bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expanding on prior conceptualizations of teacher noticing
Authors: van Es Elizabeth A. , Sherin Miriam G.
Published: January 2021

While recent research demonstrates that teacher noticing is a core construct of teaching, it also raises new questions about this construct. Here, we offer an expanded framework that addresses three key questions. Specifically, we suggest that attending involves not only selecting particular features of instruction to observe, but also disregarding aspects of classroom interactions that are less consequential. In addition, we propose that a stance of inquiry about observed phenomena is central to drawing inferences about observed phenomena. Finally, we extend the boundaries of teacher noticing to include shaping, the act of creating interactions that provide increased opportunities to attend to and interpret noteworthy mathematical interactions. In other words, teachers are not simply passive bystanders in the act of noticing, rather they shape interactions to gain access to additional information to allow for further observation and interpretation of student thinking.
High Expression of Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase in Patients with Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Kocinaj Altin , Chaudhury Tabassum , Uddin Mohammed S. , Junaid Rashad R. , Ramsden David B. , Hondhamuni Geshanthi , Klamt Fábio , Parsons Linda , Parsons Richard B.
Published: January 2021

We have previously shown that the expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is significantly increased in the brains of patients who have died of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we have compared the expression of NNMT in post-mortem medial temporal lobe, hippocampus and cerebellum of 10 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and 9 non-disease control subjects using a combination of quantitative Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and dual-label confocal microscopy coupled with quantitative analysis of colocalisation. NNMT was detected as a single protein of 29 kDa in both AD and non-disease control brains, which was significantly increased in AD medial temporal lobe compared to non-disease controls (7.5-fold, P < 0.026). There was no significant difference in expression in the cerebellum (P = 0.91). NNMT expression in AD medial temporal lobe and hippocampus was present in cholinergic neurones with no glial localisation. Cell-type expression was identical in both non-disease control and AD tissues. These results are the first to show, in a proof-of-concept study using a small patient cohort, that NNMT protein expression is increased in the AD brain and is present in neurones which degenerate in AD. These results suggest that the elevation of NNMT may be a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Confirmation of this overexpression using a larger AD patient cohort will drive the future development of NNMT-targetting therapeutics which may slow or stop the disease pathogenesis, in contrast to current therapies which solely address AD symptoms.
Do Older Employees Have a Lower Individual Productivity Potential than Younger Employees?
Authors: Børing Pål , Grøgaard Jens B.
Published: January 2021

We examine the relationship between employees’ age and their individual productivity potential (IPP). IPP is measured by individual characteristics which are related to skills utilisation at work. Using PIAAC data for 27 European and non-European countries, we find that the oldest employees have a lower IPP score than the middle-aged employees in 17 of the 27 countries. It seems to be most demanding for the oldest workers to keep up with the IPP of younger workers in countries with high average skill loss for the oldest age group or high average skills level for all age groups (or both). The significant positive effects of formal education and the absence of significant effects of skills on the IPP score in many of the countries (the individual level), are easier to adapt to the human capital perspective on the importance of formal education than to the perspective of the signalling theory.
Internet-based tailored virtual human health intervention to promote colorectal cancer screening: design guidelines from two user studies
Authors: Zalake Mohan , Tavassoli Fatemeh , Duke Kyle , George Thomas , Modave Francois , Neil Jordan , Krieger Janice , Lok Benjamin
Published: January 2021

To influence user behaviors, Internet-based virtual humans (VH) have been used to deliver health interventions. When developing Internet-based VH health interventions, the developers have to make several design decisions on VH’s appearance, role, language, or medium. The design decisions can affect the outcomes of the Internet-based VH health intervention. To help make design decisions, the current paper presents design guidelines drawn from two studies. The two studies used Internet-based VH health intervention to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The two studies examined the influence of visual design and the influence of the information medium on user intentions to pursue more health information. In the first study, the qualitative analysis of the focus group (n = 73 users in 13 focus groups) transcripts shows that the VH’s visual realism, the VH’s healthcare role, and the presence of a local healthcare provider’s logo influenced the user perceptions of the intervention. The findings from the focus groups were used to iterate the intervention and derive design guidelines. In the second study (n = 1400), the analysis of online surveys from users after the VH-based intervention showed that to positively influence the user intentions to pursue the health topic further, the results recommend the use of an animated VH to deliver health information compared to other mediums of information delivery, such as text. The analysis also shows that very few user comments were related to the VH’s appearance after visual design iterations in the second study. The design guidelines from the two studies can be used by developers when using VH-based interventions to positively influence users’ intention to change behaviors.
Overall assessment system of combined mammography and ultrasound for breast cancer screening in Japan
Authors: Ohnuki Koji , Tohno Eriko , Tsunoda Hiroko , Uematsu Takayoshi , Nakajima Yasuo
Published: January 2021

Mammography is the only screening method with evidence in support of reduced breast cancer mortality, but yields poor accuracy outcomes in women with dense breast tissue. The Japan Strategic Anti-cancer Randomized Trial (J-START) was conducted as part of the measures implemented to deal with women with dense breast tissue. Although the sensitivity was increased, the specificity was significantly lower in the intervention group because further examination was required in all positive cases classified by either mammography or ultrasound in the J-START. To address the issue, an overall assessment system of combined mammography and adjunctive ultrasound for breast cancer screening has been developed in Japan. The basic concept is based on a comprehensive assessment that includes a mammography assessment followed by an adjunctive assessment for ultrasound similar to the clinical setting. Currently, mammography alone is recommended for population-based breast cancer screening in Japan, but additional ultrasonography is extensively available for women, especially for women with dense breasts with shared decision-making for personalized breast cancer screening. The overall assessment system is recommended for use in Japan when breast cancer screening is conducted using both mammography and ultrasonography. In this article, we summarize the advantages of the overall assessment and the simultaneous mammography/ultrasound method, the basic approach used in Japan to assign the overall assessment category for breast cancer screening, and we outline the future directions of adjunctive screening ultrasound.
Evaluation of the role of CD47 in sickle cell disease
Authors: Eldakhakhny Basmah , Al Sadoun Hadeel , Taleb Nehal Bin , Nori Dunya Ahmed , Helmi Nawal , Ahmed Iffat Mirza , Bakhrebah Muhammed A. , Abdulaal Wesam H.
Published: January 2021

CD47 is a self-marker expressed on the surface of RBCs and work to prevent the process of phagocytosis. SIRPα is the ligand of CD47 that is expressed on the surface of phagocytic cells, such as macrophages, to control the removal of dead/diseased cells. This study aimed to examine the expression of CD47 on RBCs and SIRPα on PBMC cells in SCD patients and the apoptosis of SCD RBCs. We also measured the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in SCD patients and correlated it with the cell surface marker expression of CD47 and SIRPα to determine whether CD47 and/or SIRPα played a role in promoting the pro-inflammatory phenotype in SCD. Whole blood samples were drawn from SCD patients, and healthy control and PBMC were isolated and stained with SIRPα. Change in CD47, apoptosis by annexin V marker, and pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured and correlation among these variants was determined. The expression of CD47 was significantly decreased and the apoptosis was increased in RBCs of SCD patients. A higher level of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and IL-1β, was found in SCD patients and IL-1β was found to be inversely correlated with SIRPα expression. Our data showed that CD47 of erythrocytes of SCD samples is reduced and that the apoptosis is increased in those patients. Based on the role of CD47, we suggest that increased apoptosis in SCD would be impacted by the reduced level of CD47. An inverse relationship was found between SIRPα marker on PBMC and the increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in SCD.
Pattern recognition-based decoding method for the negative pulsed downlink signal with a narrow pulse width
Authors: Wu Jiafeng , Zhao Shuxing , Jiang Jianming , Zhou Botao , Han Ning , Qin Dongli , Wang Ruihe
Published: January 2021

The negative pulsed downlink communication system is used to send surface control commands to the downhole rotary steering tool at thousands of meters, which is a significant part of the current rotary steering technology. At present, the transmission efficiency of negative pulsed downlink communication is very low, and only simple control commands can be transmitted in a few minutes, which limits the development of rotary steering technology with complex control functions. To improve the transmission rate of the downlink system, the downlink pulse width needs to be shortened. However, due to the influence of signal transmission characteristics, the waveform of a narrow pulse width signal will be severely distorted, which increases the difficulty of decoding the downlink signal. Therefore, a decoding method based on pattern recognition for negative pulsed downlink signal with narrow pulse width is proposed in this paper, which establishes a Euclidean distance matrix model between similar characteristic signal segments on the rising or falling edge of the downlink signal, the pulse coding timing of among the signal segment with each rising or falling edge is analyzed, the decoding and recognition of the downlink instruction are achieved, which solves the problem of large timing deviation in decoding the downlink signal with a current threshold method. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper can achieve accurate decoding of the 6 s pulse width downlink signal. Compared with the threshold method, it can be seen that the decoding accuracy of the method proposed in this paper can be greatly improved, and the smaller the signal pulse width, the more significant the advantage.
Infill drilling and well placement assessment for a multi-layered heterogeneous reservoir
Authors: Syed Fahad I. , Negahban Shahin , Dahaghi Amirmasoud K.
Published: January 2021

This paper presents an assessment of infill drilling opportunities in a complex multi-layered heterogeneous carbonate formation located in Abu Dhabi offshore. The subject field was developed last century and is currently undergoing further development with line drive horizontal wells. The field is being redeveloped for improved oil recovery at higher production rates with long horizontal wells. An infill assessment process is defined using sector model reservoir simulations for the specific reservoir. Reservoir simulations are performed on pattern sector models to establish the optimum grid for infill evaluation. Also, the models with an appropriate grid size are used to optimize infill placement (vertical and lateral well placement) and infill drilling timing for a couple of geologically similar areas. In the second step, the sector model results are applied to test the full-field infill development plan. The relatively homogeneous geological area shows very uniform displacement with 1-km spaced wells and gives no considerable benefit of incremental recovery through infill drilling. However, in a comparatively heterogeneous geological area, considerable incremental oil recovery is quantified. In brief, this paper presents a detailed infill drilling and well placement assessment process workflow for the re-development of a multi-layered heterogeneous reservoir.
Single particle dual plasmonic effect for efficient organic solar cells
Authors: Prasetio Adi , Kim Soyeon , Jahandar Muhammad , Lim Dong Chan
Published: January 2021

Incorporating localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) into organic solar cells (OSCs) is a popular method for improving the power conversion efficiency (PCE) by introducing better light absorption. In this work, we designed a one-pot synthesis of Ag@SiO2@AuNPs dual plasmons and observed an immense increase in light absorption over a wide range of wavelengths. Ag@SiO2 plays the main role in enhancing light absorption near the ultraviolet band. The silica shell can also further enhance the LSP resonance effect and prevent recombination on the surface of AgNPs. The AuNPs on the Ag@SiO2 shell exhibited strong broad visible-light absorption due to LSP resonance and decreased light reflectance. By utilizing Ag@SiO2@AuNPs, we could enhance the light absorption and photoinduced charge generation, thereby increasing the device PCE to 8.57% and Jsc to 17.67 mA cm−2, which can be attributed to the enhanced optical properties. Meanwhile, devices without LSPR nanoparticles and Ag@SiO2 LSPR only showed PCEs of 7.36% and 8.18%, respectively.
RIP1-dependent linear and nonlinear recruitments of caspase-8 and RIP3 respectively to necrosome specify distinct cell death outcomes
Authors: Li Xiang , Zhong Chuan-Qi , Wu Rui , Xu Xiaozheng , Yang Zhang-Hua , Cai Shaowei , Wu Xiurong , Chen Xin , Yin Zhiyong , He Qingzu , Li Dianjie , Xu Fei , Yan Yihua , Qi Hong , Xie Changchuan , Shuai Jianwei , Han Jiahuai
Published: January 2021

There remains a significant gap in our quantitative understanding of crosstalk between apoptosis and necroptosis pathways. By employing the SWATH-MS technique, we quantified absolute amounts of up to thousands of proteins in dynamic assembling/de-assembling of TNF signaling complexes. Combining SWATH-MS-based network modeling and experimental validation, we found that when RIP1 level is below ~1000 molecules/cell (mpc), the cell solely undergoes TRADD-dependent apoptosis. When RIP1 is above ~1000 mpc, pro-caspase-8 and RIP3 are recruited to necrosome respectively with linear and nonlinear dependence on RIP1 amount, which well explains the co-occurrence of apoptosis and necroptosis and the paradoxical observations that RIP1 is required for necroptosis but its increase down-regulates necroptosis. Higher amount of RIP1 (>~46,000 mpc) suppresses apoptosis, leading to necroptosis alone. The relation between RIP1 level and occurrence of necroptosis or total cell death is biphasic. Our study provides a resource for encoding the complexity of TNF signaling and a quantitative picture how distinct dynamic interplay among proteins function as basis sets in signaling complexes, enabling RIP1 to play diverse roles in governing cell fate decisions.
A Probe-Shaped Sensor With FBG and Fiber-Tip Bubble for Pressure and Temperature Sensing
Authors: Liu Bonan , Luo Junxian , Liu Shen , Chen Yanping , Huang Bo , Liao Changrai , Wang Yiping
Published: January 2021

A probe-shaped sensor for simultaneous temperature and pressure measurement was reported in this article. The effective length of the sensor was ∼2mm, consisting of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) with a nano silica diaphragm. The response sensitivities of the sensor for pressure and temperature were measured as −0.98 nm/MPa and 11.10 pm/°C, respectively. This sensor had an extremely low cross-sensitivity between pressure and temperature, which provided a significant potential in dual-parameter sensing.
Determination of sulfonamide residues in animal foodstuffs by magnetic dispersive solid-phase extraction using magnetic carbon nanocomposites coupled with ion pair-dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction combined with HPLC-DAD
Authors: Yazdanfar Najmeh , Shamsipur Mojtaba , Ghambarian Mahnaz
Published: January 2021

In this study, magnetic-dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with ion pair-dispersive liquid–liquid micro-extraction (MSPE-i-DLLME) was used to the pre-concentration and extraction of five sulfonamides residues (sulfadiazine, sulfathiazole, sulfacetamide, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxazole) in animal foodstuffs. The sulfonamides are extracted using magnetic carbon nanocomposite and then eluted with acetonitrile. In the DLLME step, the target analytes are collected in 1-octanol containing 10% Aliquat-336 (as extraction solvent). Finally, the compounds are quantified by HPLC with DAD detection. The extraction parameters optimized using the one at the time and central composite design methods. Under the optimized conditions: sample solution volume was 100 mL; initial pH: 12, amounts of MCNs: 30 mg; desorption solvent (ACN) volume, 1 mL; desorption condition, 10 min sonication at two step; extraction solvent (1-octanol + 10% aliquat) volume, 115 µL; pH of DLLME step, 3; salt effect, 24.6%, (w/v) NaCl; centrifuge, 5 min, 4000 rpm. In these extraction conditions, the proposed procedure represented good pre-concentration factors between 130 and 490; detection limits in the range from 0.01 to 5 μg kg−1 (at S/N = 3), and linear response in the 0.1–400 μg kg−1 concentration range. The method is successfully applied to the determination of sulfonamides residues in animal foodstuffs.
Toward complete area coverage of a reconfigurable tiling robot by following obstacle shape
Authors: Samarakoon S. M. Bhagya P. , Muthugala M. A. Viraj J. , Le Anh Vu , Elara Mohan Rajesh
Published: January 2021

Complete area coverage is a crucial factor for a floor cleaning robot. Self-reconfigurable tiling robots have been introduced over robots with a fixed shape for floor cleaning since they improve the area coverage by the flexibility of shape-shifting in cluttered environments. The existing coverage methods of reconfigurable tiling robots follow the tiling theory to cope with the area coverage problem. However, these methods merely consider a limited set of predefined shapes for the reconfiguration of a robot. The consideration of a limited set of predefined shapes for the reconfiguration impedes the ability of coverage to a certain extent in typical floor environments. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method to improve area coverage of a tiling robot by reconfiguring according to the shape of obstacles. To this end, the required hinge angles for reconfiguring per the shape of an obstacle are determined by a genetic algorithm. The proposed method considers an optimized shape for reconfiguration in lieu of a limited set of predefined shapes. The coverage improvement of the proposed concept has been compared against the existing coverage methods of tiling robots to validate the performance. According to the experimental results, the proposed method surpasses the existing coverage methods of tiling robots from the perspective of area coverage, and the improvement is significant and noteworthy.
In situ Reduction of Silver Nanoparticles on Chitosan Hybrid Copper Phosphate Nanoflowers for Highly Efficient Plasmonic Solar-driven Interfacial Water Evaporation
Authors: Zhang Mei , Xu Wanghuai , Li Minfei , Li Jiaqian , Wang Peng , Wang Zuankai
Published: January 2021

The development of water purification device using solar energy has received tremendous attention. Despite extensive progress, traditional photothermal conversion usually has a high cost and high environmental impact. To overcome this problem, we develop a low cost, durable and environmentally friendly solar evaporator. This bi-layered evaporator is constructed with a thermal insulating polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane as a bottom supporting layer and plasmonic silver nanoparticles decorated micro-sized hybrid flower (Ag/MF) as a top light-to-heat conversion layer. Compared with the sample with a flat silver film, the two-tier Ag/MF has a plasmonic enrichment property and high efficiency in converting the solar light to heat as each flower can generate a microscale hotspot by enriching the absorbed solar light. On the other hand, the PVDF membrane on the bottom with porous structure not only improves the mechanical stability of the entire structure, but also maintains a stable water supply from the bulk water to the evaporation interface by capillarity and minimizes the thermal conduction. The combination of excellent water evaporation ability, simple operation, and low cost of the production process imparts this type of plasmonic enhanced solar-driven interfacial water evaporator with promising prospects for potable water purification for point-of-use applications.
Cerium Anomalies and Paleoredox
Authors: Tostevin Rosalie
Published: January 2021

Ce anomalies track changes in oxygen availability due to the anomalous redox-sensitivity of Ce compared with the other rare earth elements. The proxy systematics have been calibrated experimentally as well as in modern anoxic water bodies. Ce anomalies are unique because they track intermediate manganous conditions, rather than fully anoxic conditions. In addition, they are sensitive to local–regional redox conditions, and can be analysed in chemical sediments such as carbonate rocks. This makes them especially useful as a tool to track local oxygen distribution in shallow shelf environments, where biodiversity is highest. This review focusses on the systematics of the Ce anomaly proxy, the preservation and extraction of the signal in sedimentary rocks, and the potential applications of the proxy.
Kelvin–Helmholtz‐Related Turbulent Heating at Saturn's Magnetopause Boundary
Authors: Delamere P. A. , Ng C. S. , Damiano P. A. , Neupane B. R. , Johnson J. R. , Burkholder B. , Ma X. , Nykyri K.
Published: January 2021

One of the grand challenge problems of the giant planet magnetospheres is the issue of nonadiabatic plasma heating. Simple turbulent heating models consider the energy cascade rate from one scale to another where the energy density is based on perpendicular magnetic fluctuations of counterpropagating Alfvén waves. Analytical expressions from turbulence theory for the heating rate density have yielded promising results for the observed ion heating at Jupiter and Saturn. Here, we compare ion heating using hybrid simulations of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and analytical estimates in an effort to validate turbulence theory and further understand the nature of the ion heating. Heating rate densities ∼10−15 W/m3 are produced in our three‐dimensional Kelvin–Helmholtz simulations during the nonlinear growth phase and compare favorably with analytical estimates. Results targeting Saturn will be discussed in the broader context of radial plasma transport in the rapidly rotating magnetospheres.
The Fundamental Connections between the Solar System and Exoplanetary Science
Authors: Kane Stephen R. , Arney Giada N. , Byrne Paul K. , Dalba Paul A. , Desch Steven J. , Horner Jonti , Izenberg Noam R. , Mandt Kathleen E. , Meadows Victoria S. , Quick Lynnae C.
Published: January 2021

Over the past several decades, thousands of planets have been discovered outside our Solar System. These planets exhibit enormous diversity, and their large numbers provide a statistical opportunity to place our Solar System within the broader context of planetary structure, atmospheres, architectures, formation, and evolution. Meanwhile, the field of exoplanetary science is rapidly forging onward toward a goal of atmospheric characterization, inferring surface conditions and interiors, and assessing the potential for habitability. However, the interpretation of exoplanet data requires the development and validation of exoplanet models that depend on in situ data that, in the foreseeable future, are only obtainable from our Solar System. Thus, planetary and exoplanetary science would both greatly benefit from a symbiotic relationship with a two‐way flow of information. Here, we describe the critical lessons and outstanding questions from planetary science, the study of which are essential for addressing fundamental aspects for a variety of exoplanetary topics. We outline these lessons and questions for the major categories of Solar System bodies, including the terrestrial planets, the giant planets, moons, and minor bodies. We provide a discussion of how many of these planetary science issues may be translated into exoplanet observables that will yield critical insight into current and future exoplanet discoveries.
Precipitating Solar Wind Hydrogen at Mars: Improved Calculations of the Backscatter and Albedo With MAVEN Observations
Authors: Girazian Z. , Halekas J.
Published: January 2021

Outside the Martian bow shock, charge exchange between solar wind protons and exospheric hydrogen produces energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) that travel toward Mars at the solar wind velocity. The penetrating ENAs deposit most of their energy near 150 km, but a fraction of them undergo enough collisions to be scattered back to space, resulting in a hydrogen albedo. Some of the penetrating ENAs are converted into protons upon reaching the collisional upper atmosphere. These protons can be measured by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN’s Solar Wind Ion Analyzer (SWIA) during periapsis passes, providing information about the penetrating and backscatter populations. In this work, we perform the first detailed analysis of the backscatter and albedo using SWIA observations. We find that our calculated backscatter energy spectra are consistent with model predictions and that, as expected, the penetrating and backscatter particle fluxes increase with solar wind speed and decrease with solar zenith angle (SZA). We also find that the albedo, which has an average value of 0.20 ± 0.16, decreases with solar wind speed and increases at high SZAs near the terminator.
A New Large‐Scale Map of the Lunar Crustal Magnetic Field and Its Interpretation
Authors: Hood Lon L. , Torres Cecilyn B. , Oliveira Joana S. , Wieczorek Mark A. , Stewart Sarah T.
Published: January 2021

A new large‐scale map of the lunar crustal magnetic field at 30 km altitude covering latitudes from 65°S to 65°N has been produced using high‐quality vector magnetometer data from two complementary polar orbital missions, Lunar Prospector and SELENE (Kaguya). The map has characteristics similar to those of previous maps but better resolves the shapes and distribution of weaker anomalies. The strongest group of anomalies is located on the northwest side of the South Pole‐Aitken basin approximately antipodal to the Imbrium basin. On the near side, both strong isolated anomalies and weaker elongated anomalies tend to lie along lines oriented radial to Imbrium. These include named anomalies such as Reiner Gamma, Hartwig, Descartes, Abel, and Airy. The statistical significance of this tendency for elongated anomalies is verified by Monte Carlo simulations. Great circle paths determined by end points of elongated anomaly groups and the locations of five individual strong anomalies converge within the inner rim of Imbrium and intersect within the Imbrium antipode zone. Statistically significant evidence for similar alignments northwest of the Orientale basin is also found. The observed distribution of anomalies on the near side and the location of the strongest anomaly group antipodal to Imbrium are consistent with the hypothesis that iron from the Imbrium impactor was mixed into ejecta that was inhomogeneously deposited downrange in groups aligned radial to the basin and concentrated antipodal to the basin.
Adaptive dynamic range shift (ADRIFT) quantitative phase imaging
Authors: Toda Keiichiro , Tamamitsu Miu , Ideguchi Takuro
Published: January 2021

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) with its high-contrast images of optical phase delay (OPD) maps is often used for label-free single-cell analysis. Contrary to other imaging methods, sensitivity improvement has not been intensively explored because conventional QPI is sensitive enough to observe the surface roughness of a substrate that restricts the minimum measurable OPD. However, emerging QPI techniques that utilize, for example, differential image analysis of consecutive temporal frames, such as mid-infrared photothermal QPI, mitigate the minimum OPD limit by decoupling the static OPD contribution and allow measurement of much smaller OPDs. Here, we propose and demonstrate supersensitive QPI with an expanded dynamic range. It is enabled by adaptive dynamic range shift through a combination of wavefront shaping and dark-field QPI techniques. As a proof-of-concept demonstration, we show dynamic range expansion (sensitivity improvement) of QPI by a factor of 6.6 and its utility in improving the sensitivity of mid-infrared photothermal QPI. This technique can also be applied for wide-field scattering imaging of dynamically changing nanoscale objects inside and outside a biological cell without losing global cellular morphological image information.
Towards high-power, high-coherence, integrated photonic mmWave platform with microcavity solitons
Authors: Wang Beichen , Morgan Jesse S. , Sun Keye , Jahanbozorgi Mandana , Yang Zijiao , Woodson Madison , Estrella Steven , Beling Andreas , Yi Xu
Published: January 2021

Millimetre-wave (mmWave) technology continues to draw great interest due to its broad applications in wireless communications, radar, and spectroscopy. Compared to pure electronic solutions, photonic-based mmWave generation provides wide bandwidth, low power dissipation, and remoting through low-loss fibres. However, at high frequencies, two major challenges exist for the photonic system: the power roll-off of the photodiode, and the large signal linewidth derived directly from the lasers. Here, we demonstrate a new photonic mmWave platform combining integrated microresonator solitons and high-speed photodiodes to address the challenges in both power and coherence. The solitons, being inherently mode-locked, are measured to provide 5.8 dB additional gain through constructive interference among mmWave beatnotes, and the absolute mmWave power approaches the theoretical limit of conventional heterodyne detection at 100 GHz. In our free-running system, the soliton is capable of reducing the mmWave linewidth by two orders of magnitude from that of the pump laser. Our work leverages microresonator solitons and high-speed modified uni-traveling carrier photodiodes to provide a viable path to chip-scale, high-power, low-noise, high-frequency sources for mmWave applications.
Surface morphology-induced spin-crossover-inactive high-spin state in a coordination framework
Authors: Sakaida Shun , Otsubo Kazuya , Otake Ken-ichi , Kawaguchi Shogo , Maesato Mitsuhiko , Kitagawa Susumu , Kitagawa Hiroshi
Published: January 2021

We report a morphology effect on the spin-crossover (SCO) phenomenon in ultrathin films of a metal–organic framework. Surface microstructure of films determines which spin-state is stabilized, typical high-spin or SCO-inactive high-spin state.
Site-specific polymerase incorporation of consecutive ligand-containing nucleotides for multiple metal-mediated base pairing
Authors: Nakama Takahiro , Takezawa Yusuke , Shionoya Mitsuhiko
Published: January 2021

An enzymatic method has been developed for the synthesis of DNA oligomers containing consecutive unnatural ligand-type nucleotides forming multiple CuII-mediated base pairs.
Development of coarse-grained force field for alcohols: an efficient meta-multilinear interpolation parameterization algorithm
Authors: Wan Mingwei , Song Junjie , Yang Ying , Gao Lianghui , Fang Weihai
Published: January 2021

CG mapping of water, propane, and propanol in the OPT1.35 FF; the basic procedures of a meta-multilinear interpolation parameterization algorithm.
Extraordinary thermal behavior of graphene oxide in air for electrode applications
Authors: Cho Joon Young , Kim Jung Hoon , Han Joong Tark
Published: January 2021

The thermal stability of solution-exfoliated graphene oxide (GO) in air is one of the most important physical properties influencing its potential applications.
Pressure dependent conduction of individual multi-walled carbon nanotubes: the effect of mechanical distortions
Authors: Barnett Chris J. , Gowenlock Cathren E. , Orbaek White Alvin , Barron Andrew R.
Published: January 2021

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) show an oscillation in electrical resistance (from I–V measurements) during mechanical distortion in which peak separation is inversely correlated with the diameter of the MWCNTs.
A recyclable cobalt(iii)–ammonia complex catalyst for catalytic epoxidation of olefins with air as the oxidant
Authors: Wang Chenlong , Zhan Hongju , Lu Xinhuan , Jing Run , Zhang Haifu , Yang Lu , Li Xixi , Yue Fanfan , Zhou Dan , Xia Qinghua
Published: January 2021

A recyclable [Co(NH3)6]Cl3complex was synthesized to catalyze the epoxidation of α-pinene. With air as the oxidant, [Co(NH3)6]Cl3obtained 97.4% conversion of α-pinene and 98.3% selectivity of epoxide.
Precise sequencing of single protected-DNA fragment molecules for profiling of protein distribution and assembly on DNA
Authors: Yuan Zheng , Zhang Dapeng , Yu Fangzhi , Ma Yangde , Liu Yan , Li Xiangjun , Wang Hailin
Published: January 2021

A single molecule footprinting-Seq assay at single nucleotide resolution was developed for measuring the distribution and kinetic binding of proteins on DNA.
Dehydrogenation of iron amido-borane and resaturation of the imino-borane complex
Authors: Zhai Xiaofang , Pang Maofu , Feng Lei , Jia Jiong , Tung Chen-Ho , Wang Wenguang
Published: January 2021

Dehydrogenation of an amido-borane iron complex provides an imino-borane complex. Regeneration of the amido-borane precursor was achieved by protonation of the imino-borane followed by hydride transfer to the amino-borane intermediate.
Geometry and mechanics of disclination lines in 3D nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Long Cheng , Tang Xingzhou , Selinger Robin L. B. , Selinger Jonathan V.
Published: January 2021

In nematic liquid crystals, disclination lines have several geometric features, which can be characterized by vectors and tensors. Based on these features, the mechanical forces on disclination lines can be calculated.
Upper gastrointestinal stenting during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: impact of mitigation measures and risk of contamination for patients and staff
Authors: Rodrigues-Pinto Eduardo , Ferreira-Silva Joel , Fugazza Alessandro , Capogreco Antonio , Repici Alessandro , Everett Simon , Albers David , Schumacher Brigitte , Gines Angels , Siersema Peter D. , Macedo Guilherme
Published: January 2021

Background and study aims The impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on stent placement procedures has not yet been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 mitigation measures on upper stenting during SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, as well as the use of personal protection equipment (PPE) and risk of contamination for patients and staff.

Patients and methods This was a multicenter, retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent stent placement for upper gastrointestinal obstruction during the second half of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak period in comparison to same period one year before.

Results A total of 29 stents were placed for upper gastrointestinal obstruction during the study period, corresponding to an increase of 241 % comparing to the same period in 2019 (n = 12). No significant major differences were found between the two time periods regarding patients’ baseline characteristics, post-stenting management and number of staff involved in stent placement. Fellows’ involvement was significantly lower in 2020 compared to 2019 (21 % vs 67 %; P = 0.01). The majority of procedures were performed using FFP2 /FFP3 mask (76 %), protective eyewear (86 %), two pairs of gloves (65 %), hairnet (76 %) and full disposable gowns (90 %). One patient tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after the procedure. None of the medical staff involved in stenting procedures developed COVID-19 14 days after procedure.

Conclusion Upper gastrointestinal stenting increased during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak period, which could be related to yearly variation on the number of procedures or reflect a change of oncologic treatment practice during COVID times.
Deploying Clinical Decision Support for Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Bangash Hana , Sutton Joseph , Gundelach Justin H. , Pencille Laurie , Makkawy Ahmed , Elsekaily Omar , Dikilitas Ozan , Mir Ali , Freimuth Robert , Caraballo Pedro J. , Kullo Iftikhar J.
Published: January 2021

Objective Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a prevalent genomic disorder that increases risk of coronary heart disease, remains significantly underdiagnosed. Clinical decision support (CDS) tools have the potential to increase FH detection. We describe our experience in the development and implementation of a genomic CDS for FH at a large academic medical center.

Methods CDS development and implementation were conducted in four phases: (1) development and validation of an algorithm to identify “possible FH”; (2) obtaining approvals from institutional committees to develop the CDS; (3) development of the initial prototype; and (4) use of an implementation science framework to evaluate the CDS.

Results The timeline for this work was approximately 4 years; algorithm development and validation occurred from August 2018 to February 2020. During this 4-year period, we engaged with 15 stakeholder groups to build and integrate the CDS, including health care providers who gave feedback at each stage of development. During CDS implementation six main challenges were identified: (1) need for multiple institutional committee approvals; (2) need to align the CDS with institutional knowledge resources; (3) need to adapt the CDS to differing workflows; (4) lack of institutional guidelines for CDS implementation; (5) transition to a new institutional electronic health record (EHR) system; and (6) limitations of the EHR related to genomic medicine.

Conclusion We identified multiple challenges in different domains while developing CDS for FH and integrating it with the EHR. The lessons learned herein may be helpful in streamlining the development and deployment of CDS to facilitate genomic medicine implementation.
Early Endoscopic Intervention in Pancreaticopleural Fistula: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Pawar Vinay Balasaheb , Rathi Pravin , Thanage Ravi , Debnath Prasanta , Nair Sujit , Contractor Qais
Published: January 2021

Background Pancreaticopleural fistulas are among the rarest complications of chronic pancreatitis. The main objective of the research, conducted on a total of seven patients, was to evaluate the effectiveness of early endoscopic management of pancreaticopleural fistula.

Methods The diagnosis of fistula was reached when fistulous tract was demonstrated on imaging studies and/or pleural fluid amylase level was greater than 2,000 U/L. The data were retrospectively analyzed from the records.

Results The prototype patient in our series was a chronic alcoholic male with median age of 45 years. Computed tomography scan was performed in all the seven patients but could diagnose leak only in four patients. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography was better in the remaining three patients for diagnosing fistula. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was the most sensitive test that diagnosed fistula in all the seven patients. Pancreatic duct (PD) cannulation was successful and pancreatic sphincterotomy with PD stenting was performed in all the seven patients. We could avoid surgical intervention in our patients.

Conclusions We advise early endoscopic treatment within 7 days of symptom onset as opposed to 3 weeks, which was proposed previously. Medical therapies should be complimentary to PD stenting.
Solving the century-old mystery of background Love waves
Authors: Lopatka Alex
Published: January 2021

New simulations reveal that much of Earth’s ambient seismic wave field arises from interactions with the planet’s interior.
Associations Between Loneliness, Reading Ability and Episodic Memory in Non-Hispanic Black and White Older Adults
Authors: Sol Ketlyne , Sharifian Neika , Manly Jennifer J , Brickman Adam M , Zahodne Laura B
Published: January 2021

Objective

Reading ability reflects a variety of beneficial life course exposures and may better index these exposures above and beyond education in racially diverse samples. Growing evidence suggests a negative impact of perceived loneliness on late-life cognitive health when parsing out the effect of other aspects of social relations. Few studies have examined how loneliness interacts with the reading ability or whether it operates differently in Black older adults who have higher dementia risk than Whites.

Methods

Participants in this cross-sectional study were drawn from the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project (n = 425 older adults, Mage = 74.23; 58% Black). Linear regressions estimated the main effects and interactions involving reading ability, loneliness, and race (non-Hispanic Black vs. non-Hispanic White) on episodic memory, controlling for age, sex/gender, and years of education. Subsequent models additionally controlled for income, employment status, depressive symptoms, disease burden, marital status, social network size, and number of social groups.

Results

Higher reading ability was associated with better memory, but loneliness was not associated with memory. The positive association between reading ability and memory was weaker among individuals with greater loneliness, and this interaction did not differ by race.

Conclusions

Loneliness may suppress the protective effect of higher reading ability on cognitive health among both Black and White older adults. Future longitudinal work is needed to clarify causal relationships among loneliness, reading ability, and memory decline.
Sugars in an aqueous extract of the spent substrate of the mushroomHypsizygus marmoreusinduce defense responses in rice
Authors: Nishimura Ayami , Yoshioka Anna , Kariya Keisuke , Ube Naoki , Ueno Kotomi , Tebayashi Shin-ichi , Osaki-Oka Kumiko , Ishihara Atsushi
Published: January 2021

Plant defense responses are activated by various exogenous stimuli. We found that an aqueous extract of spent mushroom substrate used for the cultivation of Hypsizygus marmoreus induced defense responses in rice. Fractionation of the spent mushroom substrate extract indicated that the compounds responsible for this induction were neutral and hydrophilic molecules with molecular weights lower than 3 kDa. Compounds with these characteristics, namely glucose, fructose, and sucrose, were detected in the extract at concentrations of 17.4, 3.3, and 1.6 mM, respectively, and the treatment of rice leaves with these sugars induced defense responses. Furthermore, microarray analysis indicated that the genes involved in defense responses were commonly activated by the treatment of leaves with spent mushroom substrate extract and glucose. These findings indicate that the induction of defense responses by treatment with spent mushroom substrate extract is, at least in part, attributable to the sugar constituents of the extract.
In vitro selection of an RNA aptamer yields an interleukin-6/interleukin-6 receptor interaction inhibitor
Authors: Ando Takehiro , Yamamoto Mizuki , Takamori Yukio , Tsukamoto Keita , Fuji Daisuke , Kawakami Takashi
Published: January 2021

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) binds to the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) subunit, related to autoimmune diseases and cytokine storm in COVID-19. In this study, we performed systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment and identified a novel RNA aptamer. This RNA aptamer not only bound to IL-6R with a dissociation constant of 200 n m, but also inhibited the interaction of IL-6R with IL-6.
Out-of-hours cholecystectomy: aspiration is a safer bail-out option than open conversion
Authors: Hashem J H , Walsh T N
Published: January 2021

The article is written partially in response to the article by Gustaffson et al on "Out of hours cholecystectomy" and emphasizes the importance of adherence to the Tokyo guidelines in addition to discussing bailout options for the impossible gallbladder promoting Laparascopic aspiration over open conversion when proceeding with the cholecystectomy laparasopically is not safe
A Rapid UPLC Method for the Simultaneous Quantitation of Caffeic Acid Derivatives in Dried Extracts of Echinacea Purpurea
Authors: de Oliveira Bárbara Gonçalves , Santos Luiz Filipe Ferreira , Pianetti Gérson Antônio , César Isabela Costa
Published: January 2021

Echinacea purpurea is a traditional medicinal plant widely used as adjuvant for the treatment of respiratory and urinary infections. Caffeic acid derivatives are considered the main active markers, such as chicoric acid, caftaric acid and chlorogenic acid. An analytical method using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and diode array detector was developed and validated, to quantify caffeic acid derivatives in commercial dried extracts of EP. UPLC method was developed using a C18 column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm), at 30°C. Mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and 0.05% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution (10:90), flow rate 0.2 mL/min. Injection volume was 10 μL and detection was performed at 300 and 330 nm. The developed method complied with all required validation parameters, and showed to be linear, precise, accurate, selective and robust for all caffeic acid derivatives. Using the validated method, the levels of caftaric acid (0.110–0.507%w/w), chicoric acid (0.040–0.179%w/w) and chlorogenic acid (0.013–0.084%w/w) were determined in five commercial dried extracts of E. purpurea, with significant variation in the contents between different samples, indicating the need of standardization and control of individual caffeic acid derivatives in commercial extracts.
Determination of Synthetic Colorants in Beverages by Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Effervescence-Assisted Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Shi Zhihong , Li Xinye , Wu Yifan , Chen Man , Zhang Hongyi
Published: January 2021

In this paper, a deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based effervescence-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method was proposed for the determination of four synthetic colorants in beverages by high-performance liquid chromatography. In this method, DES synthesized from choline chloride and phenol was used as extractant. The dispersion of DES was assisted by in situ CO2 produced from the effervescence reaction between NaH2PO4 and Na2CO3 without using any organic solvent or auxiliary equipment. Furthermore, phase separation occurred naturally in the presence of the salt products of effervescence reaction, without the addition of any other salting out reagents. Some important parameters, such as species, molar ratio and volume of DES, composition and amount of effervescent agents, were optimized to achieve the best extraction efficiency. Under the optimal conditions, extraction recoveries were obtained for the analytes in the range of 83.5–114.8%. The limits of detection were in the range of 0.6–3.0 ng/mL. Relative standard deviations for intra- and interday precision were <4.68 and 6.08%, respectively. This simple, rapid, cost-effective and environmentally friendly method has been successfully applied to the analysis of synthetic colorants in 10 kinds of beverage samples.