bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A hybrid method for reduction of size and number of hues in the color images used in a carpet map
Authors: Cui Jingtao , Xu Haixia , Shi Lili
Published: June 2021

The carpet industry is no longer a small business done in the villages on a small scale; instead, it has carved an altogether different space, identity, and appreciation for itself in the cosmopolitan world. As computers are is becoming more and more ubiquitous, most industries, including the carpet industry, use computers for quality improvement, accuracy enhancement, speed development, and cost reduction purposes. Unlike traditional carpet maps, many modern maps include images of human faces for hand‐woven carpet tableau. These digital images comprise millions of colors and thousands of pixels, making it practically impossible to construct and weave the carpet in the same dimensions. Many weavers currently use manual and experience‐based methods for reducing the size and number of hues for making a hand‐woven carpet tableau map. Therefore, the outcomes are not the optimal results and can be improved. Also, many color reduction methods do not focus on the hand‐woven carpet tableau map. To overcome these problems and gaps, this research focuses on proposing a new automatic method for reducing the size of color images without compromising facial nuances, lessening the number of colors used while protecting the important areas of the images, and transforming those images into carpet tableau maps. The proposed approach inputs the original color image. It continuously detecting the face and specifying important areas, and finally, outputs carpet tableau map that is proportional to the given dimensions and color count. To evaluate the proposed method, MATLAB, as a powerful simulation tool, was employed. Final results are compared to the existing approaches in terms of face detection, size reduction, and color quantization. The obtained results have shown that the approach improves speed by 39% in face detection and increases the precision of size reduction and color quantization phases. The results have also confirmed that when images of human faces are reduced by a proposed method to form an appropriate image for tableau maps, they are nearly always perceived as more attractive than the reduced faces via traditional methods.
The impact of climate change on westernPlethodonsalamanders’ distribution
Authors: Nottingham Sir , Pelletier Tara A.
Published: June 2021

Aim

Given that salamanders have experienced large shifts in their distributions over time, we determined how each species ofPlethodonin the Pacific Northwest would respond to climate change. We incorporated several greenhouse scenarios both on a species‐by‐species basis, and also using phylogenetic groups, with the aim to determine the best course of action in managing land area to conserve diversity in this group.

Location

Pacific Northwest of the United States (northern CA, OR, WA, ID, and MT).

Major taxa studied

WesternPlethodonsalamanders.

Methods

Species distribution models were estimated using MaxEnt for the current time period and for several future climate scenarios using bioclimatic data layers. We used several methods to quantify the change in habitat suitability over time from the models. We explored aspects of the climate layers to determine whether we can expect a concerted response to climate change due to similarity in ecological niche or independent responses that could be harder to manage.

Results

The distribution of westernPlethodonsalamander species is strongly influenced by precipitation and less so by temperature. Species responses to climate change resulted in both increases and decreases in predicted suitable habitat, though most species ranges do not contract, especially when taken as a phylogenetic group.

Main conclusions

While some established habitats may become more or less climatically suitable, the overall distribution of species in this group is unlikely to be significantly affected. Clades ofPlethodonspecies are unlikely to be in danger of extirpation despite the possibility that individual species may be threatened as a result of limited distributions. Grouping species into lineages with similar geographic ranges can be a viable method of determining conservation needs. More biotic and dispersal information is needed to determine the true impact that changes in climate will have on the distribution ofPlethodonspecies.
A novel model to culture cells from giant cell tumor of bone using three‐dimensional (3D) polycaprolactone scaffold
Authors: Estrada‐Villaseñor Eréndira , Valdés‐Flores Margarita , Meneses‐García Abelardo , Silva‐Bermudez Phaedra , Pichardo‐Bahena Raul , Ostoa‐Saloma Pedro , Mercado‐Celis Gabriela , Delgado‐Cedillo Ernesto D. , Olivos‐Meza Anell , Landa‐Solís Carlos
Published: June 2021

Two‐dimensional (2D) culture of cells from giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is affected by loss of the multinucleated giant cells in subsequent passages. Therefore, there is limited time to study GCTB with all its histological components in 2D culture. Here, we explored the possibility of culturing GCTB cells on a polycaprolactone (PCL)‐printed scaffold. We also evaluated the viability of the cultured cells and their adherence to the PCL scaffold at day 14 days using immunofluorescence analysis with calcein, vinculin, and phalloidin. Using the histological technique with hematoxylin and eosin staining, we observed all the histological components of GCTB in this 3D model. Immunohistochemical assays with cathepsin K, p63, and receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)‐κB ligand (RANKL) yielded positive results in this construct, which allowed us to confirm that the seeded cells maintained the expression of GCTB markers. Based on these findings, we concluded that the PCL scaffold is an efficient model to culture GCTB cells, and the cell viability and adherence to the scaffold can be preserved for up to 14 days. Moreover, this model can also be used in subsequent studies to assess in vitro cell–cell interactions and antineoplastic efficacy of certain agents to establish a treatment against GCTB.
Municipal waste slag for dyes photocatalytic and metal recovery applications through structural analysis and experimental characterization
Authors: Ali Ahmed S. , Issa Shams A. M. , Zakaly Hesham M. H. , Rashad Mohamed , Khan Irfan , Zhang Bofan , Akiyama Kazuhiko , Kubuki Shiro , Tekin Huseyin Ozan
Published: June 2021

Municipal waste is an essential issue worldwide. The achievements in this field needs to be maximized to meet the increase in municipal waste generated every year. The challenge is to correlate municipal waste management systems to the high valued applications. The present work fills this gap by tracing the elemental analysis of municipal waste slag (MWS) over 10 months for the use of MWS as a visible light photocatalyst for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and the recovery of valuable metals. The compositions of 10 samples collected at different times have been evaluated using X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy for the major composition and photon activation analysis for the minor composition analysis. The degradation efficiency is controlled by the iron oxidation state and sample's basicity. For as collected slag the degradation is attributed to both Fenton and photo‐Fenton reaction while for the melted samples, the prominent reaction is photo‐Fenton. The best performing sample, 4‐M, shows a pseudo‐first‐order rate constant k of 1.5 × 10−1 min−1 for MB degradation after 20 minutes under a pH of 11 and 0.35 M of H2O2. This sample shows good stability after seven successive cycles.
Genome‐wide association analysis of serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase, and the modifying effects of BMI in 388k European individuals
Authors: Gao Chuan , Marcketta Anthony , Backman Joshua D. , O'Dushlaine Colm , Staples Jeffrey , Ferreira Manuel Allen Revez , Lotta Luca A. , Overton John D. , Reid Jeffrey G. , Mirshahi Tooraj , Regeneron Genetics Center  , Geisinger Regeneron Discovehr Collaboration  , Baras Aris , Abecasis Gonçalo , Shuldiner Alan R. , Van Hout Cristopher V. , McCarthy Shane
Published: June 2021

Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) are biomarkers for liver health. Here we report the largest genome‐wide association analysis to date of serum ALT and AST levels in over 388k people of European ancestry from UK biobank and DiscovEHR. Eleven million imputed markers with a minor allele frequency (MAF) ≥ 0.5% were analyzed. Overall, 300 ALT and 336 AST independent genome‐wide significant associations were identified. Among them, 81 ALT and 61 AST associations are reported for the first time. Genome‐wide interaction study identified 9 ALT and 12 AST independent associations significantly modified by body mass index (BMI), including several previously reported potential liver disease therapeutic targets, for example, PNPLA3, HSD17B13, and MARC1. While further work is necessary to understand the effect of ALT and AST‐associated variants on liver disease, the weighted burden of significant BMI‐modified signals is significantly associated with liver disease outcomes. In summary, this study identifies genetic associations which offer an important step forward in understanding the genetic architecture of serum ALT and AST levels. Significant interactions between BMI and genetic loci not only highlight the important role of adiposity in liver damage but also shed light on the genetic etiology of liver disease in obese individuals.
Dissociable theta networks underlie the switch and mixing costs during task switching
Authors: McKewen Montana , Cooper Patrick S. , Skippen Patrick , Wong Aaron S. W. , Michie Patricia T. , Karayanidis Frini
Published: June 2021

During task‐switching paradigms, both event‐related potentials and time‐frequency analyses show switch and mixing effects at frontal and parietal sites. Switch and mixing effects are associated with increased power in broad frontoparietal networks, typically stronger in the theta band (~4–8 Hz). However, it is not yet known whether mixing and switch costs rely upon common or distinct networks. In this study, we examine proactive and reactive control networks linked to task switching and mixing effects, and whether strength of connectivity in these networks is associated with behavioural outcomes. Participants (n = 197) completed a cued‐trials task‐switching paradigm with concurrent electroencephalography, after substantial task practice to establish strong cue‐stimulus–response representations. We used inter‐site phase clustering, a measure of functional connectivity across electrode sites, to establish cross‐site connectivity from a frontal and a parietal seed. Distinct theta networks were activated during proactive and reactive control periods. During the preparation interval, mixing effects were associated with connectivity from the frontal seed to parietal sites, and switch effects with connectivity from the parietal seed to occipital sites. Lateralised occipital connectivity was common to both switch and mixing effects. After target onset, frontal and parietal seeds showed a similar pattern of connectivity across trial types. These findings are consistent with distinct and common proactive control networks and common reactive networks in highly practised task‐switching performers.
Azobenzene: a Visible‐Light Chemical Actinometer for the Characterization of Fluidic Photosystems
Authors: Roseau Mélanie , De Waele Vincent , Trivelli Xavier , Cantrelle Francois Xavier , Penhoat Maël , Chausset‐Boissarie Laëtitia
Published: June 2021

(E)‐Azobenzene is introduced as a suitable chemical actinometer in the visible spectral range (440–540 nm) for photon flux determination of fluidic microphotoreactors or for assessing efficiency of visible light photo‐induced reactions, its evaluation is straightforward without tedious analytics. Photoisomerization quantum yields (ΦE→Z) of (E)‐azobenzene were accurately determined upon irradiation at several wavelengths and in different solvents based on well‐known diarylethene.
Employee engagement: Emerging insight of the millennial manufacturing workforce
Authors: Hurtienne Matthew W. , Hurtienne Laura E. , Kempen Madelyn
Published: June 2021

Millennial workers are increasingly becoming the largest population of workers in the U.S. workforce (Carter & Walker III, 2018), and the manufacturing sector is the fifth most common employment sector for millennials (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). Demographic shifts may alter employee values and beliefs, which can impact the need for performance and manufacturing leaders to discover the relationship between millennial views and employee engagement. This phenomenological study of millennial workers intended to discover what might impact employee engagement. This article describes five main themes that can have an impact on millennial engagement: acceptance, community, education, collaborative environment, and leadership.
Based on bioinformatics analysis lncrna SNHG5 modulates the function of vascular smooth muscle cells through mir‐205‐5p/SMAD4 in abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Nie Han , Zhao Wenpeng , Wang Shizhi , Zhou Weimin
Published: June 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore expression profiles of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)‐messenger RNA (mRNA) in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients. Further, we explored the mechanisms by which lncRNA SNHG5 modulates the function of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in AAA.

Methods

Human gene expression profile GSE57691 dataset, was retrieved from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The dataset included gene expression array data of 49 AAA patients and 10 control aortic specimens from organ donors. To explore the main roles of the biological network, differentially expressed lncRNA and mRNAs in the aortic aneurysm (AAA) and normal aortic specimens were determined. Differentially expressed lncRNA and mRNAs were then used to construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network using Cytoscape software, and the five key lncRNA were identified. SNHG5 which was significantly downregulated in the AAA was chosen and analysis showed that it regulates mir‐205‐5p and SMAD4 by binding to mir‐205‐5p. Double luciferase reporter gene assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA knockdown studies were used to establish the relationship between SNHG5 and mir‐205‐5p. Apoptosis rate was determined using flow cytometry, whereas cell proliferation was evaluated using Edu, and 24 well Transwell assay. Western blot analysis was used to determine protein expression levels.

Results

The five differentially expressed lncRNAs were significantly correlated with 34 microRNAs and 112 mRNAs. mRNAs in the ceRNA network are implicated in protein binding, signal transduction, DNA and RNA transcription, development, and cell differentiation. SNHG5 was downregulated in the AAA and acts as a molecular sponge for mir‐205. Downregulation of SNHG5 induces expression of mir‐205‐5p. Increased mir‐205‐5p expression level inhibits SMAD4 production, thus inhibiting proliferation and migration and promotes apoptosis of smooth muscle cells.

Conclusion

Bioinformatics were used to explore molecular mechanism of AAA progression. The findings of this study show that lncRNA SNHG5 regulates proliferation and apoptosis of VSMC cells through modulation of the mir‐205‐5p/SMAD4 axis. Therefore, SNHG5 is a potential therapeutic target for AAA disease.
Two cases of pelvic lymphocele after prostatectomy and dissection of obturator lymph nodes successfully treated by interventional radiology
Authors: Oda Yuki , Ohyama Nobuo , Hashimura Masahiro , Maeda Shinsaku , Hori Shunta , Fujimoto Kiyohide
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Postoperative refractory lymphocele is often difficult to treat. Recently, interventional radiology with N‐butyl‐cyanoacrylate has been used by urologists and radiologists to treat lymphocele. This modality is an effective treatment with fewer complications.

Case presentation

Case 1. A 70‐year‐old man, who underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy and bilateral obturator lymph node dissection, developed postoperative lymphocele. Continuous drainage and multiple rounds of sclerotherapy to reduce lymphocele volume ended in failure. Subsequently, lymphangiography with lipiodol and N‐butyl‐cyanoacrylate was performed, and the lymphocele volume gradually decreased.

Case 2. A 75‐year‐old man underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy and bilateral obturator lymph node dissection. After surgery, the patient developed a high‐output lymphocele. The lymphocele volume decreased following lymphangiography with lipiodol.

Conclusion

Interventional radiology using lipiodol and N‐butyl‐cyanoacrylate could provide a new standard treatment for refractory lymphocele.
On the reproducibility of in vivo temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio and its utility as a predictor of subject‐level t‐values in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Gobbi Susanna , Lee Yoojin , Homolya István , Tobler Philippe N. , Hare Todd A. , Nagy Zoltan
Published: June 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of voxel‐wise temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio (tSNR) on repeated scans across runs, sessions, and days. A group of 21 participants was scanned 16 times (4 runs per session, 2 sessions per day, 2 separate days) in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study on a 3T Philips Achieva scanner. For each run, we calculated t‐value and tSNR maps. To ascertain that the results were not specific to the scanner, one volunteer was scanned with four fMRI runs in a single session on the above 3T Philips scanner as well as a 3T Siemens Prisma scanner. The coefficient of variation of voxel‐wise tSNR across the 16 repeats was up to 25%, while the range relative to the mean of all observations was up to 80%. The voxel‐wise variability of tSNR on the two different scanners was similar, indicating a general issue. Despite its use in evaluating the quality of fMRI data, we found only a weak relationship between tSNR and t‐values. There is very high variability in voxel‐wise tSNR, which should be considered while planning future studies that aim to identify small and focal fMRI effects or the benefits of incremental improvement in methods.
Selectively targeting cancer stem cells: Current and novel therapeutic strategies and approaches in the effective eradication of cancer
Authors: Esmaeili Seyed‐Alireza , Sahranavard Shamim , Salehi Astireh , Bagheri Vahid
Published: June 2021

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subgroup of cells in malignant cancers, which possess self‐renewal capacity, tumor‐initiating capability, and pluripotency, as well as being responsible for tumor maintenance, metastasis, relapse, and chemoresistance. The treatment modalities previously established for cancer included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. The majority of tumor cells of non‐CSCs could be eradicated using conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, novel and promising therapeutic strategies that selectively target CSCs are of great importance. In this review, we described different therapeutic strategies such as immunotherapy, metabolism‐based therapeutic strategies, and additional potential therapeutic approaches (targeting microRNAs [miRNAs], histone deacetylase, and DNA methyl transferase) against CSCs. Taken together, due to the inefficiency of anticancer single therapies, targeting CSCs through their metabolism and using immunotherapy and miRNAs besides classical chemo‐ and radiotherapy may exert better therapeutic effects.
Spoken Word Poetry with Multilingual Youth from Refugee Backgrounds
Authors: Burton Jennifer , Van Viegen Saskia
Published: June 2021

This article reports insights from a spoken word poetry workshop conducted with youth from refugee backgrounds and their teachers at a large suburban secondary school. The broad aim of engaging spoken word poetry in the educational context was to encourage and listen to student voice and creative self‐expression, and to explore opportunities within the class to speak to sociopolitical issues and injustices relevant to students’ lives and experiences. The article illustrates how the workshop created situated, embodied teaching and learning activities to familiarize students with the spoken word genre and invite students to imagine spoken word as part of their expanding repertoire. These experiences engaged with students’ linguistic, cultural, and other semiotic resources, valorizing translanguaging as a critical practice for youth in the process of resettlement and teachers supporting their social and educational integration. The article concludes with implications for teachers interested in incorporating spoken word in the classroom.
Toxicological safety evaluation of live Anaerobutyricum soehngenii strain CH106
Authors: Seegers Jos F. M. L. , Gül Ismail Sahin , Hofkens Stijn , Brosel Sonja , Schreib Gudrun , Brenke Jara , Donath Claudia , de Vos Willem M.
Published: June 2021

The gut commensal Anaerobutyricum soehngenii is an anaerobe that can produce both propionate and butyrate, metabolites that have been shown to have a positive effect on gut and overall health. Murine and human dose finding studies have shown that oral intake of A. soehngenii has a positive influence on peripheral insulin resistance, thereby reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. A recent human intervention provided support for the mode of action of A. soehngenii as it affected gene expression in the duodenum, stimulated the secretion of GLP‐1 and improved insulin sensitivity. For these reasons A. soehngenii has been proposed as a food ingredient. Before introducing this bacterium to the food chain, however, it must be established that oral intake of live A. soehngenii bacteria does not pose any health risk. As part of the safety analysis of A. soehngenii strain CH106, we performed genotoxicity assays to determine its mutagenic potential (bacterial reverse mutation and in vitro mammalian cell micronucleus tests) and a 90‐day subchronic toxicity study in rats to determine overall toxicity potential. The results of both genotoxicity studies were negative, showing no genotoxic effects. For the 90‐day subchronic toxicity study, no adverse events were registered that could be attributed to the feeding with A. soehngenii strain CH106. Even at the highest dose, which exceeds the expected daily human intake more than 100‐fold, no adverse events were observed. These result support the conclusion that the use of A. soehngenii strain CH106 as a food ingredient is safe.
Dose‐Related Adverse Drug Events in Neonates: Recognition and Assessment
Authors: Allegaert Karel , van den Anker John
Published: June 2021

The efficacy and safety of a drug is dose or exposure related, and both are used to assess the benefit‐risk balance of a given drug and ultimately to decide on the specific drug license, including its dose and indication(s). Unfortunately, both efficacy and safety are much more difficult to establish in neonates, resulting in very few drugs licensed for use in this vulnerable population. This review will focus on dose‐related adverse events in neonates. Besides the regulatory classification on seriousness, adverse event assessment includes aspects related to signal detection, causality, and severity. Disentangling confounders from truly dose‐related adverse drug events remains a major challenge, as illustrated for drug‐induced renal impairment, drug‐induced liver injury, and neurodevelopmental outcome. Causality assessment, using either routine tools (Naranjo algorithm, World Health Organization's Uppsala Monitoring Center causality tool) or a Naranjo algorithm tailored to neonates, still does not sufficiently and reliably document causality in neonates. Finally, very recently, a first neonatal severity‐grading tool for neonates has been developed. Following the development of advanced pharmacokinetic approaches and techniques to predict and assess drug exposure, additional efforts are needed to truly and fully assess dose adverse drug events. To further operationalize the recently developed tools on causality and severity, reference databases on a palette of biomarkers and outcome variables and their covariates are an obvious next step. These databases should subsequently be integrated in modeling efforts to truly explore safety outcome, including aspects associated with or caused by drug dose or exposure.
Progress in Drug Development–Pediatric Dose Selection: Workshop Summary
Authors: Wang Jian , van den Anker John N. , Burckart Gilbert J.
Published: June 2021

The "Pediatric Dose Selection" workshop was held in October 2020 and sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the University of Maryland Center for Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation. A summary of the presentations in the context of pediatric drug development is summarized in this article.
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling and Allometric Scaling in Pediatric Drug Development: Where Do We Draw the Line?
Authors: Johnson Trevor N. , Ke Alice B.
Published: June 2021

Developing medicines for children is now established in legislation in both the United States and Europe; new drugs require pediatric study or investigation plans as part of their development. Particularly in early age groups, many developmental processes are not reflected by simple scalars such as body weight or body surface area, and even projecting doses based on simple allometric scaling can lead to significant overdoses in certain age groups. Modeling and simulation methodology, including physiologically based modeling, has evolved as part of the drug development toolkit and is being increasingly applied to various aspects of pediatric drug development. Pediatric physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models account for the development of organs and the ontogeny of specific enzymes and transporters that determine the age‐related pharmacokinetic profiles. However, when should this approach be used, and when will simpler methods such as allometric scaling suffice in answering specific problems? The aim of this review article is to illustrate the application of allometric scaling and PBPK in pediatric drug development and explore the optimal application of the latter approach with reference to case examples. In reality, allometric scaling included as part of population pharmacokinetic and PBPK approaches are all part of a model‐informed drug development toolkit helping with decision making during the process of drug discovery and development; to that end, they should be viewed as complementary.
Considerations for Drug Dosing in Premature Infants
Authors: van den Anker John , Allegaert Karel
Published: June 2021

In premature infants, effective and safe drug therapy depends on optimal dose selection and requires a thorough understanding of the underlying disease(s) of these fragile infants as well as the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs selected to treat their diseases. Differences in gestational and postnatal age or weight are the major determinants of the observed variability in drug disposition and effect in these infants. This article presents an outline on how to translate the results of a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic study into rational dosing regimens, and how physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, electronic health records, and the abundantly available data of vital functions of premature infants during their stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for evaluation of their pharmacotherapy can be used to tailor the most safe and effective dose in these infants.
Developing a self‐assessment tool for dental faculty to map professional growth
Authors: Krupp Michelle M. , Barlow Patrick B. , Kyle Eric J.
Published: June 2021

Although self‐assessment is a lifelong skill practiced in predoctoral training, the utility of this mechanism is seldom linked to competencies that encompass the broad range of skill sets and roles of an academic dentist. Literature defining faculty competencies and/or roles in medical and dental education is limited in scope focusing primarily on teaching and research. Identifying the broad spectrum of dental faculty skill sets and connecting them to self‐assessment and professional development needs to be explored. Furthermore, a mechanism that can serve as a professional roadmap with identified areas to develop and catapult faculty into a self‐reflection growth process is lacking in dental academia. The purpose of this study was to define the broad spectrum of competencies, or skill sets of an academic dentist and develop a faculty self‐assessment tool grounded in self‐regulation theory to help faculty track and plan professional growth. A mixed‐methods approach including a faculty focus group was used to refine and verify the relevance of pre‐defined faculty roles and skill sets. A self‐assessment instrument was then developed with 31 broad skills and two scales that ascertained faculty interest in developing and development stage for each skill set. The intended utility of the self‐assessment tool is to provide an introspective mechanism to obtain specific information about a wide range of faculty professional growth areas beyond teaching and research. The instrument can also be used to facilitate mentoring and may have implications for determining faculty development programming.
Unrecognized introduction of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants of concern to Central Africa: Import and local transmission of B.1.1.7 in Gabon in the very early stage of the variant spread to the African continent
Authors: Abe Haruka , Ushijima Yuri , Bikangui Rodrigue , Zoa‐Assoumou Samira , Ondo Georgelin Nguema , Manouana Gédéon Prince , More Ayong , Skarwan Emilio , Yali‐Assy‐Oyamli Yoric , Ndeboko Bénédicte , Myrabelle Avome Houechenou Rotimi , Djoba Siawaya Joel Fleury , Lell Bertrand , Adegnika Ayola Akim , Yasuda Jiro
Published: June 2021

The rapid spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) variant of concern with higher infectivity has already resulted in the enormous increase in infection cases worldwide. We report an unrecognized introduction of the variant B.1.1.7 in Gabon in December 2020, which was the initial phase of the variant introduction to Africa. The B.1.1.7 variant was also detected in a hospitalized patient in January 2021, indicating a rapid spread of the variant in Gabon since its first detection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the detected B.1.1.7 variants originated from the distinct regions, strongly suggesting that the B.1.1.7 variant had been repeatedly introduced to Gabon since December 2020. These results provide insights on the unrecognized risks of infections with variants of concern, and show the necessity to conduct continuous genomic monitoring for immediate alert and control of novel SARS‐CoV‐2 variant infections.
Decay estimates of solutions to the N‐species Vlasov–Poisson system with small initial data
Authors: Wang Yichun
Published: June 2021

This paper is concerned with the time decay rates of the N−species Vlasov–Poisson system with small data in the whole space. The global existence and large time behaviors are obtained in
and more higher dimensional space. For the proof, the classical (for
, n ≥ 4) and the modified (for
) vector field method and the bootstrap argument are mainly employed. Compared to the unipolar case, there are some crucial new ideas introduced to handle the multi‐species case, such as a new bootstrap assumption with some necessary parameters and the multipolar version of vector field method with new coefficients corresponding to different species charged particles, respectively.
Free boundary problem for one‐dimensional compressible Navier–Stokes equations with temperature‐dependent viscosity and heat conductivity
Authors: Chen Tuowei , Zhang Yongqian
Published: June 2021

We prove the existence and uniqueness of global strong solutions to the free boundary problem in one‐dimensional compressible Navier–Stokes system for the viscous and heat‐conducting ideal polytropic gas flow, when the viscosity and heat conductivity depend on temperature in power law of Chapman–Enskog and the data are in the neighborhood of some background solution at initial time. We also study the large‐time behavior of the solution and obtain its decay property.
Estimation and removal of spurious echo artifacts in single‐voxel MRS using sensitivity encoding
Authors: Berrington Adam , Považan Michal , Barker Peter B.
Published: June 2021

Purpose

In localized MRS, spurious echo artifacts commonly occur when unsuppressed signal outside the volume of interest is excited and refocused. In the spectral domain, these signals often overlap with metabolite resonances and hinder accurate quantification. Because the artifacts originate from regions separate from the target MRS voxel, this work proposes that sensitivity encoding based on receive‐coil sensitivity profiles may be used to separate these signal contributions.

Methods

Numerical simulations were performed to explore the effect of sensitivity‐encoded separation for unknown artifact regions. An imaging‐based approach was developed to identify regions that may contribute to spurious echo artifacts, and tested for sensitivity‐based unfolding of signal on six data sets from three brain regions. Spectral data reconstructed using the proposed method (“ERASE”) were compared with the standard coil combination.

Results

The method was able to fully unfold artifact signals if regions were known a priori. Mismatch between estimated and true artifact regions reduced the efficiency of removal, yet metabolite signals were unaffected. Water suppression imaging was able to identify regions of unsuppressed signal, and ERASE (from up to eight regions) led to visible removal of artifacts relative to standard reconstruction. Fitting errors across major metabolites were also lower; for example, Cramér–Rao lower bounds of myo‐inositol were 13.7% versus 17.5% for ERASE versus standard reconstruction, respectively.

Conclusion

The ERASE reconstruction tool was demonstrated to reduce spurious echo artifacts in single‐voxel MRS. This tool may be incorporated into standard workflows to improve spectral quality when hardware limitations or other factors result in out‐of‐voxel signal contamination.
Single‐shot pseudo‐centric EPI for magnetization‐prepared imaging
Authors: Lee Hyun‐Soo , Hwang Seon‐Ha , Park Jaeseok , Park Sung‐Hong
Published: June 2021

Purpose

To implement a single‐shot centric‐reordered EPI (1sh‐CenEPI), which reduces TE significantly, thus enabling to improve SNR for magnetization‐prepared imaging.

Methods

We proposed a 1sh‐CenEPI in which grouped oscillating readout gradients, phase‐encoding blips within each group, and big phase‐encoding jumps between two consecutive groups are incorporated to encode whole k‐space from the center to the edges in a single shot. The concept was tested on phantoms and human brains at 3 T. In addition, the proposed reordering scheme was applied to pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling for evaluating the efficiency of the centric reordering in magnetization‐prepared imaging.

Results

The proposed 1sh‐CenEPI reduced TE from 50 ms to 1.4 ms for gradient‐echo EPI, and from 100 ms to 7 ms for spin‐echo EPI, while the elongation of readout duration was below 10% of the whole readout duration in most cases. The 1sh‐CenEPI images exhibited no distinct geometric distortion both in phantom and human brain, comparable to the conventional two‐shot center‐out EPI. In pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling results, 3‐fold temporal SNR increase and 2‐fold spatial SNR increase in the perfusion‐weighted images were achieved with 1sh‐CenEPI compared with the conventional linear ordering, whereas the cerebral blood flow values were consistent with previous studies.

Conclusion

The proposed 1sh‐CenEPI significantly reduced TE while maintaining similar readout window and providing images comparable to the conventional linear and multishot center‐out EPI images. It can be a qualified candidate as a new readout for various magnetization‐prepared imaging techniques.
Drivers of mechanical performance variance in 3D‐printed fused filament fabrication parts: An Onyx FR case study
Authors: Ma Christine , Faust Jessica , Roy‐Mayhew Joseph D.
Published: June 2021

Effects on mechanical properties of user‐controlled and user‐uncontrolled factors in a 3D printing system were investigated using a flame retardant carbon fiber reinforced nylon filament. Moisture and print orientation, both user controllable elements, dominated mechanical property variation. Dry samples exhibited tensile (flexural) strength 2.4 (2.1) times greater than that of wet samples, while ZX samples were measured to have about half the tensile strength of XY and XZ samples. User‐uncontrolled factors including material to material variation and printer to printer variation were found to have minor impact (<5%) on part tensile strength. Reinforcing the part with 21 vol% continuous fiber lowers the moisture induced variance from 13% to 2% in addition to increasing the measured strength by about 10× (to 451 MPa).
Prospective study of diagnostic accuracy in the detection of high‐grade prostate cancer in biopsy‐naïve patients with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer who underwent the Select MDx test
Authors: Lendínez‐Cano Guillermo , Ojeda‐Claro Ana Victoria , Gómez‐Gómez Enrique , Morales Jimenez Pedro , Flores Martin José , Dominguez Juan Francisco , Amores Javier , Cozar Jose Manuel , Bachiller Jaime , Juárez Alvaro , Linares Ramón , Garcia Galisteo Emilio , Alvarez Ossorio Jose Luis , Requena Tapia Maria José , Moreno Jimenez Juan , Medina Lopez Rafael Antonio ,   AEU‐PIEM/2018/000 Investigators
Published: June 2021

Objectives

This study aimed to externally validate the diagnostic accuracy of the Select MDx test for Significant prostate cancer (Sig PCa) (ISUP > 1), in a contemporaneous, prospective, multicenter cohort with a prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) between 3 and 10 ng/ml and a non‐suspicious digital rectal examination.

Methods and Participants

For all enrolled patients, the Select Mdx test, the risk calculator ERSPC3 + DRE, and a prostatic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were carried out. Subsequently, a systematic 12‐core trans‐rectal biopsy and a targeted biopsy, in the case of a prostate imaging–reporting and data system (PIRADS) > 2 lesion (max three lesions), were performed. To assess the accuracy of the Select MDx test in the detection of clinically Sig PCa, the test sensitivity was evaluated. Secondary objectives were specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), and area under the curve (AUC). A direct comparison with the ERSPC + DRE risk calculator and MRI were also performed. We also studied the predictive ability to diagnose Sig PCa from the combination of the Select MDx test with MRI using clinical decision‐curve analysis.

Results

There were 163 patients enrolled after meeting the inclusion criteria and study protocol. The Select MDx test showed a sensitivity of 76.9% (95% CI, 63.2–87.5), 49.6% specificity (95% CI, 39.9–59.2), 82.09% (95% CI, 70.8–90.4) NPV, and 41.67% (95% CI, 31.7–52.2) PPV for the diagnosis of Sig PCa. COR analysis was also performed, which showed an AUC of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.56–0.71). There were no differences in the accuracy of Select MDx, ERSPC + DRE, or MRI. The combination of Select MDX + MRI showed the highest impact in the decision‐curve analysis, with an NPV of 93%.

Conclusion

Our study showed a worse performance for the SelectMdx test than previously reported, within a cohort of patients with a PSA 3–10 ng/ml and a normal DRE, with results similar to those from ERSPC + DRE RC and MRI, but with an improvement in the usual PSA pathway. A combination of the Select Mdx test and MRI could improve accuracy, but studies specifically evaluating this scenario with a cost‐effective analysis are needed.
Using physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic modeling for predicting the effects of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of olanzapine and samidorphan given as a combination tablet
Authors: Sun Lei , Barter Zoe , von Moltke Lisa , Rowland Yeo Karen
Published: June 2021

A combination of olanzapine and samidorphan (OLZ/SAM) was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder. The effects of moderate hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics (PKs) of olanzapine and samidorphan after a single dose of OLZ/SAM were characterized in a clinical study. Physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling was used to extend the clinical findings to predict the effects of varying degrees of hepatic impairment on the PKs of olanzapine and samidorphan. A previously developed PBPK model for OLZ/SAM was refined to recover the observed pharmacokinetic differences between individuals with moderate hepatic impairment and healthy controls. The optimized model was applied to predict changes in olanzapine and samidorphan PKs after multiple once‐daily doses of OLZ/SAM in subjects with mild, moderate, and severe hepatic impairment relative to healthy controls. Modifications to model parameters, including absorption rate constant and fraction unbound to plasma protein, were made to recover the observed change in the PKs of olanzapine and samidorphan in individuals with moderate hepatic impairment. In applying the optimized model, mild, moderate, and severe hepatic impairment were predicted to increase steady‐state total systemic exposures by 1.1‐, 1.5‐, and 1.6‐fold, respectively, for olanzapine, and by 1.2‐, 1.9‐, and 2.3‐fold, respectively, for samidorphan. PBPK modeling allowed for prediction of untested clinical scenarios of varying degrees of hepatic impairment in lieu of additional clinical studies.
Terminal sliding mode‐based tracking control with error transformation for underwater vehicles
Authors: Liu Xing , Zhang Mingjun , Rogers Eric , Wang Yujia , Yao Feng
Published: June 2021

Ocean currents and waves can cause the initial position of an underwater vehicle to deviate from the initial state of the desired trajectory. For such cases, this paper investigates the finite‐time tracking control problem for a vehicle in the presence of large initial tracking errors and external disturbances. A continuous finite‐time tracking control scheme is developed for this scenario based on an improved nonsingular terminal sliding mode surface modified by a piecewise function. Compared to the alternative approaches, a method based on error transformation is added to the sliding mode surface, resulting in improved tracking accuracy in the steady state. Then, to reduce the effect of large initial tracking error on the control input signals, an exponential decay function about the initial location of the vehicle is developed to obtain the control law by combining it with a strictly generalized saturation function. In contrast to alternative approaches, a nonlinear structure is used to counteract the approximation error of the neural network used in the modeling of the dynamics. Moreover, it is shown that the tracking error converges to a small neighborhood of zero in a fixed time. Finally, the new control scheme's effectiveness is verified by simulation studies on an underwater vehicle model and the results compared to other existing control designs.
Magnetic anisotropic of thermally evaporated FeNi thin film: A soft X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism study
Authors: Kumar M. , Verma V. K. , Singh V. R.
Published: June 2021

FeNi film was fabricated on Cu/MgO (001) substrates using thermal evaporation technique of a FeNi target to realize the formation of an L10‐FeNi phase. The magnetic anisotropy of FeNi film was systematically investigated by means of X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) techniques. Our L‐edge XAS and XMCD analysis is performed for 30‐nm FeNi film grown on Cu/MgO (001) substrate. The present experimental results of XAS and XMCD indicate that ~5% Fe atoms are oxidized. Our findings also showed that the orbital magnetic moment of Fe has a significant incident X‐ray angle dependence that exhibits a maximum value at the out‐of‐plane direction corresponding perpendicular to the plane. The origin of anisotropy is successfully explained by element‐specific XMCD technique. The enhancement in magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) is due to orbital magnetic moments of Fe through spin–orbit interaction. The uniaxial anisotropy energy showed quantitatively good agreement with the volume MAE.
Understanding of Strain‐Induced Electronic Structure Changes in Metal‐Based Electrocatalysts: Using Pd@Pt Core‐Shell Nanocrystals as an Ideal Platform
Authors: Xue Shuyan , Chen Guanyu , Li Fan , Zhao Yunhao , Zeng Qingwen , Peng Jiaheng , Shi Fenglei , Zhang Wencong , Wang Yizhe , Wu Jianbo , Che Renchao
Published: June 2021

While metal‐based electrocatalysts have garnered extensive attention owing to the large variety of enzyme‐mimic properties, the search for such highly‐efficient catalysts still relies on empirical explorations, owing to the lack of predictive indicators as well as the ambiguity of structure‐activity relationships. Notably, surface electronic structures play a crucial role in metal‐based catalysts yet remain unexplored in enzyme‐mimics. Herein, the authors investigate the electronic structure as a possible indicator of electrocatalytic activities of H2O2 decomposition and glucose oxidation using Pd@Pt core‐shell nanocrystals as a well‐defined platform. The electron densities of the Pd@Pt are modulated with the correlation of strain through precise control of surface orientation and the number of atomic layers. The close relationships between the electrocatalytic activities and the surface charge accumulation are found, in which the increase of the electron accumulation can enhance both the enzyme‐mimic activities. As a result, the Pd@Pt3L icosahedra with compressive strain in Pt shells exhibit the highest electrocatalytic activities for H2O2 decomposition and glucose oxidation. Such systematic and comprehensive study provides the structure‐activity relationships and paves a new way for the rational design of metal‐based electrocatalysts. Especially, the charge accumulation degrees may serve as a general performance indicator for metal‐based catalysts.
Reactivity and Selectivity Principles in Native Protein Bioconjugation
Authors: Adakkattil Ramesh , Thakur Kalyani , Rai Vishal
Published: June 2021

Are chemical methods capable of precisely engineering the native proteins? Is it possible to develop platforms that can empower the regulation of chemoselectivity, site‐selectivity, modularity, protein‐specificity, and site‐specificity? This account delineates our research journey in the last ten years on the developments revolving around these questions. It will range from the realization of chemoselective and site‐selective labeling of reactivity hotspots to modular linchpin directed modification (LDM®) platform and site‐specific Gly‐tag® technology. Also, we outline a few biotechnology tools, including Maspecter®, that accelerated the detailed analysis of the bioconjugates and rendered a powerful toolbox for homogeneous antibody‐drug conjugates (ADCs).