bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of a prehabilitation programme dedicated to older patients with cancer before complex medical–surgical procedures: the PROADAPT pilot study protocol
Authors: Roche Mélanie , Ravot Christine , Malapert Amélie , Paget-Bailly Sophie , Garandeau Charlène , Pitiot Virginie , Tomatis Mélanie , Riche Benjamin , Galamand Béatrice , Granger Marion , Barbavara Claire , Bourgeois Chrystelle , Genest Evelyne , Stefani Laetitia , Haïne Max , Castel-Kremer Elisabeth , Morel-Soldner Isabelle , Collange Vincent , Le Saux Olivia , Dayde David , Falandry Claire
Published: April 2021

Background

Ageing is associated with an increased prevalence of comorbidities and sarcopenia as well as a decline of functional reserve of multiple organ systems, which may lead, in the context of the disease-related and/or treatment-related stress, to functional deconditioning. The multicomponent ‘Prehabilitation & Rehabilitation in Oncogeriatrics: Adaptation to Deconditioning risk and Accompaniment of Patients’ Trajectories (PROADAPT)’ intervention was developed multiprofessionally to implement prehabilitation in older patients with cancer.

Methods

The PROADAPT pilot study is an interventional, non-comparative, prospective, multicentre study. It will include 122 patients oriented to complex medical–surgical curative procedures (major surgery or radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy). After informed consent, patients will undergo a comprehensive geriatric assessment and will be offered a prehabilitation kit that includes an advice booklet with personalised objectives and respiratory rehabilitation devices. Patients will then be called weekly and monitored for physical and respiratory rehabilitation, preoperative renutrition, motivational counselling and iatrogenic prevention. Six outpatient visits will be planned: at inclusion, a few days before the procedure and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after the end of the procedure. The main outcome of the study is the feasibility of the intervention, defined as the ability to perform at least one of the components of the programme. Clinical data collected will include patient-specific and cancer-specific characteristics.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Ile de France 8 ethics committee on 5 June 2018. The results of the primary and secondary objectives will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT03659123. Pre-results of the trial.
Leishmaniasis in Cameroon: what is known and is done so far? A protocol for systematic review
Authors: Djune Yemeli Linda , Domche André , Nana Djeunga Hugues C , Lenou Nanga Cédric G , Njih Tabah Earnest , Nko"Ayissi Georges B , Kamgno Joseph
Published: April 2021

Introduction

The first visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases were reported in Cameroon since more than six decades. However, interest in the disease has decreased over time and data on its epidemiology across the country are scanty. This systematic review aims to update data on what is known and done so far on leishmaniasis in Cameroon.

Methods and analysis

PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science will be searched from inception onwards. Grey literature will be identified through Google Scholar searches, dissertation databases and other relevant documents such as report of the National Control Program. Searches will be conducted between January and February 2021. All studies reporting endemicity, distribution, infecting species, vectors and reservoirs will be eligible. The main outcomes will be epidemiological data (infection rate, distribution, infecting species, vectors and animal reservoir), while the secondary outcomes will be the cases management (diagnostic, treatment, reporting, intervention…). Two reviewers will independently screen eligible papers, and potential conflicts will be resolved by involving a third reviewer as an adjudicator. Methodological quality including bias will be appraised using a methodological quality critical appraisal checklist proposed in the Joanna Briggs Institute systematic review methods manual. A narrative synthesis will describe quality and content of the epidemiological evidence. Data on prevalence and vectors will be used to draw thematic maps of the distribution of leishmaniasis in Cameroon.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will not require ethical approval as it will be based on already published or unpublished data. The final report of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, and the outcomes will be used (1) as baseline information to design further studies that will help to better refine the epidemiological situation of leishmaniasis in Cameroon, and (2) to inform both programme managers and policy-makers of the situation of leishmaniasis in the country.

Systematic review registration

This protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews (PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42020211864) database.
Impact of corticosteroids in hospitalised COVID-19 patients
Authors: Ho Kam Sing , Narasimhan Bharat , Difabrizio Larry , Rogers Linda , Bose Sonali , Li Li , Chen Roger , Sheehan Jacqueline , El-Halabi Maan Ajwad , Sarosky Kimberly , Wang Zichen , Eisenberg Elliot , Powell Charles , Steiger David
Published: April 2021

Background

Corticosteroids are a potential therapeutic agent for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The RECOVERY (Randomised Trials in COVID-19 Therapy) trial provided data on the mortality benefits of corticosteroids. The study aimed to determine the association between corticosteroid use on mortality and infection rates and to define subgroups who may benefit from corticosteroids in a real-world setting.

Methods

Clinical data were extracted that included demographic, laboratory data and details of the therapy, including the administration of corticosteroids, azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, tocilizumab and anticoagulation. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation. Outcomes were compared in patients who did and did not receive corticosteroids using the multivariate Cox regression model.

Results

4313 patients were hospitalised with COVID-19 during the study period, of whom 1270 died (29.4%). When administered within the first 7 days after admission, corticosteroids were associated with reduced mortality (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.97, p=0.03) and decreased transfers to the ICU (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.47 to 1.11, p=0.02). This mortality benefit was particularly impressive in younger patients (<65 years of age), females and those with elevated inflammatory markers, defined as C reactive protein ≥150 mg/L (p≤0.05), interleukin-6 ≥20 pg/mL (p≤0.05) or D-dimer ≥2.0 µg/L (p≤0.05). Therapy was safe with similar rates of bacteraemia and fungaemia in corticosteroid-treated and non-corticosteroid-treated patients.

Conclusion

In patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia, corticosteroid use within the first 7 days of admission decreased mortality and ICU admissions with no associated increase in bacteraemia or fungaemia.
Axial flow ventricular assist devices in cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction
Authors: McGovern Laurna , Cosgrave John
Published: April 2021

Cardiogenic shock (CS) remains the leading cause of death in patients hospitalised with acute myocardial infarction with mortality as high as 40%–50% prior to hospital discharge. The failure of inotropic therapy to maintain adequate perfusion and to prevent irreversible end-organ failure has led to attempts to improve outcomes by mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices. Axial flow ventricular assist devices, namely Impella, are an attractive therapeutic option due to their positive haemodynamic benefits and ease of use. Despite clear beneficial haemodynamic effects, which should significantly impact on the pathophysiology of CS, there are currently no clear data to support their use in the reduction of clinical end points such as cardiac death. This review summarises and critically evaluates the current scientific evidence for the use of axial flow ventricular assist devices and highlights gaps in our understanding. Given such gaps, a consensus multidisciplinary approach, predicated on emphasising timely diagnosis and appropriate use of MCS, is vital to ensure that the right patient is paired with the right device at the right time.
Indigenous Health Leadership: A Kaupapa MāoriPerspective from Aotearoa – New Zealand
Authors: Panesar Divyansh , Rahiri Jamie-Lee , Koea Jonathan
Published: April 2021

This article describes the challenge of addressing indigenous health leadership to reduce ethnic disparity in modern healthcare. The indigenous New Zealand population, Māori, are disadvantaged across many health domains including the socioeconomic determinants of health. The Treaty of Waitangi, considered New Zealand’s founding document, outlines Māori autonomy and leadership, and can be applied to a model of health equity. Leadership frameworks in this sense must incorporate ethical and servant leadership styles across a shared, distributive leadership model to develop safe and equitable health environments where Indigenous ways of being and knowing are not subjugated. This is a shift from traditional hierarchical paradigms of the past and acknowledges Māori as having the autonomy to lead and maintain equitable health outcomes.
Developing a competency framework for health research ethics education and training
Authors: Tackett Sean , Sugarman Jeremy , Ng Chirk Jenn , Kamarulzaman Adeeba , Ali Joseph
Published: April 2021

Health research ethics (HRE) training programmes are being developed and implemented globally, often with a goal of increasing local capacity to assure ethical conduct in health-related research. Yet what it means for there to be sufficient HRE capacity is not well-defined, and there is currently no consensus on outcomes that HRE training programmes should collectively intend to achieve. Without defining the expected outcomes, meaningful evaluation of individual participants and programmes is challenging. In this article, we briefly describe the evolution of formal education in HRE, articulate the need for a framework to define outcomes for HRE training programmes, and provide guidance for developing HRE competency frameworks that define outcomes suited to their contexts. We detail critical questions for developing HRE competency frameworks using a six-step process: (1) define the purposes, intended uses and scope of the framework; (2) describe the context in which practice occurs; (3) gather data using a variety of methods to inform the competency framework; (4) translate the data into competencies that can be used in educational programmes; (5) report on the competency development process and results and (6) evaluate and update the competency framework. We suggest that competency frameworks should be feasible to develop using this process, and such efforts promise to contribute to programmatic advancement.
Determining the influence of snow and temperature on the movement rates of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae)
Authors: Sheppard A.H.C. , Hecker L.J. , Edwards M.A. , Nielsen S.E.
Published: April 2021

Snow is understood to limit wildlife movements, often being the most important determinant of winter movement for animals in the boreal forest. However, the combined effect of snow and temperature on the movement ecology of animals at high latitudes is less understood. Here, we used GPS-collar data from a small population of wood bison (Bison bison athabascae Rhoads, 1898) in northeastern Alberta, Canada, to develop a series of generalized additive mixed models characterizing the effect of cumulative snow depth, daily change in snow depth, and temperature on movement rates. Our most supported model included cumulative snow depth, temperature, and day of winter. Bison movements decreased in the first 75 days of winter during snow accumulation and dramatically increased in the final 14 days of winter during snow melt. Cumulative snow depth, not daily change in snow depth, reduced wood bison movement rates, and movement rates increased more rapidly in warmer temperatures than in temperatures below −6.4 °C. By quantifying both the direction and the magnitude of snow and temperature’s effects on bison movement, our study fills critical knowledge gaps relating to the winter movement ecology of wood bison and contributes to a growing body of knowledge informing their conservation in the Anthropocene.
Soft-collinear effective theory: BRST formulation
Authors: Upadhyay Sudhaker , Mandal Bhabani Prasad
Published: April 2021

We provide a BRST formalism for the soft-collinear effective theory describing interactions of soft and collinear degrees of freedom in the presence of a hard interaction. In particular, we develop a BRST symmetry transformation for SCET theory. We further generalize the BRST formulation by making the transformation parameter field dependent. This establishes a mapping between several SCET actions consistently when defined in different gauge conditions. In fact, a definite structure of gauge-fixed actions corresponding to any particular gauge condition can be generated for SCET theory using our formulation.
Investigation on radiation generated by sub-GeV electrons in ultrashort silicon and germanium bent crystals
Authors: Bandiera L. , Sytov A. , De Salvador D. , Mazzolari A. , Bagli E. , Camattari R. , Carturan S. , Durighello C. , Germogli G. , Guidi V. , Klag P. , Lauth W. , Maggioni G. , Mascagna V. , Prest M. , Romagnoni M. , Soldani M. , Tikhomirov V. V. , Vallazza E.
Published: April 2021

We report on the measurements of the spectra of gamma radiation generated by 855 MeV electrons in bent silicon and germanium crystals at MAMI (MAinzer MIkrotron). The crystals were 15 $$\upmu \text {m}$$μmthick along the beam direction to ensure high deflection efficiency. Their (111) crystalline planes were bent by means of a piezo-actuated mechanical holder, which allowed to remotely change the crystal curvature. In such a way it was possible to investigate the radiation emitted under planar channeling and volume reflection as a function of the curvature of the crystalline planes. We showed that, using volume reflection, intense gamma radiation can be produced – with intensity comparable to that obtained in channeling but with higher angular acceptance. We studied the trade-off between radiation intensity and angular acceptance at different values of the crystal curvature. The measurements of radiation spectra have been carried out for the first time in bent germanium crystals. In particular, the intensity of radiation in the germanium crystal is higher than in the silicon one due to the higher atomic number, which is important for the development of the X-ray and gamma radiation sources based on higher-Z deformed crystals, such as crystalline undulators.
A New Method on Optimal Control of Triple-Phase-Shift Angle Based on MOPSO in DAB System
Authors: Gao Shengwei , Zha Xi , Hu Congwei , Dong Chenming
Published: April 2021

Nowadays, dual-active-bridge (DAB) DC/DC converter is widely used for its high power density and flexible operation mode. However, complex control variables and high reflux power are the main disadvantages of the system, which have become its development bottleneck. In view of this, this paper presents an in-depth analysis of the impacts of three phase-shifting degrees of freedom on the transmission power and effective values of the inductive current based on the triple-phase-shift (TPS) control strategy by deducing the relationship equations between the three degrees of freedom and the other two variables in the TPS control system. Based on the equations, the method of using the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm to optimize three phase shift angles is proposed, which cannot only improve the convergence speed of the optimal phase shift angle but also be ideal for solving nonlinear problems. The experimental results show that this method can improve the transmission power and reduce the effective value of inductive current.
AscentX: A System for Crowdsourcing and Annotating with Active Supervision
Authors: Li Yanchao , Li Hao
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a system, AscentX, for labeled data creation and training with active supervision. The aim of system is that it makes collecting data and training models easier. We integrate semi-supervised learning and active learning as well as crowdsourcing learning paradigms. We design a web-based interface for labeling examples based on Python-Django and incorporate our proposed algorithms into it, including semi-supervised classification algorithms, semi-supervised clustering algorithms and with application to data filtering. Moreover, we provide the interfaces for future development including standard datasets attaching, algorithms and active learning models plunging. The system supports the visualization of labeling the examples and analyzing the results of algorithms, which is user-friendly for human annotator. We experimentally verify that AscentX achieves comparable performance to the state-of-the-art systems, using real-life (crawling web data) and benchmark datasets.
Limits on active-sterile neutrino mixing parameters using heavy nuclei abundances
Authors: Saez M. M. , Fushimi K. J. , Mosquera M. E. , Civitarese O.
Published: April 2021

The production of heavy-mass elements due to the rapid neutron-capture mechanism ([Formula: see text]-process) is associated with astrophysical scenarios, such as supernovae and neutron-star mergers. In the [Formula: see text]-process the capture of neutrons is followed by [Formula: see text]-decays until nuclear stability is reached. A key element in the chain of nuclear weak-decays leading to the production of isotopes may be the change of the parameters controlling the neutrino sector, due to the mixing of active and sterile species. In this work, we have addressed this question and calculated [Formula: see text]-decay rates for the nuclei involved in the [Formula: see text]-process chains as a function of the neutrino mixing parameters. These rates are then used in the calculation of the abundance of the heavy elements produced in core-collapse supernova and in neutron-star mergers, starting from different initial mass-fraction distributions. The analysis shows that the core-collapse supernova environment contributes with approximately [Formula: see text] of the total heavy nuclei abundance while the neutron-star merger contributes with about [Formula: see text] of it. Using available experimental data we have performed a statistical analysis to set limits on the active-sterile neutrino mixing angle and found a best-fit value [Formula: see text], a value comparable with those found in other studies reported in the literature.
Integrability of positive solutions of the integral system involving the Riesz potentials
Authors: Liu Xiaoqian , Lei Yutian
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we are concerned with the following integral system [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]). When [Formula: see text], such an integral system is associated with the best constants of the Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality. Chen, Li and their cooperators obtained optimal integrability intervals of the finite energy solutions by an argument of contraction and shrinking operators. This result is helpful to well understand the classification of the extremal functions of the Hardy–Littlewood–Sobolev inequality. The critical condition plays a key role in their work. In this paper, we study optimal integrability intervals when the positive solutions have some initial integrability. Now, the critical condition is not necessary, and we apply a weaker condition, the Serrin-type condition, to establish some important relations of exponents which come into play to lift the regularity. In addition, we also generalize this result to the case of [Formula: see text].
Direct limit completions of vertex tensor categories
Authors: Creutzig Thomas , McRae Robert , Yang Jinwei
Published: April 2021

We show that direct limit completions of vertex tensor categories inherit vertex and braided tensor category structures, under conditions that hold for example for all known Virasoro and affine Lie algebra tensor categories. A consequence is that the theory of vertex operator (super)algebra extensions also applies to infinite-order extensions. As an application, we relate rigid and non-degenerate vertex tensor categories of certain modules for both the affine vertex superalgebra of [Formula: see text] and the [Formula: see text] super Virasoro algebra to categories of Virasoro algebra modules via certain cosets.
Schrödinger–Poisson–Proca systems in EMS regime
Authors: Hebey Emmanuel
Published: April 2021

We prove existence of solutions to the Schrödinger–Poisson–Proca system, and stability of this system, in the electro-magneto-static regime in closed [Formula: see text]-dimensional Riemannian manifolds.
Integrability of close encounters in the spatial restricted three-body problem
Authors: Cardin Franco , Guzzo Massimiliano
Published: April 2021

We extend to the spatial case a technique of integration of the close encounters formulated by Tullio Levi-Civita for the planar restricted three-body problem. We consider the Hamiltonian introduced in the Kustaanheimo–Stiefel regularization and construct a complete integral of the related Hamilton–Jacobi equation by means of a series convergent in a neighborhood of the collisions with the primary or secondary body.
Local derivative estimates for the heat equation coupled to the Ricci flow
Authors: Huang Hong
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we obtain local derivative estimates of Shi-type for the heat equation coupled to the Ricci flow. As applications, in part combining with Kuang’s work, we extend some results of Zhang and Bamler–Zhang including distance distortion estimates and a backward pseudolocality theorem for Ricci flow on compact manifolds to the noncompact case.
Dynamics and redistribution of entanglement and coherence in three time-dependent coupled harmonic oscillators
Authors: Hab-Arrih Radouan , Jellal Ahmed , Merdaci Abdeldjalil
Published: April 2021

We study the dynamics and redistribution of entanglement and coherence in three time-dependent coupled harmonic oscillators. We resolve the Schrödinger equation by using time-dependent Euler rotation together with a linear quench model to obtain the state of vacuum solution. Such state can be translated to the phase space picture to determine the Wigner distribution. We show that its Gaussian matrix [Formula: see text] can be used to directly cast the covariance matrix [Formula: see text]. To quantify the mixedness and entanglement of the state, one uses respectively linear and von Neumann entropies for three cases: fully symmetric, bi-symmetric and fully nonsymmetric. Then we determine the coherence, tripartite entanglement and local uncertainties and derive their dynamics. We show that the dynamics of all quantum information quantities are driven by the Ermakov modes. Finally, we use an homodyne detection to redistribute both resources of entanglement and coherence.
Synthesis of magnetron sputtered AgBiS2 thin films
Authors: Gao ChengXiong , Sun Shuhong , Liu Jinkun , Shen Tao , Zhu Yan
Published: April 2021

AgBiS2 films were prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering method by depositing atom ratio 1:1 of silver bismuth metal precursor on a common sodium-calcium glass substrate by rapid annealing under sulfur and nitrogen atmosphere. The annealing process was obtained by changing the annealing temperature and time. The films were characterized by XRD, UV-Vis, SEM, AFM, XPS. AgBiS2 thin films were grown on the substrate through sulfide annealing. After annealing at 475[Formula: see text]C for 30 min, the surface of the film is smooth and the roughness is the smallest. The average grain size grows to the maximum of 1.2 [Formula: see text]m. The film has a strong absorption coefficient in the range of ultraviolet and visible light. The absorption limit is as high as 1400 nm, and the bandgap is 0.853 eV. Through the study of sputtered atomic layer deposition and sulfurized annealing, AgBiS2 film was prepared on the substrate by magnetron sputtering for the first time. It provides a feasible method for the preparation of AgBiS2 thin films. It has great potential in photovoltaic, photoelectric and other applications.
Experimental Study of Domestic Refrigerator Performance Improvement with Evaporative Condenser
Authors: Khalsa Kawal Preet Singh , Sadhu Sayan
Published: April 2021

Evaporation of defrosted water in household refrigerators and condenser waste heat utilization has been reported by many researchers but limited literature is available on the study of evaporative cooling in domestic refrigerators (condenser waste heat utilization for defrost water evaporation) with helical coil heat exchangers. This paper is concerned with evaluating domestic refrigerator performance by employing an evaporative helical coil heat exchanger before hot wall condenser which is utilized for evaporation of defrost water and reducing the superheated refrigerant temperature to condensing temperature to reduce the condenser load and improve the overall performance of a domestic refrigerator. Results show that evaporative cooling increases COP of the system by 25.3%, reduces the energy consumption of the refrigerator by 7.3% and the compressor run time by 10.6%. These experimental results also revealed that using two different thermal conductivity tube materials for evaporative helical coil condenser (Copper tube and Zinc coated steel tube) provided with less wall thickness (0.2[Formula: see text]mm) PVC coating results in good agreement for the same evaporation rate of defrosted water.
Exergy Analysis of Humidification–Dehumidification Water Desalination Unit Working under Baghdad Conditions
Authors: Hassan Mohanad F. , Khalifa Abdul Hadi N. , Hamed Ahmed J.
Published: April 2021

Water desalination unit powered by renewable energy sources is sometimes needed at places far from the energy grid lines. Consequently, even countries with rich energy resources, such as the Arabian Gulf countries, have shown strong interest in desalination processes that often use renewable energy sources. This work aims to conduct an exergy analysis of solar-powered humidification–dehumidification (HDH) unit. The exergy analysis input data are extracted from a previous work conducted in August 2020 under Baghdad conditions, 33.3∘N latitude and 44.14∘E longitude. The previous work’s HDH unit consisted of six parabolic trough solar collectors (PTSCs), with a total aperture area of 8.76[Formula: see text]m2. Meteonorm v7.3 software was used to obtain the weather data for Baghdad City, Iraq. The HDH unit results had revealed low exergy efficiency, where the maximum overall exergy efficiency was 0.305% at 12.00[Formula: see text]noon, August 17, 2020, when the salty water flow rate was 1 L/min. The unit’s overall exergy efficiencies were 0.09%, 0.16%, 0.31%, and 0.085% when the salty water flow rates were 0.8, 0.9, 1, and 1.2 L/min, respectively. Maximum exergy destructions for the HDH unit components were 0.513, 0.156, 0.332, and 0.304[Formula: see text]kW for solar radiation, dehumidifier, humidifier, and PTSC, for a salty water flow rate of 1[Formula: see text]L/min. In contrast, the overall exergy destruction of the HDH unit was 1.3[Formula: see text]kW.
Improving Access to Care: Telemedicine Across Medical Domains
Authors: Barbosa William , Zhou Kina , Waddell Emma , Myers Taylor , Dorsey E. Ray
Published: April 2021

Over the past 20 years, the use of telemedicine has increased exponentially. Its fundamental aim is to improve access to care. In this review, we assess the extent to which telemedicine has fulfilled this promise across medical domains. Additionally, we assess whether telemedicine has improved related health outcomes. Finally, we determine who has benefited from this novel form of health care delivery. A review of the literature indicates that ( a) telemedicine has improved access to care for a wide range of clinical conditions ranging from stroke to pregnancy; ( b) telemedicine in select circumstances has demonstrated improved health outcomes; and ( c) telemedicine has addressed geographical, but less so social, barriers to care. For telemedicine to fulfill its promise, additional evidence needs to be gathered on health outcomes and cost savings, the digital divide needs to be bridged, and policy changes that support telemedicine reimbursement need to be enacted.
Understanding Degradation Effects of Elevated Temperature Operating Conditions in Polymer Electrolyte Water Electrolyzers
Authors: Garbe Steffen , Futter Jonas , Agarwal Ayush , Tarik Mohamed , Mularczyk Adrian A. , Schmidt Thomas J. , Gubler Lorenz
Published: April 2021

The cost of polymer electrolyte water electrolysis (PEWE) is dominated by the price of electricity used to power the water splitting reaction. We present a liquid water fed polymer electrolyte water electrolyzer cell operated at a cell temperature of 100 °C in comparison to a cell operated at state-of-the-art operation temperature of 60 °C over a 300 h constant current period. The hydrogen conversion efficiency increases by up to 5% at elevated temperature and makes green hydrogen cheaper. However, temperature is a stress factor that accelerates degradation causes in the cell. The PEWE cell operated at a cell temperature of 100 °C shows a 5 times increased cell voltage loss rate compared to the PEWE cell at 60 °C. The initial performance gain was found to be consumed after a projected operation time of 3,500 h. Elevated temperature operation is only viable if a voltage loss rate of less than 5.8 μV h−1 can be attained. The major degradation phenomena that impact performance loss at 100 °C are ohmic (49%) and anode kinetic losses (45%). Damage to components was identified by post-test electron-microscopic analysis of the catalyst coated membrane and measurement of cation content in the drag water. The chemical decomposition of the ionomer increases by a factor of 10 at 100 °C vs 60 °C. Failure by short circuit formation was estimated to be a failure mode after a projected lifetime 3,700 h. At elevated temperature and differential pressure operation hydrogen gas cross-over is limiting since a content of 4% hydrogen in oxygen represents the lower explosion limit.
Graphene Quantum Dots from Partially Unzipped Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Promising Materials for Oxygen Electrodes
Authors: Danilov M. O. , Fomanyuk S. S. , Dovbeshko G. I. , Gnatyuk O. P. , Rusetskyi I. A. , Kolbasov G. Ya.
Published: April 2021

Photoluminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) the one- or two-layer graphene nanoparticles 1.5–3 nm in size with a blue emission have been obtained from electrochemically synthesized partially unzipped multi-walled carbon nanotubes ultrasonically treated for one hour. Various physicochemical methods including photoluminescence spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, and Raman spectroscopy, have been used to characterize the electrochemically synthesized partially unzipped multi-walled carbon nanotubes and GQDs. Two-layer oxygen electrodes were fabricated, where GQDs served as an active layer. The investigations of electrocatalytic characteristics of the oxygen electrodes fabricated of the obtained materials were carried out in a fuel half-cell with an alkaline electrolyte. The fabricated oxygen electrodes were stable for six months at a discharge current density of 200 mA cm−2. The obtained GQDs are promising materials as a new type of catalyst carriers for oxygen electrodes of fuel cells.
Ignoring a basic pathophysiological mechanism of heart failure progression will not make it go away
Authors: Gerdes A. Martin , Portman Michael A. , Iervasi Giorgio , Pingitore Alessandro , Cooper David K. C. , Novitzky Dimitri
Published: April 2021

A link between heart failure (HF) and low thyroid hormone (TH) function has been known for over a century. Nonetheless, there is a general belief that TH treatment of patients with HF may not be worth the risk. This is largely based on two clinical trials where heart patients were treated with excessive doses of TH analogs, not actual THs. Further complicating the matter is the fact that normalization of THs in noncardiac patients can often be challenging. This issue is not going away as noted by a steady increase in TH-HF citations in recent years. In this article, we discuss what we know and how we may move the field forward.
No evidence of racial disparities in blood pressure salt sensitivity when potassium intake exceeds levels recommended in the US dietary guidelines
Authors: Kurtz Theodore W. , DiCarlo Stephen E. , Pravenec Michal , Morris R. Curtis
Published: April 2021

On average, black individuals are widely believed to be more sensitive than white individuals to blood pressure (BP) effects of changes in salt intake. However, few studies have directly compared the BP effects of changing salt intake in black versus white individuals. In this narrative review, we analyze those studies and note that when potassium intake substantially exceeds the recently recommended US dietary goal of 87 mmol/day, black adults do not appear more sensitive than white adults to BP effects of short-term or long-term increases in salt intake (from an intake ≤50 mmol/day up to 150 mmol/day or more). However, with lower potassium intakes, racial differences in salt sensitivity are observed. Mechanistic studies suggest that racial differences in salt sensitivity are related to differences in vascular resistance responses to changes in salt intake mediated by vasodilator and vasoconstrictor pathways. With respect to cause and prevention of racial disparities in salt sensitivity, it is noteworthy that 1) on average, black individuals consume less potassium than white individuals and 2) consuming supplemental potassium bicarbonate, or potassium rich foods can prevent racial disparities in salt sensitivity. However, the new US dietary guidelines reduced the dietary potassium goal well below the amount associated with preventing racial disparities in salt sensitivity. These observations should motivate research on the impact of the new dietary potassium guidelines on racial disparities in salt sensitivity, the risks and benefits of potassium-containing salt substitutes or supplements, and methods for increasing consumption of foods rich in nutrients that protect against salt-induced hypertension.
Analysis of Underwater Topographic Survey of Stilling Basin Based on Unmanned Survey System
Authors: Xie Hui , Wang Haoran , Yang Yayi , Chen Yongcan , Yang Jun , Wang Shuang , Liu Zhaowei
Published: April 2021

The combination of Global Positioning System‐Real Time Kinematic (GPS‐RTK) and depth sounder is an important technical method of modern underwater topographic survey. In this paper, the combined technology was integrated with unmanned surface vehicle (USV) technology to construct an unmanned survey system suitable for underwater topographic survey in stilling basin, and it was applied to survey the underwater topography of the stilling basin of Tingzikou hydrojunction project. Based on the surveying and mapping data and 3D model, the trend of elevation change of the stilling basin including apron, end sill, antiscour section, and river convergence section was analyzed. The results show that, for the surface outlet stilling basin of Tingzikou, after flood, the structure is complete, the boundaries are clear, the water quality is good, and there is little sediment on the surface of apron from overflow dam section to end sill. Furthermore, no obvious sediment or structural abnormality has been found in the still basin. Affected by the bedrock and cofferdam cobble gravel sediment, the elevation of the antiscour section and the downstream convergence section of the surface outlet stilling basin increased significantly. For the bottom outlet stilling basin of Tingzikou, there is large sediment within a range of 20 m∼40 m from the bottom sill and the maximum height of it reaches 2.04 m, while there is no obvious sediment or structural abnormality in the remaining region of basin. The critical sedimentation height can effectively judge the safety grade of the sedimentation height in stilling basin and provide a reliable support for assessing the overall safety of stilling basin. The application of unmanned survey technology improves the accuracy and timeliness of underwater topography and sedimentation distribution of stilling basin, which has significant application research value and promotion significance.
Injury Risk Prediction of Aerobics Athletes Based on Big Data and Computer Vision
Authors: Zhu Dongdong , Zhang Honglei , Sun Yulong , Qi Haijie
Published: April 2021

In recent years, competitive aerobics has been rapidly popularized and developed, and the level of sports skills has also been greatly improved. The performance of some events has gradually approached and reached the advanced level. Therefore, it is vital to invest in the quantitative analysis and cross-disciplinary comprehensive research of aerobics performance and related factors. This paper adopts big data analysis technology and computer vision technology based on convolutional neural network, according to the related theories of sports biomechanics and computer image recognition, to establish a loss risk prediction model for aerobics athletes. The approach firstly has used technology of big data analysis for analyzing the characteristics of competitive aerobics sports data. Secondly, the approach combines the convolutional neural network to visually recognize the aerobics sports images and establish a two-branch prediction model. Finally, the output can be fused to accurately diagnose and evaluate the level of physical fitness development of aerobics athletes, the focus and goal of training content are clarified, and the scientific degree of aerobics training is improved. The study can help injury risk prediction of aerobic athletes based on applications of big data and computer vision.
Evaluation of the Nutrient Composition of Maize in Different NPK Fertilizer Levels Based on Multivariate Method Analysis
Authors: Bojtor Csaba , Illés Árpád , Nasir Mousavi Seyed Mohammad , Széles Adrienn , Tóth Brigitta , Nagy János , Marton Csaba L.
Published: April 2021

One of the critical issues in using micronutrient fertilisers is the comparison of methods and amounts of fertiliser use, which is very important from the aspect of increasing production and economic viewpoint. The aim of this research was to analyse the nutrient composition of different parts of the maize (Zea mays L. FAO 490) during the growing season with six-level nitrogen fertilisation supplies at five phenological stages. The study included essential nutrients as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S) (in first cluster) and calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) (in second cluster) in treatments on different leaf stage. Growth stages have different nutrient demands based on their actual demand. The first cluster included nitrogen and sulphur and the second included calcium and zinc in the NPK treatments on the stalk of plants. Nitrogen and potassium had their maximum effect on the stalk of maize during the growing season. Magnesium and copper were the second most important and desirable factors during the different growth stages and treatments in relation to the stalk. Nitrogen and calcium had their maximum impact during the yield formation stage and nitrogen and phosphorus had their most desirable effect during the grain filling stage. The effect of nitrogen on the quantitative and qualitative properties of maize showed that nitrogen increases the production of dry matter, grain yield, and its components. The maximum amount of absorption in the plants occurs before the accumulation of applied fertiliser, which is the prelude to the production of maximum biomass.
An Optimal DoS Attack Strategy Disturbing the Distributed Economic Dispatch of Microgrid
Authors: Wang Yihe , Zhang Mingli , Song Kun , Li Tie , Zhang Na
Published: April 2021

As a promising method with excellent characteristics in terms of resilience and dependability, distributed methods are gradually used in the field of energy management of microgrid. However, these methods have more stringent requirements on the working conditions, which will make the system more sensitive to communication failures and cyberattacks. As a result, it is both theoretical merits and practical values to investigate the malicious effect of cyber attacks on microgrid. This paper studies the distributed economic dispatch problem (EDP) under denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks for the microgrid, in which each generator can communicate with its neighbors and has the computational capability to implement local operation. Firstly, a DoS attack model is proposed, in which the DoS attacker intentionally jams the communication channel to deteriorate the performance of the microgrid. Then, the evolution mechanism of the dispatch system of the microgrid under different attack scenarios is adequately discussed. On this basis, an optimal attack strategy based on enumerating‐search algorithm is presented to allocate the limited attack resources reasonably, so as to maximize the effect of DoS attacks. Finally, the validity of the theoretical studies about the attack effect under different scenarios and the effectiveness of the proposed enumerating‐search‐based optimal attack strategy are illustrated through the simulation examples on the IEEE 57‐bus system and IEEE 39‐bus system, respectively.
High‐Resolution ISAR Imaging Based on Improved Sparse Signal Recovery Algorithm
Authors: Feng Junjie , Sun Yinan , Ji XiuXia
Published: April 2021

In order to solve the problem of high‐resolution ISAR imaging under the condition of finite pulses, an improved smoothed L0 norm (SL0) sparse signal reconstruction ISAR imaging algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the ISAR imaging is transformed into the optimization problem of minimum L0 norm. Secondly, a single‐loop structure is used instead of two loop layers in SL0 algorithm which increases the searching density of variable parameter to ensure the recovery accuracy. Finally, the compared step is added to ensure the optimization solution along the steepest descent gradient direction. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has better imaging effect.
Research on Optimal Design of Short-Life Cycle Product Logistics Supply Chain Based on Multicriteria Decision Model
Authors: Wang Cuimin
Published: April 2021

In order to study the special production, distribution, transportation, and sales of short-lived and short-lived multimedia products, this paper studies the cost and benefit optimization of a three-level supply chain network consisting of a supplier-producer-distribution center. Simultaneously, to effectively describe the actual inventory level of the retailer’s multimedia products, this paper introduces a new nonlinear function to define the real-time inventory of multimedia products to establish a biobjective nonlinear mixed-integer programming model to estimate the inventory. The research results show that the model established in this paper can not only provide the overall cost and optimal decision-making plan for the short-lived dairy supply chain but also the design method is better than the standard constraint method. Relevant research results have important potential guiding significance for research and design of supply chain network structure, measurement of multimedia product inventory levels, and improvement of customer satisfaction. The optimized design of the logistics supply chain of multimedia products with short life cycle under the background of new retail is beneficial.
Ethanol Extracts of Solanum lyratum Thunb Regulate Ovarian Cancer Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) via the ROS-Mediated p53 Pathway
Authors: Zhang Chen , Li Zheming , Wang Jie , Jiang Xuelu , Xia Mengting , Wang Jianfen , Lu Shenyi , Li Shouye , Wang Hanmei
Published: April 2021

Ovarian cancer is a type of common gynecological tumors with high incidence and poor survival. The anticancer effects of the traditional Chinese medicine Solanum lyratum Thunb (SLT) have been intensively investigated in various cancers but in ovarian cancer is rare. The current study is aimed at investigating the effect of SLT on ovarian cancer cells. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and MTT assays indicated that SLT concentrations of 0.25 and 0.5 μg/mL were not cytotoxic and had significant inhibitory effects on the cell viabilities of A2780 and SKOV3 cells, hence were used for subsequent experiments. Flow cytometric and western blot analysis revealed that SLT effectively suppressed ovarian cancer cell proliferation via inducing cell cycle arrest and increasing apoptosis. Cell cycle and apoptosis-related protein expressions were also regulated in SLT-treated cells. Moreover, DCFH-DA and western blot assays demonstrated that SLT enhanced ROS accumulation and subsequently activated the p53 signaling pathway. However, SLT-regulated ovarian cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and EMT were significantly reversed by an ROS inhibitor (NAC, N-acetyl-L-cysteine). Furthermore, A2780 and SKOV3 cells cocultured with M0 macrophages showed that SLT activated the polarization of M0 macrophages to M1 macrophages and inhibited the polarization to M2 macrophages, with the increased percentage of CD86+ cells and decreased percentage of CD206+ cells were detected. In summary, this study illustrated the anticancer effects of SLT on ovarian cancer cells, suggesting that SLT may have the potential to provide basic evidence for the discovery of antiovarian cancer agents.
CPGAN :  An Efficient Architecture Designing for Text-to-Image Generative Adversarial Networks Based on Canonical Polyadic Decomposition
Authors: Ma Ruixin , Lou Junying
Published: April 2021

Text-to-image synthesis is an important and challenging application of computer vision. Many interesting and meaningful text-to-image synthesis models have been put forward. However, most of the works pay attention to the quality of synthesis images, but rarely consider the size of these models. Large models contain many parameters and high delay, which makes it difficult to be deployed on mobile applications. To solve this problem, we propose an efficient architecture CPGAN for text-to-image generative adversarial networks (GAN) based on canonical polyadic decomposition (CPD). It is a general method to design the lightweight architecture of text-to-image GAN. To improve the stability of CPGAN, we introduce conditioning augmentation and the idea of autoencoder during the training process. Experimental results prove that our architecture CPGAN can maintain the quality of generated images and reduce at least 20% parameters and flops.
Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside Regulates Adipose Tissue Metabolic Disorder in Obese Mice Induced by a Western Diet
Authors: Dong Shan , Bai Wenliang , Chen Jiaping , Zhang Li , Sheng Wanli , Feng Ronghu
Published: April 2021

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is the main component of flax lignans. Current studies have reported a positive effect of SDG on obesity and metabolic diseases. SDG has strong blood fat- and blood sugar-lowering, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects and prevents heart disease and other chronic diseases. In this study, we explored the effects of SDG on Western diet-induced obesity and lipid metabolic disorder. Supplementing Western diet-induced obese mice with 40 mg kg1 d1, SDG for 12 weeks significantly reduced body and tissue weights. Increased adiponectin levels and decreased serum leptin and resistin levels were observed in obese mice orally administered SDG. Proliferation of adipose tissue was observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and cell size was quantitatively analyzed. As a result, SDG inhibited the proliferation of adipose tissue. In addition, SDG suppressed the mRNA expression of lipid synthetic genes and upregulated the mRNA expression of lipolytic genes. Overall, these results indicate that SDG inhibits obesity induced by a Western diet and regulates adipose tissue metabolic disorder. These results provide a theoretical basis for further study on the regulation of obesity and lipid metabolic disorder caused by SDG.