bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gold nanoparticals modified indium tin oxide anode for high performance red perovskite light emitting diodes
Authors: Xu Qing-Lin , Xiang Ting , Xu Wei , Li Ting , Wu Xiao-Yan , Li Wei , Qiu Xue-Jun , Chen Ping ,   School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China,   Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High Energy Laser, Institute of Fluid Physics, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900, China,   Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Light and Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510315, China
Published: October 2021

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) play an important role in improving the external quantum efficiency of perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLED). To avoid direct contact between the Au NPs and the light emitting layer, the Au NPs@SiO2 structure and blending the Au NPs into the hole transport layer (HTL) or electron transport layer (ETL) have been proposed previously. However, the Au NPs@SiO2 is difficult to obtain and affects the charge transport. When the Au NPs is blended in poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS), the density of Au NPs is not easily controlled and the PEDOT:PSS is not an ideal HTL for PeLED. Therefore, the electrostatic adsorption is used in this work to uniformly disperse the ~20 nm-size Au NPs on the top of the ITO anode, and the Poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) is spin-coated as the HTL to achieve the high performance red PeLED based on the (NMA)2Csn–1PbnI3n+1. After the Au NPs modification, the maximum luminous brightness rises from ~5.2 to ~83.2 cd/m2. Meanwhile, the maximum external quantum efficiency rises from ~0.255% to ~6.98%. Mechanism studies show that microcavity can be formed between the Au NPs-modified ITO anode and the Al cathode, and the transmitted light and the reflected light interfere with each other to improve the output couple efficiency of the PeLED. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum and angle dependent PL intensity of the Au NPs-modified PeLED prove that the fluorescence enhancement of the (NMA)2Csn–1PbnI3n+1 perovskite is attributed mainly to the microcavity effect. Furthermore, the effects of Au NPs density on the performance of the PeLED are investigated, which reveals that the device with ~15 min adsorption is optimal. Finally, we rule out the contributions of Au NPs to the morphology, crystallization, electrical properties and localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effects of (NMA)2Csn–1PbnI3n+1 perovskite films. In this work, the Au NPs are successfully applied to red PeLED for the first time, providing a feasible way of developing the low-cost and high-efficiency PeLED.
From Signal to Symbol
Authors: Planer Ronald J. , Sterelny Kim
Published: October 2021

A novel account of the evolution of language and the cognitive capacities on which language depends.

In From Signal to Symbol, Ronald Planer and Kim Sterelny propose a novel theory of language: that modern language is the product of a long series of increasingly rich protolanguages evolving over the last two million years. Arguing that language and cognition coevolved, they give a central role to archaeological evidence and attempt to infer cognitive capacities on the basis of that evidence, which they link in turn to communicative capacities.

Countering other accounts, which move directly from archaeological traces to language, Planer and Sterelny show that rudimentary forms of many of the elements on which language depends can be found in the great apes and were part of the equipment of the earliest species in our lineage. After outlining the constraints a theory of the evolution of language should satisfy and filling in the details of their model, they take up the evolution of words, composite utterances, and hierarchical structure. They consider the transition from a predominantly gestural to a predominantly vocal form of language and discuss the economic and social factors that led to language. Finally, they evaluate their theory in terms of the constraints previously laid out.
Building the New Economy
Authors: Pentland Alex , Lipton Alexander , Hardjono Thomas
Published: October 2021

How to empower people and communities with user-centric data ownership, transparent and accountable algorithms, and secure digital transaction systems.

Data is now central to the economy, government, and health systems—so why are data and the AI systems that interpret the data in the hands of so few people? Building the New Economy calls for us to reinvent the ways that data and artificial intelligence are used in civic and government systems. Arguing that we need to think about data as a new type of capital, the authors show that the use of data trusts and distributed ledgers can empower people and communities with user-centric data ownership, transparent and accountable algorithms, machine learning fairness principles and methodologies, and secure digital transaction systems.

It's well known that social media generate disinformation and that mobile phone tracking apps threaten privacy. But these same technologies may also enable the creation of more agile systems in which power and decision-making are distributed among stakeholders rather than concentrated in a few hands. Offering both big ideas and detailed blueprints, the authors describe such key building blocks as data cooperatives, tokenized funding mechanisms, and tradecoin architecture. They also discuss technical issues, including how to build an ecosystem of trusted data, the implementation of digital currencies, and interoperability, and consider the evolution of computational law systems.
Algorithm for an automatic treatment planning system using a single‐arc VMAT for prostate cancer
Authors: Kodama Takumi , Kudo Shigehiro , Hatanaka Shogo , Hariu Masatsugu , Shimbo Munefumi , Takahashi Takeo
Published: October 2021

Optimization process in treatment planning for intensity‐modulated radiation therapy varies with the treatment planner. Therefore, a large variation in the quality of dose distribution is usually observed. To reduce variation, an automatic optimizing toolkit was developed for the Monaco treatment planning system (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden) for prostate cancer using volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT). This toolkit was able to create plans automatically. However, most plans needed two arcs per treatment to ensure the dose coverage for targets. For prostate cancer, providing a plan with a single arc was advisable in clinical practice because intrafraction motion management must be considered to irradiate accurately. The purpose of this work was to develop an automatic treatment planning system with a single arc per treatment for prostate cancer using VMAT. We designed the new algorithm for the automatic treatment planning system to use one arc per treatment for prostate cancer in Monaco. We constructed the system in two main steps: (1) Determine suitable cost function parameters for each case before optimization, and (2) repeat the calculation and optimization until the conditions for dose indices are fulfilled. To evaluate clinical suitability, the plan quality between manual planning and the automatic planning system was compared. Our system created the plans automatically in all patients within a few iterations. Statistical differences between the plans were not observed for the target and organ at risk. It created the plans with no human input other than the initial template setting and system initiation. This system offers improved efficiency in running the treatment planning system and human resources while ensuring high‐quality outputs.
Deep learning‐based classification and structure name standardization for organ at risk and target delineations in prostate cancer radiotherapy
Authors: Jamtheim Gustafsson Christian , Lempart Michael , Swärd Johan , Persson Emilia , Nyholm Tufve , Thellenberg Karlsson Camilla , Scherman Jonas
Published: October 2021

Radiotherapy (RT) datasets can suffer from variations in annotation of organ at risk (OAR) and target structures. Annotation standards exist, but their description for prostate targets is limited. This restricts the use of such data for supervised machine learning purposes as it requires properly annotated data. The aim of this work was to develop a modality independent deep learning (DL) model for automatic classification and annotation of prostate RT DICOM structures.

Delineated prostate organs at risk (OAR), support‐ and target structures (gross tumor volume [GTV]/clinical target volume [CTV]/planning target volume [PTV]), along with or without separate vesicles and/or lymph nodes, were extracted as binary masks from 1854 patients. An image modality independent 2D InceptionResNetV2 classification network was trained with varying amounts of training data using four image input channels. Channel 1–3 consisted of orthogonal 2D projections from each individual binary structure. The fourth channel contained a summation of the other available binary structure masks. Structure classification performance was assessed in independent CT (n = 200 pat) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n = 40 pat) test datasets and an external CT (n = 99 pat) dataset from another clinic.

A weighted classification accuracy of 99.4% was achieved during training. The unweighted classification accuracy and the weighted average F1 score among different structures in the CT test dataset were 98.8% and 98.4% and 98.6% and 98.5% for the MRI test dataset, respectively. The external CT dataset yielded the corresponding results 98.4% and 98.7% when analyzed for trained structures only, and results from the full dataset yielded 79.6% and 75.2%. Most misclassifications in the external CT dataset occurred due to multiple CTVs and PTVs being fused together, which was not included in the training data.

Our proposed DL‐based method for automated renaming and standardization of prostate radiotherapy annotations shows great potential. Clinic specific contouring standards however need to be represented in the training data for successful use. Source code is available at https://github.com/jamtheim/DicomRTStructRenamerPublic
SAMHSA issues report on use of telemedicine
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: October 2021

A report issued last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) focuses on the importance of using telemedicine to treat substance use disorders (SUDs) as well as mental illness. The below chart shows the differences between synchronous (real time) and asynchronous (any time) treatment sessions, and how they can be used for patients. COVID‐19 brought telemedicine into the mainstream, and like many other things, telemedicine now appears here to stay for many reasons.
Radioluminescence Imaging of Drug Elution from Biomedical Implants
Authors: Schober Gretchen B. , Anker Jeffrey N.
Published: October 2021

A method to noninvasively measure the concentration of radiolabeled pharmaceuticals on modified drug‐eluting biomedical implant surfaces is described. The implants are coated with microphosphors and radiolabeled pharmaceuticals in a polyurethane film. The drug molecules emit radiation which excites radioluminescence in nearby phosphors; for drug released from the film the radiation is absorbed by the surrounding media and generates no light. The technique is applied to measure beta‐emitting tritium‐labeled vancomycin (3H‐vancomycin) concentration on the surface of an orthopedic plate. Bacteria can coat orthopedic implant surfaces and form biofilms which are resistant to antibiotics and the host's immune system. Antibiotic eluting implant coatings are thus promising candidates for infection prevention and treatment. Radioluminescence imaging permits surface‐specific, noninvasive measurement of drug concentration on implant surfaces, which is an important metric for developing effective drug eluting coatings. The radioluminescence signal increases linearly with 3H‐vancomycin concentration, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9.6 nCi (3.5 pmol) without tissue. Biomedically relevant drug release concentrations are monitored through 5 mm of porcine tissue slices (38.7 nmol LOD). Despite light scattering, and an eightfold signal decrease through 5 mm of tissue, drug release and reference regions are resolvable for non‐invasive quantification.
In Situ Study of FePt Nanoparticles‐Induced Morphology Development during Printing of Magnetic Hybrid Diblock Copolymer Films
Authors: Cao Wei , Yin Shanshan , Bitsch Martin , Liang Suzhe , Plank Martina , Opel Matthias , Scheel Manuel A. , Gallei Markus , Janka Oliver , Schwartzkopf Matthias , Roth Stephan V. , Müller‐Buschbaum Peter
Published: October 2021

The development of magnetic hybrid films containing diblock copolymers (DBCs) and magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) by printing is a highly promising method for scalable and low‐cost fabrication. During printing, the drying and arrangement kinetics of the DBC and magnetic NPs play an important role in the film formation concerning morphology and magnetic properties. In this study, the morphology evolution of ultrahigh molecular weight DBC polystyrene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) and magnetic iron platinum (FePt) NPs is investigated with grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS) in situ during printing. For comparison, a pure DBC film is printed without FePt NPs under the same conditions. The GISAXS data suggest that the addition of NPs accelerates the solvent evaporation, leading to a faster film formation of the hybrid film compared to the pure film. As the solvent is almost evaporated, a metastable state is observed in both films. Compared with the pure film, such a metastable state continues longer during the printing process of the hybrid film because of the presence of FePt NPs, which inhibits the reorganization of the DBC chains. Moreover, investigations of the field‐dependent magnetization and temperature‐dependent susceptibility indicate that the printed hybrid film is superparamagnetic, which makes this film class promising for magnetic sensors.
Aggregation‐Induced Phosphorescent Imaging in the Second Near‐Infrared Window
Authors: Chang Baisong , Zhu Hao , Wu Yifan , Wu Shaolong , Zhang Liqin , Qu Chunrong , Ren Ying , Cheng Zhen
Published: October 2021

The fluorescence imaging in the second near‐infrared window (NIR‐II, 1000–1700 nm) is a very promising and actively studied technique, whereas optical imaging via NIR‐II phosphorescence has been seldom studied. Here, an aggregation‐induced selective signal activation strategy is reported, which relies on switching of radiative mode of probe from weak fluorescence to strong NIR‐II phosphorescence. Copper indium selenium (Cu‐In‐Se) quantum dots emit extremely weak fluorescence in isolated state, while their aggregation remarkably lights NIR‐II phosphorescence up at ≈1045 nm with over 2.7 × 103‐fold increase in luminescent lifetime. Aggregation‐induced emission‐mode‐switching has been confirmed by encapsulating Cu‐In‐Se assembles with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Cu‐In‐Se@MSN), displaying unique phosphorescence‐type emission. NIR‐II phosphorescence signals enable Cu‐In‐Se@MSN to exhibit impressive lifetime imaging and high‐order branches of vessels can be accurately determined. Studies on the origin of radiative‐mode‐switching not only provide a new insight into photophysical process, but also may lay groundwork for designing smart NIR‐II probes.
Flexible Hybrid Nanogenerator for Self‐Powered Weather and Healthcare Monitoring Sensor
Authors: Lee Taegoon , Kim Inkyum , Kim Daewon
Published: October 2021

Nowadays, people can receive several types of information from portable and wearable devices. However, the limited working time period, rigid characteristic, and bulky size of the conventional power sources need to be improved for rocketing the compatibility with portable and wearable devices. In this paper, a flexible hybrid nanogenerator (FHNG) is presented by combining a solar cell, a transparent triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), and a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG). The FHNG can sustainably collect energy from various energy sources. The FHNG can act as a self‐powered weather monitoring device by harvesting and detecting raindrops, wind, and sunlight. Especially, the FHNG can simultaneously harvest both electro‐static energy and impact energy of raindrops by the TENG and PENG parts, respectively. Owing to the hydrophobic surface of the outermost TENG part, the FHNG obtains a self‐cleaning characteristic which can improve the output performance of the FHNG under sunlight and raindrops. Furthermore, the FHNG can be used as a wearable self‐powered healthcare monitoring device by sensing the health information, such as human motion, arterial pulse rate, or respiration rate based on the electrical output when attached to a human body. This research contributes to broadening the coverage of self‐powered nano‐device in portable and wearable electronics.
Elucidation of Performance Recovery for Fe‐Based Catalyst Cathodes in Fuel Cells
Authors: Beltrán Diana E. , Uddin Aman , Xu Xiaomin , Dunsmore Lisa , Ding Shuo , Xu Hui , Zhang Hanguang , Liu Shengwen , Wu Gang , Litster Shawn
Published: October 2021

Platinum group metal (PGM)‐free oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) continue to demonstrate significant advances in catalytic activity. Unfortunately, the most promising catalysts exhibit initial rapid activity loss as well as significant sustained activity decay. Herein, it is shown that PGM‐free cathode fuel cell performance can be partially recovered by an in situ electrochemical method by restoring a percentage of the original active sites or activating originally inactive sites. The same approach is also shown to increase the initial activity if applied to a pristine PGM‐free cathode. This is achieved by applying low constant potential holds to the cathode in the absence of oxygen in the cathode, by either flowing nitrogen or blocking the delivery of air and removing the residual oxygen by the ORR. Two types of active sites are further differentiated with degradation mechanisms characterized by different populations and timescales. It is hypothesized that the recovery of sites is due to the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+, restoring a percentage of the original active sites or activating originally inactive sites. This reduction has additionally shown to generate the removal of oxygen adsorbates at the catalyst surface.
N, H Dual‐Doped Black Anatase TiO2 Thin Films toward Significant Self‐Activation in Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Media
Authors: Parmar Swati , Das Tisita , Ray Bishakha , Debnath Bharati , Gosavi Suresh , Shanker G. Shiva , Datar Suwarna , Chakraborty Sudip , Ogale Satishchandra
Published: October 2021

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important application‐worthy oxide semiconductor. Herein, pulsed laser deposited N, H dual‐doped black anatase TiO2 (N–H:TiO2) films grown under NH3 are examined for the electrochemical water splitting application. This case is compared with only nitrogen or oxygen vacancy doped films. These dual‐doped films are highly conducting (98.77 μΩ cm @ 300 K) with holes as majority carriers. Electrostatic force microscopy also reveals significant differences in the work functions for the cases compared. Interestingly, the doped films not only exhibit impressive hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with an initial overpotential of ≈0.6 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode [RHE]), but the same reduces significantly down to ≈0.42 V at 10 mA cm−2 after 5 h chronoamperometry. Concurrently, there is a remarkable increase in current density (from ≈10 to 30 mA cm−2) at the overpotential of 0.6 V after 2000 cycles with excellent durability over 15 h. This peculiar self‐activation and performance enhancement of the catalysis is examined through X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis which reveals the increased percentage of oxygen vacancies and incorporation of a new phase TiOxNy on the film surface via electrochemical surface reactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirm that the N–H:TiO2 thin films have appropriate hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energies commensurate with observed high HER activity.
Causes of death in patients with Down syndrome in 2014–2016: A population study in Japan
Authors: Motegi Narumi , Yamaoka Yui , Moriichi Akinori , Morisaki Naho
Published: October 2021

Despite the higher mortality rates in patients with Down syndrome compared with the general Japanese population, the life span has dramatically increased in Japan and other countries. We aimed to clarify recent causes of death in patients with Down syndrome in Japan. We calculated proportionate mortality and standardized mortality odds ratios (SMORs) among all deaths registered with Down syndrome as the cause of death (ICD‐10 code, Q90) in the Japanese National Death Registry Database in 2014–2016. In the study period, 762 in patients with Down syndrome died. The main causes of death were pneumonia/respiratory infections (20.5%), congenital malformations of the circulatory system (11.2%), other diseases of the circulatory system (9.2%), and aspiration pneumonia (8.4%). The SMORs (95% confidence intervals) were higher for natural death, defined as death of an elderly person with no other cause of death to be mentioned (55.73 [36.92–84.12]), early‐onset Alzheimer's disease, defined as Alzheimer's disease with onset <65 years of age (29.36 [16.44–52.44]), aspiration pneumonia (18.33 [14.03–23.96]), pneumonia/respiratory infections (8.11 [6.76–9.73]), congenital malformations of the circulatory system (8.07 [5.98–10.88]), and leukemia/lymphoma (2.16 [1.55–2.99]) but lower for malignant solid tumors (0.04 [0.02–0.06]) in patients with Down syndrome. Patients with Down syndrome had the greatest relative risk of dying from natural death, early‐onset Alzheimer's disease, and respiratory illnesses, highlighting the need for appropriate medical, health, and welfare services.
LGBT+ equality, religious freedom and government‐funded faith‐based religiously affiliated educational workplaces
Authors: Ezzy Douglas , Fielder Bronwyn , Dwyer Angela , Richardson‐Self Louise
Published: October 2021

Religiously affiliated schools employ a substantial portion of the Australian educational workforce. These religiously affiliated schools are exempt from Australian state‐based anti‐discrimination legislation in varying degrees. This can have a devastating effect on LGBT+ employees. While NSW has broad exemptions to anti‐discrimination legislation, in contrast Tasmanian anti‐discrimination legislation provides very limited exemptions. This paper examines and compares the experiences of ten LGBT+ teachers employed in religiously affiliated schools in Tasmania and New South Wales. The aim of this paper is to document the differing experiences of these LGBT+ teachers, examining whether the distinctive state‐based legislation has an impact on their lives. The small number of cases examined here suggests that the state difference in anti‐discrimination legislation has a significant impact on LGBT+ peoples’ job security and career development.
Coherent Control of Multiphoton Using Multidressing Fields
Authors: Li Sifan , Li Yufeng , Xiong Siqi , Qin Yisha , Feng Yuan , Zhao Yuan , Yu Xiaojun , Zhang Yanpeng
Published: October 2021

The competition and coexistence between linear and nonlinear multiphoton optical responses in multidressing fields; these exhibit shaping temporal waveforms is investigated. In the group delay regime, the width of the rectangular profile in double‐dressing fields is reduced compared to that of the single‐dressing field. In the Rabi oscillation regime, the number of periods in double‐dressing fields increases relative to the single‐dressing field, and the tri‐ and quadphotons are observed to feature six and nine coherent channels, respectively. Finally, changing the optical depth and power of the dressing field can alter the optical response. Compared with the single‐dressing field, cascaded and nested double‐dressing fields reduce the linear coherence time and increase the number of periods; this is useful for photon storage and long‐distance communication. Moreover, increasing the number of dressing coherent channels increases the high‐dimensional entangled information capacity, which is more conducive to the realization of quantum communication and quantum networks.
Access to the Kaon Radius with Kaonic Atoms
Authors: Michel Niklas , Oreshkina Natalia S.
Published: October 2021

A method to determine the kaon radius from the spectra of kaonic atoms is put forward. The few lowest‐lying transitions in kaonic atoms and their sensitivity to the size of the kaon for ions in the nuclear charge range are analyzed, taking into account finite‐nuclear‐size, finite‐kaon‐size, recoil, and leading‐order quantum‐electrodynamic effects. Additionally, the opportunities for extracting the kaon mass and nuclear radii are demonstrated by examining the sensitivity of the transition energies in kaonic atoms.
A phosphorous/nitrogen/silicon containing diphenylphosphoramide silicon oil toward effective flame retardancy for polycarbonate with comparable mechanical properties
Authors: Jiang Qing , Luo Zhonglin , Wang Biaobing
Published: October 2021

A P/N/Si containing diphenylphosphoramide silicone oil (PASO) was synthesized using amino phenyl silicone oil and diphenylphosphinyl chloride as raw materials. The as‐synthesized PASO displayed better flame retardancy toward polycarbonate (PC) meanwhile maintaining the mechanical performances of PC. At loading level of 1 wt% PASO, UL 94V‐0 rating and a high limited oxygen index value of 31% were achieved for the flame retardant composite in the presence of 5 wt% talc as anti‐dripping agent. Additionally, it gave a tensile strength of 65.5 MPa, elongation at break of 96.4%, and impact strength of 52.6 kJ/m2, which were comparable to the pure PC. The analysis of the char residue after cone calorimeter test and the pyrolysis gaseous products demonstrated that PASO exhibited flame retardant mechanism of both gas and condensed phases.
Prostate cancer in multi‐ethnic Asian men: Real‐world experience in the Malaysia Prostate Cancer (M‐CaP) Study
Authors: Lim Jasmine , Malek Rohan , JR Sathiyananthan , Toh Charng C. , Sundram Murali , Woo Susan Y. Y. , Yusoff Noor A. M. , Teh Guan C. , Chui Benjamin J. T. , Ngu Ing S. , Thevarajah S. , Koh Wei J. , Lee Say B. , Khoo Say C. , Teoh Boon W. , Zainal Rohana , Tham Teck M. , Omar Shamsuddin , Nasuha Noor A. , Akaza Hideyuki , Ong Teng A. ,   M‐CaP Study
Published: October 2021

Prostate cancer is the third most common cancer in Malaysia with the lifetime risk of 1 in 117 men. Here, we initiated a longitudinal Malaysia Prostate Cancer (M‐CaP) Study to investigate the clinical and tumour characteristics, treatment patterns as well as disease outcomes of multi‐ethnic Asian men at real‐world setting. The M‐CaP database consisted of 1839 new patients with prostate cancer diagnosed between 2016 and 2018 from nine public urology referral centres across Malaysia. Basic demographic and clinical parameters, tumour characteristics, primary treatment, follow‐up and vital status data were retrieved prospectively from the hospital‐based patients’ case notes or electronic medical records. Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and biochemical progression‐free survival (bPFS). The median age at diagnosis of M‐CaP patients was 70 years (interquartile range, IQR 65–75). Majority of patients were Chinese (831, 45.2%), followed by Malays (704, 38.3%), Indians (124, 6.7%) and other races (181, 9.8%). The median follow‐up for all patients was 23.5 months (IQR 15.9–33.6). Although 58.1% presented with late‐stage cancer, we observed ethnic and geographic disparities in late‐stage prostate cancer diagnosis. Curative radiotherapy and primary androgen deprivation therapy were the most common treatment for stage III and stage IV diseases, respectively. The median OS and bPFS of stage IV patients were 40.1 months and 19.2 months (95% CI 17.6–20.8), respectively. Late stage at presentation remains a challenge in multi‐ethnic Asian men. Early detection is imperative to improve treatment outcome and survival of patients with prostate cancer.
Wnt signalling in oral and maxillofacial diseases
Authors: Zhang Zhaowei , Pan Xinyue , Chen Mingyang , Bai Mingru
Published: October 2021

Wnts include more than 19 types of secreted glycoproteins that are involved in a wide range of pathological processes in oral and maxillofacial diseases. The transmission of Wnt signalling from the extracellular matrix into the nucleus includes canonical pathways and noncanonical pathways, which play an important role in tooth development, alveolar bone regeneration, and related diseases. In recent years, with the in‐depth study of Wnt signalling in oral and maxillofacial‐related diseases, many new conclusions and perspectives have been reached, and there are also some controversies. This article aims to summarise the roles of Wnt signalling in various oral diseases, including periodontitis, dental pulp disease, jaw disease, cleft palate, and abnormal tooth development, to provide researchers with a better and more comprehensive understanding of Wnts in oral and maxillofacial diseases.
Anti‐oncogenic PTEN induces ovarian cancer cell senescence by targeting P21
Authors: Ke Xiaoping , Li Li , Li Jingwei , Zheng Mengyu , Liu Ping
Published: October 2021

Deletion and mutation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome10 (PTEN) are closely associated with the occurrence of tumors. Tumor suppressor gene PTEN mutation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. However, it has been unclear whether it can regulate the senescence of ovarian cancer cells. We speculated that PTEN might inhibit the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer by promoting the expression of P21. We found that the expression of TRIM39 in human ovarian cancer was significantly diminished. In SKOV3 cells treated with naringin, the expression of TRIM39, which binds P21 and inhibits P21 degradation, was significantly elevated. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), Western blot, and immunofluorescence were used to detected the expression of PTEN, p21, and TRIM39, β‐galactosidase Staining was used to detect cell senescence, Ki67 staining was used to observe cell proliferation, Trim39 interference or overexpression assay was used to detect its function. We speculated that PTEN might promote SKOV3 cell senescence by increasing TRIM39 expression and decreasing P21 degradation. Furthermore, by interfering with TRIM39 in SKOV3 cells, we found that the expression of P21 was downregulated, and the number of senescent SKOV3 cells decreased. With overexpression of TRIM39 in SKOV3 cells, the expression of P21 was upregulated, and the number of senescent SKOV3 cells increased. When naringin, a PTEN agonist, was added to SKOV3 cells in which TRIM39 protein was interfered with, the expression of P21 was significantly lower than that in the control group, and the number of senescent ovarian cancer cells was significantly diminished. Our results indicated that PTEN maintained the stability of P21 and decreased the degradation of P21 by increasing TRIM39 expression, thus promoting the senescence of SKOV3 cells, and PTEN maintained the stability of p21 and promoted the aging of SKOV3 cells might be a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with concomitant subdural hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhages involving cerebral convexity and perimesenchephalic regions: A case report
Authors: Gajurel Bikram Prasad , Shrestha Ashish , Gautam Niraj , Rajbhandari Reema , Ojha Rajeev , Karn Ragesh
Published: October 2021

We should suspect cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in patients with subacute onset progressive headaches with brain imaging evidence of localized cerebral edema with superimposed parenchymal, convexity subarachnoid as well as subdural hemorrhages.
Transplantation after Mustard operation for transposition of the great arteries
Authors: Katahira Shintaro , Sugimura Yukiharu , Aubin Hug , Ise Hayato , Saiki Yoshikatsu , Lichtenberg Artur , Westenfeld Ralf , Boeken Udo , Akhyari Payam
Published: October 2021

As long‐term outcomes of congenital heart diseases improve, the probability of adult patients presenting for heart transplantation for late failure of congenitally corrected heart disease also increases. In patients with dextro‐transposition of the great arteries (d‐TGA) who were initially treated in the era of Mustard or Senning procedures and before Jatene procedure was introduced, progressive systemic right ventricular failure represents a problem in the very long‐term follow‐up. We report a rare case of heart transplantation as a third operation 36 years after Mustard procedure in a patient with d‐TGA experiencing late failure of the systemic right ventricle.
Lanthanide Identity Governs Guest‐Induced Dimerization in LnIII[15‐MCN(L‐pheHA)‐5])3+ Metallacrowns
Authors: Sgarlata Carmelo , Schneider Bernadette L. , Zito Valeria , Migliore Rossella , Tegoni Matteo , Pecoraro Vincent L. , Arena Giuseppe
Published: October 2021

Series of lanthanide‐containing metallic coordination complexes are frequently presented as structurally analogous, due to the similar chemical and coordinative properties of the lanthanides. In the case of chiral (LnIII[15‐MC
N(L‐pheHA)‐5])3+ metallacrowns (MCs), which are well established supramolecular hosts, the formation of dimers templated by a dicarboxylate guest (muconate) in solution of neutral pH is herein shown to have a unique dependence on the identity of the MC's central lanthanide. Calorimetric data and nuclear magnetic resonance diffusion studies demonstrate that MCs containing larger or smaller lanthanides as the central metal only form monomeric host‐guest complexes whereas analogues with intermediate lanthanides (for example, Eu, Gd, Dy) participate in formation of dimeric host‐guest‐host compartments. The driving force for the dimerization event across the series is thought to be a competition between formation of highly stable MCs (larger lanthanides) and optimally linked bridging guests (smaller lanthanides).
Zwischen Wunsch und Wirklichkeit
Authors: Gandert Etwina
Published: October 2021

Total Cost of Ownership, kurz, TOC, sind der Dreh‐ und Angelpunkt, wenn es um die Frage geht, ob in digitale Technik für Pumpenanlagen investiert wird. Sowohl die Anlagenverfügbarkeit und Leistung als auch die Sicherheit wirken sich direkt auf die Betreiberkosten aus. Eine Optimierung dieser Faktoren durch digitale Services kann daher die Kosten mittel‐ und langfristig senken. Zu überwindende Hürden sind dabei einerseits die Verfügbarkeit sowie Umsetzbarkeit der technischen Lösung und andererseits die Überzeugung zur Investition
Entecavir combined with interferon‐α Is superior to entecavir monotherapy in reducing hepatic and extrahepatic cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Cheng Kailiang , Chen Yu , Wang Xiaomo , Xu Manman , Liao Wei , Duan Xiaoman , Zhao Xinyu , Sun Yuanyuan , Duan Zhongping , Wang Li
Published: October 2021

Background

The objective of this study was to assess whether entecavir (ETV) in combination with interferon‐α (IFN‐α) could reduce hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and extrahepatic cancers (EHCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods

The cohort consisted of 4194 patients with CHB treated with ETV combined with IFN‐α or ETV monotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China, from January 2009 to December 2017. The risks, hazard ratios (HRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of HCC and EHCs were compared in the 2 groups.

Results

In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, a significantly lower risk of HCC (HR, 0.6; 95% CI, 0.3‐0.9; P = .0310) and a marginally significantly lower risk of EHCs (HR, 0.2; 95% CI, 0.02‐1.3; P = .0854) were observed in the group receiving ETV combined with IFN‐α in comparison with the ETV monotherapy group. The annual virological response rates were significantly higher in the combination therapy group versus the monotherapy group (33.8% vs 21.2%; P < .0001), but the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance rates were not (1.2% vs 0.9%; P = .8537). The HRs were consistent with propensity score–based matching, inverse probability weighting adjustments, and adjustments for virological response and HBsAg seroclearance.

Conclusions

ETV combined with IFN‐α therapy is superior to ETV monotherapy in reducing the risk of HCC and EHCs for patients with CHB. People who can tolerate and benefit from IFN‐α therapy could consider combination therapy.
2021: A Surface Odyssey. Role of Oxygen Functional Groups on Activated Carbon‐Based Electrodes in Vanadium Flow Batteries
Authors: Radinger Hannes
Published: October 2021

The market breakthrough of vanadium flow batteries is hampered by their low power density, which depends heavily on the catalytic activity of the graphite‐based electrodes used. Researchers try to increase their performance by thermal, chemical, or electrochemical treatments but find no common activity descriptors. No consistent results exist for the so‐called oxygen functional groups, which seem to catalyze mainly the VIII/VII but rarely the VVO2+/VIVO2+ redox reaction. Some studies suggest that the activity is related to graphitic lattice defects which often contain oxygen and are therefore held responsible for inconsistent conclusions. Activation of electrodes does not change one property at a time, but rather surface chemistry and microstructure simultaneously, and the choice of starting material is crucial for subsequent observations. In this contribution, the literature on the catalytic and physicochemical properties of activated carbon‐based electrodes is analyzed and evaluated. In addition, an outlook on possible future investigations is given to avoid the propagation of contradictions.
Treatment fidelity in eating disorders and psychological research: Current status and future directions
Authors: Peyser Deena , Sysko Robyn , Webb Lauren , Hildebrandt Tom
Published: October 2021

Objective

The evaluation and use of treatment fidelity procedures are rare in the development and implementation of psychological interventions. This article aims to review the construct of treatment fidelity, highlight limitations to currently available measures, and introduce a conceptual framework for studying and adapting fidelity measures in clinical research and practice using eating disorders as an example.

Method

As treatment fidelity assesses whether an intervention was delivered as intended, we operationalized this construct as: (a) treatment adherence, (b) therapist competence, and (c) treatment differentiation.

Results

There is a significant gap in the literature assessing and documenting treatment fidelity. Available studies indicate that existing adherence measures can be time consuming, costly, and are not widely used in the field. Furthermore, therapist competence is a complex and context‐dependent construct that is challenging to measure. Finally, treatment differentiation is often inferred by ensuring adherence.

Discussion

The development of simplified formal tests of treatment fidelity would help draw conclusions about treatment efficacy and improve the dissemination and implementation of interventions to promote optimal clinical outcomes.
Indirect effects shape macroalgal epifaunal communities
Authors: Ndhlovu Aldwin , Lathlean Justin A. , McQuaid Christopher D. , Seuront Laurent
Published: October 2021

We tested the response of algal epifauna to the direct effects of predation and the indirect consequences of habitat change due to grazing and nutrient supply through upwelling using an abundant intertidal rhodophyte, Gelidium pristoides. We ran a mid‐shore field experiment at four sites (two upwelling sites interspersed with two non‐upwelling sites) along 450 km of the south coast of South Africa. The experiment was started in June 2014 and ran until June 2015. Four treatments (predator exclusion, grazer exclusion, control, and procedural control) set out in a block design (n = 5) were monitored monthly for algal cover for the first 6 months and every 2 months for the last 6 months. Epifaunal abundance, species composition, algal cover, and algal architectural complexity (measured using fractal geometry) were assessed after 12 months. Predation had no significant effect on epifaunal abundances, while upwelling interacted with treatment. Grazing reduced the architectural complexity of algae, with increased fractal dimensions in the absence of grazers, and also reduced algal cover at all sites, though the latter effect was only significant for upwelling sites. Epifaunal community composition was not significantly affected by the presence of herbivores or predators but differed among sites independently of upwelling; sites were more similar to nearby sites than those farther away. In contrast, total epifaunal abundance was significantly affected by grazing, when normalized to algal cover. Grazing reduced the cover of algae; thus, epifaunal abundances were not affected by the direct top‐down effects of predation but did respond to the indirect effects of grazing on habitat availability and quality. Our results indicate that epifaunal communities can be strongly influenced by the indirect consequences of biotic interactions.
Experimental verification of power factor adjustor with rotor winding circuit in passive variable flux PM motor utilizing space harmonics
Authors: Kumai Takumi , Aoyama Masahiro
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes a technique for applying LC resonance to a rectifier circuit of a self‐excited wound‐field rotor, which utilizes space harmonics for improving the variable flux function. The rotor magnetomotive force can be improved by setting the resonance frequency of the LC resonance circuit to a low speed rotation range. The adjustable speed drive characteristics and efficiency maps are demonstrated via a prototype.
Balancing health and financial protection in health benefit package design
Authors: Lofgren Katherine T. , Watkins David A. , Memirie Solomon T. , Salomon Joshua A. , Verguet Stéphane
Published: October 2021

Policymakers face difficult choices over which health interventions to publicly finance. We developed an approach to health benefits package design that accommodates explicit tradeoffs between improvements in health and provision of financial risk protection (FRP). We designed a mathematical optimization model to balance gains in health and FRP across candidate interventions when publicly financed. The optimal subset of interventions selected for inclusion was determined with bi‐criterion integer programming conditional on a budget constraint. The optimal set of interventions to publicly finance in a health benefits package varied according to whether the objective for optimization was population health benefits or FRP. When both objectives were considered jointly, the resulting optimal essential benefits package depended on the weights placed on the two objectives. In the Sustainable Development Goals era, smart spending toward universal health coverage is essential. Mathematical optimization provides a quantitative framework for policymakers to design health policies and select interventions that jointly prioritize multiple objectives with explicit financial constraints.
To what extent do home care nurses feel free to assess the care that is needed for their patients? A nationwide survey in the Netherlands
Authors: Brabers Adriana (Anne) Elisabeth Maria , de Groot Kim , Groenewegen Petrus (Peter) Paulus , de Jong Judith Daniëlle
Published: October 2021

Background and Aims

Patients receiving nursing care at home require a needs assessment. There are indications that practice variation exists in needs assessments performed by Dutch home care nurses. One possible cause is that nurses are differentially influenced by others when performing needs assessments. Instruments recommending what is appropriate care have the potential to protect nurses against unwarranted influences. In the Netherlands, a framework exists including general norms about performing needs assessments. We aimed to achieve insight into whether nurses, who have heard of the framework, feel more free to assess the care that is needed for their patients, and whether other actors play a role in performing needs assessments.

Methods

An online questionnaire was sent to members of the Dutch Nursing Staff Panel (response 47%; n = 302) in November 2019. Only nurses who perform needs assessments were included in the analyses (n = 141). χ2‐tests were used to assess the relationships between the variables of having heard of the framework, feeling free to assess the care that is needed, and the influences of others.

Results

We found no relationships between having heard of the framework and feeling free to assess the care that is needed for patients or reporting influence of others. However, home care nurses who state that they are not influenced by others, feel more free to assess the care that is needed for their patients. In contrast, those who state that they are influenced by informal caregivers, or health care insurers, feel less free to assess the care that is needed.

Conclusion

It appears that the framework for performing needs assessments does not, in its current form, protect against influences of others. Further research is recommended to examine what kind of instruments nurses need to perform unambiguous and good needs assessments and, as such, reduce unwarranted practice variation.
Numerical study of phase change material microencapsulated in a typical multilayer wall for a hot climatic zone
Authors: Babaharra Oumayma , Choukairy Khadija , Khallaki Kaoutar , Hayani Mounir Sanaa
Published: October 2021

A phase change material (PCM) allows releasing and absorbing energy at the phase change transition. They are employed in building walls to maintain internal thermal comfort and optimize thermal energy storage. However, the hottest cities in Morocco suffer from overheating during peak days. Consequently in this article, the purpose is to evaluate the thermal performance of incorporation of the PCM n‐octadecane paraffin in a typical multilayer wall at three different locations for a Moroccan hot climate zone. Numerical simulation is developed in a two‐dimensional transient in addition to mathematical modeling using the enthalpy‐porosity approach for three wall types. An implicit finite volume method is used for the numerical solution. The effects of PCM location, PCM type, and mass fraction (varying between 15% and 35%) are studied and compared with the reference case (without PCM). The evaluation of mass fraction variation is based on two determining factors of the wall panel's thermal inertia: the time delay and amplitude attenuation. The surface heat fluxes will then be used to quantify the capacity of the multilayer wall to store and release energy. The results showed that to ensure the thermal performance of the wall, it is useless to exceed 20% of mass fraction for all types of multilayer walls. It is shown that the incorporation in a solid matrix of hollow brick is the most optimal scenario, and it makes it possible to have a reduction in the internal surface flux of 32% with a temporal phase shift of 3 h.
Signed colouring and list colouring of k‐chromatic graphs
Authors: Kim Ringi , Kim Seog‐Jin , Zhu Xuding
Published: October 2021

A ‐colouring of a signed graph is a mapping such that for each edge , where is a symmetric integer set of size (i.e., implies that ). The signed chromatic number  of a graph is the minimum integer such that for any signature of has a ‐colouring. Let be the maximum signed chromatic number of an ‐vertex ‐chromatic graph. This paper determines the value of for all positive integers . Then we study the list colouring of signed graphs. A list assignment of is called symmetric if is a symmetric integer set for each vertex . The weak signed choice number  of a graph is defined to be the minimum integer such that for any symmetric ‐list assignment of , for any signature on , there is a proper ‐colouring of . We prove that the difference can be arbitrarily large. On the other hand, is bounded from above by twice the list vertex arboricity of . Using this result, we prove that , where is the complete ‐partite graph with each partite set of size 2.