculative ideas—are now vibrant real areas of scientific research and engineering development. The excitement, and the private and public investment to back it, comes from nothing less than the promise of revolutionary advances in medicine, communications, and other areas of contemporary technology. Why? The most obvious idea is that miniaturization—ultimately, to the nanometer scale—makes things faster.
Thermodynamic Activity Measurements with Knudsen Cell Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Copland Evan H. , Jacobson Nathan S.
Published: May 2021

Coupling the Knudsen effusion method with mass spectrometry has proven to be one of the most useful experimental techniques for studying the equilibrium between condensed phases and complex vapors. The Knudsen effusion method involves placing a condensed sample in a Knudsen cell, a small enclosure, that is uniformly heated and held until equilibrium is attained between the condensed and vapor phases.
Functional Nanostructured Molecular Materials
Authors: Hupp Joe , Nguyen SonBinh
Published: May 2021

There has been tremendous recent interest in the design and assembly of porous nanostructured materials. Synthetic approaches range from coordination-polymer formation to surfactant-templated alumino-silicate growth to semiconductor nanoparticle aggregation, while functions include chemical catalysis, chemical sensing, energy storage, and energy conversion.
Inhibition of Al Alloy Corrosion by Chromates
Authors: Frankel Gerald S. , McCreery Richard L.
Published: May 2021

So what’s the big deal about Al corrosion? A recent literature search indicated that about 45 papers have been published in J. Electrochem. Soc. alone over the past five years in the area of Al and Al alloy corrosion (not including work related to batteries and microelectronics). Numerous symposia on localized corrosion and light alloy corrosion have taken place over this time period with large numbers of presentations on the mechanisms of localized corrosion in structural Al alloys and its inhibition by chromates and environmentally friendly inhibitors. Interest in these topics has existed for a long time, but the recent flurry of activity was initiated by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) around 1996.
Electrochemists Enlisted in War: The Carbon Dioxide Reduction Battle (Global Warming)
Authors: Tryk Donald A. , Fujishima Akira
Published: May 2021

During the past two years or so, the topic of global warming has been heating up. It seems that not a day goes by when there is nothing in the newspaper or on the evening news about it. If there is an unseasonably hot day or unusual weather pattern, we often blame it on global warming.
Selectively Permeable Dendrimers as Molecular Gates
Authors: Perez Gregory P. , Crooks Richard M.
Published: May 2021

Polymeric materials are commonly used to control mass transfer between liquid phases and surfaces to prevent corrosion or to selectively pass ions in energy producing devices and chemical sensors. Polymers are also useful for enabling gas separations. Applications such as these are of tremendous importance to industry, and even modest improvements in performance can yield dramatic effects on the economic competitiveness of businesses and nations. It is not surprising, therefore, that scientists and engineers in academics, government laboratories, and industry dedicate substantial resources to the development of new polymeric materials that offer enhancements for small molecule discrimination.
Solid-State Electronic Conductivity Studies of Monolayer Protected Au Clusters
Authors: Wuelfing W. Peter
Published: May 2021

A Summary Report to The Electrochemical Society for the 2000 Edward G. Weston Summer Research Fellowship.
Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) of Electrochemically Generated Gradients of Organothiols on Gold
Authors: Balss Karin
Published: May 2021

A Summary Report to The Electrochemical Society for the 2001 Edward G. Weston Summer Research Fellowship.
Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy of Individual Living Cells
Authors: Liu Biao
Published: May 2021

A Summary Report to The Electrochemical Society for the 2000 Joseph W. Richards Summer Research Fellowship.
Efforts Toward the Electrochemical Cyclization of Unsaturated Anilides
Authors: Parrish Jon O.
Published: May 2021

A Summary Report to The Electrochemical Society for the 2001 F. M. Becket Summer Research Fellowship.
Investigation of the Chemical Reaction between Silver Electrodes and Transparent Conductive Oxide Films for the Improvement of Fill Factor of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells
Authors: Nishihara Tappei , Muramatsu Kazuo , Nakamura Kyotaro , Ohshita Yoshio , Yasuno Satoshi , Kanai Hiroki , Hara Yutaka , Hibino Yusuke , Kojima Haruki , Ogura Atsushi
Published: May 2021

We evaluated the fill factor (FF) degradation mechanism in silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cells with high mobility In2O3 film as a high carrier mobility transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film. In particular, we focused on the electrode formation using a high productive screen-printing technique. We found the In2O3 film is easier to be reduced than the traditional TCO such as tin-doped indium oxide (ITO). Thus, the Ag atom inside the electrode is easily oxidized during the cure annealing process and results in higher contact resistance at electrode/TCO interface and deteriorate FF characteristic. We introduced novel cation catalyst additive for paste polymerization which is less reactive with In2O3 and improve the contact resistance by suppressing the silver oxidation. We also demonstrated SHJ cell fabrication and prove the effect of the developed silver paste.
Facile Producing Single Phase CdO Films Prepared Using Thermal Evaporation via Optimizing Annealing Temperature: Their Application in Photodiodes
Authors: El-Khalawany L. M. , El-Menyawy E. M.
Published: May 2021

CdO powder is used to prepare films using high vacuum thermal deposition technique. The produced films are annealed at different temperatures in air atmosphere. Crystal structure identification reveals that the as–deposited films and annealed at 200 °C are composed of a mixture Cd and CdO phases. By annealing at 300 °C, CdO single phase is obtained. The surface morphology of the as-deposited and annealed films is investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope. Besides, the transmittance and reflectance spectra are measured and the optical band gap of different films is evaluated. The current–voltage characteristics of Al/CdO/InP/AuZn diodes based on CdO films are measured as a function of annealing temperature. Under illumination, the diodes show response to the light. The diode based on single phase CdO is exposed to different light intensity in which the mechanism of operation is found to be bimolecular recombination mechanism.
Dy3+ → Eu3+ Energy Transfer in SrLaGa3O7:Dy3+/Eu3+ Phosphors
Authors: Chen Houxian , Zuo Xianggang , Li Zhijian , Yang Yuguo
Published: May 2021

In the presented research, we prepared dysprosium(Ⅲ)/europium(Ⅲ) doped SrLaGa3O7 phosphors via the calcinations at 1400 °C for 3 h and researched their characteristics using X-ray diffraction and fluorescence spectrophotometer. The dysprosium (III) → europium(III) energy transfers were surveyed and the mechanisms were discussed. The reducing dysprosium(III) luminescence and lifetimes following the enhancements of europium(III) concentration confirm the existence of dysprosium(III) → europium(III) energy transfer. In this process, the quadrupole-quadrupole interaction plays the key role. Exciting at 365 nm, dysprosium(III)/europium(III) codoped SrLaGa3O7 phosphors provide tunable luminescence by reason of the energy transfer process.
Integrated Security System (ISS) Design and Evaluation for Commercial Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Hamadah Arafat. H. , Nagy Mohamed S. , Abou-Gabal Hanaa , El Mongy Sayed. A.
Published: May 2021

Physical security system, which is also called physical protection system, is very crucial in the nuclear industry for protecting staff, visitors, buildings, assets, and nuclear materials against theft, sabotage, and harmful activities. Theft of nuclear materials has a major impact on the essence of nuclear safeguards. Sabotage of a nuclear facility could endanger the public at large. Reviewing the published literature, it is found that there are no complete physical security system designs based on an integrated network of electronic devices that are devoted to commercial NPPs. And there is no definite evaluation factor that was set to approve such a system. This paper is an evolving solution to this deficiency by proposing an unpreceded integrated security system design applicable to a commonly structured physical layout of any commercial NPP. This proposal provides comprehensive security coverage for the NPP boundaries employing a high level of integration for all subsystems communicated via an IP data network controlled by central management software. This paper is proposing also testing procedures to be followed to evaluate the proposed design. The security system effectiveness will be calculated using mathematical codes by assuming external intrusion attack scenarios. Attributes of each attack scenario will be numerically introduced to the evaluation software EASI and ASSESS codes developed by Sandia Labs, USA. This paper also proposes a threshold value of such security system effectiveness which should be achieved by the commercial NPP security system to achieve the so-called security license.
Width Optimization of Array Electrode for Human Lung Electrical Resistance Tomography System Based on prior Knowledge
Authors: Xiao Liqing
Published: May 2021

In electrical resistance tomography (ERT) technology for human lung, under the same experimental conditions, the width of the sensitive field boundary electrode has a significant impact on the calculation accuracy of the inverse problem besides the finite element model (FEM) topology. Aiming to improve the quality of reconstructed images, the FEM for human lung was set up based on prior knowledge. On this basis, the electrode width of the FEM was optimised by comparing the morbidity degrees of the sensitivity matrix and Hessian matrix, the uniformity of sensitivity distribution, and the quality of reconstructed images, which can improve the accuracy of solving the inverse problem significantly.
Ehresmann Semigroups from a Range Restriction Viewpoint
Authors: Hajji Wadii
Published: May 2021

The first theorem in this article provides the connection between Ehresmann semigroups and range prerestriction semigroups defined by the author. By this connection, we can redefine any Ehresmann semigroups by two unary operations and eight axioms. This connection leads us to a generalization of Ehresmann’s theorem for a range prerestriction categories; as special cases, we obtain Ehresmann’s theorems for range restriction categories and for inverse categories.
Risk Factors for COVID-19 in Patients with Hypertension
Authors: Wang Xinxin , Zhang Haihua , Du Huan , Ma Ruina , Nan Yandong , Zhang Tao
Published: May 2021

Background. Hypertension, as the most common comorbidity for patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has resulted in cases with more severe symptoms and higher mortality. The risk factors associated with COVID-19 in patients with hypertension are unknown. Methods. All the available and confirmed patients with COVID-19 from February 3 to March 10, 2020, were enrolled from Huoshenshan Hospital, Wuhan, China. The demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory data, radiological assessments, and treatments on admission were extracted and compared. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to explore risk factors associated with COVID-19 in patients with hypertension and the severity of the cohort. Results. A total of 430 available patients with COVID-19 were enrolled in the study, including 151 eligible patients with COVID-19 and hypertension. After PSM analysis, 141 patients without hypertension and 141 cases with hypertension were well matched. Compared with cases without hypertension, patients with hypertension were more severe (28.4% vs. 12.1%,

p
=
0.001

). In multivariate analysis, we found that neutrophil count (OR: 1.471;

p
=
0.001

), coronary heart disease (OR: 5.281;

p
=
0.011

), and the level of K+ (OR: 0.273;

p
<
0.001

) were associated with patients with hypertension. In addition, the percentage of pulmonary infection volume was larger in cases with hypertension (4.55 vs. 5.8,

p
=
0.017

) and was a high risk factor for severe COVID-19 in patients with hypertension (OR: 1.084;

p
<
0.001

). Conclusion. On admission, coronary heart disease, neutrophil count, and the level of K+ were associated with COVID-19 patients with hypertension. The percentage of the pulmonary infection volume was significantly larger in COVID-19 patients with hypertension and was a risk factor for COVID-19 severity of the cohort.