bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Tannic acid as a chemosensor for colorimetric detection of Fe(II) and Au(III) ions in environmental water samples
Authors: Lin Yu‐Ren , Hsieh I‐Chin , Chang Wan‐Hsin , Wu Tsunghsueh , Sun Kun‐Yu , Lin Yang‐Wei 
Published: February 2022

AbstractA simple and efficient method to detect and quantify Fe(II) and Au(III) cations in environmental water samples was developed. The detection principle is based on the 1:1 mol‐ratio complex formation between the probe molecule (tannic acid, TA) and Fe(II)/or Au(III), which yields visual color change and strong light absorbance at 518 nm and 534 nm, respectively. The association constant Ka for Fe(II) and Au(III) cations 4.01 × 104 and 4.13 × 104 M−1, respectively, was determined from Benesi–Hildebrand plot, indicating strong interactions between TA and target ions. This TA probe performed well in 50 mM phosphate buffer (PB, pH 9.0) solution and demonstrated an outstanding selectivity over 16 potential interfering metal ions and a good selectivity over Fe(III). The linear range in this study for Fe(II) and Au(III) cations was 0.25–100 μM and 1.0–100 μM, respectively. The detection limit of the TA probe for Fe(II) and Au(III) cations was found to be 0.080 and 0.50 μM, respectively. The spike recovery for both metal ions in three environmental aqueous samples (spring water and pond water) was ranged 90.2%–117.2%. This study demonstrated that the TA probe is a simple and convenient detection method for analyzing water samples obtained from fresh water sources.
Association between skeletal muscle mass and quality of life in adults with cancer: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Hanna Lauren , Nguo Kay , Furness Kate , Porter Judi , Huggins Catherine E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLow skeletal muscle mass is known to be associated with poor morbidity and mortality outcomes in cancer, but evidence of its impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) is less established. This systematic review and meta‐analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between skeletal muscle mass and HRQOL in adults with cancer. Five databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase via Ovid, CINAHL plus, Scopus, and PsycInfo) were systematically searched from 1 January 2007 until 2 September 2020. Studies reporting on the association between measures of skeletal muscle (mass and/or radiodensity) derived from analysis of computed tomography imaging, and a validated measure of HRQOL in adults with cancer, were considered for inclusion. Studies classifying skeletal muscle mass as a categorical variable (low or normal) were combined in a meta‐analysis to investigate cross‐sectional association with HRQOL. Studies reporting skeletal muscle as a continuous variable were qualitatively synthesized. A total of 14 studies involving 2776 participants were eligible for inclusion. Skeletal muscle mass classified as low or normal was used to dichotomize participants in 10 studies (n = 1375). Five different cut points were used for classification across the 10 studies, with low muscle mass attributed to 58% of participants. Low muscle mass was associated with poorer global HRQOL scores [n = 985 from seven studies, standardized mean difference −0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.40 to −0.14,P < 0.0001], and poorer physical functioning domain HRQOL scores (n = 507 from five studies, standardized mean difference −0.40, 95% CI −0.74 to −0.05,P = 0.02), but not social, role, emotional, or cognitive functioning domain scores (allP > 0.05). Five studies examined the cross‐sectional relationship between HRQOL and skeletal muscle mass as a continuous variable and found little evidence of an association unless non‐linear analysis was used. Two studies investigated the relationship between longitudinal changes in both skeletal muscle and HRQOL, reporting that an association exists across several HRQOL domains. Low muscle mass may be associated with lower global and physical functioning HRQOL scores in adults with cancer. The interpretation of this relationship is limited by the varied classification of low muscle mass between studies. There is a need for prospective, longitudinal studies examining the interplay between skeletal muscle mass and HRQOL over time, and data should be made accessible to enable reanalysis according to different cut points. Further research is needed to elucidate the causal pathways between these outcomes.
Discontinuation of atorvastatin use in hospital is associated with increased risk of mortality in COVID‐19 patients
Authors: Andrews Laura , Goldin Laurel , Shen Yan , Korwek Kimberly , Kleja Kacie , Poland Russell E. , Guy Jeffrey , Sands Kenneth E. , Perlin Jonathan B. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundStatins are a commonly used class of drugs, and reports have suggested that their use may affect COVID‐19 disease severity and mortality risk.ObjectiveThe purpose of this analysis was to determine the effect of discontinuation of previous atorvastatin therapy in patients hospitalized for COVID‐19 on the risk of mortality and ventilation.MethodsData from 146,413 hospitalized COVID‐19 patients were classified according to statin therapy. Home + in hospital atorvastatin use (continuation of therapy); home + no in hospital atorvastatin use (discontinuation of therapy); no home + no in hospital atorvastatin use (no statins). Logistic regression was performed to assess the association between atorvastatin administration and either mortality or use of mechanical ventilation during the encounter.ResultsContinuous use of atorvastatin (home and in hospital) was associated with a 35% reduction in the odds of mortality compared to patients who received atorvastatin at home but not in hospital (odds ratio [OR]: 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–0.72, p < .001). Similarly, the odds of ventilation were lower with continuous atorvastatin therapy (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64–0.77, p < .001).ConclusionsDiscontinuation of previous atorvastatin therapy is associated with worse outcomes for COVID‐19 patients. Providers should consider maintaining existing statin therapy for patients with known or suspected previous use.
Nitrogen fertilization strategies to reduce the risk of nitrate leaching in open field cultivation of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)#
Authors: Frerichs Christian , Key Georgina , Broll Gabriele , Daum Diemo 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundSpinach is a nitrogen (N) demanding crop with a weekly N uptake of up to 60 kg ha–1. Consequently, a high N supply is required, which can temporarily lead to high quantities of nitrate (NO3–) being at risk of leaching.AimsThe objective of this study was to develop a N fertilization approach to reduce the risk of NO3– leaching in field‐grown spinach production without adversely affecting crop yield and quality at an early and late harvest stage.MethodsTen fertilization trials were conducted to compare different base fertilization rates and splits of top dressings. For top dressings, granulated fertilizers or foliar sprays were used. In a further treatment, N supply was reduced by withholding the second top dressing of 50–70 kg ha−1.ResultsNitrate concentration at risk of leaching was considerably reduced by decreasing the base fertilizer rate as well as by splitting the top dressing. However, at an early harvest stage, total aboveground dry mass was reduced by, on average, 6% by these measures across all seasons. In contrast, at a later harvest stage, spinach was less affected by the fertilizer schedule. Urea foliar sprays proved to be insufficient in promoting plant growth and caused leaf necrosis. A reduced N supply led to impaired plant growth and yellowish leaves in both spring and winter.ConclusionsBase N fertilization of spinach is only required in spring, but not in other seasons. Despite slight yield reduction, the top dressing should be split to reduce the risk of NO3− leaching after an early harvest.
Study of the effect of enzymatic washing parameters on the bagging properties of denim fabric with Taguchi method
Authors: Ben Fraj Abir , Jaouachi Boubaker 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThis study aims to evaluate the effect of neutral enzyme washing on the bagging behavior of denim garments and optimize the conditions of this treatment using the Taguchi design. Six types of fabrics were selected with the same weaves and different characteristics. These samples were washed with a neutral cellulase enzyme under different conditions such as enzyme concentration (0.3%, 2%, and 4%), temperature (30, 45, and 65°C), time (15, 45, 75 min), and material to liquor ratio (1:5, 1:8, and 1:10). To evaluate the effect of enzymatic washing on the bagging behavior, we investigated the residual bagging height, the bagging fatigue percentage, the bagging resistance, and the bagging recovery percentage. Thanks to the main effects plots the influencing factors were obtained and using the signal‐to‐noise ratio diagram, the optimum conditions were determined. The obtained results showed that these bagging properties were affected by the washing conditions and that the most important factors are the characteristics of the samples such as the percentage of elastane and polyester fibers, weight and weft density, and enzyme concentration. The process parameters were optimized and the optimized washing conditions for the best value were 0.3% enzyme concentration at 45°C for 75 min, in material to liquor ratio of 1:8. Concerning the factor of the sample, the results show that the increase of the percentage of elastane or polyester fibers in the composition of denim fabric decreases the problem of deformation and bagging. Therefore it is recommended to add a percentage of these fibers in the construction of the denim to improve the bagging recovery. Thus, the increase in the weft density minimizes that bagging phenomen appears.
AlGaN multiple quantum well deep‐ultraviolet micro‐light‐emitting diodes for high color conversion efficiency quantum dots display
Authors: Feng Feng , Liu Yibo , Zhang Ke , Lin Yonghong , Chan Ka‐Wah , Kwok Hoi‐Sing , Liu Zhaojun 
Published: February 2022

AbstractDisplays based on inorganic micro‐light‐emitting diodes (micro‐LEDs) are highly anticipated for next‐generation technologies. AlGaN‐based deep‐ultraviolet (deep‐UV) micro‐LED as the excitation source for quantum dots display with high efficiency was reported in this paper. To achieve optimized electro‐optical performance, deep‐UV micro‐LEDs with different electrodes were fabricated and analyzed in sizes from 200 × 200 to 10 × 10 μm2. At the same forward bias, the devices with Ti/Al‐based electrodes achieved 10 times injection current and three times electroluminescence intensity than those with Cr/Al‐based electrodes. The blueshift phenomenon of deep‐UV light was observed from 292 nm at 2 A/cm2 to 287 nm at 200 A/cm2 with the increasing current density. By the excitation of deep‐UV micro‐LED, quantum dot film achieved high light conversion efficiency and optimized color rendering, as the converted color emission peak was separate from the pumping source. The high energy of deep‐UV photons and the narrow emission bandwidth of QDs resulted in prominent color purity. The forward voltage and electroluminescence intensity uniformity of a 250 × 250 micro‐LED array with each pixel size of 30 × 30 μm2 were further discussed. The optical microscope images of green QD film pumped by a deep‐UV micro‐LED demonstrated its competitive application in the color‐converted display.
Learning to forget: Hippocampal–amygdala connectivity partially mediates the effect of sexual trauma severity on verbal recall in older women undiagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: McIntosh Roger , Lobo Judith D. , Carvalho Nicole , Ironson Gail 
Published: February 2022

AbstractVerbal learning deficits are common among sexually traumatized women who have not been formally diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Aberrant resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala and hippocampus are implicated in PTSD and verbal memory impairment. We tested rsFC between bilateral dentate gyrus (DG) and both centromedial (CM) and basolateral (BL) nuclei of the amygdala as statistical mediators for the effect of sexual trauma–related symptom severity on delayed verbal recall performance in 63 older women (age: 60‐85 years) undiagnosed with PTSD. Participant data were drawn from the NKI‐Rockland Study. Individuals completed a 10‐min resting‐state scan, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Sexual Abuse Trauma Index (SATI) from the Trauma Symptom Checklist. Z‐scores indicating rsFC of DG with BL and CM amygdala seeds were evaluated in two separate mediation models. Higher SATI scores were associated with lower RAVLT after controlling for age, β = −.23, 95% CI [.48, .03], p = .039. This effect was negated upon adding a negative path from SATI to rsFC of left DG and right CM, β = −.29, 95% CI [−.52, ‐.02], p = .022, and a positive path from that seed pair to RAVLT List A recall, β = .28, 95% CI [.03, 0.48], p = .015. Chi‐square fit indices supported partial mediation by this seed pair, p = .762. In the absence of PTSD sexual trauma symptoms partially relate to verbal learning deficits as a function of aberrant rsFC between left hippocampus DG and right amygdala CM nuclei.
Coexistence of acrokeratoelastoidosis and knuckle pad‐like lesions
Authors: Navarro‐Bielsa Alba , Gracia‐Cazaña Tamara , Abadías‐Granado Isabel , Conejero del Mazo Raquel , Gilaberte Yolanda 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAcrokeratoelastoidosis (AKE) is a marginal papular keratoderma. It is a rare autosomal dominant condition that may also present in childhood or adulthood in sporadic cases. AKE is distinguished by its histological findings, with dermal elastorrhexis and an overlying epithelial dell. We report a 55‐year‐old woman with AKE and knuckle pads on the palms and soles, which are considered as an extension of AKE papules to the interphalangeal joints.
A novel optimal data set approach for erosion‐impacted soil quality assessments—A case‐study of an agricultural catchment in the Chernozem region of Northeast China
Authors: Zhang Jiaqiong , Zheng Fenli , Li Zhi , Feng Zhizhen 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBecause soil erosion is a primary cause of land degradation globally, it has received increasing attention in food production regions, such as the Chernozem region of Northeast China. This study assessed soil quality under soil erosion degradation using a novel optimal data set (ODS) approach and a comparative minimum data set (MDS) approach to derive soil quality indices (SQIs) within an agricultural watershed in Heilongjiang Province, China. The selection of SQIs was contingent on 15 physical, chemical, and microbial properties measured at 52 grids. Soil erosion rates were determined using the Cs‐137 technique. Results showed that SQIs derived from the ODS and MDS approaches were strongly correlated (r = 0.91, p < 0.01). However, soil quality inferred by SQIs varied significantly between erosion and deposition sites, namely, increasing from upstream to midstream to downstream areas. Changes in SQIs and erosion rates exhibited spatially opposing trends, reflecting the impact of soil erosion on soil quality, which was also confirmed by comparing representative soil properties at erosion and deposition sites. The ODS approach using the optimal fingerprinting factor screening procedure of the composite fingerprinting approach is a cause‐related method that uses a relatively strict indicator selection procedure, which mainly includes sample groupings, Kruskal–Wallis H test, discriminant function analysis, and conservative behaviour tests of factors. Thus, it can theoretically obtain more reliable results compared to MDS. Further studies are nevertheless needed to assess the feasibility of this novel approach in other cases.
A stratified environmental reference system for better understanding of the relationship between remote sensing observations and ground monitoring of karst rocky desertification
Authors: Xu Erqi , Zhang Hongqi 
Published: February 2022

AbstractQuickly and accurately monitoring karst rocky desertification via remote sensing could assist in its mitigation. Yet this is limited by high environmental heterogeneity that introduces uncertainty into satellite observations' relationships with ground‐based karst rocky desertification. Influenced by variations of environmental factors, the relevance of satellite data for karst rocky desertification is questionable, especially at a large geographic scale. Here a novel stratified degradation reference system was built to describe this complex relationship. The method was applied in Guizhou–Guangxi Karst Mountainous Region, a typical karst region in China undergoing severe karst rocky desertification. A stratified procedure of elevation‐based initial division and sub‐division of lithology and land use was designed using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. MODIS values of surface vegetation, albedo, and temperature products were standardized by percentiles to reveal their relevance for evaluating each environmental stratification of land degradation. We found a substantial spatial variation of MODIS observations across elevation gradients and different land uses. This was corrected using our proposed reference method, wherein standardized MODIS observations show a nonlinear but clear downward trend with increasing karst rocky desertification intensities. Most areas affected by karst rocky desertification had lower MODIS values. Using the stratified environmental reference approach between MODIS observations and karst rocky desertification can enable the cost‐effective screening of high‐heterogeneity karst areas, to better support monitoring and identify desertification hotspots.
Efficient Second‐Harmonic Generation from Silicon Slotted Nanocubes with Bound States in the Continuum
Authors: Fang Cizhe , Yang Qiyu , Yuan Qingchen , Gu Linpeng , Gan Xuetao , Shao Yao , Liu Yan , Han Genquan , Hao Yue 
Published: February 2022

AbstractOptical materials with centrosymmetry, such as silicon and germanium, are unfortunately absent of second‐order nonlinear optical responses, hindering their developments in efficient nonlinear optical devices. Here, a design with an array of slotted nanocubes is proposed to realize remarkable second harmonic generation (SHG) from the centrosymmetric silicon, which takes advantage of enlarged surface second‐order nonlinearity, strengthened electric field over the surface of the air‐slot, as well as the resonance enhancement by the bound states in the continuum. Compared with that from the array of silicon nanocubes without air‐slots, SHG from the slotted nanocube array is improved by more than two orders of magnitude. The experimentally measured SHG efficiency of the silicon slotted nanocube array is high as 1.8 × 10−4 W−1, which is expected to be further engineered by modifying the air‐slot geometries. The result can provide a new strategy to expand nonlinear optical effects and devices of centrosymmetric materials.
Deep learning‐based body part recognition algorithm for three‐dimensional medical images
Authors: Ouyang Zihui , Zhang Peng , Pan Weifan , Li Qiang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractBackgroundThe automatic recognition of human body parts in three‐dimensional medical images is important in many clinical applications. However, methods presented in prior studies have mainly classified each two‐dimensional (2D) slice independently rather than recognizing a batch of consecutive slices as a specific body part.PurposeIn this study, we aim to develop a deep learning‐based method designed to automatically divide computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans into five consecutive body parts: head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis.MethodsA deep learning framework was developed to recognize body parts in two stages. In the first preclassification stage, a convolutional neural network (CNN) using the GoogLeNet Inception v3 architecture and a long short‐term memory (LSTM) network were combined to classify each 2D slice; the CNN extracted information from a single slice, whereas the LSTM employed rich contextual information among consecutive slices. In the second postprocessing stage, the input scan was further partitioned into consecutive body parts by identifying the optimal boundaries between them based on the slice classification results of the first stage. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, 662 CT and 1434 MRI scans were used.ResultsOur method achieved a very good performance in 2D slice classification compared with state‐of‐the‐art methods, with overall classification accuracies of 97.3% and 98.2% for CT and MRI scans, respectively. Moreover, our method further divided whole scans into consecutive body parts with mean boundary errors of 8.9 and 3.5 mm for CT and MRI data, respectively.ConclusionsThe proposed method significantly improved the slice classification accuracy compared with state‐of‐the‐art methods, and further accurately divided CT and MRI scans into consecutive body parts based on the results of slice classification. The developed method can be employed as an important step in various computer‐aided diagnosis and medical image analysis schemes.
Pareto‐scheduling with double‐weighted jobs to minimize the weighted number of tardy jobs and total weighted late work
Authors: Guo Shuen , Lu Lingfa , Yuan Jinjiang , Ng Chi To , Cheng Tai Chiu Edwin 
Published: February 2022

AbstractWe consider the single‐machine Pareto‐scheduling problem to minimize the weighted number of tardy jobs and total weighted late work simultaneously. The problem is to find the set of all the Pareto‐optimal points, that is, the Pareto frontier, and their corresponding Pareto‐optimal schedules. We consider the corresponding weighted‐sum scheduling problem and primary‐secondary scheduling problems, being subproblems of the general Pareto‐scheduling problem. The NP‐hardness of the general problem follows directly from the NP‐hardness of the two constituent single‐criterion problems. We present a pseudo‐polynomial algorithm and a fully polynomial‐time approximation scheme (FPTAS) running in weakly polynomial time to deal with the general problem. When all the jobs have a common due date, we further provide an FPTAS running in strongly polynomial time. We also study some special cases of the general problem where the jobs have equal processing times, a common due date, or a common weight, and analyze their computational complexity status.
Exploring nursing students' need for social presence and its relevance to their learning preferences
Authors: Grech Joseph 
Published: February 2022

AbstractAimTo explore nursing students’ need for social presence in online learning, looking at its relevance to the adopted sensory modality learning styles.DesignA qualitative descriptive design.MethodsTwo semi‐structured online focus groups were held with five second‐year and seven third‐year undergraduate nursing students, purposively recruited from the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology. Using a structured guide based on the Social Presence Model, participants were asked about their perceived need for social presence (a construct used to understand online interactions), and its relevance to their learning preferences using the VARK (Visual, Aural/Auditory, Read/write and Kinesthetic) learning styles.ResultsDespite varying learning preferences, all participants remarked on the need for social presence. Social presence was required for their perceived learning and for actively participating in online lectures. Several participants expressed the need for social presence for a collaborative constructivist learning experience, drawing on their diverse learning styles for a better learning experience.