bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical comparison of inspiratory airflow patterns in human nasal cavities with distinct age differences
Authors: Dong Jingliang , Sun Qinyuan , Shang Yidan , Zhang Ya , Tian Lin , Tu Jiyuan
Published: December 2021

As a primary determinant of nasal physiological functions, the nasal morphology and its effects on the airflow dynamics have been extensively studied in literature. However, gross flow features reported in literature are mostly obtained from subjects at similar ages, while studies focusing on nasal subjects with distinct age differences are significantly less. To advance current understandings of nasal airflow dynamics in the context of age diversity, this study employed three anatomically accurate nasal cavity models with distinct age features (5‐, 24‐ and 77‐year‐old models) and numerically compared the physiological nasal airflow fields within these nasal cavity models. To demonstrate the validity of the present numerical models, in vivo rhinomanometry measurement was conducted on the 24‐year‐old female nasal model, and key anatomical features and pressure‐flow curves of all three models were compared with models with similar age features in literature work. Apart from results comparison based on conventional velocity flow fields and wall shear stress distributions, a method for quantifying flow partitions in confined airway spaces was developed to reveal the proportions of fractional flow that enters the olfactory region. Our results revealed dramatic intersubject discrepancies between considered nasal cavity models, especially for the fractional flow that enters the olfactory region. Specifically, the 5‐year‐old girl nasal model received the highest proportion of fractional flow, which accounts for 13.3% ~ 15% of overall inhalation flow rates under different activity levels. For the 24‐year‐old female model, on the contrary, the olfactory fractional flow was dramatically reduced (with a local to overall percentage around 4.3%–7.7%). Finally, for the elderly subject—77‐year‐old male model, minimum level of olfactory flux was observed with a local to overall percentage ranging between 3.1% and 4.9% for considered wide range of inhalation flow rates. Therefore, the local flow intersubject variation can reach nearly fourfold. The vast local flow difference is mainly due to the inherent anatomical features (e.g., immature nasal turbinate structure in the child model, the partial narrowing superior nasal valve in the elder model). The results may further lead to discrepant health effects associated with inhalation exposure to airborne particles.
Image‐based locating and guiding for unmanned aerial vehicles using scale invariant feature transform, speeded‐up robust features, and oriented fast and rotated brief algorithms
Authors: Bal Burak , Erdem Tuğba , Kul Seda , Sayar Ahmet
Published: December 2021

This study provides a method for determining the location information from a photograph taken by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). In today's defense industry, the goal is to design a reliable navigation system that can operate even when the Internet and GPS systems are unavailable. In the proposed system, it is expected that there is an image database in which each image has its own metadata in JavaScript Object Notation format that defines the geolocation information for the corresponding image. In real‐time, UAV flies captures an image and uses a matching algorithm to compare it with each and every photo in the database. The image with the highest match rate in the database and its metadata is returned. The UAV extracts its own location information from the metadata. For image matching, Scale Invariant Feature Transform, Speeded‐Up Robust Features, and Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF algorithms are used. The proposed system is tested and evaluated by using a real‐world dataset obtained from Flickr's city images. The proposed approach is proved to work with a success rate of 97.14%.
Citation entity recognition method using multi‐feature semantic fusion based on deep learning
Authors: Gao Jie , Zhang Zuping , Cao Ping , Huang Wei , Li Fangfang
Published: December 2021

The effective entity recognition method can quickly and accurately identify the citation entity to facilitate citation comparison, thereby reducing the occurrence of academic fraud and other behaviors. But there is no very effective way to solve this problem till now. In recent years, neural network models for named entity recognition (NER) have shown better performances on general domain datasets. After the multi‐feature citation dataset is created, the article proposes contextual multi‐feature embedding (CMFE) method for word embedding which use multi‐feature to enhance semantic and use CNN to get multi‐level feature. Based on CMFE, a multi‐feature semantic fusion model (MFSFM) is proposed. It designs the multi‐convolution kernel mixed residual CNN module to obtain local attention information and enhance the sensitivity of the entity boundary information. The BiLSTM and LSTM is used for timing learning. The experimental results of Chinese citation datasets and Chinese–English mixed citation datasets show that CMFE can better represent semantics, and MFSFM can perform citation entity recognition well. Finally, the experimental results of CONLL2003 dataset show that it is general on NER.
Increased TOX expression concurrent with PD‐1, Tim‐3, and CD244 expression in T cells from patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Huang Shuxin , Liang Chaofeng , Zhao Yujie , Deng Tairan , Tan Jiaxiong , Zha Xianfeng , Li Yangqiu , Chen Shaohua
Published: December 2021

Background

T cell dysregulation is a common event in leukemia. Recent findings have indicated that aberrant expression of immune checkpoint proteins may be associated with disease relapse and progression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). TOX, a transcription factor in the HMG‐box protein superfamily, was found to be a potential target for immunotherapy not only in solid tumors but also in hematological malignancies. However, little is known about TOX expression and co‐expression with immune checkpoint proteins or the exhausted phenotype in the T cell subsets in AML. Thus, in this study, we analyzed TOX expression and co‐expression with PD‐1, Tim‐3, and CD244 in T cells.

Methods

TOX expression and co‐expression with PD‐1, Tim‐3, and CD244 in CD3+, CD4+, regulatory T (Treg), and CD8+ T cells were analyzed by multi‐color fluorescent flow cytometry in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) samples from patients with de novo AML and AML in complete remission (CR) and healthy individuals (HIs).

Results

A significantly increased percentage of TOX+CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells was found in PB from patients with de novo AML in comparison with HIs. Double‐positive TOX+CD244+, TOX+PD‐1+, and TOX+Tim‐3+ T cells markedly increased in the CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cell populations in de novo AML patients compared with HIs, and similar trends were demonstrated for TOX+Tim‐3+CD3+/CD4+/CD8+ T cells in de novo AML compared with AML‐CR patients. In addition, the number of TOX+, TOX+PD‐1+, and TOX+Tim‐3+Treg cells significantly increased in de novo AML patients compared with HIs, and TOX+PD‐1+Treg cells were higher in de novo AML compared with AML‐CR patients. Moreover, TOX positively correlated with Tim‐3 expression in CD8+ and Treg cells, and a positive correlation between the expression of TOX+ CD4+ and CD244+CD4+ T cells was found. Furthermore, an increased percentage of TOX+Tim‐3+ T cells in BM was also found in de novo AML patients compared with HIs.

Conclusions

Increased TOX concurrent with PD‐1, Tim‐3, and CD244 in T cells may contribute to T cell exhaustion and impair their function in AML. Such exhausted T cells may be partially revised when AML patients achieve CR after chemotherapy. TOX may be considered a potential target for reversing T cell exhaustion and improving T cell function in AML.
Ecological theory of mutualism: Robust patterns of stability and thresholds in two‐species population models
Authors: Hale Kayla R. S. , Valdovinos Fernanda S.
Published: December 2021

Mutualisms are ubiquitous in nature, provide important ecosystem services, and involve many species of interest for conservation. Theoretical progress on the population dynamics of mutualistic interactions, however, comparatively lagged behind that of trophic and competitive interactions, leading to the impression that ecologists still lack a generalized framework to investigate the population dynamics of mutualisms. Yet, over the last 90 years, abundant theoretical work has accumulated, ranging from abstract to detailed. Here, we review and synthesize historical models of two‐species mutualisms. We find that population dynamics of mutualisms are qualitatively robust across derivations, including levels of detail, types of benefit, and inspiring systems. Specifically, mutualisms tend to exhibit stable coexistence at high density and destabilizing thresholds at low density. These dynamics emerge when benefits of mutualism saturate, whether due to intrinsic or extrinsic density dependence in intraspecific processes, interspecific processes, or both. We distinguish between thresholds resulting from Allee effects, low partner density, and high partner density, and their mathematical and conceptual causes. Our synthesis suggests that there exists a robust population dynamic theory of mutualism that can make general predictions.
Dietary analysis reveals differences in the prey use of two sympatric bat species
Authors: Heim Olga , Puisto Anna I. E. , Sääksjärvi Ilari , Fukui Dai , Vesterinen Eero J.
Published: December 2021

One mechanism for morphologically similar and sympatric species to avoid competition and facilitate coexistence is to feed on different prey items within different microhabitats. In the current study, we investigated and compared the diet of the two most common and similar‐sized bat species in Japan—Murina ussuriensis (Ognev, 1913) and Myotis ikonnikovi (Ognev, 1912)—to gain more knowledge about the degree of overlap in their diet and their foraging behavior. We found that both bat species consumed prey from the orders of Lepidoptera and Diptera most frequently, while the proportion of Dipterans was higher in the diet of M. ikonnikovi. Furthermore, we found a higher prey diversity in the diet of M. ikonnikovi compared to that of M. ussuriensis that might indicate that the former is a more generalist predator than the latter. In contrast, the diet of M. ussuriensis contained many Lepidopteran families. The higher probability of prey items likely captured via gleaning to occur in the diet of M. ussuriensis in contrast to M. ikonnikovi indicates that M. ussuriensis might switch between aerial‐hawking and gleaning modes of foraging behavior. We encourage further studies across various types of habitats and seasons to investigate the flexibility of the diet composition and foraging behavior of these two bat species.
Soluble CD137 is a novel serum marker of liver cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis C and alcohol‐associated disease etiology
Authors: Weigand Kilian , Peschel Georg , Grimm Jonathan , Luu Khang , Schacherer Doris , Wiest Reiner , Müller Martina , Schwarz Herbert , Buechler Christa
Published: December 2021

Defective T‐cell functions play a role in the persistence of HCV infection. Activated T cells express CD137, which costimulates antivirus T‐cell responses, and this activity is antagonized by soluble CD137 (sCD137). Here, we show that in sera of 81 patients with chronic HCV, sCD137 levels did not correlate with measures of viral infection, and did not decline after virus eradication using direct‐acting antivirals. Thus, serum sCD137 was similar in patients infected with HCV and in uninfected controls. Of note, in HCV patients with liver cirrhosis and patients with mostly alcohol‐associated liver cirrhosis, sCD137 was increased. A negative association of sCD137 and albumin existed in both cohorts. sCD137 concentrations were similar in hepatic and portal vein blood excluding the liver as the origin of higher levels. Recombinant sCD137 reduced Th1 and Th2 but not Th17 cell polarization in vitro, and accordingly lowered IFN‐γ, TNF, and IL‐13 in cell media. Serum sCD137 is associated with inflammatory states, and positively correlated with serum TNF in cirrhotic HCV patients following virus eradication. Our study argues against a role of sCD137 in HCV infection and suggests a function of sCD137 in liver cirrhosis, which yet has to be defined.
Green infrastructure for urban resilience: a trait‐based framework
Authors: Reynolds Heather L , Mincey Sarah K , Montoya Robert D , Hamlin Samantha , Sullivan Abigail , Thapa Bhuwan , Wilson Jeffrey , Rosing Howard , Jarzen Joseph , Grove J Morgan
Published: December 2021

Urban areas around the world are increasingly turning to green infrastructure to promote resilience to climate change. Core traits of resilient systems have emerged from diverse disciplines. Here, we draw from existing literature on these core traits to elaborate an explicitly social–ecological systems (SES) and resilience trait‐based framework for operationalizing urban resilience through green infrastructure. We identify social and ecological dimensions of core resilience traits, cover methodological aspects of creating SES‐ and resilience‐based spatial inventories of urban green infrastructure, and discuss how this framework helps to promote systems‐based planning. We demonstrate the application of the framework to several real‐world cases and identify fruitful research directions.
Saving imperiled grassland biomes by recoupling fire and grazing: a case study from the Great Plains
Authors: Wilcox Bradford P , Fuhlendorf Samuel D , Walker John W , Twidwell Dirac , Wu X Ben , Goodman Laura E , Treadwell Morgan , Birt Andrew
Published: December 2021

Woody plant encroachment – the conversion of open grasslands and savannas to woodlands – represents one of the gravest threats to grassland biomes worldwide. This is especially true for the Great Plains of the US. We contend that the widespread adoption of pyric herbivory (the synergistic application of fire and grazing) and mixed‐species grazing (cattle [Bos taurus] and goats [Capraspp]) would not only make grasslands and savannas more resilient to woody plant encroachment but would also enhance the profitability and resiliency of livestock production systems. These management strategies control woody plants, increase biodiversity, improve grassland ecosystem function, and favor livestock production. Although this management paradigm holds tremendous potential by mimicking original grassland disturbance regimes, it has not been widely adopted because of cultural constraints. Saving the remaining natural grasslands in the Great Plains and elsewhere will require a widespread shift in cultural norms – facilitated by targeted government incentives and a coordinated program of regional research, extension, and education that involves farmers and ranchers as key stakeholders.
How does antiseptic mouthwashes against SARS‐COV‐2 affect the bond strength of universal adhesive to enamel?
Authors: Özduman Zümrüt Ceren , Oglakci Burcu , Doğan Miraç , Deger Ceren , Eliguzeloglu Dalkilic Evrim
Published: December 2021

This study compares the effect of different mouthwashes that have been recommended during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic on shear bond strength (SBS) of universal adhesive to enamel in regards to self‐etch (SE) and etch‐and‐rinse (ER) modes. Flat enamel surfaces were obtained from 100 sound human maxillary central incisors. They were randomly allocated to five groups according to the different mouthwashes (no mouthwash/control [Ctrl], 0.2% chlorhexidine 1.5% hydrogen peroxide [H2O2], 0.2% povidone‐iodine [PVP‐I], Listerine [L]), and adhesive application modes (ER and SE) (n = 10). After the application of a universal adhesive (single bond universal), composite resin (Filtek Z250) was bonded by a cylinder‐shaped mold (height: 2 mm, diameter: 2.4 mm). They were subjected to SBS test using a universal testing machine (AGS‐X, Shimadzu Corp.) (crosshead speed: 1 mm/min). The resin–enamel interfaces were observed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The semiquantitative chemical microanalyses were performed with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The data were statistically analyzed by two‐way analysis of variance and Bonferroni test (p < .05). In SE mode, Group Ctrl revealed significantly higher SBS than all mouthwash groups (p < .05). In ER mode, Group Ctrl showed significantly higher SBS than H2O2 and PVP‐I groups (p < .05). ER mode caused significantly higher SBS than SE mode in all mouthwash groups (p < .05). The SEM observations highlighted that Group Ctrl had a regular and intact hybrid layer with resin tag formation while the H2O2 and PVP‐I groups exhibited a thin hybrid layer in both modes. EDS analysis indicated that in SE mode, all mouthwash groups presented increased O content compared to Group Ctrl. H2O2 and PVP‐I that were suggested for preprocedural use during the COVID‐19 pandemic, reduced the enamel bond strength of the universal adhesive in ER mode.
Phenotypic plasticity in the energy metabolism of a small Andean rodent: Effect of short‐term thermal acclimation and developmental conditions
Authors: Menéndez Josefina , Ruperto Emmanuel F. , Taraborelli Paula A. , Sassi Paola L.
Published: December 2021

The study of phenotypic variation within species in response to different environments is a central issue in evolutionary and ecological physiology. Particularly, ambient temperature is one of the most important factors modulating interactions between animals and their environment. Phyllotis xanthopygus, a small Andean rodent, exhibits intraspecific differences along an altitudinal gradient in traits relevant to energy balance that persist after acclimation to common experimental temperatures. Therefore, we aim to explore geographic variations in energetic traits of P. xanthopygus and to assess the contribution of phenotypic plasticity to population differences. We compared metabolic rate and thermal conductance in response to different acclimation temperatures in animals collected at distinct altitudes (F0 generation) and in their offspring, born and raised under common‐garden conditions (F1 generation). We found intraspecific differences in resting metabolic rate (RMR) of animals collected at different altitudes that were no longer evident in the F1 generation. Furthermore, although both generations showed the same pattern of RMR flexibility in response to acclimation temperature, its magnitude was lower for the F1 individuals. This suggests that developmental conditions affect the short‐term acclimation capacity of this trait during adulthood. On the other hand, thermal conductance (C) showed irreversible plasticity, as animals raised in the laboratory at stable warm conditions had a relatively higher C than the animals from the field, showing no adjustments to thermal acclimation during adulthood in either group. In sum, our results support the hypothesis that the developmental environment shapes energetic traits, emphasizing the relevance of incorporating ontogeny in physiological studies.
Potential of vegetation and woodland cover recovery during primary and secondary succession, a global quantitative review
Authors: Coradini Karen , Krejčová Jana , Frouz Jan
Published: December 2021

Succession is a basic natural process of ecosystem recovery, it may start completely de novo (primary succession) or after serious disturbance of the previous ecosystem (secondary succession). Despite most reclamation and restoration approaches depending on it and despite extensive previous research, we found no worldwide review that would describe the pattern of vegetation cover and woody vegetation recovery in individual types of succession and explore major factors that affect the speed of vegetation recovery. To fill this gap we have searched world literature and extracted data about 244 succession series about total vegetation cover and 113 about woody vegetation cover. The rate of vegetation cover recovery is significantly slower during primary succession than during secondary succession, this however not apply to woody vegetation. The type of disturbance affects the speed of recovery, post‐mining sites recover fastest among primary succession and older fields were the fastest among secondary succession, the slowest one being succession in glacier retreats. Latitude, soil pH, the size of the disturbed area, temperature, and actual evapotranspiration affect the rate of vegetation recovery in primary succession, while only latitude affects secondary succession. Some other factors affect succession after a specific disturbance. The study shows that succession can be an effective tool to restore vegetation cover and woody vegetation on many occasions. We expect that differences in the nutrient availability determine differences in the rate of total vegetation cover recovery, while soil porosity (compaction) may be an important factor affecting woody vegetation recovery.
Eigenvalues of Schrödinger operators on finite and infinite intervals
Authors: Korotyaev Evgeny L.
Published: December 2021

We consider a Sturm–Liouville operator with an integrable potential q on the unit interval . We consider a Schrödinger operator with a real compactly supported potential on the half line and on the line, where this potential coincides with q on the unit interval and vanishes outside I. We determine the relationships between eigenvalues of such operators and obtain estimates of eigenvalues in terms of potentials.
NF‐κB signaling in inflammation and cancer
Authors: Zhang Tao , Ma Chao , Zhang Zhiqiang , Zhang Huiyuan , Hu Hongbo
Published: December 2021

Since nuclear factor of κ‐light chain of enhancer‐activated B cells (NF‐κB) was discovered in 1986, extraordinary efforts have been made to understand the function and regulating mechanism of NF‐κB for 35 years, which lead to significant progress. Meanwhile, the molecular mechanisms regulating NF‐κB activation have also been illuminated, the cascades of signaling events leading to NF‐κB activity and key components of the NF‐κB pathway are also identified. It has been suggested NF‐κB plays an important role in human diseases, especially inflammation‐related diseases. These studies make the NF‐κB an attractive target for disease treatment. This review aims to summarize the knowledge of the family members of NF‐κB, as well as the basic mechanisms of NF‐κB signaling pathway activation. We will also review the effects of dysregulated NF‐κB on inflammation, tumorigenesis, and tumor microenvironment. The progression of the translational study and drug development targeting NF‐κB for inflammatory diseases and cancer treatment and the potential obstacles will be discussed. Further investigations on the precise functions of NF‐κB in the physiological and pathological settings and underlying mechanisms are in the urgent need to develop drugs targeting NF‐κB for inflammatory diseases and cancer treatment, with minimal side effects.
Asthma academy: A student nurse‐led telehealth education program for low‐income family caregivers of children with asthma
Authors: Foronda Cynthia , Prather Susan , Snowden Kenya , Gonzalez Juan M. , Gattamorta Karina A. , Lee Jiye , Gonzalez Juan E. , Cardenas Monica
Published: December 2021

Aims

The aims of the Asthma Academy study were to (1) evaluate the telehealth performance of DNP students, (2) evaluate the perceived learning experience of DNP students and (3) investigate whether an association exists related to student performance and family caregiver outcomes.

Design

A descriptive study was conducted with doctor of nursing practice students.

Methods

Students conducted telehealth visits to help family caregivers of children with asthma and were rated on their performance by two faculty members using a rubric. Student perception data were gathered via survey.

Results

Out of a total possible score of 15 points, the mean telehealth performance score of students was 13.38 points. Students indicated the telehealth experience was valuable and that they were satisfied with their learning. This model of leveraging telehealth to bridge nursing students to the community may be adapted to help family caregivers of children with various disease foci.
Energy Level Alignment of Formamidinium Tin Iodide in Contact with Organic Hole Transport Materials
Authors: Horn Jonas , Schlettwein Derck
Published: December 2021

Tin‐based perovskites provide environmentally less problematic alternatives to established lead halide‐based absorbers used in today's most efficient perovskite solar cells. However, tin‐based cells still suffer from reduced power conversion efficiency and stability when compared to lead‐based analogues. To facilitate the adoption of the very successful n–i–p cell geometry, efficient contact to hole transport materials (HTMs) is needed that can be deposited on top of the tin‐based perovskite layer, ideally by physical vapor deposition to protect the underlying perovskite. As possible candidates for such HTMs, the growth and the interface formation of 4,4',4''‐tris[phenyl(m‐tolyl)amino]triphenylamine (m‐MTDATA), pentacene, and copper phthalocyanine with formamidinium tin iodide by Kelvin probe force microscopy are systematically studied. For the contact to m‐MTDATA, the formation of a Mott–Schottky junction is revealed, whereas an interfacial dipole is formed for the latter two. Doping densities within the organic semiconductor are determined and indicate ion migration from the perovskite.
Structure–fragmentation study of pentacyclic triterpenoids using electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐QTOFMS/MS)
Authors: Uddin Jalal , Muhsinah Abdullatif Bin , Imran Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Noman , Musharraf Syed Ghulam
Published: December 2021

Rationale

Pentacyclic triterpenoids are secondary plant metabolites widespread in fruit peel, leaves, and stem bark. Due to their important biological activities, these compounds are widely screened using advance analytical techniques like electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Over the past few decades, the practice of ESI has been refined into a versatile ionization technique for a wide variety of analytes differing in their chemical makeup, size, complexity, and bimolecular stability.

Methods

The structure–fragmentation relationships (SFRs) of 16 pentacyclic triterpenoids were studied using a positive ion ESI quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (ESI‐QqTOFMS/MS) hybrid instrument.

Results

ESI‐QqTOFMS (positive ion mode) showed the presence of the protonated molecules [M + H]+ of most of analyzed compounds. Low‐energy collision‐induced dissociation MS/MS analysis of these molecules indicated multiple losses of water molecules and the loss of the formic acid moiety [M + H − HCOOH]+ and other substituents as the predominant pathway for further fragmentation. Key product ions were identified which resulted from the retro‐Diels–Alder cleavage of the ring system. SFRs of all the compounds analyzed were also developed.

Conclusions

We developed a fragmentation pattern of pentacyclic triterpenoids using the ESI‐QqTOFMS/MS technique. It was concluded that the formation of key product ions and loss of characteristic neutrals can give detailed insight into structural information about the basic structure and attached substituents.
Protective and pathological roles of regulatory immune cells in human cytomegalovirus infection following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Namdari Haideh , Hosseini Maryam , Yazdanifar Mahboubeh , Farajifard Hamid , Parvizpour Farzad , Karamigolbaghi Maryam , Hamidieh Amir Ali , Rezaei Farhad
Published: December 2021

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is ubiquitously prevalent. Immune system in healthy individuals is capable of controlling HCMV infection; however, HCMV can be life‐threatening for immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant recipients. Both innate and adaptive immune systems are critically involved in the HCMV infection. Recent studies have indicated that regulatory immune cells which play essential roles in maintaining a healthy immune environment are closely related to immune response in HCMV infection. However, the exact role of regulatory immune cells in immune regulation and homoeostasis during the battle between HCMV and host still requires further research. In this review, we highlight the protective and pathological roles of regulatory immune cells in HCMV infection following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).
Magnetic Nanocomposite Based on Carboxyl‐Functionalized Candida albicans for Removal of Heavy Metals Ions from Wastewater
Authors: Azzam Ahmed M. , El‐Wakeel Shaimaa T. , Mostafa Bayaumy B.
Published: December 2021

Presently, there is increased interest in heavy metal contamination due to its high‐risk health effects. In this work, we fabricated nano‐magnetic/carboxyl Candida albicans biomass composite (MCC) as a new bio‐adsorbent agent based on the ultrasonic cavitation‐assisted oxygen implosion method. The synthesized MCC nano adsorbent was characterized using SEM, EDX, and FTIR. The adsorption capacity of MCC nanocomposite was detected for toxic metals Pb2+, Cd2+, and Cu2+ ions. SEM image showed rough C. albicans cell walls due to loading of magnetic/carboxyl nanoparticles, while EDX confirmed the formation of magnetic nanoparticles on the cell surface. The results of adsorption metal ions showed that the optimum removal efficiencies for Cu2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ were recorded at pH 4, 6, and 6.5, respectively. The adsorption capacity was determined as 1009, 280 and 202 mg/g for Pb2+, Cu2+ and Cd2+, while calculated qe values agreed very well with the experimental data indicating that the adsorption of tested metals obeyed the second‐order kinetic model. The removal rates reached 99.8 % for Pb2+, 99.4 % for Cd2+, and 94.7 % for Cu2+ in the presence of different concentrations of coexisting ions in treated wastewater. The MCC nanocomposite bio‐adsorbent agent satisfied the increasing need for the purification of water resources and can be used widely in industrial wastewater remediation.
Copper‐Catalyzed Ligand‐Free Remote C−H Bond Amidation of 8‐Amidoquinolines with N‐Fluorobenzenesulfonimide
Authors: He Li , Zhu Yihang , Xu Yongjun
Published: December 2021

A copper‐catalyzed direct C−H bond C5‐amidation of 8‐amidoquinolines with NFSI has been developed. This catalytic amination process is carried out without any ligands to form various derivatives in moderate to excellent yields using a commercially available Cu(II) as the catalyst under a simple condition. A single‐electron transfer (SET)‐mediated mechanism was proposed based on the experimental data and a serious of mechanistic studies.
Highly Efficient Reduction of 4‐Nitrophenol by Cu Nanoparticle Decorated Graphdiyne
Authors: Xie Shuanglei , Xu Ze , Yu Cong , Yu Xianglin , Zhang Zihe , Li Junbo
Published: December 2021

Catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) to 4‐aminophenol (4‐AP) over high‐performance and stable metal nanoparticle catalyst is highly desirable. This study experimentally demonstrated that graphdiyne (GDY), an all‐carbon two‐dimensional material composed of two hybrid carbon atoms (sp and sp2), can uniformly disperse copper nanoparticles through simple microwave reduction and has excellent 4‐NP reduction ability. Cu/GDY shows an extraordinary reaction rate constant of 0.9984 min−1, Moreover, the catalytic activity is maintained almost intact within five cycles. These encouraging results demonstrated that the unique pores and electronic structure of GDY enhance the stability of anchored metal nanoparticles and have great potential to degrade 4‐NP as a promising support for copper nanoparticles.
Direct Synthesis of 2,4,6‐Trisubstituted Pyrimidines via Base‐Mediated One‐Pot Multicomponent Reaction
Authors: Zhang Ming M. , Zhan Zhen Z. , Wang Meng , Wang He S. , Huang Guo S.
Published: December 2021

A base‐mediated strategy was adopted to synthesize 2,4,6‐trisubstituted pyrimidines from amidine hydrochlorides, aldehydes and acetylacetone. The starting materials were widely available and could tolerate various functional groups, and the produced 2,4,6‐trisubstituted pyrimidines had moderate to good yields. The construction of C−C and C−N bonds was achieved under transition metal‐free conditions. Unlike previous approaches, the present approach utilizes a multicomponent reaction and is a new protocol for the construction of 2,4,6‐trisubstituted pyrimidines from raw materials that do not require further preparation.
Power Quality Disturbance Signal Denoising Based on Overcomplete Representation
Authors: Chen Lei , Xu Jianjun , Chen Shuang , Yang Hui , Liu Linhu
Published: December 2021

A denoising method for power quality (PQ) disturbance signal based on optimized decomposition of overcomplete dictionary is proposed. First, based on the idea of sparse decomposition, an overcomplete synthesis dictionary matching the time‐frequency characteristics of PQ disturbance signal is constructed. Then, the matching pursuit (MP) algorithm is used to search the disturbance parameters in Gabor dictionary, and the improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is combined with the improved Nelder–Mead simplex extremum algorithm to improve the search speed and accuracy. Finally, the obtained disturbance parameters and the overcomplete synthesis dictionary are used to extract the disturbance characteristic waveform, and then the noise is separated. This method is used to reduce the noisy PQ signals and compared with the results of wavelet and other noise reduction methods, the results show that the method can effectively denoise PQ signal, and better retain the original characteristics of PQ disturbances. © 2021 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
The Political Economy of Regulation: An Analysis of the Mexican Emission Trading System
Authors: Stevens Daniela
Published: December 2021

The chapter argues that the design of carbon pricing policies takes place as a sequential, negotiated process whereby specific constituencies have privileged access to shape policy design because they have high stakes in regulations. These groups, identified ex ante based on the political economy of regulation and a stakeholder approach, exhibit two characteristics: first, they are high-interest actors, as a change in the status quo would impose concentrated costs on them; second, they are high-power actors, since their resources and participation in the national economy make them a critical sector. Using theory-guided process tracing and the policy stages heuristics framework, the empirical analysis explores the policymaking process of the Mexican pilot emission trading system and discusses key features of its design.
The Political Economy of Carbon Pricing: Lessons from the Mexican Carbon Tax Experience for the Mexican Cap-and-Trade System
Authors: Belausteguigoitia Juan Carlos , Romero Vidal , Simpser Alberto
Published: December 2021

Price-based climate change policy instruments, such as carbon taxes or cap-and-trade systems, are known for their potential to generate desirable results such as reducing the cost of meeting environmental targets. Nonetheless, carbon pricing policies face important economic and political hurdles. Powerful stakeholders tend to obstruct such policies or dilute their impacts. Additionally, costs are borne by those who implement the policies or comply with them, while benefits accrue to all, creating incentives to free ride. Finally, costs must be paid in the present, while benefits only materialize over time. This chapter analyses the political economy of the introduction of a carbon tax in Mexico in 2013 with the objective of learning from that process in order to facilitate the eventual implementation of an effective cap-and-trade system in Mexico. Many of the lessons in Mexico are likely to be applicable elsewhere. As countries struggle to meet the goals of international environmental agreements, it is of utmost importance that we understand the conditions under which it is feasible to implement policies that reduce carbon emissions.
Hyperosmolarity adversely impacts recombinant protein synthesis by Yarrowia lipolytica—molecular background revealed by quantitative proteomics
Authors: Kubiak-Szymendera Monika , Skupien-Rabian Bozena , Jankowska Urszula , Celińska Ewelina
Published: December 2021

In this research, we were interested in answering a question whether subjecting a Yarrowia lipolytica strain overproducing a recombinant secretory protein (rs-Prot) to pre-optimized stress factors may enhance synthesis of the rs-Prot. Increased osmolarity (3 Osm kg−1) was the primary stress factor implemented alone or in combination with decreased temperature (20 °C), known to promote synthesis of rs-Prots. The treatments were executed in batch bioreactor cultures, and the cellular response was studied in terms of culture progression, gene expression and global proteomics, to get insight into molecular bases underlying an awaken reaction. Primarily, we observed that hyperosmolarity executed by high sorbitol concentration does not enhance synthesis of the rs-Prot but increases its transcription. Expectedly, hyperosmolarity induced synthesis of polyols at the expense of citric acid synthesis and growth, which was severely limited. A number of stress-related proteins were upregulated, including heat-shock proteins (HSPs) and aldo–keto reductases, as observed at transcriptomics and proteomics levels. Concerted downregulation of central carbon metabolism, including glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle and fatty acid synthesis, highlighted redirection of carbon fluxes. Elevated abundance of HSPs and osmolytes did not outbalance the severe limitation of protein synthesis, marked by orchestrated downregulation of translation (elongation factors, several aa-tRNA synthetases), amino acid biosynthesis and ribosome biogenesis in response to the hyperosmolarity. Altogether we settled that increased osmolarity is not beneficial for rs-Prots synthesis in Y. lipolytica, even though some elements of the response could assist this process. Insight into global changes in the yeast proteome under the treatments is provided.

Key points

• Temp enhances, but Osm decreases rs-Prots synthesis by Y. lipolytica.

• Enhanced abundance of HSPs and osmolytes is overweighted by limited translation.

• Global proteome under Osm, Temp and Osm Temp treatments was studied.
Extra-pair paternity in a species with frequent extra-pair courtship feedings, few extra-pair copulations, and male-biased parental care
Authors: Ledwoń Mateusz , Szczys Patricia
Published: December 2021

Patterns of extra pair paternity (EPP) and intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) were studied in a Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida population characterized by female brood desertion, a high level of extra pair courtship feedings (10%) and a low level of extra pair copulation (EPC; 0.6%). In this study, we used a set of microsatellite loci to analyse parentage in 56 Whiskered Tern families from southern Poland. Depending on the method, we detected that 1.4%–3.6% of chicks were sired by an extra-pair male, and extra-pair chicks were present in 3.6%–8.9% of broods. IBP was observed in 8.9%–14.3% of broods, corresponding to 3.6%–6.4% of the chicks. The low rate of EPP is in agreement with the hypothesis that in species with high male parental investment, females should avoid EPC. The low level of IBP indicates that intraspecific egg dumping is not a common female strategy in Whiskered Tern, similar to many other colonial waterbird species.
Do Future Teachers Believe that Video Games Help Learning?
Authors: Cabellos Beatriz , Sánchez Daniel L. , Pozo Juan-Ignacio
Published: December 2021

One of the factors associated with the educational use of video games is the conception that teachers and students have about their educative usefulness. However, there are no studies that identify what aspects are considered more effective to learn with video games and what kind of learning is more accessible using them. This study aims at identifying pre-service teachers’ conceptions regarding video game use for learning and specifically to know what aspects and learning they consider are more feasible. Likewise, we analyzed the pedagogical training effect of these conceptions for three groups of university students: primary pre-service teachers (who received general pedagogical training), secondary pre-service teachers (who received pedagogical training in only one area of knowledge) and other university students without pedagogical training. We applied a questionnaire to a sample of 422 university students. This questionnaire had two dimensions that differentiated between the pragmatic and epistemic uses of video games for learning and three dimensions about the different verbal, procedural and attitudinal learning which can be achieved with them. The results showed wide acceptance of video games as a learning resource in university students, but in particular secondary pre-service teachers pointed out higher possibilities of achieving learning with video games than primary pre-service teachers. On the other hand, university students pointed out more learning when video games were used in an epistemic way. In addition, they considered video games favor more verbal and procedural learnings than attitudinal ones. In conclusion, despite the positive conceptions of the students about learning with video games, we observed a less positive pattern in pre-service teachers with general pedagogical training. These results suggest that video game incorporation in schools is not being carried out fruitfully by education faculties. Therefore, we advocated for 21st-century training that optimized new conceptions and uses of video games.
Machine learning for financial forecasting, planning and analysis: recent developments and pitfalls
Authors: Wasserbacher Helmut , Spindler Martin
Published: December 2021

This article is an introduction to machine learning for financial forecasting, planning and analysis (FP&A). Machine learning appears well suited to support FP&A with the highly automated extraction of information from large amounts of data. However, because most traditional machine learning techniques focus on forecasting (prediction), we discuss the particular care that must be taken to avoid the pitfalls of using them for planning and resource allocation (causal inference). While the naive application of machine learning usually fails in this context, the recently developed double machine learning framework can address causal questions of interest. We review the current literature on machine learning in FP&A and illustrate in a simulation study how machine learning can be used for both forecasting and planning. We also investigate how forecasting and planning improve as the number of data points increases.
Auditing and Debugging Deep Learning Models via Flip Points: Individual-Level and Group-Level Analysis
Authors: Yousefzadeh Roozbeh , O’Leary Dianne P.
Published: December 2021

Deep learning models have been criticized for their lack of easy interpretation, which undermines confidence in their use for important applications. Nevertheless, they are consistently utilized in many applications, consequential to humans’ lives, usually because of their better performance. Therefore, there is a great need for computational methods that can explain, audit, and debug such models. Here, we useflip pointsto accomplish these goals for deep learning classifiers used in social applications. A trained deep learning classifier is a mathematical function that maps inputs to classes. By way of training, the function partitions its domain and assigns a class to each of the partitions. Partitions are defined by the decision boundaries which are expected to be geometrically complex. This complexity is usually what makes deep learning models powerful classifiers. Flip points are points on those boundaries and, therefore, the key to understanding and changing the functional behavior of models. We use advanced numerical optimization techniques and state-of-the-art methods in numerical linear algebra, such as rank determination and reduced-order models to compute and analyze them. The resulting insight into the decision boundaries of a deep model can clearly explain the model’s output on the individual level, via an explanation report that is understandable by non-experts. We also develop a procedure to understand and audit model behavior towards groups of people. We show that examining decision boundaries of models in certain subspaces can reveal hidden biases that are not easily detectable. Flip points can also be used as synthetic data to alter the decision boundaries of a model and improve their functional behaviors. We demonstrate our methods by investigating several models trained on standard datasets used in social applications of machine learning. We also identify the features that are most responsible for particular classifications and misclassifications. Finally, we discuss the implications of our auditing procedure in the public policy domain.
Schemes of Arrangement
Authors: Payne Jennifer
Published: December 2021

Schemes of arrangement are an important and flexible mechanism, which can be used to reorganise a company's capital. Schemes have undergone a renaissance over the last twenty years, particularly as a debt restructuring device in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis when companies and their advisors have needed to develop effective tools for dealing with financial distress. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a further incentive for jurisdictions to ensure that they have an effective debt restructuring mechanism in place. Schemes have also become the mechanism of choice for recommended takeovers. This book performs a critical, contextual and comparative analysis of schemes and their uses, examines recent developments in this area, including the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020, and considers whether further reform is needed to ensure that schemes continue to develop as an indispensable tool for companies for the future.
Ethnic Identity and the Archaeology of the aduentus Saxonum
Authors: Harland James M.
Published: December 2021

For centuries, archaeologists have excavated the soils of Britain to uncover finds from the early medieval past. These finds have been used to reconstruct the alleged communities, migration patterns, and expressions of identity of coherent groups who can be regarded as ethnic 'Anglo-Saxons'. Even in the modern day, when social constructionism has been largely accepted by scholars, this paradigm still persists.

This book challenges the ethnic paradigm. As the first historiographical study of approaches to ethnic identity in modern 'Anglo-Saxon' archaeology, it reveals these approaches to be incompatible with current scholarly understandings of ethnicity. Drawing upon post-structuralist approaches to self and community, it highlights the empirical difficulties the archaeology of ethnicity in early medieval Britain faces, and proposes steps toward an alternative understanding of the role played by the communities of lowland Britain - both migrants from across the North Sea and those already present - in transforming the Roman world.
Growing Up Communist in the Netherlands and Britain
Authors: Weesjes Elke
Published: December 2021

This book documents communists' attempts, successful and otherwise, to overcome their isolation and to connect with the major social and political movements of the twentieth century. Communist parties in Britain and the Netherlands emerged from the Second World War expecting to play a significant role in post-war society, due to their domestic anti-fascist activities and to the part played by the Soviet Union in defeating fascism. The Cold War shattered these hopes, and isolated communist parties and their members. By analysing the accounts of communist children, Weesjes highlights their struggle to establish communities and define their identities within the specific cultural, social, and political frameworks of the Cold War period and beyond.