bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Levels and facets of university students' stress during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Longitudinal evidence from the first two academic years in Germany and the U.S.
Authors: Höhne Elisabeth , von Keyserlingk Luise , Haase Jannika , Arum Richard , Zander Lysann
Published: February 2024

Following its outbreak, the COVID‐19 pandemic had strong negative effects on university students' stress and mental health worldwide. Using two longitudinal datasets from Germany (N = 504) and the U.S. (N = 893), we investigated how students' stress developed over the first two academic years during the pandemic. In both studies, we found elevated levels of students' stress at the beginning of the pandemic. In Germany, we found a significant intraindividual decrease in students' general stress experiences even before universities had returned to in‐person classes. When examining specific stress facets in the U.S., we found that students' academic stress increased during the first pandemic year with remote teaching and decreased significantly after the university resumed normal operations, that is, in‐person classes and on‐campus residence. Students' practical stress decreased towards all later time points compared to the onset of the pandemic, whereas health stress continuously increased until the university resumed normal operations. We report differences by students' demographic backgrounds (gender, college generation status, childcare status, ethnicity, academic year) and discuss our findings against the background of the course of the pandemic in the particular context in which both studies were conducted.
Interesting case from Argentina: Kidney transplant recipient with skin lesions—A Latin American perspective
Authors: Radisic Marcelo Víctor , Santoro Lopes Guilherme , Hasslocher‐Moreno Alejandro Marcel , Eichenberger Emily M. , Hall Victoria G. , Pujato Natalia Rosana , Clemente Wanessa Trindade
Published: February 2024

This is a case of a kidney transplant recipient who presented with skin lesions, low‐grade fevers, and pancytopenia 2 months after his transplant.

image
Cell‐type‐specific transcriptomics uncovers spatial regulatory networks in bioenergy sorghum stems
Authors: Fu Jie , McKinley Brian , James Brandon , Chrisler William , Markillie Lye Meng , Gaffrey Matthew J. , Mitchell Hugh D. , Riaz Muhammad Rizwan , Marcial Brenda , Orr Galya , Swaminathan Kankshita , Mullet John , Marshall‐Colon Amy
Published: February 2024

Bioenergy sorghum is a low‐input, drought‐resilient, deep‐rooting annual crop that has high biomass yield potential enabling the sustainable production of biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts. Bioenergy sorghum's 4–5 m stems account for ~80% of the harvested biomass. Stems accumulate high levels of sucrose that could be used to synthesize bioethanol and useful biopolymers if information about cell‐type gene expression and regulation in stems was available to enable engineering. To obtain this information, laser capture microdissection was used to isolate and collect transcriptome profiles from five major cell types that are present in stems of the sweet sorghum Wray. Transcriptome analysis identified genes with cell‐type‐specific and cell‐preferred expression patterns that reflect the distinct metabolic, transport, and regulatory functions of each cell type. Analysis of cell‐type‐specific gene regulatory networks (GRNs) revealed that unique transcription factor families contribute to distinct regulatory landscapes, where regulation is organized through various modes and identifiable network motifs. Cell‐specific transcriptome data was combined with known secondary cell wall (SCW) networks to identify the GRNs that differentially activate SCW formation in vascular sclerenchyma and epidermal cells. The spatial transcriptomic dataset provides a valuable source of information about the function of different sorghum cell types and GRNs that will enable the engineering of bioenergy sorghum stems, and an interactive web application developed during this project will allow easy access and exploration of the data (https://mc‐lab.shinyapps.io/lcm‐dataset/).
Impact of plerixafor use in the mobilization of blood grafts for autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Jantunen Esa , Turunen Antti , Varmavuo Ville , Partanen Anu
Published: February 2024

Plerixafor (PLER), a reversible antagonist of the CXC chemokine receptor type 4, has been in clinical use for mobilization of blood grafts for autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) for about 15 years. Initially PLER was investigated in placebo‐controlled trials with the granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) filgrastim. It has also been used in combination with chemotherapy plus G‐CSF in patients who had failed a previous mobilization attempt or appeared to mobilize poorly with current mobilization (preemptive use). This review summarizes what is known regarding addition of PLER to standard mobilization regimens. PLER increases mobilization of CD34+ cells, decreases the number of apheresis sessions needed to achieve collection targets and increases the proportion of patients who can proceed to AHCT. It appears also to increase the amount of various lymphocyte subsets in the grafts collected. In general, hematologic recovery after AHCT has been comparable to patients mobilized without PLER, although slower platelet recovery has been observed in some studies of patients who mobilize poorly. In phase III studies, long‐term outcome has been comparable to patients mobilized without PLER. This also appears to be the case in patients receiving plerixafor for poor or suboptimal mobilization of CD34+ cells. In practice, PLER is safe and has not been shown to increase tumor cell mobilization.
Maternal and child life years gained by transfusing low titer group O whole blood in trauma: A computer simulation
Authors: Yazer Mark H. , Leeper Christine , Spinella Philip C. , Emery Stephen P. , Horvath Sarah , Seheult Jansen N.
Published: February 2024

Background

Using low titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) is increasingly popular for resuscitating trauma patients. LTOWB is often RhD‐positive, which might cause D‐alloimmunization and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) if transfused to RhD‐negative females of childbearing potential (FCP). This simulation determined the number of life years gained by the FCP and her future children if she was resuscitated with LTOWB compared with conventional component therapy (CCT).

Methods

The model simulated 500,000 injured FCPs of each age between 0 and 49 years with LTOWB mortality relative reductions (MRRs) compared with components between 0.1% and 25%. For each surviving FCP, number of life years gained was calculated using her age at injury and average life expectancy for American women. The number of expected future pregnancies for FCPs that did not survive was also based on her age at injury; each future child was assigned the maximum lifespan unless they suffered perinatal mortality or serious neurological events from HDFN.

Results

The LTOWB group with an MRR 25% compared with CCT had the largest total life years gained. The point of equivalence for RhD‐positive LTOWB compared to CCT, where life years lost due to severe HDFN was equivalent to life years gained due to FCP survival/future childbearing, occurred at an MRR of approximately 0.1%.

Conclusion

In this model, RhD‐positive LTOWB resulted in substantial gains in maternal and child life years compared with CCT. A >0.1% relative mortality reduction from LTOWB offset the life years lost to HDFN mortality and severe neurological events.
Evaluation of B‐lines with 2 point‐of‐care lung ultrasound protocols in cats with radiographically normal lungs
Authors: Rigot Manon , Boysen Søren R. , Masseau Isabelle , Letendre Jo‐Annie
Published: February 2024

Objective

To compare 2 point‐of‐care lung ultrasound (LUS) protocols for quantification of B‐lines in cats without evidence of respiratory disease based on history, physical examination, and thoracic radiography.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Single center, veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

Fifty‐seven cats without respiratory disease based on history, physical examination, and thoracic radiographs.

Interventions

All cats had 2 point‐of‐care LUS protocols performed bilaterally: a regional protocol (veterinary bedside lung ultrasound evaluation [VetBLUE]) and a more comprehensive vertical sweeping (VS) protocol. The total number of B‐lines per cat, number of sites with B‐lines, and maximal number of B‐lines at each site were recorded and compared.

Measurements and Main Results

Ten cats (18%) had at least 1 B‐line identified with VetBLUE, versus 29 (51%) with VS. Comparing protocols, VS had a statistically higher total number of B‐lines per cat, higher number of sites with B‐lines, and higher maximal number of B‐lines per site. B‐lines that were too numerous to count were identified at a single location in 1 cat with VetBLUE and 2 cats with VS. A maximum of 3 B‐lines were identified at all other positive sites regardless of the protocol used. On average, it took 1.79 times longer to complete VS bilaterally compared to VetBLUE (median [interquartile range]: 140 [33] and 78 [14] s, respectively) (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates it is not uncommon to identify a single or even multiple B‐lines in 1 or several sites on LUS in cats deemed to be clinically free of respiratory pathology—essential knowledge when using LUS as a screening test and to monitor intrathoracic lesions. In cats asymptomatic for respiratory disease, VS generally identifies more B‐lines than VetBLUE, likely because it assesses a larger lung surface area. The sonographic identification of B‐lines should be interpreted considering the LUS protocol used, history, and other diagnostics to determine their clinical significance.
Medical management of pneumoperitoneum, gastric pneumatosis, and hepatic venous gas secondary to 3% hydrogen peroxide toxicity in a dog
Authors: Gordon Stefan B. , Nadolski Amy C.
Published: February 2024

Objective

To describe the medical management and outcome of a dog suffering severe hydrogen peroxide toxicity.

Case Summary

A 3‐year‐old neutered female Bichon Frise was presented to an emergency and referral practice after ingestion of 10–20 mL/kg 3% hydrogen peroxide. On presentation, the dog was obtunded, was tachypneic, and had severe gastric tympany. Abdominal radiographs revealed pneumoperitoneum, gastric pneumatosis, and hepatic venous gas. The dog was managed conservatively with supportive care and oxygen therapy. Repeat radiographs 6 hours later showed complete resolution of all gas inclusions. While hospitalized, the dog developed severe hematemesis, and abdominal ultrasound revealed severe gastric wall thickening. Subsequent endoscopy confirmed severe gastric mucosal necrosis without evidence of deeper ulceration and relatively mild petechiation of the esophagus. The dog was ultimately discharged after 5 days of hospitalization and continued to do well at home. Recheck ultrasound 5 weeks postdischarge showed normal gastric wall appearance.

New or Unique Information Provided

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of pneumoperitoneum secondary to hydrogen peroxide toxicity and the first description of the clinical course of severe toxicity in dogs.
Surgical interventions and outcome in a population of canine trauma patients
Authors: Fisher Corey J. , Adams Taylor , Liss David , Cavanagh Amanda A. , Marvel Sarah J. , Hall Kelly E.
Published: February 2024

Objective

To determine signalment, injury type, trauma severity score, and outcome of canine trauma patients undergoing surgical (emergency room [ER] or operating room [OR]) and nonsurgical treatment in addition to time to surgery, specialty services involved, and cost in the OR surgery population.

Design

Retrospective evaluation of medical record and hospital trauma registry data on canine trauma cases.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

One thousand six hundred and thirty dogs presenting for traumatic injury between May 2017 and July 2020.

Interventions

None.

Measurements and Main Results

Demographics and outcome were compared for canine trauma patients undergoing OR surgery (12.8%, 208/1630), ER surgery (39.1%, 637/1630), or no surgical intervention (48.2%, 785/1630). Among the 2 surgical groups, 98.9% (836/845) survived to discharge compared with 92.2% (724/785) of the nonsurgical group (P < 0.0001). The OR surgical group had significantly higher median Animal Trauma Triage scores (2 vs 1, P < 0.0001) and median days in hospital (2 vs < 1, P < 0.0001) compared with the other groups. For the OR surgical cohort, electronic medical records were reviewed to determine the specialty surgery service involved, time to and duration of anesthesia and surgery, and visit cost. The most common surgery services involved were orthopedics (45.2%, 94/208) and general surgery (26.9%, 56/208). Neurology and general surgery cases required the longest median length of stay in hospital, and ophthalmology and dentistry cases required the shortest. The median cost of visit was highest in neurology ($10,032) and lowest in ophthalmology ($2305) and dentistry ($2404).

Conclusions

Surgical intervention in canine trauma patients appears to be associated with higher survival rates, and among the surgery groups, mortality was highest in the ER and general surgery groups. OR surgical intervention, in particular general surgery and neurology, was associated with increased length of hospitalization, increased cost, and higher Animal Trauma Triage scores.
Successful treatment of a severe 5‐hydroxytrytophan intoxication using carbon hemoperfusion, hemodiafiltration, and mechanical ventilation in a dog
Authors: Her Jiwoong , Gordon Daniel , Riggs Alexandra , Venner Laura , Cooper Edward , Langston Catherine
Published: February 2024

Objective

To describe the successful use of carbon hemoperfusion and hemodiafiltration in combination with mechanical ventilation (MV) to treat a severe intoxication of 5‐hydroxytryptophan (5‐HTP) in a dog.

Case Summary

A dog ingested a minimum of 550 mg/kg of extended‐release 5‐HTP, resulting in serotonin syndrome that progressed to a comatose state and severe hypoventilation requiring MV. Extracorporeal carbon hemoperfusion coupled with hemodiafiltration was performed to remove 5‐HTP from this patient. A carbon hemoperfusion cartridge was placed in series upstream in the extracorporeal circuit from the hemodialyzer. A total of 46.5 L of blood (4.89 L/kg) was processed during a 4.85‐hour treatment. Serial plasma samples were obtained at 0, 60, 90, and 150 minutes during the session and 14 hours after the session. These samples were later analyzed for 5‐HTP and serotonin concentrations. The extraction ratio of 5‐HTP was 93.6%–98.9% through the carbon filter. The dog was weaned from MV within 8 hours after extracorporeal therapy and, after a full recovery, was successfully discharged.

New or Unique Information Provided

Despite an extensive review of the available literature, this appears to be the first reported case of using a carbon hemoperfusion, hemodiafiltration, and MV to treat severe serotonin syndrome secondary to 5‐HTP intoxication in a dog. The combination of carbon hemoperfusion and hemodiafiltration can significantly reduce plasma 5‐HTP concentrations after acute intoxication and may serve to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with severe intoxication.
Large Deformation Dynamic Characteristics of Cracked Laminated Panel and Improvement of Stiffness Using Shape Memory Alloy Fiber
Authors: Kumar Erukala Kalyan , Pattanayak Pritam , Panda Subrata Kumar
Published: February 2024

This study explores the investigation of the nonlinear dynamic responses or time-dependent deflection analysis of a laminated composite shell panel integrated with a shape memory alloy (SMA), considering both undamaged and damaged set-ups. The primary focus of this research is to examine the impact of SMA incorporation on the structural behavior of the parent configuration, aimed at enhancing its structural stiffness. To ensure the validity of the proposed model, sensitivity analyses and numerical validations are presented. The mathematical framework employed in this study employs the higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT), which offers enhanced accuracy in capturing the intricate behaviors of these shell panels. The dynamic responses are obtained using the Newmark average acceleration method. Numerical simulations are carried out using a dedicated MATLAB code developed in-house, allowing amplified correctness in outcomes and widespread analysis. The study thoroughly assesses a range of geometric parameters and those relevant to SMA for both intact and impaired shell panels. The outcomes of the investigation reveal affirmative findings, underscoring notable improvements in structural strength and enhanced nonlinear dynamic responses through the introduction of SMA reinforcement into the composite shell panel.
Purge–Mainstream Interactions in a Turbine Stage With Rotor Endwall Contouring
Authors: Mesny Alex W. , Pountney Oliver J. , Scobie James A. , Li Yan Sheng , Sangan Carl M.
Published: February 2024

Purge flows are prevalent in modern gas turbine design, allowing for increased turbine entry temperatures. The purge flow passes through a rim seal and interacts with the mainstream flow, modifying the blade secondary flow structures and reducing stage efficiency. These structures may be controlled using end wall contouring (EWC), though experimental demonstration of their benefit is seldom reported in the literature. The optically accessible turbine at the University of Bath was designed to directly measure and visualize the flow field within the blade passage for a rotor with EWC. The single-stage turbine enables phase-locked flow field measurements with volumetric particle image velocimetry (PIV). Purge flow was supplied to investigate a range of operating conditions in which the secondary flow structures were modified. The modular turbine rotor allowed for expedient change of a bladed ring, or bling, featuring non-axisymmetric EWC. The identified secondary flow structures were the pressure-side leg of the horse shoe vortex (PS-HSV) and an egress vortex (EV) of concurrent rotational direction. An increase in purge flowrate monotonically shifted the EV toward the suction-side (SS) of the adjacent blade. The migration of the PS-HSV toward the SS caused the two aforementioned vortices to merge. The EWC rotor design included a leading-edge (LE) feature to alter the PS-HSV and a trough to guide the EV low spanwise in the passage and maintain displacement from the adjacent suction-side. The EWC rotor was found to be effective at altering the formation and positioning of the secondary flow structures at a range of purge flow conditions.
Microfabricated free standing, tuneable, porous microfilters from an epoxy based photoresist for effective bioseparation
Authors: Sengupta Sudeshna , Shyamala D. , Kannan Sivasundari , Fidal Kumar V. T. , Bhattacharya Enakshi
Published: February 2024

SU-8 is an epoxy-based, biocompatible thermosetting polymer, which has been utilized mainly to fabricate biomedical devices and scaffolds. In this study, thin, single-layered, freestanding tuneable porous SU-8 membranes were microfabricated and surface hydrophilized for efficient bioseparation. Unlike the previous thicker membranes of 200–300 μm, these thin SU-8 membranes of 50–60 μm thickness and pores with 6–10 μm diameter were fabricated and tested for blood-plasma separation, without any additional support structure. The method is based on making a patterned SU-8 layer by electrospin coating and UV lithography on a sacrificial polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet attached to a silicon wafer. Poor adhesion between PET and SU-8 aid in the convenient release of the thin porous membranes with uniform pore formation. The single-layered self-supporting membranes were strong, safe, sterilizable, reusable, and suitable for plasma separation and postfermentation broth enrichment.
Finally neutralizing the threat? A novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platform that elicits enhanced neutralizing antibody responses
Authors: Salamango Daniel J.
Published: February 2024

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak took the world by storm due to its rapid global spread and unpredictable disease outcomes. The extraordinary ascension of SARS-CoV-2 to pandemic status motivated a world-wide effort to rapidly develop vaccines that could effectively suppress virus spread and mitigate severe disease. These efforts culminated in the development and deployment of several highly effective vaccines that were heralded as the beginning-of-the-end of the pandemic. However, these successes were short lived due to the unexpected and continuous emergence of more transmissible and immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants. Thus, attention has shifted toward developing novel vaccine platforms that elicit more robust and sustained neutralizing antibody responses. Recent findings by Muñoz-Alía and colleagues address this by combining a live recombinant measles vaccine platform with novel biochemical approaches to generate vaccine candidates that bolster the potency of neutralizing antibody responses against diverse SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins (M. Á. Muñoz-Alía, R. A. Nace, B. Balakrishnan, L. Zhang, et al., mBio 9:e02928-23, 2024,
https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02928-23
).
A high-resolution sequence stratigraphic framework for the eastern Ellis Bay Formation, Canada: A record of Hirnantian sea-level change
Authors: Zimmt Joshua B. , Holland Steven M. , Desrochers André , Jones David S. , Finnegan Seth
Published: February 2024

Anticosti Island (Québec, Canada) contains one of the thickest Ordovician/Silurian boundary sections in the world, providing a fossiliferous and well-preserved record of the Late Ordovician mass extinction; however, the absence of a comprehensive correlation framework for the island prevents the full incorporation of data from across Anticosti into a global understanding of the extinction event. Here, we combine sedimentological, stratigraphic, and chemostratigraphic data to develop a sequence stratigraphic framework for the Ellis Bay and lowermost Becscie formations along the northeastern shore of Anticosti Island. These formations record six fourth-order (~100–400 k.y.) depositional sequences bounded by regionally traceable unconformities. Evidence of subaerial weathering and exposure at many of these unconformities is subtle and has long gone unrecognized, which highlights the complexity of correlation in this and other stratigraphically thin icehouse records. Quartz pebble lags that mantle these surfaces punctuate the otherwise fine-grained, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic strata of the Ellis Bay Formation and provide the means to trace unconformities across localities; these surfaces are also marked by depleted carbon isotopic values, meteoric cement, microkarst, and incised valleys. This sequence stratigraphic framework provides the first correlation framework for exposures from the eastern end of this classic Ordovician/Silurian boundary section, and thus enables the integration of paleobiological, stratigraphic, and geochemical data into a basin-wide perspective of the Late Ordovician mass extinction. Critically, comparison to sequence stratigraphic frameworks from coeval sections suggests that other regions may be incomplete at the level of the fourth-order cycles recorded on Anticosti Island and may contain similarly cryptic unconformities.
Barrier–Well Potential Configuration for Quantum Gyroscope Based on Atomic BEC Geometric Phase
Authors: Tomilin V. A. , Rostom A. M. , Il’ichov L. V.
Published: February 2024

A perspective scheme of quantum gyroscope based on measurement of geometric phase emerging in atomic Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) was developed. The main elements of the device are two ring-shaped BEC configurations intercepted by a pair of localized potentials—a barrier and a well. Their placement in each ring defines their orientation with respect to the angular velocity of rotation of the device’s frame. Proper variation of the parameters of the barriers and wells induces opposite-sign geometric phases in the BEC modes. Difference of these phases can be measured in interference experiment. We present results of geometric phase calculations for BEC of 87Rb atoms in ring potentials of 0.5 cm diameter and angular velocities comparable to that of the Earth’s rotation.
Automated identification of fleck lesions in Stargardt disease using deep learning enhances lesion detection sensitivity and enables morphometric analysis of flecks
Authors: Sabharwal Jasdeep , Liu Tin Yan Alvin , Antonio-Aguirre Bani , Abousy Mya , Patel Tapan , Cai Cindy X , Jones Craig K , Singh Mandeep S
Published: February 2024

Purpose

To classify fleck lesions and assess artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying flecks in Stargardt disease (STGD).

Methods

A retrospective study of 170 eyes from 85 consecutive patients with confirmed STGD. Fundus autofluorescence images were extracted, and flecks were manually outlined. A deep learning model was trained, and a hold-out testing subset was used to compare with manually identified flecks and for graders to assess. Flecks were clustered using K-means clustering.

Results

Of the 85 subjects, 45 were female, and the median age was 37 years (IQR 25–59). A subset of subjects (n=41) had clearly identifiable fleck lesions, and an AI was successfully trained to identify these lesions (average Dice score of 0.53, n=18). The AI segmentation had smaller (0.018 compared with 0.034 mm2, p<0.001) but more numerous flecks (75.5 per retina compared with 40.0, p<0.001), but the total size of flecks was not different. The AI model had higher sensitivity to detect flecks but resulted in more false positives. There were two clusters of flecks based on morphology: broadly, one cluster of small round flecks and another of large amorphous flecks. The per cent frequency of small round flecks negatively correlated with subject age (r=−0.31, p<0.005).

Conclusions

AI-based detection of flecks shows greater sensitivity than human graders but with a higher false-positive rate. With further optimisation to address current shortcomings, this approach could be used to prescreen subjects for clinical research. The feasibility and utility of quantifying fleck morphology in conjunction with AI-based segmentation as a biomarker of progression require further study.
Video versus direct laryngoscopy to improve the success rate of nasotracheal intubations in the neonatal intensive care setting: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Tippmann Susanne , Schäfer Janine , Winter Julia , Mühler Ann-Kathrin , Schmitz Katharina , Schönfeld Mascha , Eichinger Michael , Mildenberger Eva , Kidszun André
Published: February 2024

Objective

To assess whether video laryngoscopy (VL) for tracheal intubation of neonates results in a higher first-attempt success rate and fewer adverse tracheal intubation-associated events (TIAEs) when compared with direct laryngoscopy (DL).

Design

Single-centre, parallel group, randomised controlled trial.

Setting

University Medical Centre Mainz, Germany.

Patients

Neonates <440/7weeks postmenstrual age in whom tracheal intubation was indicated either in the delivery room or in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Intervention

Intubation encounters were randomly assigned to either VL or DL at first attempt.

Primary outcome

First-attempt success rate during tracheal intubation.

Results

Of 121 intubation encounters assessed for eligibility, 32 (26.4%) were either not randomised (acute emergencies (n=9), clinicians’ preference for either VL (n=8) or DL (n=2)) or excluded from the analysis (declined parental consent (n=13)). Eighty-nine intubation encounters (41 in the VL and 48 in the DL group) in 63 patients were analysed. First-attempt success rate was 48.8% (20/41) in the VL group compared with 43.8% (21/48) in the DL group (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.51 to 2.88).

The frequency of adverse TIAEs was 43.9% (18/41) and 47.9% (23/48) in the VL and DL group, respectively (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.97). Oesophageal intubation with concomitant desaturation never occurred in the VL group but in 18.8% (9/48) of intubation encounters in the DL group.

Conclusion

This study provides effect sizes for first-attempt success rates and frequency of TIAEs with VL compared with DL in the neonatal emergency setting. This study was underpowered to detect small but clinically important differences between the two techniques. The results of this study may be useful in planning future trials.
Towards health with justice: making the tobacco industry accountable through administrative liability
Authors: Sy Deborah , El-Awa Fatima , Al-Lawati Jawad Ahmed , Valizadeh Behzad , El-Gohary Sophia , El-Wakil Radwa , Narain Ambika
Published: February 2024

For many decades, the transnational tobacco industry has evaded the consequences of harming people and the planet. Despite selling a deadly product, it has continued to remain one of the most profitable industries in the world, now venturing into ‘wellness and pharmaceutical’ businesses as part of its diversification strategy. Meanwhile, efforts to make the tobacco industry pay through court systems have not progressed due to the inherent challenges within the judicial systems in most countries. This paper explores mechanisms for ensuring accountability through administrative liability, including the use of compensation mechanisms and adjudicatory bodies. Such mechanisms operationalise vital principles and practices derived from international law, such as the imposition of effective, proportionate, and dissuasive non-criminal sanctions, victims’ right to compensation, and ‘polluter pays’ principles. Measures such as taxation, surcharges, penalties, financial guarantees or insurance, along with the establishment of adjudicatory bodies and trust funds, are discussed. In order to hold the tobacco industry to account for the wide range of harms caused by its products and its misconduct; policies on ‘liability’ must clearly articulate how the industry will compensate for past and future harms in a manner that deters it from causing further damage.
The expressivity of classical and quantum neural networks on entanglement entropy
Authors: Wu Chih-Hung , Yen Ching-Che
Published: February 2024

Analytically continuing the von Neumann entropy from Rényi entropies is a challenging task in quantum field theory. While the n-th Rényi entropy can be computed using the replica method in the path integral representation of quantum field theory, the analytic continuation can only be achieved for some simple systems on a case-by-case basis. In this work, we propose a general framework to tackle this problem using classical and quantum neural networks with supervised learning. We begin by studying several examples with known von Neumann entropy, where the input data is generated by representing $${\text {Tr}}\rho _A^n$$

Tr

ρ
A
n

with a generating function. We adopt KerasTuner to determine the optimal network architecture and hyperparameters with limited data. In addition, we frame a similar problem in terms of quantum machine learning models, where the expressivity of the quantum models for the entanglement entropy as a partial Fourier series is established. Our proposed methods can accurately predict the von Neumann and Rényi entropies numerically, highlighting the potential of deep learning techniques for solving problems in quantum information theory.
Machine learning the deuteron: new architectures and uncertainty quantification
Authors: Rozalén Sarmiento J. , Keeble J. W. T. , Rios A.
Published: February 2024

We solve the ground state of the deuteron using a variational neural network ansatz for the wavefunction in momentum space. This ansatz provides a flexible representation of both the S and the D states, with relative errors in the energy which are within fractions of a per cent of a full diagonalisation benchmark. We extend the previous work on this area in two directions. First, we study new architectures by adding more layers to the network and by exploring different connections between the states. Second, we provide a better estimate of the numerical uncertainty by taking into account the final oscillations at the end of the minimisation process. Overall, we find that the best performing architecture is the simple one-layer, state-connected network. Two-layer networks show indications of overfitting, in regions that are not probed by the fixed momentum basis where calculations are performed. In all cases, the errors associated to the model oscillations around the real minimum are larger than the stochastic initilization uncertainties.
A Comprehensive Study on AlGaN/GaN-Based HEMT for High-Speed
Authors: Kandpal Jyoti , Kumar Amit
Published: February 2024

GaN-based solutions can handle emerging technological demands from today’s fast-changing electronics industry. AlGaN/GaN heterostructures offer the possibility of a variety of applications. The primary issues in commercializing GaN-based technology are reliability and performance enhancement. This research focuses on recent improvements in AlGaN/GaN-based high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) for diverse high-speed applications. This review will assist researchers in gathering all relevant knowledge on AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure in one location, allowing them to focus on developing high-speed applications.
Mathematical model of second-grade Casson fluid flow with Soret and Dufour impact over Riga sheet
Authors: Abbas M. Saqlain , Shaheen Aqila , Abbas Nadeem , Shatanawi Wasfi
Published: February 2024

We are examining a mathematical model of second-grade Casson fluid flow over a Riga surface. This analysis takes into account the effects of heat generation on a second-grade Casson fluid. Additionally, we have discussed the impacts of Soret and Dufour in the presence of thermal radiation. The study also includes an analysis of the influences of thermal and concentration slip. By considering these factors in the fluid flow, we have constructed a set of partial differential equations. Furthermore, these differential equations have been transformed into dimensionless ordinary differential equations. We have presented the influences of relevant parameters through tables and graphs. Velocity curve reveals declining behavior due to larger values of magnetic field factor. A high magnetic field coefficient means a strong magnetic field. As a result, the force acting on the charged particle increases, causing it to slow down or change direction. This change in force can cause the particle’s velocity to decrease.
Elucidating the FPU-paradox based on the dynamics of Kuznetzov–Ma breathers
Authors: Nfor Nkeh Oma , Ndjanfang Désiré
Published: February 2024

Unlike Zabusky and Kruskal who exploited the Korteweg–de Vries traveling solitons to explain the FPU-recurrence phenomenon, we consider a more robust time periodic Kuznetzov–Ma breather to resolve the paradox. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation is derived from the equation of motion of [Formula: see text]-FPU chain, by using the method of multiple scales combined with a quasi-discreteness approximation. Modulational instability leads to the generation of a nonlinear wave of finite background, known as the Kuznetzov–Ma breather. The spatial localization and time periodic profile of the Kuznetzov–Ma breathers make it ideal in mimicking the FPU-recurrence phenomenon, as underscored by results of numerical simulations.
Gravitational expansion and collapse of anisotropic cylindrical source with cosmological constant
Authors: Khalid Junaid , Abbas Syed Zaheer , Shah Hasrat Hussain , El Ghoul J. , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin
Published: February 2024

This work presents an anisotropic cylindrical source’s gravitational expansion and collapse with the cosmological constant. For this purpose, we use the cylindrical symmetric metric and energy–momentum tensor to achieve Einstein’s field equation component. The mass function is also used to assess the state of the trapped surface. The parametric form of the auxiliary solution is discovered. These presumptions enable us to examine the parameter range at the positive and negative expansion scalar transitions. The generated solution produces expanding and collapsing solutions correspondingly for positive and negative parameter values. A dimensionless measure of anisotropy, pressures and energy density are utilized as physical quantities. The included parameters are shown graphically. The cosmological constant has impacted both the expansion and collapse solutions to phenomena.
Locally Self-Injective Property of FI m
Authors: Zeng Duo
Published: February 2024

We consider the locally self-injective property of the product [Formula: see text] of category [Formula: see text] of finite sets and injections. Explicitly, we prove that the external tensor product commutes with the coinduction functor, and hence preserves injective modules. As corollaries, every projective [Formula: see text]-module over a field of characteristic 0 is injective, and the Serre quotient of the category of finitely generated [Formula: see text]-modules by the category of finitely generated torsion [Formula: see text]-modules is equivalent to the category of finite-dimensional [Formula: see text]-modules.
F ¯ p as a Discrete Metric Space
Authors: Zhang Zezhou
Published: February 2024

We define a metric that makes the algebraic closure of a finite field [Formula: see text] into a UDBG (uniformly discrete with bounded geometry) metric space. This metric stems from algebraic properties of [Formula: see text]. From this perspective, for [Formula: see text] we explore common research themes in metric spaces, reveal how peculiar properties naturally arise, and present it as a new type of example for certain well-studied questions.
Advancing Attribution-Based Neural Network Explainability through Relative Absolute Magnitude Layer-Wise Relevance Propagation and Multi-Component Evaluation
Authors: Vukadin Davor , Afrić Petar , Šilić Marin , Delač Goran
Published: February 2024

Recent advancement in deep-neural network performance led to the development of new state-of-the-art approaches in numerous areas. However, the black-box nature of neural networks often prohibits their use in areas where model explainability and model transparency are crucial. Over the years, researchers proposed many algorithms to aid neural network understanding and provide additional information to the human expert. One of the most popular methods being Layer-Wise Relevance Propagation (LRP). This method assigns local relevance based on the pixel-wise decomposition of nonlinear classifiers. With the rise of attribution method research, there has emerged a pressing need to assess and evaluate their performance. Numerous metrics have been proposed, each assessing an individual property of attribution methods such as faithfulness, robustness, or localization. Unfortunately, no single metric is deemed optimal for every case, and researchers often use several metrics to test the quality of the attribution maps. In this work, we address the shortcomings of the current LRP formulations and introduce a novel method for determining the relevance of input neurons through layer-wise relevance propagation. Furthermore, we apply this approach to the recently developed Vision Transformer architecture and evaluate its performance against existing methods on two image classification datasets, namely ImageNet and PascalVOC. Our results clearly demonstrate the advantage of our proposed method. Furthermore, we discuss the insufficiencies of current evaluation metrics for attribution-based explainability and propose a new evaluation metric that combines the notions of faithfulness, robustness, and contrastiveness. We utilize this new metric to evaluate the performance of various attribution-based methods. Our code is available at:
https://github.com/davor10105/relative-absolute-magnitude-propagation
Envisioning Information Access Systems: What Makes for Good Tools and a Healthy Web?
Authors: Shah Chirag , Bender Emily M.
Published: February 2024

We observe a recent trend toward applying large language models (LLMs) in search and positioning them as effective information access systems. While the interfaces may look appealing and the apparent breadth of applicability is exciting, we are concerned that the field is rushing ahead with a technology without sufficient study of the uses it is meant to serve, how it would be used, and what its use would mean. We argue that it is important to reassert the central research focus of the field of information retrieval, because information access is not merely an application to be solved by the so-called ‘AI’ techniques du jour. Rather, it is a key human activity, with impacts on both individuals and society. As information scientists, we should be asking what do people and society want and need from information access systems and how do we design and build systems to meet those needs? With that goal, in this conceptual article we investigate fundamental questions concerning information access from user and societal viewpoints. We revisit foundational work related to information behavior, information seeking, information retrieval, information filtering, and information access to resurface what we know about these fundamental questions and what may be missing. We then provide our conceptual framing about how we could fill this gap, focusing on methods as well as experimental and evaluation frameworks. We consider the Web as an information ecosystem and explore the ways in which synthetic media, produced by LLMs and otherwise, endangers that ecosystem. The primary goal of this conceptual article is to shed light on what we still do not know about the potential impacts of LLM-based information access systems, how to advance our understanding of user behaviors, and where the next generations of students, scholars, and developers could fruitfully invest their energies.
Risky Dynamic Typing-related Practices in Python: An Empirical Study
Authors: Chen Zhifei , Chen Lin , Yang Yibiao , Feng Qiong , Li Xuansong , Song Wei
Published: February 2024

Python’s dynamic typing nature provides developers with powerful programming abstractions. However, many type-related bugs are accumulated in code bases of Python due to the misuse of dynamic typing. The goal of this article is to aid in the understanding of developers’ high-risk practices toward dynamic typing and the early detection of type-related bugs. We first formulate the rules of six types of risky dynamic typing-related practices (type smells for short) in Python. We then develop a rule-based tool named RUPOR, which builds an accurate type base to detect type smells. Our evaluation shows that RUPOR outperforms the existing type smell detection techniques (including the Large Language Models–based approaches, Mypy, and PYDYPE) on a benchmark of 900 Python methods. Based on RUPOR, we conduct an empirical study on 25 real-world projects. We find that type smells are significantly related to the occurrence of post-release faults. The fault-proneness prediction model built with type smell features slightly outperforms the model built without them. We also summarize the common patterns, including inserting type check to fix type smell bugs. These findings provide valuable insights for preventing and fixing type-related bugs in the programs written in dynamic-typed languages.
Non-Autoregressive Line-Level Code Completion
Authors: Liu Fang , Fu Zhiyi , Li Ge , Jin Zhi , Liu Hui , Hao Yiyang , Zhang Li
Published: February 2024

Software developers frequently use code completion tools to accelerate software development by suggesting the following code elements. Researchers usually employ AutoRegressive (AR) decoders to complete code sequences in a left-to-right, token-by-token fashion. To improve the accuracy and efficiency of code completion, we argue that tokens within a code statement have the potential to be predicted concurrently. In this article, we first conduct an empirical study to analyze the dependency among the target tokens in line-level code completion. The results suggest that it is potentially practical to generate all statement tokens in parallel. To this end, we introduce SANAR, a simple and effective syntax-aware non-autoregressive model for line-level code completion. To further improve the quality of the generated code, we propose an adaptive and syntax-aware sampling strategy to boost the model’s performance. The experimental results obtained from two widely used datasets indicate that our model outperforms state-of-the-art code completion approaches of similar model size by a considerable margin, and is faster than these models with up to 9× speed-up. Moreover, the extensive results additionally demonstrate that the enhancements achieved by SANAR become even more pronounced with larger model sizes, highlighting their significance.
Data Complexity: A New Perspective for Analyzing the Difficulty of Defect Prediction Tasks
Authors: Wan Xiaohui , Zheng Zheng , Qin Fangyun , Lu Xuhui
Published: February 2024

Defect prediction is crucial for software quality assurance and has been extensively researched over recent decades. However, prior studies rarely focus on data complexity in defect prediction tasks, and even less on understanding the difficulties of these tasks from the perspective of data complexity. In this article, we conduct an empirical study to estimate the hardness of over 33,000 instances, employing a set of measures to characterize the inherent difficulty of instances and the characteristics of defect datasets. Our findings indicate that: (1) instance hardness in both classes displays a right-skewed distribution, with the defective class exhibiting a more scattered distribution; (2) class overlap is the primary factor influencing instance hardness and can be characterized through feature, structural, and instance-level overlap; (3) no universal preprocessing technique is applicable to all datasets, and it may not consistently reduce data complexity, fortunately, dataset complexity measures can help identify suitable techniques for specific datasets; (4) integrating data complexity information into the learning process can enhance an algorithm’s learning capacity. In summary, this empirical study highlights the crucial role of data complexity in defect prediction tasks, and provides a novel perspective for advancing research in defect prediction techniques.
Effect of V Content on Corrosion Behavior of Al-V Alloys Produced by Mechanical Alloying and Subsequent Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Witharamage Chathuranga Sandamal , Christudasjustus J. , Walunj G. , Borkar T. , Gupta R. K.
Published: February 2024

Al-V alloys produced via high-energy ball milling have been reported to show simultaneous improvement of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties compared to traditional Al alloys. In these alloys, V content plays a crucial role in increasing or decreasing the corrosion resistance. Therefore, the effect of V and microstructure on corrosion of high-energy ball milled and subsequently spark plasma sintered Al-xV alloys (x = 2, 5, 10 at%) has been studied. Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization tests and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic analysis revealed the increment of V content up to 5 at% enhanced the corrosion resistance of the alloy. However, highly heterogeneous microstructure in Al-10 at%V resulted in significant localized corrosion over the immersion time. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy studies over 14 days of immersion revealed underlying corrosion mechanisms.