bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of a high-fidelity training model for fetoscopic spina bifida surgery
Authors: Joyeux Luc , Javaux Allan , Eastwood Mary P. , De Bie Felix R. , Van den Bergh Gert , Degliuomini Rebecca S. , Vergote Simen , Micheletti Talita , Callewaert Geertje , Ourselin Sebastien , De Coppi Paolo , Van Calenbergh Frank , Vander Poorten Emmanuel , Deprest Jan
Published: March 2021

Open fetal surgery for spina bifida (SB) is safe and effective yet invasive. The growing interest in fetoscopic SB repair (fSB-repair) prompts the need for appropriate training. We aimed to develop and validate a high-fidelity training model for fSB-repair. fSB-repair was simulated in the abdominal cavity and on the stomach of adult rabbits. Laparoscopic fetal surgeons served either as novices (n = 2) or experts (n = 3) based on their experience. Technical performance was evaluated using competency Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) analysis and the group splitting method. Main outcome measure for CUSUM competency was a composite binary outcome for surgical success, i.e. watertight repair, operation time ≤ 180 min and Objective-Structured-Assessment-of-Technical-Skills (OSATS) score ≥ 18/25. Construct validity was first confirmed since competency levels of novices and experts during their six first cases using both methods were significantly different. Criterion validity was also established as 33 consecutive procedures were needed for novices to reach competency using learning curve CUSUM, which is a number comparable to that of clinical fSB-repair. Finally, we surveyed expert fetal surgeons worldwide to assess face and content validity. Respondents (26/49; 53%) confirmed it with ≥ 71% of scores for overall realism ≥ 4/7 and usefulness ≥ 3/5. We propose to use our high-fidelity model to determine and shorten the learning curve of laparoscopic fetal surgeons and retain operative skills.
Pressure effect of the mechanical, electronics and thermodynamic properties of Mg–B compounds A first-principles investigations
Authors: Zhang GuoWei , Xu Chao , Wang MingJie , Dong Ying , Sun FengEr , Ren XiaoYan , Xu Hong , Zhao YuHong
Published: March 2021

First principle calculations were performed to investigate the structural, mechanical, electronic properties, and thermodynamic properties of three binary Mg–B compounds under pressure, by using the first principle method. The results implied that the structural parameters and the mechanical properties of the Mg–B compounds without pressure are well matched with the obtainable theoretically simulated values and experimental data. The obtained pressure–volume and energy–volume revealed that the three Mg–B compounds were mechanically stable, and the volume variation decreases with an increase in the boron content. The shear and volume deformation resistance indicated that the elastic constant Cij and bulk modulus B increased when the pressure increased up to 40 GPa, and that MgB7 had the strongest capacity to resist shear and volume deformation at zero pressure, which indicated the highest hardness. Meanwhile, MgB4 exhibited a ductility transformation behaviour at 30 GPa, and MgB2 and MgB7 displayed a brittle nature under all the considered pressure conditions. The anisotropy of the three Mg–B compounds under pressure were arranged as follows: MgB4 > MgB2 > MgB7. Moreover, the total density of states varied slightly and decreased with an increase in the pressure. The Debye temperature ΘD of the Mg–B compounds gradually increased with an increase in the pressure and the boron content. The temperature and pressure dependence of the heat capacity and the thermal expansion coefficient α were both obtained on the basis of Debye model under increased pressure from 0 to 40 GPa and increased temperatures. This paper brings a convenient understanding of the magnesium–boron alloys.
Reduced spontaneous itch in mouse models of cholestasis
Authors: Langedijk Jacqueline , Bolier Ruth , Tolenaars Dagmar , ten Bloemendaal Lysbeth , Duijst Suzanne , de Waart Dirk , Beuers Ulrich , Bosma Piter , Elferink Ronald Oude
Published: March 2021

Pruritus is one of the most distressing symptoms in cholestatic patients. Plasma autotaxin (ATX) activity correlates with the severity of pruritus in cholestatic patients, but the pathophysiology is unclear. To study pruritus in mice, we measured scratch activity in cholestatic Atp8b1 mutant mice, a model for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis type 1, and wild type mice (WT) with alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT)-induced cholestasis. To induce cholestasis, Atp8b1 mutant mice received a diet containing 0.1% cholic acid (CA) and WT mice were treated with ANIT. In these mice ATX was also overexpressed by transduction with AAV-ATX. Scratch activity was measured using an unbiased, electronic assay. Marked cholestasis was accomplished in both Atp8b1 mutant mice on a CA-supplemented diet and in ANIT-treatment in WT mice, but scratch activity was decreased rather than increased while plasma ATX activity was increased. Plasma ATX activity was further increased up to fivefold with AAV-ATX, but this did not induce scratch activity. In contrast to several reports two cholestatic mouse models did not display increased scratch activity as a measure of itch perception. Increasing plasma ATX activity by overexpression also did not lead to increased scratch activity in mice. This questions whether mice are suitable to study cholestatic itch.
A 14-gene gemcitabine resistance gene signature is significantly associated with the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Wei Xing , Zhou Xiaochong , Zhao Yun , He Yang , Weng Zhen , Xu Chunfang
Published: March 2021

To identify a gemcitabine resistance-associated gene signature for risk stratification and prognosis prediction in pancreatic cancer. Pearson correlation analysis was performed with gemcitabine half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) data of 17 primary pancreatic cancer lines from Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) and the transcriptomic data from GDSC and Broad Institute Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, followed by risk stratification, expression evaluation, overall survival (OS) prediction, clinical data validation and nomogram establishment. Our biomarker discovery effort identified a 14-gene signature, most of which featured differential expression. The 14-gene signature was associated with poor OS in E-MTAB-6134 (HR 2.37; 95% CI 1.75–3.2; p < 0.0001), pancreatic cancer-Canada (PACA-CA) (HR 1.76; 95% CI 1.31–2.37; p = 0.00015), and 4 other independent validation cohorts: pancreatic cancer-Australia (PACA-AU) (HR 1.9; 95% CI 1.38–2.61; p < 0.0001), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.11–2.69; p = 0.014), GSE85916 (HR 1.97; 95% CI 1.14–3.42; p = 0.014) and GSE62452 (HR 1.82; 95% CI 1.02–3.24; p = 0.039). Multivariate analysis revealed that the 14-gene risk score was an independent pancreatic cancer outcome predictor in E-MTAB-6134 (p < 0.001) and TCGA (p = 0.006). A nomogram including the 14-gene was established for eventual clinical translation. We identified a novel gemcitabine resistance gene signature for risk stratification and robust categorization of pancreatic cancer patients with poor prognosis.
Multiparty weighted threshold quantum secret sharing based on the Chinese remainder theorem to share quantum information
Authors: Chou Yao-Hsin , Zeng Guo-Jyun , Chen Xing-Yu , Kuo Shu-Yu
Published: March 2021

Secret sharing is a widely-used security protocol and cryptographic primitive in which all people cooperate to restore encrypted information. The characteristics of a quantum field guarantee the security of information; therefore, many researchers are interested in quantum cryptography and quantum secret sharing (QSS) is an important research topic. However, most traditional QSS methods are complex and difficult to implement. In addition, most traditional QSS schemes share classical information, not quantum information which makes them inefficient to transfer and share information. In a weighted threshold QSS method, each participant has each own weight, but assigning weights usually costs multiple quantum states. Quantum state consumption will therefore increase with the weight. It is inefficient and difficult, and therefore not able to successfully build a suitable agreement. The proposed method is the first attempt to build multiparty weighted threshold QSS method using single quantum particles combine with the Chinese remainder theorem (CRT) and phase shift operation. The proposed scheme allows each participant has its own weight and the dealer can encode a quantum state with the phase shift operation. The dividing and recovery characteristics of CRT offer a simple approach to distribute partial keys. The reversibility of phase shift operation can encode and decode the secret. The proposed weighted threshold QSS scheme presents the security analysis of external attacks and internal attacks. Furthermore, the efficiency analysis shows that our method is more efficient, flexible, and simpler to implement than traditional methods.
Corroborating behavioral evidence for the interplay of representational richness and semantic control in semantic word processing
Authors: Bechtold Laura , Bellebaum Christian , Hoffman Paul , Ghio Marta
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to replicate and validate concreteness and context effects on semantic word processing. In Experiment 1, we replicated the behavioral findings of Hoffman et al. (Cortex 63,250–266, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2014.09.001, 2015) by applying their cueing paradigm with their original stimuli translated into German. We found concreteness and contextual cues to facilitate word processing in a semantic judgment task with 55 healthy adults. The two factors interacted in their effect on reaction times: abstract word processing profited more strongly from a contextual cue, while the concrete words’ processing advantage was reduced but still present. For accuracy, the descriptive pattern of results suggested an interaction, which was, however, not significant. In Experiment 2, we reformulated the contextual cues to avoid repetition of the to-be-processed word. In 83 healthy adults, the same pattern of results emerged, further validating the findings. Our corroborating evidence supports theories integrating representational richness and semantic control mechanisms as complementary mechanisms in semantic word processing.
Author Correction: Sea-level stands from the Western Mediterranean over the past 6.5 million years
Authors: Dumitru Oana A. , Austermann Jacqueline , Polyak Victor J. , Fornós Joan J. , Asmerom Yemane , Ginés Joaquín , Ginés Angel , Onac Bogdan P.
Published: March 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Association between 16S rRNA gene mutations and susceptibility to amikacin in Mycobacterium avium Complex and Mycobacterium abscessus clinical isolates
Authors: Kim Su-Young , Kim Dae Hun , Moon Seong Mi , Song Ju Yeun , Huh Hee Jae , Lee Nam Yong , Shin Sung Jae , Koh Won-Jung , Jhun Byung Woo
Published: March 2021

We evaluated the association between 16S rRNA gene (rrs) mutations and susceptibility in clinical isolates of amikacin-resistant nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in NTM-pulmonary disease (PD) patients. Susceptibility was retested for 134 amikacin-resistant isolates (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] ≥ 64 µg/ml) from 86 patients. Amikacin resistance was reconfirmed in 102 NTM isolates from 62 patients with either Mycobacterium avium complex-PD (MAC-PD) (n = 54) or M. abscessus-PD (n = 8). MICs and rrs mutations were evaluated for 318 single colonies from these isolates. For the 54 MAC-PD patients, rrs mutations were present in 34 isolates (63%), comprising all 31 isolates with amikacin MICs ≥ 128 µg/ml, but only three of 23 isolates with an MIC = 64 µg/ml. For the eight M. abscessus-PD patients, all amikacin-resistant (MIC ≥ 64 µg/ml) isolates had rrs mutations. In amikacin-resistant isolates, the A1408G mutation (n = 29) was most common. Two novel mutations, C1496T and T1498A, were also identified. The culture conversion rate did not differ by amikacin MIC. Overall, all high-level and 13% (3/23) of low-level amikacin-resistant MAC isolates had rrs mutations whereas mutations were present in all amikacin-resistant M. abscessus isolates. These findings are valuable for managing MAC- and M. abscessus-PD and suggest the importance of phenotypic and genotypic susceptibility testing.
Clinical features and prognostic factors in 71 eyes over 20 years from patients with Coats’ disease in Korea
Authors: Kang Hyun Goo , Kim Jung Dong , Choi Eun Young , Byeon Suk Ho , Kim Sung Soo , Koh Hyoung Jun , Kim Min
Published: March 2021

This retrospective study assesses the clinical features, treatment strategies, and long-term outcomes of patients with Coats’ disease in Korea. Multimodal imaging and medical records of consecutive patients treated between July 2000 and April 2020 at two tertiary centers were evaluated based on onset age (adult vs. childhood [< 18 years]). Factors associated with final visual acuity (VA) and risk of treatment failure were assessed. A total of 71 eyes of 67 patients were included, with subgrouping by onset age showing 45% childhood and 55% adult cases. Overall, Stage 2 disease was most common at presentation (76%), though childhood cases had more Stage 3b (22% vs. 3%, P = 0.02) and greater clock hours of retinal telangiectasia (7 vs. 5, P = 0.005). First-line treatment included laser (25%), combined laser/anti-VEGF (23%), cryotherapy (20%), surgery (16%), and anti-VEGF only (9%). Cryotherapy was associated with a higher risk for secondary interventions (OR 11.8, P < 0.001), required in 56% overall. Despite a 3-line VA decrease in 34% overall, adult cases had superior final VA (P = 0.037). Multivariable regression showed that the number of anti-VEGF injections performed during the initial treatment period was associated with a 9.4 letter improvement in vision (P = 0.041). We observed a higher proportion of adult-onset Coats’ disease than previously reported in other non-Asian populations. An aggressive treatment with the addition of anti-VEGF may yield the most favorable long-term visual outcomes.
Colonization of distant organs by tumor cells generating circulating homotypic clusters adaptive to fluid shear stress
Authors: Maeshiro Manabu , Shinriki Satoru , Liu Rin , Nakachi Yutaka , Komohara Yoshihiro , Fujiwara Yukio , Ohtsubo Kazuaki , Yoshida Ryoji , Iwamoto Kazuya , Nakayama Hideki , Matsui Hirotaka
Published: March 2021

Once disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) arrive at a metastatic organ, they remain there, latent, and become seeds of metastasis. However, the clonal composition of DTCs in a latent state remains unclear. Here, we applied high-resolution DNA barcode tracking to a mouse model that recapitulated the metastatic dormancy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). We found that clones abundantly circulated peripheral blood dominated DTCs. Through analyses of multiple barcoded clonal lines, we identified specific subclonal population that preferentially generated homotypic circulating tumor cell (CTC) clusters and dominated DTCs. Despite no notable features under static conditions, this population significantly generated stable cell aggregates that were resistant to anoikis under fluid shear stress (FSS) conditions in an E-cadherin-dependent manner. Our data from various cancer cell lines indicated that the ability of aggregate-constituting cells to regulate cortical actin-myosin dynamics governed the aggregates’ stability in FSS. The CTC cluster-originating cells were characterized by the expression of a subset of E-cadherin binding factors enriched with actin cytoskeleton regulators. Furthermore, this expression signature was associated with locoregional and metastatic recurrence in HNSCC patients. These results reveal a biological selection of tumor cells capable of generating FSS-adaptive CTC clusters, which leads to distant colonization.
The association of genetic polymorphisms with neuroconnectivity in breast cancer patients
Authors: Harrison Rebecca A. , Rao Vikram , Kesler Shelli R.
Published: March 2021

Genetic polymorphisms in select genes, including APOE (apolipoprotein E), COMT (Catechol-O-Methyltransferase), MDR1 (multi-drug resistance 1), BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), and GST (glutathione-S-transferase), have been associated with vulnerability to cognitive impairment. In this study, we evaluated the relationship of these genetic variants to measures of brain health in patients with breast cancer, including neurocognitive testing and functional connectome analysis. Women with breast cancer (n = 83) and female healthy controls (n = 53) were evaluated. They underwent resting-state functional MRI scans and neurocognitive testing. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed on saliva samples to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes: APOE, COMT, MDR1, BDNF, and GST. Breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy had slower processing speed (p = 0.04) and poorer reported executive function (p < 0.0001) than healthy controls. Those chemotherapy-treated patients that were APOE e4 carriers had significantly slower processing speed. A greater number of risk-related alleles was associated with poorer connectivity in the regions of the left cuneus and left calcarine. While breast cancer patients that are APOE e4 carriers may have a select vulnerability to processing speed impairments, other risk-related alleles were not found to influence cognitive test performance in this population. Conversely, regions of impaired functional connectivity appeared to be related to risk-related genetic polymorphisms in breast cancer patients. This suggests that a cancer patient’s SNPs in candidate genes may influence the risk of neurotoxicity. Further study evaluating the impact of genotype on biomarkers of brain health in cancer survivors is warranted.
Author Correction: Cholecystectomy - a potential selection bias in studies assessing the metabolic effects of bariatric surgeries
Authors: Machado Natasha Mendonça , Cardinelli Camila de Siqueira , Shen Tong , Santo Marco Aurélio , Torrinhas Raquel Susana , Waitzberg Dan Linetzky
Published: March 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Beyond megacities: tracking air pollution from urban areas and biomass burning in Brazil
Authors: Squizzato Rafaela , Nogueira Thiago , Martins Leila D. , Martins Jorge A. , Astolfo Rosana , Machado Carolyne Bueno , Andrade Maria de Fatima , Freitas Edmilson Dias de
Published: March 2021

Most of the world’s population lives in rural areas or small to medium-sized cities (totalling 68% of the world population), all of which are impacted by distant air pollution sources. In Brazil, primary pollutant emissions have decreased in urban centres because of government actions, while secondary pollutants such as surface ozone (O3) increased. In addition, O3 and its precursors can be worsening air quality in areas already affected by biofuels production, especially ethanol. We provide almost 3 months of hourly data (June 7, 2019 to August 25, 2019) for concentrations of O3, CO2 and other priority pollutants from a mobile station positioned to distinguish among pollutant plumes (biomass burning, metropolitan area of São Paulo (MASP) and other cities). Although the concentrations of O3 and CO2 were highest in the plumes from biomass burning, the MASP accounted for up to 80% of the O3 concentration in communities over 200 km away.
Crystal mush dykes as conduits for mineralising fluids in the Yerington porphyry copper district, Nevada
Authors: Carter Lawrence C. , Williamson Ben J. , Tapster Simon R. , Costa Catia , Grime Geoffrey W. , Rollinson Gavyn K.
Published: March 2021

Porphyry-type deposits are the world’s main source of copper and molybdenum and provide a large proportion of gold and other metals. However, the mechanism by which mineralising fluids are extracted from source magmas and transported upwards into the ore-forming environment is not clearly understood. Here we use field, micro-textural and geochemical techniques to investigate field relationships and samples from a circa 8 km deep cross-section through the archetypal Yerington porphyry district, Nevada. We identify an interconnected network of relatively low-temperature hydrothermal quartz that is connected to mineralised miarolitic cavities within aplite dykes. We propose that porphyry-deposit-forming fluids migrated from evolved, more water-rich internal regions of the underlying Luhr Hill granite via these aplite dykes which contained a permeable magmatic crystal mush of feldspar and quartz. The textures we describe provide petrographic evidence for the transport of fluids through crystal mush dykes. We suggest that this process should be considered in future models for the formation of porphyry- and similar-type deposits.
Vanadium: environmental hazard or environmental opportunity? A perspective on some key research needs
Authors: White David J. , Levy Leonard S.
Published: March 2021

Limited information on the speciation of vanadium in the environment and anthropogenic emissions, coupled with toxicology heavily focused on V2O5 needs to be addressed to balance environmentally beneficial uses against potential harmful effects.
Essential oil from the raw and vinegar-processedRhizoma Curcumaeameliorate CCl4-induced liver fibrosis: integrating network pharmacology and molecular mechanism evaluation
Authors: Chen Yi , Liao Wan , Zhu Zongping , Chen Jiao , Yang Qingsong , Zheng Yongfeng , Zhang Xinjie , Limsila Boonjai , Lu Meigui , Fu Shu , Li Rui
Published: March 2021

Liver fibrosis, caused by multiple chronic liver injuries, is a known contributor to cirrhosis and even liver cancer.
Intestinal microbiota fingerprint in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome responders to a low FODMAP diet
Authors: Valdez-Palomares Fernanda , Nambo-Venegas Rafael , Uribe-García Jacqueline , Mendoza-Vargas Alfredo , Granados-Portillo Omar , Meraz-Cruz Noemí , Palacios-González Berenice
Published: March 2021

Differential abundance analysis of ASVs between R and NR were identified, potentially implicated in dietary responsiveness. Bacterial biomarkers are useful to classify IBS individuals by responsiveness to low FODMAP diet.
Abundance of solute carrier family 27 member 6 (SLC27A6) in the bovine mammary gland alters fatty acid metabolism
Authors: Zhang Huimin , Shen Ziliang , Yang Zhendong , Jiang Hui , Chu Shuangfeng , Mao Yongjiang , Li Mingxun , Chen Zhi , Aboragah Ahmad , Loor Juan J. , Yang Zhangping
Published: March 2021

The Milk FA and transcriptome of bovine mammary tissue indicated that LCFA transport into mammary cells during late lactation. In vitro test underscored how FA transport via SLC27A6 could dictate the utilization of FA for TG synthesis versus oxidation.
Prolinamide plays a key role in promoting copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes in aqueous media via unprecedented metallacycle intermediates
Authors: Chakraborti Gargi , Jana Rajkumar , Mandal Tirtha , Datta Ayan , Dash Jyotirmayee
Published: March 2021

Room temperature copper-catalyzed cycloaddition of azides and alkynes (CuAAC) proceeds in the presence of a prolinamide ligand in aqueous media via unique metallacycles.
Modulation of amyloid fibrillation of bovine β-lactoglobulin by selective methionine oxidation
Authors: Maity Sanhita , Sepay Nayim , Pal Sampa , Sardar Subrata , Parvej Hasan , Pal Swarnali , Chakraborty Jishnu , Pradhan Anirban , Halder Umesh Chandra
Published: March 2021

This work reports selective methionine oxidation of β-lactoglobulin by tBHP reduces its thermal stability and enhances fibrillation propensity.
Physicochemical properties and performance of graphene oxide/polyacrylonitrile composite fibers as supercapacitor electrode materials
Authors: Jauhari Jaidan , Almafie M. Rama , Marlina Leni , Nawawi Zainuddin , Sriyanti Ida
Published: March 2021

Graphene oxide derived from palm kernel shells (rGOPKS) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were electrospun into composite fiber mats and evaluated as supercapacitor electrode materials.
Pepsin-like aspartic proteases (PAPs) as model systems for combining biomolecular simulation with biophysical experiments
Authors: Bhakat Soumendranath
Published: March 2021

Pepsin-like aspartic proteases (PAPs) are a class of aspartic proteases which shares tremendous structural similarity with human pepsin.
Mechanistic insights into the C–H activation of methane mediated by the unsupported and silica-supported VO2OH and CrOOH: a DFT study
Authors: Zhao Shidong , Ma Lishuang , Xi Yanyan , Shang Hongyan , Lin Xufeng
Published: March 2021

The support effect of silica was studied with DFT for the C–H bond activation of methane on a V(v) or a Cr(iii) site. Both of the PCET and HAT mechanisms were computationally characterized.
Synthesis and evaluation of the oil removal potential of 3-bromo-benzimidazolone polymer grafted silica gel
Authors: Izevbekhai Oisaemi Uduagele , Gitari Wilson Mugera , Tavengwa Nikita Tawanda , Ayinde Wasiu Babatunde , Mudzielwana Rabelani
Published: March 2021

This work reports the synthesis of 3-bromo-benzimidazolone using melt condensation, its polymerization and functionalization on silica which was extracted from diatomaceous earth in our previous work.
Rational design of high performance nanotheranostics for NIR-II fluorescence/magnetic resonance imaging guided enhanced phototherapy
Authors: Wang Qi , Cai Jie , Niu Xinrui , Wang Jing , Liu Jiawei , Xie Chen , Huang Wei , Fan Quli
Published: March 2021

High performance nanotheranostic agents were successfully constructed for NIR-II fluorescence/magnetic resonance imaging guided enhanced photothermal/photodynamic therapy, which showed excellent theranostic outcome.
Construction of a Z-scheme 1D/2D FeV3O8/g-C3N4 composite for ibuprofen degradation: mechanism insight, theoretical calculation and degradation pathway
Authors: Mao Shuai , Liu Chun , Xia Mingzhu , Wang Fengyun , Ju Xuehai
Published: March 2021

A direct Z-scheme heterojunction of 1D FeV3O8 nanorods and 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets with enhanced charge separation efficiency was successfully fabricated.
Evaluation of the role of graphene-based Cu(i) catalysts in borylation reactions
Authors: Franco Mario , Sainz Raquel , Lamsabhi Al Mokhtar , Díaz Cristina , Tortosa Mariola , Cid M. Belén
Published: March 2021

A methodical experimental and theoretical analysis of different carbon-based Cu(i) materials in the context of the development of an efficient, general, scalable, and sustainable borylation reaction of aliphatic and aromatic halides has been performed.
Enantioselective direct, base-free hydrogenation of ketones by a manganese amido complex of a homochiral, unsymmetrical P–N–P′ ligand
Authors: Seo Chris S. G. , Tsui Brian T. H. , Gradiski Matthew V. , Smith Samantha A. M. , Morris Robert H.
Published: March 2021

Base-free direct hydrogenation of ketones using a Mn(PNP′)(CO)2 complex is more enantioselective than that of a related base-activated iron complex.
Tannins inTerminalia belliricainhibit hepatocellular carcinoma growth by regulating EGFR-signaling and tumor immunity
Authors: Chang Zihao , Jian Ping , Zhang Qiunan , Liang Wenyi , Zhou Kun , Hu Qian , Liu Yuqi , Liu Runping , Zhang Lanzhen
Published: March 2021

TB-TF inhibited the proliferation and survival of HCC by regulating the EGFR signaling pathway and by modulating the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
Donor-free oligothiophene based dyes with di-anchor architecture for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Marques dos Santos John , Tanaka Ellie , Wiles Alan A. , Cooke Graeme , Robertson Neil
Published: March 2021

We report the synthesis and DSSCs of oligothiophenes with two anchoring groups that can adopt V- and U-shape conformations.
High acetone sensing properties of In2O3–NiO one-dimensional heterogeneous nanofibers based on electrospinning
Authors: Fan Xiangxiang , Xu Yajuan , He Wuming
Published: March 2021

The In2O3–NiO nanofiber with p–n heterojunctions exhibited an enhanced acetone sensing performance, and the detection limit reached 10 ppb.
Lithium calix[4]arenes: structural studies and use in the ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters
Authors: Santoro Orlando , Elsegood Mark R. J. , Teat Simon J. , Yamato Takehiko , Redshaw Carl
Published: March 2021

Novel Li-calix[n]arene complexes (n = 3, 4) having (–S–), (–SO–), (–SO2–), (–CH2OCH2–) or (–CH2–) bridges have been synthesized and fully characterized. Their catalytic activity in the ring opening polymerization of lactones has been studied.
H2O2 production on a carbon cathode loaded with a nickel carbonate catalyst and on an oxide photoanode without an external bias
Authors: Takasugi Soichi , Miseki Yugo , Konishi Yoshinari , Sasaki Kotaro , Fujita Etsuko , Sayama Kazuhiro
Published: March 2021

Efficient H2O2 production both on a nickel carbonate cathode and a photoanode using only H2O, O2, and solar light, was achieved without using an external bias or a membrane.
Incorporation of Keggin-based H3PW7Mo5O40into bentonite: synthesis, characterization and catalytic applications
Authors: Aher Dipak S. , Khillare Kiran R. , Shankarwar Sunil G.
Published: March 2021

A green and efficient protocol of PW7Mo5/bentonite is use as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for different heterocyclic multicomponent reactions.
DNA-based constitutional dynamic networks as functional modules for logic gates and computing circuit operations
Authors: Zhou Zhixin , Wang Jianbang , Levine R. D. , Remacle Francoise , Willner Itamar
Published: March 2021

A nucleic acid-based constitutional dynamic network (CDN) provides a single functional computational module for diverse input-guided logic operations and computing circuits.
Boosting the rate performance of Li–S batteries under high mass-loading of sulfur based on a hierarchical NCNT@Co-CoP nanowire integrated electrode
Authors: Li Jianbo , Xie Wenfu , Zhang Shimeng , Xu Si-Min , Shao Mingfei
Published: March 2021

The hierarchical NCNT@Co-CoP nanowire integrated electrode can effectively trap and catalyze the lithium polysulfides as well as endow Li+ a moderate diffusion barrier, which significantly enhances the rate capability of Li−S batteries.
Molecular simulation, characteristics and mechanism of thermal-responsive acetylated amylose V-type helical complexes
Authors: Tang Peng , Liu Yongchun , Gao Yuan , Wang Ya , Zhang Hui , Liu Yiming , Wu Daocheng
Published: March 2021

The thermal-responsive behaviour and mechanism of acetylated amylose-guest V-type helical complexes have been developed.
Deterministically assigned directional sensing of a nanoscale crack based pressure sensor by anisotropic Poisson ratios of the substrate
Authors: Park Byeonghak , Lee Yunheum , Jung Woojin , Scott Dylan K. , Aalto Daniel , Chung Hyun-Joong , Kim Tae-il
Published: March 2021

Anisotropic Poisson's ratio substrate composed of a sandwich structure of two half-honeycomb layers facilitates the pressure reactivity to the crack based strain sensor with high sensitivity (3.1 × 106MPa−1), durability (10 000) and linearity.
Hierarchical bilinear convolutional neural network for image classification
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Tang Lei , Luo Hangzai , Zhong Sheng , Guan Ziyu , Chen Long , Zhao Chao , Peng Jinye , Fan Jianping
Published: March 2021

Image classification is one of the mainstream tasks of computer vision. However, the most existing methods use labels of the same granularity level for training. This leads to ignoring the hierarchy that may help to differentiate different visual objects better. Embedding hierarchical information into the convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can effectively regulate the semantic space and thus reduce the ambiguity of prediction. To this end, a multi‐task learning framework, named as Hierarchical Bilinear Convolutional Neural Network (HB‐CNN), is developed by seamlessly integrating CNNs with multi‐task learning over the hierarchical visual concept structures. Specifically, the labels with a tree structure are used as the supervision to hierarchically train multiple branch networks. In this way, the model can not only learn additional information (e.g. context information) as the coarse‐level category features, but also focus the learned fine‐level category features on the object properties. To smoothly pass hierarchical conceptual information and encourage feature reuse, a connectivity pattern is proposed to connect features at different levels. Furthermore, a bilinear module is embedded to generalise various orderless texture feature descriptors so that our model can capture more discriminative features. The proposed method is extensively evaluated on the CIFAR‐10, CIFAR‐100, and ‘Orchid’ Plant image sets. The experimental results show the effectiveness and superiority of our method.
Review and performance evaluation of path tracking controllers of autonomous vehicles
Authors: Rokonuzzaman Mohammad , Mohajer Navid , Nahavandi Saeid , Mohamed Shady
Published: March 2021

Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) have shown indelible and revolutionary effects on accident reduction and more efficient use of travel time, with outstanding socio‐economic impact. Despite these benefits, to make AVs accepted by a wide demographic and produce them on an industrial scale with a reasonable price, there are still a number of technological and social challenges that need to be tackled. Path Tracking Controller (PTC) of AVs is one of the high potential subsystems that can be further improved in order to achieve more accurate, robust and comfortable tracking performance. This study provides a critical review and simulation study of several selected techniques used for the design of PTC of AVs. The AVs are assumed to have limited controllability due to non‐holonomic constraints, such as car‐like vehicles and differential drive mobile robots. A detailed discussion will be provided on the simulation outcomes as well as the pros and cons of each technique for the sake of implementation and improvement of state‐of‐the‐art PTC.
High‐voltage AlInN/GaN superjunction fin‐gate high electron mobility transistor for power‐switching application
Authors: Zhou Weijun , Ye Qing , Dai Junyu , Guo Tianyu , Zhang Jinqiu , Li Zheng , Wu You , Zhao Ziyu , Zhao Ziqi , Wei Zhiheng
Published: March 2021

An AlInN/GaN superjunction fin‐gate high electron mobility transistor (SJFin‐HEMT) is proposed in this work. A superjunction region with GaN/AlInN/GaN/AlInN/GaN structure is defined between the gate and drain, and two‐dimensional‐hole‐gas/two‐dimensional‐electron‐gas/two‐dimensional‐hole‐gas/two‐dimensional‐electron‐gas (2DHG/2DEG/2DHG/2DEG) are respectively induced due to the polarization charges at the heterojunction interfaces. The 2DHGs and 2DEGs compensate each other, resulting a charge balanced superjunction in the gate‐drain spacing, thus inducing a uniform electric field distribution under off‐state maximizing the breakdown voltage. Additionally, because the current flows through both the 2DEGs, higher output current and lower on‐state resistance are observed in contrast to the conventional Fin‐HEMT. Simulation results show breakdown voltage of 2957 V (VGS = –6 V) and on‐state resistance of 0.31 mΩ·cm2 (VDS = 0.1 V, VGS = 0 V) for the SJFin‐HEMT, comparing with that of 241 V and 0.36 mΩ·cm2 for the conventional Fin‐HEMT.
High figure of merit cylinder‐shaped negative refractive index metamaterial based on paper as dielectric material
Authors: Yudistira Hadi Teguh , Asril Muhammad
Published: March 2021

The design of unit cell metamaterial can tailor the permittivity and permeability. The negative refractive index was achieved while the negative real part of permittivity and negative real part of permeability simultaneously or conditions were satisfied, where are real part of permittivity, imaginary part of permittivity, real part of permeability, and imaginary part of permeability, respectively. Currently, the metamaterial based on paper is a fascinating issue. Additional, paper is used as dielectric due to its eco‐friendly spacer. The unit cell design is the critical rule for achieving high figure of merit (FoM) of negative refractive index. This work aims to design the high FoM cylinder‐shaped negative refractive index metamaterial based on paper as the dielectric material. The cylinder‐shaped structure was simulated by CST microwave studio. The electromagnetic properties of the cylinder‐shaped structure were estimated from the scattering parameter (S‐parameter) result. The cylinder‐shaped structure yields high FoM of negative refractive index performance. The negative refractive index was generated at 3.4–3.91 GHz. The above condition or negative real permittivity and negative real permeability simultaneously were satisfied at 3.4–3.91 GHz. The high FoM was achieved at 3.5–3.91 GHz.
Effects of protection settings on optimal performance of reconfigurable smart distribution systems
Authors: Khoshbakht Elham , Namdari Farhad , Doostizadeh Meysam
Published: March 2021

Nowadays, with increasing energy consumption in distribution networks and the demand of consumers to buy highly reliable power, it is of high importance to establish adaptation between protection and operation of the power system. Therefore, this paper analyses the effect of optimal reconfiguration of the smart distribution system in the presence of wind and solar renewable resources under fault conditions. Uncertainties of load and production of renewable resources are studied as well. In the proposed model, the optimal topology of the distribution network is obtained to minimise the system losses. Also, features of the distribution network protection systems, including constraints on the coordination and performance of the equipment, are added to the reconfiguration problem. According to linearisation, the proposed model becomes a mixed‐integer linear programming. Several case studies are carried out on a modified 33‐bus network using GAMS and MATLAB to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed model on both operational and protection coordination.
Primary frequency regulation support through deloaded offshore renewable power generators with HVDC‐link
Authors: Kumar Akshay
Published: March 2021

Grid operation becomes a challenging task due to the high penetration of uncontrolled offshore renewable power generators into the mainland system through HVDC‐link system. As a result, system frequency may quickly go outside the acceptable range under severe frequency events. This paper proposes a coordinated control strategy for linearized models of deloaded offshore renewable power generators with HVDC‐link to make contributions in the mainland system during depressed frequency conditions to address the frequency regulation issue. Linearized models are used to obtain the power output from deloaded ORPG by adjusting droop value in proportional to frequency deviation and minimizing the frequency deviation of the mainland system. Inertia control scheme based on utilizing the different capacitors of HVDC‐link is proposed to further improve frequency regulation. Adding inertia from HVDC‐link helps to minimize the rate of change of frequency deviation. Finally, to improve both frequency deviation and rate of change of frequency deviation, case studies of offshore renewable power generators linking with HVDC in view of abrupt load deviations have been effectively shown on system model to validate the proficiency of control schemes in MATLAB/SIMULINKR.
The quantum‐mode regulated power point tracking in a photovoltaic array for application under the quantised converter duty ratio
Authors: Reddy M. Kranthi Kumar , Sarkar Vaskar
Published: March 2021

The objective of this work is to develop a realistic control technique for stably regulating the power output of a photovoltaic array. The associated process is referred to as the regulated power point tracking (RPPT). Ideally, the converter duty ratio is expected to be a continuous variable so that the photovoltaic power output can be freely adjusted. However, such a continuous‐mode RPPT is possible only with the help of an analogue pulse‐width‐modulation (PWM) control. In contrast, the modern digital PWM control causes a duty ratio quantisation. As a result, the photovoltaic power output can, practically, be adjusted only at some discrete power levels. Therefore, existing RPPT control techniques, which optimistically assume a continuous power production range, may lead to persistent low‐frequency power oscillations because of the digital PWM. To overcome the particular problem, a quantum‐mode RPPT control technique is proposed in this paper. The quantum‐mode RPPT basically limits its search only to the practically attainable discrete power levels by suitably modifying the given power reference command. Thus, the power tracking can always reach a converged state. For the faster RPPT, the perturbation step size is dynamically adapted. The proposed RPPT control technique is verified via both simulations and hardware experiments.
Simple Single and Multi-Facility Location Models using Great Circle Distance
Authors: Baskar A
Published: March 2021

Facility location problems (FLP) are widely studied in operations research and supply chain domains. The most common metric used in such problems is the distance between two points, generally Euclidean distance (ED). When points/ locations on the earth surface are considered, ED may not be the appropriate distance metric to analyse with. Hence, while modelling a facility location on the earth, great circle distance (GCD) is preferable for computing optimal location(s). The different demand points may be assigned with different weights based on the importance and requirements. Weiszfeld’s algorithm is employed to locate such an optimal point(s) iteratively. The point is generally termed as “Geometric Median”. This paper presents simple models combining GCD, weights and demand points. The algorithm is demonstrated with a single and multi-facility location problems.
Disruptions on India’s FinTech landscape: The 5G wave
Authors: Mohanasundaram T , Sathyanarayana S , Rizwana M
Published: March 2021

The emergence of FinTech companies disrupts the banking and financial service industry through its technology-driven services. But with 5G, the 5th generation mobile network, the entire FinTech outlook is disrupted. The 5G technology is expected to create a new FinTech ecosystem in India. The 5G features like enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), Lower latency and robust security aspects are certain to bring transformation in banking and FinTech industries. 5G’s application in different domains offers a ‘blue ocean’ of new prospects to FinTech companies. 5G technology offers necessary features to enable FinTech companies to bring a massive change in the banking and finance field. As 5G is on the brink of being a next-generation mobile network in India, it is necessary to examine its influence on the FinTech landscape. In this study, the authors have analyzed the effect of 5G on evolving bank technologies, with special focus on FinTech. This study also projects the authors’ view on the impact of 5G on FinTech firms’ future challenges and prospects.
A Survey on Healthcare Systems using Internet of Things
Authors: Ramesh Chitra , Sekar Jayalakshmi
Published: March 2021

The Internet of Things allows things to become active users, facilitating interaction with things and the sharing of data between them. The most interesting issue in the science world, the public sector and industry in the IoT is unavoidable. It ensures a seamless relationship between doctors and patients that results in medical treatment with high quality results. This is accomplished by constant surveillance of patients through the use of sensors. The collected data is registered for potential uses and used for analytics. The analytical approach offers the opportunity for disease detection in healthcare results. This paper concerns the Internet of Things in healthcare and explores the different algorithms used in it. The system involved in analytics of healthcare and data sources involved in analytics are further clarified. Finally this paper demonstrates the Internet of Things and Big Data survey of healthcare systems with a reference table.
A Deep Learning Model to predict the Industry Readiness of Engineering Students Community
Authors: Murugesan Ashok , Ramasamy Kumar , Ashok Umadevi , Pandian Revathy
Published: March 2021

Industry readiness of Engineering students community is a big challenge in the recent campus recruitments. 21st century skills are completely mapped with the technical and non – technical knowledge background of the engineering graduates. In this paper the work narrated the process of identifying the parameters for skill assessment of the candidates and derived a learner model using deep learning framework. Further the model can be used to predict the employability readiness of candidates.
Lazy Learning Associative Classification with WkNN and DWkNN Algorithm
Authors: Tamrakar Preeti , Syed Ibrahim S. P.
Published: March 2021

One of the algorithms, which prudently denote better outcomes than the traditional associative classification systems, is the Lazy learning associative classification (LLAC), where the processing of training data is delayed until a test instance is received, whereas in eager learning, before receiving queries, the system begins to process training data. Traditional method assumes that all items within a transaction is same, which is not always true. This paper recommends a new framework called lazy learning associative classification with WkNN (LLAC_WkNN) which uses weighted kNN method with LLAC, that gives a subset of rules when LLAC is applied to the dataset. In order to predict the class label of the unseen test case, the weighted kNN (WkNN) algorithm is then applied to this generated subset. This creates the enhanced accuracy of the classifier. The WkNN also gives an outlier more weight. By applying Dual Distance Weight to LLAC named as LLAC_DWkNN, this limitation of WkNN is resolved. LLAC_DWkNN gives less weightage to outliers, which improve the accuracy of the classifier, further. This algorithm has been applied to different datasets and the experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient as compared to the traditional and other existing systems.
Proteinurie
Authors: Bohnert Bernhard N.
Published: March 2021

Die Proteinurie ist ein empfindlicher Marker für eine Nierenschädigung und ein guter Prädiktor für das Fortschreiten einer chronischen Nierenschädigung hin zu einer terminalen Nierenerkrankung. Ob die Proteinurie dabei allerdings nur einen Risikomarker darstellt, der lediglich die Nierenschädigung widerspiegelt, oder ob sie durch toxische Effekte auf Podozyten und Nierentubuli selbst einen Risikofaktor darstellt, ist bisher nicht klar. Während der Fokus aktueller Leitlinien im Wesentlichen auf der Quantität der Proteinurie liegt, zeigen immer mehr experimentelle Daten, dass auch der Qualität der Proteinurie eine wesentliche Rolle hinsichtlich ihres Schädigungspotenzials und ihres Risikos zukommt.
Dialyse bei COVID-19
Authors: Wiegard-Szramek Ina
Published: March 2021

Als wir zu Beginn 2020 die ersten Berichte über eine Infektion mit dem SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) aus China hörten, hat niemand geglaubt, dass es zu einer Pandemie kommen würde. Am 27.01.2020 wurde über den ersten bestätigten Fall in Deutschland berichtet 1. Dieses Virus, das die Erkrankung COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) auslöst, breitete sich nicht nur in Deutschland, sondern in der ganzen Welt mit großer Geschwindigkeit aus. Es veränderte das Leben der Menschen in allen Ländern sowie in allen Berufsgruppen und führte zu erheblichen Neugestaltungen in allen Bereichen des Lebens, insbesondere im Gesundheitswesen.