bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of New RP-HPLC Method for the Estimation of Antidiabetic Drugs Metformin Hydrochloride and Gemigliptin in Combined Pharmaceutical Dosage Form
Authors: Khoja Suleman S. , Patel Laxman J.
Published: June 2021

Metformin Hydrochloride and Gemigliptin is combination of Antidiabetic drug in tablet Zemimet SR ® Tablet (25/500 mg), a member Antidiabetic drug, is a recent drug developed by LG Life sciences for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. A new sensitive and rapid HPLC method was developed for the determination of Metformin Hydrochloride and Gemigliptin in pharmaceutical dosage forms; it was validated according to International Conference on Harmonization and Food and Drug Administration guidelines. The analysis was performed on the HPLC system equipped with a using Gemni C18, (5 µm) (250 mm x 4.6 mm), with of Buffer (20mM Ammonium Acetate in water, pH 3.5) and Methanol: Acetonitrile 40:10 (%V/V) 60: 40 v/v with at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min, column temperature 35°C, total run time was 10 min, injection volume 10 μl, and detection was performed at the wavelength (λ) of 265 nm. The calibration plot gave linear relationship over the concentration range of Metformin Hydrochloride 20, 40, 100, 200, 400 and 500 μg/ml, and Gemigliptin 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 25 μg/ml, respectively. The accuracy of the proposed method was determined by recovery studies and was found to be Metformin Hydrochloride 99.0 % to 101.0 % and Gemigliptin 98.0 % to 100.0 %.The Limit of Detection were 50.56 and 14.21 μg/ml for Metformin Hydrochloride and Gemigliptin, respectively and the Limit of Quantitation were 166.85 and 43.90 μg/ml for Metformin Hydrochloride and Gemigliptin, respectively% Relative Standard Deviation of the determination of precision was <2%. The results of robustness and solutions stability studies were within the acceptable limits as well the main features of the developed method are low run time and retention time of around 2.9 min for Metformin Hydrochloride (Met) and 7.4 min for Gemigliptin.
Transdisciplinarity and health care models: vision of nursing course students / Transdisciplinaridade e modelos assistenciais de saúde: visão de concluintes do curso de enfermagem
Authors: Araújo Ana Paula dos Santos de , Oliveira Ana Paula de Brito , Rosário Ingrid Cristina Ribeiro do , Vieira Sônia Cristina de Albuquerque , Moraes Thayse Moraes de , Correa Júnior Antonio Jorge Silva
Published: June 2021

Objetivo: Conhecer a visão de discentes concluintes do curso de enfermagem sobre transdisciplinaridade e modelos assistenciais de saúde, como adquiridas nos campos de estágio vivencial. Método: Estudo descritivo-exploratório com abordagem qualitativa, em instituição de ensino de Belém, Pará, Brasil. A coleta de dados foi entre agosto a outubro de 2019 com 39 discentes, cursando o último ano do curso. Realizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada individual, com posterior análise de conteúdo indutiva em seis etapas. Resultados: Emergiram duas categorias “Compreensões acerca da transdisciplinaridade: entre o Ser holístico e a prática assistencial” denotando visões heterogêneas sobre transdisciplinaridade; e “A aplicação dos modelos de atenção à saúde nas práticas assistenciais”. Conclusão: Parte dos concluintes compreende os conceitos de transdisciplinaridade, outros fazem uma bricolagem de conceitos aprendidos. Quanto aos modelos assistenciais o Modelo Biomédico é o mais vivenciado nas práticas.
Random Forests for Survival Analysis
Authors: Rytgaard Helene C. , Gerds Thomas A.
Published: June 2021

A random forest for survival analysis is a machine learning method that combines bootstrap aggregation with randomized survival trees for right‐censored time‐to‐event data. The approach does not assume a model and thus provides a flexible alternative to Cox regression. It can be used to predict the risk of an event for individual subjects in the presence or absence of competing risks, and for the discovery of risk factors in low‐ and high‐dimensional settings.
In Situ Generated β‐Yb2Si2O7 Containing Coatings for Steel Protection in Extreme Combustion Environments
Authors: Lenz Leite Mateus , Viard Antoine , Galusek Dušan , Motz Günter
Published: June 2021

The rapid permeation and degradation of silazane‐based coatings by water vapor limit their application in combustion environments. Hence, this work reports on the reaction of the oligosilazane Durazane 1800 with an appropriate Yb‐complex by a molecular approach and its application as protective thin coatings (1.2 µm) for AISI 304 in comparison with the benchmark Durazane 2250 in combustion‐like environments. Fourier transform infrared‐ and nuclear magnetic resonance‐spectroscopy elucidate the reaction mechanism and the chemical structure of the resulting Yb‐modified silazanes, whereas elemental and X‐ray diffractometry analyses confirm the formation of crystalline β‐Yb2Si2O7 and SiO2 after pyrolysis at 1000 °C in air. Energy dispersive spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy profile analyses show the enhanced diffusion of Fe, Cr, and Mn from the substrate into the Yb50 coating, which is responsible for a better adhesion (23.7 MPa), scratch tolerance (38 N), and a decreased coefficient of thermal expansion‐mismatch to the substrate, resisting 9 thermal cycles between 1000 and 20 °C. Despite the low Yb‐silicate content (6.8 wt%), only minor damage is caused to the Yb50 coating after wet oxidation in moist flowing air (1000 °C for 15 h), whereas the Durazane 2250 coating spalled‐off. This is a clear indication of the potential of the Yb2Si2O7‐containing coatings to protect metals and ceramics in extreme combustion environments.
A pirate ship sailed into the yacht club: How we built a novel pediatric emergency medicine curriculum for an emergency medicine training program
Authors: Andrada Emily , Danielson Aaron , Magaña Julia , Tzimenatos Leah , Clarke Sam
Published: June 2021

Background

Pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) has seen little progression toward a standardized PEM educational framework. The 2018Academic Emergency MedicineConsensus Conference on Advancing PEM Education addressed this gap in core EM education. Absent elements include a “broad needs assessment to identify and evaluate existing curricula and systems gaps in EM training” and a “clearly defined core PEM curriculum that unifies and drives the learning process.” PEM education innovators were called to construct a “unified foundation in PEM education for all levels of emergency care” and to “promote innovation in teaching and learning strategies in curricula.” We endeavored to meet this challenge at our institution.

Methods

The PEM curriculum design is based on the Kern model of curriculum development and included a needs assessment, development of goals and objectives, educational strategies, implementation, evaluation, and programmatic feedback. We committed to using effective learning strategies and active learning methods in developing our curriculum and conducted a 1‐year pilot within our EM residency’s didactic conference. We used exit surveys to collect feedback for each session as well as midyear focus groups to gauge the program’s effectiveness. At the start and end of the pilot year residents completed the PEM survey regarding the effect of the PEM curriculum on their self‐assessed knowledge, training, and comfort in managing PEM topics.

Results

Feedback regarding the PEM curriculum was positive. Following 1 year of the pilot curriculum, learners in the PGY‐1 and PGY‐3 classes demonstrated statistically significant improvement in their self‐assessed knowledge, training, and comfort with PEM topics. The PGY‐2 class had a similar statistically significant improvement in self‐assessed knowledge in PEM topics.

Conclusions

Our novel PEM curriculum was well received and has shown early evidence of improving self‐assessed knowledge and comfort among EM residents.
Radial diffusion model for fragrance materials: Prediction and validation
Authors: Almeida Rafael N. , Rodrigues Alírio E. , Vargas Rubem M. F. , Cassel Eduardo
Published: June 2021

A predictive model based on Fick's second law for radial diffusion is proposed and validated for modeling the diffusion of fragrance materials. A pure component, two binary systems, and a ternary system were used for validation. The model combines the prediction model to represent the liquid phase nonidealities, using the UNIFAC group contribution method, with the Fickian radial diffusion approach. The experimental headspace concentrations were measured in a diffusion chamber using the solid‐phase microextraction technique and quantified using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The numerical solutions were obtained along with an analytical model considering constant surface concentration. The odor intensities of the studied systems were calculated using Stevens' power law and the strongest component model, respectively. The numerical simulation presented good adherence to the experimental gas concentration data. The proposed methodology is an efficient and validated tool to assess the radial diffusion of fragrance and volatile systems.
Asymmetric Synthesis of Biaryl Diols via Dynamic Kinetic Resolution
Authors: Cho Jeonghun , Kim Kyungwoo , Park Jaiwook , Kim Mahn‐Joo
Published: June 2021

We have developed a protocol incuding dynamic kinetic resolution as the key step for the asymmetric synthesis of biaryl diol stereoisomers. The two aryl alkanols as the starting materials were cross‐coupled by palladium catalysis to give dl‐ and meso‐diol, which were then subject to chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) for the transformation into single stereoisomeric diol diester. Diol diester was finally deacylated to give the corresponding biaryl diol stereoisomer. The chemoenzymatic DKR was performed with a ruthenium‐based racemization catalyst and a (R)‐selective lipoprotein lipase. Total 17 (R,R)‐diols including 7 C2‐symmetric diols were synthesized with excellent enantiopurities (>99% ee).
Taking new “poke” at femoral access: Applying optimal technique to minimize complications
Authors: Vetrovec George W.
Published: June 2021

Key Points

Percutaneous coronary intervention femoral access‐related complications are reduced using a 21‐Gauge micropuncture needle compared to a standard 18‐Gauge access.

An absolute >1% reduction in groin vascular complications.

Future studies to assess the optimal benefits possible with multiple best practices.
Layered culprit lesions: A new insight
Authors: Musumeci Giuseppe , Annibali Gianmarco
Published: June 2021

Key Points

Previous studies reported that larger plaque burden and smaller minimal luminal diameter at culprit lesions before treatment were predictors for restenosis.

Layered plaques are characterized by the presence of harder collagen than soft lipid plaques and require more aggressive post‐dilatation.

Large scale prospective studies with longer follow up are warranted to further characterize these features and their potential clinical implications.
Optimising Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry: Strategies and Limitations
Authors: Wang Yuanzhe , Kumar Archana Kaliyaraj Selva , Compton Richard G.
Published: June 2021

The widely employed electroanalytical technique of adsorptive stripping voltammetry (AdsSV) is critically assessed and evaluated at a wide and diverse range of unmodified and nano‐particle modified carbon electrodes using the analyte fipronil as a paradigmatic case. The generic electroanalytical performances of the nano‐particle modified electrodes are investigated and compared with the unmodified electrodes revealing similar LOD values and pointing to intrinsic limitations of AdsSV arising from the non‐independence of the Faradaic and capacitive signals during the stripping step. Methods for facilitating the adsorption or using different waveforms that may offer a more favourable limit of detection (LOD) at the nano‐particle modified electrodes are suggested and assessed, specifically the use of adsorption onto particles prior to their use for modifying electrodes and also the recently introduced method of semi‐circular voltammetry.
TRR 277: Additive manufacturing in construction
Authors: Kloft Harald , Gehlen Christoph , Dörfler Kathrin , Hack Norman , Henke Klaudius , Lowke Dirk , Mainka Jeldrik , Raatz Annika
Published: June 2021

The building industry is one of the least digitalized sectors of the global economy to date. Unlike other industrial sectors, the manufacturing of buildings is characterized by traditional handicraft techniques and individualized construction processes. Digital production technologies from other industrial sectors have not become established in the construction industry because they do not allow the necessary individualization or are uneconomical to transfer to construction. The advantages of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are that automation and individualization are not contradictory. Furthermore, a new design strategy is embedded in 3D printing, namely to build up material only where it is structurally or functionally needed. AM is, therefore, both economical and resource‐efficient. The DFG Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio TRR 277 Additive Manufacturing in Construction (AMC) of the two universities TU Braunschweig and TU Munich wants to research the technology of AM fundamentally and also contributes to the digitization of the construction industry. This article gives an overview of the goals, work programme, and methods of the TRR 277, as well as its three focus areas and 18 scientific research projects.
A methodological overview to defining and measuring “digital” financial literacy
Authors: Lyons Angela C. , Kass‐Hanna Josephine
Published: June 2021

Researchers and financial practitioners alike recognize the importance of defining and measuring financial literacy (FL) to better understand its relationship to financial behavior and decision‐making. Despite many efforts, there is still no widely accepted definition or methodological approach for measuring FL. The rapid expansion of digital financial services (DFS), which promises to enhance financial inclusion and improve personal financial management, has brought to light a new challenge: linking FL to digital literacy (DL) and assessing their dual effect on financial outcomes. Recent research has even proposed a framework to operationalize the emerging concept of digital financial literacy (DFL), as traditional FL definitions and metrics have become insufficient to capture the specificities of financial services within a digital context. This survey article discusses empirical research techniques being used to assess FL, DL, and most recently DFL. It highlights the characteristics and limitations of these approaches and suggests ways to address some of the challenges related to the construction, testing, weighting, and standardization of multidimensional measures, as well as methodological issues related to modeling and estimation. The article is a helpful guide to researchers and practitioners interested in FL in general and in the emerging concept of “digital” financial literacy.
Adsorption of Biogenic Amines from Synthetic and Real Wastewater using a Zwitterion‐Functionalized Blast Furnace Slag
Authors: Dauda Mohammed , Al‐Malack Muhammad H. , Basheer Chanbasha
Published: June 2021

Blast furnace slag functionalized with sulfamic acid (zwitterion) shows an extraordinary potential for the removal of biogenic amines from spiked water and real wastewater samples. The functionalized slag is characterized using scanning electron microscopy‐energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and acid site density test. Its performance toward the removal of selected biogenic amines (putrescine, tyramine, and 2‐phenylethylamine) is evaluated at different experimental conditions that include pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, and initial concentration. The central composite experimental design is employed in investigating the effect of these individual factors and their interactions. The adsorption experiment results fit both the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model based on the computed high coefficient of determination (R2) values. Maximum adsorption capacity values of 80.64 mg g−1 for 2‐phenylethylamine, 12.5 mg g−1 for putrescine, and 64.52 mg g−1 for tyramine are estimated from the Langmuir isotherm model. Hydrogen bonding interaction between the S═O groups of the functionalized slag and protonated amino groups of biogenic amines is speculated as the possible mechanism of adsorption. The prepared functionalized slag also exhibits good adsorptive removal of biogenic amines in a date palm fruit processing industrial wastewater sample.
Photo/electrochemical Carbon Dioxide Conversion into C3+ Hydrocarbons: Reactivity and Selectivity
Authors: Abdelnaby Mahmoud M. , Liu Kaili , Hassanein Khaled , Yin Zongyou
Published: June 2021

Producing high‐value fuels and chemicals via photo/electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) remains an attractive goal to mitigate the negative impact of CO2 emissions and provide a sustainable energy source. The large industrial scale is currently discriminated by the relatively low product selectivity (a high cost is expected for separating the products) and the activity. The selective CO2 reduction into higher‐order multi‐carbon products is desirable from the economic point of view. Yet, most of the reported electrocatalysts have produced C1 and C2 products; however, the production of C3 products is less common. Cu‐based catalysts are the most documented systems to produce C3 products because of the exclusive C−C coupling ability of the Cu system. However, creating multi‐carbon products on non‐Cu catalysts is unfairly discussed. Growing the research activity on non‐Cu catalysts will enrich the categories of alternative catalysts and propose more understanding of the CO2RR mechanism. This should guide the development of more creative catalysts with the optimum configuration for high activity and selectivity for high‐value C3 products. The catalysts′ development progress, including metallic Cu, biphase, or bimetallic Cu, non‐Cu‐based catalysts, has been discussed in light of the catalyst activity and selectivity. Some insights on the reaction mechanism for the desired C3 product (most commonly, n‐propanol) and other C3+ products are also discussed.
Contextual defeasible reasoning framework for heterogeneous knowledge sources
Authors: Mahfooz ul Haque Hafiz , Muhammad Akhtar Salwa , Uddin Ijaz
Published: June 2021

Recent years have witnessed the rapid advances of smart computing paradigms in a ubiquitous environment. These paradigms make human life much easier, comfortable, secure and hassle free. In a smart computing environment, it is a fact that human users interact with the systems dynamically with or without human intervention using different modalities. The core emphasize is given on the intelligent systems that run in a highly decentralized environment with different communication mechanism. Literature highlighted numerous formalisms to bridge the communication modalities for different knowledge sources. Among others, Multi‐context System (MCS) has been advocated as one of the most suitable formalism to interlink different contexts (domains) dynamically in the distributed environment. However, interaction of these knowledge sources sometime may produce inconsistent and conflicting results. In this work, we presents a contextual defeasible reasoning based multi‐agent formalism to handle the inconsistency issues. This framework relies on the semantic knowledge sources which allow us to model context‐aware non‐monotonic reasoning agents to infer the desired goals using the extracted rules from the ontologies and handles inconsistencies using conflicting contextual information. We illustrate the validity and correctness of the proposed formalism using a simple case study of a smart healthcare system with the prototypal implementation of the system.
Macrocyclic Aromatic Amide Foldamer: Synthesis, Twisted‐to‐Boxlike Conformational Switching, and Molecular Recognition
Authors: Li Dongyao , Qin Tian , Liu Xinlu , Zhang Boyuan , Zhong Fangrui , Ma Chunmiao , Gan Quan
Published: June 2021

In this study, a twisted macrocycle was synthesized via ring closure of a double‐helical aromatic oligoamide foldamer with two disulfide bridges. Single‐crystal X‐ray structure and NMR spectroscopy demonstrate the twisted conformation of macrocycle both in the solid state and in solution. As a result of the rearrangement of hydrogen bonding preference, the twisted conformation could be transformed to boxlike through protonation of the pyridine segments of macrocycle. In addition, the NMR titration experiments revealed that flat aromatic guests (e. g., coronene and perylene) could bind to the boxlike macrocycle with a 1 : 1 binding stoichiometry. The addition of base to the host‐guest complexes resulted in conformational reversal of the macrocycle from boxlike to twisted as well as the release of guest.
Generating Enteric Nervous System Progenitors from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Gogolou Antigoni , Frith Thomas J.R. , Tsakiridis Anestis
Published: June 2021

The intrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is comprised of enteric neurons and glia, which are buried within the wall of the bowel and organized into two concentric plexuses that run along the length of the gut forming the enteric nervous system (ENS). The ENS regulates vital GI functions including gut motility, blood flow, fluid secretion, and absorption and thus maintains gut homeostasis. During vertebrate development it originates predominantly from the vagal neural crest (NC), a multipotent cell population that emerges from the caudal hindbrain region, migrates to and within the gut to ultimately generate neurons and glia in response to gut‐derived signals. Loss of GI innervation due to congenital or acquired defects in ENS development causes enteric neuropathies which lack curative treatment. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer a promising in vitro source of enteric neurons for modeling human ENS development and pathology and potential use in cell therapy applications. Here we describe in detail a differentiation strategy for the derivation of enteric neural progenitors and neurons from hPSCs through a vagal NC intermediate. Using a combination of instructive signals and retinoic acid in a dose/time dependent manner, vagal NC cells commit into the ENS lineage and develop into enteric neurons and glia upon culture in neurotrophic media. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Generation of vagal neural crest/early ENS progenitors from hPSCs

Basic Protocol 2: Differentiation of hPSC‐derived vagal NC/early ENS progenitors to enteric neurons and glia
Planar circuit analysis of ultra‐wideband millimeter‐wave inductor using transmission line sections
Authors: Ashrafian Ahmadali , Mohammad‐Taheri Mahmoud , Naser‐Moghaddasi Mohammad , Khatir Mehdi , Ghalamkari Behbod
Published: June 2021

Regarding the capacitive nature of input/output impedances of millimeter‐wave amplifiers, it is necessary to utilize wideband inductive elements for the design of input/output impedance matching circuits. In this paper, the design and optimization of an ultra‐wideband transmission line inductor with an inductance of less than 100 pH are introduced for using at frequencies above 50 GHz. The reason of using this inductor is its superior performance compared to that of a spiral inductor and single‐coil inductor. The inductor consists of three rectangular microstrip line segments with nonequal and variable characteristic impedances. The design is done by calculating the impedance matrix using planar circuit analysis (PCA) based on a planar waveguide model, segmentation/desegmentation methods, and an intelligent algorithm in MATLAB. With this design method, the effect of discontinuities, fringing fields at the edges of the microstrip, and the conductor as well as dielectric losses can be considered while minimizing the dispersion effect. In this study, to reduce the calculation time of the impedance matrix, the doubly infinite series are reduced to a singly infinite series by summing the inner sum for a rectangular segment whose one side is shorted and three other sides are open.
Inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption coefficient in inhomogeneous plasma with nonextensive electron velocity distribution and Tsallis exponential electron density profile
Authors: Babapoor Abolfazl , Sobhanian Samad , Kouhi Mohammad , Talebzadeh Robabeh
Published: June 2021

Inverse bremsstrahlung (collisional) absorption of the laser beam is studied in plasma with a generalized (q‐nonextensive) electron velocity distribution and some kind of generalized electron density profile. It is shown that for some values of parameters designating the q‐nonextensive electron velocity distribution function and its generalized density profile, the calculated absorption coefficient reduces to the already known cases with Maxwellian velocity distribution with linear and exponential density profiles.
Review how our pandemic strategies can keep improving equity
Authors: Hamblet Elizabeth C.
Published: June 2021

Disability services offices around the country have now spent more than a year helping students through extraordinarily challenging times. Many people are eager to return to “normal.” But as we move back on campus, offices can push to extend pandemic‐related efforts forward to permanently improve equity for our students on several fronts. As Director of Student Accessibility at Trinity University Spencer Scruggs said, “We can't just write off this experience.” Director of Student Disability Services at University of Mississippi Stacey Reycraft put it more plainly: “Can we put that genie back in the bottle? I don't know that we can.” And really, we shouldn't.
Crab‐driven processing does not explain leaf litter‐deposition in mangrove crab burrows
Authors: Forgeron Sophie J. , Quadros Aline F. , Zimmer Martin
Published: June 2021

Many mangrove crab species drag freshly fallen leaf litter into their burrows and store it there for some time prior to consumption. Potential explanations for this behavior include (a) avoidance of competition for a scarce resource, (b) prevention of removal of a scarce resource upon tidal outwelling, or (c) processing of an initially unpalatable food source, be it physically through leaching, through the activity of the sediment microbiota, or driven by the activity of the crab itself. To test the latter, we study the effect of burying mangrove leaf litter on two relevant physicochemical litter characteristics and on its digestibility to crabs in a laboratory experiment, using artificial substratum with low microbial activity. Freshly fallen leaves of two common mangrove species, Bruguiera gymnorhiza and Ceriops tagal, were left for two weeks either inside burrows used by Neosamartium asiaticum (Sesarmidae), or on top of the substratum, before they were offered to the crabs as food. Leaf toughness and total phenolic content differed significantly between mangrove species. Upon two weeks of decay, phenolic content of both leaf litter species and toughness of B. gymnorhiza​ changed significantly. However, neither litter characteristcs nor assimilation efficiency differed between treatments. We conclude that storing mangrove leaf litter in crab burrows in a microbe‐poor environment does not affect litter digestibility. Hence, crabs themselves do not contribute to litter processing during storage inside the burrow. If it is litter processing, rather than the avoidance of competition or litter removal by tides, that renders the storage of litter inside the burrow advantageous, it will be microbial activity that drives this process. Further studies should explicitly focus on processing through the activity of the sediment microbiota.
Disentangling the role of oomycete soil pathogens as drivers of plant–soil feedbacks
Authors: Domínguez‐Begines Jara , Ávila José M. , García Luis V. , Gómez‐Aparicio Lorena
Published: June 2021

Interactions among plant species and their soil biota drive plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) that play a major role in the dynamics and diversity of plant communities. Among the different components of the soil community, pathogens are considered to be the main drivers of negative PSFs. Despite this, the number of studies that have experimentally quantified the contribution of soil pathogens to PSFs remains considerably low. Here we conducted a greenhouse experiment with oomycete‐specific fungicide to quantify the contribution of soil pathogens, and particularly oomycete pathogens, to individual and pairwise PSFs in forest communities. We used as a case study Mediterranean mixed forests dominated by Quercus suber and invaded by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi. The fungicide treatment was crossed with a competition treatment to explore how conspecific neighbors might modify pathogen effects. To place the results of the experiment in a wider context, we also conducted a systematic review of published papers that explicitly used fungicide to explore the role of pathogens in PSF experiments. Our experimental results showed that oomycete pathogens were the main drivers of individual PSFs in the study forests. Oomycete effects varied among tree species according to their susceptibility to P. cinnamomi, driving negative PSFs in the highly susceptible Q. suber but not in the coexistent Olea europaea. Oomycete‐driven PSFs were not modified by intraspecific competition. Oomycete pathogens were also major contributors to negative pairwise PSFs assumed to promote species coexistence. Results from the systematic review supported the novelty of our experimental results, since only three studies had previously used oomycete‐specific fungicide in a PSF context and none in systems invaded by exotic oomycetes. Overall, our results provide novel evidence of oomycete pathogens (including the exotic P. cinnamomi) as fundamental drivers of negative individual and pairwise PSFs with implications for species coexistence in invaded communities. Although in the short‐term invasive pathogens might contribute to species coexistence by causing self‐limitation in dominant species, strong inter‐specific variation in self‐limitation might undermine coexistence in the long‐term. Because of the increasing number of exotic oomycetes worldwide, further attention should be given to oomycetes as drivers of PSFs in plant communities.
UcnPowerNet: Residual learning based clustering and interference coordination in 5G user‐centric networks
Authors: Liu Jianghui , Zhang Hongtao
Published: June 2021

In 5th Generation and beyond (5G&B) wireless networks, artificial intelligence can be explored to address problems with uncertain, time‐variant, and complex features. User‐centric network (UCN) can eliminate cell boundaries and reduce interference. And as for the intelligent resource management and interference coordination, the scalability of existing deep learning‐based works degrades greatly as the size of the network increases, which requires more layers to be stacked and causes gradient vanishing problem. In this article, a new deep learning‐based resource management model, UcnPowerNet, is proposed to approximate iterative algorithms for dynamic clustering and interference coordination in complicated UCN, where multiple residual blocks are concatenated with shortcut connections to asymptotically learn the mapping between input and output. Specifically, a cooperative weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE) algorithm for UCN is carried out in the real domain to generate large near‐optimal training datasets; then we train UcnPowerNet to approximate the output of WMMSE algorithm by minimizing the loss function of mean square error. Moreover, convolutional layer and normalization layer are leveraged to decrease the number of weights and avoid gradients vanishing, respectively. Extensive experiments demonstrate the high approximation accuracy of UcnPowerNet with 94.90% sum‐rate relative to the conventional iterative algorithm while achieving more than 100 speed up.
Phase 2 Study of Adjuvant Radiotherapy Following Narrow‐Margin Hepatectomy in Patients With HCC
Authors: Chen Bo , Wu Jian‐Xiong , Cheng Shu‐Hui , Wang Li‐Ming , Rong Wei‐Qi , Wu Fan , Wang Shu‐Lian , Jin Jing , Liu Yue‐Ping , Song Yong‐Wen , Ren Hua , Fang Hui , Tang Yuan , Li Ning , Li Ye‐Xiong , Wang Wei‐Hu
Published: June 2021

Background and Aims

Surgical resection is the primary treatment for HCC; however, it is associated with a high rate of recurrence and death. We conducted this phase 2 study to investigate the efficacy and safety of postoperative intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for HCC after narrow‐margin hepatectomy.

Approach and Results

We designed a single‐arm, prospective phase 2 trial to evaluate overall survival (OS), disease‐free survival (DFS), recurrence patterns, and toxicity in patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy. The eligibility criteria included the following: pathological diagnosis of HCC after hepatectomy, with narrow pathological margins (< 1 cm); age > 18 years; and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0 or 1. Patients received IMRT within 4‐6 weeks after surgical resection. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01456156). Between 2008 and 2016, a total of 76 eligible patients who underwent narrow‐margin resection were enrolled. The median follow‐up duration was 70 months; the 3‐year OS and DFS rates were 88.2% and 68.1%, respectively; and the 5‐year OS and DFS rates were 72.2% and 51.6%, respectively. Intrahepatic recurrence was the primary recurrence pattern. No marginal recurrence was found. Intrahepatic, extrahepatic, and combined recurrences at the first relapse were found in 33, 5, and 1 patient, respectively. The most common radiation‐related grade‐3 toxicities were leukopenia (7.9%), elevated alanine aminotransferase (3.9%) and aspartate aminotransferase (2.6%) levels, and thrombocytopenia (1.3%). Classical or nonclassical radiation‐induced liver disease was not noted.

Conclusions

Adjuvant radiotherapy is an effective, well‐tolerated, and promising adjuvant regimen in patients with HCC who have undergone narrow‐margin hepatectomy. Our trial provides evidence and a rationale for planning a future phase 3 trial.
Clinical effect of lymphocyte immunotherapy on patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion
Authors: Liu Sudong , Gu Xiaodong , Weng Ruiqiang
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) is believed to be a viable treatment for unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA), but its effect remains controversial. This study aims to investigate the clinical effect of LIT in patients with URSA and clarify the factors that may influence the outcome of LIT.

Methods

This study included a total of 704 URSA patients, of which 444 patients accepted LIT treatment. URSA patients that did not accept LIT served as control group. Clinical characteristics were collected and analyzed between LIT and control group. The blocking antibody was tested before and after LIT. The outcome of LIT treatment was recorded. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the independent predictors of LIT success.

Results

After LIT treatment, 77.9% (346/444) of USRA patients turned to BA positive, and the conversion rate elevated with increased LIT (p < .001). LIT significantly improved the pregnancy rate and live birth rate in USRA patients (65.3% vs. 29.6%, p < .001; 80.3% vs. 50.6%, p < .001). Multivariate regression analysis suggested that younger maternal age and positive BA were independent predictors of LIT success.

Conclusion

LIT effectively induced the production of BA, and improved pregnancy rate and live birth rate in URSA patients. Our findings supported LIT as a beneficial treatment for URSA.
Unsupported Causal Inferences in the Professional Counseling Literature Base
Authors: Huggins‐Manley A. Corinne , Wright Eric A. , DePue M. Kristina , Oberheim S. Tyler
Published: June 2021

At the heart of many counseling research interests and questions is a desire to understand causal relationships between variables. However, inferring causation from correlational studies ranges from difficult to impossible, and researchers have found that various literature bases contain large proportions of studies that draw unsupported causal inferences. We examined articles published in seven top professional counseling journals over a 2‐year period to determine the degree to which causal inferences were present in quantitative studies that could only support correlational inference. We found that 61% of 103 correlational studies contained unsupported causal inferences. We discuss the importance of addressing this methodological problem in counseling research and provide recommendations for drawing valid inferences from correlational studies.
Cerebroplacental ratio and aortic isthmus Doppler in early fetal growth restriction
Authors: Choudhary Pratibha , Malik Amita , Batra Achla
Published: June 2021

Purpose

To assess the utility of cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) and fetal aortic isthmus (AoI) Doppler in the prediction of perinatal outcome in early fetal growth restriction (FGR).

Methods

A prospective observational cohort study of 70 early FGR cases was conducted through serial Doppler examinations and findings of the last examination were correlated with perinatal outcome. Doppler blood flow measurements of AoI included end diastolic velocity (EDV), peak systolic velocity (PSV), pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and isthmic flow index (IFI).

Results

Significant association of CPR and all Doppler indices of AoI with the overall adverse perinatal outcome was seen. The sensitivity of CPR was moderate (63.64%) but higher than most AoI indices. Most AoI Doppler indices (PI, RI, IFI) had higher specificities (100%). AoI PSV and EDV had higher sensitivities than CPR for the prediction of overall adverse perinatal outcome, with AoI PSV having the highest sensitivity (100%).

Conclusion

CPR shows significant association and moderate sensitivity for prediction of overall adverse perinatal outcome in early FGR; hence recommended in all cases of early FGR. AoI Doppler also appears to have a role in assessment and decision making in FGR in view of high sensitivity and high specificity of AoI indices in the prediction of perinatal outcome. However, larger studies are required to confirm its utility in the management of early FGR.
Anti‐tachycardia pacing for non‐fast and fast ventricular tachycardias in individual Japanese patients: From Nippon‐storm study
Authors: Chinushi Masaomi , Saitoh Osamu , Furushima Hiroshi , Aizawa Yoshifusa , Noda Takashi , Nitta Takashi , Ohe Tohru , Kurita Takashi
Published: June 2021

Background

Anti‐tachycardia pacing (ATP) delivered from an implantable device is a useful tool to terminate ventricular tachycardia (VT). But its real‐world efficacy for those patients having multiple VTs with varying VT rates has not been fully studied.

Methods

Using the Nippon‐storm study database, efficacy of patient‐by‐patient basis ATP programing for Japanese patients having both non‐fast (120‐187 bpm) and fast VT (≥188 bpm) was assessed. According to the useful criteria of ≥50% success termination by ATP, patients were divided into three subgroups; success ≥50% for both non‐fast and fast VT (both useful), ≥50% only for non‐fast VT (non‐fast VT useful), or ≥50% for neither non‐fast nor fast VT (neither useful).

Results

During a median follow‐up of 28 months, ATP terminated 184 of the 203 non‐fast VT episodes (91%) and 86 of the 113 fast VT episodes (76%) in all 41 patients. In the patient‐by‐patient analysis, efficacy of ATP was not different between non‐fast and fast VT in most of the patients (36/41 = 88%); 32 patients were in the both useful and four other patients in the neither useful. Neither ischemic nor non‐ischemic structural heart disease was associated with the ATP efficacy, whereas LVEF more than 37.0% and non‐prescribed amiodarone were characteristics of the patients classified into the both useful.

Conclusions

ATP well terminated both non‐fast and fast VT occurring in individual Japanese patients with various structural heart diseases in the real‐world device treatment and this finding further supports ATP programing for all device tachycardia detection zones in most patients with multiple VTs.
SHINERS in cultural heritage: Can SHINERS spectra always be compared with normal Raman spectra? A study of alizarin and its adsorption in the silicon dioxide shell
Authors: Puglieri Thiago Sevilhano , Madden Odile , Andrade Gustavo F. S.
Published: June 2021

Raman microspectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique in cultural heritage. However, results are often compromised by luminescence interference and poor sensitivity. Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is an alternative that can enhance the Raman signal and quench luminescence, but the interaction of an analyte and metal substrate produces altered Raman spectra. Shell‐isolated nanoparticle‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SHINERS) is a promising modification of SERS that encases the metal nanoparticles in ultrathin inert shells. As a consequence, it is reported that SHINERS spectra can be directly compared with normal Raman spectra, but this is not always the case, as discussed in this work. SHINERS, SERS, and normal Raman spectra were obtained from alizarin. The resulting spectra showed that the SHINERS data are comparable with the normal Raman spectrum of alizarin adsorbed in silica, not that of isolated alizarin. The structure of alizarin adsorbed in silica is discussed. Luminescence quenching observed in the SHINERS spectra can be attributed both to LSPR of the metallic nanoparticle cores and to alizarin–silica shell chemisorption. Both silica‐encapsulated silver and gold nanoparticles were considered, and it is shown that SHINERS spectra are dependent on the interaction of alizarin with silica, rather than the specific metal core within, in contrast to our observations of Ag and Au SERS nanoparticles. The metal agnostic quality of SHINERS is a potential advantage for the collection and comparison of reference data. Additionally, SHINERS systems result in quite stable spectra in pHs ranging from, at least, 6.0 to 9.3. Future research directions for SHINERS in cultural heritage are also discussed.
Sugaring‐out induced homogeneous liquid‐liquid microextraction as an alternative mode for biological sample preparation: A comparative study
Authors: Abdallah Inas A. , Hammad Sherin F. , Bedair Alaa , Mansour Fotouh R.
Published: June 2021

Miniaturization of liquid‐liquid extraction is a growing field of sample preparation to reduce solvent consumption, protect the environment, and preserve operators’ health. In this work, four different modes of liquid‐liquid microextraction have been compared including dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction, binary and ternary salting‐out, and sugaring‐out induced liquid‐liquid microextraction. The extraction efficiency was evaluated by the enrichment factors of 14 different drugs from three pharmacological classes. Compared with the other modes, sugaring‐out induced liquid‐liquid microextraction was found to be the most efficient and, thus, it was applied for sample preparation of the antivirals in human plasma. Method optimization was performed using response surface methodology for the sugar type and amount (in mg), the sample pH, the equilibration time (in min), and the extractant volume (in µL). The method was then validated and found linear in the concentration range of 0.10‐10 µg/mL for daclatasvir, 0.05‐10 µg/mL for velpatasvir, and 0.20‐10 µg/mL for ledipasvir, with correlation coefficients in the range 0.996‐0.999. These results shows that sugaring‐out induced liquid‐liquid microextraction could be a more efficient microextraction mode for preparation of biological samples. Compared with other types of microextraction, sugaring‐out induced liquid‐liquid microextraction is greener, simpler, and cost‐effective, with less tendency to affect the sample pH.
Higher incidence of headache in patients with intermittent mucosal contact points between the septum and lateral nasal wall
Authors: Shaikh Ahmed , Al Saey Hamad , Ashkanani Sara , Alsulaiti Mansour , Alduhirat Emad , Aljariri Adham , Abdulraheem Maryam , Ganesan Shanmugam
Published: June 2021

Introduction

The nasal mucosal contact points between the two opposing mucosal surfaces leading to the headache had been a point of debate for many years; the intermittent and fixed contact points and their relationship with headache have never been investigated before. We have studied the relationship of headache with a different type of contact points in our study.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to study two different types of mucosal contact point between the lateral nasal wall and the nasal septum and to study their relationship with symptom of headache.

There have been many papers published related to the mucosal contact points in the nose and their relationship with headache, most of the published data did not find any relation between the headache and the mucosal contact points. We conducted a retrospective study of 116 patients with deviated nasal septum and contact point with the lateral nasal wall.

Methods

A retrospective study done at a tertiary institute Included 116 CT scan of paranasal sinuses showing the deviated nasal septum with mucosal contact points, 64 CT scan showed severe deviated nasal septum with fixed contact points between the septum and the inferior turbinate, other 52 scans showed the intermittent mucosal contact point, that is, septum is coming in contact with inferior turbinate only when turbinate is enlarged.

Results

Thirteen patients out of 64 patients (20.31%) had a headache in the fixed contact point group as compared to 20 out of 52 (38.46%) patients in the intermittent mucosal contact points group; post‐surgery, the 17/20 patients improved in the intermittent mucosal contact points group as compared to 5/13 in fixed contact points group.

Conclusions

We conclude that the overall incidence of headache associated with mucosal contact points is low but the higher association is seen in the intermittent contact group.

Level of Evidence

4.
Highly sensitive CMOS plasmon detector with a low‐gain buffer amplifier for terahertz imaging systems
Authors: Lee Ha‐Neul , Lee Hyo‐Jin , Han Seong‐Tae , Yang Jong‐Ryul
Published: June 2021

A CMOS plasmon detector with a low‐gain buffer amplifier, which enhances the characteristics of the detector core, is proposed for improving the performance of THz imaging systems. A high voltage gain (AV) of the main amplifier integrated with the detector improves the voltage responsivity (RV) but not the performances of the detector core itself. The increase in the ratio of the RV to the noise‐equivalent power (NEP) in the proposed detector with a low‐gain buffer can improve the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the THz images. The proposed detector with a − 1.5 dB AV buffer amplifier is fabricated by TSMC 0.25 μm CMOS technology and measured to have the RV of 357.1 kV/W and NEP of 57.3 pW/√Hz at the gate bias of 0.17 V for 0.2 THz input signals. The measurement results indicate that the proposed detector has an RV lower than that of a detector with an AV of 11.2 dB exhibiting a similar NEP. The obtained 0.2 THz raster scanning images show that the image SNR can be improved by 14.8 dB using in the proposed detector.