bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of traumatic acid as a potential plasma biomarker for sarcopenia using a metabolomics‐based approach
Authors: Tsai Jaw‐Shiun , Wang San‐Yuan , Chang Chin‐Hao , Chen Chin‐Ying , Wen Chiung‐Jung , Chen Guan‐Yuan , Kuo Ching‐Hua , Tseng Y. Jane , Chen Ching‐Yu
Published: December 2021

Background

The pathogenesis of sarcopenia is complex and has not been well explored. Identifying biomarkers is a promising strategy for exploring the mechanism of sarcopenia. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers of sarcopenia through a metabolomic analysis of plasma metabolites in elderly subjects (≥65 years of age) vs. younger adults (<65 years of age).

Methods

Of the 168 candidates in the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Frailty Study of Elderly Outpatients, 24 elderly subjects (≥65 years of age) with sarcopenia were age and sex matched with 24 elderly subjects without sarcopenia. In addition, 24 younger adults were recruited for comparison. Muscle strength, gait speed, and metabolic and inflammatory parameters, including plasma tumour necrosis factor‐α, C‐reactive protein, irisin, and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF‐15) levels were assessed. Metabolomic analysis was carried out using the plasma metabolites.

Results

Seventy‐two participants were enrolled, including 10 (41.6%) men and 14 (58.3%) women in both groups of elderly subjects. The median ages of elderly subjects with and without sarcopenia were 82 (range: 67–88) and 81.5 (range: 67–87) years, respectively. Among the 242 plasma metabolic peaks analysed among these three groups, traumatic acid was considered as a sarcopenia‐related metabolite. The plasma traumatic acid signal intensity level was significantly higher in elderly subjects with sarcopenia than in elderly subjects without sarcopenia [591.5 (inter‐quartile range, IQR: 491.5–664.5) vs. 430.0 (IQR: 261.0–599.5), P = 0.0063]. The plasma concentrations of traumatic acid were 15.8 (IQR: 11.5–21.7), 21.1 (IQR: 16.0–25.8), and 24.3 (IQR: 18.0–29.5) ppb in younger adults [age range: 23–37 years, 12 (50%) men], elderly subjects without sarcopenia, and elderly subjects with sarcopenia, respectively, thereby depicting an increasing tendency (P for trend = 0.034). This pattern was similar to that of GDF‐15, a recognized sarcopenia‐related factor. Plasma traumatic acid concentrations were also positively correlated with the presence of hypertension (r = 0.25, P = 0.034), glucose AC (r = 0.34, P = 0.0035), creatinine (r = 0.40, P = 0.0006), and GDF‐15 levels (r = 0.25, P = 0.0376), but negatively correlated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease‐simplify‐glomerular filtration rate (r = −0.50, P < 0.0001). Similarly, plasma GDF‐15 concentrations were associated with these factors.

Conclusions

Traumatic acid might represent a potential plasma biomarker of sarcopenia. However, further studies are needed to validate the results and investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Adolescent enriched environment exposure alleviates cognitive impairments in sleep‐deprived male rats: Role of hippocampal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor
Authors: Ghaheri Safa , Panahpour Hamdollah , Abdollahzadeh Maryam , Saadati Hakimeh
Published: December 2021

Developmental life experience has long‐lasting influences on the brain and behavior. The present study aims to examine the long‐term effects of the enriched environment (EE), which was imposed during the adolescence period of life, on their passive avoidance and recognition memories as well as anxiety‐like behaviors and hippocampal brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, in sleep‐deprived male rats.

In the present study, the male pups were separated from their mothers in postnatal day 21 (PND21) and were housed in the standard or EE for 40 days. In PND 61, the rats were allocated in four groups: control, SD (sleep deprivation), EE, and EE + SD groups. SD was induced in rats by a modified multiple platform model for 24 h. Open field, novel object recognition memory, and passive avoidance memory tests were used to examine behavior and cognitive ability. The expression of hippocampal BDNF levels was determined by PCR.

The results revealed that SD increased anxiety‐like behaviors and impaired cognitive ability, while adolescent EE housing alleviated these changes. In addition, EE reversed SD‐induced changes in hippocampal BDNF level. We also demonstrated that EE not only has beneficial effects on the cognitive functions of normal rats but also declined memory deficits induced by SD.

In conclusion, our results suggest that housing in EE during the adolescence period of life reduces cognitive impairment induced by SD. The increase of the BDNF level in the hippocampus is a possible mechanism to alleviate cognitive performance in sleep‐deprived rats.
Genomic characterization of the dominating Beta, V2 variant carrying vaccinated (Oxford−AstraZeneca) and nonvaccinated COVID‐19 patient samples in Bangladesh: A metagenomics and whole‐genome approach
Authors: Rahaman Md. Mizanur , Sarkar Md. Murshed Hasan , Rahman M. Shaminur , Islam M. Rafiul , Islam Israt , Saha Otun , Akter Shahina , Banu Tanjian Akhtar , Jahan Iffat , Habib Md. Ahasan , Goswami Barna , Bari Latiful , Malek Md Abdul , Khan Md. Salim
Published: December 2021

Bangladesh is experiencing a second wave of COVID‐19 since March 2021, despite the nationwide vaccination drive with ChAdOx1 (Oxford−AstraZeneca) vaccine from early February 2021. Here, we characterized 19 nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples from COVID‐19 suspect patients using genomic and metagenomic approaches. Screening for SARS‐CoV‐2 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and metagenomic sequencing revealed 17 samples of COVID‐19 positive (vaccinated = 10, nonvaccinated = 7) and 2 samples of COVID‐19 negative. We did not find any significant correlation between associated factors including vaccination status, age or sex of the patients, diversity or abundance of the coinfected organisms/pathogens, and the abundance of SARS‐CoV‐2. Though the first wave of the pandemic was dominated by clade 20B, Beta, V2 (South African variant) dominated the second wave (January 2021 to May 2021), while the third wave (May 2021 to September 2021) was responsible for Delta variants of the epidemic in Bangladesh including both vaccinated and unvaccinated infections. Noteworthily, the receptor binding domain (RBD) region of S protein of all the isolates harbored similar substitutions including K417N, E484K, and N501Y that signify the Beta, while D614G, D215G, D80A, A67V, L18F, and A701V substitutions were commonly found in the non‐RBD region of Spike proteins. ORF7b and ORF3a genes underwent a positive selection (dN/dSratio 1.77 and 1.24, respectively), while the overall S protein of the Bangladeshi SARS‐CoV‐2 isolates underwent negative selection pressure (dN/dS = 0.621). Furthermore, we found different bacterial coinfections likeStreptococcus agalactiae, Neisseria meningitidis, Elizabethkingia anophelis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Klebsiella pneumoniae, andPseudomonas plecoglossicida, expressinga number of antibiotic resistance genes such astetA andtetM. Overall, this approach provides valuable insights on the SARS‐CoV‐2 genomes and microbiome composition from both vaccinated and nonvaccinated patients in Bangladesh.
Predictors of recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias after pulmonary vein isolation by functional and structural mapping of nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation
Authors: Kumagai Koji , Sato Tsukasa , Kurose Yuki , Sumiyoshi Takenori , Hasegawa Kaoru , Sekiguchi Yuko , Yambe Minoru , Komaru Tatsuya
Published: December 2021

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of recurrence of atrial tachyarrhythmias by structural and functional mapping: voltage, dominant frequency (DF), and rotor mapping after a pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients.

Methods

A total of 66 nonparoxysmal AF patients were prospectively investigated. After the PVI, an online real‐time phase mapping system was used to detect the location of rotors with critical nonpassively activated ratios (%NPs) of ≧50% in each left atrial (LA) segment, and high‐DFs of ≧7 Hz were simultaneously mapped. After restoring sinus rhythm, low‐voltage areas (LVAs < 0.5 mV) were mapped using the Advisor HD grid catheter (HDG).

Results

Sixty‐four of 66 (97%) AF patients had minimum to mild LVAs regardless of an enlarged LAD and LA volume (45 ± 6.0 mm and 141 ± 29 ml). There were no significant differences in the max and mean DF values and %NPs between the patients with and without recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias. However, there was a significant difference in the LVA/LA surface area between the patients with and without recurrent atrial tachyarrhythmias (p = .004). Atrial tachyarrhythmia freedom was significantly greater in those with LVAs of ≤3.3% than in those >3.3% after one procedure over 11.6 ± 0.8 months of follow‐up (77.1% vs. 33.3%, p < .001). In a multivariate analysis, the LVA/LA surface area after the PVI (HR 1.079; CI, 1.025–1.135, p = .003) was an independent predictor of AF recurrence.

Conclusions

The predictor of atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence after the PVI was LVAs rather than DFs and rotors in nonparoxysmal AF patients.
Evaluation of algal active compounds as potent antibiofilm agent
Authors: Nag Moupriya , Lahiri Dibyajit , Dey Ankita , Sarkar Tanmay , Joshi Sanket , Ray Rina R.
Published: December 2021

Biofilm is the syntrophic association of microbial colonies that remain adhered to the biotic and abiotic surfaces with the help of self‐secreted polymeric substances also termed extracellular polymeric substances. Chronic pathogenicity caused by biofilm‐associated pathogenic microorganisms becomes a significant threat in biomedical research. An extensive search is being made for the antibiofilm agents made from natural sources or their biogenic derivatives due to their effectivity and nontoxicity. Algae being the producer of various biogenic substances are found capable of disintegrating biofilm matrix and eradication of biofilm without exerting any deterrent effect on other biotas in the ecosystem. The current trend in phycological studies includes the exploration of antifouling efficacy among various algal groups. The extracts prepared from about 225 microalgae and cyanobacteria species are found to have antibiofilm activity. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are the most important component in the algal extract with antibacterial and antibiofilm properties. The antibiofilm activity of the sulfated polysaccharides extracted from a marine alga could be effectively used to remove dental biofilm. Algal extracts are also being used for the preparation of different biogenically synthesized nanoparticles, which are being used as potent antibiofilm agents. Genome editing of algal species by CRISPR/Cas9 may make precise modifications in the algal DNA for improving the algal strains and production of a more effective antibiofouling agent.
Study of Different Natural Dyes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell
Authors: Nagde Kalpana R.
Published: December 2021

In this paper extract of pomegranate, beet root and black berry are used to study the performance of these dyes on the DSSCs. The UV‐vis spectra of natural dyes suggest that pomegranate and blackberry have a better absorptive capacity at 300–550 nm, which is attributed to higher concentration of pigment with anthocyanin. From the overall study of natural dyes, it is observed that the blackberry exhibits optimal performance and power conversion efficiency reaches up to 0.160% due to higher absorption coefficient as compared to other natural dyes under study.
Synthesis of Bioactive 1,4‐DHPs Using Sulfated Tin Oxide as an Efficient Solid Superacid Catalyst
Authors: Kagne Raju , Niwadange Sandeep , Kalalawe Virbhadra , Khansole Gopinath , Munde Dashrath
Published: December 2021

A novel synthetic approach is formulated for the synthesis of 1,4‐dihydropyridine derivatives via one pot condensation of aromatic aldehydes, β‐keto esters, and ammonium hydroxide by using prepared STO as solid super acid heterogenous catalyst in ethanol at reflux condition. The synthesized sulfated tin oxide is confirmed by FTIR, XRD, and SEM EDX. The surface area of the catalyst is measured using BET plots. The reactions are optimized for different solvents and loading of catalyst. The yields of all 1,4‐dihydropyridine derivatives are observed in the range of 80–92%. All the synthesized DHPs are authenticated by spectral analysis. The use of environmentally benign catalyst, good atom economy, low cost and ease of work up makes this exercise efficient and sustainable.
Influence of Zinc Doped Structural Properties of Nano‐MgFe2O4 Ferrites Synthesized by Co‐Precipitation Method
Authors: Vishwarup Rakesh , Kulkarni Akshay B. , Manohara S. R. , Mathad Shridhar N.
Published: December 2021

Mg‐Zn ferrites are a class of soft magnetic materials that possess very good structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. Mg‐Zn ferrites are prepared by eco‐friendly co‐precipitation method at relatively low temperature. Formation of spinel cubic ferrite is confirmed by using x‐ray diffraction studies and lattice parameters of the samples ranging from 8.323–8.361A°. Detailed staple parameters like lattice constant, crystallite‐size, x‐ray density, bond length, inter‐ionic distance are determined employing XRD data. The W‐H plot and Size‐Strain plots are extensively studied and the results are compared. SEM analysis furnishes surface morphology and grain size (in the range 3.7–4.3 µm) of particles of Mg‐Zn samples.
Complete Micro‐Structural Analysis and Elastic Properties of Sm3+‐Doped Ni‐Mn‐Zn Mixed Spinel Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: More Vikram , Kadam Sanskruti , Kadam Supriya , Wadgane Santosh , Kadam Ramkrishna , Alone Suresh
Published: December 2021

A series of Ni‐Mn‐Zn mixed spinel ferrite doped with Sm3+ ions is prepared by using sol‐gel auto‐combustion technique. Single phase cubic spinel structure of all the samples is confirmed by using XRD analysis. Incorporation of Sm3+ ions in Ni‐Mn‐Zn ferrites increases the lattice parameter from 8.4105 to 8.4134 Å. Williamson – Hall (W‐H) and strain size plot (SSP) analysis confirms the tensile‐type strain induced in the crystal lattice, which increases with the addition of Sm3+ ions. Average crystallite size estimated from Scherrer equation is found in the range 21.7–24.9 nm, which in good agreement with the results obtained from W‐H and SSP analysis. Infrared spectra recorded in the range 350–800 cm−1 reveals the characteristic features of spinel ferrites. Higher frequency band ν1 is observed near 580 cm−1 and lower frequency band ν2 is observed near 380 cm−1. By using the IR data, elastic constant (stiffness constant) and elastic moduli (Young's modulus, bulk modulus, and rigidity modulus) are estimated. Debye temperature obtained from Anderson formula ranging from 535 to 562 K and from Waldron equation ranging from 676 to 713 K with the substitution of Sm3+ ions.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Activity of NiO Nanoflowers
Authors: Bodhankar Pradnya M. , Jadhav Sapna , Sarawade Pradip B.
Published: December 2021

The sustainable development of pollution‐free technologies for environmental remediation has concerned significant attraction due to rapid growth of industrialization. Herein, synthesis of nanoflower‐like NiO porous nanostructures prepared from different nickel precursors by solvothermal method in combination with calcination treatment is reported. The obtained porous NiO‐Ac (prepared from nickel acetate) and NiO‐S (prepared from nickel sulfate) nanostructures are analyzed by a powder X‐ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and BET to determine their structure, morphology, and surface area. Photocatalytic measurement of NiO‐Ac and NiO‐S demonstrates that, these nanostructures show excellent photo degradation behavior toward methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet radiation. About 85% of MB in 100 min is removed using NiO‐S nanostructured catalyst. Compared with NiO‐Ac, the porous NiO‐S nanoflowers exhibit higher photocatalytic activity due to their large surface area (100.79 m2 g−1) and smaller band gap (3.0 eV).
Thermal, Electrical, and Sensing Properties of Recycled HDPE/Carbonaceous Industrial Waste Composites
Authors: NK Sajeel , Mohammad Houkan , Kannan Karthik , Saleh Mohammed Ismail , Sadasivuni Kishor Kumar
Published: December 2021

This work is an endeavor to contemplate a value‐added conductive plastic composite material derived as recycled plastic depending on polyethylene (PE)/carbon black (CB). We choose to add CB as a filler material to enhance the electrical conductivity as well as other properties associated with the composite. The solution mixing method is adopted to develop this composite where the consequences of CB loadings on various parameters like processability, morphology, and thermal stability of the composites are examined. The perceived better filler–matrix interaction and filler dispersion observed in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is the underlying reason behind the improved properties. The thermal conductivity of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) with 90 wt% CB is 2.25 W mK−1. Electrical conductivity increases with the increasing amount of the CB loading. The electrical conductivity of 60 wt% CB is 1 × 10−5 S cm−1. Electrical, thermal, and dielectric studies of the prepared plastic composite material will be studied.
Investigation of Super‐Capacitive Properties of Nanocrystalline Copper‐Zinc (Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) Ferrite Nanoparticles
Authors: Kharat Prashant B. , Somvanshi Sandeep B. , Somwanshi Saurabh B. , Mopari Anuja M.
Published: December 2021

A comparative study is made between the structure and electrochemical properties of Copper‐Zinc (Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) ferrite nanoparticles prepared by chemical co‐precipitation. The obtained ferrites are characterized by FT‐IR, XRD, BET, and SEM techniques. The single‐phase cubic formation of Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nano ferrites without any impurity peaks is confirmed by XRD analysis. FT‐IR spectrum exposes the occurrence of vibrating modes analogous to the cubic‐spinel ferrite structure of Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nano ferrites. The magnetic hysteresis curve displays the superparamagnetic nature of the Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nano ferrites. The electrochemical properties of obtained ferrites are studied using cyclic voltammetry, charge‐discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The as‐synthesized Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 sample acts as an excellent electrode material in a supercapacitor with a high specific capacitance energy density and a power density.
Layered Polyaniline–Manganese Oxide Nanocomposite Electrode Material for Supercapacitor Application
Authors: Kadam Snehal L. , Ingole Rahul S. , Tiwari Nidhi , Kulkarni Shrinivas
Published: December 2021

In the present research work, layered nanocomposite of polyaniline–manganese oxide (PANI/MnO2) electrodes is synthesized using the potentiostatic electrodeposition method. The structural and morphological properties of the nanocomposite electrode materials are tested using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) techniques. The XRD analysis shows the amorphous nature of the electrode material. The FE‐SEM micrographs show porous morphology. The supercapacitive properties are investigated using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge‐discharge, cyclic stability, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte. The layered nanocomposites show maximum values of specific capacitance which is 582 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1. The synergistic effect of layered nanocomposite leads to enhancement in the supercapacitive performance than the pristine electrode.
Comparative Studies on Synthetic Strategies for the Growth of CuO Nanostructures and Their Significant Impact on Supercapacitive Performance
Authors: Yadav Suhasini J. , Pawale Rohan S. , Bobhate Pradip A. , Gonugade Madhuri D. , Gurav RutujaN. , Tarwal N. L. , Kim Jin H. , Gurav Kishor V.
Published: December 2021

The copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures are synthesized by various simple and cost‐effective chemical methods. The morphology of metal oxide nanostructures depends on the synthetic strategy. The electrochemical behavior primarily depends on the morphology of the electrode. The significant impact of synthetic strategy on the structural, morphological, and subsequently on the supercapacitive performance of CuO nanostructures is studied. The chemical bath deposition (CBD) leads to well defined growth of 1D nanostructures, while the intermittent growth process (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction, SILAR) leads to nanoparticulate morphology. CBD grown CuO nanorods have shown comparatively higher capacitance (207 F g−1) than CuO nanoparticles (147 F g−1) at current density of 2 A g−1.
Effect of carbon nanotubes reinforcement on eigenmodes of multi‐smart core sandwich composite cylindrical shell panels
Authors: Shankar A. N. , Murali Krishna S. M. , Chebolu Rohinikumar , K. S. Singholi Ajay , Singh Rasmeet , Rajeshkumar S.
Published: December 2021

This study investigates the dynamic responses of carbon nanotubes (CNT) reinforced composite sandwich shells with multi magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) core. The CNT reinforced composite skin layers are made by using hand layup technique. An experimental modal test has been carried for with and without CNT reinforced composite cylindrical shells under clamped free condition. The 3D finite element model is verified by comparing the obtained natural frequencies with experimental results. The numerical results indicate that the CNT reinforced composite multi‐MRE cylindrical sandwich shell greatly influences the natural frequencies compared with single‐MRE cylindrical sandwich shell. The effect of many parameters on the natural frequencies of the CNT reinforced composite multi‐MRE cylindrical sandwich shells is also discussed, including the weight percent of CNT, magnetic fields, and support conditions.
Vibrational analysis of glass/ramie fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composite
Authors: Thiyagu Chenniappan , Narendrakumar Uttamchand
Published: December 2021

Natural fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composites have gained extensive applications in recent decades owing to their damping, low density, biodegradability, and low‐cost benefits. This research explores the impact of the surface treatment, and the number of ramie fiber layers on the vibrational and mechanical characteristics of a glass/ramie fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composite. The composite is made of outer layer (glass fiber) and inner layer (ramie fiber) at different concentrations (varying between 2, 3, and 4). The ramie was pre‐treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at different weight percentages (1%, 2%, and 5%). The composites have been fabricated using the vacuum bag technique. The composites have been characterized for chemical, mechanical, morphological, and free vibrational analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope have been used to study the chemical characteristics and morphological study of the composites respectively. The mechanical properties of the composite were evaluated through tensile and flexural testing. The hybrid composite reinforced with two layers of ramie fiber as the core with 2% pre‐treated shows the maximum tensile strength of 120 MPa and flexural modulus of 12,147 MPa. Overall, the hybridization and NaOH pre‐treatment to certain ratio helps in increase in the hybrid composite's mechanical strength compared to the natural fiber composite.
Double mutations far from the active site affect cold activity in an Antarctic halophilic β‐galactosidase
Authors: Laye Victoria J. , DasSarma Shiladitya
Published: December 2021

The Antarctic haloarchaeon, Halorubrum lacusprofundi, contains a polyextremophilic family 42 β‐galactosidase, which we are using as a model for cold‐active enzymes. Divergent amino acid residues in this 78 kDa protein were identified through comparative genomics and hypothesized to be important for cold activity. Six amino acid residues were previously mutated and five were shown by steady‐state kinetic analysis to have altered temperature‐dependent catalytic activity profiles via effects on Km and/or kcat compared to the wild‐type enzyme. In this follow‐up study, double‐mutated enzymes were constructed and tested for temperature effects, including two new tandem residue pairs (N180T/A181T and T383A/S384A), and pairwise combination of the single residue mutations (N251D, F387L, I476V, and V482L). All double‐mutated enzymes were found to be more catalytically active at moderate and/or less active at colder temperatures than wild‐type, with both Km and kcat effects observed for the two tandem mutations. For pairwise combinations, a Km effect was seen when the surface exposed F387L mutation located in a domain A TIM barrel α helix 19 Å from the active site was combined with two internal residues, N251D or V482L. When another surface exposed mutation I476V located in a coiled region of domain B 25 Å from the active site was paired with N251D or V482L, a kcat effect was observed. These results indicate that temperature‐dependent kinetic effects may be complex and subtle and are mediated by a combination of a small number of residues distant from the active site via changes to the hydration shell and/or perturbation of internal packing.
C‐POOL: A scheme for modelling convective cold pools in the Met Office Unified Model
Authors: Rooney Gabriel G. , Stirling Alison J. , Stratton Rachel A. , Whitall Michael
Published: December 2021

A new parametrization scheme representing the lifecycle and effects of convective cold pools (C‐POOL) is presented. The scheme comprises a column‐crossing prognostic model of the initiation by downdraughts, interaction and decay of cold pools, based upon approximations taken from similarity modelling of gravity currents. The prognostic variables are drawn upon to feed back into the convection parametrization scheme. These feedbacks affect the convective diagnosis, initiation from the boundary layer, parcel ascent and entrainment. Tests of the model show that it improves representation of the diurnal cycle of tropical rainfall, previously well‐known as a weakness of parametrized convection.
Mapping of soil organic carbon using machine learning models: Combination of optical and radar remote sensing data
Authors: Zhou Yang , Zhao Xiaomin , Guo Xi , Li Yi
Published: December 2021

Soil organic C (SOC) plays an important role in soil quality. Thus, it is of great significance to know the spatial distribution characteristics of SOC. Environmental variables, such as natural predictors, remote sensing (RS) variables, and digital soil mapping approaches have been widely used in SOC prediction. However, it is still challenging to determine which methods and variables are effective to map SOC in farmland. In this study, we compare the performance of three machine learning models, including random forest, Cubist, and the support vector machine model for the prediction of SOC contents using RS variables, topographic variables, climate variables, soil property variables, and spatial position variables as environmental covariates. The recursive feature elimination (RFE) technique was used to select optimal variables. Of the 130 sampling sites of the cultivated layer that were collected in Shanggao county, 70% of the data were used for training and 30% for validation. Prediction accuracy and uncertainty was quantified using the bootstrap approach with 100 iterations. The performance of the model was verified by the mean absolute error, RMSE, R2, and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC); the SD was used as a measure of prediction uncertainty. Results showed that the Cubist model combined with the RFE method (Cubist_RFE) had a mean R2, RMSE, and SD of .84, 2.39 g kg–1, and 0.73 g kg–1, respectively, which showed the highest prediction accuracy and the lowest uncertainty. The soil property variables (soil alkaline hydrolysis N and pH) and RS variables (soil adjusted vegetation index, enhanced vegetation index, and band7 of Sentinel‐2) were the controlling factors of SOC prediction. Thus, the results indicate the potential of the Cubist model in SOC prediction, and the combination of the optical and radar RS data is a viable way for predicting SOC.
The CEO beauty premium: Founder CEO attractiveness and firm valuation in initial coin offerings
Authors: Colombo Massimo G. , Fisch Christian , Momtaz Paul P. , Vismara Silvio
Published: December 2021

Research summary

We apply insights from research in social psychology and labor economics to the domain of entrepreneurial finance and investigate how founder chief executive officers' (founder CEOs') facial attractiveness influences firm valuation. Leveraging the novel context of initial coin offerings (ICOs), we document a pronounced founder CEO beauty premium, with a positive relationship between founder CEO attractiveness and firm valuation. We find only very limited evidence of stereotype‐based evaluations, through the association of founder CEO attractiveness with latent traits such as competence, intelligence, likeability, or trustworthiness. Rather, attractiveness seems to bear economic value per se, especially in a context in which investors base their decisions on a limited information set. Indeed, attractiveness has a sustainable effect on post‐ICO performance.

Managerial summary

ICOs allow ventures to collect funding from investors using blockchain technology. We leverage this novel funding context, in which information on the ventures and their future prospects is scarce, to empirically investigate whether the founder CEOs' physical attractiveness is associated with increased funding (i.e., amount raised) and post‐funding performance (i.e., buy‐and‐hold returns). We find that ventures with more attractive founder CEOs outperform ventures with less attractive CEOs in both dimensions. For ICO investors, this suggests that ICOs of firms with more attractive founder CEOs are more appealing investment targets. Our findings are also interesting for startups seeking external finance in uncertain contexts, such as ICOs. If startups can appoint attractive leaders, they may have better access to growth capital.
Activity and Stability of Cu‐Based Spinel‐Type Complex Oxides for Diesel Soot Combustion
Authors: Zhang Fei , Zhu Xinbo , Wu Hanpeng , Wu Xiqiang , Zhou Zijian , Chen Geng , Yang Guohua
Published: December 2021

A series of Cu‐based spinel‐type complex oxides (CuB2O4, B=Fe, Mn, Co and Cr) was synthesized via sol‐gel method for soot combustion. The soot combustion was accelerated in the presence of all prepared CuB2O4 catalysts compared to that without catalyst. The CuCo2O4 catalyst exhibited the best catalytic activity, with the soot combustion temperatures T10, T50 and T90 of 480 °C, 539 °C and 569 °C, respectively. XRD patterns showed that the catalysts were mainly in spinel phase. The H2‐TPR, XPS and O2‐TPD characterizations revealed that the interactions between cobalt and copper led to higher content of the Cu+ species, better redox properties and abundant adsorbed oxygen species than the other three catalysts, which contributed to soot combustion. In addition, the catalytic activity of the CuCo2O4 catalysts on soot combustion were facilitated in the presence of NO, while water vapor inhibited the catalytic activity. Besides, the cycle tests clarified that CuCo2O4 catalyst exhibited good stability.
Valorization of a CO2‐Derived Lactone by Acyclic Diene Metathesis Polymerization
Authors: Mulchandani Neha , Masutani Kazunari , Sakurai Shinichi , Kimura Yoshiharu , Katiyar Vimal
Published: December 2021

The exploitation of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock for the chemical processes has been an evasive venture due to its thermodynamic stability. The synthesis of highly functionalized metastable δ‐lactone (3‐ethylidene‐6‐vinyltetrahydro‐2H‐pyran‐2‐one) was reported in 1970s which is formed by the condensation of CO2 and 1,3‐butadiene in the presence of palladium catalyst. Several attempts have been made to utilize the intermediate for the polymerization processes, however, only a few have been successful. Here, we report a novel mechanism of metathesis polymerization of the metastable monomer by the action of a transition metal carbene complex (Hoveyda Grubb's II generation catalyst) to yield a new class of materials. The reaction mechanism for the polymerization has been proposed and substantiated by nuclear magnetic spectroscopic analysis. The obtained polymeric species consist of a complex unit structure where the cyclic lactone groups are connected by the olefin groups in different combinations.
Some Aspects of 4H‐Pyrans Synthesis Based on 4‐Chloro‐1‐ethyl‐1H‐benzo[c][1,2]thiazine‐3‐carbaldehyde 2,2‐dioxide: Antimicrobial Activity of the Compounds Synthesized
Authors: Kolodyazhna Tatiana I. , Lega Dmitry A. , Suikov Sergei Yu. , Kyrylchuk Andrey A. , Vovk Mykhaylo V. , Chernykh Valentine P. , Shemchuk Leonid A.
Published: December 2021

A three‐component interaction of 4‐chloro‐1‐ethyl‐1H‐benzo[c][1,2]thiazine‐3‐carbaldehyde 2,2‐dioxide with malononitrile and enol nucleophiles of heterocyclic nature has been studied. Depending on the nature of an enol nucleophile this reaction can lead either to heterocyclic ensemble of σ‐linked 4‐chloro‐1‐ethyl‐1H‐benzo[c][1,2]thiazine 2,2‐dioxide and 2‐amino‐4H‐pyran rings or condensed tetracyclic derivatives containing a new heterocyclic core of 7,10‐dihydro‐5H‐benzo[c]pyrazolo[4′,3′:5,6]pyrano[2,3‐e][1,2]thiazine 6,6‐dioxide. The same result was obtained in the case of two‐component approach involving 2‐((4‐chloro‐1‐ethyl‐2,2‐dioxido‐1H‐benzo[c][1,2]thiazin‐3‐yl)methylene)malononitrile. The structure of the tetracyclic derivatives has been confirmed by 2D NMR experiments. A plausible mechanism of the three‐component interaction resulting in the two possible products has been proposed. The synthesized compounds were screened for in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities.
Use of real‐time artificial intelligence in detection of abnormal image patterns in standard sonographic reference planes in screening for fetal intracranial malformations
Authors: Lin M. , He X. , Guo H. , He M. , Zhang L. , Xian J. , Lei T. , Xu Q. , Zheng J. , Feng J. , Hao C. , Yang Y. , Wang N. , Xie H.
Published: December 2021

Objectives

To develop and validate an artificial intelligence system, the Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis Artificial Intelligence Conduct System (PAICS), to detect different patterns of fetal intracranial abnormality in standard sonographic reference planes for screening for congenital central nervous system (CNS) malformations.

Methods

Neurosonographic images from normal fetuses and fetuses with CNS malformations at 18–40 gestational weeks were retrieved from the databases of two tertiary hospitals in China and assigned randomly (ratio, 8:1:1) to training, fine‐tuning and internal validation datasets to develop and evaluate the PAICS. The system was built based on a real‐time convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm, You Only Look Once, version 3 (YOLOv3). An image dataset from a third tertiary hospital was used to further validate, externally, the performance of the PAICS and to compare its performance with that of sonologists with different levels of expertise. Furthermore, a prospective video dataset was employed to evaluate the performance of the PAICS in a real‐time scan scenario. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristics curve (AUC) were calculated to assess the performance of the PAICS and to compare this with the performance of sonologists with different levels of experience.

Results

In total, 43 890 images from 16 297 pregnancies and 169 videos from 166 pregnancies were used to develop and validate the PAICS. The system achieved excellent performance in identifying 10 types of intracranial image pattern, with macro‐ and microaverage AUCs, respectively, of 0.933 (95% CI, 0.798–1.000) and 0.977 (95% CI, 0.970–0.985) for the internal validation image dataset, 0.902 (95% CI, 0.816–0.989) and 0.898 (95% CI, 0.885–0.911) for the external validation image dataset and 0.969 (95% CI, 0.886–1.000) and 0.981 (95% CI, 0.974–0.988) in the real‐time scan setting. The performance of the PAICS was comparable to that of expert sonologists in terms of macro‐ and microaverage accuracy (P = 0.863 and P = 0.775, respectively), sensitivity (P = 0.883, P = 0.846) and AUC (P = 0.891, P = 0.788), but required significantly less time (0.025 s per image for PAICS vs 4.4 s for experts, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Both in the image dataset and in the real‐time scan setting, the PAICS achieved excellent diagnostic performance for various fetal CNS abnormalities. Its performance was comparable to that of experts, but it required less time. A CNN algorithm can be trained to detect fetal CNS abnormalities. The PAICS has the potential to be an effective and efficient tool in screening for fetal CNS malformations in clinical practice. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Thin thickness gilding determined by x‐rays ratios from EDXRF‐spectra
Authors: Cesareo Roberto , Lins Sergio A. B. , Ridolfi Stefano , Brunetti Antonio
Published: December 2021

A by‐product of energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF)‐analysis consists of using the ratios of selected X‐ray peaks to determine the thickness of multilayered objects. Three different methods were developed in the past, all because the two main K or L X‐lines from an EDXRF spectrum emitted by a chemical element have a distinct energy and are differently attenuated by an overlying layer. This specific subject has many papers dedicated, but only a few considerations were devoted to the limits of these methods, that is, the range, for example, of gold thickness that can be usefully determined by each method. This paper defines these limits in the specific case of thin gilding (with d < 1 μm). Three typical situations were considered, and the following artefacts were studied: two artefacts on gilded lead, where the gold leaf is superimposed to a white lead pigment, both in the painting “La Fornarina” of Raphael, dated 1520 AD, and in the imperial carriage of Dom Pedro II emperor of Brazil. In this last case, the white lead pigment was painted over the wood structure of the carriage; four artefacts on gilded copper, three crowns and a pendant, from the tomb of the Lady of Cao, from the Moche civilization of the North of Peru, dated around 350 AD; finally, an artefact on gilded silver, a vase from the Chavín civilization of the North of Peru, dated around 1000‐200 BC.
Kinematic distributions of the ηc leptoproduction in association with light hadrons
Authors: Zhang Hong-Fei , Mo Xue-Mei
Published: December 2021

Abstract

The ηc meson leptoproduction is calculated within the nonrelativistic QCD framework for the first time. It is found that the colour-singlet channel, although suppressed by a factor of αs relative to the colour-octet ones, provides important contribution for almost all the experimental conditions, which disagrees with some of the expectations before computation. We present the differential cross sections with respect to $$ {p}_t^2 $$

p
t
2

, $$ {p}_t^{\bigstar 2} $$

p
t

★
2

, Q2, W, and z, for both HERA and EIC experimental conditions as a reference for future studies. The scale dependence and long-distance-matrix-element dependence are also investigated in this paper.
Entwicklung und inhaltliche Validierung eines Fragebogens für funktionelle Bewegungsstörungen
Authors: Michaelis Rosa , Brüggemann Norbert , Ebersbach Georg , Ganos Christos , Münchau Alexander , Schmidt Tamara , Weißbach Anne , Schlegel Uwe , Popkirov Stoyan
Published: December 2021

Von Kriegszitterern zu Teenies mit TikTok-Tics – funktionelle Bewegungsstörungen galten lange als motorischer Ausdruck seelischer Turbulenzen. Tatsächlich werden psychodynamische Modelle jedoch zunehmend durch neurophysiologische Erkenntnisse ergänzt, sodass die Kombination von Psychotherapie mit spezialisierter Physiotherapie an Bedeutung gewinnt. Bislang existiert allerdings kein störungsspezifisches Ergebnismaß, welches patientenrelevante Aspekte dieser vielfältigen Störung adäquat abbildet. Ein erster derartiger Fragebogen wurde entwickelt und in einem mehrstufigen Entwicklungsprozess inhaltlich validiert. Relevanz und Verständlichkeit der Items wurden zuerst durch ein Expertengremium und anschließend durch betroffene Patienten evaluiert und entsprechend angepasst. Der so konstruierte Fragebogen erlaubt erstmals eine inhaltlich valide Quantifizierung der subjektiven Beschwerden und Auswirkungen funktioneller Bewegungsstörungen. Als Nächstes erfolgt eine multizentrische teststatistische Validierung.
Methodological quality of machine learning-based quantitative imaging analysis studies in esophageal cancer: a systematic review of clinical outcome prediction after concurrent chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Shi Zhenwei , Zhang Zhen , Liu Zaiyi , Zhao Lujun , Ye Zhaoxiang , Dekker Andre , Wee Leonard
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Studies based on machine learning-based quantitative imaging techniques have gained much interest in cancer research. The aim of this review is to critically appraise the existing machine learning-based quantitative imaging analysis studies predicting outcomes of esophageal cancer after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in accordance with PRISMA guidelines.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The citation search was performed via PubMed and Embase Ovid databases for literature published before April 2021. From each full-text article, study characteristics and model information were summarized. We proposed an appraisal matrix with 13 items to assess the methodological quality of each study based on recommended best-practices pertaining to quality.

Results

Out of 244 identified records, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. Study endpoints included prognosis, treatment response, and toxicity after concurrent chemoradiotherapy with reported discrimination metrics in validation datasets between 0.6 and 0.9, with wide variation in quality. A total of 30 studies published within the last 5 years were evaluated for methodological quality and we found 11 studies with at least 6 “good” item ratings.

Conclusion

A substantial number of studies lacked prospective registration, external validation, model calibration, and support for use in clinic. To further improve the predictive power of machine learning-based models and translate into real clinical applications in cancer research, appropriate methodologies, prospective registration, and multi-institution validation are recommended.
Grading der Tumorregression gastrointestinaler Karzinome nach neoadjuvanter Therapie
Authors: Liu Drolaiz , Langer Rupert
Published: December 2021

Prä- oder perioperative Chemo- oder Radiochemotherapie und anschließende Resektion ist die Standardtherapie von lokal fortgeschrittenem Ösophagus‑, Magen- und Rektumkarzinom. Eine Tumorregressionsgraduierung (TRG, auch Tumorregressionsgrad) kategorisiert das Ausmaß der regressiven Veränderungen nach neoadjuvanter Behandlung. Für gastrointestinale Karzinome existieren mehrere TRG-Systeme, die sich entweder auf das Ausmaß der therapieinduzierten Fibrose im Verhältnis zum Resttumor oder den geschätzten Anteil des Resttumors im Bereich des ehemaligen Tumorareals beziehen. Ein ideales TRG-System zeigt eine signifikante Interobserverübereinstimmung und bietet relevante prognostische Informationen – in den meisten Fällen ist eine vollständige oder nahezu vollständige Regression nach neoadjuvanter Therapie mit verbesserter Prognose verbunden. In diesem Review werden die am häufigsten verwendeten TRG-Systeme für gastrointestinale Karzinome vorgestellt und diskutiert. Zudem werden aktuelle Punkte wie die Standardisierung der Angabe von TRGs und die Thematik der Regression bei Lymphknotenmetastasen im Kontext eines TRG-Systems behandelt.
The need for tumor surveillance of children and adolescents with cancer predisposition syndromes: a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary-care children’s hospital
Authors: Huber Simon , Schimmel Mareike , Dunstheimer Désirée , Nemes Karolina , Richter Markus , Streble Joachim , Vollert Kurt , Walden Ulrike , Frühwald Michael C. , Kuhlen Michaela
Published: December 2021

Expert recommendations for the management of tumor surveillance in children with a variety of cancer predisposition syndromes (CPS) are available. We aimed (1) at identifying and characterizing children who are affected by a CPS and (2) at comparing current practice and consensus recommendations of the American Association for Cancer Research workshop in 2016. We performed a database search in the hospital information system of the University Children’s Hospital for CPS in children, adolescents, and young adults and complemented this by review of electronic patients’ charts. Between January 1, 2017, and December 3, 2019, 272 patients with 41 different CPS entities were identified in 20 departments (144 [52.9%] male, 128 [47.1%] female, median age 9.1 years, range, 0.4–27.8). Three (1.1%) patients died of non-malignancy-associated complications of the CPS; 49 (18.0%) patients were diagnosed with malignancy and received regular follow-up. For 209 (95.0%) of the remaining 220 patients, surveillance recommendations were available: 30/220 (13.6%) patients received CPS consultations according to existing consensus recommendations, 22/220 (10.0%) institutional surveillance approaches were not complying with recommendations, 84/220 (38.2%) patients were seen for other reasons, and 84/220 (38.2%) were not routinely cared for. Adherence to recommendations differed extensively among CPS entities.

Conclusion: The spectrum of CPS patients at our tertiary-care children’s hospital is manifold. For most patients, awareness of cancer risk has to be enhanced and current practice needs to be adapted to consensus recommendations. Offering specialized CPS consultations and establishing education programs for patients, relatives, and physicians may increase adherence to recommendations.

What is Known:

• A wide spectrum of rare syndromes manifesting in childhood is associated with an increased cancer risk.

• For many of these syndromes, expert recommendations for management and tumor surveillance are available, although based on limited evidence.

What is New:

• Evaluating current practice, our data attest significant shortcomings in tumor surveillance of children and adolescents with CPS even in a tertiary-care children’s hospital.

• We clearly advocate a systematic and consistent integration of tumor surveillance into daily practice.
Tight Bounds on the Expected Runtime of a Standard Steady State Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Oliveto Pietro S. , Sudholt Dirk , Witt Carsten
Published: December 2021

Recent progress in the runtime analysis of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) has allowed the derivation of upper bounds on the expected runtime of standard steady-state genetic algorithms (GAs). These upper bounds have shown speed-ups of the GAs using crossover and mutation over the same algorithms that only use mutation operators (i.e., steady-state EAs) both for standard unimodal (i.e., OneMax) and multimodal (i.e., Jump) benchmark functions. The bounds suggest that populations are beneficial to the GA as well as higher mutation rates than the default 1/n rate. However, making rigorous claims was not possible because matching lower bounds were not available. Proving lower bounds on crossover-based EAs is a notoriously difficult task as it is hard to capture the progress that a diverse population can make. We use a potential function approach to prove a tight lower bound on the expected runtime of the (2+1) GA for OneMax for all mutation rates c/n with $$c < 1.422$$

c
<
1.422

. This provides the last piece of the puzzle that completes the proof that larger population sizes improve the performance of the standard steady-state GA for OneMax for various mutation rates, and it proves that the optimal mutation rate for the (2+1) GA on OneMax is $$(\sqrt{97}-5)/(4n) \approx 1.2122/n$$

(

97

-
5
)

/

(
4
n
)

≈
1.2122
/
n

.