bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Beam Bending with an Elliptical Cross-Section
Authors: Roth Sydney , Abuhegazy Mohamed , Khraishi Tariq
Published: October 2021

This paper calculates the stress function constants to determine and analyse the stress field of a beam with an elliptical cross-section under transverse loading. This was performed using linear elasticity principles. The Beltrami-Michell compatibility equations were used to derive the formulas used to calculate these parameters in the beam with the elliptical cross-section. This paper uses dimensionless analysis to comprehend the effect of each variable in the problem. The loading was applied at the centre of the right-end face of the elliptical beam. This loading configuration is the same as an existing linear elasticity problem; however, that problem models a cylindrical beam instead of an elliptical one. Thus, the existing parameters from the cylindrical model were used to verify the formulas, calculated in this paper, for the elliptical beam.
Painel de Indicadores para Avaliação das Indicações Geográficas de Vinhos Brasileiras
Authors: Flores Shana Sabbado , Tonietto Jorge , Taffarel João Carlos
Published: October 2021

O desenvolvimento das Indicações Geográficas (IGs) no Brasil é recente e tem o protagonismo dos vinhos, com a primeira IG reconhecida em 2002. Hoje, o Brasil conta com seis IGs de vinhos reconhecidas e quatro em estruturação. O objetivo do artigo é apresentar um diagnóstico das IGs brasileiras de vinhos, sistematizando um painel de indicadores a partir de dados primários e secundários. O painel possui seis áreas: estrutura de produção, avaliação, adoção de inovação, oportunidades e barreiras, expectativa, potencial para outra modalidade de IG. O formato permite uma visão transversal dos temas e das IGs, mesmo em diferentes fases de amadurecimento e consolidação. Os resultados apontam que as IGs vêm trazendo importantes contribuições do ponto de vista de adoção de tecnologias e de visibilidade das regiões. Os produtores se mostram satisfeitos com a IG e veem perspectivas de desenvolvimento para suas IGs e para as IGs no Brasil.
Estudo Prospectivo da Tecnologia Intitulada “Barra com Esferas Virtuais e Sua Aplicação em Testes de Desempenho de Máquinas de Medir por Coordenadas”
Authors: Faria Krishna Aum , Junior Carlos Roberto Valeriano , Lora Iago Farias , Santos Raquel , Nascimento Paulo Gustavo Barboni Dantas , Ghesti Grace Ferreira
Published: October 2021

O presente artigo realizou a prospecção tecnológica da tecnologia que foi protegida, intitulada “barra com esferas virtuais e sua aplicação em testes de desempenho de máquinas de medir por coordenadas”, de titularidade da Fundação Universidade de Brasília. A análise buscou avaliar o potencial mercadológico da tecnologia em nível mundial, com buscas tanto em bases internacionais de patentes como em artigos. O país que mais depositou patentes foi a Rússia, em virtude de sua corrida espacial e de seus esforços militares. Quanto aos depositantes, percebeu-se uma maior concentração de empresas em detrimento de universidades e centros tecnológicos. Todavia, a quantidade de artigos publicados é muito mais significativa do que a de depósitos de patentes, inferindo-se que o tema abordado desperta mais interesse da academia do que da indústria. Por fim, constatou-se que a tecnologia se encontra obsoleta em relação a outras já comercializadas. Portanto, um contrato de transferência de tecnologia por meio de know how pode ser mais plausível e economicamente mais viável.
Approaching sexuality in aging: an integrative review / Abordagem da sexualidade no envelhecimento: uma revisão integrativa
Authors: De Almeida Pereira Fabrício Fernanda Alencar , Oliveira Costa Gilka Paiva , Paredes Moreira Maria Adelaide Silva , Oliveira Silva Antônia Leda , Feitosa Alves Maria Socorro Costa , Siqueira Brasileiro Mariana Lacerda
Published: October 2021

Objetivo: identificar na literatura evidências científicas que influenciam a abordagem da sexualidade na pessoa idosa pelos profissionais de saúde. Método: pesquisa de revisão integrativa, por meio da busca de artigos científicos nas bases MEDLINE e CINAHAL e nas Bibliotecas Virtuais/Repositórios Bibliográficos LILACS, Scielo e Science Direct com enfoque sobre profissionais de saúde e sexualidade em idosos. Resultados: foram selecionados 14 artigos que evidenciaram que a maioria dos profissionais de saúde possuem conhecimento limitado, atitudes variadas e não abordam o assunto proativamente. A ausência de conhecimento e treinamento no assunto, a falta de tempo nas consultas e o desconforto gerado pelo tema foram dificuldades relatadas. Conclusão: a maioria dos profissionais de saúde negligencia a conversa sobre sexualidade com os pacientes mais velhos. A mínima atenção ao assunto proporciona um ambiente embaraçoso tanto para os idosos quanto para os profissionais de saúde.
The Cell‐Isolation Capsules with Rod‐Like Channels Ensure the Survival and Response of Cancer Cells to Their Microenvironment
Authors: Hui Lanlan , Wang Deng , Liu Zhao , Zhao Yueqi , Ji Zhongzhong , Zhang Man , Zhu Helen He , Luo Wenqing , Cheng Xiaomu , Gui Liming , Gao Wei‐Qiang
Published: October 2021

Current macrocapsules with semipermeable but immunoprotective polymeric membranes are attractive devices to achieve the purpose of immunoisolation, however, their ability to allow diffusion of essential nutrients and oxygen is limited, which leads to a low survival rate of encapsulated cells. Here, a novel method is reported by taking advantage of thermotropic liquid crystals, sodium laurylsulfonate (SDS) liquid crystals (LCs), and rod‐like crystal fragments (LCFs) to develop engineered alginate hydrogels with rod‐like channels. This cell‐isolation capsule with an engineered alginate hydrogel‐wall allows small molecules, large molecules, and bacteria to diffuse out from the capsules freely but immobilizes the encapsulated cells inside and prevents cells in the microenvironment from moving in. The encapsulated cells show a high survival rate with isolation of host immune cells and long‐term growth with adequate nutrients and oxygen supply. In addition, by sharing and responding to the normal molecular and vesicular microenvironment (NMV microenvironment), encapsulated cancer cells display a transition from tumorous phenotypes to ductal features of normal epithelial cells. Thus, this device will be potentially useful for clinical application in cell therapy by secreting molecules and for establishment of patient‐derived xenograft (PDX) models that are often difficult to achieve for certain types of tumors, such as prostate cancer.
Probing the Properties of Quasi‐Isolated ClAlPc by Using Polycrystalline h‐BN on Pt(111) as a Testbed
Authors: Guo Haojie , Izquierdo‐Cid Marta , Jiménez‐Sánchez Mariano D. , Martínez‐Galera Antonio J. , Gómez‐Rodríguez José M.
Published: October 2021

The structural and electronic properties of chloro‐aluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) molecules on insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) monolayers (MLs) grown on Pt(111) surfaces are studied via scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) along with low energy electron diffraction in ultra‐high vacuum conditions. As a reference, the structural properties of the h‐BN/Pt(111) surface are studied, where various moiré patterns associated to different orientations of the h‐BN lattice with respect to the Pt(111) surface below are characterized, for the first time, at the atomic scale. Room temperature deposition of ClAlPc molecules on h‐BN/Pt(111) gives rise to the formation of mainly bilayer molecular structures, where the ClAlPc molecules adopt an alternating Cl‐up and Cl‐down stacking configuration. Upon annealing, bilayer molecular structures become islands comprising only a single layer of molecules adsorbed in a Cl‐up configuration. In the ML regime, the possible influence of the moiré pattern superstructure and the h‐BN lattice on the molecular ordering is also studied. Finally, the electronic properties of ClAlPc on h‐BN/Pt(111) are investigated through high‐resolution STM imaging of the frontier molecular orbitals and differential conductance plots. The results point toward a weak molecule–substrate interaction.
The Tooth Fairy collection (la collection Petite souris), a sample of documented human deciduous teeth at the University of Bordeaux, France
Authors: Le Luyer Mona , Bayle Priscilla
Published: October 2021

The aim of this article is to describe the composition of the Tooth Fairy collection (collection Petite souris as it is known in French), a documented sample of deciduous teeth from individuals with known kinship curated at the University of Bordeaux (France). Since 2014, we have collected naturally exfoliated deciduous teeth from French children of known kinship and life histories. The life‐history records include date and place of birth, sex, birth weight, and length, weight measurements during the first 6 months of life, whether the child was born premature or full‐term, delivery conditions, and dietary information including weaning age. Data collection and exploitation was approved by the French authority Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés. The collection, which is still expanding, is currently composed of 995 deciduous teeth belonging to 99 individuals from 42 families. The sample includes 61 female individuals and 38 male individuals, born between 1953 and 2013, the majority from France. Siblings are the most represented kinship type within the collection. The Tooth Fairy collection of deciduous teeth from individuals with known life history and kinship offers a unique window into the variation in human growth. Available for macro‐, meso‐, and microstructural analysis, the collection offers new insights into the multiple factors influencing dental growth, human variation, and diet, especially around birth and during early postnatal life. This collection is particularly relevant for studies in forensic, dental, and biological anthropology.
Development and psychometric evaluation of a Thai Diagnostic Autism Scale for the early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Tangviriyapaiboon Duangkamol , Sirithongthaworn Samai , Apikomonkon Hataichanok , Suyakong Chidawan , Srikummoon Pimwarat , Kawilapat Suttipong , Traisathit Patrinee
Published: October 2021

The Thai Diagnostic Autism Scale (TDAS) was developed for use as a diagnostic tool for the early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Thai children aged 12–48 months old. TDAS consists of 23 items (13 and 17 items in the observational and interview sections, respectively) classified into seven domains (A1–A3 and B1–B4) according to the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, fifth edition (DSM‐5). Children with a single score in the A1–A3 domains and at least two of the B1–B4 domains were classified with ASD. The item‐objective congruence (IOC) index, confirmatory factor analysis, and Kappa coefficient were used to evaluate the content, constructs, and inter‐rater validity levels between the evaluators and concurrent validity between TDAS and physicians' diagnoses, respectively. TDAS showed good overall content validity (IOC range 0.71–1.00), suitable construct validity (root‐mean‐squared errors of approximation of 0.076 and 0.067, comparative fit indexes of 0.902 and 0.858, and Tucker‐Lewis indexes of 0.882 and 0.837 for the observation and interview sections, respectively), and excellent diagnostic agreement between TDAS and the evaluators (Kappa = 1.000) as well as between TDAS and the physicians' diagnoses (Kappa = 0.871). The sensitivity and specificity of TDAS were 100% and 82.4%, respectively. In conclusion, TDAS yielded a high level of content validity, concurrent validity, and inter‐rater reliability for the early diagnosis of ASD in Thai children. A large‐scale study using TDAS is needed to determine an appropriate cut‐off point as well as its efficacy.

Lay Summary

The Thai Diagnostic Autism Scale was developed for use as a diagnostic tool for the early diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) among Thai children. It contains 23 items in seven domains for the screening via observations and interviews. The psychometric properties of this diagnostic tool provide its reliability and suitability for the early diagnosis of ASD. A large‐scale study using it is needed to determine an appropriate cut‐off point as well as its efficacy.
The efficacy and possible mechanisms of immune checkpoint inhibitors in treating non‐small cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation
Authors: Ma Lin , Diao Bowen , Huang Zhaoqin , Wang Bin , Yu Jinming , Meng Xiangjiao
Published: October 2021

Over the past few years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have greatly improved the survival for patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without driver mutations. Compared with wild‐type tumors, tumors with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations show more heterogeneity in the expression level of programmed cell death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1), tumor mutational burden (TMB), and other immune microenvironment characteristics. Whether ICIs are suitable for NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations is still worth exploring. In previous studies, no significantly improved benefits were observed with immunotherapy monotherapy in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation. Here, we summarized and analyzed data from the clinical trials of ICIs or combined therapy in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations. We also focused on the mechanisms affecting the efficacy of ICIs in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations, the characteristics of potential responders, and provided insights into areas worth further investigations in future studies.
Scalable Synthesis of NiFe‐LDH/Ni9S8/NF Nanosheets by Two‐Step Corrosion for Efficient Oxygen Electrocatalysis
Authors: Yao Yue , Hu Enlai , Zheng Heqi , Chen Yi , Wang Zhiyu , Cui Yuanjing , Qian Guodong
Published: October 2021

Scalable synthesis of non‐noble‐metal‐based electrocatalysts achieved by energy‐saving and cost‐effective strategies towards efficient oxygen evolution is primary significant for the practical application of water splitting, however, it is still a great challenge. In this work, a two‐step corrosion engineering is proposed to construct ultrathin NiFe‐LDH and high‐conductivity Ni9S8 composites (denoted as NiFe‐LDH/Ni9S8/NF) at room temperature. By ingeniously using the corrosion reaction between nickel foam (NF) and S2O32− under acidic condition, Ni9S8 was firstly formed on the surface of Ni foam. Then, ultrathin NiFe‐LDH nanosheets were precipitated on the Ni9S8 surface through an ultrafast Fe2+ ions‐assisted corrosion treatment. Featured with fast electron/mass transfer rates, sheet‐stacked structure, and superior hydrophilicity, NiFe‐LDH/Ni9S8/NF exhibits an enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with low overpotentials of 223 and 265 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. Such feasible, economical, and scale‐up synthesis method might open a new avenue for the wide‐scale fabrication of materials for various electrochemical applications.
Transesterification of Refined Sunflower Oil to Biodiesel Using a CaO/ZSM‐5 Powder Catalyst
Authors: Dahdah Eliane , Estephane Jane , Moussa Chalouhi Lena , Sammoury Safa , El Khoury Bilal , Gennequin Cedric , Abi-Aad Edmond , Aouad Samer
Published: October 2021

The production of biodiesel from refined sunflower vegetable oil over basic CaO/ZSM‐5 catalysts was investigated. Several catalysts with various loadings of CaO on ZSM‐5 were prepared, calcined at 800 °C, and characterized by N2 adsorption‐desorption, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and CO2‐temperature‐programmed desorption techniques. Calcined catalysts were tested in the transesterification reaction and reaction conditions were optimized by varying the catalyst‐to‐oil ratio and reaction time. The most active catalyst was the CaO/ZSM‐5 catalyst with a 35 wt % loading which gave the highest fatty acid methyl ester yield. The high catalytic activity was attributed to the active basic sites generated following CaO addition. Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrated stability against the leaching process.
Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 with SiO2 Surface Coating Via Homogeneous Precipitation
Authors: Dou Lintao , Hu Pu , Shang Chaoqun , Wang Heng , Xiao Dongdong , Ahuja Utkarsh , Aifantis Katerina , Zhang Zhanhui , Huang Zhiliang
Published: October 2021

Ni‐rich LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811) has been considered as a promising cathode material for high energy density lithium‐ion batteries. However, it experiences undesirable interfacial side‐reactions with the electrolyte, which lead to a rapid capacity decay. In this work, a homogeneous precipitation method is proposed for forming a uniform silicon dioxide (SiO2) coating on the NCM811 surface. The strong Si−O network provided a stable protective layer between the NCM811 active material and electrolyte to improve the electrochemical stability. As a result, the NCM811@SiO2 cathode showed superior cycling stability (84.9 % after 100 cycles at 0.2 C) and rate capability (142.7 mA h g−1 at 5 C) compared to the pristine NCM811 cathode (56.6 % after 100 cycles, 127.9 mA h g−1 at 5 C). Moreover, the SiO2 coating effectively suppressed voltage decay and pulverization of the NCM811 particles during long term cycling. This uniform coating technique offers a viable approach for stabilizing Ni‐rich cathode materials for high‐energy density lithium‐ion batteries.
Prediction of Bubble Sizes in Bubble Columns with Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Biessey Philip , Bayer Hakan , Theßeling Christin , Hilbrands Eske , Grünewald Marcus
Published: October 2021

Two Machine Learning algorithms – LASSO and Random Forest – are applied to derive regression models for the prediction of gas bubble diameters using supervised learning techniques. Experimental data obtained from wire‐mesh sensor (WMS) measurements in a deionized water/air system serve as the data base. Python libraries are used to extract features characterizing WMS measurement signals of single passing bubbles. Prediction accuracy is largely increased with the obtained regression models, compared to well‐established methods to predict bubble sizes based on WMS measurements.
Spatiotemporal map of key signaling factors during early penis development
Authors: Tarulli Gerard A. , Cripps Samuel M. , Pask Andrew J. , Renfree Marilyn B.
Published: October 2021

The formation of the external genitalia is a highly complex developmental process, considering it involves a wide range of cell types and results in sexually dimorphic outcomes. Development is controlled by several secreted signalling factors produced in complex spatiotemporal patterns, including the hedgehog (HH), bone morphogenic protein (BMP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and WNT signalling families. Many of these factors act on or are influenced by the actions of the androgen receptor (AR) that is critical to masculinisation. This complexity of expression makes it difficult to conceptualise patterns of potential importance. Mapping expression during key stages of development is needed to develop a comprehensive model of how different cell types interact in formation of external genitalia, and the global regulatory networks at play. This is particularly true in light of the sensitivity of this process to environmental disruption during key stages of development. The goal of this review is to integrate all recent studies on gene expression in early penis development to create a comprehensive spatiotemporal map. This serves as a resource to aid in visualising potentially significant interactions involved in external genital development.
Physician Perspectives on Including Pregnant Women in Covid‐19 Clinical Trials: Time for a Paradigm Change
Authors: Trahan Marie‐Julie , Cumyn Annabelle , Cheng Matthew P. , McDonald Emily G. , Lapinsky Stephen E. , Daneman Nick , Abenhaim Haim A. , Malhamé Isabelle
Published: October 2021

Excluding pregnant people from Covid‐19 clinical trials may lead to unintended harmful consequences. For this study, an online questionnaire was sent to physicians belonging to Canadian professional medical associations in order to evaluate their perspectives on the participation of pregnant women in Covid‐19 clinical trials. The majority of respondents expressed support for including pregnant women in Covid‐19 trials (119/165; 72%), especially those investigating therapies with a prior safety record in pregnancy (139/164; 85%). The main perceived barriers to inclusion identified were unwillingness of pregnant patients to participate and of treating teams to offer participation, the burden of regulatory approval, and a general “culture of exclusion” of pregnant women from trials. We describe why some physicians may be reluctant to include pregnant individuals in trials, and we identify barriers to the appropriate participation of pregnant people in clinical research.
Supporting adaptive management with ecological forecasting: chronic wasting disease in the Jackson Elk Herd
Authors: Galloway Nathan L. , Monello Ryan J. , Brimeyer Doug , Cole Eric K. , Hobbs N. Thompson
Published: October 2021

Adaptive management has emerged as the prevailing approach for combining environmental research and management to advance science and policy. Adaptive management, as originally formulated by Carl Walters in 1986, depends on the use of Bayesian models to provide a framework to accumulate knowledge. The emergence of ecological forecasting using the Bayesian framework has provided robust tools and supports a new approach to informing adaptive management, which can be particularly useful in developing policy for managing infectious disease in wildlife. We used the potential infection of elk populations with chronic wasting disease in the Jackson Valley of Wyoming and the National Elk Refuge as a model system to show how Bayesian forecasting can support adaptive management in anticipation of management challenges. The core of our approach resembles the sex‐ and age‐structured, discrete time models used to support management decisions on elk harvest throughout western North America. Our model differs by including stages for CWD‐infected and unaffected animals. We used data on population counts, sex and age classification, and CWD testing, as well as results from prior research, in a Bayesian statistical framework to predict model parameters and the number of animals in each age, sex, and disease stage over time. Initial forecasts suggested CWD may reach a mean prevalence in the population of 12%, but uncertainty in this forecast is large and we cannot rule out a mean forecasted prevalence as high as 20%. Using recruitment rates observed during the last two decades, the model predicted that a CWD prevalence of 7% in females would cause the population growth rate () to drop below 1, resulting in population declines even when female harvest was zero. The primary value of this ecological forecasting approach is to provide a framework to assimilate data with understanding of disease processes to enable continuous improvement in understanding the ecology of CWD and its management.
Forward modeling of Rayleigh surface waves for analytical characterization of dominant dispersion trends
Authors: Lin Shibin , Yi Ting‐Hua , Ashlock Jeramy , Gucunski Nenad
Published: October 2021

Forward modeling is of critical importance for inversion analysis of surface wave methods to obtain shear‐wave velocity (VS) profiles of soil sites. The dynamic stiffness matrix (DSM) method can provide forward modeling of Rayleigh surface waves to simulate complex wave propagation in layered soil sites. However, contamination from body waves and interference of multiple Rayleigh wave modes can reduce the accuracy of theoretical dispersion curves, especially at irregular soil sites with embedded low‐velocity or high‐velocity layers. An analytical method is developed herein to combine the techniques of the multichannel analysis of surface waves method with the DSM method to improve the accuracy of the theoretical dispersion analysis for soil sites. The proposed method implements multichannel analysis of the analytical displacement responses to capture dominant dispersion trends. Comparison of the results obtained with the new method against those from the transfer matrix method and the literature indicates that the new method can (1) effectively minimize the effects of contamination caused by body waves and interference from several Rayleigh wave modes, and (2) generate accurate dominant dispersion trends for soil sites with various stiffness profiles, especially for the high‐frequency dispersion characteristics of the profiles with embedded low‐velocity layers.
Regeneration of CO2‐rich aqueous amine‐ionic liquid blends in CO2 capture process
Authors: Perumal Muthumari , Jayaraman Dhanalakshmi
Published: October 2021

In this present work, solvent regeneration of CO2‐rich aqueous solvent blends containing Monoethanolamine (MEA) and Ionic liquids was studied experimentally. The ionic liquids (ILs) used are tetrabutylammonium acetate [TBA][OAC] and tetrabutylammonium bromide [TBA][Br]. The solvent mixture composition of ILs are 2, 5, 10 wt% and their respective MEA as 28, 25, 20 wt%. CO2 absorption and desorption process were performed using solvent blends. The recovery of solvent was performed for three different temperatures 358, 368 and 373 K. The findings reveal that solvent blends of MEA with [TBA][Br] exhibit higher regeneration efficiency and lower regeneration energy than MEA with [TBA][OAC] blends with a minimum composition of 2 wt% [TBA][Br]. Energy consumption for recovery of 2 wt% [TBA][Br] blend with 28 wt% MEA was found to be 65.66 KJ mole−1 of CO2 which is 41.97% less than 30 wt% MEA. Furthermore, physicochemical properties such as pH, density, viscosity, carbon loading and surface tension have been measured before and after CO2 absorption and desorption process. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of the water injection pressure on coal permeability based on the pore‐fracture fractal characteristics: An experimental study
Authors: Wang Kai , Guo Yangyang , Du Feng , Dong Huzi , Xu Chao
Published: October 2021

Coal seam water injection is a commonly used method by which to improve coal seam permeability. To reveal how this method can enhance coal permeability from the perspective of the pore‐fracture structure, the permeability and porosity of raw coal samples under different water injection pressures were tested. Low‐temperature nitrogen adsorption (N2GA) and high‐pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) were employed to characterize the changes in the pore‐fracture structures of water‐injected coal samples. Moreover, the relationship between the fractal dimension and coal permeability was studied using fractal theory. The results revealed the following. The internal pore‐fracture structures of the coal samples were rich in variety, and the pore span was large. With the increase of the water injection pressure, the volume ratios of macropores and mesopores gradually increased. Moreover, in the test interval, the fractal dimension of the water‐injected samples did not fluctuate substantially. With the increase of the water injection pressure, the integral dimension of seepage pores became positively correlated with permeability, while the fractal dimension of diffusion pores became negatively correlated with permeability. The results indicate that the increase in the water injection pressure not only increases the proportion of seepage pores, but also densifies the diffusion pores. Thus, the uniformity of diffusion pores can well reflect the permeability level of coal samples. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extended and optimized deep convolutional neural network‐based lung tumor identification in big data
Authors: Ananth Antony Dennis , Palanisamy Chenniappan
Published: October 2021

Lung tumor is a complex disease caused due to the irregular growth of lung cells. A key factor in effective treatment planning is the early detection of lung tumor. Visual similarity between benign and malignant nodules, heterogeneity and low contrast variation are the factors that make accurate cancerous lesion recognition, a very challenging task. In this paper, Optimized Deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) and Fuzzy C‐means with Equilibrium optimizer (FCM‐EO) is proposed for classification and segmentation of CT lung images. The proposed architecture is comprised of four phases such as preprocessing, feature extraction, classification and segmentation. In preprocessing, the weighted mean histogram analysis (WMHA) is utilized to enhance the quality of images and noise removal. Hybrid Dual tree‐complex wavelet transform (DT‐CWT) with Gabor filter is proposed in feature extraction to extract the features from the preprocessed images. DCNN model is designed to classify the original images into benign and malignant images. The weight of DCNN model is updated using the Enhanced black widow optimization algorithm (EBWOA). In segmentation, FCM‐EO is introduced to identify the tumor regions and remove the outliers from the malignant images. LIDC‐IDRI dataset is utilized for the experimental analysis and MATLAB is the implementation tool. The simulation analysis is performed for both the classification and segmentation processes. Accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, precision, F‐measure, FROC, DSC, MCC, and IoU are evaluated for both these processes. The experimental results showed the proposed framework is efficient for the identification of tumor from the CT lung images.
Coronavirus disease 2019 gastrointestinal and liver manifestations in adults: A review
Authors: Sirinawasatien Apichet , Chantarojanasiri Tanyaporn , Ekpanyapong Sirina , Tivatunsakul Naris , Luvira Viravarn
Published: October 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is an important health problem that has a serious adverse impact on the global economy and healthcare systems. The virus is not only involved in the respiratory system, but also causes other systemic effects as well as several gastrointestinal and liver issues. Evidence has shown direct viral invasion into the gastrointestinal tissue and supporting vascular network, causing various manifestations such as diarrhea, nausea, gastrointestinal bleeding, and abnormal liver function tests. The degree of gastrointestinal injury, especially in terms of liver involvement, is correlated with disease severity. There is no specific treatment for gastrointestinal involvement, and the symptoms can be managed with supportive therapy. Moreover, increased liver decompensation and mortality can be found in COVID‐19‐infected patients with coexisting liver disease. As the virus can be identified in gastrointestinal contents, endoscopic procedures during the pandemic should be carefully selected and proper protection strategies should be encouraged to prevent viral transmission.
Adsorption isotherm, kinetics, and thermodynamic studies of O,O‐diethyl‐O‐(3,5,6‐trichloropyridin‐2‐yl) phosphorothioate (chlorpyrifos) on cinnamon verum–based activated carbon
Authors: Naser Ettish Mohamed , Abuzalat Osama , Wong Danny , El‐Sayyad Gharieb S. , Elsayed Mohamed A.
Published: October 2021

Cinnamon verum was used as a low‐cost precursor to produce microporous‐activated carbons with a high surface area (894 m2/g) and large total pore volume (0.49 cm3/g). Thermogravimetric analysis scanning electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area, and pore size analyzer techniques were used to characterize the new sorbent. The new porous carbon's ability to remove chlorpyrifos (CPS), an organo‐phosphorus surrogate of ware gases and the active component in most insecticides and pesticides, has been assessed by a batch adsorption procedure. Different sorption factors such as initial CPS concentrations, contact time, pH, solution temperature, and sorbent dosage have been studied. The results show that the new sorbent could remove 100% of CPS at low concentrations of 20 ppm within 20 min of contact time under a favorable sorption process. CPS adsorption was found to be exothermic, and the adsorption capacity decreases with increasing temperature. Equilibrium results were modeled using three isotherm models: Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin. The Langmuir isotherm model was found to be the best model to represent the CPS adsorption data. The kinetic results were fitted to pseudo–first‐order, pseudo–second‐order, and intraparticle diffusion models and thoroughly followed the pseudo–second‐order kinetic model. Thermodynamic factors such as enthalpy (ΔHo), entropy (ΔSo), and free energy (ΔGo) were assessed. The negative values of ΔHo and ΔGo indicate the exothermic and spontaneous nature of the adsorption process. The sorbent from waste cinnamon bark was economically practical and eliminates organophosphorus compounds from aqueous solutions.
Eye‐of‐the‐Tiger Sign with an Unexpected Pathological Diagnosis
Authors: Natera‐Villalba Elena , Martínez‐Castrillo Juan Carlos , López‐Sendón Moreno José Luis , Gómez‐López Ana , Sánchez‐Sánchez Arantxa , López‐Martínez María José , Rábano Alberto , Alonso‐Cánovas Araceli
Published: October 2021

Background

Clinical diagnosis of atypical parkinsonisms may be challenging. The eye‐of‐the‐tiger sign on brain MRI, typical of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation, has been anecdotally observed in cases clinically diagnosed as atypical parkinsonisms.

Objectives

To show how clinical syndromes and even neuroimaging sometimes may lead the neurologist to a misunderstanding, just as to emphasize the important role of pathology to establish the final diagnosis in these cases.

Methods

Clinico‐pathological case.

Results

A 67‐year‐old‐woman presented with progressive painful stiffness and allodynia in her left arm. On examination, she presented parkinsonism without tremor with greater involvement of left limbs. She developed dystonia, with myoclonic tremor and hypoesthesia involving her left arm, as well as an impairment of balance with falls, a significant axial involvement with disabling rigidity, supranuclear gaze abnormalities, facial dystonia, dysphonia, severe dysphagia, and anarthria. There was no response to levodopa. Syndromic diagnosis and findings on neuroimaging are discussed. Afterwards, the underlying pathology is revealed.

Conclusions

We present the first case of neuropathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy with the eye‐of‐the‐tiger sign on brain MRI. The presence of supranuclear vertical gaze palsy further complicated a correct clinical diagnosis. A pathological postmortem study remains essential to establish a definite diagnosis in atypical parkinsonisms.
Radio‐magnetotelluric and controlled‐source magnetotelluric surveys on a frozen lake: Opportunities for urban applications in Nordic countries
Authors: Bastani Mehrdad , Wang Shunguo , Malehmir Alireza , Mehta Suman
Published: October 2021

In a novel approach, we have carried out controlled‐source and radio‐magnetotelluric measurements in the frequency range of 2–250 kHz on a frozen lake located over a planned major multi‐lane underground road tunnel near the city of Stockholm. The aim was to gain a better understanding of the resistivity variations above and, potentially, within the crystalline bedrock. Previous studies on the lake water using the boat‐towed radio‐magnetotelluric technique at the higher end of the frequency band lacked resolution at depth and could not provide conclusive information about bedrock level and potential fracture systems within the bedrock. Taking advantage of Nordic winters, we measured four profiles on the frozen lake complementing the previously acquired boat‐towed radio‐magnetotelluric data utilizing a double horizontal magnetic dipole transmitter that generated signals down to 1 kHz. The new resistivity models, incorporating the lower frequency data, show improvements and deeper penetrations based on a combined analysis of penetration depth, data misfits and sensitivity studies. The resistivity models also show better correlation with the available high‐resolution shallow water seismic reflection data and the geological observations. A potential fracture system within the bedrock can also be inferred better in the new models. The idea of running similar surveys on frozen lakes can be further exploited in similar conditions in countries such as Sweden, where approximately 7% of the land is covered by freshwater bodies and poorly explored for infrastructure planning projects.
Re‐engineered imaging agent using biomimetic approaches
Authors: Nguyen Tuyen Duong Thanh , Marasini Ramesh , Aryal Santosh
Published: October 2021

Recent progress in biomedical technology, the clinical bioimaging, has a greater impact on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, especially by early intervention and precise therapy. Varieties of organic and inorganic materials either in the form of small molecules or nano‐sized materials have been engineered as a contrast agent (CA) to enhance image resolution among different tissues for the detection of abnormalities such as cancer and vascular occlusion. Among different innovative imaging agents, contrast agents coupled with biologically derived endogenous platform shows the promising application in the biomedical field, including drug delivery and bioimaging. Strategy using biocomponents such as cells or products of cells as a delivery system predominantly reduces the toxic behavior of its cargo, as these systems reduce non‐specific distribution by navigating its cargo toward the targeted location. The hypothesis is that depending on the original biological role of the naïve cell, the contrast agents carried by such a system can provide corresponding natural designated behavior. Therefore, by combining properties of conventional synthetic molecules and nanomaterials with endogenous cell body, new solutions in the field of bioimaging to overcome biological barriers have been offered as innovative bioengineering. In this review, we will discuss the engineering of cell and cell‐derived components as a delivery system for various contrast agents to achieve clinically relevant contrast for diagnosis and study underlining mechanism of disease progression.

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Cells at the Nanoscale

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease
Outlier Detection for Pandemic-Related Data Using Compositional Functional Data Analysis
Authors: Rieser Christopher , Filzmoser Peter
Published: October 2021

With accurate data, governments can make the most informed decisions to keep people safer through pandemics such as the COVID-19 coronavirus. In such events, data reliability is crucial and therefore outlier detection is an important and even unavoidable issue. Outliers are often considered as the most interesting observations, because the fact that they differ from the data majority may lead to relevant findings in the subject area. Outlier detection has also been addressed in the context of multivariate functional data, thus smooth functions of several characteristics, often derived from measurements at different time points (Hubert et al. in Stat Methods Appl 24(2):177–202, 2015b). Here the underlying data are regarded as compositions, with the compositional parts forming the multivariate information, and thus only relative information in terms of log-ratios between these parts is considered as relevant for the analysis. The multivariate functional data thus have to be derived as smooth functions by utilising this relative information. Subsequently, already established multivariate functional outlier detection procedures can be used, but for interpretation purposes, the functional data need to be presented in an appropriate space. The methodology is illustrated with publicly available data around the COVID-19 pandemic to find countries displaying outlying trends.
The Legal Challenges of Insuring Against a Pandemic
Authors: Hillier Rachel
Published: October 2021

COVID-19 has raised, and continues to raise, questions about the traditional approach to insurance cover. For instance, business interruption insurance covering “pandemics” under all risks insurance policies are likely to be a thing of the past. With tensions between businesses and the insurance industry on the rise, what can be done to offer businesses some protection at a premium they can afford, without emptying insurers’ reserves? In this chapter we talk about legal challenges related to traditional insurance against the risk of losses caused by a pandemic, and whether parametric insurance is the solution.
Stochastic Mortality Models and Pandemic Shocks
Authors: Regis Luca , Jevtić Petar
Published: October 2021

After decades of worldwide steady improvements in life expectancy, the COVID-19 pandemic produced a shock that had an extraordinary immediate impact on mortality rates globally. This shock had largely heterogeneous effects across cohorts, socio-economic groups, and nations. It represents a remarkable departure from the secular trends that most of the mortality models have been constructed to capture. Thus, this chapter aims to review the existing literature on stochastic mortality, discussing the features that these models should have in order to be able to incorporate the behaviour of mortality rates following shocks such as the one produced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Multi-population models are needed to describe the heterogeneous impact of pandemic shocks across cohorts of individuals. However, very few of them so far have included jumps. We contribute to the literature by describing a general framework for multi-population models with jumps in continuous-time, using affine jump-diffusive processes.
Risk-Sharing and Contingent Premia in the Presence of Systematic Risk: The Case Study of the UK COVID-19 Economic Losses
Authors: Assa Hirbod , Boonen Tim J.
Published: October 2021

Motivated by macroeconomic risks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we consider different risk management setups and study efficient insurance schemes in the presence of low probability shock events that trigger losses for all participants. More precisely, we consider three platforms: the risk-sharing, insurance and market platform. First, we show that under a non-discriminatory insurance assumption, it is optimal for everybody to equally share all risk in the market. This gives rise to a new concept of a contingent premium which collects the premia ex-post after the losses are realised. Insurance is then a mechanism to redistribute wealth, and we call this a risk-sharing solution. Second, we show that in an insurance platform, where the insurance is regulated, the tail events are not shared, but borne by the government. Third, in a competitive market we see how a classical solution can raise the risk of insolvency. Moreover, in a decentralised market, the equilibrium cannot be reached if there is adequate sensitivity to the common shock events. In addition, we have applied our theory to a case where the losses are calibrated based on the UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
All-Hands-On-Deck!—How International Organisations Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Boado-Penas María del Carmen , Demarco Gustavo , Eisenberg Julia , Lundberg Kristoffer , Şahin Şule
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all countries. Since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2021, governments across the world have mobilised on a tremendous scale and put in place different policies to contain the spread of the virus and its negative effects on society. International organisations have supported these efforts through evidence-based policy recommendations and emergency financing packages. This chapter presents a brief overview of the responses made by international organisations and European Union towards COVID-19. Special attention is given to the guidance of these organisations on the changes in social insurance and pension plans to protect the most vulnerable population groups.
COVID-19 and Optimal Lockdown Strategies: The Effect of New and More Virulent Strains
Authors: Caulkins Jonathan P. , Grass Dieter , Feichtinger Gustav , Hartl Richard F. , Kort Peter M. , Prskawetz Alexia , Seidl Andrea , Wrzaczek Stefan
Published: October 2021

Most nations have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by locking down parts of their economies starting in early 2020 to reduce the infectious spread. The optimal timing of the beginning and end of the lockdown, together with its intensity, is determined by the tradeoff between economic losses and improved health outcomes. These choices can be modelled within the framework of an optimal control model that recognises the nonlinear dynamics of epidemic spread and the increased risks when infection rates surge beyond the healthcare system’s capacity. Past work has shown that within such a framework very different strategies may be optimal ranging from short to long and even multiple lockdowns, and small changes in the valuation on preventing a premature death may lead to quite different strategies becoming optimal. There even exist parameter constellations for which two or more very different strategies can be optimal. Here we revisit those crucial questions with revised parameters reflecting the greater infectivity of variants such as the “UK variant” of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and describe how the new variant may affect levels of mortality and other outcomes.
Ansätze zur Begegnung der Hochpreisigkeit
Authors: Franzen Nora , van Harten Wim
Published: October 2021

Dieses Kapitel bietet eine Darstellung und Einordnung innovativer Lösungsvorschläge jenseits inkrementeller Ansätze zur Bezahlbarkeit von hochpreisigen, patentgeschützten Spezialpräparaten. Die Autor:innen diskutieren mögliche Maßnahmen zur Preissenkung durch Veränderung geistiger Eigentumsrechte und arzneimittelrechtlicher Schutzrechte, Anpassungen in der Preisbildung sowie Veränderungen im Forschungs- und Entwicklungssektor einschließlich etwaiger Evidenzen in deren Wirksamkeit. Schließlich werden Lösungsvorschläge hinsichtlich ihrer Realisierbarkeit und nötiger struktureller Systemveränderungen aus deutscher Perspektive erörtert.
Der Arzneimittelmarkt 2020 im Überblick
Authors: Telschow Carsten , Schröder Melanie , Bauckmann Jana , Niepraschk-von Dollen Katja , Zawinell Anette
Published: October 2021

Im Überblick zum Arzneimittelmarkt der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung (GKV) im Jahr 2020 werden Ursachen und Hintergründe der Umsatzsteigerung um 4,9 % gegenüber 2019 analysiert. So wird mit Hilfe der Methode der Komponentenzerlegung die strukturelle Veränderung bei den Verordnungen als wichtigster Umsatztreiber für den durchschnittlichen Wert einer Arzneimittelverordnung identifiziert. Für diese Umsatzsteigerungen sind insbesondere neue und teure patentgeschützte Arzneimittel verantwortlich. Gleichzeitig sinkt der Anteil der Tagesdosen im Patentmarkt, sodass hier immer mehr Geld für immer weniger Versorgung aufzubringen ist. Dies trifft noch stärker für das stetig wachsende Marktsegment der Arzneimittel für seltene Erkrankungen (Orphan Drugs) zu, die mit extrem hohen Kosten jeweils nur bei wenigen Patient:innen angewendet werden und so einen Versorgungsanteil nach verordneten Tagesdosen von 0,06 %, aber einen Kostenanteil von 11,8 % am Gesamtmarkt ausmachen. Die Kosten im Zweitanbietermarkt bzw. Nicht-Patentmarkt stagnieren hingegen und auch die Erlöse aus Rabattverträgen haben 2020 das Niveau des Vorjahres erreicht. Viele der weltweit größten Pharmakonzerne konnten erneut Umsatzsteigerungen und höhere Gewinne verbuchen; alleine die 21 größten unter ihnen deckten über 50 % der Umsätze im deutschen Arzneimittelmarkt 2020 ab, wobei diese Konzerne ihren Umsatz in Deutschland zu 70 % mit Patentarzneimitteln erzielen. Ein Blick auf besondere Entwicklungen in der Arzneimittelversorgung während der COVID-19-Pandemie ergänzt die Sicht auf den GKV-Arzneimittelmarkt 2020.