bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photothermal lanthanide nanomaterials: From fundamentals to theranostic applications
Authors: Li Zhuo , Gong Jiacheng , Lu Shan , Li Xingjun , Gu Xiaobo , Xu Jin , Khan Jawairia Umar , Jin Dayong , Chen Xueyuan
Published: May 2024

Photothermal lanthanide nanomaterials with unique photophysical properties have been innovatively explored for diagnostics and non‐invasive therapies, and hold great promise for precision theranostics. In this review, we start from the basic principles of excited‐state dynamics and provide a thorough comprehension of the main pathways for photothermal conversion in lanthanide nanocrystals. Aspects influencing the photothermal effect such as lanthanide‐doping concentration, particle size, and crystal structure have been fully discussed. Hybrid strategies for the design of efficient lanthanide‐based photothermal agents, including dye sensitization to break the absorption limit and semiconductor combination to add cross‐relaxation pathways, have also been summarized. Furthermore, we highlight the cutting‐edge applications of photothermal lanthanide nanoplatforms with optical diagnosis and temperature feedback in photothermia‐associated theranostics. Lastly, the current challenges and future eﬀorts for clinical applications are proposed. This review is expected to offer a better understanding of photothermal mechanisms and inspire efforts for designing versatile lanthanide theranostic nanoplatforms.
NIL education can help ensure compliance, limit liability
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: May 2024

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Even if today's college student‐ athletes seem way more tech‐savvy than you, they still need guidance to successfully manage the quickly evolving name, image, and likeness realm. Providing your student‐athletes with an NIL education will also have the fringe benefit of helping to protect your institution by ensuring compliance, boosting safety, and limiting liability. Just think of the liability if one of your student‐athletes, who doesn’t fully understand the NIL‐related rules and regulations, thinks it's OK to sneak onto the field to give a private lesson as part of an NIL deal but then someone gets hurt in the process.
Amiodarone triggered Kounis syndrome complicated by refractory cardiac arrest rescued with VA‐ECMO
Authors: Soriano Marc , Sionis Alessandro , Rodríguez Enrique , Bonet Ana , Soto Lorena , Tauron Manel , Belmar David , Arakama Sabiñe , Mayol Josep , Rodríguez Laura
Published: May 2024

Key Clinical Message

An interesting case that shows an infrequent cause of cardiorespiratory arrest such as coronary vasospasm due to intravenous amiodarone induced Kounis syndrome. It highlights the usefulness of circulatory support with ECMO in the scenario of CPR.

A patient with atrial fibrillation was admitted for an elective electrical cardioversion. He was given an amiodarone bolus that triggered Kounis syndrome with cardiac arrest due to vasospasm requiring emergency coronary angiography with infusion of nitroglycerin. Due to following refractory shock and severe refractory hypoxemia required mechanical circulatory support with ECMO and inhaled nitric oxide with favorable evolution. Allergy to amiodarone was later confirmed.
Kinetically Inert Platinum (II) Complexes for Improving Anticancer Therapy: Recent Developments and Road Ahead
Authors: Panda Tushar Ranjan , Patra Malay
Published: May 2024

The search for better chemotherapeutic drugs to alleviate the deficiencies of existing platinum (Pt) drugs has picked up the pace in the millennium. There has been a disparate effort to design better and safer Pt drugs to deal with the problems of deactivation, Pt resistance and toxic side effects of clinical Pt drugs. In this review, we have discussed the potential of kinetically inert Pt complexes as an emerging class of next‐generation Pt drugs. The introduction gives an overview about the development, use, mechanism of action and side effects of clinical Pt drugs as well as the various approaches to improve some of their pharmacological properties. We then describe the impact of kinetic lability on the pharmacology of functional Pt drugs including deactivation, antitumor efficacy, toxicity and resistance. Following a brief overview of numerous pharmacological advantages that a non‐functional kinetically inert Pt complex can offer; we discussed structurally different classes of kinetically inert Pt (II) complexes highlighting their unique pharmacological features.
Pharmacokinetics of Fipaxalparant, a Small‐Molecule Selective Negative Allosteric Modulator of Lysophosphatidic Acid Receptor 1, and the Effect of Food in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Song Yang , Ali Farah N. , Ye Zhan , Zarzoso Jennifer , Rogowski John , Sun Yajing , Xin Yan
Published: May 2024

Dysregulated lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1) signaling is implicated in fibrotic diseases, including systemic sclerosis (SSc) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Fipaxalparant (HZN‐825) is a small molecule acting as a negative allosteric modulator of LPAR1 and is in phase 2 clinical evaluations for treating diffuse cutaneous SSc and IPF. This open‐label, phase 1 study examined the pharmacokinetics (PKs), food effect, and safety of fipaxalparant in healthy volunteers. Dose proportionality was evaluated for fipaxalparant single doses of 150, 300, and 450 mg under fasted conditions. Food effect was tested with a 450‐mg single dose under fasted conditions or with a high‐fat meal. Multiple‐dose PKs for twice‐daily dosing of either 300 or 450 mg with low‐ or high‐fat meals was also assessed. Fipaxalparant was safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers (n = 36) under all conditions. Fipaxalparant exposure increased in a less than dose‐proportional manner from 150 to 450 mg. At 450 mg, a high‐fat meal increased the maximum observed concentration and area under the curve by approximately 1.9‐ and 2.1‐fold, respectively. These results, combined with prior preclinical and phase 2a data, informed dose selection of fipaxalparant 300 mg once and twice daily with a meal for phase 2b studies.
Concentration‐QTc Modeling of the DPP‐4 Inhibitor HSK7653 in a First‐in‐Human Study of Chinese Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Wang Xiaoxu , Liu Hongzhong , Cui Cheng , Niu Xiaoye , Li Haiyan , Niu Shu , Yan Pangke , Wu Nan , Li Fangqiong , Wu Qinghe , Chen Kai , Hu Bei , Liu Dongyang
Published: May 2024

Cofrogliptin (HSK7653) is a long‐acting dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with a twice‐monthly dosing regimen. This study included 62 participants (48 without food effect, 14 with food effect) receiving single doses of HSK7653 (5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 mg) or placebo. Pharmacokinetic samples were collected over 24 hours postdosing and sampling times are aligned with 12‐lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) which were derived from continuous ECG recordings. For the concentration‐QT interval corrected for heart rate (C‐QTc) analysis, we used linear mixed‐effects modeling to characterize the correlation between plasma concentrations of HSK7653 and the change from baseline in the QT interval which was corrected by Fridericia's formula (ΔQTcF). The result showed that a placebo‐corrected Fridericia corrected QT interval (ΔΔQTcF) prolongation higher than 10 milliseconds is unlikely at the mean maximum observed concentration (Cmax) (411 ng/mL) associated with the recommended therapeutic doses (25 mg twice‐monthly), even at the highest supratherapeutic concentration (2425 ng/mL). Thus, HSK7653 does not significantly affect QT prolongation at either recommended doses or the highest supratherapeutic concentration.
Progress and Challenges in Polystyrene Recycling and Upcycling
Authors: Xu Zhen , Sun Dongshi , Xu Jianjun , Yang Rong , Russell Jennifer D. , Liu Guoliang
Published: May 2024

Polystyrene is a staple plastic in the packaging and insulation market. Despite its good recyclability, the willingness of PS recycling remains low, largely due to the high recycling cost and limited profitability. This review examines the research progresses, gaps, and challenges in areas that affect the recycling costs, including but not limited to logistics, packaging design, and policymaking. We critically evaluate the recent developments in upcycling strategies, and we particularly focus on tandem and hydrogen‐atom transfer (HAT) upcycling strategies. We conclude that future upcycling studies should focus on not only reaction chemistry and mechanisms but also economic viability of the processes. The goal of this review is to stimulate the development of innovative recycling strategies with low recycling costs and high economic output values. We hope to stimulate the economic and technological momentum of PS recycling towards a sustainable and circular economy.
OCR finds college failed to offer accommodations to pregnant student
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: May 2024

Colleges and universities often misunderstand when they must offer accommodations to pregnant students. Additionally, there is often confusion about what laws require these accommodations and which internal office(s) will approve and implement the adjustments.
A new study finds that online‐only programs hurt graduation
Authors: May Rachel
Published: May 2024

Students benefit when enrolled in face‐to‐face or mixed courses, rather than simply taking online‐only classes, according to new research. As institutions emerge from the pandemic days of increased online offerings, the authors of a new study examined how students fare in online‐only environments versus in mixed online and face‐to‐face settings.
Study shows individuals with disabilities face barriers when dining out
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: May 2024

A recent study from the University of Technology Sydney demonstrates that many individuals with disabilities feel isolated and excluded from eating out. The first‐of‐its‐kind study systematically reviewed research on the “experiences of people with disability eating out in cafés, restaurants, and other setting.” In total, the authors reviewed 36 studies, with most studies focusing on individuals with physical or sensory disabilities eating out and a handful of studies examining the experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities, swallowing disabilities, or communication with disabilities. The authors noted the limited amount of available research on the needs of peoples with disabilities in relation to eating out and called for further research to help guide policy and practice for including individuals with disabilities in dining‐out activities, especially research on the “need for mealtime assistance or texture‐modified foods, and the dining out experiences of people with swallowing disability.”
Synthesis of Phosphorus/Arsenic Tridentate Ligands and Their Application for Luminescent Copper (I) Halide Complexes
Authors: Shimoji Haruki , Kihara Hyota , Sumida Akifumi , Imoto Hiroaki , Naka Kensuke
Published: May 2024

We synthesized arsenic analogs of a tridentate PPP ligand, bis[2‐(diphenylphosphino) phenyl] phenylphosphine, achieving yields of 40 % to 71 %. Additionally, we prepared copper (I) halide (CuX, X=Br, I) complexes with these ligands, with yields between 43 % and 84 %. Using both experimental and computational methods, we examined their structures and photophysical characteristics. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction showed that all eight complexes had distorted tetrahedral geometries. These complexes exhibited photoluminescence with emission bands peaking from 506 nm to 551 nm and quantum yields up to 0.92 at room temperature. Emission lifetimes varied and showed no direct correlation with quantum yields or wavelengths. Physical manipulation and solvent variations significantly altered their photoluminescent properties. DFT and TD‐DFT calculations revealed that higher arsenic content increased spin‐orbit coupling constants, with iodide complexes performing better than bromide ones due to heavier elements enhancing spin‐orbit coupling. Substituting phosphorus with arsenic significantly affected the luminescence quantum yield and lifetime, demonstrating the heavy‐atom effect of arsenic. The position of arsenic in the ligands critically influenced the photophysical outcomes of the CuX complexes.
Visualization strategies to aid interpretation of high‐dimensional genotoxicity data
Authors: Dertinger Stephen D. , Briggs Erica , Hussien Yusuf , Bryce Steven M. , Avlasevich Svetlana L. , Conrad Adam , Johnson George E. , Williams Andrew , Bemis Jeffrey C.
Published: May 2024

This article describes a range of high‐dimensional data visualization strategies that we have explored for their ability to complement machine learning algorithm predictions derived from MultiFlow® assay results. For this exercise, we focused on seven biomarker responses resulting from the exposure of TK6 cells to each of 126 diverse chemicals over a range of concentrations. Obviously, challenges associated with visualizing seven biomarker responses were further complicated whenever there was a desire to represent the entire 126 chemical data set as opposed to results from a single chemical. Scatter plots, spider plots, parallel coordinate plots, hierarchical clustering, principal component analysis, toxicological prioritization index, multidimensional scaling, t‐distributed stochastic neighbor embedding, and uniform manifold approximation and projection are each considered in turn. Our report provides a comparative analysis of these techniques. In an era where multiplexed assays and machine learning algorithms are becoming the norm, stakeholders should find some of these visualization strategies useful for efficiently and effectively interpreting their high‐dimensional data.
Structuring Electrodes for Lithium‐Ion Batteries: A Novel Material Loss‐Free Process Using Liquid Injection
Authors: Bredekamp Michael , Gottschalk Laura , Peter Michalowski , Kwade Arno
Published: May 2024

One possible approach to improve the fast charging performance of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) is to create diffusion channels in the electrode coating. Laser ablation is an established method for creating such structures and improving the performance of conventional LIBs. However, this method has not yet been used in industrial battery production due to different reasons. The drawbacks of this method are thermal stress, loss of active material, and discontinuous process flow. Herein, a novel concept is presented that enables the structuring of electrodes by selectively introducing a secondary fluid into the wet coating of the electrode. This displaces the active material prior to drying, resulting in no loss of active material and maintaining mechanical integrity. This innovative process is being tested for graphite anodes on a lab scale. Initial results show that the process can create pores that are comparable to laser‐structured electrodes. There is no visible damage to the electrode and no decrease in mechanical strength due to the structuring is observed. By varying the process parameters, different pore geometries can be generated with continuous process control, which are visually measured in this work. There is also a noticeable increase in performance when fast‐charging these electrode anodes.
Validated Negative Regions (VNRs) in the VISTA Database might be Truncated Forms of Bona Fide Enhancers
Authors: Ni Pengyu , Wu Siwen , Su Zhengchang
Published: May 2024

The VISTA enhancer database is a valuable resource for evaluating predicted enhancers in humans and mice. In addition to thousands of validated positive regions (VPRs) in the human and mouse genomes, the database also contains similar numbers of validated negative regions (VNRs). It is previously shown that the VPRs are on average half as long as predicted overlapping enhancers that are highly conserved and hypothesize that the VPRs may be truncated forms of long bona fide enhancers. Here, it is shown that like the VPRs, the VNRs also are under strong evolutionary constraints and overlap predicted enhancers in the genomes. The VNRs are also on average half as long as predicted overlapping enhancers that are highly conserved. Moreover, the VNRs and the VPRs display similar cell/tissue‐specific modification patterns of key epigenetic marks of active enhancers. Furthermore, the VNRs and the VPRs show similar impact score spectra of in silico mutagenesis. These highly similar properties between the VPRs and the VNRs suggest that like the VPRs, the VNRs may also be truncated forms of long bona fide enhancers.
Microbial impact on basalt‐water‐hydrogen system: Insights into wettability, capillary pressure, and interfacial tension for subsurface hydrogen storage
Authors: Aftab Adnan , Al‐Yaseri Ahmed , Nzila Alexis , Hamad Jafar Al , Sarmadivaleh Mohammad
Published: May 2024

Hydrogen (H2) fuel is assessed to be a major component of sustainable energy systems in the net‐zero world. However, hydrogen storage is challenging and requires safe and environmentally friendly solutions like H2 geo‐sequestration. This study evaluates the effects of sulphate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) on H2 geological storage potential in the basalt rock. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) findings show the presence of significant components, that is, O‐Si‐O and organic functional groups, that is, aromatics, amine salts, alkane, and cyclohexane in the basalt rock immersed in the nutrient solution without SRB. However, we found that C‐H stretching modes of organics with peaks at 1,465 cm−1 were observed. Consequently, amine salt (N‐H) (850–750 cm−1), solvent impurities (C‐H), and alkane spectrums are components of nutrient solutions and can be results of metabolic microbial activity that can influence on the surface of the basalt rock. Hence, these changes indicate the presence of microbial activity which might affect the surface chemistry of the rock leading to wettability alteration. We observed that the contact angle (θ) of brine‐H2 on the rock surface slightly changed from 500 to 4,000 psi pressure after the effect of bacteria at 50 °C. The wettability changed the surface of the rock from strong water‐wet to weak or intermediate water‐wet condition (i.e., θ < 75°) at 4,000 psi and temperatures 25 and 50 °C after the bacteria effect. The affiliation of brine water reduces on the rock surface with increasing temperatures and pressures, even without microbial influence. Additionally, we investigated interfacial tension and capillary pressure on SRB bacteria treated basalt which is not yet reported in the published work. Interfacial tension (IFT) and Pc of H2 were reduced by 19% and 65%, respectively at 50 °C and 4,000 psi after the bacteria effect. Hence, the above findings could help to answer the key factors of the reservoir rock including wettability, capillary pressure, and interfacial tension to plan a field‐scale H2 geo‐sequestration strategy under the influence of biotic life. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficient multiscale spatial attention3Dabdominal multiorgan segmentation model
Authors: Yan Chenxi , Hou Huimin , Shen Tongtong , Xu Huafei , Zhai Chen , Zheng Wen
Published: May 2024

Accurate and efficient 3D medical image segmentation models are critical for clinical applications. However, many models which performed well in recent years have consumed significant computational cost, especially those based on self‐attention. For more efficient and accurate segmentation of medical 3D images, we develop an efficient multiscale spatial attention model for 3D abdominal multiorgan segmentation. We use 1D and 2D kernels in the encoder and decoder modules to simulate 3D kernels to reduce the number of parameters and computational cost. Furthermore, we use the lightweight spatial attention and mixed pooling module to capture cross‐dimensional information, multiscale features, and long‐range contextual information. We achieved a Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) of 89.86 and a Normalized Surface Dice (NSD) of 78.2 on the FLARE dataset with only 1183 M GPU memory usage, 9 M parameters, and 193G floating point operations(FLOPs).
Women in dental education and their desire to lead: A follow‐up
Authors: Wendland Meghan E. , Gadbury‐Amyot Cynthia C. , Van Ness Christopher J. , Haas Steven E.
Published: May 2024

The aim of this study was to provide a follow‐up to the 2015 national survey of women in dental education to re‐examine factors and perceived barriers to pursuing administrative and leadership roles. At the beginning of 2023, a survey was administered to full‐time women faculty in predoctoral dental programs in the United States. The survey instrument employed a structured format along with open‐ended questions to capture qualitative data. The overall response rate was 26% (527/1994) and included respondents from fifty‐five of the sixty‐seven dental schools contacted. Half of respondents indicated holding an administrative position and 20% reported administration as their primary appointment. There was a significant increase in the number of women holding a leadership role in 2023 (76%) compared to 2015 (53%). Those seeking a leadership position in 2023 were less likely to have participated in leadership training (p<0.01) and less likely to have previously sought an administrative position (p>0.01). Women in leadership and administrative roles were more likely to indicate receiving extra compensation for administrative duties (p<0.01) and a desire for higher rank (p = 0.04) compared to 2015, but perceptions persist among the majority of respondents (71%) that women are not being compensated equally to their male counterparts. Respondents highlighted the negative impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on career advancement and the positive culture changes that have contributed to greater workplace flexibility. Overall, respondents sent a resounding message that women in dental education need structural change to achieve success: pay equity, mentorship, and inclusive and supportive work environments.
The power of coaching: Developing leaders and beyond
Authors: Horvath Zsuzsa , Wilder Rebecca S , Guthmiller Janet M.
Published: May 2024

In recent decades, the application of coaching for career development and supporting faculty in leadership roles has greatly expanded in higher education. Coaching can offer transformational and life‐changing experiences, inspire critical reflection in early career decisions, and (re)ignite passion and commitment at all career stages. While coaching focuses on transforming individuals, it also has the potential to impact organizations and professional environments. The power of coaching deserves appropriate recognition within dental education and scholarship. In this article, the authors discuss the potential for career coaching as a tool for developing future leaders in dental education. After differentiating between coaching and mentoring, coaching for professional development is reviewed as an evidence‐based approach that can enhance traditional leadership and professional development programs. Although this article was inspired by programming supporting the development of female leaders, coaching applies to all leaders and may be particularly helpful in supporting the development of diverse leaders including but not limited to individuals from different backgrounds, national origins, gender, racial, socioeconomic, and cultural distinctions. After a review of existing coaching initiatives in dental education, a variety of coaching strategies for faculty, staff, and trainees will be described that can be implemented by oral health educational institutions. Examples of coaching strategies range from developing internal coaching programs to contractual agreements with external coaching groups. Step‐by‐step guidelines are included.
Pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery residents’ stress, career satisfaction, and gender‐based discrimination/harassment
Authors: Inglehart Marita R. , Marti Kyriaki C. , LeBlanc Madison Jocelyn , Bak Sun‐Yung , Boynton James
Published: May 2024

Objectives

Dental residents experience high stress in their demanding programs and gender‐based harassment/discrimination can contribute to their stress. The objectives were to compare stress, satisfaction, experienced sexual harassment and observed discrimination of women in dental graduate programs with high, medium, and low percentages of women and to explore relationships between these constructs of interest.

Methods

Note that, 112 pediatric dentistry (PD), 44 prosthodontics, and 56 oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) residents responded to a survey.

Results

PD residents had the lowest personal life‐related stress (4‐point scale with 4 = very stressful: PD = 2.99/P = 3.67/OMS = 3.56; p < 0.001), faculty‐related stress (2.68/3.66/3.03; p < 0.001), lack of confidence‐related stress (2.79/3.31/2.96; p < 0.01) and academic stress (2.65/3.24/3.02; p < 0.001), while prosthodontics residents had the highest stress levels. The average frequency of experiencing sexual harassment was highest for OMS residents and lowest for PD residents (5‐point scale with 1 = never: 1.15/2.62/2.74; p < 0.001). PD residents observed least and OMS residents most frequently that female residents were treated less positively by other residents because of their gender (1.59/2.57/3.00; p < 0.001). Prosthodontics residents had the lowest job satisfaction score (5‐point scale with 1 = lowest satisfaction: 4.12/3.14/4.20; p < 0.001). The more frequently male and female residents experienced sexual harassment, the higher their personal life‐related stress, faculty‐related stress, lack of confidence‐related stress, and academic stress, and the lower their career satisfaction, specialty content satisfaction, and stress‐related satisfaction. Women's frequencies of observed gender‐based discrimination were associated with higher stress and lower satisfaction, while men's frequencies of these observations were not associated with stress, but associated with increased satisfaction.

Conclusions

Dental residents’ stress, career satisfaction, experienced sexual harassment, and observed discrimination of women residents differ depending on the dental specialty program. Both male and female residents report more stress and less satisfaction the more they experience sexual harassment. The more women observe discrimination of women, the more stressed and the less satisfied they are. For men, the frequencies of these observations are not associated with stress, but positively associated with increased satisfaction.
Genetically predicted blood metabolites mediate the association between circulating immune cells and pancreatic cancer: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhao Guo , Cai Yuanting , Wang Yuning , Fang Yuan , Wang Shuhang , Li Ning
Published: May 2024

Background

Pancreatic cancer is characterized by metabolic dysregulation and unique immunological profiles. Nevertheless, the comprehensive understanding of immune and metabolic dysregulation of pancreatic cancer remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the causal relationship of circulating immune cells and pancreatic cancer and identify the blood metabolites as potential mediators.

Methods

The exposure and outcome genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) data used in the present study were obtained from the GWAS open‐access database (https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk). The study used 731 circulating immune cell features, 1400 types of blood metabolites and pancreatic cancer from GWAS. We then performed bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore the causal relationships between the circulating immune cells and pancreatic cancer, and two‐step MR to discover potential mediating blood metabolites in this process. All statistical analyses were performed in R software. The STROBE‐MR (i.e. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology using Mendelian Randomization) checklist for the reporting of MR studies was also used.

Results

MR analysis identified seven types of circulating immune cells causally associated with pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, there was no strong evidence that genetically predicted pancreatic cancer had an effect on these seven types of circulating immune cells. Further two‐step MR analysis found 10 types of blood metabolites were causally associated with pancreatic cancer and the associations between circulating CD39+CD8+ T cells and pancreatic cancer were mediated by blood orotates with proportions of 5.18% (p = 0.016).

Conclusions

The present study provides evidence supporting the causal relationships between various circulating immune cells, especially CD39+CD8+ T cells, and pancreatic cancer, with a potential effect mediated by blood orotates. Further research is needed on additional risk factors as potential mediators and establish a comprehensive immunity‐metabolism network in pancreatic cancer.
Exploring named‐entity recognition techniques for academic books
Authors: Calleja Ibañez Pablo , Giménez‐Toledo Elea
Published: May 2024

Recent advances in the natural language processing (NLP) field have achieved impressive results in various tasks. However, NLP techniques are underrepresented in the analysis of Humanities and Social Science texts and in languages other than English. In particular, academic books are a highly valuable source of information that has not been exploited by these techniques at all. The recognition of named entities (person names, organizations or locations) and their semantic annotation over books could enrich the visibility and discoverability of the information by users. This is an opportunity for academia and the academic publishing industry in which semantic search is a central task and now books can be queried by named entities of interest that are in their content. This work proposes a methodology to apply named‐entity recognition to publish the results into an ontological semantic‐web format. The work has been performed over a corpus of academic books provided by UNE (Unión de Editoriales Universitarias Españolas, Union of Spanish University Presses). Results show an enrichment of the information extracted over the books and of the possibilities of querying them at the individual level but also within the whole set of books, increasing the possibilities for books to be discovered or retrieved beyond metadata.
Study finds wearable technology can improve severe depression
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2024

New research to demonstrate a wearable as a mental health treatment has produced rapid and clinically significant improvements within the first few weeks in individuals experiencing moderate to severe depression, according to researchers who conducted what is considered the largest clinical trial to demonstrate this technology in individuals with mental illness.
Design of a planar microstrip antenna with wide bandwidth and omnidirectional radiation patterns using tightly coupled structures
Authors: Rui Wang , Jinghui Qiu
Published: May 2024

A wideband planar microstrip antenna with good horizontally polarized omnidirectional radiation performance is presented. Using tightly coupled structures, six planar dipole elements are deployed in a circular pattern, and radiation is synthesized into a horizontal omnidirectional radiation pattern by superposing the far‐field pattern of the six dipoles. Owing to the tight coupling between radiating elements, the proposed antenna has a wide operating band. The radiating elements are printed on a printed circuit board and excited by a balun with uniform magnitude and synchronized current. A prototype is manufactured and measured. The measurement results show that the impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is 102. The gain variation of the horizontal omnidirectional pattern is less than 1.2 dB in the 1.27–3.89 GHz band. Within the operating frequency band, the total efficiency and radiation efficiency are greater than 82% and 88%, respectively. The diameter of the antenna is 0.48, where is the wavelength corresponding to the lowest frequency in the operating band.
Points of interest linear attention network for real‐time non‐rigid liver volume to surface registration
Authors: Chen Zeming , Zou Beiji , Kui Xiaoyan , Shi Yangyang , Lv Ding , Chen Liming
Published: May 2024

Background

In laparoscopic liver surgery, accurately predicting the displacement of key intrahepatic anatomical structures is crucial for informing the doctor's intraoperative decision‐making. However, due to the constrained surgical perspective, only a partial surface of the liver is typically visible. Consequently, the utilization of non‐rigid volume to surface registration methods becomes essential. But traditional registration methods lack the necessary accuracy and cannot meet real‐time requirements.

Purpose

To achieve high‐precision liver registration with only partial surface information and estimate the displacement of internal liver tissues in real‐time.

Methods

We propose a novel neural network architecture tailored for real‐time non‐rigid liver volume to surface registration. The network utilizes a voxel‐based method, integrating sparse convolution with the newly proposed points of interest (POI) linear attention module. POI linear attention module specifically calculates attention on the previously extracted POI. Additionally, we identified the most suitable normalization method RMSINorm.

Results

We evaluated our proposed network and other networks on a dataset generated from real liver models and two real datasets. Our method achieves an average error of 4.23 mm and a mean frame rate of 65.4 fps in the generation dataset. It also achieves an average error of 8.29 mm in the human breathing motion dataset.

Conclusions

Our network outperforms CNN‐based networks and other attention networks in terms of accuracy and inference speed.
Exploring experimental and finite element analysis to examine nano zinc oxide as a replacement for rubber‐grade zinc oxide in passenger car tire bead filler compounds
Authors: Banerjee Koushik , Das Debraj , Basak Sayan , Chanda Jagannath , Ghosh Prasenjit , Bhattacharyya Sanjay Kumar , Mukhopadhyay Rabindra , Bandyopadhyay Abhijit
Published: May 2024

The investigation demonstrates the potential of nano zinc oxide as a substitute for conventional rubber grade zinc oxide in the bead filler compound of passenger car tires, aimed at reducing heat generation while preserving mechanical and reinforcement properties. Experimentation showed that introducing nano zinc oxide increased compound viscosity, indicating enhanced filler networking. Cure rates accelerated due to the higher surface area of nano zinc oxides, while the Payne effect indicated improved dispersion levels in experimental compounds. Notably, the variant with four parts per hundred rubber of nano zinc oxide exhibited mechanical properties akin to the control, alongside a 28% reduction in tan δ and improvements in hysteresis loss ratio and specific heat values. Morphological analysis confirmed superior dispersion in experimental compounds. Finite element analysis demonstrated decreased temperature generation and a reduced percentage contribution of the bead filler to overall heat energy in tires, leading to a 3% drop in rolling resistance. These findings suggest that nano zinc oxide can effectively replace conventional zinc oxide, enhancing fuel economy in tires, thereby offering a green initiative to reduce fuel consumption in passenger car radial tires through improved hysteresis at the bead area via bead filler compound modification.

Highlights

Nano zinc oxide replaces rubber grade zinc oxide reducing heat generation.

Nano zinc oxide improves compound viscosity, enhancing filler networking.

Variant with four parts per hundred rubber of nano zinc oxide matches control's mechanics, with 28% lower tan δ.

Morphological analysis confirms dispersion, coupled with aggregation.

Simulation shows lower temperature generation and 3% less rolling resistance.
Tailoring data assimilation to discontinuous Galerkin models
Authors: Pasmans Ivo , Chen Yumeng , Carrassi Alberto , Jones Chris K. R. T.
Published: May 2024

In recent years discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods have received increased interest from the geophysical community. In these methods the solution in each grid cell is approximated as a linear combination of basis functions. Ensemble data assimilation (DA) aims to approximate the true state by combining model outputs with observations using error statistics estimated from an ensemble of model runs. Ensemble data assimilation in geophysical models faces several well‐documented issues. In this work we exploit the expansion of the solution in DG basis functions to address some of these issues. Specifically, it is investigated whether a DA–DG combination (a) mitigates the need for observation thinning, (b) reduces errors in the field's gradients, and (c) can be used to set up scale‐dependent localisation. Numerical experiments are carried out using stochastically generated ensembles of model states, with different noise properties, and with Legendre polynomials as basis functions. It is found that strong reduction in the analysis error is achieved by using DA–DG and that the benefit increases with increasing DG order. This is especially the case when small scales dominate the background error. The DA improvement in the first derivative is, on the other hand, marginal. We think this to be a counter‐effect of the power of DG to fit the observations closely, which can deteriorate the estimates of the derivatives. Applying optimal localisation to the different polynomial orders, thus exploiting their different spatial length, is beneficial: it results in a covariance matrix closer to the true covariance than the matrix obtained using traditional optimal localisation in state space.
Synthesis and Assembly of Photoresponsive Colloidal Tubes
Authors: Qin Lulu , Wang Huaguang , Zhang Zexin
Published: May 2024

Inspired by the sophisticated multicomponent and multistage assembly of proteins and their mixtures in living cells, this study rationally designs and fabricates photoresponsive colloidal tubes that can self‐assemble and hybrid‐assemble when mixed with colloidal spheres and rods. Time‐resolved observation and computer simulation reveal that the assembly is driven by phoretic attraction originating from osmotic pressures. These pressures are induced by the chemical concentration gradients generated by the photochemical reaction caused by colloidal tubes in a H2O2 solution under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The assembled structure is dictated by the size and shape of the constituent colloids as well as the intensity of the UV irradiation. Additionally, the resulting assembly can undergo self‐propelled motion originating from the broken symmetry of the surrounding concentration gradients. This motion can be steered by a magnetic field and used for microscale cargo delivery. The study demonstrates a facile synthesis method for colloidal tubes and highlights their unique potential for controlled, hierarchical self‐assembly and hybrid‐assembly.
Risk factors for recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after pathological complete response to neoadjuvant therapy followed by esophagectomy
Authors: Hirohata Ryosuke , Hamai Yoichi , Emi Manabu , Ibuki Yuta , Kurokawa Tomoaki , Ohsawa Manato , Kitasaki Nao , Okada Morihito
Published: May 2024

Background

Prognosis of patients who achieve pathological complete response (pCR) with neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) is better than that of non‐pCR patients. Currently, there is no indication for adjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy after achieving pCR. However, recurrence risk after pCR is reportedly 10%–20% with a poor prognosis. Therefore, we investigated the preoperative risk factors for recurrence in patients with pCR.

Methods

We analyzed 56 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and were histologically diagnosed with pCR. Preoperative factors were compared between patients with and without recurrence to identify the risk factors.

Results

Forty‐eight patients who achieved pCR received NACRT and 8 received NAC. Ten patients who experienced recurrence (17.9%) had undergone NACRT. The cN2 lesions were more frequent, and pre‐NAT blood hemoglobin (Hb) was lower in the recurrence group. In addition, the pre‐NAT cross‐sectional area (CSA) product of the major and minor diameters of the primary tumor before NAT was significantly higher in recurrent cases (p = 0.041). Multivariate analysis, including the cTNM stage, pre‐NAT Hb, and pre‐NAT CSA, identified high pre‐NAT CSA as the only risk factor for recurrence (odds ratio 11.6, 95% confidence interval 1.3–104.1, and p = 0.028). Cox regression analysis of recurrence‐free and overall survival identified only high pre‐NAT CSA as a prognostic factor.

Conclusions

The recurrence risk is relatively high even in patients who achieve pCR after NAT. High pre‐NAT CSA of the primary tumor is a risk factor for recurrence necessitating close surveillance.
Bringing Policy to Light: Implementation Challenges for Mozambique’s Off-Grid Policy Regulation
Authors: Howe Lorraine , Shenga Carlos , Cuvilas Carlos Alberto
Published: May 2024

In 2021, Mozambique approved a new regulation for access to energy in off-grid areas (Decree 93/2021) in December 2021. This chapter explores how the implementation of the regulation creates opportunities and challenges for the uptake of off-grid energy projects in Mozambique and the extent to which the new energy policy contexts facilitate the development of community energy projects.

The chapter analysis combines a policy analysis of the regulatory landscape and key informant interviews with energy operators conducted in 2022 in the wake of the adoption of the new regulation. The regulation sets the foundation for off-grid energy uptake through increased confidence and investment in both the off-grid energy market and government institutions. However, challenges remain, such as the transparency of roles and responsibilities of key government institutions and having appropriate resource mechanisms in place—e.g., financial incentives or human capital, to facilitate the regulation’s implementation.
Corrosion Processes of Steel-Hulled Potentially Polluting Wrecks
Authors: Glover Robert
Published: May 2024

Submerged metals are continuously affected by the chemical processes of corrosion, the destructive degradation of metal by chemical or electrochemical reactions within the marine environment (Valenca et al., 2022:2–3; Venugopal, 1994:35). Over time, metal ions at anodic sites defuse into electrolytic solutions from the oxidising reactions occurring at cathodic sites, causing the creation of corrosion byproducts, like rust on iron, and the loss of structural mass. The different reduction reactions in the microstructures of alloys and the imperfections found within refined materials, like carbon slag in steel, are targeted by this process, essentially reverting the chemically unstable materials back to their more stable original forms (Moore III, 2015:192; MacLeod 2016:90–92). The deterioration of metallic shipwreck hulls has become a growing concern within the field of marine conservation as many of the fuel tankers deliberately targeted in WWII threaten to release trapped fuel and chemical cargoes after nearly eight decades of exposure to a range of corrosive environments (Barrett, 2011:4–5). With the deterioration rate of ship hulls averaging at around ±0.1–0.4 mm of loss per year and the thickness of ship deck plates from the 1940s to the 1960s ranging generally from 1–4 cm in thickness, the window to act on the majority of potentially polluting shipwrecks (PPW) before a catastrophic breach occurs is closing (MacLeod, 2016a:8; Beldowski, 2018:249; Masetti, 2012:33; Masetti & Calder, 2014:139).
Managing Potentially Polluting Wrecks in the United Kingdom
Authors: Hill Polly Georgiana , Skelhorn Matthew , Goodsir Freya
Published: May 2024

The battleship HMS Royal Oak was at anchor in Scapa Flow in Orkney when, in the early hours of 14th October 1939, the German submarine U-47 entered the harbour and fired a salvo of torpedoes at Royal Oak’s port side. U-47 then repositioned itself at close range and fired a further three torpedoes at the starboard side of the ship. The weather had been fair, so all the ship’s hatches were open and consequently it took on water very quickly and sank in just 13 min with the loss of 833 of her crew.
Satellite Detection and the Discovery of Bloody Marsh
Authors: Brennan Michael L. , Thiemann Geoffrey , Jeffery William
Published: May 2024

Assessment and mitigation of potentially polluting wrecks in deeper water is a more challenging endeavor due to limitations of divers and operating pumping equipment at depth, but additionally because locating these wrecks is harder. While these wrecks in deep water are more out of sight and out of mind, even when leaking, than those near shore, they are safer from damage by dredges, trawls or other anthropogenic activities. The wreck of the tanker SS Bloody Marsh, reportedly sunk off South Carolina on July 2, 1943 in 560 m of water, was considered a lower risk in NOAA’s PPW study due to its location in deep water, which the NOAA Screening Level Risk Assessment Packages typically considered as less risk: ‘deepwater shipwrecks tend to settle upright on the bottom, and is supported by the conclusions made by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1967 that oil will likely escape from a wreck’s vents and piping long before its hull plates corrode’ (NOAA, 2013b: 6). This, however, is a conclusion that needs to be reconsidered. Bloody Marsh was carrying a cargo of 106,496 barrels of bunker C heavy fuel oil, which is one of the largest cargoes among the vessels on the PPW list. In reviewing the 87 wrecks on the list, we selected Bloody Marsh as a high priority because of its large cargo and the fact that it was struck with two torpedoes and reportedly broke in half while sinking. Only ships with intact hulls would settle upright on the seabed, and therefore presumed Bloody Marsh did not.
Wozu teure Ursprungsregeln im Handel?
Authors: Ammann Manuel J. , Jaeggi Timon
Published: May 2024

Der Freihandel hat es schwer. So wollen z. B. Kanada und die EU mit dem Freihandelsabkommen CETA den gegenseitigen Handel mit reduzierten Zöllen begünstigen und ihre Wirtschaft beleben. Andere Handelspartner bleiben aussen vor. Ein Ursprungsnachweis soll verhindern, dass Unternehmen aus Drittstaaten mit Umgehungsgeschäften die Vorzugszölle ausnutzen. In den meisten Fällen sind jedoch solche Umgehungsgeschäfte ohnehin nicht profitabel, weil die zusätzlichen Transport-, Vertrags- und Rechtskosten wesentlich grösser sind als die Zollvorteile.
Ist Handel ansteckend oder stabilisierend?
Authors: Mündlein Tabea
Published: May 2024

Handel ist ansteckend. Ist eine Region im Boom, dann profitieren in anderen Regionen die Exporteure von Konsumgütern und die Zulieferer. Dank intensiver Handelsbeziehungen können auch sie am Boom teilhaben und mehr Beschäftigung und Wachstum erzielen. In der Krise passiert das Gegenteil. Starke Handelsverflechtungen führen zu einer Ausbreitung der Rezession. Am Ende sitzen jedoch alle in einem Boot. Im Boom fliesst Kaufkraft ab und stärkt in anderen Regionen einen schwächeren Konjunkturgang. Stürzt eine Region in die Rezession, tragen andere Bundesstaaten, die noch wenig betroffen sind und das besser verkraften können, den Einbruch mit. So kann ein Handelsraum sich gegenseitig stützen und insgesamt die Konjunkturschwankungen dämpfen.
Was ist Flexibilität den Arbeitnehmern wert?
Authors: Kunzelmann Patrick
Published: May 2024

Digitale Plattformen wie der Fahrdienst Uber bringen viele einzelne Anbieter und Nachfrager zusammen. Sie bieten allen Teilnehmern ein hohes Mass an Flexibilität. Ein Uberfahrer kann z. B. spontan entscheiden, ob er einen Auftrag annimmt oder nicht. Doch wie sehr schätzen Arbeitnehmer die grosse Flexibilität solcher Plattformen? Die vorliegende Studie zeigt, dass die flexiblen Arbeitszeiten den Fahrern signifikante Wohlfahrtsgewinne versprechen. Verglichen mit traditionellen Arbeitsverhältnissen mögen solche Arrangements zwar bedeutende Nachteile haben, ein wichtiger Mehrwert liegt aber in ihrer hohen Flexibilität.