bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tutanchamuns Dolch
Authors: Fischer‐Henningsen Doris
Published: May 2022

Vor hundert Jahren, 1922, entdeckte der britische Archäologe Howard Carter im Tal der Könige das fast vollständig erhaltene Grab des altägyptischen Pharaos Tutanchamuns aus dem 14. Jahrhundert vor unserer Zeitrechnung. Neben der Mumie und der allgemein bekannten blaugoldenen Totenmaske enthielt die Ruhestätte zahlreiche Grabbeigaben, darunter war auch ein Dolch mit einer Eisenklinge – über hundert Jahre vor Beginn der eigentlichen Eisenzeit.
Recent Advances in the Design of Multi‐Substituted Carbazoles for Optoelectronics: Synthesis and Structure‐Property Outlook
Authors: Konidena Rajendra Kumar , Thomas K. R. Justin , Park Jong Wook
Published: May 2022

Organic synthesis plays a pivotal role in the development of innovative organic functional materials for optoelectronic applications such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), photovoltaics (OPVs), non‐linear optics (NLOs), field effect transistors (OFETs) and sensors. Chemical functionalization methods available for polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are particularly attractive as they provide opportunities to fine‐tune the physicochemical, charge transporting and device parameters. Among the PAHs containing heteroatoms, carbazole is recognized as one of the most promising building blocks for assembling the functional materials for organic electronics, particularly for OLED and OPVs due to its unique features such as good hole transporting ability, excellent thermal and morphological stability, amorphous nature, low cost, high triplet energy and flexibility for functionalization. Until 2011, carbazole‐based functional materials were limited to use as a donor in donor–acceptor molecular configurations and as difunctionalized (C3,C6‐ or C2,C7‐ or N‐) derivatives capable of hole transporting/emitting characteristics. Recently, polyfunctionalization on carbazole at various positions has drawn significant attention as a result of their promising structure–function relationships. Although some reviews have focused on structure–property relationships within difunctionalized carbazoles, recent synthetic advances in the field of polyfunctionalized carbazoles and their resultant structure–property relationships remain unreviewed. To bridge this gap, in this article we review newly emerged synthetic approaches for polyfunctionalization of carbazole and discuss the effects of substitution pattern, chromophore nature and its density on the photophysical and device properties.
Exploiting trust, influence, and physical proximity for improving routing performance in vehicular ad hoc networks: The SCALE protocol
Authors: Mantas Nikolaos , Louta Malamati , Karetsos George T.
Published: May 2022

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are receiving increased attention, and several routing protocols have been proposed already by the research community. In such a framework, social aspects and human mobility are important performance enablers, which however are mostly overlooked. In this work, we propose the socially aware CLWPR (SCALE) protocol, significantly enhancing cross‐layer weighted position‐based routing (CLWPR), a routing protocol for urban VANET environments, combining social properties such as trust, influence, and users' individual mobility patterns to its core design in order to support an efficient content dissemination scheme. The design principles of SCALE that rely on both online and offline social metrics quantifying relationships on social networking platforms and opportunistic contacts of nodes due to physical proximity, respectively, are presented, while nodes with close online and offline social relationship are favored as next forwarder nodes. Subsequently we provide the performance evaluation of SCALE against other routing protocols in distributed vehicular networks, employing representative urban scenarios with synthetic and real traffic. It is shown that the proposed approach presents improved performance in terms of Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) and throughput when compared with other similar protocols by an average of 37% in scenarios with synthetic dataset and 58% with real dataset for PDR and by an average of 45% in scenarios with synthetic dataset and 61% with real dataset for throughput.
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Vegetable Oils: Retrospective and Prospects
Authors: Dhara Olivia , Rani K. N. Prasanna , Chakrabarti Pradosh Prasad
Published: May 2022

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) extraction is projected as one of the most viable alternatives to conventional hexane extraction due to its density‐dependent solvent power, low viscosity, moderately high diffusion coefficient, and low‐temperature operative conditions. Demands for retention of bioactive compounds in oils like wheat germ oil, rice bran oil, almond oil, etc., are increasing and that can be easily met up by this alternative solvent. Solvent extraction of oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acid, like flaxseed oil, microbial oil, etc., is highly sensitive. Prolonged heating during removal of solvent often leads to degradation of essential fatty acids. As the phase change is done by changing the pressure, the use of SC‐CO2 overcomes such issues. It is quite evident that degumming, one of the processing steps in refining of vegetable oils, will not be required if SC‐CO2 is used for extraction. Moreover, in some other cases, bioactive compounds will be retained in the de‐fatted meal and can be recovered with better purity. All these factors will add to the overall economy. A detailed review of the application of SC‐CO2 for the extraction of vegetable oils—the initial reports, current status, and future prospectsis presented in this paper.

Practical applications: In recent years, the oils and fats industry has gone through several technological advancements and the most important of them was shifting to physical refining process from highly polluting chemical process. The industry may see another major change in the extraction process in the near future. Hexane has been enlisted as a hazardous air pollutant as per the Clean Air Act, 1990. Recent reports show that hexane may have some role even in ozone layer depletion. Scientists are looking forward to alternatives. SC‐CO2 has emerged as one of the most suitable alternatives. The large capital investment required for the installation of SC‐CO2‐based extraction plants was a major drawback. However, ready availability of critical machineries and advancements in terms of automation has brought down the capital expenditure significantly. The utilization of superior quality by‐products generated by the process of SC‐CO2 extraction may be an added advantage for the overall economy of the process.
Electrochemical Immunosensor Made with Zein‐based Nanofibers for On‐site Detection of Aflatoxin B1
Authors: Dos Santos Danilo M. , Migliorini Fernanda L. , Soares Andrey C. , Mattoso Luiz H. C. , Oliveira Osvaldo N. , Correa Daniel S.
Published: May 2022

A disposable electrochemical immunosensor for on‐site detection of aflatoxin B1(AFB1), one of the most toxic mycotoxins in agri‐food products, was fabricated through a low‐cost cut‐printing method and then modified with zein/polypyrrole(PPy) electrospun nanofibers onto which anti‐AFB1 monoclonal antibodies were immobilized covalently. Fabrication was possible with an innovative and simple approach to adsorb nanofibers onto the working electrode during electrospinning. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was employed as the principle of detection, and the data collected with a portable potentiostat were treated with information visualization techniques. The nanostructured immunosensor showed a high sensitivity for AFB1 with a linear detection range from 0.25 to 10 ng mL−1 and a theoretical limit of detection of 0.092 ng mL−1, which is adequate to detect AFB1 in food, according to regulatory agencies.
Sensitive and Selective Voltammetric Determination of Ciprofloxacin Using Screen‐printed Electrodes Modified with Carbon Black and Magnetic‐molecularly Imprinted Polymer
Authors: Wong Ademar , M. Santos Anderson , A. Silva Tiago , Moraes Fernando C. , Fatibello‐Filho Orlando , Sotomayor Maria D. P. T.
Published: May 2022

This work reports the construction of screen‐printed electrode (SPE) modified with carbon black (CB) and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles coated with molecularly imprinted polymer (mag@MIP) based on an alternative low‐cost approach. The proposed device was used for the sensitive and selective voltammetric determination of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The results obtained from cyclic voltammetry pointed to the improvement of the SPE response toward the irreversible oxidation of ciprofloxacin after the modification of the electrode surface with CB‐based film and the magnetic preconcentration of mag@MIP containing adsorbed ciprofloxacin molecules. Compared to the non‐molecularly imprinted sensor (mag@NIP), the presence of cavities selective for ciprofloxacin recognition in the mag@MIP nanoparticles accounted for the improvement in analytical signal of the molecularly imprinted sensor. The application of differential pulse voltammetry for ciprofloxacin determination yielded a linear response in the concentration range of 0.5 to 7.0 μmol L−1. The repeatability and interference tests results showed that the proposed electrochemical sensor has good measurement accuracy and selectivity. The proposed device was applied for the voltammetric determination of ciprofloxacin in river water and synthetic urine samples, where recovery rates close to 100 % were recorded for all the samples. The quantification data obtained from the application of the proposed voltammetric method were quite consistent with those of the HPLC reference method.
Treatment of starch‐rich wastewater using fly ash‐based low‐cost tubular ceramic membrane
Authors: Goswami Kakali Priyam , Pugazhenthi Gopal
Published: May 2022

Implementation of fly ash‐based ceramic tubular membranes in starch wastewater treatment can be considered as a cost‐effective approach towards treating huge quantities of wastewater generated in starch industries. The membrane used in this work possesses excellent chemical and mechanical stabilities and has average pore size of 0.133 μm and porosity of (40.17 ± 1.04)%. The permeate produced by treating wastewater from all three starch sources, namely corn, wheat, and rice, was absolutely free of total suspended solids and turbidity and contained slight chemical oxygen demand, which is under permissible limit for discharge into natural water bodies as prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), India. Besides, the experiments conducted revealed that along with applied pressure, cross‐flow velocity and size of starch granules can also play pivotal roles in determining the extent of flux decline. Moreover, the estimated cost of the fabricated membrane is 250.00 USD/m2, signifying that the membrane has affordability for being implemented in starch processing industries of all scale.
HierarchicalMgAl‐layered double hydroxide growth on porousMgOtemplate for pollution removal
Authors: Li Songnan , Mo Tianyu , Chen Lei , Zhang Feng , Jamil Saba , Lu Yuli , Cai Qinghai
Published: May 2022

Different from alumina, magnesium oxide is seldom used in the synthesis of layered double hydroxide. In this work, MgAl layered double hydroxide with hierarchical structure was synthesized by using porous MgO as precursor via a facile in situ reaction at room temperature. And no chemical reagents are needed to provide an alkaline environment that allows precipitation to form during the synthesis process. Crystal structure, morphology, functional group, and surface features of the porous MgO precursor, the synthesized layered double hydroxide and its calcined product were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared techniques. The results demonstrate that the synthesized layered double hydroxide is a pure phase and composed of nanosheets. Moreover, the synthesized layered double hydroxide inherits the morphology of the porous MgO precursor and forms a hierarchical structure. This structure has a large specific surface area (249 m2 g−1) to increase the adsorption properties. Adsorption experimental results show that the maximum adsorption capacities of Congo red and Cr(VI) ions over the synthesized layered double hydroxide were 847.5 and 103.7 mg g−1, respectively. The adsorption process follows the Langmuir and pseudo‐second equation. Both adsorption processes were found to be spontaneous and endothermic.
Energy consumption estimation for electric two‐wheeler using different drive cycles for achieving optimum efficiency
Authors: Wankhede Sagar , Thorat Prajwal , Shisode Sanket , Sonawane Swapnil , Wankhade Rugved
Published: May 2022

Electric vehicles (EVs) are fast evolving and their technological advancement is taking at a rapid pace. The performance usually depends upon two basic parameters for an EV, the range of the vehicle and energy consumption per kilometre for the vehicle. Drive cycles (DCs) play a major role in designing EVs. Many DCs are currently used such as the Indian drive cycle (IDC), New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) to check the performance of vehicle in term of their emissions and working standards. This paper compares an electric two‐wheeler scooter with these standard DCs for range and energy consumption estimation and found out that the range obtained using NEDC drive cycle was 130 km in comparison with the IDC which was about 95 km. The paper also highlights the importance of good infrastructure of roads in India to optimize the driving range of the electric vehicle and also stresses the use of good cooling techniques of batteries for range enhancement of EVs.
Late Cretaceous volcanic arc magmatism in southeast Anatolian Orogenic Belt: Constraints from whole‐rock, mineral chemistry, Sr–Nd isotopes and U–Pb zircon ages of the Baskil Intrusive Complex (Malatya, Turkey)
Authors: Nurlu Nusret , Köksal Serhat , Kohút Milan
Published: May 2022

The voluminous intrusive and extrusive magmatism was formed in the Elazığ‐Malatya region of the Southeast Anatolian Orogenic Belt (SAOB) as a consequence of the continental collision and/or convergent orogeny. The SAOB holds a great number of stratigraphic, metamorphic and tectonomagmatic units in the Elazığ‐Malatya region that are crucial for recognition of the geodynamic setting of southeast Anatolia during the Upper Cretaceous. The Baskil Intrusive Complex (BIC) is composed of mainly tonalitic/granodioritic and dioritic/gabbroic plutonic rocks, while its sub‐volcanic phase is represented by granophyre, aplite and microgabbro, which were intruded into the Upper Cretaceous supra‐subduction zone (SSZ)‐type İspendere ophiolites (SE Turkey). New U–Pb laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) zircon data provided crystallization ages ranging from 84.3 to 81.5 Ma for the BIC. Mafic and felsic rocks of the BIC have a low‐ to medium‐K calc‐alkaline, I‐type, metaluminous character, whereas extremely evolved felsic rocks of this complex show a peraluminous composition. The aluminium‐in‐hornblende barometery (~196 to 299 MPa) of magnesio‐hornblendes in the Baskil intrusive rocks indicates their emplacement in the shallow‐ to moderate crustal plutonic levels at a minimum of 7.3 km to a maximum of 11.1 km depth. The Baskil intrusive rocks present depletion in Ti, Nb, Ta, light REE with respect to primitive mantle, and relative enrichment in large‐ion lithophile element (Rb, Ba, Pb, Sr, Th), thus infer a pronounced subduction signature. Both mafic and felsic intrusives show low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.70357–0.70561) together with a high initial 143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.51279–0.51289), and high ƐNd(T) values (5.0–7.0) and relatively young Nd crustal residence model ages (TDM = 0.31–0.48 Ga). Based on our field, mineralogical and geochemical findings, we suggest that the BIC was originated from an amphibolitic source that interacted with subducted crust within SSZ and was changed by fluids during the early stages of the short‐lived volcanic arc magmatism that evolved at the fringe of the Tauride Platform.
An approach to quantify parameter uncertainty in early assessment of novel health technologies
Authors: Iskandar Rowan , Federici Carlo , Berns Cassandra , Blankart Carl Rudolf
Published: May 2022

Health economic modeling of novel technology at the early stages of a product lifecycle has been used to identify technologies that are likely to be cost‐effective. Such early assessments are challenging due to the potentially limited amount of data. Modelers typically conduct uncertainty analyses to evaluate their effect on decision‐relevant outcomes. Current approaches, however, are limited in their scope of application and imposes an unverifiable assumption, that is, uncertainty can be precisely represented by a probability distribution. In the absence of reliable data, an approach that uses the fewest number of assumptions is desirable. This study introduces a generalized approach for quantifying parameter uncertainty, that is, probability bound analysis (PBA), that does not require a precise specification of a probability distribution in the context of early‐stage health economic modeling. We introduce the concept of a probability box (p‐box) as a measure of uncertainty without necessitating a precise probability distribution. We provide formulas for a p‐box given data on summary statistics of a parameter. We describe an approach to propagate p‐boxes into a model and provide step‐by‐step guidance on how to implement PBA. We conduct a case and examine the differences between the status‐quo and PBA approaches and their potential implications on decision‐making.
Thyroid nodules of indeterminate cytology in Hispanic/Latinx patients
Authors: Kerr Catherine E. , Ferrell Jay , Kitano Mio , Koek Wouter , Dahia Patricia L. M. , Velez Jorge , Francis Gary
Published: May 2022

Background

Behavior of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) varies among ethnic groups. Recommended management of thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology (TN‐IC) is based on molecular analysis from predominantly non‐Hispanic white patients. We hypothesized that TN‐IC in Hispanic/Latinx patients would have different features, management, and outcomes and that molecular testing might perform differently in Hispanic/Latinx patients.

Methods

Retrospective chart review was performed on 127 TN‐IC analyzed with Afirma. Patient characteristics were compared using linear model ANOVA and Fisher's exact test.

Results

Out of 127 TN‐IC, 71 (56%) were Hispanic/Latinx. Hispanic/Latinx had a greater prevalence of diabetes, but Afirma results (benign or suspicious) were similar between ethnic groups. Fourteen patients had malignant pathology. Their management and outcomes were similar across groups. The negative predictive value for our cohort (97.9%) was similar to published data.

Conclusions

Data from our predominantly‐Hispanic/Latinx cohort suggest that Afirma performs similarly in Hispanic/Latinx and non‐Hispanic white patients with TN‐IC.
Entropy generation on magnetohydrodynamic laminar boundary‐layer Casson CNT‐based nanofluid flow across a wedge by using the homotopy analysis method
Authors: Umadevi K. B. , Patil Mallikarjun B.
Published: May 2022

The purpose of the study is to scrutinize the entropy generation analysis on magnetohydrodynamic heat transfer flow from Casson single‐walled carbon nanotube on a wedge with Joule heating and viscous dissipation. Kerosene oil is considered as base fluid because of its exclusive features, advanced thermal conductivity, application, and unique behavior. Using similarity variables, the regulating equations are modified into nonlinear coupled, ordinary differential equations, which are then tackled using homotopy analysis method. Impacts of emerging parameters on entropy generation, temperature, velocity, and Bejan number distributions are discussed and shown graphically. The Nusselt number and skin‐friction coefficient values are shown in a table. The results reveal that velocity enhances due to increasing magnetic and Casson parameters. It was inspected that entropy production enhances due to increasing wedge angle and magnetic parameter and decays with Casson parameter. Also, it is examined that the Bejan number upsurges due to larger Casson and wedge angle parameters but a reverse trend can be observed with increasing values of a magnetic parameter. The present results have been endorsed by comparing with the available data in the literature, it was discovered that they are in excellent agreement.
Commodity price uncertainty as a leading indicator of economic activity
Authors: Triantafyllou Athanasios , Bakas Dimitrios , Ioakimidis Marilou
Published: May 2022

This article examines the impact of commodity price uncertainty on the U.S. economic activity. Our analysis indicates that uncertainty in agricultural, energy and metals markets depresses economic activity in the United States. Uncertainty shocks in agricultural and metals markets have a more long‐lasting dampening effect on economic activity and its components, when compared to the effect of oil uncertainty shocks. Finally, we show that when accounting for the effects of macroeconomic and monetary factors, the negative dynamic response of economic activity to agricultural and metals uncertainty shocks remains unaltered, while the respective macroeconomic response to energy uncertainty shocks is significantly reduced.
An effective detection of COVID‐19 using adaptive dual‐stage horse herd bidirectional long short‐term memory framework
Authors: Mannepalli Durga Prasad , Namdeo Varsha
Published: May 2022

COVID‐19 is a quickly increasing severe viral disease that affects the human beings as well as animals. The increasing amount of infection and death due to COVID‐19 needs timely detection. This work presented an innovative deep learning methodology for the prediction of COVID‐19 patients with chest x‐ray images. Chest x‐ray is the most effective imaging technique for predicting the lung associated diseases. An effective approach with adaptive dual‐stage horse herd bidirectional LSTM model is presented for the classification of images into normal, lung opacity, viral pneumonia, and COVID‐19. Initially, the input images are preprocessed using modified histogram equalization approach. This is utilized to improve the contrast of the images by changing low‐resolution images into high‐resolution images. Subsequently, an extended dual tree complex wavelet with trigonometric transform is introduced to extract the high‐density features to decrease the complexity of features. Moreover, the dimensionality of the features reduced by adaptive beetle antennae search optimization is utilized. This approach enhances the performance of disease classification by reducing the computational complexity. Finally, an adaptive dual‐stage horse herd bidirectional LSTM model is utilized for the classification of images into normal, viral pneumonia, lung opacity, and COVID‐19. The implementation platform used in the work is PYTHON. The performance of the presented approach is proved by comparing with the existing approaches in accuracy (99.07%), sensitivity (97.6%), F‐measure (97.1%), specificity (99.36%), kappa coefficient (97.7%), precision (98.56%), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (99%) for COVID‐19 chest x‐ray database.
Governmental unity and corporate performance
Authors: Cheng Mengyao
Published: May 2022

This paper examines the impact of governmental unity on corporate performance. Calendar years are classified as united when the president, Senate majority, and House majority are all from the same political party. Results indicate that firms have higher accounting return on assets when the federal government is united than when it is not. Firms have higher accounting return on assets when federal and state governments are both united under the same party, though the structures of federal and state governments may differ in the same time episode. The positive effect of government unity on corporate performance is stronger when the firm's sales growth rate is greater and profitability more volatile. The results are consistent with united government promoting legislation efficiency and reducing uncertainty in political environments.
Gender, prior knowledge, and the impact of a flipped linear algebra course for engineers over multiple years
Authors: Hardebolle Cécile , Verma Himanshu , Tormey Roland , Deparis Simone
Published: May 2022

Background

Research shows that active pedagogies could play an important role in achieving more equitable outcomes for diverse groups of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Although flipped classes are a popular active methodology, there is a lack of high‐quality studies assessing their impact in ecologically valid settings and exploring how outcomes are related to gender and to prior education.

Purpose

This paper presents two modified replications of an experimental study investigating the impact of the flipped class approach on students' achievement in a large, first‐year class in an engineering bachelor's degree.

Methodology

We added a new strand, progressively flipped over 3 years, to eight parallel strands of a high‐stakes mandatory linear algebra course for engineers. The study followed a replicated‐between‐subjects design, with students in the flipped strand learning the same material as those in the other strands and taking the same final exam.

Results

Our results demonstrate that the flipped format did not have any significant impact on students' achievement compared to traditional lecturing. However, both replications in the flipped condition show a reduced attainment gap for women and students with less prior knowledge in mathematics.

Conclusion

While the flipped class seems to have weaker effects on learning than other active methodologies, the evidence in this study indicates that it may have an impact on reducing the attainment gap between different groups of students. It may therefore be particularly interesting to consider in efforts to achieve more equitable outcomes for women and where students have heterogeneous educational backgrounds.
Observed trends and variability of seasonal and annual precipitation in Pakistan during 1960–2016
Authors: Hussain Azfar , Cao Jianhua , Ali Shaukat , Muhammad Sher , Ullah Waheed , Hussain Ishtiaq , Akhtar Mobeen , Wu Xiuqin , Guan Yinghui , Zhou Jinxing
Published: May 2022

Long‐term precipitation monitoring plays a vital role in water resource management and disaster prevention and mitigation. This study assesses spatial and temporal trends in seasonal and annual precipitation in Pakistan between 1960 and 2016 at an interannual scale. The Mann–Kendall (MK) test, Sen's slope (SS) estimator, and Sequential Mann–Kendall (SQMK) test were employed to assess trends. Cluster analysis and L‐moment approach were used to identify the homogenous precipitation regions. In general, increasing precipitation trends between 1960 and 2016 were evident. Results indicated increasing precipitation in winter, autumn, summer and annual scale at the rates of 0.20, 2.18, 5.16, and 10.89 mm·decade−1, respectively. In spring, the precipitation trend shows a decreasing trend at −0.67 mm·decade−1. Moreover, a significant decreasing trend occurred in winter in southern Pakistan. The overall increasing trends were more noticeable between 1960 and 1988, compared to the declining precipitation during 1989–2016. SQMK analysis indicates a clear downward trend in most regions during 1989–2016, except in autumn. Annual precipitation has increased topographically except at 500 m and 1,500 m during 1960–2016 with a significant increase of 1.37 mm·decade−1 at elevation <250 m. Results indicate a negative correlation in SS test value with seasonal and annual precipitation with elevation and a positive correlation in winter. The seasonal and annual precipitation trends exhibit increasing and decreasing trends before and after 1990, respectively, in most subregions. The notable finding based on the outcomes of this study is that the whole country observed an increasing trend during 1960–1988, followed by a decreasing trend in during 1989–2016. This decreasing tendency is particularly pronounced between 1985 and 1995, except in autumn. Agriculture production is largely reliant on precipitation in many regions. So, a detailed study of the influence of monsoon trends and large‐scale climatic variability controls over Pakistan is vital for improved water resource management in the context of global warming and rising human activity. The results will help policy makers while establishing and updating water‐related initiatives and regulations.
Retrieving Cochrane reviews is sometimes challenging and their reporting is not always optimal
Authors: Pieper Dawid , Hoffmann Falk
Published: May 2022

Cochrane reviews are known to be a high‐quality source of evidence synthesis supporting health care decisions. In a recently conducted study, we analyzed the trends in epidemiology and reporting of published systematic reviews over the last 20 years. This sample of 1132 systematic reviews included 84 Cochrane reviews. We have learned several peculiarities of Cochrane reviews that are worth being discussed in more detail due to their practical implications. Methodologists, clinicians and health care professionals should be aware of these limitations: (1) Cochrane reviews are not identified as systematic reviews in title, (2) Cochrane reviews do not always follow PRISMA reporting guidelines, (3) Some updates are only available via the Cochrane Library, and (4) Indexing of Cochrane reviews in PubMed may be suboptimal.
Influence of the Chemical Structure on the Flame Retardant Mechanism and Mechanical Properties of Flame‐Retardant Epoxy Resin Thermosets
Authors: Liu Dongyue , Zhao Wenhua , Cui Yihua , Zhang Tianlong , Ji Pengfei
Published: May 2022

Two types of isomeric bi‐DOPO（9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenan threne‐10‐oxide） flame retardants named DHK（6,6’‐((4,6’‐dihydroxy‐[1,1’‐biphenyl]‐3,3’‐diyl)bis(propane‐3,1‐diyl))bis(dibenzo[c,e][1,2] oxaphosphinine 6‐oxide)） and DMG (6,6’‐((6,6’‐dihydroxy‐[1,1’‐biphenyl]‐3,3’‐diyl) bis (propane‐3,1‐diyl)) bis (dibenzo [c,e][1,2] oxaphosphinine 6‐oxide)） are successfully prepared and their flame retardant properties are investigated. Although they have the same phosphorus content, the corresponding thermoset DHK/Epoxy resins (EP) and DMG/EP show different flame retardancy. The flame retardant mechanism is compared by thermal analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared (TG‐FTIR), residue FTIR, elemental analysis, Raman spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and cone calorimetry. More phosphorus remains in the residue of DHK/EP which suggests better‐condensed phase flame retardancy than that of DMG/EP. However, DMG shows a better flame inhibition effect than that of DHK. The results of mean square displacement, free volume fraction, and cohesive energy density in molecular dynamics simulations show that the weakening of the movement ability of the DMG/EP molecular segments should be the reason for the increase in toughness. This shows that although flame retardants possess the same composition, their structure will also affect their flame retardant mechanism and properties, which provide a guide for the design and preparation of high‐efficiency flame retardants.
The manufacturing–marketing conflict under vertical product differentiation
Authors: Fang Lei , Zhao Sai
Published: May 2022

This paper investigates the impact of manufacturing–marketing conflict in a vertically differentiated market where consumers differ in their willingness to pay. We model the competition between duopoly firms in quality and quantity dimensions. When the manufacturing and marketing managers within a firm cannot be perfectly coordinated, they bargain with each other to arrive at a compromise solution regarding quality and quantity decisions. We find that compared to the perfectly coordinated scenario, the high‐end firm is always worse off in the compromise scenario while the low‐end firm may benefit from this conflict by closing the quality gap with the high‐end firm.
Double‐row dipole/loop combined array for human whole brain imaging at 7 T
Authors: Avdievich Nikolai I. , Nikulin Anton V. , Ruhm Loreen , Magill Arthur W. , Henning Anke , Scheffler Klaus
Published: May 2022

Important issues in designing radiofrequency (RF) coils for human head imaging at ultra‐high field (UHF; ≥7 T) are the inhomogeneity and longitudinal coverage (along the magnet axis) of the transmit (Tx) RF field. Both the homogeneity and coverage produced by Tx volume coils can be improved by means of three‐dimensional (3D) RF shimming, which requires the use of multirow Tx‐arrays. In addition, according to recent findings of the ultimate intrinsic signal‐to‐noise ratio (UISNR) theory, the loop‐only receive (Rx) arrays do not provide optimal SNR near the brain center at UHF. The latter can be obtained by combining complementary conductive structures carrying different current patterns (e.g., loops and dipole antennas). In this work, we developed, constructed, and evaluated a novel 32‐element hybrid array design for human head imaging at 7 T. The array consists of 16 transceiver loops placed in two rows circumscribing the head and 16 folded‐end Rx‐only dipoles positioned in the centers of loops. By placing all elements in a single layer, we increased RF power deposition into the tissue and, thus, preserved the Tx‐efficiency. Using this hybrid design also simplifies the coil structure by minimizing the total number of array elements. The array demonstrated whole brain coverage, 3D RF shimming capability, and high SNR. It provided ~15% higher SNR near the brain center and, depending on the RF shim mode, from 20% to 40% higher Tx‐efficiency than a common commercial head array coil.
Failure mechanism of unidirectional basalt fiber‐reinforced polymer composites with pretension of fiber yarns
Authors: Zhao Xing , Li Sihao , Wang Xin , Wu Zhishen , Wu Jin
Published: May 2022

The pultrusion process has received increasing attention because of its high productivity, low cost, and good product quality. During the pultrusion process, the pulling and pretension force is a key factor to control the quality of the products. In this paper, the effect of the pretension force on the tensile strength of basalt fiber‐reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites was studied. The pretension force was controlled using different weights. Tensile tests were performed on the BFRP specimens and the microscopic analysis was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the static tensile strength of specimens climbed up initially, followed by a decrease with the increase of pretension weights. Three microscopic changes under different pretension forces were found and discussed to explain the damage and failure mechanism. It is essential to optimize the pretension force to improve the strength quality for the pultrusion products of BFRP.
Family history is key to the interpretation of exome sequencing in the prenatal context: unexpected diagnosis of Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome
Authors: Rinaldi Berardo , Cesaretti Claudia , Boito Simona , Villa Roberta , Guerneri Silvana , Borzani Irene , Rizzuti Tommaso , Marchetti Daniela , Conte Giorgio , Cinnante Claudia , Triulzi Fabio , Persico Nicola , Iascone Maria , Natacci Federica
Published: May 2022

Objectives

To reach a molecular diagnosis for a family with two consecutive fetuses presenting with multiple congenital anomalies.

Methods

The two fetuses underwent prenatal ultrasound, autopsy, radiologic, and genetic investigation. Genetic analysis included karyotype and array‐CGH for both fetuses and trio‐based whole exome sequencing (WES) only for the second fetus.

Results

WES results, initially focusing on recessive or dominant de novo variants, were negative.However, as a result of new relevant information regarding family history, the variant c.648_651dup in the PTCH1 gene was identified as causative of the fetal phenotype.

Conclusions

This case further highlights how WES data analysis and interpretation strongly rely on family history and robust genotype–phenotype correlation. This is even more relevant in the prenatal setting, where access to fetal phenotype is limited and prenatal recognition of many morbid genes is not fully explored. We also provide a detailed description of the prenatal manifestations of Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome.
Perceived risk and risk reduction behaviours of female first‐degree relatives of breast cancer patients attending care at Uganda cancer institute
Authors: Ainembabazi Provia , Abila Derrick Bary , Manyangwa Grace , Anguzu Godwin , Musaazi Joseph , Mutyaba Innocent , Osingada Charles Peter , Mwaka Amos Deogratius
Published: May 2022

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess the perceived risk of breast cancer (BC) and adoption of risk reduction behaviours among female first‐degree relatives (FDRs) of BC patients attending care at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI).

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed using a questionnaire to collect data between March to October 2019. Adult female FDRs of patients attending care at UCI were recruited consecutively. Breast cancer perceived risk was assessed using a verbal measure; ‘My chances of getting BC are great’ on a Likert scale with 5 response alternatives. Chi square tests and modified Poisson regression using generalised estimating equations model were used to determine associations and examine factors associated with perceived risk of BC.

Results

We enrolled 296 FDRs from 186 female BC patients. Few participants 118/296 (40%) had high perceived risk of BC. Majority 165/296 (56%), had ever practiced breast self‐examination. At the multivariable modified Poisson GEE model, women aged 36–45 years were more likely to perceive themselves to be at high risk of developing BC compared to women aged 18–25 years (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.174; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.05–2.88; p value = 0.030) after adjusting for age, religion, educational level and residence.

Conclusion

Few FDRs of BC patients perceived themselves to be at high risk of developing BC and do not seek risk reduction measures including screening and early diagnosis approaches. Breast cancer health education especially targeting younger women should emphasize the increased risk of BC in FDRs.
Front Cover Image, Volume 78, Issue 6
Authors: Cao Jingjing , Wu Qianmei , Wan Fanghao , Guo Jianying , Wang Rui
Published: May 2022

The front cover image is based on the Research Article Reliable and rapid identification of glyphosate‐resistance in the invasive weed Amaranthus palmeri in China by Jingjing Cao et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6843.

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Identification and management of glaucoma
Authors: Mamtora Sunil , Leadbetter Duncan , Atan Denize
Published: May 2022

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness and the aim of all glaucoma treatments is to lower intraocular pressure (IOP), the only modifiable risk factor. This article summarises the identification and management of open‐angle and closed‐angle glaucoma, including medical, laser and surgical treatment options.
Ofatumumab for the treatment of relapsing‐remitting MS
Authors: Chaplin Steve
Published: May 2022

Ofatumumab (Kesimpta) is a new anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of relapsing‐remitting multiple sclerosis. This article outlines its properties, efficacy and adverse effects.
Chemical constituents, biological activities and anti‐rheumatoid arthritic properties of four citrus essential oils
Authors: Li Chunlian , Zhu Haiping , Zhao Kai , Li Xuetong , Tan Zekai , Zhang Weicheng , Cai Qiuyang , Wu Xianyi , Mo Jinzhe , Zhang Lanyue
Published: May 2022

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease with predominant synovitis that has no complete cure or preventive treatment. Citrus essential oils, used in natural fragrances, contain a variety of functional ingredients that are worthy of investigation for their potential as natural anti‐inflammatory drug sources. In this study, essential oils were hydro distilled from the peels of four citrus species: Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck (CSEOs), Citrus paradisi Macfad. (CPEOs), Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck (CLEOs) and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CREOs). Altogether, 81 compounds were identified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), of which d‐limonene (17.96%–94.66%) was an abundant component of all four oils. The stable 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐pyrrole hydrazine (DPPH) free radical test showed that all four essential oils had excellent antioxidant properties (IC50, 0.76–13.86 μg/mL). Furthermore, the oils remarkably increased the first G1 phase of the cell cycle, which inhibited the pro‐inflammatory factor expression. An immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the four essential oils inhibited the expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α and cyclooxygenase‐2 and they exhibited anti‐inflammatory activity in a rat model that was similar to that of the common drug, Ibuprofen. These results show that the CSEOs, CPEOs, CLEOs, and CREOs have significant antirheumatic activities and thus have great potential in developing functional food or drugs for treating RA.
Investigation on properties of cement mortar with bottom ash and perlite
Authors: Yildirim Salih Taner , Keskin Fatma Seyma , Baynal Kasım , Shahmaleki Parmis
Published: May 2022

Perlite and some recycled materials are preferably used to provide thermal insulation and lightness in mortar. Cement is often used as a binder in such a composite, although it makes the composite heavier and impairs its insulation properties. In this study, recycled bottom ash (BA) and expanded perlite (EP) as the aggregate, and cement as the binder and the optimum solution were investigated by using Taguchi Method. Depending on the specimens prepared using orthogonal array L9, the values of compressive strength, flexural strength, flowability, dry unit weight, water absorption, capillarity coefficient, and thermal conductivity coefficient were calculated. In general, it was found that the cement dosage was the most effective parameter and the thermal conductivity coefficient increased in parallel with the increase in unit weight and strength.
Birthing A Secret Creative Self in Suppressive Organizations
Authors: Bar‐Lev Shirly , Morag Michal
Published: May 2022

This paper explores the birth of a secret creative self within suppressive or silencing organizations, such as cults, by focusing on concrete instances in which members of such organizations challenge the organization's leadership and norms. Building on Goffman's concept of the backstage, it considers how cult members create both physical and mental backspaces to allow the birth of a secret creative self within the cult. Through the stories of former cult members, it sheds light on how the “occupied self,” as Goffman called it, can use these backspaces to preserve and restore a sense of personal autonomy.
A preliminary design tool for volumetric buildings
Authors: Lim Robert Z. C. , Looi Daniel T. W. , Tsang Hing‐Ho , Wilson John L.
Published: May 2022

Volumetric building (VB) is a type of off‐site construction to move towards high productivity construction. Literature review shows that there are only few models for upstream feasibility study for VB, while many researchers delved into advanced structural engineering aspects of VB modeling (i.e., downstream detailed and technical design). However, there is a lack of guidance for the preliminary design of VB, which is an essential stage that falls in between upstream feasibility study and downstream detailed and technical design. Hence, this paper is written to fill that gap by proposing a new design tool for VB, anchored upon the “desire path” philosophy, which is often used in urban planning, that is, natural formations evident from preceding experiences. Literature review also shows that a comprehensive VB database is not available. Hence, a new database is collected with 31,185 units of modules and 911 module types, sourced from VB projects worldwide to provide a broad global overview. The proposed tool has a systematic framework of a four‐quadrant plot for preliminary VB design, enabling designers to determine the number of modules, size of modules, massing typology, and module construction material through new empirical relationships.
Field‐circuit coupled analysis of an electromagnetic launcher sliding contact
Authors: Peng Zhiran , Zhang Xiao , Zhai Xiaofei , Liu Hua
Published: May 2022

Under the extreme working conditions of high‐speed and high‐current sliding electrical contact, if an electromagnetic launcher's rails and armature are not in good contact, transition ablation may occur, which will reduce the life of the rails. Though the transition state can be evaluated based on the muzzle voltage waveform, the conventional lumped circuit model does not take into account the strong coupling relationship of the multi‐physical fields in the launching process—in particular, there is a lack of analysis of the melt wear of the armature. To overcome this challenge, a novel approach based on the field‐circuit coupled method is proposed in this study to analyze the performance of armature‐rail contact. First, the basic principle of the co‐simulation model was introduced. The circuit model, the electromagnetic field model, the temperature field model, and the armature‐rail contact force model were then built. Compared with the conventional circuit model, the field‐circuit coupled model presented in this paper can better analyze the transient changes of the contact performance and obtain more details of multi‐physical fields. Besides, the contact performance under different interference were compared through our proposed method. The method proposed in this study comprehensively considers the influence of the velocity skin effect, armature‐rail interference assembly, and the melt wear of the armature on the performance of armature‐rail contacts. The study can provide effective theoretical guidance for conducting performance analysis and designing the armature for an electromagnetic rail launcher. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Epi‐miRNAs: Modern mediators of methylation status in human cancers
Authors: Papadimitriou Maria‐Alexandra , Panoutsopoulou Konstantina , Pilala Katerina‐Marina , Scorilas Andreas , Avgeris Margaritis
Published: May 2022

Methylation of the fundamental macromolecules, DNA/RNA, and proteins, is remarkably abundant, evolutionarily conserved, and functionally significant in cellular homeostasis and normal tissue/organism development. Disrupted methylation imprinting is strongly linked to loss of the physiological equilibrium and numerous human pathologies, and most importantly to carcinogenesis, tumor heterogeneity, and cancer progression. Mounting recent evidence has documented the active implication of miRNAs in the orchestration of the multicomponent cellular methylation machineries and the deregulation of methylation profile in the epigenetic, epitranscriptomic, and epiproteomic levels during cancer onset and progression. The elucidation of such regulatory networks between the miRNome and the cellular methylation machineries has led to the emergence of a novel subclass of miRNAs, namely “epi‐miRNAs” or “epi‐miRs.” Herein, we have summarized the existing knowledge on the functional role of epi‐miRs in the methylation dynamic landscape of human cancers and their clinical utility in modern cancer diagnostics and tailored therapeutics.

This article is categorized under:

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease