bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of impaired antibody response after SARS‐CoV‐2 mRNA vaccination in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients: A Japanese multicenter observational study
Authors: Mori Yasuo , Uchida Naoyuki , Harada Takuya , Katayama Yuta , Wake Atsushi , Iwasaki Hiromi , Eto Tetsuya , Morishige Satoshi , Fujisaki Tomoaki , Ito Yoshikiyo , Kamimura Tomohiko , Takahashi Tsutomu , Imamura Yutaka , Tanimoto Kazushi , Ishitsuka Kenji , Sugita Junichi , Kawano Noriaki , Tanimoto Kazuki , Yoshimoto Goichi , Choi Ilseung , Hidaka Tomonori , Ogawa Ryosuke , Takamatsu Yasushi , Miyamoto Toshihiro , Akashi Koichi , Nagafuji Koji
Published: October 2022

HCT recipients reportedly have a high mortality rate after developing COVID‐19. SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination is generally useful to prevent COVID‐19. However, its safety and efficacy among HCT recipients remain elusive. This large‐scale prospective observational study including 543 HCT recipients with 37‐months interval from transplant demonstrated high safety profiles of mRNA vaccine: only 0.9% of patients avoided the second dose due to adverse event or GVHD aggravation following the first dose. Regarding the efficacy, serological response with a clinically relevant titer (≥250 BAU/mL) was obtained in 397 (73.1%) patients. We classified the remaining 146 patients as impaired responders and compared the clinical and immunological parameters between two groups. In allogeneic HCT recipients, multivariable analysis revealed the risk factors for impaired serological response as follows: age (≥60, 1 points), HLA‐mismatched donor (1 points), use of systemic steroids (1 points), absolute lymphocyte counts (<1000/μL, 1 points), absolute B‐cell counts (<100/μL, 1 points), and serum IgG level (<500 mg/dL, 2 points). Notably, the incidence of impaired serological response increased along with the risk scores: patients with 0, 1–3, and 4–7 points were 3.9%, 21.8%, and 74.6%, respectively. In autologous HCT recipients, a shorter interval from transplant to vaccination was the only risk factor for impaired serological response. Our findings indicate that two doses of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine are safe but insufficient for a part of HCT recipients with higher risk scores. To improve this situation, we should consider additional treatment options, including booster vaccination and prophylactic neutralizing antibodies during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic.
Platinum‐Based TREM2 Inhibitor Suppresses Tumors by Remodeling the Immunosuppressive Microenvironment
Authors: Yang Tao , Zhang Shuren , Yuan Hao , Wang Ying , Cai Linxiang , Chen Hanhua , Wang Xiaoyu , Song Dongfan , Wang Xiaohui , Guo Zijian , Wang Xiaoyong
Published: October 2022

Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells‐2 (TREM2) is a key pro‐tumorigenic marker of tumor‐infiltrating macrophages, showing potent immunosuppressive activity in tumor microenvironment. A platinum(IV) complex OPA derived from oxaliplatin (OP) and artesunate (ART) exhibited direct cytotoxicity against human colon cancer cells and immunomodulatory activity to inhibit TREM2 on macrophages in vitro and vivo. Furthermore, OPA deterred the tumor growth in mouse models bearing MC38 colorectal tumor by reducing the number of CD206+and CX3CR1+immunosuppressive macrophages; it also promoted the expansion and infiltration of immunostimulatory dendritic, cytotoxic T, and natural killer cells. OPA is the first small‐molecular TREM2 inhibitor capable of relieving immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhancing chemical anticancer efficiency of a platinum drug, thus showing typical characteristics of a chemoimmunotherapeutic agent.
Ultra‐Tight Host‐Guest Binding with Exceptionally Strong Positive Cooperativity
Authors: Sobiech Thomas A. , Zhong Yulong , Miller Daniel P. , McGrath Jillian K. , Scalzo Christina T. , Redington Morgan C. , Zurek Eva , Gong Bing
Published: October 2022

Cooperativity plays a critical role in self‐assembly and molecular recognition. A rigid aromatic oligoamide macrocycle with a cyclodirectional backbone binds with DABCO‐based cationic guests in a 2 : 1 ratio in high affinities (Ktotal≈1013 M−2) in the highly polar DMF. The host–guest binding also exhibits exceptionally strong positive cooperativity quantified by interaction factors α that are among the largest for synthetic host–guest systems. The unusually strong positive cooperativity, revealed by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and fully corroborated by mass spectrometry, NMR and computational studies, is driven by guest‐induced stacking of the macrocycles and stabilization from the alkyl end chains of the guests, interactions that appear upon binding the second macrocycle. With its tight binding driven by extraordinary positive cooperativity, this host–guest system provides a tunable platform for studying molecular interactions and for constructing stable supramolecular assemblies.
Synthesis of novel pyrrole derivatives from the multicomponent reaction using the new N‐sulfonic acid modified poly (styrene‐diethylenetriamine) as a solid acid catalyst
Authors: Abbaspour Taraneh , Firouzzadeh Pasha Ghasem , Tajbakhsh Mahmood
Published: October 2022

An efficient acid‐catalyzed synthesis of 1,5‐diaryl‐3‐(arylamino)‐1H‐pyrrol‐2(5H)‐ones is reported using novel N‐sulfonic acid modified poly (styrene‐diethylenetriamine) through three‐component reaction between aldehyde, amine, and ethyl pyruvate in high yields and short times. This heterogeneous solid catalyst is produced by reacting amine‐modified chloromethyl polystyrene with neat chlorosulfonic acid. The structure of the synthesized catalyst was examined with Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and elemental analyses. The heterogeneous catalyst has many advantages, including an easy work‐up procedure, a high product yield, and the capability to be easily regenerated and reused for at least five cycles without losing its activity.
A green extraction process of nanocarbon dots from prawn shells, and its reinforcement in epoxy polymers
Authors: Ashraf Pachareentavita Muhamed , Anju Vadakkanethu Sadasivan , Binsi Puthenpurakkal Kizhakkethil , Joseph Toms Cheriyath
Published: October 2022

Exoskeletons of prawn, shrimp, and crab discarded as waste are rich sources of inorganic and organic materials. Currently, these discards are mainly utilized for the extraction of chitin and less attention is paid to the recovery of other organic constituents present in the exoskeletons. The present study aimed to synthesize nano carbon dot (CD) and chitin from prawn shell, and utilization of CD as an additive to epoxy polymers to obtain a corrosion resistant polymer coating. Nano CDs were synthesized through a hydrothermal carbonization process and the characteristics were evaluated using spectrophotometric, fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies. The CD reinforced bisphenol epoxy polymer composite coated over boat building steel exhibited the least defect, which in turn imparted the highest polarization resistance with the lowest capacitance. Chemical and morphological data of epoxy polymer composite highlighted the interaction of NH2 present in CD with polymer matrix. The functional group NH2 from CD synergistically acted along with hardener to form a pore free epoxy coating. Hydrothermal process of prawn shell enabled to extract chitin as evidenced by their spectral signature peaks. This study gave two economically important products through a green synthesis protocol.
Assessing the learning of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream school physical education
Authors: Maher Anthony , van Rossum Tom , Morley David
Published: October 2022

In the UK, one consequence of neoliberalism has been the development of test cultures in schools and standardised assessment strategies used to judge all pupils against within and across curriculum subjects. Few studies to date have explored the influence of this on assessing the learning of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and none have centred physical education (PE). This study used the concept of ableism and semi‐structured interviews to explore mainstream secondary school PE teachers’ views and experiences of assessing the learning of pupils with SEND. Based on the findings, we discuss the importance of schools disrupting hegemonic, ableist modes of thinking that cast pupils with SEND as being of inferior ability when compared with their peers and thus being disadvantaged by standardised, normative assessment practices. Specifically, we identify a need for senior leaders and teachers in schools to recognise the needs and capabilities of pupils with SEND, through more holistic assessment approaches that focus on social, affective, cognitive and physical learning and development. We end by discussing the significance of initial teacher education and teacher networks to support this endeavour and advocating for the amplification of the voices of pupils with SEND, given that they have expert knowledge about the perceived inclusivity of assessment in PE because they can draw upon their lived and embodied experiences.
Structural brain abnormalities in endothelial nitric oxide synthase‐deficient mice revealed by high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: George Hannah , Mercer Grace V. , Stapleton Darcie , Dawson Laura , MacCallum Phillip E. , Spring Shoshana , Sled John G. , Blundell Jacqueline , Cahill Lindsay S.
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) produces nitric oxide, which is essential for a variety of physiological functions in the brain. Previous work has demonstrated the detrimental effects of eNOS deficiency on brain function in male eNOS knockout (eNOS KO) mice. However, the effect of eNOS deficiency on brain structure and any association between these effects and sex is unknown.

Methods

This study used three‐dimensional high‐resolution ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tests of anxiety and cognitive performance to investigate structure–function relationships in the brain of female and male eNOS KO mice in young adulthood.

Results

While there were no differences in anxiety‐like behavior or locomotion, there was a sex‐specific deficit in contextual fear memory retention in male, but not in female, eNOS mice compared to wild‐type controls. Moreover, we found that eNOS deficiency induced changes in multiple brain regions that are involved in learning and fear memory including the hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, and areas of the cortex. Several of these MRI‐detectable neuroanatomical changes were dependent on sex.

Conclusion

The observation that eNOS deficiency impacts brain structure at an early age demonstrates the importance of eNOS for healthy brain development.
The diagnosis, classification, and treatment of sarcoma in this era of artificial intelligence and immunotherapy
Authors: Crombé Amandine , Roulleau‐Dugage Mathtieu , Italiano Antoine
Published: October 2022

Soft‐tissue sarcomas (STS) represent a group of rare and heterogeneous tumors associated with several challenges, including incorrect or late diagnosis, the lack of clinical expertise, and limited therapeutic options. Digital pathology and radiomics represent transformative technologies that appear promising for improving the accuracy of cancer diagnosis, characterization and monitoring. Herein, we review the potential role of the application of digital pathology and radiomics in managing patients with STS. We have particularly described the main results and the limits of the studies using radiomics to refine diagnosis or predict the outcome of patients with soft‐tissue sarcomas. We also discussed the current limitation of implementing radiomics in routine settings. Standard management approaches for STS have not improved since the early 1970s. Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment; nonetheless, immuno‐oncology agents have not yet been approved for patients with STS. However, several lines of evidence indicate that immunotherapy may represent an efficient therapeutic strategy for this group of diseases. Thus, we emphasized the remarkable potential of immunotherapy in sarcoma treatment by focusing on recent data regarding the immune landscape of these tumors. We have particularly emphasized the fact that the development of immunotherapy for sarcomas is not an aspect of histology (except for alveolar soft‐part sarcoma) but rather that of the tumor microenvironment. Future studies investigating immunotherapy strategies in sarcomas should incorporate at least the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures as a stratification factor in their design, besides including a strong translational program that will allow for a better understanding of the determinants involved in sensitivity and treatment resistance to immune‐oncology agents.
Bioactive Secondary Plant Metabolites from Euphorbia umbellata (PAX) BRUYNS (Euphorbiaceae)
Authors: Latansio de Oliveira Thais , Reder Custodio de Souza Ariádine , Dias Fontana Pâmela , Carvalho Carneiro Milena , Beltrame Flávio Luís , de Messias Reason Iara Jose , Bavia Lorena
Published: October 2022

The species Euphorbia umbellata has been used to treat inflammatory diseases, cancer, and ulcers. Biological activities reported in the literature, including antiproliferative, cytotoxic and anti‐inflammatory, are attributed to the chemical constituents present in its composition as terpenes and polyphenolic compounds. The most recurrently verified metabolites in the Euphorbiaceae family plant species are terpenes, of which euphol is a major constituent with broadly reported cytotoxic, antinociceptive and anti‐inflammatory effects; it frequently appears in various extracts obtained from the plant. Euphol has a documented inhibitory effect on neutrophil chemotaxis and can modulate the complement system. Since complement system activation is intimately intertwined with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, tumor growth promotion and metastasis, plant metabolites from Euphorbia umbellata might influence the outcomes of inflammatory processes. We believe that this is the first review presenting the current knowledge on Euphorbia umbellata secondary metabolites and their biological activities.
Impact of intracoronary assessments on revascularization decisions: A contemporary evaluation
Authors: Gillmore Taylor , Jung Richard G. , Moreland Robert , Di Santo Pietro , Stotts Cameron , Makwana Dwipen , Abdel‐Razek Omar , Ahmed Zeeshan , Chung Kevin , Parlow Simon , Simard Trevor , Froeschl Michael , Labinaz Marino , Hibbert Benjamin
Published: October 2022

Objectives

To investigate the real‐world implementation of intracoronary assessment (ICA) techniques and evaluate their impact on clinical decisions regarding the management of coronary artery disease (CAD) in contemporary practice.

Background

Coronary angiogram is the gold standard used to diagnose vessel stenosis and guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, it is limited by its two‐dimensional imaging capabilities. ICA techniques like intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography capture the vessel in three‐dimensional images. Comparatively, fractional flow reserve provides information on the physiologic significance of coronary stenosis. Both techniques may improve PCI outcomes if they routinely change physician behavior.

Methods

Patients who underwent ICA between August 2015 and March 2020 were included in the study. The primary outcome was the clinical impact of ICA on physician clinical decision making of a stenotic vessel. The secondary outcome was the clinical changes that occurred following ICA.

Results

A total of 1135 patients were included in the study. Physiologic assessment (PA) and image assessment (IA) were performed in 61.4% and 38.6% respectively. Management plans were changed in 38.1% and 23.9% of patients who received PA and IA. Over half of the management change resulted in physicians deciding to not intervene on the stenotic vessel. One‐year outcome of these decisions showed no significant increase in major adverse cardiac events (hazard ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–1.15; p = 0.15) or unplanned revascularization (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.35–1.74; p = 0.55) suggesting reliance on PA/IA data did not increase risk.

Conclusion

Selected ICA alters physician management of CAD in one‐third of patients being evaluated for revascularization—typically leading to fewer interventions. All cause death is numerally lower in patients that received a change in management. However, the 1‐year outcome of these altered decisions does not appear to be significantly different.
Child and adolescent career construction: Lived experiences of an expressive arts group
Authors: Lindo Natalya A. , Li Dan , Hastings Tessa , Ceballos Peggy , Werts Rebecca , Molina Citlali , Oller Marianna , Laird Amber
Published: October 2022

The Child and Adolescent Career Construction Interview (CACCI), adapted from the Career Construction Interview, is a comprehensive career counseling intervention tailored to meet the developmental needs of children and adolescents, and is especially designed to address preadolescent needs in career and social/emotional domains. Because of the dearth of child and adolescent career development research, unique career development needs of preadolescent girls, and potential benefits of a gender homogenous group intervention, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine preadolescent girls’ lived experiences of participating in a CACCI group. Findings of this study have the potential to inform developmentally appropriate career counseling for preadolescents. Through the CACCI, counselors can help preadolescents explore their conception of self and their approach to decision‐making and problem‐solving. By adopting a present‐focused approach, counselors facilitate preadolescents’ development of self‐awareness in the “here and now,” laying the foundation for future self‐exploration as they move through adolescent development.
Froth flotation as primary treatment of flowback water: Removal of total organic carbon and prediction of kinetics
Authors: Sinha Shikha , Roy Debashis , Sengupta Sourav , Neogi Sudarsan , De Sirshendu
Published: October 2022

Petroleum and exploration industries employ a hydrofracking process where a large volume of water (fracturing fluid) is injected and a fraction (known as flowback water) is returned to the surface. Froth flotation is a typical process employed for the primary treatment of water. In the present work, froth flotation has been used as a pretreatment method for real flowback water sourced from the petroleum and shale gas exploration industry. In the present work, a first‐principle based convective mass transfer model has been developed to describe the froth flotation performance. The resultant equation was solved analytically and compared with the numerical solution, and a parametric sensitivity analysis of the process performance was also undertaken. In addition, a correlation to estimate the flotation rate constant was proposed, thereby circumventing the need to obtain a large number of cumbersome parameters experimentally. Overall, this study proposes froth flotation as an efficient primary treatment method towards the separation of dispersed oil droplets from the flowback water and the corresponding prediction of kinetics using a first‐principle based transport model.
Impact of patient choice and hospital competition on patient outcomes after rectal cancer surgery: A national population‐based study
Authors: Han Lu , Boyle Jemma M. , Walker Kate , Kuryba Angela , Braun Michael S. , Fearnhead Nicola , Jayne David , Sullivan Richard , van der Meulen Jan , Aggarwal Ajay
Published: October 2022

Background

The objective of the current national cohort study was to analyze the correlation between choice and competition on outcomes after cancer surgery in rectal cancer.

Methods

The analysis included all men who underwent rectal cancer surgery in the English National Health Service between March 2015 and April 2019 (n = 13,996). Multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the effect of a rectal cancer surgery center being located in a competitive environment (based on the number of centers within a threshold distance) and being a successful competitor (based on the ability to attract patients from other hospitals) on eight patient‐level outcomes: 30‐ and 90‐day emergency readmissions, 30‐day re‐operation rates, 90‐day postoperative mortality, length of stay >14 days, circumferential resection margin status, rates of primary procedure with a permanent stoma, and rates of persistent stoma 18 months after anterior resection.

Results

With adjustment for patient characteristics, patients who underwent surgery in centers located in a stronger competitive environment were less likely to have an abdominoperineal excision or a Hartman's procedure (odds ratio [OR], 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55–0.97, p = .04). Additionally, individuals who received treatment at hospitals that were successful competitors had a lower risk of a 90‐day readmission following rectal cancer surgery (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.76–0.97, p = .03) and were less likely to have a persistent stoma at 18 months after anterior resection (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61–0.93, p = .02).

Conclusions

Hospitals located in areas of high competition are associated with better patient outcomes and improved processes of care for rectal cancer surgery.
OCTRA‐5G: Osmotic computing based task scheduling and resource allocation framework for 5G
Authors: Kaur Akashdeep , Kumar Rajesh , Saxena Sharad
Published: October 2022

Long term evolution (LTE) mobile technology provides high data rate and low latency. 5G Technology is capable of handling the increasing number of IoT devices and provides ultra‐low latency, higher throughput, and higher reliability. Mobile edge computing (MEC) a key 5G technology strengthens the real‐time processing ability, releases the load on the Core Network, and helps in the real‐time processing of data, fulfilling the promise of high data rate and low latency. MEC is used to manage services efficiently to the near user resource. Using Osmotic Computing the services are efficiently scheduled and migrated. The work presented in this article proposes OCTRA‐5G Framework to effectively schedule services and allocate resources using Osmotic Computing (OC) by segregating the services into microservices and macroservices. The results are validated on the sets of 10, 20, and 30 gNBs (base stations) through simulation. OCTRA‐5G is tested on First Come First Serve (FCFS), Priority Scheduling (PS), and Shortest Job First (SJF) algorithm. FCFS provides less time complexity and higher throughput. The results presented using numerical simulations shows better performance by an average of 66.921% with OC than without OC.
Analyzing the effect of data preprocessing techniques using machine learning algorithms on the diagnosis of COVID‐19
Authors: Erol Gizemnur , Uzbaş Betül , Yücelbaş Cüneyt , Yücelbaş Şule
Published: October 2022

Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) known as the swab test is a diagnostic test that can diagnose COVID‐19 disease through respiratory samples in the laboratory. Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus around the world, the RT‐PCR test has become insufficient to get fast results. For this reason, the need for diagnostic methods to fill this gap has arisen and machine learning studies have started in this area. On the other hand, studying medical data is a challenging area because the data it contains is inconsistent, incomplete, difficult to scale, and very large. Additionally, some poor clinical decisions, irrelevant parameters, and limited medical data adversely affect the accuracy of studies performed. Therefore, considering the availability of datasets containing COVID‐19 blood parameters, which are less in number than other medical datasets today, it is aimed to improve these existing datasets. In this direction, to obtain more consistent results in COVID‐19 machine learning studies, the effect of data preprocessing techniques on the classification of COVID‐19 data was investigated in this study. In this study primarily, encoding categorical feature and feature scaling processes were applied to the dataset with 15 features that contain blood data of 279 patients, including gender and age information. Then, the missingness of the dataset was eliminated by using both K‐nearest neighbor algorithm (KNN) and chain equations multiple value assignment (MICE) methods. Data balancing has been done with synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE), which is a data balancing method. The effect of data preprocessing techniques on ensemble learning algorithms bagging, AdaBoost, random forest and on popular classifier algorithms KNN classifier, support vector machine, logistic regression, artificial neural network, and decision tree classifiers have been analyzed. The highest accuracies obtained with the bagging classifier were 83.42% and 83.74% with KNN and MICE imputations by applying SMOTE, respectively. On the other hand, the highest accuracy ratio reached with the same classifier without SMOTE was 83.91% for the KNN imputation. In conclusion, certain data preprocessing techniques are examined comparatively and the effect of these data preprocessing techniques on success is presented and the importance of the right combination of data preprocessing to achieve success has been demonstrated by experimental studies.
Web information mining and semantic analysis in heterogeneous unstructured text data using enhanced latent Dirichlet allocation
Authors: Venugopal Madamanchi , Sharma Virendra K. , Sharma Kalpana
Published: October 2022

Information mining and semantic analysis have gained significant attention over recent years to obtain appropriate information from unstructured data. Several approaches have been introduced for web information mining. However, the expected accuracy is not reached by these approaches. Therefore, hybrid fuzzy clustering and enhanced latent Dirichlet allocation (ELDA) are proposed for the accuracy increment in this work. The information clustering process is performed using the hybrid fuzzy clustering algorithm called fuzzy‐C‐medoids optimized using improved whale algorithm. The clustering procedure entails grouping data points into more similar clusters than data points from other clusters. Finally, the context of the text is recognized by analyzing the semantic information with ELDA, which offers a suitable index for accurate and fast data extraction. PYTHON tool is used to develop the proposed web mining model, and the simulation analysis of the proposed model is carried out using the BibTex dataset and compared with baseline models. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using purity, normalized mutual information, accuracy, and precision metrics. Also, it is compared with different existing algorithms. Thus, the analysis of the results proved that the proposed approach achieves better outcomes than the existing approaches.
Signal and Noise: Proton Pump Inhibitors and the Risk of Dementia?
Authors: Friesen Kevin J. , Falk Jamie , Chateau Dan , Kuo I. Fan , Bugden Shawn
Published: October 2022

The association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and dementia remains controversial. This cohort study re‐examines this issue, addressing shortcomings identified in previous publications using a population‐based and a high‐dimension propensity‐score matched cohort to follow patients for up to 22 years. Cox regression models using baseline characteristics, a lag period, and time‐varying variables were used to examine the risk of dementia by cumulative PPI exposure. High‐dose PPI users (> 180 days of use) had significantly higher risk of dementia in crude Cox models. After adjustment for medical diagnoses and prescription drug use, these associations disappeared. Among high‐dose users starting PPI therapy between 46 and 55 years old, the unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.55 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14, 2.10); the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) was 1.10 (95% CI 0.80, 1.51). For high‐dose users starting therapy between 56 and 65 years, HR = 1.22 (95% CI1.03, 1.44); aHR = 0.99 (95% CI 0.83, 1.17). High‐dose users between the ages of 66 and 75 years had no association with the risk of dementia. The use of lag models or time‐varying parameters similarly found some association with dementia in crude, but not multivariable Cox models. Although high‐dose PPI users were more likely to develop dementia, they were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia risk factors, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are risk factors for dementia. Controlling for these conditions using multivariable models or a propensity‐score matched cohort eliminated this association.
Drug testing for mitragynine and kratom: Analytical challenges and medico‐legal considerations
Authors: Helander Anders , Rylski Alexia
Published: October 2022

Mitragyna speciosa, known as kratom, is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia that has long been used to increase energy and in traditional medicine. Kratom leaves contain several indole alkaloids including mitragynine, mitraciliatine, speciogynine, and speciociliatine, which have the same molecular formula and connectivity, but different spatial arrangements (i.e., diastereomers). A routine liquid‐chromatographic–high‐resolution mass‐spectrometric (LC‐HRMS) multi‐analyte method for addictive and herbal drugs in urine did not separate mitragynine from speciogynine and speciociliatine. Separation and individual measurement of the four diastereomers was possible with an improved LC method. All diastereomers were detected in 29 patient urine samples who tested positive for mitragynine with the routine method, albeit at variable absolute amounts and relative proportions. The presence of all diastereomers rather than individual substances indicated that they originated from the intake of kratom (i.e., plant material). Speciociliatine dominated in most samples (66%), whereas mitragynine and mitraciliatine were the highest in 17% each. A kratom product (powdered plant material) marketed in Sweden contained all diastereomers with mitragynine showing the highest level. In Sweden, there are signs of an increasing use of kratom in society, based on the results from drug testing, the number of poisons center consultations on intoxications, and customs seizure statistics. Because there may be health risks associated with kratom use, including dependence, serious adverse reactions, and death, analytical methods should be able to identify and quantify all diastereomers. In Sweden, this is important from a legal perspective, as only mitragynine is classified, whereas the other three diastereomers, and kratom (plant material), are not.
Multiple genetic sources facilitate the northward range expansion of an intertidal oyster along China's coast
Authors: Hu Li‐Sha , Dong Yun‐Wei
Published: October 2022

Coastal artificial structures on the former mudflats provide available habitats for the rocky intertidal species which can establish new populations in these emerging habitats over their former distribution range limits. As a former southern species, the oyster Crassostrea sikamea has become a pioneer and rapidly invaded the artificial shorelines in northern China. We used a seascape genomics approach to investigate the population structure and genetic sources of C. sikamea on the coastal artificial structures, which is crucial for understanding the genetic mechanisms driving species distribution range expansion and invasion pathway of intertidal species. Five C. sikamea populations, including two artificial substrate populations (WGZ and ZAP), one oyster reef population (LS), and two natural rocky shore populations (ZS and XM), were measured using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) obtained from double digest restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD‐Seq). Redundancy analyses (RDA) were implemented for investigating the relationship between local temperature variables and the temperature adaptability of C. sikamea. Genetic diversity, direction and strength of gene flow, and population structure all revealed that the LS and ZS populations were the genetic sources for the oyster populations on the emerging northern coastal artificial structures. Results of RDA showed that there were different adaptive potentials for northern and southern populations to local temperature variables and the oyster reef population which frequently suffers from heat stress owned high heat adaptability. The ZS population as a genetic source nearby the Yangtze River estuary provided mass larvae for the northern populations, and the other genetic source, the heat‐tolerant LS population, in the oyster reef played an important role in the post‐settlement success by providing preadapted genotypes. These results highlight the importance of multiple sources with divergent adaptative capabilities for biological invasion, and also emphasize the importance of the oyster reef in coastal biodiversity and conservation.
Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus, Gmelin, 1789) abundance in the Rapti River, Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Authors: Yadav Ramesh Kumar , Lamichhane Saneer , Thanet Dol Raj , Rayamajhi Trishna , Bhattarai Santosh , Bashyal Ashish , Lamichhane Babu Ram
Published: October 2022

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a Critically Endangered crocodilian species whose abundance in Nepalese rivers is low due to the threat they face. We estimated gharial abundance in the Rapti River, one of the major rivers in Chitwan National Park (CNP) holding the largest numbers of gharials in Nepal. The Rapti River, running across the CNP, was divided into 18 segments, each measuring ~4 km, and gharials were counted directly with three replicates. Gharial count data were analyzed using an N‐mixture model (negative binomial) and the overall occupancy of gharials was estimated using a single season occupancy model. Covariate effects were also investigated on gharial abundance. Our findings revealed that the Rapti River is home to 150 gharials (119–181), with a mean abundance of 8.3 (SD = 3.45) across each segment. The presence of humans and square of Rapti River depth were the significant covariates that had a negative and positive impact on gharial abundance, respectively. Similarly, the number of sandbank present influenced the detection probability of gharials. Our study shows that gharial population estimation can be improved using the N‐mixture model. The overall gharial occupancy estimated using single season occupancy model was 0.84 (SD = 0.08), with a detection probability of 0.37 (SD = 0.02). The management authority should concentrate on segments to minimize human disturbance (e.g., fishing, washing clothes, extraction of riverbed materials). If the gharial population in this river declines, their population in central Nepal will be threatened. Hence, we suggest designating the Rapti River section that passes across the CNP as a “no extraction zone.”
Design of a database‐driven soft‐sensor and its application to a control system
Authors: Kinoshita Takuya , Kano Haruka , Yamamoto Toru
Published: October 2022

In industries, it is difficult to measure physical quantities such as product quality. In order to estimate it, soft sensors have been proposed. In recent years, the Just‐In‐Time (JIT) method has attracted attention. According to this method, the output is estimated by extracting data from the database similar to the current situation. On the other hand, a database‐driven control system has been proposed in which the JIT is equipped with a learning algorithm. This method calculates the control parameters using a database and has the scheme to learn the control parameters to minimize the control error. This paper proposes a new design method for soft sensors which uses a database‐driven approach. Specifically, this paper proposes a method to improve the estimation accuracy without modifying the stored past data by introducing a new modifiercinto the learning algorithm. Furthermore, a control system is designed in which the estimated value using the soft sensor is fed back.
MEMS Rogowski coil current sensor with spiral return coil
Authors: Watanabe Yoshiyuki , Kato Mutsuto , Yahagi Toru , Murayama Hiroki , Yamada Naoya , Yoshida Kenichi , Maehara Kenichi , Fukuda Yusuke , Sashida Kazuyuki , Ikeda Katsuya , Ikeda Kosuke , Takemori Toshiyuki
Published: October 2022

We have developed a MEMS Rogowski coil current sensor with spiral return coil. The Rogowski coil is formed on a silicon substrate clockwise and counterclockwise from the edges, for current detection and external magnetic noise compensation (device size 10 × 10 × 0.3 mm3, spiral coil 135 turns, via diameter 100 μm). When the slew rate (di/dt) was kept constant at 10 A/μs, and the current was changed by 5 A up to 40 A, MEMS Rogowski coil could detect current linearly. When the slew rate was changed by 10 A/μs up to 100 A/μs, it was found that the MEMS Rogowski coil could detect current almost linearly following the reference sensor. Hence, external noise compensation by the return coil has been confirmed.
Morphological markers of chromosomal instability in bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy of acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Khairwa Anju , Kotru Mrinalini , Dewan Pooja , Narang Shiva
Published: October 2022

The role of chromosomal instability (CI) in oncogenesis is very well described in solid tumours, but there are a lack of studies on haematology malignancy, especially with multiple morphological markers. The study aims to analyze seven morphological markers of CI‐ chromatin bridges (CB), multipolar mitosis (MPM), nuclear budding (NB), micronuclei (MN), nuclear heterogeneity (NH), laggards, chromatin strings (CS) in bone marrow aspirate (BMA) and biopsy of acute leukaemia (AL), and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). It is a retrospective cross‐sectional analytical study where BMA and biopsy were reviewed for CI markers. We compared CI markers in five categories. CI markers were further correlated with clinical manifestations and outcomes of patients. The study included 54 samples of 37 patients. Overall, the median (IQR) of markers were as follows: MN 3.5 (1,7), NB 5 (1,18), MPM 1 (0,4), CB 1(0,2), Laggards 0 (0,1), and CS 2.5 (0,6). NH was noted in 65.4% of samples. All CI markers except laggards were significantly increased in B‐ALL, AML, and MDS compared to other categories. Many CI markers were significantly raised with a few clinical features. The MN, MPM, Laggard, and NH markers were significantly increased in the dead patients compared to those who survived. The study, one of the first to analyze multiple CI markers, revealed that the CI markers were significantly increased in AL and MDS patients and significantly associated with clinical manifestations and outcomes. Morphology markers of CI are valuable and cost‐effective in diagnostic strategy, type of malignancies, and assessing prognosis.
Solvation and Stabilization of Superior Alanate Nanostructures
Authors: Pratthana Chulaluck , Aguey-Zinsou Kondo-Francois
Published: October 2022

NaAlH4 and LiAlH4 are promising materials for hydrogen storage due to their high hydrogen density (7.4 and 10.5 mass%, respectively). However, their practical application is hampered from the slow hydrogen kinetics and poor reversibility. To improve the hydrogen properties of alanates, the alternative core–shell strategy has been proposed. In this respect, a simple solvent evaporation method is presented to synthesize the alanate core. In this approach, NaAlH4 and LiAlH4 are stabilized by solvation and electrostatic forces, respectively, through the addition of ionic salts. Remarkably, it is found that the size of the alanate nanoparticles can be tuned by varying the concentration of the introduced ion. More importantly, the partial substitution of Na+ and Li+ with cations of higher electronegativity enables the release of hydrogen at much lower temperatures.
A 3D peridynamic fluid–solid coupling damage model of hydraulic fracture propagation
Authors: Li Yalong , Hu Zhiming , Qiu Zhipeng , Qiu Yafeng
Published: October 2022

Peridynamics provides a new model and method for describing material failure and fracture development. In this study, a three‐dimensional peridynamic fluid–solid coupling model of hydraulic fracture propagation was established. The model considered the effective stress and transverse isotropic characteristics of shale and was used to simulate the propagation of the hydraulic fracturing of bedding shale. The damage evolution influence on the fracture propagation behavior, as well as the interactions between the fractures and bedding, were investigated through a simulation. The damage evolution had discontinuous characteristics. In addition to the incomplete damage zone adjacent to the complete damage zone, there were nonadjacent and incomplete damage zones. The fracture and propagation of hydraulic fractures followed the same trends of damage evolution. Moreover, the simulation and related experimental results confirmed the existence of a large amount of mesodamage in the region far from the fracture, and the concept of “remote damage” in hydraulic fracturing was proposed. Finally, the damage evolution of the propagating fractures and bedding was simulated. The simulation showed that bedding hinders the propagation of main fractures in the height direction but promotes the complexity of fracture propagation. Overall, this study provides a new theoretical understanding and research ideas for an in‐depth understanding of hydraulic fracture geometry and the accurate calculation of Stimulated Reservoir Volume.
Boosted backtracking search optimization with information exchange for photovoltaic system evaluation
Authors: Weng Xuemeng , Liu Yun , Heidari Ali Asghar , Cai Zhennao , Lin Haiping , Chen Huiling , Liang Guoxi , Alsufyani Abdulmajeed , Bourouis Sami
Published: October 2022

The determination of photovoltaic (PV) parameters is of great importance for the reliability of solar system operation, continuity of the load power consumption, and control management of the energy source. Therefore, this study proposes an advanced backtracking search optimization algorithm (BSA) equipped with teaching and learning‐based optimization (TLBO), named TLBOBSA, to accurately simulate the PV model. During the evaluation of the proposed algorithm, the concept of teaching from TLBO is introduced into the BSA to guide optimal individuals, thus improving the convergence rate of the algorithm. The learning behavior among individuals in the student phase of TLBO facilitates interindividual learning and provides beneficial information for its evolution, which is introduced into the BSA to ensure the diversity of the population. The comprehensive test results of different PV module models in different environmental conditions show that the proposed algorithm is more advantageous for parameter extraction than other existing algorithms. This can be seen in the simulation experiments of two commercial PV models, where the simulated current is consistent with the measured current at each measured voltage. This demonstrates that the proposed TLBOBSA is an accurate and reliable tool for evaluating unknown parameters of PV models.
Geochronological and geochemical constraints on the petrogenesis of alkali granites from the Makrohar Granulite Belt: Evidence for Mesoproterozoic extensional regime in the eastern Central Indian Shield
Authors: Yadav Bhupendra S. , Ahmad Talat , Bhutani Rajneesh , Kaulina Tatiana , Bayanova Tamara
Published: October 2022

The Chotanagpur Gneissic Complex (CGC) is characterized by the Makrohar Granulite Belt (MGB) at its north‐western margin parallel to Son‐Narmada lineaments. The MGB exhibits a typical association of mantle‐derived mafic tholeiitic and alkaline rocks along with the felsic units. The zircon U–Pb data on the intrusive granite gneiss from this association define a crystallization age of 1,498 ± 38 Ma, representing a widespread Mesoproterozoic within‐plate magmatic event in CGC synchronous with the breakup of the Columbia Supercontinent. These granite gneisses have an alkaline affinity and are metaluminous in character. They exhibit many of the geochemical characteristics of anorogenic (A‐type) magmas, including enrichment of incompatible trace elements, like Zr, Hf, Nb, Y, Ga, and rare earth elements (REE), but low in Ba and Sr as well as high FeOt/(FeOt + MgO) (~0.98) values and Ga/Al (~3.92) ratios. They show less fractionated REE patterns, characterized by relatively enriched LREE and flat HREE with negative Eu anomaly, and have high Zr‐saturation temperatures (~955°C). Considering their field characteristics and all the geochemical and isotopic features, we conclude that they were derived from melting the lower crust metasomatized by mantle‐derived alkali‐rich fluids due to asthenospheric upwelling.
Geochemistry of the Neoarchean Dodguni carbonates of Chitradurga greenstone belt, Dharwar Craton, India: Implications on depositional environment
Authors: Khelen Chanu Arubam , Manikyamba Chakravadhanula , Subramanyam Konduri Srinivasa Visweswara , Raza Waseem , Reddy Gangula Harshitha
Published: October 2022

The carbonates of the Dodguni area of the Chitradurga greenstone belt, Dharwar Craton, India were studied to understand the Archean diagenetic and palaeo‐depositional conditions using carbon and oxygen isotopes along with whole‐rock geochemistry. These carbonates show significant variation in δ13C and δ18O (−1.73‰ Vienna Peedee Belemnite [VPDB] to −0.45‰ VPDB and δ18O vary from −13.51‰ VPDB to −8.46‰ VPDB, respectively). The rare earth element (REE) + Y (rare earth elements and yttrium) of the studied carbonate rocks exhibit flat and uniform patterns (PrSN/YbSN = 0.4–1), slight positive La, Eu and Gd anomalies (CeSN/CeSN* = 0.8–0.9; EuSN/EuSN* = 0.7–1.4 and GdSN/GdSN* = 2–2.3, respectively) with slight positive Ce anomalies (PrSN/PrSN* = 0.84–0.86) and superchondritic Y/Ho ratios (Y/Ho = 29–45; chondritic Y/Ho = 28). Their negative δ13C (−1.75‰ to −0.45‰) values are attributed to the influence of higher bio‐productivity during their deposition and oxidation of organic carbon. The geochemical and isotopic systematics suggest that the Dodguni limestones are not affected by the diagenetic and metamorphic processes and record the REE geochemistry of the ancient seawater in which they were precipitated. The comprehensive geochemical including the isotopic studies of the Archean carbonate rocks of the Dharwar Craton, indicate their deposition in shallow marine conditions, precipitation in high temperatures with significant hydrothermal input under the influence of high bio‐productivity, thereby providing valuable constraints on the palaeoceanography and geochemical evolution of the Archean sea.
Directional predictability from energy markets to exchange rates and stock markets in the emerging market countries (E7 + 1): New evidence from cross‐quantilogram approach
Authors: Tiwari Aviral Kumar , Shahbaz Muhammad , Khalfaoui Rabeh , Ahmed Rizwan , Hammoudeh Shawkat
Published: October 2022

We examine the directional predictability of energy stock returns on exchange rates and stock market in the E7 + 1 emerging market economies, which include India, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, and Russia, over the period 4 January 2000 to 31 May 2018. To achieve this, we carried out a cross‐quantile analysis in the static and dynamic frameworks, using the bi‐variate cross‐quantilogram (CQ) and the partial cross‐quantilogram (PCQ) approaches and a dynamic variant of such approaches. The predictability of the stock returns on the energy prices for WTI, Brent, OPEC, heating oil and natural gas is examined. Further relationships are also conditioned by using two measures of geopolitical risk, including the general geopolitical risk (GPRD), and the geopolitical risk threats (GPRD_Threat). The overall results highlight the importance of employing the PCQ approach in examining the predictability of different pairs of the energy prices, exchange rates and stock markets. They also indicate that controlling for GPRD and GPRD_Threat significantly improves the predictability of these variables. Policy implications of the empirical findings have been elaborated and discussed.