bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Danger of Acculturation Process Phase to International Students’ Academic Achievement: A Case Study of Zhejiang Normal University
Authors: Fute Antony Zakaria
Published: November 2020

With the rising number of international students in China, there has been a great need for assessment and evaluation of the acculturation processes as well as challenges in regard to their academic progresses. The cultural gap may not be big between China and other Asian countries. However, it really exists with Non-Asian ones. With the fact that culture determines comfort in one’s life, the following un-answered questions were worthy to be answered in this paper: How do international students acculturate in China? What are the social and academic impacts during the acculturation process? What are the academic effects of failing to acculturate, especially among international students in China? The data shows that, 34% of international students only connect with their own culture. Majority (51%) of those who acculturate successfully, take more than one year to do so. Among the behaviors which were described as bad ones, alcoholism is leading among others, which are adapted by international students in the process of trying to assimilate or acculturate. Positively, 48% of students admitted to have learned time management as part of acculturation process in China.

Despite the acculturation process being challenging to some students, scholarship has been one of the factors for them to stay. Scholarship students, especially from economically disadvantaged families choose to stay and achieved their academic goals through scholarship. Notwithstanding, their academic performances among students who fail to acculturate have been relatively low. Several measures such as introduction of intensive orientation programs as well as guidance and counseling office may enable international students understand each other’s culture.
Impacts of Prosopis juliflora on Abundance and Species Diversity of Forage Species in Turkana County, Kenya
Authors: Clement Nadio E. , Humphrey Agevi , John Obiri
Published: November 2020

Aims: This study sought to determine the effects of P. juliflora on the abundance and relative diversity of other forage species in Turkana County.

Study Design:  Ecological data collection entailed cross-sectional surveys across riverine and non-riverine ecosystems.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was undertaken in three sub-counties within Turkana County namely Turkana Central, Turkana West and Turkana South between 15th January to 17th May, 2020.

Methodology: Sampling plots were used to collect plant abundance data from the various parts of the study area. The plots were of three types; main plots of 30 m× 40 m (1200 m2), sub-plots of 5 m × 2 m (10 m2) and square quadrats of 1 m×1 m (1 m2). The sub-plots and quadrats were nested within the main plots which were in turn laid down along transect belts. The transects of width 40 m and 400m in length were laid down in two main habitats (riverine and non-riverine) of the three sub-counties. Control plots were also laid in non P. juliflora sites.

Results: Prosopis juliflora was the most abundant species covering about 63% of the sampled individuals (N=6390). This was followed by Acacia tortilis at 18% while Acacia mellifera was the least. There was significant difference in abundance between sites and among counties (p˂0.05). The Shannon diversity index (H´) in areas with Prosopis juliflora ranged between 0.40-1.27 while in areas without Prosopis juliflora (or Control) it ranged between 1.5-2.1, indicating high diversity in the areas without P. juliflora compared to areas colonized by it. Prosopis juliflora was also high in the riverine areas compared to non-riverine areas across the three sub counties. Results show that Prosopis juliflora has invaded vast areas especially the riverine ecosystem leading to a decline in the population of key forage species and thus threatening the socio-economic livelihoods of Turkana County.

Conclusion: Prosopis juliflora was the most abundant and dominant plant species in both the riverine and non-riverine sites. The study also showed that P. juliflora has led to the decreased plant species richness and diversity in the area because of its invasive nature.
Gamma Rays Induced Oil and Fatty Acid Alteration in Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) Seeds
Authors: Kumar Girjesh , Bhardwaj Mohini
Published: November 2020

Aim: To evaluate the effects of radiation on oil and fatty acid content of cumin by irradiating seeds with varied doses of gamma rays viz.,100 Gy, 125 Gy, 150 Gy, 175 Gy.

Study Design: Oil and fatty acid content was estimated by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy.

Results: The result reveals that oil and fatty acid quantity were significantly changed upon radiation. Oil amount was increased in irradiated seeds whereas fatty acid content was decreased except petroselinic acid and linoleic acid which was increased in comparison to control. In contrast to non irradiated seeds, the lowest dose of gamma found beneficial as oil content and majority of fatty acids were increased.

Conclusion: Therefore, irradiation of cumin seeds for protection and preservation purpose could significantly affect the fatty acid content of cumin as seeds are prone to fungal infections.
A Comparative Study between Plant and Callus Extracts of Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet: Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic and Anti-Proliferative Activity
Authors: Sireen A. Ayisha , Anbumalarmathi J.
Published: November 2020

Abutilon indicum is consider to be used in the traditional system of medicine. It is found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is used to treat various diseases. This plant does not cause any side effects to humans. As the plant has wide variety of medicinal properties, the present study aimed to comparative between plant and callus extract of Abutilon indicum (L.) sweet for antioxidant, antibacterial, antidiabetic and anti- proliferative activity. The highest percentage of callus induction (89.50%) and callus weight (1.26 g) was observed in T5 (MS + 2, 4-D (2.5 mg/l) + BAP (2 mg/l) and T8 [IBA (4 mg/l)] respectively. Phytochemical analysis of aqueous and ethyl acetate extracts of A. indicum in vivo plant and in vitro grown callus showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, carbohydrates, glycosides, protein, terpenoids, saponins, tannins and coumarin. The total phenolic content was high in aqueous extract of callus (30.68 mg TAE/g). Maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity was found in aqueous extract of callus (86%) with IC50 value of 68.49 µg/ml. FT-IR analysis of aqueous extract of A. indicum plant and callus showed the presence of characteristic stretching at 2930.28 and 2927.75 indicating the presence of C-H stretching respectively. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 17 compounds in ethyl acetate plant extract, whereas 7 compounds in ethyl acetate callus extract such as tetradecane, 1-chloro, Sulfurous acid 2-prophytridecyl ester and 1- ethyl-3-[2-(octadecylthio) ethyl] thiourea. The ethyl acetate extracts of callus and plant and was found to be effective against Bacillus subtilis (3.1 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (2.9 mm). Maximum α-amylase inhibitory activity was observed in aqueous callus extract (32.65%) with IC50 value of 833.61 µg/ml. HeLa cell viability was found to be 26.8% and 21.8% in plant and callus extract respectively.
Vitamin D and Vitamin D Receptor in Scleroderma Subtypes
Authors: Ayse Kocak
Published: November 2020

Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor family. 1,25(OH)2D, a form of metabolically active vitamin D3 form, is the ligand of VDR. When VDR and 1,25(OH)2D are connected, many genes start to molecular interaction reactions that will modulate the transcription. VDR has been shown to be a negative regulator of the transforming growth factor beta-1 / Smad (TGF-β1 / Smad) signalling pathway. TGF-β1 / Smad signalling is important in the pathogenesis of scleroderma (SSc). Vitamin D has pleiotropic effects including immunomodulatory and antifibrotic properties in scleroderma pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of VDR and the levels of vitamin D in scleroderma subtypes and study the possible correlation between the two parameters. 28 SSc patients and 30 healthy controls were included in the study and they were classified according to the 2013 ACR / EULAR criteria and Rodnan Scores were calculated. 14 were of the limited type and 14 were of the diffuse type of scleroderma. Vitamin D levels were determined in serum. Vitamin D level was measured by chemiluminescence immunometric assay. VDR gene expression was determined by quantitative PCR in isolated RNAs from the blood. Changes in mRNA levels were analysed and beta-actin was used as the housekeeping gene. Also, TGF-β1 gene expressions were determined. VDR gene expressions in diffuse type scleroderma patients were significantly decreased compared to the control. TGF-β1 gene expressions were increased in diffuse type scleroderma. It was found that VDR gene expression in limited type scleroderma patients did not show any significant difference when compared to control. Vitamin D levels and VDR gene expressions showed no correlation in scleroderma subtypes. VDR gene expression decreased in patients with diffuse type scleroderma and showed negative correlation with the Rodnan score and TGF-β1 gene expressions. There was no significant difference between vitamin D and VDR levels.
Determination of Optimal Solar Power and Corresponding Tilted Angle in Different Geoclimatic Zones in Nigeria
Authors: Olusola Ojo Samuel , Israel Emmanuel , Oluwafemi Omitusa , Babatunde Adeyemi
Published: November 2020

Aims: To estimate the optimum tilt angle and maximum solar power for different geoclimatic zones in Nigeria.

Methodology: In this study, the surface data of direct and diffuse solar radiations spanning 2013 to 2017 were obtained from the archives of the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application for 20 stations spread across Nigeria. To study the direct relationship between the solar power on a photovoltaic panel and the solar radiation, the values of the direct, diffuse, and ground-reflected components of solar radiation were calculated for six tilt angles ranging from 15° to 90° using anisotropic models. Afterwards, the maximum values of the solar power and the corresponding tilt angles, as well as the average number of solar panels that can be used to cater for the electricity needs of households in all the geoclimatic zones, were estimated.

Results: Analyses showed that the maximum solar power was received at tilt angles of 30° and 45° from October till February, and tilt angles of 15° and 30° from March till September in all the study locations. For instance, the Sahel and Guinea Savanna zones had the highest solar power, whereas Derived Savanna and Coastal zones had relatively low power. Based on the results, it was determined that the number of solar panels required in the sahel zone would be lower than those of the other zones.

Conclusion: It can be inferred from the results that the reception of maximum solar power is at the tilt angle of 45o in Sahel, Guinea, and Derived Savanah regions, and at 30o in the Coastal region. The results of this research will provide solar engineers with accurate information on the orientation and tilt of PV modules for efficient power generation.
Awareness and Attitudes Regarding Breast Self-Examination and Breast Cancer among Females in Alkharj
Authors: Alshahrani Saad M. , Almutiran Alanoud , Ahmed Nehad J.
Published: November 2020

Aim: A large proportion of females diagnosed with progressed phases of the disease, which can be related to knowledge deficiency about screening importance. This study aimed to assess the awareness and attitudes about breast self-examination and breast cancer among females in Alkharj.

Methodology: This study was conducted using a self-administered survey that was adapted from previous studies conducted in Northeast Nigeria and Jordan. The data were collected using excel software and the descriptive data were represented as frequencies and percentages. Using Raosoft sample size calculator, the recommended sample size was 200.

Results: The majority of the respondents were in the age level between 20-39 (71.75%). Approximately 89% of the respondents said that they are aware of breast cancer but social media is the main source of their information (76.82%). About 54% of the females who filled the survey said that they heard about breast self-examination but without practicing it.

Conclusion: Females in Alkharj had good knowledge about BSE and breast cancer but social media is the main source of their information. Moreover, a significant percentage of females don’t practice BSE.
KAP Survey on Endodontic Irrigants and Its Deleterious Effects
Authors: Preety R. , Antony S. Delphine Priscilla
Published: November 2020

The aim is to assess how aware the dental students are about endodontic irrigants and the deleterious effect. Successful root canal therapy relies on the combination of proper instrumentation, irrigation, and obturation of the root canal. Of these three essential steps of root canal therapy, irrigation protocol is very important as it determines the healing of the periapical tissues. The primary endodontic treatment goal must thus be to optimize root canal disinfection and to prevent reinfection. Cytotoxicity of root canal irrigants is essential due to their close contact with host tissues. The study aimed to assess how aware the dental students are about the deleterious effects of endodontic irrigants. A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students in January 2020. The survey was made on the app survey planet and a questionnaire was administered to 100 dental students about their awareness of cytotoxicity of irrigants in endodontics. The data was collected and put into bar charts in SPSS version 20 by IBM for statistical results. It is observed 38% were interns, 33% were final years and 29% were third years. 90% were aware of what irrigants are, 86% were aware of the types of irrigants, 76% were aware of the cytotoxicity of irrigants, 49% used sodium hypochlorite, 21% used chlorhexidine, 10% used MTAD, 8% used citric acid and 12% have used all of the above. 65% are aware of the duration of irrigants in canals. 59% think irrigants can be used in a previously treated tooth, 20% disagree and 21% are not sure. A p-value of 0.000 was obtained which is statistically significant as p<0.05. In vitro cytotoxicity tests are usually carried out for new materials before applying them clinically. These irrigating solutions should be used at lower concentrations to enhance cell viability and protect the tissues from toxicity damage, irrespective of their increased eﬃcacy at higher concentrations. Through this study, it was evident that students are not fully aware of the deleterious effects of endodontic irrigants though they are used daily. The awareness of the concentration and type of irrigant to be used should be more emphasized during theory classes so that the same can be followed during clinical procedures.
Comparison of Trace Elements Levels in Atrial Fibrillation Patients and Healthy Group
Authors: Bazargani Zahra , Shojaeifard Manzar Banoo , Valizadeh Gholam Abbas
Published: November 2020

Background: The aim of this study is to measure the concentration of Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu)  and selenium (Se) in the blood serum of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) patients as compared to healthy subjects in both genders.

Methods: This study, conducted on patients with AF (n = 50) and controls (n = 24) were evaluated by available method. Blood samples were taken from the patients and analysis of trace elements was performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Statistical analyses were done using IBM-SPSS 22.0.

Results: Zn and Se concentrations were evaluated in AF patients and healthy group. Zn and Se concentration in AF patients is much lower than in healthy group (p<0.008, p<0.000). AF patients showed a significantly higher Cu concentration than the healthy group (p<0.000). The data of the present study revealed that the concentrations of all trace elements had a significant difference in the serum of AF patients with respect to the healthy group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: We found that concentrations of Zn & Se levels were significantly decrease in the in the serum samples of AF patients compared with the controls group.
Awareness on the Use of Intravenous Sedation for Periodontal Surgeries - A Questionnaire Based Study
Authors: Iyer Prabhav Kumar , Thamaraiselvan Murugan
Published: November 2020

Conscious sedation is a valuable approach to address anxious patients and treat them with the utmost comfort level. Thus the knowledge regarding the practice of conscious sedation among dental practitioners seems to be the need of the hour with increasing patient demands. This study aims to assess the knowledge, awareness and practice of conscious sedation for periodontal surgeries among dental practitioners. This questionnaire based study was conducted in the form of an online survey. A structured questionnaire with 20 questions in the area of its indications and contraindications, various drugs used in conscious sedation and the side effects of these drugs were included. The results showed that only 51% of the participants chose to use conscious sedation when dealing with anxious patients. Also 58.9% of the study population considered conscious sedation as an option when the patient is extremely uncooperative due to anxiety and for patients who have a lesser threshold of pain. 64.4% are aware that conscious sedation brings a partial loss of consciousness with response to verbal and physical stimulus. Within the limits of the study it can be concluded that there is a moderate level of awareness regarding practice of conscious sedation among the dental practitioner. Practitioners in urban and suburban areas who have recently graduated seem to have a better awareness and interest in practice of conscious sedation than others.
Age and Gender Trends in Prescribing and Utilization of Lipid-Lowering Drugs at a Public Hospital in Alkharj City
Authors: Ahmed Nehad J. , Menshawy Menshawy A. , Almalki Ziyad S. , Alhajri Mohammed A.
Published: November 2020

Aim: Lipid-lowering drugs are used to decrease low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and as a result, they are used in both secondary and primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to observe the prescribing trend of lipid-lowering drugs and to describe the gender and age-related differences in the outpatient setting of a public hospital in Alkharj city.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional observational study that was conducted in outpatient setting of a public hospital in Alkharj city and included the review of electronic outpatient prescriptions. The data was collected and analyzed using Excel software; the descriptive data were represented by percentages and numbers. 

Results: The most prescribed lipid-lowering drug in the present study was atorvastatin (62.36%) followed by simvastatin (29.34%). The study found that there are several differences in lipid lowering medications use patterns among different gender and age groups. Therefore, frequent reviews of lipid-lowering drugs use and prescribing pattern are important to optimize patients’ treatment.

Conclusion: It is important in the future to make stratified guidelines based on patient characteristics such as age and gender.
The 100 mm × 100 mm Extreme Ultraviolet Graphite Pellicle: Nano‐Pellicle Production Using the Lowest Free Energy at the Graphite–Water Interface
Authors: Kim Soo‐Young , Shin Dong‐Wook , Kim Seul‐Gi , Nam Ki‐Bong , Hu Qicheng , Kim Taesung , Gim Yeong‐Hyeon , Ko Han Seo , Kim Mun Ja , Yoo Ji‐Beom
Published: November 2020

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is developed and implemented to fabricate nanodevices under 7 nm. Among the various challenges of EUV lithography, it is certainly a priority for a pellicle, as a physical shield, to protect a reflective EUV mask. Here, a practical, facile, industrial‐friendly pellicle fabrication method is suggested to suspend a nanometer‐thick graphite film (NGF) onto a pellicle frame (inner hole: 100 mm × 100 mm) by the vertical transfer (VT) method, benefitting from the lowest total free energy at the interfaces between NGF, water, and air. Based on the plate model of Neumann and Good, the free energy at the interfaces at various scooping angles is obtained; it is minimized at 90° (VT). Finally, for the very first time an NGF pellicle (100 mm × 100 mm) and 80.6% transmission at 13.5 nm (EUV) using the VT method are demonstrated.
Optically Transparent and Low‐CTE Polyethersulfone‐Based Nanocomposite Films for Flexible Display
Authors: Kim Jae‐Hyun , Lan Nguyen Xuan Viet , Kulkarni Uddhav , Kim Chanho , Cho Sung Min , Yoo Pil J. , Kim Dukjoon , Schroeder Marc , Yi Gi‐Ra
Published: November 2020

Optically transparent and thermo‐mechanically stable nanocomposite films of polyethersulfone (PESU) and core–shell nanoparticles are prepared by a solvent casting and heat pressing method. As a filler, reactive ZnS‐SiO2 core–shell nanoparticles are prepared by a modified sol–gel process, of which reactive aromatic amine groups are chemically bonded with the polymer matrix. For optical transparency, the shell thickness is adjusted and the core diameter of the core–shell nanoparticles is adjusted to match the refractive index of PESU (nPESU = 1.65). For the composite film with more than 15 wt% of core–shell nanoparticles in PESU, the coefficient of thermal expansion is significantly reduced down to 12 ppm °C−1 in the temperature range of 30–90 °C, which is 80% less than the value of the bare PESU film (≈65 ppm °C−1). Furthermore, their mechanical property is also significantly improved. For 15 and 30 wt%, PESU nanocomposite films show 64 and 74 MPa of yield strength and 1.36 and 2.0 GPa of Young's modulus, respectively, while pure PESU films show only 44 MPa of the yield strength and 0.64 GPa of Young's modulus. Finally, the organic light emitting diode device is demonstrated on the PESU nanocomposite substrate.
Quasi‐Nonvolatile Silicon Memory Device
Authors: Lim Doohyeok , Son Jaemin , Cho Kyoungah , Kim Sangsig
Published: November 2020

Memory hierarchy among conventional memory technologies is one of the main bottlenecks in modern computer systems; alternative memory technologies are thus necessary for quasi‐nonvolatile memory applications. Herein, a fully complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor‐compatible quasi‐nonvolatile memory composed of p+‐n‐p‐n+ silicon on a silicon‐on‐insulator substrate is presented. The quasi‐nonvolatile silicon memory device demonstrates high‐speed write capability (≤100 ns), long retention time (100 s), and nondestructive read capability (1000 s), with high sensing current margin (≈109) and reliable endurance (≥109) at low voltages (≤1 V). Disturb immunity for memory array operations is also observed. This study demonstrates that the proposed quasi‐nonvolatile silicon memory device is a promising candidate that can revolutionize the entire memory hierarchy.
3D versus 2D Electrolyte–Semiconductor Interfaces in Rylenediimide‐Based Electron‐Transporting Water‐Gated Organic Field‐Effect Transistors
Authors: Prescimone Federico , Benvenuti Emilia , Natali Marco , Lorenzoni Andrea , Dinelli Franco , Liscio Fabiola , Milita Silvia , Chen Zhihua , Mercuri Francesco , Muccini Michele , Facchetti Antonio , Toffanin Stefano
Published: November 2020

Water‐gated organic field‐effect transistors (WGOFETs) are relevant devices for use in the fields of biosensors and biosystems. However, real applications require very stringent performance in terms of electrochemical stability and charge mobility to the organic semiconductor in contact with an aqueous environment. Here, a comparative study of two small‐molecule electron‐transporting perylenediimide semiconductors, which differ only in the N‐substituents named PDIF‐CN2 and PDI8‐CN2 is reported. The two materials present similar solid‐state arrangements but, while the PDI8‐CN2 shows a more 3D growth modality and electron mobility independent of the semiconductor layer thickness (≈10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1), the PDIF‐CN2 has an almost‐2D growth modality and the mobility increases with the semiconductor film thickness, reaching a maximum value of ≈5 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 at 30 nm. Above this thickness, the PDIF‐CN2 switches to a more 3D growth modality, and the mobility drops by one order of magnitude. XRR analysis indicates that a PDIF‐CN2 film can be modeled as a dense layered structure in which each layer is decoupled from the others due to the presence of fluorocarbon‐chains. The availability of additional pathways for charge transport from buried layers and the 2D versus 3D growth can explain the mobility dependence on the film thickness.
Switching Mechanism behind the Device Operation Mode in SnO‐TFT
Authors: Lee Alex W. , Zhang Yong , Huang Chi‐Hsin , Matsuzaki Kosuke , Nomura Kenji
Published: November 2020

Oxide semiconductor‐based complementary inverter technology is one of the crucial topics to advance oxide device technology to the next stage of development. However, the absence of high‐performance p‐channel oxide thin‐film transistor (TFT) hinders the development of oxide‐complementary inverter circuit. Tin monoxide (SnO) is a promising oxide semiconductor to develop not only p‐channel but also ambipolar oxide TFTs. However, the understanding of device operation mode in SnO‐TFT is still insufficient to control the TFT operation modes and to further improve the device performance. The origin of switching mechanism behind the different operation modes in SnO‐TFT is clarified by performing back‐channel defect engineering. It is found that back‐channel subgap defects that involve deep donor‐like and deep acceptor‐like states control the device operation modes of SnO‐TFT. High‐density defects remove the ambipolarity from SnO‐TFT and make the device to only operate in p‐channel mode. ALD‐Al2O3 passivation effectively reduces these defects and produces good ambipolar SnO‐TFTs with p‐channel mobility of ≈1.2 cm2 V−1 s−1 and n‐channel mobility of ≈0.03 cm2 V−1 s−1, respectively. The complementary‐like inverter is fabricated using two identical ambipolar SnO‐TFTs and exhibits the voltage gain of 64.1 ± 12.0 and 48.8 ± 6.8 for the first and third quadrants, respectively.
Risk of emergency surgery for complicated appendicitis: Japanese nationwide study
Authors: Yamada Takeshi , Endo Hideki , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Kimura Toshimoto , Kakeji Yoshihiro , Koda Keiji , Ishida Hideyuki , Sakamoto Kazuhiro , Hirata Keiji , Yamamoto Hiroyuki , Miyata Hiroaki , Matsuda Akihisa , Yoshida Hiroshi , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: November 2020

Aim

Appendicitis is divided into two categories: complicated appendicitis (CA) and uncomplicated appendicitis (UA). In pediatric patients with CA, the use of interval appendectomy (IA), which is non‐operative management followed by elective surgery, has decreased the number of postoperative complications. Before discussing the merit of IA for adult patients, we need to clarify whether the frequency and seriousness of the complication rate after emergency surgery is higher for CA than for UA.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included adult patients who underwent appendectomy and who were registered in the National Clinical Database (NCD) from 2014 to 2016. Patients with CA who underwent emergency appendectomy comprised the CA group. Patients with UA comprised the UA group. Patients with chronic or recurrent appendicitis who underwent elective appendectomy comprised the elective appendectomy (EA) group. Primary outcomes were all morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality within 30 days after appendectomy.

Results

We included 109 256 patients in the study: 14 798 CA, 86 876 UA, and 7582 EA patients. Compared with the UA group, the rates of all morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality were significantly higher in the CA group. All morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality rates were significantly lower in the EA group than in the other two groups.

Conclusions

We confirmed that emergency surgery for CA places the patient at relatively higher risk. We also showed that the risk associated with EA is significantly lower than that for the other methods.
Copper‐Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Aroylations of Quinoxalinones with Methylarenes
Authors: Clinton Chayan Dhar , Prasad Ch. Durga , Khanal Hari Datta , Lee Yong Rok
Published: November 2020

An efficient methodology for the copper‐catalyzed direct oxidative aroylations of quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones with methylarenes is reported. This methodology offers an efficient access to diverse and polyfunctionalized 3‐aroylated quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones starting from readily available quinoxalin‐2(1H)‐ones and various methylarenes using TBHP as an oxidant. This protocol is broadly compatible with diverse substrates and is highly functional‐group tolerant.
A linear wave propagation‐based simulation model for dense and polarized crowds
Authors: Chen Qiang , Luo Guoliang , Tong Yang , Jin Xiaogang , Deng Zhigang
Published: November 2020

Fluid‐like motion and linear wave propagation behavior will emerge when we impose boundary constraints and polarized conditions on crowds. To this end, we present a Lagrangian hydrodynamics method to simulate the fluid‐like motion of crowd and a triggering approach to generate the linear stop‐and‐go wave behavior. Specifically, we impose a self‐propulsion force on the leading agents of the crowd to push the crowd to move forward and introduce a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics‐based model to simulate the dynamics of dense crowds. Besides, we present a motion signal propagation approach to trigger the rest of the crowd so that they respond to the immediate leaders linearly, which can lead to the linear stop‐and‐go wave effect of the fluid‐like motion for the crowd. Our experiments demonstrate that our model can simulate large‐scale dense crowds with linear wave propagation.
Targeted Synthesis of NIR Luminescent Rhenium Diimine cis,trans‐[Re()(CO)2(L)2]n+ Complexes Containing N‐Donor Axial Ligands: Photophysical, Electrochemical, and Theoretical Studies
Authors: Shakirova J. R. , Nayeri S. , Jamali S. , Porsev Vitaly V. , Gurzhiy Vladislav V. , Levin Oleg V. , Koshevoy I. O. , Tunik S. P.
Published: November 2020

The combined action of ultraviolet irradiation and microwave heating onto acetonitrile solution of [Re(
)(CO)3(NCMe)]OTf (
=phenantroline and neocuproine) afforded cis,trans‐Re(
)(CO)2(NCMe)2]+ acetonitrile derivatives. Substitution of relatively labile NCMe with a series of aromatic N‐donor ligands (pyridine, pyrazine, 4,4’‐bipyridine, N‐methyl‐4,4’‐bipyridine) gave a novel family of the diimine cis,trans‐[Re(
)(CO)2(L)2]+ complexes. Photophysical studies of the obtained compounds in solution revealed unusually high absorption across the visible region and NIR phosphorescence with emission band maxima ranging from 711 to 805 nm. The nature of emissive excited states was studied using DFT calculations to show dominant contribution of 3MLCT (dπ(Re)→π*(
)) character. Electrochemical (CV and DPV) studies of the monocationic diimine complexes revealed one reduction and one oxidation wave assigned to reduction of the diimine moiety and oxidation of the rhenium center, respectively.
The sex‐specific effect of the apolipoprotein E allele and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene polymorphism on the biochemical, anatomical, and cognitive profiles of patients clinically diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Kim Hee‐Jin , Park Junhui , Kim Yong Sung , Park Jinseok
Published: November 2020

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the sex‐specific effect of apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism on the biochemical, anatomical, and cognitive profiles of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Methods

The patient (followed‐up for at least 2 years) medical records, which comprised of data on plasma homocysteine and folate levels, lipid profile, HbA1c, MTHFR C677T genotype, APOE allele type, mini‐mental state examination (MMSE) and clinical dementia rating (CDR) scores, and brain scans, were retrospectively analyzed. Two trained neurologists scored the white matter lesions (Fazekas scale), medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA), and microbleeds using brain magnetic resonance imaging scans.

Results

This study included 574 patients clinically diagnosed with probable AD (average age, 73.2 years; mean MMSE score, 10.05). The effect of sex on all parameters was evaluated. The triglyceride (TG) and homocysteine levels and the MTA and Fazekas scores were higher in female APOE‐ε4/ε4 carriers than in women without APOE‐ε4. The TG and homocysteine levels were lower in men with the MTHFR CC allele than in those with the MTHFR TT allele. In contrast, MTHFR polymorphism and APOE‐ε4 alleles were not significantly correlated with anatomical lesions and rate of decline in the MMSE and CDR scores.

Conclusions

We demonstrated the sex‐specific effect of the APOE allele and MTHFR polymorphism on the serological and anatomical biomarkers in AD patients. The APOE allele and MTHFR mutations did not directly affect cognitive progression, but differentially affected other biochemical factors, between the sexes. These findings will aid in devising novel preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Institutional financial toxicity of failure to adhere to treatment guidelines for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Jurica James M. , Rubio Felixnando , Hernandez David J. , Sandulache Vlad C.
Published: November 2020

Background

Delays in treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) are known to increase disease recurrence, generating the need for additional salvage treatment, often with immunotherapy.

Methods

Three treatment metrics were identified: time from diagnosis to treatment initiation (TTI), time from surgery to postoperative radiotherapy (surg → PORT), and total treatment package time (TPT). Financial toxicity was calculated using hazard ratios, pembrolizumab cost, and dosing data for a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) institutional cohort (n = 338) and a standardized cohort (n = 100).

Results

Estimated financial toxicity for the VHA cohort was $2 047 407, $316 545, and $1 114 101 for TTI, surg → PORT, and TPT, respectively. Estimated financial toxicity for the standardized patient cohort was $454 028, $544 576, and $1 879 628 for TTI, surg → PORT, and TPT, respectively.

Conclusions

Failure to meet established HNSCC treatment metrics generates significant, yet avoidable, institutional financial toxicity which is particularly relevant to integrated single‐payer systems such as the VHA in the modern immunotherapy era.
Novel insights into the computational techniques in unsteady MHD second‐grade fluid dynamics with oscillatory boundary conditions
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Khan Noor S. , Ali Rohail , Islam Saeed , Kumam Poom , Thounthong Phatiphat
Published: November 2020

This study presents mechanisms for the investigation of an unsteady magnetohydrodynamic second‐grade fluid flow between two periodically oscillating plates. The flow characterization is given in three forms, that is, Couette flow, Poiseuille flow, and a combination flow of both of them. A mathematical system is generated to design the problems, which are solved in an analytical way with two novel procedures, namely Adomian decomposition method (ADM) and optimal homotopy asymptotic method (OHAM). The numerical comparison, absolute errors, and residuals of OHAM and ADM solutions are evaluated. Results obtained from these two methods are studied comparatively in the form of numbers and graphs. A good agreement between the respective data is obtained. The influences of flow parameters like frequency parameter, non‐Newtonian fluid parameter, magnetic field parameter, pressure gradient parameter, and time variable on velocity have been analyzed.
High‐throughput metabolomics method based on liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry: Insights into the underlying mechanisms of salinity–alkalinity exposure‐induced metabolites changes in Barbus capito
Authors: Sun Yan‐Chun , Han Shi‐Cheng , Yao Ming‐Zhu , Wang Yu‐Mei , Geng Long‐Wu , Wang Peng , Lu Wei‐Hong , Liu Hong‐Bai
Published: November 2020

It is critical to investigate the adaptive development and the physiological mechanism of fish in external stimulation. In this study, the response of Barbus capito to salinity–alkalinity exposure was explored by high‐throughput nontargeted and liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry‐based metabolomics to investigate metabolic biomarker and pathway changes. Meanwhile, the biochemical indexes of Barbus capito were measured to discover the chronic impairment response to salinity–alkalinity exposures. A total of 29 tissue metabolites were determined to deciphering the endogenous metabolic changes of fishes during the different concentration salinity–alkalinity exposures environment, which were mainly involved in the key metabolism including the phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, citrate cycle, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Finally, we found the amino acid metabolism as key target was associated with the endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways of Barbus capito to salinity–alkalinity exposures. In conclusion, metabolomics is a potentially powerful tool to reveal the mechanism information of fish in various exposure environments.
Mechanically Stable Dynamic Urea Bond‐Based Crosslinked Polymer Blend with Tunable Self‐Healable and Physical Properties
Authors: Zhou Zhongqun , Chen Shenye , Li Weichen , He Junjie , Yu Caili , Zhang Faai
Published: November 2020

Polymer networks crosslinked by reversible noncovalent crosslinks have been applied in self‐healing and recyclable sustainable materials but result in limited mechanical strength. Herein, a crosslinked polymer blend that is based on a urethane–arcylate system with a combination of reversibly noncovalent intrachain and interchain hydrogen bonds and dynamically covalent urea bonds is developed through facile in situ photo‐induced copolymerization. An essential step is the introduction of a flexibly dynamic crosslinker bearing robustly hindered urea bonds and urethane–urea structures into the network, which endows the dynamic network with a synergy of mechanical robustness and desirable self‐healing ability. The dynamic networks exhibit rapid self‐healing at mild conditions (70 °C, 30 min), extreme toughness (≈34.76 MJ m−3), high tensile strength (≈7.78 MPa), superior stretchability (≈932%), long‐term stability, recyclability, and weldability. More importantly, the mechanical and self‐healing properties of the resultant materials can be fine‐tuned by adjusting the dynamic crosslinker content. These superior properties are attributed to the dynamic reversibility of hydrogen bonds and urea bonds as monitored by rheological tests. The extremely facile fabrication approach and superior properties of the resulting self‐healing polymers can find applications in sustainable smart materials and self‐healing conductive sensors.
Embedding of Molecular Structure Using Molecular Hypergraph Variational Autoencoder with Metric Learning
Authors: Koge Daiki , Ono Naoaki , Huang Ming , Altaf‐Ul‐Amin Md. , Kanaya Shigehiko
Published: November 2020

Deep learning approaches are widely used to search molecular structures for a candidate drug/material. The basic approach in drug/material candidate structure discovery is to embed a relationship that holds between a molecular structure and the physical property into a low‐dimensional vector space (chemical space) and search for a candidate molecular structure in that space based on a desired physical property value. Deep learning simplifies the structure search by efficiently modeling the structure of the chemical space with greater detail and lower dimensions than the original input space. In our research, we propose an effective method for molecular embedding learning that combines variational autoencoders (VAEs) and metric learning using any physical property. Our method enables molecular structures and physical properties to be embedded locally and continuously into VAEs’ latent space while maintaining the consistency of the relationship between the structural features and the physical properties of molecules to yield better predictions.
Use of positive behaviour support plan for challenging behaviour in autism
Authors: Javaid Amir , Ghebru Sium , Nawaz Jabran , Michael Dasari , Pearson Richard , Rushforth Emma , Michael Gabriel
Published: November 2020

The aim of a positive behaviour support (PBS) plan is to improve the quality of a person's life by supporting the person to lead a meaningful life and learn new skills without unnecessary restrictions. PBS uses person‐centred values as well as behavioural science and evidence to inform how to work with people who are at risk of displaying behaviour that challenges. Here, the authors describe how a PBS was effectively used to reduce anxiety and challenging behaviour in a person with autism.
Penetration, distribution, and elimination of remofuscin/soraprazan in Stargardt mouse eyes following a single intravitreal injection using pharmacokinetics and transmission electron microscopic autoradiography: Implication for the local treatment of Stargardt’s disease and dry age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Julien‐Schraermeyer Sylvie , Illing Barbara , Tschulakow Alexander , Taubitz Tatjana , Guezguez Jamil , Burnet Michael , Schraermeyer Ulrich
Published: November 2020

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in older people in the developed world while Stargardt's disease (SD) is a juvenile macular degeneration and an orphan disease. Both diseases are untreatable and are marked by accumulation of lipofuscin advancing to progressive deterioration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and retina and subsequent vision loss till blindness. We discovered that a small molecule belonging to the tetrahydropyridoether class of compounds, soraprazan renamed remofuscin, is able to remove existing lipofuscin from the RPE. This study investigated the drug penetration, distribution, and elimination into the eyes of a mouse model for increased lipofuscinogenesis, following a single intravitreal injection. We measured the time course of concentrations of remofuscin in different eye tissues using high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with mass spectroscopy (HPLC‐MS). We also visualized the penetration and distribution of 3H‐remofuscin in eye sections up to 20 weeks post‐injection using transmission electron microscopic (TEM) autoradiography. The distribution of silver grains revealed that remofuscin accumulated specifically in the RPE by binding to the RPE pigments (melanin, lipofuscin and melanolipofuscin) and that it was still detected after 20 weeks. Importantly, the melanosomes in choroidal melanocytes only rarely bind remofuscin emphasizing its potential to serve as an active ingredient in the RPE for the treatment of SD and dry AMD. In addition, our study highlights the importance of electron microscopic autoradiography as it is the only method able to show drug binding with a high intracellular resolution.
Passivity‐based robust adaptive sliding mode control for singular time‐delay systems with uncertainties in both derivative matrix and some other system matrices
Authors: Liu Qi , Qi Zongfeng , Li Jianxun , Ma Shuping , Yang Chunyu
Published: November 2020

This article addresses the passivity analysis and passification problems for a class of nonlinear singular time‐varying delay systems with the special forms of uncertainties in both derivative matrix and some other system matrices by adopting adaptive sliding mode control (SMC) strategy. First, a distinctive state augmentation technique, which keeps the admissibility and the robust passivity unchanged, is employed due to “left‐singular” form uncertainty in the derivative matrix (ie,). Next, an integral‐type sliding surface, which involves the SMC gain matrixK, is constructed. By designing an appropriate Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional and introducing slack matrix approach, in which the slack matrixis not constrained in contrast to most existing literatures, a new sufficient condition is derived to ensure that the resulting sliding mode dynamics is admissible and robustly passive for all admissible uncertainties. Additionally, for the passification problem, a delay‐dependent sufficient condition is proposed in the form of strict linear matrix inequality (LMI), which not only removes the equality constraint but also makes the SMC gain matrixKsolvable. Then a novel adaptive SMC law, which does not need to use the assumption that bounds of nonlinear perturbation function and external disturbance are known constants, is synthesized such that the finite‐time reachability can be guaranteed. And the state information before and after state augmented transformation is utilized in SMC law design to help achieve better performance. Finally, four examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness, superiority, and less conservativeness of the proposed scheme.
Magnetic transition in ultrathin Co sandwiched between Au layers in [Au (3.16 nm)/Co (1.5 nm)]x35/Si(100) multilayers
Authors: Tripathi Jitendra , Sharma Anupam , Kumar Dileep , Singh Jaiveer , Bisen Rishabh , Tripathi Shilpa
Published: November 2020

The superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic transition in ultrathin Co layers has been investigated by systematic annealing of Co ultrathin layer sandwiched between a pair of Au layer in the [Au (3.16 nm)/Co (1.5 nm)]x35/Si(100) multilayers. Apart from this magnetic transition, annealing‐induced modifications in morphological and structural properties of this discontinuous island like Co ultrathin layer have also been investigated. The thickness and number of Co and Au layers were so chosen as to make a composition of 20 weight percent (wt%) Co in Au matrix. X‐ray diffraction and reflectivity measurements reveal the formation of a bilayer stack showing Bragg's peaks, which disappear upon annealing beyond 200°C due to mixing of layers. Corresponding SQUID results show a transition from superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic phase beyond 200°C, indicating the clusterization of Co, which is enabled by nonmiscible nature of Co and Au. The results are interpreted in terms of annealing‐dependent mobility of Co and Au atoms resulting in superparamagnetic to ferromagnetic and finally to a non‐magnetic phase.
Delamination detection on a concrete bridge deck using impact echo scanning
Authors: Scherr Johannes F. , Grosse Christian U.
Published: November 2020

In this large‐scale field study we use a prototype impact‐echo scanner to detect delaminations on a concrete bridge deck surveying in total over 17,000 m2. Delaminated bridge sections are known from manual sounding and coring. A large‐scale damage assessment is necessary to identify the need of repair work. Based on first results, two lanes of the bridge are repaired and in subsequent tests the bonding of fresh and old concrete is examined. It shows that delaminations found on the bridge deck surface are unevenly distributed with more defects on the southbound lanes. This indicates constructional problems during the concrete placement. The developed scanner excites stress waves by dropping steel solenoids on the surface and recording the impact‐echo frequency by air‐coupled microphone arrays. It is pushed at a speed of 600 m/h, hitting the surface 300 times per square meter. The recorded data is preprocessed on site with an automated delamination detection threshold implemented. Found delaminations are transferred to a bridge map to allow an overall damage assessment.