bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nielsen's beta function and some infinitely divisible distributions
Authors: Berg Christian , Koumandos Stamatis , Pedersen Henrik L. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractWe show that a large collection of special functions, in particular Nielsen's beta function, are generalized Stieltjes functions of order 2, and therefore logarithmically completely monotonic. This includes the Laplace transform of functions of the form , where f is itself the Laplace transform of a sum of dilations and translations of periodic functions. Our methods are also applied to ratios of Gamma functions, and to the remainders in asymptotic expansions of the double Gamma function of Barnes.
Flexibility of Gut Microbiota in Ageing Individuals during Dietary Fiber Long‐Chain Inulin Intake
Authors: Kiewiet Mensiena B. G. , Elderman Marlies E. , El Aidy Sahar , Burgerhof Johannes G. M. , Visser Hester , Vaughan Elaine E. , Faas Marijke M. , de Vos Paul 
Published: December 2020

ScopeDuring ageing, dysbiosis in the intestinal microbiota may occur and impact health. There is a paucity of studies on the effect of fiber on the elderly microbiota and the flexibility of the aged microbiota upon prebiotic intake. It is hypothesized that chicory long‐chain inulin consumption can change microbiota composition, microbial fermentation products, and immunity in the elderly.Methods and ResultsA double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial is performed in healthy individuals (55–80 years), in which microbiota composition is studied before, during, and after two months of chicory long‐chain inulin consumption. Fecal short chain fatty acid concentrations, T cell subsets, and antibody responses against a Hepatitis B (HB) vaccine are measured as well. Inulin consumption modified the microbiota composition, as measured by 16S rRNA sequencing. Participants consuming inulin have higher microbial diversity and a relatively higher abundance of the Bifidobacterium genus, as well as Alistipes shahii, Anaerostipes hadrus, and Parabacteroides distasonis. While the immune responses remain unchanged, the isobutyric acid levels, an undesired fermentation product, tend to be lower in the inulin group.ConclusionsOverall, it is shown that the gut microbiota composition is still sensitive to chicory long‐chain inulin induced changes in an ageing population, although this did not translate into an improved immune response to an HB vaccine.
Longitudinal acquisition repeatability of MRI radiomics features: An ACR MRI phantom study on two MRI scanners using a 3D T1W TSE sequence
Authors: Wong Oi Lei , Yuan JIng , Zhou Yihang , Yu Siu Ki , Cheung Kin Yin 
Published: December 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to quantitatively assess the longitudinal acquisition repeatability of MRI radiomics features in a three‐dimensional (3D) T1‐weighted (T1W) TSE sequence via a well‐controlled prospective phantom study.MethodsThirty consecutive daily datasets of an ACR‐MRI phantom were acquired on two 1.5T MRI simulators using a 3D T1W TSE sequence. Images were blindly segmented by two observers. Post‐acquisition processing was minimized but an intensity discretization (fixed bin size of 25). One hundred and one radiomics features (shape n = 12; first order n = 16; texture n = 73) were extracted. Longitudinal repeatability of each feature was evaluated by Pearson correlation and coefficient of variance (CV68%). Interobserver feature value agreement was also quantified using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland–Altman analysis. A most repeatable radiomics feature set on both scanners was determined by feature coefficient of variance (CV68%<5%), ICC (>0.75), and the ratio of the interobserver difference to the interobserver mean δ<5%.ResultsNo trend of radiomics feature value changed with time. Longitudinal feature repeatability CV68% ranged 0.01–38.60% (mean/median: 12.5%/9.9%), and 0.01–40.47%, (8.49%/7.34%) on the scanners A and B. Shape features exhibited significantly better repeatability than first‐order and texture features (all P < 0.01). Significant longitudinal repeatability difference was observed in texture features (P < 0.001) between the two scanners, but not in shape and first‐order features (P > 0.30). First‐order and texture features had smaller interobserver‐dependent variation than acquisition‐dependent variation. They also showed good interobserver agreement on both scanners (A:ICC = 0.80 ± 0.23; B:ICC = 0.80 ± 0.22), independent of acquisition repeatability. The repeatable radiomics features in common on both scanners, including 12 shape features, 0 first‐order features, and 3 texture features, were determined as the most repeatable MRI radiomics feature set.ConclusionsRadiomics features exhibited heterogeneous longitudinal repeatability, while the shape features were the most repeatable, in this phantom study with a 3D T1W TSE acquisition. The most repeatable radiomics feature set derived in this study should be helpful for the selection of reliable radiomics features in the future clinical use.
Do Carbonated Beverages Reduce Bleeding from Gill Injuries in Angled Northern Pike?
Authors: Trahan Alexandria T. , Chhor Auston D. , Lawrence Michael J. , Brownscombe Jacob W. , Glassman Daniel M. , Reid Connor H. , Abrams Alice E. I. , Danylchuk Andy J. , Cooke Steven J. 
Published: December 2020

Abstract
The premise of catch-and-release recreational angling is that postrelease survival is high. Therefore, it is common for anglers, management agencies, and conservation organizations to share information on handling practices and other strategies that are believed to improve the welfare and survival of fish that are released. A recent surge in popularity has sensationalized the use of carbonated beverages to treat bleeding fish—an intervention that is purported to stop bleeding but has yet to be validated scientifically. We captured Northern Pike Esox lucius via hook and line and experimentally injured their gills in a standardized manner. Gill injuries were treated with Mountain Dew, Coca-Cola, or carbonated lake water. The duration and intensity of bleeding as well as overall blood loss (using gill color as a proxy) were observed while the fish were held in a lake water bath. As a control, we used a group of experimentally injured fish that did not have liquid poured over their gills before the observation period. All treatments and the control were conducted at two different water temperatures (11–18°C and 24–27°C) to determine whether the effects of pouring carbonated beverages over injured gills are seasonally dependent. When compared to the control, we found that the duration and intensity of bleeding increased regardless of the type of carbonated beverage used in this study, and there was no effect of season. Use of chilled versus ambient-temperature beverages similarly had no influence on outcomes. As such, there is no scientific evidence to support the use of carbonated beverages for reducing or stopping blood loss in fish that receive gill injuries during recreational angling based on the context studied here. Our study reinforces the need to scientifically test angler anecdotes and theories regarding best practices for catch-and-release fishing.
Feasibility of using Clinical Practice Research Datalink data to identify patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to enrol into real‐world trials
Authors: Requena Gema , Wolf Achim , Williams Rachael , Dedman Daniel , Quint Jennifer K. , Murray‐Thomas Tarita , Pimenta Jeanne M. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPurposeTo assess the feasibility of using Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) data for identifying populations of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) eligible for a hypothetical pragmatic trial.MethodsA retrospective multidatabase cohort study using CPRD primary care and linked secondary care data to describe the characteristics of populations of patients with COPD. Patients' demographic and lifestyle factors, comorbidity profile, spirometry measurements and treatment changes were evaluated, as was the distribution of follow‐up time and types of losses during follow‐up. Characteristics were evaluated using descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 322 991 patients from 1148 primary care practices in the United Kingdom across two CPRD primary care databases, CPRD GOLD and CPRD Aurum, were potentially eligible to participate in a hypothetical trial using CPRD, starting on 31 December 2017. Patients with COPD in CPRD GOLD and CPRD Aurum were comparable in terms of age (median age 70 vs. 68 years), gender (50% vs. 52% male), disease severity (e.g., 25% vs. 24% Medical Research Council [MRC] dyspnoea score grades 3–5) and history of respiratory conditions (e.g., 43% vs. 38% asthma). High proportions of patients with COPD in CPRD GOLD and CPRD Aurum were available on 31 December 2012 for follow‐up at 1, 2, and 5 years (92%, 85% and 67%, respectively).ConclusionsPatients and data from CPRD GOLD and CPRD Aurum were comparable across key aspects relevant to COPD trials. A pragmatic trial using CPRD to recruit patients with COPD is scientifically feasible.
Genetic modification of the flavonoid pathway alters growth and reveals flexible responses to enhanced UVB – Role of foliar condensed tannins
Authors: Thitz Paula , Hagerman Ann E. , Randriamanana Tendry R. , Virjamo Virpi , Kosonen Minna , Lännenpää Mika , Nyman Tommi , Mehtätalo Lauri , Kontunen‐Soppela Sari , Julkunen‐Tiitto Riitta 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAccumulation of certain phenolics is a well‐known response of plants to enhanced UVB radiation (280–315 nm), but few experiments have compared the relative importance of different phenolic groups for UVB resilience. To study how an altered phenolic profile affects the responses and resilience of silver birch (Betula pendula) to enhanced UVB, we used RNA interference (RNAi) targeting dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR), anthocyanidin synthase (ANS), or anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) to change the accumulation of phenolics. The unmodified control line and RNAi‐modified plants were grown for 51 days under ambient or +32% enhanced UVB dose in a greenhouse. RNAi greatly affected phenolic profile and plant growth. There were no interactive effects of RNAi and UVB on growth or photosynthesis, which indicates that the RNAi and unmodified control plants were equally resilient. UVB enhancement led to an accumulation of foliar flavonoids and condensed tannins, and an increase in the density of stem glands and glandular trichomes on upper leaf surfaces in both the control and RNAi‐modified plants. Our results do not indicate a photoprotective role for condensed tannins. However, decreased growth of high‐flavonoid low‐tannin DFRi and ANRi plants implies that the balance of flavonoids and condensed tannins might be important for normal plant growth.
Possible role of radiotherapy in the management of orbital solitary fibrous tumors
Authors: Cereno Reno Eufemon , Cañal Johanna Patricia , Ranche Felice Katrina 
Published: December 2020

AbstractAs solitary fibrous tumors (SFT) are rare orbital neoplasms, the role of radiotherapy in their management remains unclear. We report three SFT cases who underwent radiotherapy for different clinical scenarios. Case 1 was a 20‐year‐old woman who presented with a 2‐year history of worsening left eye proptosis, eventually leading to its enucleation. A histopathological diagnosis of SFT was established. Recurrence was noted after 3 months and was partially resected, as limited by its location and extent. The residual tumor was given 60 Gy through three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy. Case 2 was a 23‐year‐old man who had been experiencing painless right eye proptosis for 8 months before undergoing excision, which revealed a diagnosis of SFT. With no residual mass detected on imaging, 54 Gy was delivered to the postoperative bed through intensity‐modulated radiotherapy. Case 3 was a 49‐year‐old man with a 3‐year history of blurred vision and left eye proptosis who underwent subtotal resection, which revealed a diagnosis of malignant SFT. A dose of 64 Gy was delivered to the residual tumor through intensity‐modulated radiotherapy.Grade 2 dermatitis was noted. No worsening in vision was observed. The patients remained recurrence‐free after 18, 12, and 5 months, respectively.Radiotherapy might provide a high tumor control probability in orbital SFT.
Consolidation chemotherapy might improve pathological complete response for locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Cui Jin , Yue Jinbo 
Published: December 2020

AbstractPatients with locally advanced rectal cancer who achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) have an improved prognosis. The need for surgery in these patients has been questioned; however, the proportion of patients who achieve pCR and receive a wait‐and‐watch strategy is small. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate whether neoadjuvant consolidation chemotherapy leads to a higher rate of pCR than standard CRT alone in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. To this end, we carried out a meta‐analysis of three clinical controlled trials, consisting of 466 patients who were divided into the CRT group (n = 211) and the consolidation chemotherapy group (n = 255). The results showed that consolidation chemotherapy could significantly improve the pCR rate compared with neoadjuvant CRT alone (pooled odds ratio for pCR 2.02, 95% confidence interval 1.09–3.57, P = 0.03) and did not increase the adverse events (odds ratio 1.38, 95% confidence interval 0.77–2.50, P = 0.28 for grades 1–2; odds ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.14–6.13, P = 0.93 for grades 3–4). The findings of our study showed that adding consolidation chemotherapy after CRT is a safe approach that could lead to a higher pCR rate in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Gas flare systems—Last line defense
Authors: Vallavanatt Rimon , Self Freeman 
Published: December 2020

AbstractProcess gas flares are considered a key equipment in a refinery, chemical, production, or LNG plant for controlled high‐efficiency combustion of unwanted gases during malfunction, startup, shutdown, and maintenance, but gas flaring also produces some undesirable by‐products such as noise, smoke, heat radiation, light, and pollutants. This paper will focus on combustion aspects. It will cover details for gas flares including burners, structures, as well as operational factors, flaring regulations, and flaring reduction. On the other hand, it will not discuss details well covered in complementary American Petroleum Institute standards such as flare headers, collection of liquids and knock‐out drums, mitigation of air ingress and seals, flare pilots, and flame monitoring.
An efficient method for identifying the chemical hazards of exception‐handling tasks and processes derived from abnormal process conditions
Authors: Liaw Horng‐Jang 
Published: December 2020

AbstractHazards that result from inappropriate exception‐handling tasks and processes performed in response to abnormal process conditions are not easily identified or cannot be identified at all, using only traditional hazard identification methods, such as normal hazard and operability (HAZOP) studies, failure mode and effects analysis, what‐if analysis, procedural HAZOP, and job safety analysis. This study thus proposes an efficient chemical hazard‐based method for identifying such potential hazards. The method comprises a checklist for identifying intrinsic chemical hazards and the exception tasks and processes which may initiate such hazards and a worksheet for performing the chemical hazard assessment of the identified exception tasks and processes. The checklist provides management with a useful tool for identifying the exception tasks and processes which may result in chemical hazards. Meanwhile, the hazard assessment worksheet provides an effective tool for evaluating the potential chemical hazards of the identified exception‐handling tasks and processes, assessing the effectiveness of existing safeguards for preventing and reducing such hazards, and drawing up additional recommendations if required. The operation of the proposed method is demonstrated through two case studies.
Strontium isotope ratios related to childhood mobility: Revisiting sampling strategies of the calcined human pars petrosa ossis temporalis
Authors: Veselka Barbara , Locher Heiko , de Groot John C.M.J. , Davies Gareth R. , Snoeck Christophe , Kootker Lisette M. 
Published: December 2020

RationaleStrontium isotope analysis can be applied to the calcined human otic capsule in the petrous part (pars petrosa ossis temporalis; PP) to gain information on childhood mobility in archaeological and forensic contexts. However, only a thin layer of the otic capsule, the inner cortex, demonstrates virtually no remodelling. This paper proposes an improved sampling method for the accurate sampling of the inner cortex of the otic capsule to ensure that87Sr/86Sr ratios related to early childhood are obtained.MethodsCalcined rib and diaphyseal fragments and PP from ten cremation deposits are sampled for strontium isotope analysis, whereby our improved sampling strategy is applied to sample the inner cortex of the otic capsule. This allows inter‐ and intraskeletal87Sr/86Sr comparison within an Iron Age collection from Oss, The Netherlands.ResultsForty percent (4/10) of the calcined PP that were evaluated for this study show marked differences in87Sr/86Sr (0.00035–0.00065) between the inner cortex and the bone sample surrounding this layer, the external cortex that has higher remodelling rates. Differences in87Sr/86Sr between various skeletal elements also aided in the identification of the minimum number of individuals.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates the problematic nature of the external cortex and stresses the need for a precise sampling method of the correct areas of the otic capsule. This can only be obtained by cutting the calcined PP midmodiolarly to enable adequate combustion degree assessment, and the correct identification and sampling of the inner cortex of the otic capsule.
SSUE: Simultaneous state and uncertainty estimation for dynamical systems
Authors: Geng Hang , Haile Mulugeta A. , Fang Huazhen 
Published: December 2020

AbstractParameters of the mathematical model describing many practical dynamical systems are prone to vary due to aging or renewal, wear and tear, as well as changes in environmental or service conditions. These variabilities will adversely affect the accuracy of state estimation. In this article, we introduce SSUE: simultaneous state and uncertainty estimation for quantifying parameter uncertainty while simultaneously estimating the internal state of a system. Our approach involves the development of a Bayesian framework that recursively updates the posterior joint density of the unknown state vector and parameter uncertainty. To execute the framework for practical implementation, we develop a computational algorithm based on maximum a posteriori estimation and the numerical Newton's method. Observability analysis is conducted for linear systems, and its relation with the consistency of the estimation of the uncertainty's location is unveiled. Additional simulation results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed SSUE approach.
A delay‐independent output feedback law for discrete‐time linear systems with bounded unknown input delay
Authors: Wei Yusheng , Lin Zongli 
Published: December 2020

AbstractBounded input delay frequently arises in discrete‐time linear systems. The standard predictor feedback design requires the exact knowledge of the delay. Such a requirement on the availability of the delay knowledge poses challenges in the design of robust control laws when only the knowledge of an upper bound of the delay is known. We propose such a design in this article. Based on the delay‐independent truncated predictor state feedback design, an observer‐based output feedback law is constructed that does not contain any explicit information of the delay. For a general, possibly exponentially unstable, discrete‐time linear system, the proposed output feedback law stabilizes the system as long as the delay does not exceed a certain amount. For the special case of systems with all the open‐loop poles on or inside the unit circle, a low gain feedback design is presented. This low gain design allows us to establish that, when all the open‐loop poles of a system are at z = 1 or inside the unit circle, stabilization can be achieved for an arbitrarily large bounded delay as long as the value of the low gain parameter is chosen small enough.
Stabilization of semi‐Markovian jump systems by a stochastically scheduled controller
Authors: Wang Guoliang , Fan Qiang 
Published: December 2020

AbstractThis article considers the stabilization problem of continuous‐time semi‐Markovian jump systems. A kind of stochastically scheduled controller is proposed to realize the aim. It could also suffer a case that no controller is added to subsystems during some time slices. Based on a Lyapunov approach, sufficient conditions for such a controller are presented with LMI forms. Both sojourn times of jump signal and distribution properties of stochastic scheduling are involved and have positive roles in getting better performances. Two special cases about mode‐dependent and mode‐independent controllers are directly obtained. A practical example is given to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed methods.
Thiopyrimidine‐5‐carbonitrile Derivatives as VEGFR‐2 Inhibitors: Synthesis, Anticancer Evaluation, Molecular Docking, ADME Predictions and QSAR Studies
Authors: El‐serwy Walaa S. , Mohamed Hanaa S. , El‐serwy Weam S. , Mohamed Neama A. , Kassem Emad M. M. , Mahmoud Khaled , Nossier Eman S. 
Published: December 2020

AbstractIn this study, several novel thiopyrimidine‐5‐carbonitrile derivatives were synthesized and antitumor activity was investigated. Among them, N‐(4‐bromophenyl)‐2‐cyanoacetyl hydrazine‐1‐carbothioamide 6 revealed that the most potent cytotoxic activity against all tested cell lines, that it is why; it was subjected to in vitro kinase inhibitory assay. Molecular docking simulation was done to verify the binding mode towards VEGFR‐2 and afforded clear evidence on the observed anticancer behavior. Prediction of ADME properties and QSAR study of compounds was carried out, respectively.
A Fluorogenic Triphenyl‐Amine‐Naphthyl‐Hydrazide Probe Selective for Cu2+ and Cysteine Detection via an ON‐OFF‐ON Logic path with Real Applications
Authors: Paul Sukanya , Dey Sunanda , Pal Kunal , Maity Suvendu , Jana Kuladip , Sinha Chittaranjan 
Published: December 2020

Abstract1,1′‐((1E,1′E)‐((2E,2′E)(((phenylazanediyl)bis(4,1‐phenylene))bis‐(methanylylidene))bis‐ (hydrazine‐2,1‐diylidene))bis(methanylylidene))bis(naphthalen‐2‐ol), H2L shows high fluorescence emission (λem, 550 nm; λabs, 420 nm) which is selectively quenched by Cu2+ in presence of many other biologically important ions. The limit of detection (LOD), 7.3 nM is much lower than WHO recommended maximum permissible limit (20 μM) of Cu2+consumption in human body. The binding fashion of the probe to Cu2+ ion is 1 : 2 mole ratio and has been confirmed by Job's plot and ESI‐MS spectral data. The binding constant for Cu2+ is 4.93×1010 M−2 which also indicates sufficient stability and 1 : 2 complexation. On addition of cysteine to L‐Cu2+ensemble,the emission intensity (550 nm) enhances which accounts the release of Cu2+ from the non‐emissive complex and restores the total fluorogenic efficiency of probe, H2L (LOD (Cysteine), 36 nM). Thus, ON‐OFF‐ON mechanism of H2L has been utilized for selective and specific detection of Cu2+ and Cysteine over several other amino acids. In addition to this, the probe is treated on WI‐38 cell line to check cytotoxicity. This chemosensor, H2L has been successfully applied to examine intracellular trace quantity of Cu2+ and Cysteine concentration in Hep G2 Cell lines.