bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influencing the Dimensionality of Ni/Co‐Bipyrazole‐Based Coordination Frameworks through Anions and Thermal Activation
Authors: Freund Ralph , Kraft Maryana , Volkmer Dirk 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThirteen Ni(II) and Co(II) coordination polymers based on the organic linker 1H,1′H‐4,4′‐bipyrazole (H2BPZ) were synthesized and characterized using single crystal X‐ray diffraction, namely Ni(H2BPZ)(acac)2(1), Ni(H2BPZ)2(H2O)2 ⋅ (NO3)2(2), Ni3(H2BPZ)6Cl6 ⋅ (DMSO)4(3), Ni8(H2BPZ)16Cl16 ⋅ (DMSO)6(4), Ni(H2BPZ)2(H2O)6 ⋅ (ClO3)2(H2O)3(5), the isotypic structures Ni(H2BPZ)2(CH3SO3)2(6) and Co(H2BPZ)2(CH3SO3)2(7), Co(H2BPZ)2(CF3SO3)2(8), Ni(H2BPZ)3 ⋅ (CF3SO3)2(9), Ni(H2BPZ)3 ⋅ (ClO4)2(10), Co(H2BPZ)3 ⋅ (ClO4)2(11), Ni(BPZ) ⋅ (DMF)0.65(12), and Ni(BPZ) (13). In order to study the structural correlations of 1D‐3D, 2D‐3D, and 3D‐3D phase transitions the structures were investigated by means of thermal analysis. In addition, the role of charge‐balancing anions with respect to their coordination strength on structure, framework dimension, and crystal properties is discussed in detail. This work exemplifies the function of anions as structure directing agents and how they, as well as thermal activation, can influence framework topology, dimensionality, and crystal size.
Simulation of site‐scale water fluxes in desert and natural oasis ecosystems of the arid region in Northwest China
Authors: Xie Mingjuan , Luo Geping , Hellwich Olaf , Frankl Amaury , Zhang Wenqiang , Chen Chunbo , Zhang Chen , De Maeyer Philippe 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe study of water fluxes is important to better understand hydrological cycles in arid regions. Data‐driven machine learning models have been recently applied to water flux simulation. Previous studies have built site‐scale simulation models of water fluxes for individual sites separately, requiring a large amount of data from each site and significant computation time. For arid areas, there is no consensus as to the optimal model and variable selection method to simulate water fluxes. Using data from seven flux observation sites in the arid region of Northwest China, this study compared the performance of random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), back propagation neural network (BPNN), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models in simulating water fluxes. Additionally, the study investigated inter‐annual and seasonal variation in water fluxes and the dominant drivers of this variation at different sites. A universal simulation model for water flux was built using the RF approach and key variables as determined by MLR, incorporating data from all sites. Model performance of the SVM algorithm (R2 = 0.25–0.90) was slightly worse than that of the RF algorithm (R2 = 0.41–0.91); the BPNN algorithm performed poorly in most cases (R2 = 0.15–0.88). Similarly, the MLR results were limited and unreliable (R2 = 0.00–0.66). Using the universal RF model, annual water fluxes were found to be much higher than the precipitation received at each site, and natural oases showed higher fluxes than desert ecosystems. Water fluxes were highest during the growing season (May–September) and lowest during the non‐growing season (October–April). Furthermore, the dominant drivers of water flux variation were various among different sites, but the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil moisture and soil temperature were important at most sites. This study provides useful insights for simulating water fluxes in desert and oasis ecosystems, understanding patterns of variation and the underlying mechanisms. Besides, these results can make a contribution as the decision‐making basis to the water management in desert and oasis ecosystems.
A population‐based study of the relationship between advanced maternal age and premature/early‐term birth in Brazil
Authors: Nogueira da Gama Silvana Granado , Martinelli Katrini Guidolini , Soares Dias Barbara Almeida , Pereira‐Esteves Ana Paula , do Carmo Leal Maria , dos Santos‐Neto Edson Theodoro 
Published: December 2021

AbstractObjectiveTo verify whether advanced maternal age (AMA), defined as women of ≥35 years, is associated with premature and early‐term birth in Brazil, according to the onset of labor (spontaneous or provider‐initiated).MethodsCross‐sectional population‐based study. The “Birth in Brazil” study interviewed 23 894 puerperal women between 2011 and 2012, in all regions of Brazil. The current analysis included 17 994 adult mothers and their newborns (15 448 aged between 20–34 years, and 2536 ≥ 35 years). A propensity score was used to assess the likelihood of AMA women giving birth to premature or early‐term infants (spontaneous or provider‐initiated) compared to women aged 20–34 years. To balance the groups, we used maternal, prenatal, and childbirth characteristics.ResultsThe general prematurity rate was 10.24%, of which the majority of births were spontaneous (55.73%). Conversely, early‐term births were more often provider‐initiated (54.81%). AMA did not increase the chance of premature births, whether spontaneous or provider‐initiated. However, AMA was associated with a higher rate of provider‐initiated early‐term birth (OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.23–1.77).ConclusionAMA alone does not contribute to premature birth; AMA’s independent association with provider‐initiated early‐term birth may not be based solely on clinical indications.
A shared decision‐making intervention by pharmacy students to improve statin adherence
Authors: Osbaugh Nicole A. , Billups Sarah J. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIntroductionDespite the well‐established value of statins in reducing cardiovascular events, nearly half of patients fail to receive maximum benefit due to nonadherence. Studies indicate that motivational interviewing (MI) by pharmacy students can improve statin adherence. The benefit of incorporating an individualized approach, including shared‐decision making (SDM), is unknown, as is the student‐perceived value of this activity in their professional development.ObjectivesTo (a) measure the effect of an individualized telephone intervention conducted by pharmacy students in improving statin adherence and (b) assess the self‐reported value of intervention participation to guide continual quality improvement.MethodsA prospective, quality‐improvement project was conducted among patients receiving care at a university‐based healthcare system through a commercial or Medicare Advantage plan. Pharmacy claims data identified nonadherent patients based on a six‐month proportion of days covered (PDC) <0.80 for statin prescriptions. A sample of these patients was randomly selected to receive the intervention from July 2019 to April 2020, while remaining patients served as controls. The intervention included 1‐2 telephone calls by pharmacy students to deliver individualized evidence‐based education, including SDM and MI strategies. Mean PDC change and proportion of patients converted to adherent (PDC≥0.80) were evaluated 6 months post‐intervention using the intention‐to‐treat principle.ResultsThere were 58 patients in the intervention group, 52 of whom (90%) received at least one telephone call, and 82 controls. Six months post‐intervention mean PDC increased significantly in the intervention vs control group (12.8% vs 0.7%, P = .004), and 66% of the intervention group were adherent compared to 41% of controls [P = .005, adjusted OR = 2.46 (1.20‐5.05)]. Seven students participated in the intervention, with 83% of survey responders reporting positive professional development value during the experience.ConclusionPharmacy trainees may successfully deliver individualized interventions capable of improving statin adherence while positively contributing to their professional development.
Maximal occupation by bases of π‐hole bands surrounding linear molecules
Authors: Scheiner Steve 
Published: December 2021

AbstractLinear molecules such as CO2 contain a positive π‐hole ring that surrounds C on the molecule's equator. Quantum calculations examine the question as to how many bases can simultaneously bind to this ring. Linear molecules examined are TO2, where T = C, Si, Ge, Sn; bases are NCH and NH3. CO2 engages in the weakest of the tetrel bonds, and can bind up to three NCH and two NH3. Unlike σ‐hole tetrel bonds, Si forms the strongest tetrel bonds, with interaction energies as high as 43 kcal/mol with NH3. But like GeO2, SiO2 can sustain only two bases in its equatorial ring. The π‐hole ring of SnO2 can engage in up to four tetrel bonds with either NCH or NH3, even though these bonds are weaker than those with GeO2 or SiO2. As all of these complexes cast TO2 in the role of multiple electron acceptor, the resulting negative cooperativity makes each successive bond weaker than its predecessor as bases are added, as well as reducing the magnitude of the central molecule's π‐hole.
Oxidative stress parameters and keap 1 variants in T2DM: Association with T2DM, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, and obesity
Authors: Khalili Farnaz , Vaisi‐Raygani Asad , Shakiba Ebrahim , Kohsari Maryam , Dehbani Maryam , Naseri Rozita , Asadi Soheila , Rahimi Ziba , Rahimi Mehrali , Rahimi Zohreh 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIntroductionChronic hyperglycemia activates the inflammatory pathways and oxidative stress mechanisms with consequent damage to nerve tissue and retina. The Keap1‐Nrf2 pathway acts as one of the most important antioxidant pathways of the organism. Variants of Keap1 could affect susceptibility to diabetes and its complications.MethodsIn a case‐control study, 400 individuals included type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients without complication, with neuropathy, with retinopathy, and healthy individuals were investigated. The levels of glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were measured using chemical methods. Using the PCR‐RFLP method, the Keap1 (rs11085735) variants were identified.ResultsNeuropathic patients had significantly lower levels of GSH, GPx, and TAC and higher levels of total oxidative status (TOS), MDA, and oxidative stress index (OSI) compared to T2DM patients without complication and controls. Lower levels of GSH and GPx and a higher level of MDA were observed in patients with retinopathy compared with controls. Obesity was associated with significantly lower GPx activity and higher TOS. A significantly higher Keap1 AA genotype was found in patients with neuropathy than T2DM without complication and controls. The presence of Keap1 AA genotype correlated with lower GPx activity compared to CC genotype.ConclusionsOur study suggests the role of reduced antioxidant system and Keap1 variants in the pathogenesis of T2DM and its complications of neuropathy and retinopathy and also obesity in enhanced oxidative stress. Monitoring oxidative stress parameters in diabetic patients, especially those with complication and their treatment with antioxidants is suggested.
BRAIN‐BASED LEADERSHIP: USING THE CAMPS MODEL
Authors: Luna Tania 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe author, co‐CEO and co‐founder of LifeLabs Learning, explains what she calls the CAMPS model of brain‐based leadership. In her estimation, the best leaders “treat each person as a unique individual, but they also know how to anticipate and address the foundational human needs that all people share.” The CAMPS acronym stands for Certainty (Goals, Roles Norms), Autonomy (Choice, Voice, Ownership), Meaning (Personal Benefit, Impact on Others), Progress (Demarcate It, Extract the Learning), and Social Inclusion (Deliberately Include, Design out Bias). Breakout boxes with multiple examples are provided for each of the five areas within CAMPS, as well as a Next Steps breakout box. Each of the first five boxes includes a question to pursue. For instance, under Certainty: “What do you wish you felt more secure or clear about at work?” Under Autonomy: “What are areas in which you wish you either had more freedom or more direction?” Under Meaning: “What aspects of our work matter most to you and why?” The author concludes that “leaders who take this brain‐based approach to leadership achieve better results faster while helping people bring out the best in themselves and one another.”
Inhibition of corrosion of API K55 steel by tannin from Acacia mearnsii bark in highly acidic medium
Authors: Bacca Katryanne Rohana Georg , Lopes Natália Feijó , da Costa Eleani Maria 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe corrosion inhibiting effect of the tannin from Acacia mearnsii bark on API 5CT K55 steel, used for casing in the oil and gas industry, was investigated in 1 M HCl medium with different tannin concentrations. Corrosion was monitored by electrochemical tests using potentiodynamic polarization (PP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Complementary analyses of the corroded surfaces were performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). With the application of A. mearnsii tannin, the cathodic branch of the PP curves shifted to lower corrosion current density values. EIS analysis indicated that inhibitor molecules were adsorbed on the steel surface, which provided protection against corrosion. The SEM, AFM, and XRD data showed that in the presence of the inhibitor, a film and amorphous material were adsorbed on the steel surface, plausibly associated with the formation of tannates. The highest inhibition efficiency was obtained at an inhibitor concentration of 0.7 5 g L−1 (92% determined by PP and 98% by EIS), and a high degree of surface coverage was observed, compared with that obtained using the other concentrations of tannin.
Reconfigurable circularly polarized antenna with frequency agility
Authors: Chen Jun‐Yan , Row Jeen‐Sheen 
Published: December 2021

AbstractA design for reconfigurable circularly polarized (CP) microstrip antennas with frequency agility is described. The main radiating element of the antenna is a suspended patch, and it is connected with two vertical feed probes. When one feed probe is used as a signal input port, the other probe can serve as a perturbation element of the microstrip antenna resonant at the fundamental mode, and consequently a CP radiation is generated. Because the dual probes are arranged in an orthogonal fashion, the antenna can be operated in right‐handed and left‐handed circular polarization modes. To vary the CP operation frequency, four varactors are mounted on the ring slot embedded on the radiating patch. Simulated results indicate that the CP frequency can be continuously tuned from 1.2 to 1.9 GHz with decreasing the capacitance of the varactors. A prototype is also fabricated, and only one DC bias is required to realize the reconfigurable antenna. The design concept of the proposed antenna is shown, and CP performances at different frequencies are also presented.
Intratumoral analysis of digital breast tomosynthesis for predicting the Ki‐67 level in breast cancer: A multi‐center radiomics study
Authors: Jiang Tao , Jiang Wenyan , Chang Shijie , Wang Hongbo , Niu Shuxian , Yue Zhibin , Yang Huazhe , Wang Xiaoyu , Zhao Nannan , Fang Siqi , Luo Yahong , Jiang Xiran 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACTPurposeTo non‐invasively evaluate the Ki‐67 level in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) images of breast cancer (BC) patients based on subregional radiomics.MethodsA total of 266 patients who underwent DBT scans were consecutively enrolled at two centers, between September 2017 and September 2021. The whole tumor region was partitioned into various intratumoral subregions, based on individual‐ and population‐level clustering. Handcrafted radiomics and deep learning‐based features were extracted from the subregions and from the whole tumor region, and were selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, yielding radiomics signatures (RSs). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated to assess the developed RSs.ResultsEach breast tumor region was partitioned into an inner subregion (S1) and a marginal subregion (S2). The RSs derived from S1 always generated higher AUCs compared with those from S2 or from the whole tumor region (W), for the external validation cohort (AUCs, S1 vs. W, handcrafted RSs: 0.583 [95% CI, 0.429–0.727] vs. 0.559 [95% CI, 0.405–0.705], p‐value: 0.920; deep RSs: 0.670 [95% CI, 0.516–0.802] vs. 0.551 [95% CI, 0.397–0.698], p‐value: 0.776). The fusion RSs, combining handcrafted and deep learning‐based features derived from S1, yielded the highest AUCs of 0.820 (95% CI, 0.714–0.900) and 0.792 (95% CI, 0.647–0.897) for the internal and external validation cohorts, respectively.ConclusionsThe subregional radiomics approach can accurately predict the Ki‐67 level based on DBT data; thus, it may be used as a potential non‐invasive tool for preoperative treatment planning in BC.
Product reliability and extended warranty in supply chains
Authors: Zhou Qin , Wang Jingqi 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe study firms' product reliability and extended warranty (EW) pricing decisions in different supply chains. Using a game‐theoretic model, we analyze three supply chains: a centralized supply chain in which the manufacturer sells products and optional EWs directly to consumers (Model C), and two decentralized models in which products and EWs are sold through a retailer with the EW offered by the manufacturer (Model M) or a third‐party insurer (Model I). We also study cases where consumers cannot observe product reliability and investigate the impact of unobservable quality. We find that the manufacturer generates most profits by directly selling both products and EWs, irrespective of whether reliability is observable or not; whereas the retailer prefers selling EWs offered by an insurer when consumers can observe product reliability but prefers sourcing EWs from the manufacturer when product reliability is unobservable. In addition, when the reliability is unobservable to consumers, the manufacturer always chooses a lower reliability than that when consumers can observe the reliability. Such information advantage (over consumers) on product reliability hurts the manufacturer and consumers, and the retailer. With the existence of a third‐party insurer, the manufacturer may be indifferent or prefer to provide EWs. But having the manufacturer competing with the insurer benefits consumers and the retailer under certain conditions. This study offers guidelines on how firms should determine product reliability and EW prices in different supply chains, and sheds light on where a retailer should source EWs based on whether reliability is observable to consumers or not. Finally, our results highlight the importance of establishing a mechanism to credibly disclose product reliability information to consumers.
Barriers to self‐management of patients with adenomyosis: A qualitative study
Authors: Huang Rong , Li Xiaohan , Jiang Hui , Li Quanlei 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAimThis study aims to explore the barriers to self‐management of patients with adenomyosis.DesignPhenomenological qualitative methodology.MethodsTotally, 18 patients with diagnosis of adenomyosis participated in this study. We used purposive sampling for recruitment until data saturation. A qualitative research was conducted using in‐depth interviews, which were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim. Colaizzi's method was used to analyse the contents of interviews.ResultsThis study presented important information about the barriers to self‐management of patients with adenomyosis in China. Four themes were identified: “lack of disease knowledge,” “challenges and dilemmas of daily life,” “multidimensional negative emotions” and “personalized supporting requirements.”ConclusionThe study provided new insights into the barriers to self‐management of patients with adenomyosis, including physical, psychological, daily life and self‐image problems, and the patients need emotional and social support, which recommended that professionals should provide authoritative health education and multiple support.
Robust containment control for nonlinear multi‐agent systems with intermittent communication
Authors: Tan Manchun , Zhang Xuemei , Ye Lei , Lin Peiqun 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThis article investigates the containment control problem for a general class of nonlinear multi‐agent systems under external disturbances with multileaders. A kind of intermittent protocol depending only on the relative local measurement of neighboring agents is put forward to analyze the effect of external disturbances for solving the containment control problem under directed topology. By adopting the intermittent control protocol and robust control method, some sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee that all followers asymptotically converge to the convex hull spanned by all the leaders with the provided performance index. Moreover, the unknown feedback matrix of the proposed control scheme is determined directly by solving only two linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) regardless of the number of all agents. Finally, a simulation example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.
Gravitropically Stabilized Self‐Assembly of Active Microcrystallites and Spinning Free Janus Particles
Authors: Nabavizadeh Seyed Amin , Castañeda John , Gibbs John G. , Nourhani Amir 
Published: December 2021

AbstractActive colloidal microcrystallites capable of generating flow patterns around or through their porous network are introduced, which in combination with “free microspheres,” create self‐assembled active clusters with multiple moving parts. Fluid flow draws microspheres within a microcrystallite's local environment toward—and aggregate at—the edge of the microcrystallite, where the previously translational movement transitions to continuous spinning. These experiments show that the spinning frequency decreases with an increase in diameter and that when the center of mass of a spinning particle is shifted off‐center—here Janus spheres—a time‐varying angular frequency is observed. Weight‐anisotropy also leads to a particularly intriguing phenomenon, which manifests as the spontaneous realignment of the rotational axis to a preferential direction; this effect is attributed to a gravitropic self‐correcting mechanism. Thus, the dynamics of the self‐assembled active structure remains stable over long time periods, despite being subjected to significant noise, for example, Brownian forces.