bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Antiarrhythmic drug therapy after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation—Insights from the German Ablation Registry
Authors: Schleberger Ruben , Metzner Andreas , Kuck Karl‐Heinz , Andresen Dietrich , Willems Stephan , Hoffmann Ellen , Deneke Thomas , Eckardt Lars , Brachmann Johannes , Hochadel Matthias , Senges Jochen , Rillig Andreas 
Published: October 2021

AbstractData on the optimal treatment strategy for antiarrhythmic drug therapy (AAD) after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) are inconsistent. The present study investigates whether postinterventional AAD leads to an improved long‐term outcome. Patients from the prospective German Ablation Registry (n = 3275) discharged with or without AAD after catheter ablation for AF were compared regarding the rates of recurrences, reablations and cardiovascular events as well as patient reported outcomes during 12 months follow‐up. In patients with paroxysmal AF (n = 2138) the recurrence rate did not differ when discharged with (n = 1051) or without (n = 1087) AAD (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.95–1.35]). The reablation rate was higher and reduced treatment satisfaction was reported more often in those discharged with AAD (reablation: OR 1.30, 95% CI [1.05–1.61]; reduced treatment satisfaction: OR 1.76, 95% CI [1.20–2.58]). Similar rates of recurrences, reablations and treatment satisfaction were found in patients with persistent AF (n = 1137) discharged with (n = 641) or without (n = 496) AAD (recurrence: OR 1.22, 95% CI [0.95–1.56]; reablation: OR 1.21, 95% CI [0.91–1.61]; treatment satisfaction: OR 1.24, 95% CI [0.74–2.08]). The incidence of cardiovascular events and mortality did not differ at follow‐up in patients discharged with or without AAD.In conclusion, the rates of recurrences, cardiovascular events and mortality did not differ between patients discharged with or without AAD after AF catheter ablation. However, AAD should be considered carefully in patients with paroxysmal AF, in whom it was associated with a higher reablation rate and reduced treatment satisfaction.Clinical trial registration: The trial has been registered under the number NCT01197638.
State estimation for systems with unobservable packet losses: Approximate estimation, stability, and performance analysis
Authors: Lin Hong , Lam James , Wang Zidong , Shu Zhan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractFor a system with packet losses, if the estimator can observe the status of packet losses, it is called a system with observable packet losses (an OPL system); otherwise, it is called a system with unobservable packet losses (a UPL system). We obtain the optimal estimator (OE) for UPL systems, which consists of an exponentially increasing number of items, and thus is computationally intractable. To address the computation issue, we design an approximate optimal estimator (AOE), which can be computed recursively. The proposed AOE features a theoretically‐proven stability condition and a theoretically‐guaranteed superiority to the optimal linear estimator (OLE). Specifically, for stability, we prove that for a stable UPL system, both the OE and the proposed AOE are stable; for performance, we show that both the OE and the proposed AOE are superior to the OLE in the mean sense. Then, we obtain a tight upper bound of the performance deviation between the OE and the proposed AOE. Finally, numerical examples are presented to illustrate the obtained results and the effectiveness of the proposed AOE in estimating system states when the packet‐loss status, that is, the private information of packet losses, cannot be observed.
Controllability analysis for a class of piecewise nonlinear impulsive non‐autonomous systems
Authors: Yan Jiayuan , Zhang Ding‐Xue , Hu Bin , Guan Zhi‐Hong , Chen Guanrong , Cheng Xin‐Ming 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThis article investigates the controllability for a class of piecewise nonlinear impulsive non‐autonomous systems. The problem is addressed by considering the nonlinearities and impulses as perturbations. First, a standard framework is introduced to transform the issue of controllability to the existence of a fixed point by designing a proper admissible control and constructing a nonlinear operator on a Banach space. Then, two sufficient controllability conditions for such systems are developed by employing Schauder's and Rothe's fixed point theorems when the perturbations satisfy several nonlinear constraints including linear/sublinear growth conditions, bounded constraints, and Lipschitz conditions. It is shown that the controllability of such systems is influenced by the linear parts, the nonlinear perturbations, and the impulsive effects. Finally, the established controllability results are verified through several numerical examples.
Modified particle filtering‐based robust estimation for a networked control system corrupted by impulsive noise
Authors: Wang Xuehai , Ding Feng 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe non‐Gaussian characteristic of the impulsive noise significantly degrades the performance of the ‐norm‐based identification algorithms. To overcome the negative effects of impulsive noise to system identification, this article develops a modified particle filtering‐based robust multi‐innovation gradient (MPF‐MIG) algorithm for a networked control system corrupted by impulsive noise. The proposed algorithm is formulated based on a continuous logarithmic mixed p‐norm cost function, which can generate an adjustable gain that adapts to the data quality. A modified particle filtering is designed to estimate the unknown true output, which is corrupted by an impulsive noise without explicit probability density function. The simulation examples exhibit that the MPF‐MIG algorithm has better robustness and higher estimation accuracy than the conventional multi‐innovation gradient algorithm.
Synergetic Effect of Rifampin Loaded Mussel‐Inspired Silver Nanoparticles for Enhanced Antibacterial Activity Against Multidrug‐Resistant Strain of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Authors: Yu Dawei , Xu Junchi , Li Ruonan , Zhao Jing , Li Fanghua , Zhai Yunxia , Xue Jing , Song Huafeng , Yang Fu , Xu Ping , Song Yiyan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractTuberculosis (TB) is among the top ten causes of death worldwide. The emergence of multidrug‐resistant (MDR) TB has been challenging to cure TB patients and control the airborne transmission. To ensure the effectiveness of rifampin (RF) in the treatment of MDR TB infection, new and safe silver nanoparticles were used in combination. In this study, polydopamine decorated silver nanoparticles (Ag‐PDA NPs) were synthesized under mild conditions in which antituberculosis drug RF was loaded. Subsequently, the antibacterial activity of different ratios of Ag‐PDA NPs/RF against MDR strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) was evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests. MIC results showed a synergistic interaction between Ag‐PDA NPs and RF, and the optimal antibacterial effect against MDR strain of M. tuberculosis was at the mass ratio of 2 Ag‐PDA NPs : 8RF. In addition, RF loaded Ag‐PDA NPs (RF@Ag‐PDA NPs) were constructed and characterized. The results indicated that RF@Ag‐PDA NPs might be considered as promising nano drugs to inhibit the growth of MDR strain of M. tuberculosis and keep the potency of RF in clinical practice.
Biofabricated Silver Nanoparticles and Nanocomposites as Green Catalyst to Mitigate Dye Pollution in Water‐A Review
Authors: De Anindita , Kalita Dristie , Jain Preeti 
Published: October 2021

AbstractSynthetic dyes are one of the major classes of pollutant released in the environment by industries such as textile, paper, leather, rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceutical etc. They are known carcinogen and extremely hazardous to human, plant and aquatic life. Conventional chemical, physical and biological methods used for treatment of industrial effluent are costly, time‐consuming and produces secondary waste. Silver nanoparticle and nanocomposite‐based catalyst are very effective in decomposition of dyes due to their high surface area‐to‐volume ratio, stability and biocompatibility. The degradation reaction takes place in presence of light (photocatalytic) or in presence of a reagent such as NaBH4 or H2O2.Of various methods of silver nanoparticle/nanocomposite synthesis, green synthesis has been quite popular in recent times due to ease in synthesis and sustainability factor. In this review, current state of knowledge about application of green synthesized silver nanoparticles /nanocomposites in degradation of synthetic dyes and other organic pollutant have been summarized. Moreover, the article also emphasizes on the mechanism of degradation, the kinetic parameters and optimum treatment conditions.
Designing of DAD Type Small Semiconductor Molecules andInvestigation of Substituent Effect on Their Molecular, Electronic and Optical Properties: A DFT Study**
Authors: Sirin Pinar Seyitdanlioglu , Kahya Naime Didem , Unaleroglu Canan 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe design of multi‐purpose semiconductor materials has become a major challenge in organic electronics. In this work, we designed DAD type 30 small molecules with thiophene as donor and phthalimide/benzimidazole/benzotriazole as acceptor groups and investigated their structural, electronic and optical properties via computational methods. EHOMO, ELUMO of the designed molecules were calculated with DFT and TD‐DFT methods at HSEH1PBE functional with the 6‐31+G** basis set. HOMO‐LUMO gaps of the designed molecules were ranged between 2.25–3.41 eV. When an amino group is used as a substituent, the lowest HOMO‐LUMO gaps (2.25–2.95 eV) were obtained with increasing HOMO level. Reorganization energies were calculated for hole or electron transport properties of the representative molecules. Benzotriazole based DAD compound, which is N‐Phenyl bearing p‐formyl substituted, has the smallest hole reorganization energy as a promising p‐type organic semiconductor. High open‐circuit voltages were obtained for aldehyde, carboxylic acid and ester substituted structures. This study presents a valuable insight to the experimental studies in designing new photovoltaics and electrochemical biosensors.
Photoactivated Self‐Disassembly of Multifunctional DNA Nanoflower Enables Amplified Autophagy Suppression for Low‐Dose Photodynamic Therapy
Authors: Shi Jinjin , Wang Danyu , Ma Yanrui , Liu Jingwen , Li Yanan , Reza Rashed , Zhang Zhenzhong , Liu Junjie , Zhang Kaixiang 
Published: October 2021

AbstractLow‐dose photodynamic therapy (PDT) holds great promise for reducing undesired patient photosensitivity in cancer treatment. Yet, its therapeutic effect is significantly affected by intracellular cytoprotective processes, such as autophagy. Here, an efficient autophagy suppressor is developed, which is a multifunctional DNA nanoflower (DNF) consisted of tumor‐targeting aptamers and DNAzymes for silencing autophagy‐related genes, with surface modification of low‐dose photosensitizer (Ce6). It is found that the multifunctional DNF can specifically target tumor cells and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light irradiation to trigger self‐disassembly of DNF, enhancing the bioavailability of encoded DNAzymes, leading to amplified autophagy suppression. As a facile spatiotemporally programmable photogene therapy platform, the designed DNF is able to suppress tumor growth in vivo with a very low injection dose of Ce6 (18 µg kg−1, around 100 times lower than the generally applied dose), representing a promising strategy for cancer therapy with safely low‐dose PDT.
Ultrafine Cellulose Nanofiber‐Assisted Physical and Chemical Cross‐Linking of MXene Sheets for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding
Authors: Wu Na , Zeng Zhihui , Kummer Nico , Han Daxin , Zenobi Renato , Nyström Gustav 
Published: October 2021

AbstractTransition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) have shown great potential for constructing thin, high‐performance electromagnetic interference (EMI) shields. The challenges with these materials involve the weak interfacial interactions of MXenes, which results in inferior mechanical properties and structure of the MXene films and a conductivity/EMI shielding performance decay related to the poor MXene oxidation stability. Numerous efforts have been devoted to improving the mechanical properties or oxidation stability of the films, which always comes at the expense of EMI shielding performance. Here, ultrafine (≈1.4 nm) cellulose nanofibers are employed to achieve physical and chemical dual cross‐linking of MXene (PC‐MXene) nanosheets. The procedure involves drying of flexible and highly conductive PC‐MXene films at ambient pressure and is energy‐efficient and scalable. Compared to the MXene films, the PC‐MXene films show significantly improved mechanical strength, hydrophobicity, oxidation stability, and are waterproof, without compromising the excellent EMI shielding effectiveness (SE). Moreover, the freestanding PC‐MXene films reach a thickness of merely 0.9 µm and exhibit a high SE of 33.3 dB, which cannot be achieved by pure MXene films. This leads to ultrahigh thickness‐specific SE and surface‐specific SE values of 37 000 dB mm−1 and 148 000 dB cm2 g−1 respectively, significantly surpassing those of previously reported MXene‐based films.
The Chinese business system and itsauthoriliberaleconomic model
Authors: Figueira Sandra , Torres de Oliveira Rui 
Published: October 2021

AbstractChina's position as one of the most powerful nations in the world is undisputed. However, in an evolving landscape, China's utilization of a path‐dependent business system may hinder the ability of the country's institutions to undergo necessary change, which will have important implications for international business literature. Through business system theory, empirical evidence, and a mixed methods approach, we discuss China's business system explaining how the system may impair sustainable growth and the transformation required by a less dependent industrial society. Our research suggests that the Chinese business system is still very arrested due to its recent past, and the Chinese Communist Party has only partial interest in improving some of the most important bases for the development of modern enterprises, even if fostering a somewhat liberal economic approach. Since similar political (authoritarian) and economic (liberal) approaches are found elsewhere, we theorize on what we called anauthoriliberaleconomic approach.
Internationalization journey of healthcare providers: The case of Turkish Acıbadem healthcare group
Authors: Üner M. Mithat , Cetin Burak , Eroglu Sevgin , Cavusgil S. Tamer 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe advances in technology and global deregulation have led to the progressive internationalization of professional services, notably, the healthcare industry. The present case study examines the remarkable internationalization journey of Acibadem Healthcare Group (AHG) by scrutinizing the dynamics and outcomes of the agile and innovative strategies which propel their achievements. The case of AHG shows that successful internationalization in the service industry, in general, and healthcare, in particular, is not solely in the domain of large, established companies from advanced economies, but those ventures with liabilities of origin, newness, and size can also succeed with smart strategies and resourceful leveraging of their competitive advantages. The study provides unique insights on strategic management for successful internationalization of the healthcare services within an emerging market context and suggests future research avenues in this fast‐growing field of inquiry.
Coatings with barrier layers for extreme‐short wavelengths
Authors: Yulin Sergiy , Trost Marcus , Schwinde Stefan , Schröder Sven 
Published: October 2021

SummaryOver the last few decades, remarkable progress has been made in the field of multilayer coatings for the EUV spectral region, mainly due to the demands of EUV lithography for the semiconductor industry. The progress is associated with a deep understanding of the multilayer film growth, application of advanced smoothing technologies for multilayer interfaces, as well as the development of modern deposition and characterization techniques. The projection optics precisely coated by Mo/Si mirrors with 70 % reflectivity is the heart of the performance of industrial EUVL steppers recently developed by ASML for high‐volume chip production. While the EUVL at 13.5 nm has just launched into the market, the first high‐performance LaN/B multilayer mirrors with reflectivity up to 61 % were developed for the next emerging lithography generation with a reduced wavelength of 6.6 nm. Recent technological progress in EUVL optics and radiation sources triggered the development of compact microscopes in the water window spectral range (2.4 – 4.4 nm). The optimization of the multilayer design and deposition process of Cr/V, Cr/Sc and Cr/C mirrors resulted in reflectivity of 14.5% at 2.42 nm, 27.0 % at 3.16 nm, and 15,6% at a wavelength of 4.42 nm, respectively. These promising and still not limiting results indicate a large potential for future application of multilayer coated optics in various application fields such as microscopy in the water window, plasma diagnostics, spectroscopy, and astrophysics.
Pomegranate extract for the processing stabilization of polyethylene
Authors: Tátraaljai Dóra , Tang Yun , Pregi Emese , Vági Erika , Pukánszky Béla 
Published: October 2021

AbstractActive components with antioxidant activity were extracted from the powder of pomegranate peel and added to polyethylene at 1000 ppm. The stabilization effect of the extract was studied also in compounds containing a phosphorous secondary antioxidant. A commercial hindered phenolic antioxidant with and without a secondary stabilizer was used as reference. The polymer was processed in multiple extrusions, and its functional group content, processability, residual stability, and color were determined by Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, melt flow rate (MFR), and oxidation induction time (OIT) measurements as well as by the determination of the yellowness index. The pomegranate peel extract (POM) has very strong melt stabilization effect, which is comparable or better than that of the commercial hindered phenolic antioxidant used as reference. The extract hinders the reactions of the unsaturated groups of the polymer and prevents the formation of long‐chain branches. Similar to the phenolic antioxidant, it hinders also oxidation, thus preventing the formation of carbonyl groups. On the other hand, the extract does not offer sufficient residual stability and the polymer stabilized with it cannot be used in long‐term applications. The extract discolors the polymer somewhat that further limits its application possibilities. The contradiction of excellent processing stabilization and poor residual stability needs further study and explanation.
Along the allostery stream: Recent advances in computational methods for allosteric drug discovery
Authors: Ni Duan , Chai Zongtao , Wang Ying , Li Mingyu , Yu Zhengtian , Liu Yaqin , Lu Shaoyong , Zhang Jian 
Published: October 2021

AbstractAllostery is a universal, biological phenomenon in which orthosteric sites are fine‐tuned by topologically distal allosteric sites triggered by perturbations, such as ligand binding, residue mutations, or post‐translational modifications. Allosteric regulation is implicated in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions and is thus emerging as a novel avenue for drug discovery. Allosteric drugs have traditionally been discovered by serendipity through large‐scale experimental screening. Recently, we have witnessed significant progress in biophysics, particularly in structural bioinformatics, which has facilitated the in‐depth characterization of allosteric effects and the accurate detection of allosteric residues and exosites. These advances improve our understanding of allosterism and promote allosteric drug discovery, thereby revolutionizing the shift from the traditional serendipitous route used to discover allosteric drugs to the updated path centered on rational structure‐based design. In this review, recent advances in computational methods applied to allosteric drug discovery are summarized. We comprehensively review these achievements along various levels of allosteric events, from the construction of allosteric databases to the identification and analysis of allosteric residues, signals, sites, and modulators. We expect to increase the awareness of the discovery of allosteric drugs using structure‐based computational methods.This article is categorized under:Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics
Quantification of gold nanoparticles in histologically thin tissue slices using TXRF
Authors: Mankovskii Gabriella , Pejović‐Milić Ana 
Published: October 2021

AbstractThe promise of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in cancer applications remains an active area of research. The assessment of tumoral uptake can provide valuable insights into their intended efficacy. Total X‐ray reflection fluorescence (TXRF) spectroscopy offers low detection limits coupled with direct quantification through internal standardization. These features enable TXRF to measure uptake of AuNPs in the presence of organic matrix. In this work, we demonstrate TXRF's ability to directly quantify AuNP concentration in slices of tissue. Bovine liver was cut into 5 μm thin slices, and 10 nm reference material AuNPs were deposited either above or below the tissue. The tissue slice was then spiked with a lanthanum (La) internal standard. In order to extend the investigation to homogenous samples, a TOPAS‐based simulation toolkit was used to model Au‐containing tissue. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the distribution of the Au and La on the tissue slices, revealing elemental uniformity on the tissue surface. The experimental and simulation results revealed nearly 100% quantification accuracy of AuNPs in all permutations of sample configuration—making TXRF a viable option for assessment of tumoral AuNP uptake with minimal sample preparation.
Coronary computed tomographic angiography as gatekeeper for new-onset stable angina
Authors: Boerhout C. K. M. , Feenstra R. G. T. , Somsen G. A. , Appelman Y. , Ong P. , Beijk M. A. M. , Hofstra L. , van de Hoef T. P. , Piek J. J. 
Published: October 2021

AbstractPatients with new-onset stable angina constitute a substantial part of the population seen by cardiologists. Currently, the diagnostic workup of these patients depends on the pre-test probability of having obstructive coronary artery disease. It consists of either functional testing for myocardial ischaemia or anatomical testing by using coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) or invasive coronary angiography. In case the pre-test probability is > 5%, the current guidelines for the management of chronic coronary syndromes do not state a clear preference for one of the noninvasive techniques. However, based on the recently published cost-effectiveness analysis of the PROMISE trial and considering the diagnostic yield in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary artery disease, we argue a more prominent role for CCTA as a gatekeeper for patients with new-onset stable angina.