bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain signatures based on structural MRI: Classification for MCI, PMCI, and AD
Authors: Gonuguntla Venkateswarlu , Yang Ehwa , Guan Yi , Koo Bang‐Bon , Kim Jae‐Hun
Published: March 2022

Structural MRI (sMRI) provides valuable information for understanding neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) since it detects the brain's cerebral atrophy. The development of brain networks utilizing single imaging data—sMRI is an understudied area that has the potential to provide a network neuroscientific viewpoint on the brain. In this paper, we proposed a framework for constructing a brain network utilizing sMRI data, followed by the extraction of signature networks and important regions of interest (ROIs). To construct a brain network using sMRI, nodes are defined as regions described by the brain atlas, and edge weights are determined using a distance measure called the Sorensen distance between probability distributions of gray matter tissue probability maps. The brain signatures identified are based on the changes in the networks of disease and control subjects. To validate the proposed methodology, we first identified the brain signatures and critical ROIs associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), progressive MCI (PMCI), and Alzheimer's disease (AD) with 60 reference subjects (15 each of control, MCI, PMCI, and AD). Then, 200 examination subjects (50 each of control, MCI, PMCI, and AD) were selected to evaluate the identified signature patterns. Results demonstrate that the proposed framework is capable of extracting brain signatures and has a number of potential applications in the disciplines of brain mapping, brain communication, and brain network‐based applications.
Throwing caution to the wind: How hurricanes affect COVID‐19 spread
Authors: Tracey Marlon , Plemmons Alicia , Belasen Ariel
Published: March 2022

This study exploits the pathway of Hurricane Laura to assess its impact on the spread of COVID‐19. Using US hospital data on confirmed and suspected adult COVID‐19 cases, we find average daily cases per week rose by more than 12% primarily in tropical storm‐affected counties in subsequent weeks. We suspect the key mechanisms involve constraints on social distancing for two reasons. First, there is significant evidence of storm‐induced mobility. Second, lower income areas endured higher growth in hospital cases during the post‐hurricane period. These findings provide crucial insights for policy‐makers when designing natural disaster protocols to adjust for potential respiratory viral illnesses.
MicroRNA‐132 is overexpressed in fetuses with late‐onset fetal growth restriction
Authors: Morales‐Roselló José , Loscalzo Gabriela , García‐Lopez Eva María , García‐Gimenez José Luis , Perales‐Marín Alfredo
Published: March 2022

Background and Aims

To evaluate the expression of microRNA 132 (miR‐132) in fetuses with normal growth and in fetuses with late‐onset growth restriction (FGR).

Methods

In a prospective cohort study, 48 fetuses (24 with late‐onset FGR and 24 with normal growth) were scanned with Doppler ultrasound after 34 weeks to measure the umbilical artery and middle cerebral artery pulsatility indices and followed until birth. Subsequently, blood samples from the umbilical cord were collected to evaluate the expression of miR‐132 by means of Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, determining the existence of normality cut‐offs and associations with birth weight (BW) centile, cerebroplacental ratio multiples of the median (CPR MoM), and intrapartum fetal compromise (IFC).

Results

In comparison with normal fetuses, late‐onset FGR fetuses showed upregulation of miR‐132 (33.94 ± 45.04 vs. 2.88 ± 9.32 2−ddCt, p < 0.001). Using 5 as a cut‐off we obtained a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 96% for the diagnosis of FGR, while for IFC these values were respectively 27% and 73%. Expression of miR‐132 was associated with BW centile but not with CPR MoM. Finally, the best detection of IFC was achieved combining miR‐132 expression and CPR MoM (AUC = 0.69, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Fetuses with late‐onset FGR show upregulation of miR‐132. Further studies are needed to investigate the role of miR‐132 in the management of late‐onset FGR.
Sero‐prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 in certain cities of Kazakhstan
Authors: Smagul Manar , Esmagambetova Aizhan , Nusupbaeva Gauhar , Kirpicheva Ulyana , Kasabekova Lena , Nukenova Gauhar , Saliev Timur , Fakhradiyev Ildar , Tanabayeva Shynar , Zhussupov Baurzhan
Published: March 2022

Background and Aims

Seroprevalence studies are needed to determine the cumulative prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and to develop pandemic mitigation strategies. Despite the constant monitoring and surveillance, the true level of infection in the population of Kazakhstan remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the sero‐prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 in the main cities of Kazakhstan.

Methods

The research was conducted as a cluster‐randomized cross‐sectional national household study in three cities of Kazakhstan. The study covered the period: from October 24, 2020, to January 11, 2021. A total of 5739 people took part in the study. All participants agreed to be tested for antibodies to IgM/IgG. Demographic characteristics were analyzed. The presence of symptoms of respiratory diseases and the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing were determined. The antibodies to the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus were detected using the method of enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results

There was significant geographic variability with a higher prevalence of IgG/IgM antibodies to SARS‐CoV‐2 in Almaty 57.0%, in Oskemen 60.7% than in Kostanay 39.4%. There were no significant differences in prevalence between men and women (p ≥ 0.05). In Almaty, only 19% of participants with antibodies reported the presence of respiratory symptoms during a pandemic. At the same time, the percentage of patients with antibodies who had respiratory symptoms was 36% in Oskemen and 27% in Kostanay.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that despite reasonable level of seroprevalence, the country has not yet reached the baseline minimum of herd immunity scores. The prevalence estimates for asymptomatic or subclinical forms of the disease ranged from 64% to 81%. Thus, given that almost half of the population of Kazakhstan remains vulnerable, the importance of preventive strategies such as social distancing, the use of medical masks, and vaccination to protect the population from the transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 is highly critical.
Influences of Soret and Dufour numbers on mixed convective and chemically reactive Casson fluids flow towards an inclined flat plate
Authors: Ramzan Muhammad , Saeed Anwar , Kumam Poom , Ahmad Zubair , Junaid Muhammad S. , Khan Dolat
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection Casson fluid flow over an inclined flat plate along with the heat source/sink. The present flow problem is considered under the assumption of the chemical reaction and thermal radiation impacts along with heat and mass transport. The leading nonlinear partial differential equations of the flow problem were renovated into the nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs) with the assistance of appropriate similarity transformations and then we solved these ODEs with the employment of the bvp4c technique using the computational software MATLAB. The consequences of numerous leading parameters such as thermophoretic parameter, local temperature Grashof number, solutal Grashof number, suction parameter, magnetic field parameter, Prandtl number, chemical reaction parameter, Dufour number, Soret number, angle of inclination, radiation parameter, heat source/sink, and Casson parameter on the fluid velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles are discoursed upon  and presented through different graphs. Some important key findings of the present investigation are that the temperature of the Casson fluid becomes lower for local temperature Grashof number and solutal Grashof number. It is initiated that the Casson fluid parameter increases the velocity of the fluid whereas the opposite effect is noticed in the temperature profile. Higher estimation of Prandtl number and magnetic parameter elevated the Casson fluid concentration. Finally, the skin friction coefficient, Nusselt number, and Sherwood number are calculated and tabulated. It is also examined that the Nusselt number is weakened for both the Dufour number and Soret number but the skin fraction coefficient is greater for both the Dufour number and Soret number.
An integrated analysis of hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy‐related cell sequencing outcomes via genes network construction
Authors: Zhou Hong‐Su , Chen Ting‐Bao
Published: March 2022

Hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is one of the main causes of morbidity and severe neurological deficits in neonates. This study aimed to find core genes and their potential roles in HIE with the help of single‐cell sequencing (SCS) technology and genes network construction. We collected and screened an HIE genes data set from the Pubmed database to analyze differential expression, and the differential values of genes were ≥3 or ≤−3 in gene expression. We constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network by the string, which was also verified by Cytoscape 3.8.2. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to determine the characteristics and pathways of the core genes. We examined two meaningful papers and integrated all genes by SCS, which were classified into 12,093 genes without duplicates, 217 shared genes, and 11,876 distinct genes. Among 217 genes, the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family was the most targeted gene in the PPI network. Moreover, Gene Ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genome analysis showed that the process in response to virus and the JAK‐STAT signaling pathway play significant roles in HIE. We also found that 54 screened genes were highly expressed, while three genes (B2M, VIM, and MRPS30) were different in the heat map and differential genes expression exhibition. VIM, as an essential portion of the brain's cytoskeleton, is closely linked to STAT and neurologic development. From the findings of SCS and bioinformatics predictive analytics model, our outcomes provided a better understanding of the roles of STAT, the JAK‐STAT signaling pathway, and VIM, which can pave an alternative avenue for further studies on HIE progression.
Extracellular vesicles released by steatotic hepatocytes alter adipocyte metabolism
Authors: Mleczko J.E. , Royo F. , Samuelson I. , Clos‐Garcia M. , Williams C. , Cabrera D. , Azparren‐Angulo M. , Gonzalez E. , Garcia‐Vallicrosa C. , Carobbio S. , Rodriguez‐Cuenca S. , Azkargorta M. , van Liempd S. , Elortza F. , Vidal‐Puig A. , Mora S. , Falcon‐Perez J.M.
Published: March 2022

The composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is altered in many pathological conditions, and their molecular content provides essential information on features of parent cells and mechanisms of crosstalk between cells and organs. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of clinical manifestations including obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, we investigated the crosstalk between liver and adipocytes by characterizing EVs secreted by primary hepatocytes isolated from Zucker rat model, and studied the effect they have on 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. We found that steatotic hepatocytes secrete EVs with significantly reduced exosomal markers in comparison with their lean counterpart. Moreover, proteomic analysis revealed that those EVs reflect the metabolic state of the parent cell in that the majority of proteins upregulated relate to fat metabolism, fatty acid synthesis, glycolysis, and pentose phosphate pathway. In addition, hepatocytes‐secreted EVs influenced lipolysis and insulin sensitivity in recipient 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. Untargeted metabolomic analysis detected alterations in different adipocyte metabolic pathways in cells treated with hepatic EVs. In summary, our work showed that steatosis has a significant impact in the amount and composition of EVs secreted by hepatocytes. Moreover, our data point to the involvement of hepatic‐EVs in the development of pathologies associated with MetS.
A counterexample to the lights out problem
Authors: Nagy János , Pach Péter Pál
Published: March 2022

In this note we present a counterexample to the “lights out problem”, that is, for every odd prime we construct a simple graph with vertex set such that there does not exist elements such that for each . On the other hand, in the positive direction, we show that if a certain quadratic form  is associated to the graph and the prime is positive definite, then the conjecture holds.
Magnetic Resonance Elastography of Intervertebral Discs: Spin‐Echo Echo‐Planar Imaging Sequence Validation
Authors: Co Megan , Dong Huiming , Boulter Daniel J. , Nguyen Xuan V. , Khan Safdar N. , Raterman Brian , Klamer Brett , Kolipaka Arunark , Walter Benjamin A.
Published: March 2022

Background

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an imaging technique that can noninvasively assess the shear properties of the intervertebral disc (IVD). Unlike the standard gradient recalled echo (GRE) MRE technique, a spin‐echo echo‐planar imaging (SE‐EPI) sequence has the potential to improve imaging efficiency and patient compliance.

Purpose

To validate the use of an SE‐EPI sequence for MRE of the IVD compared against the standard GRE sequence.

Study Type

Cross‐over.

Subjects

Twenty‐eight healthy volunteers (15 males and 13 females, age range: 19–55).

Field Strength/Sequence

3 T; GRE, SE‐EPI with breath holds (SE‐EPI‐BH) and SE‐EPI with free breathing (SE‐EPI‐FB) MRE sequences.

Assessment

MRE‐derived shear stiffnesses were calculated via principal frequency analysis. SE‐EPI derived shear stiffness and octahedral shear strain signal‐to‐noise ratios (OSS‐SNR) were compared against those derived using the GRE sequence. The reproducibility and repeatability of SE‐EPI stiffness measurements were determined. Shear stiffness was evaluated in the nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) regions of the disc. Scan times between sequences were compared.

Statistical Tests

Linear mixed models, Bland–Altman plots, and Lin's concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs) were used with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results

Good correlation was observed between shear stiffnesses derived from the SE‐EPI sequences with those derived from the GRE sequence with CCC values greater than 0.73 and 0.78 for the NP and AF regions, respectively. OSS‐SNR was not significantly different between GRE and SE‐EPI sequences (P > 0.05). SE‐EPI sequences generated highly reproducible and repeatable stiffness measurements with CCC values greater than 0.97 in the NP and AF regions and reduced scan time by at least 51% compared to GRE. SE‐EPI‐BH and SE‐EPI‐FB stiffness measurements were similar with CCC values greater than 0.98 for both regions.

Data Conclusion

SE‐EPI‐based MRE‐derived stiffnesses were highly reproducible and repeatable and correlated with current standard GRE MRE‐derived stiffness estimates while reducing scan times.

Level of Evidence

1

Technical Efficacy Stage

1
The relationship between spiritual leadership and human engineering among university employees: The mediating role of mindfulness
Authors: Mohammed Sanaa Mostafa Mohammed , El‐Ashram Reda Ebrahim Mohamed , Abosaif Mahmoud Sayed Ali
Published: March 2022

This study explores whether, and how, mindfulness mediates the relationship between spiritual leadership and human engineering. Based on data from a sample of 335 members of faculty and administrative staff from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia, the paper provides insights into how mindfulness affects the relationship between spiritual leadership and human engineering. The authors believe that it is the first time that mindfulness as a mediator in this relationship has been studied. They also believe that it is the first time such a study has been conducted in an Arab environment. By studying the relationship between spiritual leadership and human engineering, and by studying mindfulness as a mediating variable in this relationship in a non‐Western environment, the study expands the external validity of the notions of spiritual leadership and human engineering. The results indicate a significant relationship between spiritual leadership and human engineering, and show that mindfulness has an indirect effect on this relationship. The article highlights the implications for dealing with stress in the work environment by using mindfulness as a driver for developing spiritual leadership, as well as understanding and practicing the values of spiritual leadership in promoting spirituality.
Evaluation of oral anticoagulant prescribing patterns and associated hospital acquired complications – a single centre Australian study
Authors: Khalil Viviane
Published: March 2022

Background

Oral Anticoagulants (OACs) are widely prescribed for various chronic conditions. Inappropriate prescribing has been reported in various settings.

Aims

The primary aim of this study was to assess the proportion of inpatients who were prescribed OACs concordant with prescribing recommendations. The secondary aims were to assess predictors of inappropriate prescribing and evaluate the number of related hospital‐acquired complications (HAC).

Method

A retrospective audit was conducted in a multisite 650‐bed Australian Hospital from January to March 2019 to fulfil the study objectives. Consecutive patients who were discharged on OAC were included. Patients’ demographics, OAC prescribed and comorbidities data were collected. Appropriateness of OAC use was evaluated according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. HAC data were retrieved from the hospital coding unit from January to June 2019 to evaluate the impact of inappropriate OAC prescribing.

Results

A total of 322 patients were eligible to be included in the study. Of this cohort, 185 (57%) were prescribed appropriate therapy. There was a total of 78 HAC reported cases over the study period. Predictors of inappropriate prescribing included those with HASBLED scores > 3 (OR = 0.205 (0.127–0.331), p < 0.0001), discharged from surgical units (OR = 0.522 (0.312–0.875), p = 0.014) or prescribed warfarin (OR = 0.236 (0.106–0.524), p < 0.001). [Correction added on 19 April 2022: “CHA2DS2‐VASc > 3 (OR = 0.668 (0.426–1.049), p = 0.079),” was removed from before “HASBLED scores > 3…” in the preceding sentence.]

Conclusion

Inappropriate OAC prescribing is prevalent among inpatients. Strategies should be developed to assist clinicians to improve OAC prescribing in an evidence‐based approach.
Enhancing heterologous expression of a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of 2′‐fucosyllactose
Authors: Liu Wenxian , Tang Shizhe , Peng Jing , Pan Lina , Wang Jiaqi , Cheng Haina , Chen Zhu , Wang Yuguang , Zhou Hongbo
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

2′‐Fucosyllactose (2′‐FL) is the most abundant human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) in human milk and has important physiological functions. The market demand of 2′‐FL is continuing to grow, but high production cost has limited its availability. To solve the dilemma, biosynthesis of 2′‐FL has been proposed and is considered the most promising pathway for massive production. α‐1,2‐Fucosyltransferase is one of the key elements involved in its biosynthesis, but the limited intracellular accumulation and unstable properties of α‐1,2‐fucosyltransferases when expressed in host strains have become a major hurdle for the effective biosynthesis of 2′‐FL.

RESULTS

A combinatorial engineering strategy of synergic modification of ribosome binding site, fusion peptide and enzyme gene was leveraged to enhance the soluble expression of α‐1,2‐fucosyltransferases and promote enzyme activity. The preferable combination was to employ an optimized ribosome binding site region to drive 3 × FLAG as a fusion partner along with the α‐1,2‐fucosyltransferase for expression in Escherichia coli (DE3) PlySs, and protein yield and enzyme activity were remarkably improved by 11.51‐fold and 13.72‐fold, respectively.

CONCLUSION

After finely tuning the synergy among different elements, the abundant protein yield and high enzyme activity confirmed that the drawbacks of heterologous expression in α‐1,2‐fucosyltransferase had been properly addressed. A suitable external environment further drives the efficient synthesis of α‐1,2‐fucosyltransferases. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a systematic and effective modification of α‐1,2‐fucosyltransferase expression, which could potentially serve as a guideline for industrial application. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Diversity‐stability relationships in temperate grasslands as a function of soil pH
Authors: Liu Kai , Liu Zunchi , Zhou Nan , Shi Xinrong , Lock T. Ryan , Kallenbach Robert L. , Yuan Zhiyou
Published: March 2022

Diversity‐stability relationships in grasslands depend on the environment. Climate change and land degradation potentially alter soil pH and community stability within grassland environments, although it remains unclear how alteration in soil pH affects diversity‐stability relationships. From a three‐year experiment with acidification and alkalization treatments in three types of grasslands (i.e., desert, typical and meadow grasslands) in Northern China, we found that altered soil pH negatively impacted community biodiversity, especially in desert grasslands. Both soil acidification and alkalization reduced community stability in desert grasslands. Soil alkalization reduced community stability in typical grasslands. Altered soil pH did not affect community stability in meadow grasslands. The reduced community stability by soil acidification in desert grasslands could be attributed to the decreased dominant species stability, whereas the soil alkalization‐induced decline of community stability could be attributed to the reducing species asynchrony and dominant species stability. Our results suggest that soil pH‐mediated community stability is mainly driven by dominant species stability rather than diversity in desert grassland. Soil nutrients are affected by soil acidification and alkalization and varied among grasslands. Soil acidification enhanced nutrient availability and soil alkalization reduced soil total nutrients, both of which were negatively correlated with soil pH in desert grassland. Such changes in soil nutrients were associated with species asynchrony and then indirectly affected community stability, indicating the importance of soil nutrients in driving community stability. Our study suggests that drier grasslands might face greater stability risks and challenges than wetter grasslands under altered soil pH across spatial gradients of semiarid grasslands.
The fundamentals of sex‐based disparity in liver transplantation: Understanding can lead to change
Authors: Singh Noreen , Watt Kymberly D. , Bhanji Rahima A.
Published: March 2022

Liver transplantation (LT) is the definitive treatment for end‐stage liver disease. Unfortunately, women are disadvantaged at every stage of the LT process. We conducted a literature review to increase the understanding of this disparity. Hormonal differences, psychological factors, and Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score inequalities are some pretransplantation factors that contribute to this disparity. In the posttransplantation setting, women have differing risk than men in most major outcomes (perioperative complications, rejection, long‐term renal dysfunction, and malignancy) and assessing the two groups together is disadvantageous. Herein, we propose interventions including standardized criteria for LT referral, using an alternate MELD, education for support of women, and motivating women to seek living donors. Understanding sex‐based differences will allow us to improve access, tailor management, and improve overall outcomes for all patients, particularly women.
α‐Synuclein Radiotracer Development and In Vivo Imaging: Recent Advancements and New Perspectives
Authors: Alzghool Obada M. , van Dongen Guus , van de Giessen Elsmarieke , Schoonmade Linda , Beaino Wissam
Published: March 2022

α‐Synucleinopathies including idiopathic Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple systems atrophy share overlapping symptoms and pathological hallmarks. Selective neurodegeneration and Lewy pathology are the main hallmarks of α‐synucleinopathies. Currently, there is no imaging biomarker suitable for a definitive early diagnosis of α‐synucleinopathies. Although dopaminergic deficits detected with single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers can support clinical diagnosis by confirming the presence of dopaminergic neurodegeneration, dopaminergic imaging cannot visualize the preceding disease process, nor distinguish α‐synucleinopathies from tauopathies with dopaminergic neurodegeneration, especially at early symptomatic disease stage when clinical presentation is often overlapping. Aggregated α‐synuclein (αSyn) could be a suitable imaging biomarker in α‐synucleinopathies, because αSyn aggregation and therefore, Lewy pathology is evidently an early driver of α‐synucleinopathies pathogenesis. Additionally, several antibodies and small molecule compounds targeting aggregated αSyn are in development for therapy. However, there is no way to directly measure if or how much they lower the levels of aggregated αSyn in the brain. There is clearly a paramount diagnostic and therapeutic unmet medical need. To date, aggregated αSyn and Lewy pathology inclusion bodies cannot be assessed ante‐mortem with SPECT or PET imaging because of the suboptimal binding characteristics and/or physicochemical properties of current radiotracers. The aim of this narrative review is to highlight the suitability of aggregated αSyn as an imaging biomarker in α‐synucleinopathies, the current limitations with and lessons learned from αSyn radiotracer development, and finally to propose antibody‐based ligands for imaging αSyn aggregates as a complementary tool rather than an alternative to small molecule ligands. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson Movement Disorder Society.
A novel approach of boundary preservative apparel detection and classification of fashion images using deep learning
Authors: Murtaza Marryam , Sharif Muhammad , Yasmin Mussarat , Kadry Seifedine
Published: March 2022

Visual analysis of fashion images gain much attention in the fashion industry due to its commercial and social importance. In recent years, deep learning techniques offer overwhelming progress in improving the accuracy of fine‐grained apparel segmentation with accurate bounding box prediction. The baseline pixel‐based masking techniques show excellent performance in object detection and segmentation but sometimes ignores the boundary of objects, resulting in uneven and complicated segmentation masks. Moreover, it is time taking to generate a multi‐scale feature map against each anchor box. To remedy this problem, a more accurate, faster, and suitable deep learning architecture is proposed that accurately detects, classify, and performs fine‐grained segmentation of cloth products in a single platform. In this paper, initially, an Object Class Head Detector model is proposed in which the baseline Mask‐RCNN model is used as a reference model. Here, we replace the Region Proposal Network with the proposed modified YoloV2 model to locate apparel products with its class prediction. The modified YoloV2 model has more capability to detect tiny objects because of local and high‐level feature fusion. The goal of this step is to accurately locate the objects in minimum time intervals. Furthermore, the predicted bounding box is converted to object shape offsets using deep snake architecture that tightly fits onto the apparel shape. It can improve the accuracy of cloth shape segmentation by preserving object contours. The proposed architecture is empirically validated on various existing fashion image datasets. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed architecture performs better on the Deepfashion2 dataset with mAP of 86.86%, as compared to other state‐of‐the‐art deep learning models.
Quilting Power:Mana,UNESCOand Spiritual Sovereignty in the Marquesas Islands
Authors: Donaldson Emily C.
Published: March 2022

The Marquesas Islands were added to UNESCO's Tentative World Heritage List (WHL) in 1996. Twenty‐five years later, the project to join the coveted WHL continues, plagued by volatile politics and, more subtly, an underlying discomfort with the colonial past. This world heritage initiative highlights key cultural and political tensions between the Marquesas and the two much larger partners involved in the project: Tahiti and France. As a colonial territory of France and an outlying archipelago of French Polynesia, the Marquesas see WHL status as a step toward greater global recognition and power. Yet UNESCO's specific requirements for how heritage is defined, perceived, and promoted threaten to suppress more local, embodied, and relational understandings of Marquesan heritage, echoing long‐standing colonial patterns of social and religious oppression. In particular, the troubled relationship between Islanders and their past trivializes questions about whether to recognize colonial or Indigenous ruins, illustrating the lasting entanglement of these histories and the insidious workings of power across local, state and territorial scales. While the WHL initiative expresses both Indigenous and colonial ambitions, different parties are using the term ‘heritage’ as a political tool that either voices or, in some cases, silences, Indigenous interpretations. The underlying link between Marquesan heritage and agency points to the critical role of spiritual sovereignty in the tense and dynamic interplay of power in contemporary French Polynesia.
Design and fabrication of an electrochemical‐based nanofibrous immunosensor for detection of prostate cancer biomarker, PSMA
Authors: Rezaei Zahra , Alemzadeh Iran , Vossoughi Manouchehr
Published: March 2022

Convenient medical diagnostics and treatments can replace conventional healthcare procedures because of their fast and profitable applications with reduced infection risk. Meanwhile, early diagnosis of cancer is a leading research subject due to the high fatality rate of the disease and being a vital precursor in the treatment effectiveness. Electrochemical‐based micro‐biosensors are the best candidates for measuring particular biomarker concentrations in body fluids. To address this need, we used a simple fabrication approach to develop an effective immunosensor for the early detection of cancer, in particular prostate cancer. The carbon fibers, obtained from the electrospinning technique, decorate the sensor's working electrode. The available immobilization surface for antibodies doubled by taking advantage of carbon nanofibers. This modification would increase sensor sensitivity and simplify steps of immobilization. Furthermore, the prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) biomarker, a more reliable substitute for prostate‐specific antigen in prostate cancer diagnosis, was evaluated in cell culture media as a provisional model. Compared to other works, the present sensor uses more accessible materials and simple techniques. Still, it functions reasonably in the linear range of 10–200 ng/ml with the sensitivity of 22.1 pg/ml and detection limit of 9.5 ng/ml without the need for labeling or any other complicated processes. Specific sample concentrations were assessed with sensors and a commercial PSMA ELISA assay kit. According to obtained results, the present sensors have sufficient accuracy in PSMA detection.
Parametric investigation for mechanical properties of tetra‐anti‐chiral auxetic structures of polymer under compressive loading
Authors: Teraiya Soham , Vyavahare Swapnil , Kumar Shailendra
Published: March 2022

In the present work, an experimental investigation is performed to study the influence of process parameters on mechanical properties of tetra‐anti‐chiral auxetic structures manufactured by material extrusion (ME) technique of additive manufacturing (AM). Process parameters namely layer height, print speed, and print temperature are considered, while responses are compressive strength (), modulus (E), and specific energy absorption (SEA). Specimens of acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS) polymer are fabricated and then tested under compressive loading. From the experimental results, it is observed that all process parameters significantly influence the mechanical properties of the structure. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study microstructural defects of the tested specimen. To maximize the responses, optimization of process parameter is performed using desirability function approach. Regressive models are developed to predict the mechanical properties.
Advances in mass spectrometry‐based footprinting of membrane proteins
Authors: Sun Jie , Li Weikai , Gross Michael L.
Published: March 2022

Structural biology is entering an exciting time where many new high‐resolution structures of large complexes and membrane proteins (MPs) are determined regularly. These advances have been driven by over 15 years of technological improvements, first in macromolecular crystallography, and recently in cryo‐electron microscopy. Obtaining information about MP higher order structure and interactions is also a frontier, important but challenging owing to their unique properties and the need to choose suitable detergents/lipids for their study. The development of mass spectrometry (MS), both instruments and methodology in the past 10 years, has also advanced it as a complementary method to study MP structure and interactions. In this review, we discuss advances in MS‐based footprinting for MPs and highlight recent methodologies that offer new promise for MP study by chemical footprinting and mass spectrometry.
Multivariate cumulative sum control chart for compositional data with known and estimated process parameters
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Sun Jinsheng , Zaidi Fatima Sehar , Abbas Zameer , Nazir Hafiz Zafar
Published: March 2022

This article uses the classic multivariate cumulative sum () chart scheme proposed by Crossier (1988) to present a new modified chart for compositional data (). For this purpose, the data are first transformed using isometric log‐ratio () coordinates representation to eliminate the constant sum constraint of . The ‐ control chart has been defined along with the performance measures of the proposed chart using the average run length (). Besides, the Markov chain method has been used to study the performance of the proposed chart. Assuming that the transformed data are normally distributed, the proposed ‐ charts have been compared with existing competitors such as ‐ and ‐ charts. The comparison shows that the proposed chart has better performance than the ‐ control charts, while the performance of the proposed chart is comparable with the ‐ chart. The effect of the estimated mean vector and variance‐co‐variance matrix on run‐length characteristics of the proposed ‐ control chart has also been studied in this paper. For the performance of ‐ with estimated parameters Monte Carlo simulation has been adopted. The effect of the number of variables , sample size , and subgroup size has also been studied on the data's upper control limit () and . In the end, two illustrative examples of the particle size distribution of plants and production of muesli are provided to represent the practical implementation of the ‐ chart.
Lifting‐principle‐based design and implementation of fixed‐wing unmanned aerial–underwater vehicle
Authors: Wei Zhaoyu , Teng Yuehui , Meng Xiangyao , Yao Baoheng , Lian Lian
Published: March 2022

This paper presents the implementation of a novel proof‐of‐concept design of a fixed‐wing unmanned aerial–underwater vehicle (UAUV). The UAUV is designed on the basis of the lifting principle and has an overall density between those of water and air. During air flight, fixed‐wings are deployed to create lift to overcome gravity, similar to ordinary fixed‐wing aircraft. Moreover, the fixed‐wings generate sufficient downward lift to overcome the large net buoyancy (FB), allowing the vehicle to dive during underwater cruising. Owing to the lack of buoyancy regulation and emergency load rejection systems, the proposed UAUV is relatively simpler than those of ordinary autonomous underwater vehicles or other UAUVs. Water exit of the proposed UAUV is driven by a combination of inertial and tractor propellers in conjunction with FB, which allows smooth maneuverability during water‐to‐air transition. A series of successful water‐exit tests are used to demonstrate that the proposed UAUV can rapidly exit from water with a wide range of pitch angles, indicating strong survival capability in the future bad sea condition. This paper presents the proof‐of‐concept, including the lifting‐based principle, general design, avionics and propulsion systems, and field tests in both air and water. The vehicle performance for endurance, duration, flight speed, attitudes during water‐to‐air transitions, and landing on the water surface are also analyzed and discussed.
Sustainable practices in hospitality pre and amid COVID‐19 pandemic: Looking back for moving forward post‐COVID‐19
Authors: Elkhwesky Zakaria , Salem Islam Elbayoumi , Varmus Michal , Ramkissoon Haywantee
Published: March 2022

Sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important in the hospitality sector during crisis times such as COVID‐19 and post‐pandemic. In order to synthesize the literature on sustainable practices in hospitality, we developed a systematic literature to illustrate the dominant sustainable practices in hospitality. We present a comprehensive review of the 48 articles on sustainable practices in hospitality through the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases; spanning over 2 years (2020–2021) pre‐and amid the COVID‐19 pandemic and extending the scope in distinctive ways. Our review has demonstrated that sustainable practices in hospitality have made progress in the years 2020 and 2021. However, there are conceptual and empirical overlaps among sustainable practices in hospitality. Additionally, hospitality sustainable practices research is restricted in research contexts. There is a lack of research on antecedents, outcomes, and integrating theories in studies. By following the guidance presented in this review, we expect to advance and maintain sustainable practices research to provide substantive insights over the coming years post‐COVID‐19. The current research is one of the first studies to systematically review sustainable practices in hospitality pre‐and amid the COVID‐19 pandemic. The research ends with a comprehensive research agenda and a framework to apprise future theoretical and empirical advances in the area.
Enhanced adhesion of copper plating to polyether ether ketone based on active oxygen species generated under ultraviolet irradiation
Authors: Yoshida Munenori , Nakanishi Gaku , Yamanaka Hiromi , Iwamori Satoru
Published: March 2022

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a substrate for metal plating to overcome insulation defects and satisfy the increased demands of mechanically robust electronic circuit boards. However, pristine PEEK is hydrophobic; hence, the adhesion between the metal film and PEEK substrate is poor. Therefore, the PEEK surface should be modified to improve hydrophobicity. We have proposed the active oxygen (AOS) treatment under ultraviolet (UV) light as an alternative to a conventional plasma treatment method. Characteristics of the PEEK surfaces obtained by these methods are compared. We explore the effects of reactive‐oxygen and UV light exposure time on the PEEK surface modification. The contact angle of water drop on PEEK after the AOS treatment is lower than that of untreated PEEK. Furthermore, COO groups are observed on the PEEK surface after the treatment. Although plasma treatment has the effect of roughening the surface, it is desirable not to roughen the surface for use in electronic circuit boards. Moreover, we have reported the adhesion strength between PEEK and copper plating without surface roughening.
Laplacian‐P‐splines for Bayesian inference in the mixture cure model
Authors: Gressani Oswaldo , Faes Christel , Hens Niel
Published: March 2022

The mixture cure model for analyzing survival data is characterized by the assumption that the population under study is divided into a group of subjects who will experience the event of interest over some finite time horizon and another group of cured subjects who will never experience the event irrespective of the duration of follow‐up. When using the Bayesian paradigm for inference in survival models with a cure fraction, it is common practice to rely on Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to sample from posterior distributions. Although computationally feasible, the iterative nature of MCMC often implies long sampling times to explore the target space with chains that may suffer from slow convergence and poor mixing. Furthermore, extra efforts have to be invested in diagnostic checks to monitor the reliability of the generated posterior samples. A sampling‐free strategy for fast and flexible Bayesian inference in the mixture cure model is suggested in this article by combining Laplace approximations and penalized B‐splines. A logistic regression model is assumed for the cure proportion and a Cox proportional hazards model with a P‐spline approximated baseline hazard is used to specify the conditional survival function of susceptible subjects. Laplace approximations to the posterior conditional latent vector are based on analytical formulas for the gradient and Hessian of the log‐likelihood, resulting in a substantial speed‐up in approximating posterior distributions. The spline specification yields smooth estimates of survival curves and functions of latent variables together with their associated credible interval are estimated in seconds. A fully stochastic algorithm based on a Metropolis‐Langevin‐within‐Gibbs sampler is also suggested as an alternative to the proposed Laplacian‐P‐splines mixture cure (LPSMC) methodology. The statistical performance and computational efficiency of LPSMC is assessed in a simulation study. Results show that LPSMC is an appealing alternative to MCMC for approximate Bayesian inference in standard mixture cure models. Finally, the novel LPSMC approach is illustrated on three applications involving real survival data.
Finite‐sample adjustments in variance estimators for clustered competing risks regression
Authors: Chen Xinyuan , Li Fan
Published: March 2022

The marginal Fine‐Gray proportional subdistribution hazards model is a popular approach to directly study the association between covariates and the cumulative incidence function with clustered competing risks data, which often arise in multicenter randomized trials or multilevel observational studies. To account for the within‐cluster correlations between failure times, the uncertainty of the regression parameters estimators is quantified by the robust sandwich variance estimator, which may have unsatisfactory performance with a limited number of clusters. To overcome this limitation, we propose four bias‐corrected variance estimators to reduce the negative bias of the usual sandwich variance estimator, extending the bias‐correction techniques from generalized estimating equations with noncensored exponential family outcomes to clustered competing risks outcomes. We further compare their finite‐sample operating characteristics through simulations and two real data examples. In particular, we found the Mancl and DeRouen (MD) type sandwich variance estimator generally has the smallest bias. Furthermore, with a small number of clusters, the Wald ‐confidence interval with the MD sandwich variance estimator carries close to nominal coverage for the cluster‐level effect parameter. The ‐confidence intervals based on the sandwich variance estimator with any one of the three types of multiplicative bias correction or the ‐confidence interval with the Morel, Bokossa and Neerchal (MBN) type sandwich variance estimator have close to nominal coverage for the individual‐level effect parameter. Finally, we develop a user‐friendly R package crrcbcv implementing the proposed sandwich variance estimators to assist practical applications.
Biocompatible Inorganic Nanoagent for Efficient Synergistic Tumor Treatment with Augmented Antitumor Immunity
Authors: Su Juanjuan , Lu Shuang , Wei Zheng , Li Bo , Li Jingjing , Sun Jing , Liu Kai , Zhang Hongjie , Wang Fan
Published: March 2022

Synergistic therapy for malignant tumors has been developed in the past. However, several disadvantages that are associated with the applied inorganic nanoagents cannot be avoided, including intrinsic systemic toxicity, immunosuppression, and low therapeutic efficiency. Herein, a biocompatible, multifunctional, inorganic nanoagent that simultaneously integrates chemodynamic, starvation, and photothermal therapies is developed. This nanoagent effectively converts endogenous H2O2 into highly toxic hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction. Self‐reinforced cancer therapy is achieved via the scavenging of intracellular glutathione and glucose. The encapsulation of nanoagent by erythrocytes drastically reduces its immune recognition by macrophages. Thus, an augmented anti‐tumor immune response is realized. Moreover, in contrast to traditional inorganic chemodynamic nanomaterials, the nanoagent has outstanding photothermal efficiency. Therefore, the present system exhibits an effective tumor therapeutic outcome. This work may facilitate a new pathway for the development of highly efficacious synergetic therapies.
High‐Performance Ternary Semitransparent Polymer Solar Cells with Different Bandgap Third Component as Non‐Fullerene Guest Acceptor
Authors: Wang Xiangkun , Zhai Xiaohua , Kang Xiao , Ding Xiqiang , Gao Caiyun , Jing Xin , Yu Liangmin , Sun Mingliang
Published: March 2022

Ternary semitransparent polymer solar cells (ST‐PSCs) have great potential to simultaneously improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) and average visible transmittance (AVT). Non‐fullerene acceptor IHIC was synthesized by a simple one‐step process under low cost and had an A‐D‐A structure similar to ITIC and IT‐4F. Ternary device based on PM6:Y6:IHIC (20%) demonstrated higher hole and electron mobility (2.78, 3.12 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 S−1) and more balanced charge transport properties (μe/μh = 1.12) than the host binary device, and the ternary ST‐PSC demonstrated a PCE of 12.18% and AVT of 27.07%. Ternary PSCs with 20% ITIC or IT‐4F also exhibited more balanced μe/μh ratios (1.31 and 0.85), but with slightly enhanced short‐current circuit density (JSC) and reduced AVT (23–24%), mainly owing to unavoidable absorption of third component in the visible region. Our conclusion in this work was that the little A‐D‐A non‐fullerene acceptor could improve ternary blend film morphology and charge transport channels and enhanced JSC and PCE, and PM6:Y6:IHIC (20%) with high AVT over 27% and PCE over 12% was more suitable in ST‐PSCs than PM6:Y6:ITIC/IT‐4F (20%).