bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Degree of Blood Supply and Infection Control Needed to Treat Diabetic Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia with Forefoot Osteomyelitis
Authors: Fujii Miki , Terashi Hiroto , Yokono Koichi , Armstrong David G. 
Published: April 2021

Background
Diabetic foot ulcers combined with ischemia and infection can be difficult to treat. Few studies have quantified the level of blood supply and infection control required to treat such complex diabetic foot ulcers. We aimed to propose an index for ischemia and infection control in diabetic chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) with forefoot osteomyelitis.

Methods
We retrospectively evaluated 30 patients with diabetic CLTI combined with forefoot osteomyelitis who were treated surgically from January 2009 to December 2016. After 44 surgeries, we compared patient background (age, sex, hemodialysis), infection status (preoperative and 1- and 2-week postoperative C-reactive protein [CRP] levels), surgical bone margin (with or without osteomyelitis), vascular supply (skin perfusion pressure), ulcer size (wound grade 0–3 using the Society for Vascular Surgery Wound, Ischemia, and foot Infection classification), and time to wound healing between patients with healing ulcers and those with nonhealing ulcers.

Results
Preoperative CRP levels and the ratio of ulcers classified as wound grade 3 were significantly lower and skin perfusion pressure was significantly higher in the healing group than in the nonhealing group (P < .05). No other significant differences were found between groups.

Conclusions
This study demonstrates that debridement should be performed first to control infection if the preoperative CRP level is greater than 40 mg/L. Skin perfusion pressure of 55 mm Hg is strongly associated with successful treatment. We believe that this research could improve the likelihood of salvaging limbs in patients with diabetes with CLTI.
Evaluating alternative hypotheses to explain the downward trend in the indices of the COVID-19 pandemic death rate
Authors: Shinde Sonali , Ranade Pratima , Watve Milind 
Published: April 2021

BackgroundIn the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, in the global data on the case fatality ratio (CFR) and other indices reflecting death rate, there is a consistent downward trend from mid-April to mid-November. The downward trend can be an illusion caused by biases and limitations of data or it could faithfully reflect a declining death rate. A variety of explanations for this trend are possible, but a systematic analysis of the testable predictions of the alternative hypotheses has not yet been attempted.MethodologyWe state six testable alternative hypotheses, analyze their testable predictions using public domain data and evaluate their relative contributions to the downward trend.ResultsWe show that a decline in the death rate is real; changing age structure of the infected population and evolution of the virus towards reduced virulence are the most supported hypotheses and together contribute to major part of the trend. The testable predictions from other explanations including altered testing efficiency, time lag, improved treatment protocols and herd immunity are not consistently supported, or do not appear to make a major contribution to this trend although they may influence some other patterns of the epidemic.ConclusionThe fatality of the infection showed a robust declining time trend between mid April to mid November. Changing age class of the infected and decreasing virulence of the pathogen were found to be the strongest contributors to the trend.
Anti-atherosclerotic vaccination against Porphyromonas gingivalis as a potential comparator of statin in mice
Authors: Ha Hyun-Su , Kim Tae Young , Han Soo Jung , Sung Hak-Joon , Seo Kyoung Yul , Ha Jong-Won 
Published: April 2021

Background
Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is an oral anaerobe which damages teeth and periodontal tissues. Its body infection is known to cause chronic inflammation, thereby inducing an early stage of atherosclerosis through humoral immune actions. Hence, vaccination by immunizing the proteins of P. gingivalis (Pg) post sonication with heating may prevent atherosclerosis. This study aimed to compare the effect of its vaccination with statin, which effectively prevents atherosclerosis by lowering lipids.

Methods
The vaccine was produced by sonicating P. gingivalis through heating, and a total of 32 male APOE-/-mice (8-week old) were subjected Western diet for 8 weeks, in order to induce atherosclerosis in a physiological manner. Then, the mice were grouped to undergo four treatment conditions (i.e., no treatment, pitavastatin, vaccine, or pitavastatin with vaccine). Vaccination was conducted through nasal immunization and confirmed by a Pg-specific humoral immune reaction. Then, half of the mice in each group were orally injected with P. gingivalis for the next 5 weeks while the other half remained uninfected, generating a total of eight groups (n = 4/group). The mice were sacrificed at 3 weeks after the last injection. After harvesting the aorta, Oil Red O staining of en face was conducted with imaging and image analysis, and plaque formation was quantitatively determined.

Results
Compared to no treatment, the vaccination through nasal immunization significantly reduced the atherosclerotic plaque sizes in APOE -/- mice under Western diet to the comparable level of statin group. When both vaccine and statin were used, no clear synergistic effect was observed as opposed to expectation.

Conclusions
This study revealed that nasal immunization of heat shock P. gingivalis has a significant impact on the prevention of arteriosclerosis and acts as a potential comparator of statin.
Forecast Methods and Periodic Review Inventory Model for Supply Planning to Reduce Food Waste
Authors: Ceballos-Palomares Leslie-Noelia , Nava-Jiménez Andrés-Benjamín , Caballero-Morales Santiago-Omar , Cano-Olivos Patricia 
Published: April 2021

Food waste is an important economic and resource problem in all countries around the world. Particularly, the restaurant sector highly contributes to food waste and limited efforts or studies have been performed to overcome this problem. In this context, the present study addresses an alternative to improve the supply planning for perishable products in the restaurant sector through the application of specific forecasting methods and a stochastic inventory control model. For this purpose, a real enterprise within this economic sector was considered. Our findings support that monthly forecasts can be more appropriate for accurate demand estimation and supply planning of perishable products, which is important to reduce unnecessary products. Also, the periodic review inventory control model can lead to a more appropriate supply scheme to reduce the waste of surplus food. These findings and the proposed techniques can be used for other economic entities to reduce product waste due to poor supply planning.
Classification of Level of Rice Pest Incidence Based on Weather Information
Authors: Jinubala V. , Jeyakumar P. 
Published: April 2021

Aims: To classify the rice pest data based on the weather attributes using a machine learning approach, a decision tree classifier, and to validate the performance results with other existing techniques through comparison.
Design: Rice pest classification using C5.0 algorithm
Methodology: We collected rice pest data from the crop fields of various regions in the state of Maharashtra of India. The dataset contains the name of the region (Taluk), period (week), pest data, temperature, rainfall, and relative humidity. The data is collected from 39 taluks within four districts in different weeks of the year of 2013-2014. The weather information plays a vital role in this rice pest data analysis, because based on the weather, pest infestation varies in all the regions. The pests considered in this research are Yellow Stem borer, Gall midge, Leaf folder, and Planthopper. The collected dataset is given as input to the classifier, where 75% of data from the dataset is used for training, and 25% of data are used for testing the classifier.
Results: The proposed C5.0 algorithm performed better in the classification of rice pest dataset based on weather attributes. The C5.0 algorithm achieved 88.99% accuracy, 78.81% sensitivity, and 89.11% specificity, which are higher in performance when compared with other techniques. Compared with the other different methods, the C5.0 algorithm achieved 1.3 to 8.5% improved accuracy, 2.4 to 9% improved sensitivity, and 0.8 to 7.8% improved specificity.
Conclusion: Early detection of pest and pest based diseases is an essential process to avoid major crop losses. The proposed classification model is designed to classify the level of pest infestations based on weather attributes, as level of infestations caused by the rice pest varies based on weather conditions. The C5.0 algorithm classified the rice pest data based on the weather attributes in the dataset.
Prevalence of Rubella Immunity among Women Seeking Antenatal Care in a Tertiary Institution, South-South, Nigeria
Authors: Egbagba J. E. , Abdu A. O. , Osegi N. , Amadi S. C. , Alex-Wele M. A. , Oboro I. L. 
Published: April 2021

Aims: To determine rubella sero-prevalence (IgG, IgM) and to describe its relation to socio-demographic data among pregnant women in a tertiary institution in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, South-South, Nigeria.
Study Design: This was a descriptive cross sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Medical Centre in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, in South-South Nigeria between May 2020 and August 2020.
Methodology: We included 398 women at various stages of pregnancy. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to obtain socio demographic data. Ten ml of venous blood was then collected for serological assays. Analyses of samples were done using an in-vitro on-site rubella IgG/IgM rapid diagnostic assay. P value were kept at 0.05.
Results: A total of 209 (53.0%) of the 398 women had a positive IgG antibodies. None (0.0%) of the women had positive IgM antibodies. There were no significant associations between respondents socio-demographic characteristics and rubella immunity as the probability values observed were greater than 0.05 (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Our study shows a moderately high sero-prevalence of IgG antibodies amongst the participants studied. This indicates that rubella infection is endemic in Nigeria and requires further surveillance and control.
COVID-19's Economic Impact on the Global Health Systems: Time to Respond to New Realities
Authors: Almalki Ziyad S. 
Published: April 2021

Around six months have passed since the emergence of an ongoing coronavirus-related health pandemic. In resource-limited countries, healthcare systems with fewer options for intervention are likely to face more economic difficulties. The goal of this review is to summarize and explore the cost and economic effect of COVID-19 on global health systems. The study starts with a crisis synopsis and costs of COVID-19 treatment, then discusses how health has been affected and approaches to alleviating the burden while at the same time limiting an inevitable income loss.
Even if it is difficult to project COVID-19 spending because there are many uncertainties about the disease and its future course, various reports have quantified the amounts spent on direct COVID-19 treatment in different countries. The healthcare sector around the world has faced catastrophic financial challenges and experienced the largest global recession in history. Most governments in the world cannot avoid the devastating economic impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector, but they can try to avert the worst effects. With the spread of the coronavirus, the healthcare systems are facing a financial crisis as a result of actions that countries have adopted to mitigate the spread of the virus. Therefore, it is crucial to act swiftly and in meaningful ways to minimize the fallout from this shock.
Antibacterial Properties of Different Husk Extracts of Cocos nucifera (Linn) in South Western Nigeria
Authors: Erinle B. A. , Ajayi A. O. , Osuntokun O. R. 
Published: April 2021

Aim: The husk of coconut is part of drupe which have enormous benefit to humanity. However, what constitute the antimicrobial activity has not been fully investigated, and this is the basis for the study.
Materials and Methods: The husk of coconut collected from local growers subjected to extraction process. The antimicrobial activity was investigated against bacterial strains; Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella typhi, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella aerogene, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae by agar well diffusion method using n-hexane, ethanol and distilled water as solvents.
Results: Aqueous extracts of coconut showed inhibitory effect against the different tested bacteria organisms with variable zone of inhibition range 7 to 22 mm.
Conclusion: The aqueous extracts of coconut exhibited the presence of highly effective bioactive ingredients in these extracts. This can be identified, assay and characterize to be used as synthetic drug which would be available for treatment of bacterial infection.
Extremum seeking‐based observer design for reduced order models of coupled thermal and fluid systems
Authors: Koga Shumon , Benosman Mouhacine , Borggaard Jeff 
Published: April 2021

SummaryWe present an extremum seeking (ES)‐based robust observer design for thermal‐fluid systems, pursuing an application to efficient energy management in buildings. The model is originally described by Boussinesq equations which is given by a system of two coupled partial differential equations (PDEs) for the velocity field and temperature profile constrained to incompressible flow. Using proper orthogonal decomposition, the PDEs are reduced to a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Given a set of temperature and velocity point measurements, a nonlinear state observer is designed to reconstruct the entire state under the error of initial states, and model parametric uncertainties. We prove that the closed loop system for the observer error state satisfies an estimate of L2 norm in a sense of locally input‐to‐state stability with respect to parameter uncertainties. Moreover, the uncertain parameters estimate used in the designed observer are optimized through iterations of a data‐driven ES algorithm. Numerical simulation of a two‐dimensional Boussinesq PDE illustrates the performance of the proposed adaptive estimation method.
Polymer Dielectrics with Simultaneous Ultrahigh Energy Density and Low Loss
Authors: Zhang Min , Li Bo , Wang Jian‐Jun , Huang Hou‐Bing , Zhang Lin , Chen Long‐Qing 
Published: April 2021

AbstractPolymer dielectrics are highly desirable in capacitor applications due to their low cost, high breakdown strength, and unique self‐healing capability. However, existing polymer dielectrics suffer from either a low energy density or a high dielectric loss, thereby hindering the development of compact, efficient, and reliable power electronics. Here, a novel type of polymer dielectrics simultaneously exhibiting an extraordinarily high recoverable energy density of 35 J cm−3 and a low dielectric loss is reported. It is synthesized by grafting zwitterions onto the short side chains of a poly(4‐methyl‐1‐pentene) (PMP)‐based copolymer, which increases its dielectric constant from ≈2.2 to ≈5.2 and significantly enhances its breakdown strength from ≈700 MV m−1 to ≈1300 MV m−1 while maintaining its low dielectric loss of <0.002 and high charge–discharge efficiency of >90%. Based on a combination of the phase‐field method description of mesoscale structures, Maxwell equations, and theoretical analysis, it is demonstrated that the outstanding combination of high energy density and low dielectric loss of zwitterions‐grafted copolymers is attributed to the covalent‐bonding restricted ion polarization and the strong charge trapping by the zwitterions. This work represents a new strategy in polymer dielectrics for achieving simultaneous high energy density and low dielectric loss.
Top‐Level Design Strategy to Construct an Advanced High‐Entropy Co–Cu–Fe–Mo (Oxy)Hydroxide Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zhang Lingjie , Cai Weiwei , Bao Ningzhong 
Published: April 2021

AbstractHigh‐entropy materials are new‐generation electrocatalysts for water splitting due to their excellent reactivity and highly tailorable electrochemical properties. Herein, a powerful top‐level design strategy is reported to guide and design advanced high‐entropy electrocatalysts by establishing reaction models (e.g., reaction energy barrier, conductivity, adsorption geometries for intermediates, and rate‐determining step) to predict performance with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Accordingly, novel high‐entropy Co–Cu–Fe–Mo (oxy)hydroxide electrocatalysts are fabricated by a new low‐temperature electrochemical reconstruction method and their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) properties are thoroughly characterized. These as‐prepared quaternary metallic (oxy)hydroxides present much better OER performance than ternary Co–Cu–Mo (oxy)hydroxide, Co–Fe–Mo (oxy)hydroxide, and other counterparts, and are demonstrated with a low overpotential of 199 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a 48.8 mV dec−1 Tafel slope in 1 m KOH and excellent stability without decay over 72 h. The performance enhancement mechanism is also unraveled by synchrotron radiation. The work verifies the usefulness of high‐entropy design and the great synergistic effect on OER performance by the incorporation of four elements, and also provides a new method for the construction of advanced high‐entropy materials for energy conversion and storage.
Orthogonal Images Concealed Within a Responsive 6‐Dimensional Hypersurface
Authors: Zholdassov Yerzhan S. , Valles Daniel J. , Uddin Samiha , Korpanty Joanna , Gianneschi Nathan C. , Braunschweig Adam B. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractA photochemical printer, equipped with a digital micromirror device (DMD), leads to the rapid elucidation of the kinetics of the surface‐initiated atom‐transfer radical photopolymerization of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) monomers. This effort reveals conditions where polymer brushes of identical heights can be grown from each monomer. With these data, hidden images are created that appear upon heating the substrate above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of polyNIPAM. By introducing a third monomer, methacryloxyethyl thiocarbamoyl rhodamine B, a second, orthogonal image appears upon UV‐irradiation. With these studies, it is shown how a new photochemical printer accelerates discovery, creates arbitrary patterns, and addresses long‐standing problems in brush polymer and surface chemistry. With this technology in hand a new method is demonstrated to encrypt data within hypersurfaces.
Retraction: Nanozyme‐Initiated In Situ Cascade Reactions for Self‐Amplified Biocatalytic Immunotherapy
Authors: Zhao Yajie , Xiao Xiao , Zou Man , Ding Binbin , Xiao Hui , Wang Meifang , Jiang Fan , Cheng Ziyong , Ma Ping'an , Lin Jun 
Published: April 2021

Adv. Mater. 2021, 33, 2006363DOI: 10.1002/adma.202006363The above article, published online on December 6, 2020, in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the journal Editor in Chief Jos Lenders, and Wiley‐VCH GmbH. The authors asked to retract this article as subsequent experiments revealed that the conclusions of this manuscript are invalid. The generation of hydroxyl radicals by the artificial cascade enzyme–drug conjugate could not be confirmed.
Improved Electrical, Thermal, and Thermoelectric Properties Through Sample‐to‐Sample Fluctuations in Near‐Percolation Threshold Composite Materials
Authors: Rösch Andres Georg , Giunta Fabian , Mallick Md. Mofasser , Franke Leonard , Gall André , Aghassi‐Hagmann Jasmin , Schmalian Jörg , Lemmer Uli 
Published: April 2021

AbstractEffective medium theories (EMT) are powerful tools to calculate sample averaged thermoelectric material properties of composite materials. However, averaging over the heterogeneous spatial distribution of the phases can lead to incorrect estimates of the thermoelectric transport properties and the figure of merit ZT in compositions close to the percolation threshold. This is particularly true when the phases’ electronic properties are rather distinct leading to pronounced percolation effects. The authors propose an alternative model to calculate the thermoelectric properties of multi‐phased materials that are based on an expanded nodal analysis of random resistor networks (RRN). This method conserves the information about the morphology of the individual phases, allowing the study of the current paths through the phases and the influence of heterogeneous charge transport and cluster formation on the effective material properties of the composite. The authors show that in composites with strongly differing phases close to the percolation threshold the thermoelectric properties and the ZT value are always dominated exclusively by one phase or the other and never by an average of both. For these compositions, the individual samples display properties vastly different from EMT predictions and can be exploited for an increased thermoelectric performance.
Assessment of nitrogen diagnosis methods in sunflower
Authors: Tovar Hernandez Sergio , Diovisalvi Natalia , Carciochi Walter Daniel , Izquierdo Natalia , Sainz Rozas Hernán , Garcia Fernando , Reussi Calvo Nahuel I. 
Published: April 2021

AbstractNitrogen deficiency can severely limit sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) grain yield and quality. Our objective was to evaluate N diagnosis methods based on: (a) pre‐plant soil nitrate‐nitrogen (NO3––N) test (PPSNT) and soil N mineralized in short‐term anaerobic incubation (Nan), (b) Greenness index (GI) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measured at 6 (V6) and 12 (V12) leaves, and (c) grain nitrogen concentration (Nc). Seventeen experiments were carried out between 2010 and 2019 in Argentina, evaluating nine N rates (0, 30, 40, 60, 80, 90, 120, 150, and 160 kg N ha–1). The GI, NDVI, N sufficiency index and relative normalized difference vegetation index (NDVIr) were determined at V6 and V12 growth stages. On average, yield response to N was 492 kg ha–1 and Nc response was 0.25% in 9 and 11 responsive experiments, respectively. The inclusion of Nan improved the PPSNT diagnosis method. The critical N availability (PPSNT + fertilizer N) threshold was 115 kg N ha–1 for experiments with low Nan (<60 mg kg–1), and 90 kg N ha–1 for experiments with high Nan (>60 mg kg–1). The NDVIr at V12 allowed monitoring the crop N status with a 0.95 critical threshold. The Nc adequately diagnosed N deficiencies and the critical threshold was 2.26%. Also, Nc was predicted from the ratio between N availability and grain yield (R2 = .39). Our results would allow to better estimate N availability to recommend adequate N fertilizer rates for sunflower aiming to optimize grain yield and quality, and minimize the economic and environmental cost of fertilization.
Visible‐Light‐Induced Iminothiolation of Unactivated Alkenes
Authors: Wang Ding‐Xing , Cai Sai‐Hu , Liu Haidong , Ye Lu , Zhu Chuan , Feng Chao 
Published: April 2021

AbstractAn efficient visible‐light‐induced iminothiolation of unactivated alkenes has been developed for the rapid construction of pyrroline derivatives bearing a thioether moiety. In the presence of fac‐Ir(ppy)3 as photoredox catalyst, the acyl oximes were readily converted into iminyl radicals by single electron reduction under white LEDs irradiation, and the following radical cascading intramolecular cyclization and thioetherification would afford the functionalized pyrrolines with high efficiency. The mild reaction conditions including air atmosphere and ambient temperature allow for broad functional group tolerance. In addition, the good compatibility and practicality of this protocol is further highlighted by the employment of easily available thiophenols as the sulfur source for the thiolation process.