bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing the Prediction Accuracy for Thyroid Disease: A Step Towards Better Health for Society
Authors: Jha Ritesh , Bhattacharjee Vandana , Mustafi Abhijit
Published: August 2021

A healthy life is essential for a happy society, however it is a fact that seemingly invisible diseases plague our families and people suffer. The thyroid disease falls in such a category. Thyroid disorders are long-term and with carefully handled illnesses, people with thyroid disorders may also live stable and normal lives. Thyroid diagnosis, particularly for an inexperienced clinician, is a difficult proposal. Many researchers have established various methods for the diagnosis of the disease and several models for disease prediction have been developed. As with several other domains, machine learning approaches to modelling health care problems is gaining popularity. This study aims at providing solutions towards such a thyroid disease prediction. Dimension reduction techniques are applied, and reduced dimension data input to classifiers. Also, data augmentation is applied so as to be able to generate sufficient data for deep neural network model. Classifier prediction is compared to other similar researches. Real life dataset for thyroid disease has been used, and experiments conducted in distributed environment. Our proposed two stage approach gives a maximum accuracy of 99.95% which is very good as compared to existing techniques. We have shown that dimension reduction and data augmentation can be used very efficiently for achieving high accuracy of disease prediction.
Managing customer satisfaction after a product recall: the joint role of remedy, brand equity, and severity
Authors: Mafael Alexander , Raithel Sascha , Hock Stefan J.
Published: August 2021

Firms struggle to respond to product recalls and manage post-recall customer satisfaction. In three studies, we examine the impact of firms’ remedy choice on satisfaction and provide evidence that firms’ post-recall remedy efforts are often not optimal. In Study 1 (field study), we estimate the longer-term effects of remedy on different satisfaction metrics and show that offering full remedy is much more important for low and high (vs. medium) brand equity firms, especially when failure severity is high. In Study 2 (experiment), we find further evidence that the positive impact of full remedy on satisfaction is moderated by brand equity in a u-shaped fashion. Finally, Study 3 (experiment) provides further evidence that the relationship between remedy and brand equity is contingent on failure severity. The findings contribute to the literature on firms’ management of negative relationship events and provide managers with the empirically grounded 5R guidelines to make better remedy decisions in response to product recalls.
The Essential Need for a Validated Potency Assay for Cell-Based Therapies in Cardiac Regenerative and Reparative Medicine. A Practical Approach to Test Development
Authors: Gómez-Cid Lidia , Grigorian-Shamagian Lilian , Sanz-Ruiz Ricardo , de la Nava Ana S. , Fernández Ana I. , Fernández-Santos María Eugenia , Fernández-Avilés Francisco
Published: August 2021

Biological treatments are one of the medical breakthroughs in the twenty-first century. The initial enthusiasm pushed the field towards indiscriminatory use of cell therapy regardless of the pathophysiological particularities of underlying conditions. In the reparative and regenerative cardiovascular field, the results of the over two decades of research in cell-based therapies, although promising still could not be translated into clinical scenario. Now, when we identified possible deficiencies and try to rebuild its foundations rigorously on scientific evidence, development of potency assays for the potential therapeutic product is one of the steps which will bring our goal of clinical translation closer. Although, highly challenging, the potency tests for cell products are considered as a priority by the regulatory agencies. In this paper we describe the main characteristics and challenges for a cell therapy potency test focusing on the cardiovascular field. Moreover, we discuss different steps and types of assays that should be taken into consideration for an eventual potency test development by tying together two fundamental concepts: target disease and expected mechanism of action.

Graphical Abstract

Development of potency assays for cell-based products consists in understanding the pathophysiology of the disease, identifying potential mechanisms of action (MoA) to counteract it and finding the most suitable cell-based product that exhibits these MoA. When applied, the potency assay needs to correlate bioactivity of the product, via a measurement related to the MoA, with treatment efficacy. However, in the cardiovascular field, the process faces several challenges and high requirements.
A novel solution with rapid Voronoi-based coverage path planning in irregular environment for robotic mowing systems
Authors: Huang Kuo-Chun , Lian Feng-Li , Chen Chien-Tung , Wu Chung-Hou , Chen Chao-Cheng
Published: August 2021

This paper presents a novel solution of coverage path planning for robotic mowing applications. The planning algorithm is based on the Boustrophedon motions and the rapid Voronoi diagram. The coordinate conversion and the sweeping vector is defined by minimum bounding box and the Voronoi travel paths are designed to reduce the computational cost and execution time compared to conventional heuristic methods. The tracked path is controlled via dynamic feedback in standard lawn mowing robots under robot operating system (ROS). Within ROS, the information exchanging among different tasks of both extensive simulation cases and experimental field tests can be conducted easily. When meeting unknown obstacles, the proposed algorithm can re-plan its paths dynamically. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared to several conventional coverage algorithms in terms of time efficiency, coverage, repetition, and robustness with respect to both concave and convex shapes. The field tests are conducted to demonstrate that the applicability of the sensor fusion and robustness of the proposed algorithm for the complete coverage tasks by robotic mowers.
An experimental approach to the influence of partial rebar corrosion and concrete degradation on behavior of FRP-strengthened RC beams
Authors: Abbasi M. , Naderpour H.
Published: August 2021

Human factors are one of the main reasons for structural damage as they decrease the bearing capacity and also lead to an inaccurate estimation of the structure. Previous studies show that the use of CFRP in the damaged structures can significantly increase their bending and shear capacity. This study examines the capacity and cracks distribution in eight RC (reinforced concrete) beams (210 × 250 × 250 cm), each of which was rehabilitated with seven CFRP (carbon fiber-reinforced polymer) strips using the strip method. Each beam, except for the control specimen, experiences different types of concrete and rebar damages, which are finally compared with those of the control specimen. The results indicated that rebar damage in all the beams was significant and the effects of concrete damage were minimized by CFRP strips. Moreover, the force–displacement diagrams indicate the greatest force for the control specimen. Other specimens reached up to 80% of the force experienced by the control specimen. Finally, the parametric study showed that the influence of the crack width on decreasing the bearing capacity was more significant compared with the other parameters.
Moderne Diagnostik bei ösophagealen Motilitätsstörungen
Authors: Levenfus Jan , Pohl Daniel
Published: August 2021

Für die Abklärung oberer gastrointestinaler Symptome wie der Dysphagie, nichtkardialer Thoraxschmerzen, Regurgitationen sowie des gastroösophagealen Refluxes stellt die hochauflösende Ösophagusmanometrie einen Goldstandard der modernen gastroenterologischen Funktionsdiagnostik dar. Seit Erscheinen der Chicago-Klassifikation 1.0 im Jahr 2008 als Befundungsrichtlinie folgten mehrere Überarbeitungen. Mittlerweile liegt nun die Version 4.0 vor, in der ein standardisiertes Protokoll sowie Weiterentwicklungen der differenzierbaren Störungen des EGJ-Abflusses sowie der tubulären Peristaltik enthalten sind. Ferner wurden mehrere Provokationsmanöver wie Positionswechsel, schnelle Trinkversuche sowie feste Testmahlzeiten integriert, welche bei nicht eindeutigen Befunden angewandt werden können. Einbezogen werden auch weitere moderne Verfahren, wie der Bariumbreischluck sowie die endoskopische Impedanzplanimetrie mittels FLIP(„functional lumen imaging probe“)-Technik, bei denen anhand der Messung von Durchmesser und Distensibilität eine erweiterte Motilitätsdiagnostik erfolgt und auch Aussagen über die Peristaltik getroffen werden können. Ziel der ösophagealen Funktionsuntersuchungen ist die Identifikation allfälliger peristaltischer oder statischer Motilitätsdefekte bei Patienten mit Symptomen einer ösophagealen Dysfunktion, welche für eine zielführende Therapiewahl wichtig sind.
Performing Power in Zimbabwe
Authors: Verheul Susanne
Published: August 2021

Focusing on political trials in Zimbabwe's Magistrates' Courts between 2000 and 2012, Susanne Verheul explores why the judiciary have remained a central site of contestation in post-independence Zimbabwe. Drawing on rich court observations and in-depth interviews, this book foregrounds law's potential to reproduce or transform social and political power through the narrative, material, and sensory dimensions of courtroom performances. Instead of viewing appeals to law as acts of resistance by marginalised orders for inclusion in dominant modes of rule, Susanne Verheul argues that it was not recognition by but of this formal, rule-bound ordering, and the form of citizenship it stood for, that was at stake in performative legal engagements. In this manner, law was much more than a mere instrument. Law was a site in which competing conceptions of political authority were given expression, and in which people's understandings of themselves as citizens were formed and performed.
The Reformed EU Human Rights Sanctions Regime: A Step Forward or an Empty Threat?
Authors: LETNAR ČERNIČ Jernej
Published: August 2021

Human dignity, effective human rights protection and the rule of law are the backbones of the legal system of the European Union (EU).1 The EU and its member states have been front-runners in human rights protection not only on its own territory, but also beyond in their relationship with third countries. They have been the principal standard-setters in the field of business and human rights (BHR). The majority of the EU member states (15 out of 27) have so far adopted National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights.2 As far as legislative action goes, the EU has in recent years adopted two binding legal acts in the BHR field, namely, a Directive requiring obligatory non-financial reporting for large corporations3 and a Regulation concerning mandatory due diligence for the EU-based importers of minerals and metals from conflict-ridden areas.4 More recently, the European Parliament and the European Commission have been working towards adoption of a general directive for obligatory human rights and environmental due diligence for large corporations.5
COVID-19 Exposes Warped Global Health Power: The System Needs a Course Correction
Authors: KASHYAP Aruna , KNIGHT Kyle , WURTH Margaret
Published: August 2021

Just three weeks after the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized COVID-19 as a global pandemic, novelist Arundhati Roy wrote: ‘Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.’1
Nonintensivist Training to Increase the Staff Capacity of Intensive Care Units During COVID-19 Pandemic Surge in Argentina
Authors: Monteverde Ezequiel , Bosque Laura , Klappenbach Roberto , Baliña Joaquín , Lartigue Betina , Arán María Inés , Cano Nicolás , Reina Rosa , Silberman Pedro , Ortiz Claudio , Gutiérrez Vicente , Neira Jorge
Published: August 2021

Objective:

The aim of this study was to report the results of a nationwide critical-care course for non-intensivists to increase staff capacity of intensive care units (ICUs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Argentina.

Methods:

Three academic organizations, with special funding from 55 private companies, developed a short virtual course comprised of Web-based videos, virtual tutorials, and a forum chat. Each state assigned scholarships to non-ICU staff from public hospitals. Students received active follow-up for the completion of the course and took a survey upon course completion.

Results:

After 4 m, there were 10,123 students registered from 661 hospitals in 328 cities. Of these, 67.8% passed the course, 29.1% were still ongoing, and 3.1% were inactive. Most students were female (74.2%) with a median of 37 y old (IQR 31-44). The group was composed of 56.5% nurses, 36.2% physicians, and 7.4% physiotherapists, of whom 48.3% did not have any experience in critical care. Mean overall satisfaction was 4.4/5 (standard deviation, 0.9), and 90.7% considered they were able to apply the contents to their practice.

Conclusions:

This course was effective for rapid training of non-ICU personnel. The assignment strategy, the educational techniques, and the close follow-up led to low dropout and high success rates and satisfaction.
From Impossibility to Evidentialism?
Authors: Worsnip Alex
Published: August 2021

It's often said that it is impossible to respond to non-evidential considerations in belief-formation, at least not directly and consciously. Many philosophers think that this provides grounds for accepting a normative thesis: typically, some kind of evidentialism about reasons for belief, or what one ought to believe. Some also think it supports thinking that evidentialist norms are constitutive of belief. There are a variety of ways in which one might try to support such theses by appeal to the impossibility-claim. In this paper, I put pressure on these various attempts by raising a simple yet overlooked problem for them. In brief, the problem is that it isn't true that one cannot (directly and consciously) respond, in belief-formation to considerations that don't actually constitute (good) evidence for the proposition under consideration; what is true, at most, is that one cannot (directly and consciously) respond, in belief-formation to considerations that one oneself takes to be evidentially irrelevant to that proposition. While this point is obvious once stated, its significance hasn't been appreciated, or so I'll argue. Once we take full account of it, the standard arguments from the impossibility-claim to evidentialism don't go through.
Anxiety and depression in two indigenous communities in Bangladesh
Authors: Faruk Md. Omar , Nijhum Rehnuma Pervin , Khatun Mosammat N. , Powell Graham E.
Published: August 2021

Background

The mental health status of indigenous people in Bangladesh has attracted little or no attention. The objective of the present study is to determine the extent of symptoms of anxiety and depression in the two largest indigenous communities in Bangladesh.

Methods

In total, 240 participants were recruited, 120 from each of the Marma and Chakma communities with an overall mean age of 44.09 years (s.d. 15.73). Marma people were older (mean ages 48.92 v. 39.25, p < 0.001). Participants completed the Anxiety Scale (AS) and Depression Scale (DS) that have been developed and standardised in Bangladesh in the Bangla (Bengali) language.

Results

Results indicated that anxiety and depression scores were elevated in both communities, 59.2% of the participants scoring above the cut-off for clinical significance on AS and 58.8% of the participants scoring above the cut-off for clinical significance on DS. Marma people compared to Chakma people were more anxious (M = 59.49 v. 43.00, p < 0.001) and more depressed (M = 106.78 v. 82.30, p < 0.001). The demographic variables of age, sex and socioeconomic status were weakly or inconsistently related to scores. In the Marma people, females scored higher on both AS and DS, but in the Chakma community, males scored higher on AS and the same on DS.

Conclusion

The finding of significant anxiety and depression in communities with such limited mental health services is a matter of concern and emphasises the need to formulate and implement appropriate mental health policies for indigenous people in Bangladesh and other parts of the world.
The Shifting Relationship between Post-War Capitalism and Democracy (TheGovernment and Opposition/Leonard Schapiro Lecture, 2021)
Authors: Hall Peter A.
Published: August 2021

This article argues that the relationship between capitalism and democracy is not immutable but subject to changes over time best understood as movements across distinctive growth and representation regimes. Growth regimes are the institutionalized practices central to how a country secures economic prosperity based on complementary sets of firm strategies and government policies. Representation regimes reflect conditions in the arenas of electoral and producer group politics that confer influence on specific segments of the population. The emphasis is on how economic experiences and changes in the structure of electoral cleavages alter the terms of political contestation, thereby giving voice to specific sets of interests and altering the balance of influence between capitalism and democracy. The analysis examines how the growth and representation regimes of the developed democracies have changed through three post-war eras to yield distinctive distributive outcomes in each era.
Electrohydrodynamics of lenticular drops and equatorial streaming
Authors: Wagoner Brayden W. , Vlahovska Petia M. , Harris Michael T. , Basaran Osman A.
Published: August 2021

Drops subjected to electric fields can deform into singular shapes exhibiting apparent sharp tips. At high field strengths, a perfectly conducting drop surrounded by a perfectly insulating exterior fluid deforms into a prolate-shaped drop with conical ends and can exist in hydrostatic equilibrium. On the conical ends, capillary stress, which is due to the out-of-plane curvature and is singular, balances electric normal stress which is also singular. If the two phases are not perfect conductors/insulators but are both leaky dielectrics and the drop is much more conducting and viscous than the exterior, electric tangential stress disrupts the hydrostatic force balance and leads to jet emission from the cone's apex. If, however, the physical situation is inverted so that a weakly conducting, slightly viscous drop is immersed in a highly conducting, more viscous exterior, the drop deforms into an oblate lens-like profile before eventually becoming unstable. In experiments, the equator of a lenticular drop superficially resembles a wedge prior to instability. Such a drop disintegrates by equatorial streaming by ejecting a thin liquid sheet from its equator. We show theoretically by performing a local analysis that a lenticular drop's equatorial profile can be a wedge only if an approximate form of the surface charge transport equation – continuity of normal current condition – is used. Moreover, we demonstrate via numerical simulation that such wedge-shaped drops do not become unstable and therefore cannot emit equatorial sheets. We then show by transient simulations how equatorial streaming can occur when charge transport along the interface is analysed without approximation.
Visibility network analysis of large-scale intermittency in convective surface layer turbulence
Authors: Chowdhuri Subharthi , Iacobello Giovanni , Banerjee Tirtha
Published: August 2021

Large-scale intermittency is a widely observed phenomenon in convective surface layer turbulence that induces non-Gaussian temperature statistics, while such a signature is not observed for velocity signals. Although approaches based on probability density functions have been used so far, those are not able to explain to what extent the signals’ temporal structure impacts the statistical characteristics of the velocity and temperature fluctuations. To tackle this issue, a visibility network analysis is carried out on a field-experimental dataset from a convective atmospheric surface layer flow. Through surrogate data and network-based measures, we demonstrate that the temperature intermittency is related to strong nonlinear dependencies in the temperature signals. Conversely, a competition between linear and nonlinear effects tends to inhibit the temperature-like intermittency behaviour in streamwise and vertical velocities. Based on present findings, new research avenues are likely to be opened up in studying large-scale intermittency in convective turbulence.
Neural responses during down-regulation of negative emotion in patients with recently diagnosed bipolar disorder and their unaffected relatives
Authors: Kjærstad Hanne Lie , Macoveanu Julian , Knudsen Gitte Moos , Frangou Sophia , Phan K. Luan , Vinberg Maj , Kessing Lars Vedel , Miskowiak Kamilla Woznica
Published: August 2021

Background

Aberrant emotion regulation has been posited as a putative endophenotype of bipolar disorder (BD). We therefore aimed to compare the neural responses during voluntary down-regulation of negative emotions in a large functional magnetic resonance imaging study of BD, patients' unaffected first-degree relatives (URs), and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods

We compared neural activity and fronto-limbic functional connectivity during emotion regulation in response to aversive v. neutral pictures in patients recently diagnosed with BD (n = 78) in full/partial remission, their URs (n = 35), and HCs (n = 56).

Results

Patients showed hypo-activity in the left dorsomedial, dorsolateral, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (DMPFC and DLPFC) during emotion regulation while viewing aversive pictures compared to HCs, with URs displaying intermediate neural activity in these regions. There were no significant differences between patients with BD and HCs in functional connectivity from the amygdala during emotion regulation. However, exploratory analysis indicated that URs displayed more negative amygdala–DMPFC coupling compared with HCs and more negative amygdala-cingulate DLPFC coupling compared to patients with BD. At a behavioral level, patients and their URs were less able to dampen negative emotions in response aversive pictures.

Conclusions

The findings point to deficient recruitment of prefrontal resources and more negative fronto-amygdala coupling as neural markers of impaired emotion regulation in recently diagnosed remitted patients with BD and their URs, respectively.
Life saved and a lesson learned-anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from pulmonary artery in pregnancy
Authors: Bhimani Salima A. , Najm Hani K. , Komarlu Rukmini
Published: August 2021

Anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from pulmonary artery constitutes 0.5% of all CHD (Boutsikou M, Shore D, Li W, et al, Int J Cardiol 261: 49–53, 2018). Fifteen percent survive into adulthood undiagnosed and 90% present with sudden death (Yau JM, Singh R, Halpern EJ, Fischman D, Clin Cardiol 34: 204–210, 2011; Alexi-Meskishvili V, Berger F, Weng Y, Lange PE, Hetzer R, J Card Surg 10: 309–315, 1995). We describe an enigmatic case of a 29-year-old female who presented after an aborted cardiac arrest and was diagnosed with anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from pulmonary artery.
Validation of the Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire among the Chinese populations
Authors: Wang Ying , Liu Mandong , Chan Wallace Chi Ho , Zhou Jing , Chi Iris
Published: August 2021

Objective

This study reports the evaluation of the original 31-item Quality of Dying and Death Questionnaire (QODD) using a sample of caregivers of recently deceased older adults in China, and the validation of a shortened version (QODD-C) derived from the original scale.

Methods

The translation was performed using a forward and back method. The full scale was tested with 212 caregivers of decedents in four regions of China. Confirmatory factor analysis tested the model fit between the full Chinese version and the original conceptual model and generated the QODD-C. The psychometric analysis was performed to evaluate the QODD-C's internal consistency, content validity, construct validity, and discriminant validity.

Results

A five-domain, 18-item QODD-C was identified with excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.933; split-half Pearson's value = 0.855). The QODD-C total score was significantly associated with constructs related to five domains. The caregiver's relationship with the decedent, the decedent's age at death, death reason, and death place was significantly associated with the QODD-C total score.

Significance of results

The QODD-C is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the quality of dying and death among the Chinese populations.
Deals that start when you sign them
Authors: Gibbons Robert
Published: August 2021

This essay explores six sentences from Oliver Williamson – five providing context and the sixth the central topic. Decades ago, Williamson asserted that: (a) ‘substantially the same factors’ (1973: 316) create governance issues not only within organizations but also in interactions between organizations; and (b) relational contracting might be useful in addressing these issues in both domains (1979, Figure II). More recently – in an informal conversation in 2002 – he suggested a perspective on relational contracting that appears valuable in both of these domains: relational contracts as ‘deals that start when you sign them’. The bulk of this essay explores past, present, and potential research on this perspective.
FRACTIONAL-VALUED MODAL LOGIC
Authors: PIAZZA MARIO , PULCINI GABRIELE , TESI MATTEO
Published: August 2021

This paper is dedicated to extending and adapting to modal logic the approach of fractional semantics to classical logic. This is a multi-valued semantics governed by pure proof-theoretic considerations, whose truth-values are the rational numbers in the closed interval
$[0,1]$
. Focusing on the modal logic K, the proposed methodology relies on three key components: bilateral sequent calculus, invertibility of the logical rules, and stability (proof-invariance). We show that our semantic analysis of K affords an informational refinement with respect to the standard Kripkean semantics (a new proof of Dugundji’s theorem is a case in point) and it raises the prospect of a proof-theoretic semantics for modal logic.
Can Warm Behavior Mitigate the Negative Effect of Unfavorable Governmental Decisions on Citizens’ Trust?
Authors: Hansen Frederik Godt
Published: August 2021

For decades, scholars have discussed how to build greater citizen trust in government. I hypothesize that to increase trust in government, we should consider whether decisions made in bureaucrat–citizen encounters (e.g. applications for welfare benefits) are favorable to citizens. Building on insights from social psychology, I argue that in cases where citizens are presented with unfavorable decisions (e.g. rejection of applications), public employees can mitigate the negative impact on trust in government by appearing warm and friendly in the decision-making process. The argument is tested in a large-scale randomized survey experiment on a representative sample of Danish citizens, where I manipulate decision favorability and warmth. The findings reveal that outcome favorability and warmth strongly influence citizens’ trust in government.
A novel missense variant in ACAA1 contributes to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, impairs lysosomal function, and facilitates amyloid-β pathology and cognitive decline
Authors: Luo Rongcan , Fan Yu , Yang Jing , Ye Maosen , Zhang Deng-Feng , Guo Kun , Li Xiao , Bi Rui , Xu Min , Yang Lu-Xiu , Li Yu , Ran Xiaoqian , Jiang Hong-Yan , Zhang Chen , Tan Liwen , Sheng Nengyin , Yao Yong-Gang
Published: August 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive synaptic dysfunction, neuronal death, and brain atrophy, with amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposits and hyperphosphorylated tau neurofibrillary tangle accumulation in the brain tissue, which all lead to loss of cognitive function. Pathogenic mutations in the well-known AD causal genes including APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 impair a variety of pathways, including protein processing, axonal transport, and metabolic homeostasis. Here we identified a missense variant rs117916664 (c.896T>C, p.Asn299Ser [p.N299S]) of the acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 1 (ACAA1) gene in a Han Chinese AD family by whole-genome sequencing and validated its association with early-onset familial AD in an independent cohort. Further in vitro and in vivo evidence showed that ACAA1 p.N299S contributes to AD by disturbing its enzymatic activity, impairing lysosomal function, and aggravating the Aβ pathology and neuronal loss, which finally caused cognitive impairment in a murine model. Our findings reveal a fundamental role of peroxisome-mediated lysosomal dysfunction in AD pathogenesis.
The prediction and analysis of COVID-19 epidemic trend by combining LSTM and Markov method
Authors: Ma Ruifang , Zheng Xinqi , Wang Peipei , Liu Haiyan , Zhang Chunxiao
Published: August 2021

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly to countries all around the world from the end of 2019, which caused a great impact on global health and has had a huge impact on many countries. Since there is still no effective treatment, it is essential to making effective predictions for relevant departments to make responses and arrangements in advance. Under the limited data, the prediction error of LSTM model will increase over time, and its prone to big bias for medium- and long-term prediction. To overcome this problem, our study proposed a LSTM-Markov model, which uses Markov model to reduce the prediction error of LSTM model. Based on confirmed case data in the US, Britain, Brazil and Russia, we calculated the training errors of LSTM and constructed the probability transfer matrix of the Markov model by the errors. And finally, the prediction results were obtained by combining the output data of LSTM model with the prediction errors of Markov Model. The results show that: compared with the prediction results of the classical LSTM model, the average prediction error of LSTM-Markov is reduced by more than 75%, and the RMSE is reduced by more than 60%, the mean$${R}^{2}$$R2of LSTM-Markov is over 0.96. All those indicators demonstrate that the prediction accuracy of proposed LSTM-Markov model is higher than that of the LSTM model to reach more accurate prediction of COVID-19.
Distinct neuropeptide-receptor modules regulate a sex-specific behavioral response to a pheromone
Authors: Reilly Douglas K. , McGlame Emily J. , Vandewyer Elke , Robidoux Annalise N. , Muirhead Caroline S. , Northcott Haylea T. , Joyce William , Alkema Mark J. , Gegear Robert J. , Beets Isabel , Srinivasan Jagan
Published: August 2021

Dioecious species are a hallmark of the animal kingdom, with opposing sexes responding differently to identical sensory cues. Here, we study the response of C. elegans to the small-molecule pheromone, ascr#8, which elicits opposing behavioral valences in each sex. We identify a novel neuropeptide-neuropeptide receptor (NP/NPR) module that is active in males, but not in hermaphrodites. Using a novel paradigm of neuropeptide rescue that we established, we leverage bacterial expression of individual peptides to rescue the sex-specific response to ascr#8. Concurrent biochemical studies confirmed individual FLP-3 peptides differentially activate two divergent receptors, NPR-10 and FRPR-16. Interestingly, the two of the peptides that rescued behavior in our feeding paradigm are related through a conserved threonine, suggesting that a specific NP/NPR combination sets a male state, driving the correct behavioral valence of the ascr#8 response. Receptor expression within pre-motor neurons reveals novel coordination of male-specific and core locomotory circuitries.
Trans-ethnic genome-wide association study of severe COVID-19
Authors: Wu Peng , Ding Lin , Li Xiaodong , Liu Siyang , Cheng Fanjun , He Qing , Xiao Mingzhong , Wu Ping , Hou Hongyan , Jiang Minghui , Long Pinpin , Wang Hao , Liu Linlin , Qu Minghan , Shi Xian , Jiang Qin , Mo Tingting , Ding Wencheng , Fu Yu , Han Shi , Huo Xixiang , Zeng Yingchun , Zhou Yana , Zhang Qing , Ke Jia , Xu Xi , Ni Wei , Shao Zuoyu , Wang Jingzhi , Liu Panhong , Li Zilong , Jin Yan , Zheng Fang , Wang Fang , Liu Lei , Li Wending , Liu Kang , Peng Rong , Xu Xuedan , Lin Yuhui , Gao Hui , Shi Limei , Geng Ziyue , Mu Xuanwen , Yan Yu , Wang Kai , Wu Degang , Hao Xingjie , Cheng Shanshan , Qiu Gaokun , Guo Huan , Li Kezhen , Chen Gang , Sun Ziyong , Lin Xihong , Jin Xin , Wang Feng , Sun Chaoyang , Wang Chaolong
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 has caused numerous infections with diverse clinical symptoms. To identify human genetic variants contributing to the clinical development of COVID-19, we genotyped 1457 (598/859 with severe/mild symptoms) and sequenced 1141 (severe/mild: 474/667) patients of Chinese ancestry. We further incorporated 1401 genotyped and 948 sequenced ancestry-matched population controls, and tested genome-wide association on 1072 severe cases versus 3875 mild or population controls, followed by trans-ethnic meta-analysis with summary statistics of 3199 hospitalized cases and 897,488 population controls from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. We identified three significant signals outside the well-established 3p21.31 locus: an intronic variant in FOXP4-AS1 (rs1853837, odds ratio OR = 1.28, P = 2.51 × 10−10, allele frequencies in Chinese/European AF = 0.345/0.105), a frameshift insertion in ABO (rs8176719, OR = 1.19, P = 8.98 × 10−9, AF = 0.422/0.395) and a Chinese-specific intronic variant in MEF2B (rs74490654, OR = 8.73, P = 1.22 × 10−8, AF = 0.004/0). These findings highlight an important role of the adaptive immunity and the ABO blood-group system in protection from developing severe COVID-19.
Tumor microbiome contributes to an aggressive phenotype in the basal-like subtype of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Guo Wei , Zhang Yuchao , Guo Shiwei , Mei Zi , Liao Huiping , Dong Hang , Wu Kai , Ye Haocheng , Zhang Yuhang , Zhu Yufei , Lang Jingyu , Hu Landian , Jin Gang , Kong Xiangyin
Published: August 2021

Despite the uniform mortality in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), clinical disease heterogeneity exists with limited genomic differences. A highly aggressive tumor subtype termed ‘basal-like’ was identified to show worse outcomes and higher inflammatory responses. Here, we focus on the microbial effect in PDAC progression and present a comprehensive analysis of the tumor microbiome in different PDAC subtypes with resectable tumors using metagenomic sequencing. We found distinctive microbial communities in basal-like tumors and identified an increasing abundance of Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Sphingopyxis to be highly associated with carcinogenesis. Functional characterization of microbial genes suggested the potential to induce pathogen-related inflammation. Host-microbiota interplay analysis provided new insights into the tumorigenic role of specific microbiome compositions and demonstrated the influence of host genetics in shaping the tumor microbiome. Taken together, these findings indicated that the tumor microbiome is closely related to PDAC oncogenesis and the induction of inflammation. Additionally, our data revealed the microbial basis of PDAC heterogeneity and proved the predictive value of the microbiome, which will contribute to the intervention and treatment of disease.
Controlled ultrafast ππ*-πσ* dynamics in tryptophan-based peptides with tailored micro-environment
Authors: Hervé Marius , Boyer Alexie , Brédy Richard , Compagnon Isabelle , Allouche Abdul-Rahman , Lépine Franck
Published: August 2021

Ultrafast charge, energy and structural dynamics in molecules are driven by the topology of the multidimensional potential energy surfaces that determines the coordinated electronic and nuclear motion. These processes are also strongly influenced by the interaction with the molecular environment, making very challenging a general understanding of these dynamics on a microscopic level. Here we use electrospray and mass spectrometry technologies to produce isolated molecular ions with a controlled micro-environment. We measure ultrafast photo-induced ππ*-πσ* dynamics in tryptophan species in the presence of a single, charged adduct. A striking increase of the timescale by more than one order of magnitude is observed when changing the added adduct atom. A model is proposed to rationalize the results, based on the localized and delocalized effects of the adduct on the electronic structure of the molecule. These results offer perspectives to control ultrafast molecular processes by designing the micro-environment on the Angström length scale.
Development of an in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction technique for lithium-ion battery materials
Authors: Mukai Kazuhiko , Uyama Takeshi , Nonaka Takamasa
Published: August 2021

The development of an in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction technique for lithium-ion battery materials is crucial for understanding the detailed mechanism of thermal runaway.
SbCl3initiated conjunctive C–H bond functionalization and carbochlorination between glycine esters and methylenecyclopropanes (MCPs)
Authors: Su Yichun , Zhang Shuwei , Yuan Yuan , Ma Qiyuan , Sun Zheng , Yuan Yu , Jia Xiaodong
Published: August 2021

An unprecedented sp3C–H functionalization and carbochlorination was realized using an SbCl3/O2catalyst system, accomplishing the synthesis of chlorinated quinolines.
Straight from the bottle! Wine and juice dicarboxylic acids as templates for supramolecular cage self-assembly
Authors: Begato Federico , Penasa Roberto , Licini Giulia , Zonta Cristiano
Published: August 2021

Two imine based supramolecular cages are able to self-assemble in the presence of a complex mixture like wine or fruit juices.
Better fuels for photocatalytic micromotors: a case study of triethanolamine
Authors: Duan Shifang , Xu Pengzhao , Wang Wei
Published: August 2021

Efficient fuels are critical for designing photocatalytic micromotors with high performance. We discover that mM of triethanolamine significantly boosts the speed of TiO2-based micromotors without producing bubbles.
Symmetrical and unsymmetrical thiazole-based ESIPT derivatives: the highly selective fluorescence sensing of Cu2+ and structure-controlled reversible mechanofluorochromism
Authors: Gayathri Parthasarathy , Kanagajothi Karuppaiah , Nag Probal , Anand Neethu , Reddy Vennapusa Sivaranjana , Moon Dohyun , Anthony Savarimuthu Philip , Madhu Vedichi
Published: August 2021

Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process-based organic fluorophores provide an opportunity to develop large Stokes-shifted multifunctional fluorescence systems for light emitting, chemosensing and bioimaging applications.
Investigation of crystallization kinetics and its relationship with molecular dynamics for chiral fluorinated glassforming smectogen 3F5HPhH6
Authors: Deptuch Aleksandra , Jasiurkowska-Delaporte Małgorzata , Zając Wojciech , Juszyńska-Gałązka Ewa , Drzewicz Anna , Urbańska Magdalena
Published: August 2021

Glass transition of the antiferroelectric hexatic smectic phase is reported for the 3F5HPhH6 compound. The relationship between the cold crystallization kinetics and the molecular dynamics is determined.
Computational prediction of the supramolecular self-assembling properties of organic molecules: the role of conformational flexibility of amide moieties
Authors: Le Bras Laura , Dory Yves L. , Champagne Benoît
Published: August 2021

Computational approach for the efficient design of hydrogen bond-based organic nanotubes.
Broadband electron paramagnetic resonance of a molecular spin triangle
Authors: Robert Jérôme , Turek Philippe , Bailleul Matthieu , Boudalis Athanassios K.
Published: August 2021

A new broadband EPR spectrometer capable of measuring in frequency- and field-sweep modes is described and its functionality is demonstrated on a ferromagnetic Cu3II triangle demonstrating a moderate zero-field splitting of its quartet ground state.
From bulk to interface: electrochemical phenomena and mechanism studies in batteries via electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance
Authors: Ji Yuchen , Yin Zu-Wei , Yang Zhenzhen , Deng Ya-Ping , Chen Haibiao , Lin Cong , Yang Luyi , Yang Kai , Zhang Mingjian , Xiao Qiangfeng , Li Jun-Tao , Chen Zhongwei , Sun Shi-Gang , Pan Feng
Published: August 2021

This tutorial review presents the fundamentals of EQCM, and recent achievements in the bulk phenomena and interfacial mechanisms in batteries revealed by the EQCM technique.
Facile hydrothermal synthesis and enhanced electrochemical properties of a layered NiSiO/RGO nanocomposite with an interesting dandelion-like structure
Authors: Han Guihong , Zhao Jing , Yang Ze , Liu Bingbing , Huang Yanfang , Wei Yunyun , Yang Shuzhen , Su Shengpeng
Published: August 2021

Interesting layer dandelion-like NiSiO/RGO nanospheres are in situ synthesized on the spherical SiO2via the hydrothermal method, and the NiSiO/RGO nanospheres show good electrochemical property.
Syntheses, structural modulation, and slow magnetic relaxation of three dysprosium(iii) complexes with mononuclear, dinuclear, and one-dimensional structures
Authors: Ye Hua-Jian , Zhang Tian , Huang Shu-Yuan , Liu Xiao-Ling , Chen Wen-Bin , Zhang Yi-Quan , Tang Jinkui , Dong Wen
Published: August 2021

Three mononuclear, dinuclear and one-dimensional dysprosium(iii) complexes based on 3-azotriazolyl-2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid displaying slow magnetic relaxation were synthesized and characterized.
The electrochemical reduction of a flexible Mn(ii) salen-based metal–organic framework
Authors: Solomon Marcello B. , Hua Carol , Chan Bun , Church Tamara L. , Cohen Seth M. , Kubiak Clifford P. , Jolliffe Katrina A. , D'Alessandro Deanna M.
Published: August 2021

A salen-based MOF is reported that is stable to desolvation and exhibits a crystalline-to-amorphous transition. The framework is stable to a one-electron reduction, which is characterised spectroelectrochemically and using computational calculations.
Naked alpaca wool works better with silicone elastomers
Authors: Zheng Sijia , D'Angelo Anthony , Zell Ute , Chen Yang , Silverthorne Kaitlyn E. C. , Brook Michael A.
Published: August 2021

Washed, naked wool fiber works is an efficacious reinforcing agent for silicone elastomers. The reinforcement depends both on total wool loading and the fiber length.
Plasma assisted design of biocompatible 3D printed PCL/silver nanoparticle scaffolds: in vitro and in vivo analyses
Authors: Ninan Neethu , Joseph Blessy , Visalakshan Rahul Madathiparambil , Bright Richard , Denoual Clement , Zilm Peter , Dalvi Yogesh Bharat , Priya P. V. , Mathew Aji , Grohens Yves , Kalarikkal Nandakumar , Vasilev Krasimir , Thomas Sabu
Published: August 2021

3D printing provides numerous opportunities for designing tissue engineering constructs with intricate porosity, geometry and favourable mechanical properties and has the potential to revolutionize medical treatments.
N-Doped hierarchical porous carbon nanoscrolls towards efficient oxygen reduction reaction in Zn–air batteries via interior and exterior modifications
Authors: He Binhong , Chen Yangyang , Hu Da , Wen Ziyan , Zhou Minjie , Xu Wenyuan
Published: August 2021

Etched EN-PCNS obtained using the combination of an in situ sacrificial template method and an NH3 etching method possesses a unique hierarchical porous morphology and controllable structure and composition, thus leading to an outstanding ORR performance in Zn–air batteries.
From phosphine-stabilised towards naked Au8 clusters through ZIF-8 encapsulation
Authors: Kollmannsberger Kathrin L. , Weger Kathrin , Kratky Tim , Günther Sebastian , Tomanec Ondřej , Warnan Julien , Fischer Roland A.
Published: August 2021

The encapsulation of phosphine-stabilised Au8 clusters in ZIF-8 is presented as a confining and stabilising strategy. This enables ligand stripping without triggering gold particle agglomeration or loss of atom-precision.
Sublimation-doping with super bases for high-performance solution-processed heterojunction oxide thin film transistors
Authors: Lee Juhyeok , Jae Mingyu , Hassan Syed Zahid , Chung Dae Sung
Published: August 2021

Various amidine base with different pKa values are deposited via sublimation, resulting in not only an exceptionally high electron mobility of 37.8 cm2 V−1 s−1 on average (46.6 cm2 V−1 s−1 maximum) but also a high level of bias-stress stability.
Controllable synthesis and electrocatalytic applications of atomically precise gold nanoclusters
Authors: Zhu Qingyi , Huang Xiaoxiao , Zeng Yunchu , Sun Kai , Zhou Linlin , Liu Yuying , Luo Liang , Tian Shubo , Sun Xiaoming
Published: August 2021

The main synthesis methods and electrocatalytic applications of atomically precise gold nanoclusters are summarized and critically reviewed. The synthesis methods of gold nanoclusters were classified and discussed, and their applications in electrochemistry were introduced.
Ultrastable cucurbit[6]uril-based multifunctional supramolecular assembly for efficient detection of nitroaromatic compounds and antibiotics
Authors: Guo Jing , Shi Lulu , Liu Mei
Published: August 2021

A cucurbit[6]uril-based supramolecular assembly was used for rapid and sensitive detection of nitroaromatic compounds and antibiotics through luminescence quenching.
Another look at reactions of 4-hydroxycoumarin with hydroxyl radical in the environment: deprotonation and diffusion effects
Authors: Vo Quan V. , Thi Hoa Nguyen , Mechler Adam
Published: August 2021

Quantum chemistry calculations suggest that chemical fate of the anticoagulant rodenticide 4-hydroxycoumarin in the environment is crucially dependent on deprotonation in aqueous medium.
Oxidative dehydrogenative couplings of alkenyl phenols
Authors: Neuhaus William C. , Jemison Adriana L. , Kozlowski Marisa C.
Published: August 2021

Oxidations of alkenyl phenols can lead to many coupling outcomes based on reaction conditions. This work is organized by the specific isomers of products observed from these couplings as well as the distinct chemical methods used to synthesize them.
One-pot, three-component regioselective coupling reaction of triphenylamine/carbazole derivatives with [60]fullerene and indoles via an “umpolung relay” strategy
Authors: Chen Xin-Rui , Zhang Qian-Wen , Tao Ge-Ge , Xuan Jun , Zhou Hong-Ping , Tian Yu-Peng , Li Fei
Published: August 2021

An “umpolung relay” three-component regioselective coupling reaction of triphenylamine/carbazole derivatives with C60 and indoles was developed, which features high regioselectivity, broad substrate scope, and excellent functional group tolerance.
An activated carbon fiber supported Fe2O3@bismuth carbonate heterojunction for enhanced visible light degradation of emerging pharmaceutical pollutants
Authors: Kar Prasenjit , Shukla Komal , Jain Pratyush , Gupta Raju Kumar
Published: August 2021

The developed Fe2O3@BC heterojunction photocatalyst supported over activated carbon fiber exhibited efficient photocatalytic activity for degradation of antipyrine under visible light irradiation.