bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Programme‐Led and Focused Interventions for Recent Onset Binge/Purge Eating Disorders: Use and Outcomes in the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) Network
Authors: Allen Karina L. , Courtney Laura , Croft Philippa , Hyam Lucy , Mills Regan , Richards Katie , Ahmed Muhammad , Schmidt Ulrike
Published: November 2024

Objective

We aimed to compare use of, and outcomes from, programme‐led and focused interventions (guided self‐help and 10 session cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders [CBT‐T]) relative to other psychological therapies (including group and individual CBT for eating disorders [CBT‐ED]) in a national sample of emerging adults receiving early intervention for a non‐underweight binge/purge eating disorder.

Method

Data were drawn from 54 English eating disorder services using the First Episode Rapid Early Intervention for Eating Disorders (FREED) model. Participants (N = 1097) had a mean age of 18.95 years (SD 2.42) and diagnoses of bulimia nervosa (n = 506; 45%), binge eating disorder (n = 121; 11%), another specified feeding or eating disorder (n = 460; 42%), or an eating disorder, unspecified (n = 10, 1%). Linear mixed models were used to assess for effects of time and treatment on binge eating and purging, eating disorder psychopathology, depression/anxiety, and body mass index.

Results

11% (n = 117) of patients received guided self‐help and 24% (n = 268) received CBT‐T. Baseline eating disorder psychopathology and depressive/anxiety symptoms did not differ significantly across the guided self‐help, CBT‐T, group CBT‐ED, and individual CBT‐ED conditions. All treatments were associated with significant reductions in symptoms over time. GSH and CBT‐T performed comparably to longer CBT‐ED.

Discussion

We provide additional evidence for the effectiveness of GSH and CBT‐T in the treatment of non‐underweight binge/purge eating disorders. Programme‐led and focused interventions may be under‐utilized and future research should explore when they are offered, and when not, both within and outside of early intervention settings.
Use of Three‐Dimensional (3D) Airway Modeling and Virtual Reality for Diagnosis, Communication, and Surgical Planning of Complex Airway Stenosis
Authors: Cho Youngjun , Spirou George , Decker Summer J. , Ford Jonathan M. , Mifsud Matthew , Sommers Eric , Bensoussan Yael
Published: December 2024

Objective

We hypothesized that a method to segment human airways from clinical cases and import them into a case presentation environment in Virtual Reality (VR) could be developed to model and visualize complex airway stenosis for efficient surgical planning.

Methods

One normal and two pathological airways modeled from CT scans at a slice thickness of 0.625 mm were processed. A multidisciplinary team composed of airway surgeons, VR engineers, educators, and radiologists collaborated to create a clinically relevant VR rendering and explanatory Narrations of the three clinical cases. Segmentation and postprocessing were completed in the Mimics Innovation Suite v24 from Materialize. Structures were segmented from the level of bifurcation of common carotid arteries to the level of bifurcation of the main bronchi, including cartilaginous and bony airway structures, vessels, and soft tissues. They were then postprocessed into 3D image volumes and imported into syGlass (IstoVisio Inc.), a VR software.

Results

Direct visualization and free manipulation of these 3D airway models within the VR environment provided improved geometrical and anatomical details compared to traditional two‐dimensional (2D) CT. Then, specialized presentation and active learning tools developed for scientific communication using the VR environment permitted the creation of VR Narrations to explain pathological cases.

Conclusion

The method to segment human airways from clinical cases used in this paper, combined with intuitive VR tools to overlay segmentation and image data in an active learning environment, shows potential in the use of 3D airway modeling and VR in clinical practice for the description and surgical planning of complex airways. Further work is needed to validate the use of these models in clinical practice and patient education.

Level of Evidence

Level 4.
Survival scenarios of patients with localized and metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A population‐based study
Authors: Kuijper Steven C. , Gehrels Anne M. , van der Geest Lydia G. , Verhoeven Rob H. A. , Koerkamp Bas Groot , Molenaar I. Quintus , Stommel Martijn W. J. , de Meijer Vincent E. , de Vos‐Geelen J. , Wumkes Miriam L. , Besselink Marc G. , Wilmink Johanna W. , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. M. ,   for the Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Group
Published: November 2024

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is notorious for its poor survival. The provision of survival scenarios—that is, best‐case, typical and worst‐case scenarios—could prove valuable to patients and clinicians. This study investigated survival scenarios and how these have changed over a period of 16 years for patients with PAC. Data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry were used to identify patients with localized and metastatic PAC (2005–2021). Survival scenarios, including best‐case, upper‐typical, typical (median), lower‐typical, and worst‐case, were estimated based on survival curve percentiles (p10, p25, p50, p75, and p90). Annual differences were assessed for significance using weighted linear regression analyses. Factors associated with these scenarios were identified through univariable tests. Overall, 14,622 patients with localized and 20,199 with metastatic PAC were included. For patients with localized PAC, the best, upper‐typical and typical survival scenarios improved statistically significant with average annual improvement of 1.54 (95%CI: 1.2–1.88), 0.67 (0.56–0.78), and 0.24 (0.19–0.29) months, respectively. For patients with metastatic PAC the best and upper‐typical survival scenarios increased statically significantly with annual improvement of 0.28 (0.21–0.34) and 0.06 (0.02–0.09) months, respectively. The best‐case and upper‐typical scenarios were associated with younger patients, more aggressive disease‐focused treatments, fewer comorbidities, and better overall performance status. Over the past 16 years, survival improvements in patients with PAC have been most notable in these scenarios. Although the absolute gains were modest, these results offer encouraging potential for advancements in life‐prolonging care for this type of cancer.
Evaluating predictive values of umbilical cord arterial lactate for adverse newborn outcomes among term‐births in northern Uganda: A cross sectional analytical study
Authors: Ayebare Elizabeth , Tumwine James K. , Nankunda Jolly , Hjelmstedt Anna , Jonas Wibke , Ndeezi Grace , Orsini Nicola , Hanson Claudia
Published: November 2024

Objective

Birth asphyxia is one of the leading causes of death for neonates worldwide. Lack of an objective cost effective test to predict poor newborn outcomes at birth affects the ability to respond appropriately. This study determined predictive values of umbilical cord arterial lactate in relation to adverse neonatal outcomes.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional analytical study conducted between March 2018 and March 2019 at two hospitals in Northern Uganda. A total of 2655 women admitted for birth and their newborns were recruited. At birth, umbilical cord arterial blood was tested for lactate using the Nova Biomedical StatStrip Xpress meter. Apgar scores were assessed at 5 min by trained research midwives. Area under the receiver operator characteristics curve (AUROC) was calculated relating umbilical arterial lactate (UAL) levels and four outcomes. We modeled the best lactate cutoff level associated with the highest AUROC for the four outcomes.

Results

The estimated AUROC for lactate was: 88.42% for Apgar score <7 at 5 min, 83.35% for resuscitation with bag and mask, 84.55% for oxygen therapy after resuscitation and 87.72% for admission to neonatal care unit. The UAL cutoff value of 5.5 mmol/L was associated with the best AUROC of between 75.81% to 81.75% for the four adverse outcomes with no significant differences when adjusted for infectious disease parameters. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were; 78.95%, 86.48%, 23.54%, and 98.73% for Apgar scores <7 at 5 min, 64.40%, 88.11%, 36.59%, and 95.87% for resuscitation with bag and mask, 67.17%, 87.20%, 30.23%, and 96.99% for oxygen therapy after resuscitation, and 77.17%, 86.15%, 22.27%, and 98.65% for admission to the special care unit, respectively.

Conclusion

Umbilical cord lactate point‐of‐care (POC) estimate of ≥5.5 mmol/L predicts adverse neonatal outcomes. This test may be used to trigger early interventions and intensified neonatal care complementing the clinical Apgar score assessment in settings like Uganda.
Russula iqbalii sp. nov., Identified in R. Subsect. Maculatinae from Pakistan, Based on Morphology, Microscopy, and Phylogeny
Authors: Naveed Muhammad , Jabeen Sana , Ijaz Hira , Azeem Memoona , Khan Mehboobullah , Ullah Sadiq
Published: December 2024

Russula iqbalii sp. nov. was collected from the District Swat, Pakistan. This species was characterized by its purplish brown pileus having smooth to sulcate‐striate margins, stipe smooth to fibrillose and smaller basidiospores with prominent warts, that are isolated to fused in long chains. Comparative morphology and molecular phylogeny based on nrDNA‐ITS sequences revealed that it is distinct from previously known taxa in the genus and represents a new species in Russula subsection Maculatinae, section Russula, within the subgenus Russula.
Organic zinc and manganese enhance eggshell ultrastructure by influencing its calcium deposition to improve eggshell quality in laying hens
Authors: Li Lanlan , Duan Yuanliang , Chen Mengyuan , Zhou Xingyu , Zhang Xin , Dong Yi , Lai Yujiao , Guo Shuangshuang , Zhang Zhengfan , Ding Binying
Published: November 2024

Background

This study aimed to explore the mechanism of organic zinc and manganese (OZM) influencing eggshell quality of laying hens. A total of 384 21‐week‐old Jingfen‐1 laying hens were randomly divided into four groups (8 replicates per group, 12 hens per replicate): control group (60 mg kg−1 Zn as zinc sulfate and 80 mg kg−1 Mn as manganese sulfate) and OZM groups (5, 10 and 15 mg kg−1 Zn as yeast zinc and 80 mg kg−1 Mn as manganese methionine).

Results

Compared with the control group, OZM_5 and OZM_10 groups significantly increased feed intake and egg weight in laying hens in 28–31 weeks (P < 0.05) while egg weight and shell weight were increased in all the OZM groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the OZM_15 group significantly decreased the mammillary knob width and mammillary layer thickness and increased the palisade layer thickness and total effective thickness (P < 0.05), and had a stronger and more stable Ca signal strength in the mammillary layer and a more uniform and dense distribution of calcium and zinc in the transversal surfaces of eggshell. Furthermore, mRNA levels of Claudin2, Zona Occludens 1, Alkaline phosphatase and Ca2+ATPase were significantly upregulated in the OZM_15 group of laying hens at week 31 (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Dietary supplementation of 10–15 mg kg−1 yeast zinc and 80 mg kg−1 manganese methionine can enhance eggshell ultrastructure by influencing its endometrial barrier function and calcium deposition, thereby improving eggshell quality. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Janus 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides: Research Progress, Optical Mechanism and Future Prospects for Optoelectronic Devices
Authors: Ahmad Waqas , Wang Ye , Kazmi Jamal , Younis Umer , Mubarak Nabisab Mujawar , Aleithan Shrouq H. , Channa Ali Imran , Lei Wen , Wang Zhiming
Published: November 2024

Exploring the extraordinary optoelectronic properties of two‐dimensional (2D) materials to construct advanced optoelectronic devices is a major goal for academic researchers and industrialists. Emerging 2D Janus materials are the innovative class of 2D materials in which two sides are either asymmetrical functionalized or exposed to different environments. Distinctive features of Janus 2D materials such as tunable bandgaps, electronic structures, the presence of Rashba effects, excitonic effects, piezoelectric effects etc. make its magnificent candidates for optoelectronic devices. The van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructure with novel properties assembled by Janus 2D materials and low dimensional materials provides new opportunities and promising applications. This review aims to offer the recent advances in the Janus 2D materials and inside mechanism in 2D Janus vdWs heterostructure from an optoelectronics point of view. Here, the latest progress in the Janus 2D materials including their vdWs heterostructures from the perspective of theoretical prediction, and synthesis techniques is presented. The investigation of their physical optoelectronics properties and optoelectronic device applications is summarized. Finally, the future directions, challenges, and opportunities regarding the research process of Janus 2D materials and their vdWs heterostructure are discussed for designing promising optoelectronic devices.
Efficient Cryogenic Nonlinear Conversion Processes in Periodically‐Poled Thin‐Film Lithium Niobate Waveguides
Authors: Cheng Yujie , Li Xiaoting , Feng Lantian , Li Haochuan , Sun Wenzhao , Song Xinyu , Ding Yuyang , Guo Guangcan , Wang Cheng , Ren Xifeng
Published: November 2024

Periodically poled thin‐film lithium niobate (TFLN) waveguides, which enable efficient quadratic nonlinear processes, serve as crucial foundation for classical and quantum signal processing. To expand their application scope, the first investigation of nonlinear conversion processes in periodically poled TFLN waveguides at cryogenic conditions (7 K) is provided. Through systematic experimental characterization, it is found that the periodically poled TFLN waveguide retains its high conversion efficiency at both cryogenic and room temperatures for both classical second‐harmonic generation and quantum photon‐pair generation processes. Particularly, the photon‐pair source at cryogenic conditions shows high brightness (≈8 MHz µW−1) and broad bandwidth (>100 THz). These results demonstrate the significant potential of TFLN wavelength conversion devices for cryogenic applications and foster future scalable quantum photonic systems.
Surface Involvement in the Boosting of Chiral Organocatalysts for Efficient Asymmetric Catalysis
Authors: Mou Qi , Wang Donghui , Li Shuang , Li Xin , Wang Jiahao , Chen Changpin , Huo Yanping , Mu Yingxiao , Huang Zhegang
Published: November 2024

Nanostructures with curved surfaces and chiral‐directing residues are highly desirable in the synthesis of asymmetric chemicals, but they remain challenging to synthesize without using unique templates due to the disfavored torsion energy of twisted architectures toward chiral centers. Here, a strategy for the facile fabrication of highly cured capsule‐shaped catalysts with chiral interiors by the amplification of molecular chirality via the irreversible cross‐linking of 2D asymmetric laminates is presented. The key to the success of these irregular 2D layers is the use of hierarchical assembly of chiral macrocycles, which can exactly regulate the cured nanostructures as well as asymmetric catalysis. The cross‐linking of 2D laminates from the assembly of hexameric macrocycles with one proline edge gave rise to rarely curled capsules with a diameter of 200–400 nm and excellent enantioselectivities as well as diastereoselectivities for asymmetric aldol reactions (94% ee and 1:13 dr). The tetrameric macrocycles decorated with the chiral block produced further curled porous structures, giving an outstanding enantioselectivities (up to 98% ee and 1:17 dr). The strategy of mechanical surface folding will provide a new insight related to increasing the enantioselectivity of chiral organocatalysts.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over the Supplementary Motor Area in Tourette Syndrome
Authors: Mahjoub Yasamin , Szejko Natalia , Gan Liu Shi , Adeoti Janet Adesewa , Nitsche Michael A. , Vicario Carmelo M. , Pringsheim Tamara M. , Martino Davide
Published: November 2024

Background

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the supplementary motor area (SMA) has shown promise in Tourette syndrome (TS), but previous studies were limited in size and stimulation duration.

Objective

The aim was to explore the efficacy and safety of multiple sessions of cathodal tDCS over the bilateral SMA on tic severity in TS.

Methods

A double‐blind, randomized, sham‐controlled trial 1 mA cathodal tDCS over bilateral SMA was performed in participants with TS older than 16 years. The intervention involved two 20‐min periods of stimulation with either sham or active tDCS per day, over 5 consecutive days, during which participants actively suppressed tics. Tic severity was measured using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale Total Tic Severity (YGTSS‐TTS, primary outcome) score at baseline, day 5 (visit 5), and 1 week later (visit 6). Questionnaires focusing on comorbidities were performed at baseline and visit 6.

Results

Twenty‐four participants were randomly assigned (12 active, 12 sham; 8 women; median age: 26). We observed a significant effect of visit on YGTSS‐TSS, but no significant effect of treatment or treatment × visit interaction emerged. In contrast, a statistically significant effect of the treatment × visit interaction was observed for the motor tic subscore, with significantly larger improvement in the active arm. Furthermore, we detected a significantly larger decrease in premonitory urge intensity at visit 6 after active stimulation. No effect was detected on severity of comorbidities.

Conclusions

This preliminary study suggests that bilateral tDCS over the SMA provides small, but significant benefits in reducing motor tic severity in TS.
Self‐supervised learning improves robustness of deep learning lung tumor segmentation models to CT imaging differences
Authors: Jiang Jue , Rangnekar Aneesh , Veeraraghavan Harini
Published: December 2024

Background

Self‐supervised learning (SSL) is an approach to extract useful feature representations from unlabeled data, and enable fine‐tuning on downstream tasks with limited labeled examples. Self‐pretraining is a SSL approach that uses curated downstream task dataset for both pretraining and fine‐tuning. Availability of large, diverse, and uncurated public medical image sets presents the opportunity to potentially create foundation models by applying SSL in the “wild” that are robust to imaging variations. However, the benefit of wild‐ versus self‐pretraining has not been studied for medical image analysis.

Purpose

Compare robustness of wild versus self‐pretrained models created using convolutional neural network (CNN) and transformer (vision transformer [ViT] and hierarchical shifted window [Swin]) models for non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) segmentation from 3D computed tomography (CT) scans.

Methods

CNN, ViT, and Swin models were wild‐pretrained using unlabeled 10,412 3D CTs sourced from the cancer imaging archive and internal datasets. Self‐pretraining was applied to same networks using a curated public downstream task dataset (n = 377) of patients with NSCLC. Pretext tasks introduced in self‐distilled masked image transformer were used for both pretraining approaches. All models were fine‐tuned to segment NSCLC (n = 377 training dataset) and tested on two separate datasets containing early (public n = 156) and advanced stage (internal n = 196) NSCLC. Models were evaluated in terms of: (a) accuracy, (b) robustness to image differences from contrast, slice thickness, and reconstruction kernels, and (c) impact of pretext tasks for pretraining. Feature reuse was evaluated using centered kernel alignment.

Results

Wild‐pretrained Swin models resulted in higher feature reuse at earlier level layers and increased feature differentiation close to output. Wild‐pretrained Swin outperformed self‐pretrained models for analyzed imaging acquisitions. Neither ViT nor CNN showed a clear benefit of wild‐pretraining compared to self‐pretraining. Masked image prediction pretext task that forces networks to learn the local structure resulted in higher accuracy compared to contrastive task that models global image information.

Conclusion

Wild‐pretrained Swin networks were more robust to analyzed CT imaging differences for lung tumor segmentation than self‐pretrained methods. ViT and CNN models did not show a clear benefit for wild‐pretraining over self‐pretraining.
Automatic segmentation of pericardial adipose tissue from cardiac MR images via semi‐supervised method with difference‐guided consistency
Authors: Zhang Xinru , Zhou Shoujun , Li Bohan , Wang Yuanquan , Lu Ke , Liu Weipeng , Wang Zhida
Published: December 2024

Background

Accurate and automatic segmentation of pericardial adipose tissue (PEAT) in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) images is essential for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Precise segmentation is challenging due to high costs and the need for specialized knowledge, as a large amount of accurately annotated data is required, demanding significant time and medical resources.

Purpose

In order to reduce the burden of data annotation while maintaining the high accuracy of segmentation tasks, this paper introduces a semi‐supervised learning method to solve the limitations of current PEAT segmentation methods.

Methods

In this paper, we propose a difference‐guided collaborative mean teacher (DCMT) semi‐supervised method, designed for the segmentation of PEAT from DCMT consists of two main components: a semi‐supervised framework with a difference fusion strategy and a backbone network MCM‐UNet using Mamba‐CNN mixture (MCM) blocks. The differential fusion strategy effectively utilizes the uncertain areas in unlabeled data, encouraging the model to reach a consensus in predictions across these difficult‐to‐segment yet information‐rich areas. In addition, considering the sparse and scattered distribution of PEAT in cardiac MR images, which makes it challenging to segment, we propose MCM‐UNet as the backbone network in our semi‐supervised framework. This not only enhances the processing ability of global information, but also accurately captures the detailed local features of the image, which greatly improves the accuracy of PEAT segmentation.

Results

Our experiments conducted on the MRPEAT dataset show that our DCMT method outperforms existing state‐of‐the‐art semi‐supervised methods in terms of segmentation accuracy. These findings underscore the effectiveness of our approach in handling the specific challenges associated with PEAT segmentation.

Conclusions

The DCMT method significantly improves the accuracy of PEAT segmentation in cardiac MR images. By effectively utilizing uncertain areas in the data and enhancing feature capture with the MCM‐UNet, our approach demonstrates superior performance and offers a promising solution for semi‐supervised learning in medical image segmentation. This method can alleviate the extensive annotation requirements typically necessary for training accurate segmentation models in medical imaging.
Strain and damage monitoring of optical fiber sensor‐embedded carbon fiber reinforced polymer confined cracked pipes
Authors: Shi Jiajun , Kong Deao , Li Chenggao , Guo Rui , Xian Guijun , Liu Haibo , Tan Xiaolin
Published: December 2024

Pipelines for water, oil, or gas transportation are prone to cracking damage due to severe service conditions. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites have been applied to repair cracked pipelines. In the present paper, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and Brillouin optical time domain analysis (BOTDA) technology were applied to monitor the circumferential strains of the steel pipes and CFRP confined seamless/cracked steel pipes in hydrostatic testing. The finite element model (FEM), and the mechanical model were used to verify and analyze monitored strains. The results showed that FBG achieved real‐time and high‐precision strain monitoring with an error of less than 9.3%, better than BOTDA (less than 22.0%). Compared with FBG, the strain of FEM showed that the error of seamless pipe is less than 6%, and the error of cracked pipe is less than 15%. FEM strain field analysis revealed the failure mode of the confined cracked pipe in tensile fracture of structural adhesive between CFRP and steel substrate. The debonding was identified by the sudden strain drops (4.3%–26.2%) in the cracked area. The leakage was identified by a sudden drop (53.0%) in the slope significantly and fluctuations from the curve of strain and hydrostatic pressure after failure.

Highlights

Sensor‐embedded CFRP confined cracked pipes prevent leakage and monitor strain.

Multiple FBG sensors are more accurate to monitoring the pipe strain than BOTDA.

Debonding of CFRP confined cracked pipes is monitored by the sudden strain drop.

Leakage of CFRP confined cracked pipes is detected by strain fluctuations.
Interconnected expanded graphite/stearic acid networks for self‐lubricating PA6 composites with excellent heat dissipation performance
Authors: Feng Wenkai , Liang Bo , Li Haorong , Chen Jing , Gao Xiping , Yao Dahu , Lu Chang , Pang Xinchang
Published: November 2024

The improvement in social production efficiency demands increasingly faster mechanical operation speeds. However, under high‐speed friction conditions, the frictional heat generated by nylon 6 (PA6) components is difficult to dissipate efficiently, leading to severe wear and subsequently threatening the safe operation of the equipment. In this work, interconnected expanded graphite/stearic acid (EG/SA) networks in PA6 composites were constructed to achieve fast frictional heat dissipation and self‐lubricating properties by a simple hot‐pressing method. The synergistic lubrication of EG and SA results in PA6 composites with a low coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.12, a 74.5% reduction compared to pure PA6. The low COF reduces the generation of frictional heat, while the conduction and absorption of frictional heat by the EG/SA network accelerates the dissipation of frictional heat, ultimately lowering the contact temperature from 106.9°C to 40.6°C. The specific wear rate of the PA6 composite is as low as 1.7 × 10−5 mm3 N−1 m−1, which is 90.1% lower than that of pure PA6. This study provides a new solution for the rapid dissipation of frictional heat in polymer composites under harsh operating conditions and broadens the application range of wear‐resistant polymer composites.

Highlights

Expanded graphite (EG) prevents stearic acid from leaking through adsorption.

The interconnected EG network transfers frictional heat to stearic acid.

The phase transition of stearic acid can absorb heat and promote lubrication.

The low COF and high heat dissipation make PA6 composites highly wear‐resistant.
Neural Tracking to Auditory Statistical Structures in Children
Authors: Zhang Zihe , Kong Lingzhi
Published: November 2024

Children's brain is able to track the linguistic structures in continuous speech. When there was no prior knowledge, we found that children also automatically detected and tracked the statistical structures in auditory tone steam as reflected by neural entrainment, but their ability was immature.
Prediction and Computational Analysis of Annular Photonic Crystal Based Multifunctional Directional Coupler Quantum Device for Optical Networks
Authors: Doss M Pradeep , Jeyachitra R. K.
Published: November 2024

In this research article, a novel all‐optical directional coupler switch is designed with multifunctionality for various optical network applications. The analog Silicon (Si) and Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) based annular crystal nano‐resonator in photonic crystal (PC) platform is used to realize the 2 × 2 structure and is further explored. The proposed structure dimensions are predicted by using Machine Learning (ML) based random forest regression model, design and numerical analysis is carried out using Finite‐Difference‐Time‐Domain (FDTD) method. Dataset records are collected by varying the input launch type, operating wavelength, and annular photonic crystal (APC) dimensions, the electric field and normalized power values in all ports are calculated. Optical network devices with high‐performance is realized, such as an optical coupler switch, wavelength selective switches (WSS), slow light device, and an optical multiplexer. Hence, the reported photonics platform with a compact size of 98.96 µm2, fast response time, and high extinction ratio providing multifunctional operation with quantum computing is more appropriate for microwave photonics, optical interconnects, and quantum computing.
Microbial inocula enhance effects of biochar amendments on crop productivity, soil health, and microbial communities: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Ross Aysha Tapp , Emery Sarah M.
Published: December 2024

Biochar as a soil amendment can increase soil carbon sequestration, soil microbial diversity, overall yields, and general soil functioning. To accelerate these effects, biochar is often activated with beneficial soil microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or plant growth promoting bacteria via microbial inocula. However, there has been no comprehensive review of the effects of microbial inoculum additions for biochar amendments. We conducted a meta‐analysis to quantify the crop and soil effects of adding biochar alone compared to adding biochar with a microbial inoculum. The meta‐analysis included 56 studies and examined whether the effects depended on the source of inoculum, inoculum type, or experiment type. We found that microbial inocula increased soil N and soil organic carbon concentrations and crop productivity compared to adding biochar alone. However, these effects were limited to locally sourced and research‐grade inocula, while commercial inoculum products only slightly increased soil P. Fungal inocula had stronger effects than bacterial inocula. Inoculum effects were the strongest in greenhouse studies, increasing N, plant productivity, and fungal abundance, while field studies only increased plant productivity, suggesting that biochar activation with inoculum in on‐farm settings may not provide intended positive effects, and thus alternative methods for biochar activation may be needed.
Advancing Sustainable Development Goal 15: The Role of Corporate Governance Structures and Environmental Regulations in Emerging Economies
Authors: Saeed Ummar Faruk , Ning Wu , Agyemang Andrew Osei
Published: December 2024

This study advances the literature on sustainable development, corporate governance, and environmental management by examining the interplay between governance structures (GS) and biodiversity disclosure (BD) in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 15. Grounded in institutional, legitimacy, and stakeholder theories, we investigate how various GS influence firms' commitment to biodiversity reporting in sub‐Saharan Africa, while also considering the moderating role of environmental regulations. Utilizing panel data from 386 environmentally sensitive manufacturing firms between 2010 and 2022, we employ the two‐step system generalized method of moments (GMM) modeling, as proposed by Blundell and Bond and addressed potential endogeneity issues through instrumental variable two‐stage least squares (IV‐2SLS), propensity score matching, and lagged effect estimations. Our findings reveal that board diversity, particularly gender diversity and the presence of foreign nationals, positively impacts BD. Additionally, structural attributes such as board size and independence enhance BD, while CEO duality negatively affects this outcome. Furthermore, a positive relationship is observed between the frequency of board meetings and BD, yet a negative association exists with meeting attendance. Notably, environmental regulations not only increase BD, but significantly enhance the effect of GS on BD. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders, contributing to the discourse on Sustainable Development Goal 15 by advocating for stronger governance frameworks to bolster biodiversity conservation and environmental stewardship in emerging economies.
Theoretical reevaluation and machine learning analysis on the concrete confinement effect of square reinforced concrete columns
Authors: Lai Bing‐Lin , Zhou Xiang , Zheng Xiao‐Feng , Li Shan , Venkateshwaran Akshay
Published: December 2024

Concrete confinement effect plays a pivotal role in augmenting the strength and ductility of concrete structures. However, traditional models are often proven to be time‐consuming and occasionally yield unreliable predictions. In this paper, the evaluation of traditional models is performed by deconstructing the derivation process into critical steps: determination of confining pressure, calculation of confinement effectiveness coefficient, and the assessment of confined strength and strain. Each step undergoes rigorous scrutiny with the predictions being compared against experimental results and numerical simulations. Subsequently, data‐driven analysis is conducted leveraging a database comprising 466 specimens spanning across a wide spectrum of material strengths and geometric configurations. The power of six machine learning (ML) models is harnessed to unveil the correlations between input parameters and the confinement degree. After that, the interpretability analysis is undertaken to further evaluate the feasibility of the trained ML models. In comparison to traditional semi‐empirical models, ML techniques present a promising alternative for quantifying the confinement effect rapidly and efficiently, opening new avenues for advancing concrete structural analysis.
X‐Ray Fluorescence Determination of the Chemical Composition and Coating Thickness of Artifact Surfaces Using the Intensity Ratio of α‐ and β‐Lines
Authors: Tsvetyansky A. L. , Revenko A. G.
Published: November 2024

The potential capabilities of the x‐ray spectral analysis method and the efforts of many researchers have ensured its widespread use in industry and scientific research. X‐ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) is one of the non‐destructive methods widely used to determine the chemical composition of automobile catalysts, solar panels, coins, jewelry, and so forth. In recent years, the problems of studying gold and silver objects of artistic value have attracted great interest. This paper presents a review of work on determining the chemical composition and thickness of single‐layer and multi‐layer coatings of artifacts and other objects of study with surfaces of complex configuration using the ratio of the intensities of characteristic x‐ray radiation of α‐ and β‐lines.
Forest Damage
Authors: Hantula Jarkko , Elfstrand Malin , Hekkala Anne-Maarit , Hietala Ari M. , Honkaniemi Juha , Klapwijk Maartje , Koivula Matti , Matala Juho , Rönnberg Jonas , Siitonen Juha , Widemo Fredrik
Published: December 2024

Heterobasidion root and butt rot pose a greater risk in continuous cover forestry (CCF) than in rotation forestry (RF) in conifer-dominated forests, regardless of whether selective, gap or shelterwood cutting is used.

Damage from wind, snow, spruce bark beetle, and large pine weevil are likely to be less severe in CCF than in RF. However, the conversion of RF to CCF may briefly expose stands to windthrow.

Browsing by large herbivores on saplings may limit regeneration of tree species other than spruce in continuous cover forestry and reduce tree species diversity, but alternative silvicultural practices may also increase forage availability in the field and shrub layer. Browsing damage outcomes for saplings in CCF are difficult to predict.

For many types of damage in CCF, substantial knowledge gaps complicate the assessment of damage risk.
Reasons for Hope, Reasons to Doubt
Authors: Laws Ben
Published: November 2024

This final chapter assesses the future of nonreligious claims, highlighting the role of NGOs in raising awareness and supporting nonreligious claimants. It discusses recent policy developments and questions the precedent set by apparent successes. The chapter aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the challenges and opportunities faced by nonreligious claimants, while also acknowledging the significant human toll experienced by asylum case officers. It calls for continued advocacy, research, and policy reform to better address the needs of nonreligious asylum seekers, ensuring that their rights and identities are adequately recognised and protected within the asylum framework.
The State of Marriage in Egypt
Authors: Hendy Rana
Published: November 2024

This chapter overviews the institutional, legal and religious framework for the institution of marriage in Egypt. It also aims to identify the challenges faced by Egyptian youth to form a family and recommends a list of policies and changes in the laws and regulations to meet the societal evolution and needs. Marriage remains the solely socially accepted form of union between a man and a woman in Egypt. And, Egypt is among the countries that has the highest costs of marriage in the world (namely because of housing). Therefore, Egyptian youth have no alternative but to delay marriage in order to save for its expenses. And, women tend to engage more in the labor market before marriage to help pitch in with the costs, while men may turn to temporary migration, namely to the Gulf, to speed up the saving process when faced by rising unemployment rates in Egypt. This chapter calls for the revision of the Egyptian family law with regards to gender segregation, control of marital relations and divorce, and custody matters. The legal text also needs to be adjusted for more gender equality and ban teenage marriage, namely for women. And, efforts are needed to make the private sector as attractive to working married women as it is to their males’ counterparts. This can be done by allowing a higher level of flexibility in the working conditions.
A systematic review of botulinum toxin as a treatment for Raynaud’s disease secondary to scleroderma
Authors: Pang Calver , Iakovou Despina , Fraser Danny , Leurent Baptiste , Awad Laura , Langridge Benjamin , Butler Peter
Published: November 2024

Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a vasospastic disorder that affects the small blood vessels in the extremities such as the hands, feet, fingers or toes. It is a debilitating condition that can severely impact the patient’s quality of life. Botulinum toxin (BTX) has been examined as a treatment option for RP, but its effect has been inconclusive. A systematic review has been conducted to determine the current evidence of BTX as a treatment for RP secondary to scleroderma. Major clinical databases Medline, Embase (via Ovid), the Cochrane Central Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, EU Clinical Trials Register and the ISRCTN registry were systematically searched from its inception to 27 November 2023 for studies describing BTX and RP. Standard mean differences of Quick-DASH scores, visual analogue scale pain (VAS-P) score and Raynaud’s condition score (RCS) are reported with BTX treatment with a random-effect model. A total of 890 entries were retrieved. Of these, 19 met the inclusion criteria, and all studies were included for analysis. There was a significant effect (p = 0.03) with Quick-DASH score and VAS-P score (p < 0.00001) but a non-significant effect (p = 0.37) with RCS. BTX is a therapeutic option in the treatment of RP secondary to scleroderma; however, the evidence published so far is not sufficient to credit it as a revolutionary first line treatment. More research is needed to establish dosing, techniques and core outcome measures for BTX in RP.
Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO, Mn3O4, and ZnMn2O4 Spinel by New Chelation-Precipitation Method: Magnetic and Antimicrobial Properties
Authors: Hessien M. A. , Khattab R. M. , Sadek H. E. H.
Published: November 2024

Using a chelation-precipitation method, five samples were synthesized in the presence of chelating agents by altering the proportion of ZnO to Mn3O4. Specifically, Z contains only ZnO, Z3M1 has a 3:1 ratio of ZnO to Mn3O4, ZM has equal parts of both oxides, Z1M3 consists of one part of ZnO to three parts of Mn3O4, and M is pure Mn3O4. The synthesized powders were calcined at 600 °C and 1000 °C. The prepared and calcined powders were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The magnetic and antimicrobial properties of the calcined powders were also investigated. The XRD results showed that powder Z was in the wurtzite phase, and M was Mn3O4 with a pure tetragonal phase after calcination at 1000 °C. ZM was a pure ZnMn2O4 spinel. Z3M1 is formed from spinel and ZnO, and Z1M3 is formed from spinel and Mn3O4. The magnetic nature of the powders varies from diamagnetic to ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. Powders with a higher ZnO ratio exhibited enhanced antibacterial effectiveness against E. coli. The addition of Mn improved the antibacterial efficacy of most powder against C. albicans. Pure ZnO has high antibacterial efficiency against M. lutus. These results demonstrate how the components of these powders affect their crystalline structure, magnetic properties, and antimicrobial efficacy against various microorganisms. These findings may have significant implications for the development of advanced antimicrobial agents with tailored properties for use in medical devices, water treatment systems, or food packaging materials.
An Exploratory Study of the Associations Between Epstein–Barr Virus Antibodies and Forgiveness Among Recipients of Relational Transgressions in the USA
Authors: Crowley John P. , Denes Amanda , Richards Adam , Whitt Joseph , Makos Shana
Published: November 2024

Forgiveness is an important component of many of the world’s religions that also has benefits for individuals’ health and relationships. Research on the health benefits of forgiveness is couched predominately in the stress and coping framework, which views forgiveness as buffering the stress associated with unforgiving feelings. This exploratory study (N = 47) elaborated on the stress and coping framework by investigating it in conversation with an evolutionary approach. Specifically, this study examined one’s own forgiveness index (i.e., the interaction of exploitation risk and relationship value) as moderating an association between forgiveness and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) antibodies. The results indicated that forgiveness shared no significant association with EBV antibodies at low (16th percentile) levels of relationship value (b = − 11, p = .643), but shared an increasingly significant negative association at moderate (50th percentile: b = − 49, p = .038) and high (84th percentile: b = − 84, p = .009) levels, suggesting that forgiveness was more strongly linked to enhanced immune function when occurring in higher valued relationships. Implications for religion, theory, and methodological comparison are discussed.
Effects of seasonal hunting and food quantity variations on the Lotka-Volterra model
Authors: Genda Attila , Fidlin Alexander , Lenci Stefano , Gendelman Oleg
Published: December 2024

The Lotka-Volterra model is instrumental for understanding the dynamic interactions between predator and prey populations, especially as human activities like habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change rapidly alter living environments, making it more important than ever to understand the underlying mechanisms that drive population changes and to predict and mitigate the impacts of human interventions on wildlife populations. In this study, we investigate how periodic hunting and variations in food quantity impact the classical Hamiltonian Lotka-Volterra model. We do this by modeling variations in the prey reproduction rate with a periodically varying coefficient. We aim to understand how the system responds to these periodic disturbances and to identify the conditions under which the population sizes undergo significant oscillations. Our findings suggest that specific frequencies of hunting or food quantity variations can drive populations out of equilibrium to dangerously low levels, increasing the risk of extinction. The analysis is based on perturbation methods, primarily addressing the 1:1 resonance and using action-angle variables to simplify the system into new canonical coordinates. The results have significant implications for understanding and managing biological systems, offering insights that can aid in preserving species by identifying critical hunting thresholds and frequencies. We also give estimates for the time period of the Lotka-Volterra model in the vicinity of the nontrivial equilibrium and very far from the equilibrium.
Harnessing the Power of Next-Generation Sequencing in Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Global Disease Surveillance
Authors: Farkas Kata , Williams Rachel C. , Hillary Luke S. , Garcia-Delgado Alvaro , Jameson Eleanor , Kevill Jessica L. , Wade Matthew J. , Grimsley Jasmine M. S. , Jones Davey L.
Published: November 2024

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has emerged as a valuable surveillance tool for SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens globally, providing insights into community-level infections, including asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases. While most WBE programmes focus on quantitative pathogen assessment, next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches have enabled more detailed analyses, including variant and recombinant genotype identification for viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and poliovirus. Despite recent NGS advancements allowing for the detection of known and novel viruses in wastewater, many of these tools remain underutilised in routine WBE. This short review critically evaluates the applicability of common NGS tools in routine WBE programmes, assessing their capability for identifying emerging threats with epidemic or pandemic potential. Here, we provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating NGS techniques into WBE and the use of results for informed decision-making within a One Health framework, aiming to enhance global infectious disease surveillance and pandemic preparedness.
Xuesanqi ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in mice by mediating gut microbiota dysbiosis and modulating MAPK/ERK/JNK pathway
Authors: Su Qiyuan , Hu Qian , Wu Songtao , Yang Suqin , Su Hanwen , Zhang Zhengjun , Ling Chengxiu
Published: November 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic properties of the traditional Chinese medicine Xuesanqi (XSQ, from the rhizome of Polygonum amplexicaule D. Don) in treating ulcerative colitis. We hypothesized that its many active components can alleviate symptoms of colitis by regulating the gut microbiota, its metabolites, and various signaling pathways. To test our hypotheses, we designed a DSS- induced colitis model in C57BL/6 male mice. Apparent metrics were evaluated in each group of mice and performed histological analysis of relevant tissues. The gut microbial composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing of bacteria. Simultaneously, the SCFAs content was detected by gas chromatography, inflammatory factor secretion was evaluated by ELISA or western-blot, the expression of tight junction protein and key proteins of the MAPK signaling pathway were analyzed by western-blot. Our result showed that the treatment with XSQ alleviated significant various symptoms such as weight loss, blood in stool, and shortening of colon. In addition, XSQ treatment restored the dysregulated gut microbiota in colitis mice, increased short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and normalized the MAPK/ERK/JNK signaling pathways, promoted expression of tight junction protein Occludin, Claudin-1, and E-cadherin proteins. Furthermore, we also observed a dose-dependent pattern in these treatment responses. These findings demonstrated the active components of XSQ is a promising new treatment platform for ulcerative colitis.

Graphical Abstract