bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photosynthesis of rice leaves with a parallel venation is highly tolerant to vein severing
Authors: Du Tingting , Ling Xiaoxia , Huang Jianliang , Peng Shaobing , Xiong Dongliang
Published: March 2024

Vein severing in plants caused by leaf damage is common in fields where crops are cultivated. It is hypothesized that leaves with complex reticulate venation can withstand hydraulic disturbances caused by vein severing, thereby preserving leaf carbon assimilation. However, limited research focuses on vein damage of leaves with parallel venation. We studied how vein‐severing affected the photosynthetic traits of rice (Oryza sativa) leaves in seconds, minutes and days, under varying water‐demand conditions and differing extents of water supply disruption. Rice leaves completely lost their photosynthetic capacity within 2.5 minutes after excision. Severing the midrib resulted in reduced light‐saturated photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (gsw) and transpiration rate (E) by 2.6, 6.8 and 5.9%, respectively, already after thirty minutes. We further investigated the photosynthetic trait responses to various extents of leaf width severing, while keeping the midrib functional. Surprisingly, A, gsw and E in the downstream area of the severed leaves largely remained stable, showing minimal variation across different leaf width severing ratios. These traits declined only slightly even under increased ambient light intensity and leaf‐to‐air vapor pressure deficit. This sustained photosynthesis post‐severing is attributed to the efficient lateral water transport. Long‐term leaf damage slightly but not significantly, impacted the downstream photosynthetic traits within five days post‐severing. However, a more pronounced reduction in gas exchange during leaf senescence was observed nine days after severing. These findings suggested that rice leaves can tolerate hydraulic disturbances from vein severing and maintain functionality under various conditions, which is crucial for crop yield stability. However, long‐term consequences require further investigation.
Components of spirituality in older adults: A phenomenological study through interviews based on dignity therapy
Authors: Nagata Kyoko , Tanaka Koji
Published: March 2024

Aim

A key perspective in examining dignity, which is important for older adults, is spirituality. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the components of spirituality in older adults through interviews based on dignity therapy (DT).

Methodological Design and Justification

Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenology was applied to understand experiences rooted in the life world of older adults from their own perspective.

Ethical Issues and Approval

This study was approved by the ethical review committee of the author's university. All participants provided consent to participate.

Research Methods

Semi‐structured interviews based on DT were conducted with 11 community‐dwelling adults aged 65 years or older who were using some form of medical or social services. The interviews were transcribed, and the text was analysed based on Colaizzi's phenomenological method.

Results

Four themes were identified as components of spirituality in older adults: trauma, being silent about hard experiences, forming connections and taking on challenges and discovering one's own spirit. The participants felt a sense of helplessness and frustration as they dealt with traumatic events. Feelings of shame, guilt and/or resignation prevented them from talking about the distress they were experiencing, but they were able to move forward after receiving emotional support and having opportunities to share with others. These processes led to the discovery of a new self.

Study Limitations

This study assessed the experiences of older adults in Japan and may therefore have been influenced by the social background and culture of Japan. Future research should target older adults from a variety of social backgrounds as well as those with specific health conditions.

Conclusion

The findings suggest the importance of creating opportunities for healthcare professionals as well as family, friends and community members to help older adults reflect on their lives and talk about their accomplishments and unresolved issues. Doing so should help older adults maintain their dignity while remaining aware of their mortality.
The Role of Efficiency in Beverage Packaging Industry
Authors: Elsafty Ashraf , Moussa Mohamed Abd El-Razzaq
Published: March 2024

In fact, the performance of an organization is reflected in its efficiency and best resource utilization. For manufacturing companies, efficient production is a major element of operational efficiency. The main purpose of this study is to identify the factors that affect the efficiency of the beverage Can industry at Ball Egypt, including the availability and quality of raw materials, good conditions for the work environment, planning, high machine capability, and purchasing power, in addition to the contributions of communication, on-the-job training, and intellectual capital to boost the efficiency of the plant. The study used the scale method by using surveys distributed individually to employees as the main tool for data collection. Discovering that the work environment and planning are core functions has an impact on plant efficiency and makes the best use of available resources. High-quality raw materials and machine capability drive the entity to increase productivity and minimize downtime while increasing efficiency. Purchasing power helps to keep lines stable and machine durability high, but it had a negative impact on efficiency. To maximize the outcome of any activity, communication is required to share ideas and handle tasks between departments, as well as to resolve conflicts that may arise. Intellectual capital involved in each department reinforced a good environment and continuously boost incremental development, especially for a fast-changing industry and emerging new entrants. On-the-job training prepares employees to improve their skills and work hard to meet efficiency goals. Through the study, it appeared that missing intentions from top management will cause high losses in efficiency. High-speed lines for beverage Can manufacturing are in dire need of all of these variables to scale up efficiency significantly. Efficiency and effectiveness are inextricably linked and have an impact on the output of any process. Creating a framework for critical factors that affect efficiency will aid the organization's efforts to improve the efficiency of its operations.
Serial Organization in Krzysztof Penderecki's Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima
Authors: Lill Kája
Published: March 2024

Krzysztof Penderecki and his renowned Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima (1960) are typi cally associated with sound mass or sonorism. However, Penderecki's sonoristic approach does not necessarily exclude other post-war compositional techniques—Scott Murphy, Wolfram
Schwinger, Nelson Mandrell, and Mariusz Kozak have all identified serial tech niques in Penderecki's music in general or in Threnody specifically. As the locus classicus of sound mass compositions, these studies of serialism in Threnody deconstruct rhetorized polarities
of twentieth-century musical aesthetics and composition. Neither sound mass nor serial analyses of Threnody, however, have accounted for the role of serial procedures in organizing textural elements. In this analytical vignette, I analyze the organization of extended techniques in mm.
6–9 of Penderecki's Threnody using serial approaches, which yields two benefits. First, it reveals an isography between the or ganization in each measure and the overall organization across all four measures. Second, it encourages the use of similarity measures to consider the
compositional goal of this organization. Ultimately, I argue that, much like serialized pitch can be used to obfuscate a tonal center, Penderecki's organization of extended techniques creates a mass of sound without a perceivable pattern—a composed-out alteatoricism.
Upper bounds for Heilbronn's triangle problem in higher dimensions
Authors: Zakharov Dmitrii
Published: March 2024

We develop a new simple approach to prove upper bounds for generalizations of the Heilbronn's triangle problem in higher dimensions. Among other things, we show the following: for fixed , any subset of of size contains

points that span a simplex of volume at most ,

points whose convex hull has volume at most ,

points that span a ‐dimensional simplex of volume at most .
α-Robust Error Analysis of L2-1σ Scheme on Graded Mesh for Time-Fractional Nonlocal Diffusion Equation
Authors: Kundaliya Pari J.
Published: March 2024

In this work, a time-fractional nonlocal diffusion equation is considered. Based on the L2-1σ scheme on a graded mesh in time and the standard finite element method (FEM) in space, the fully-discrete L2-1σ finite element method is investigated for a time-fractional nonlocal diffusion problem. We prove the existence and uniqueness of fully-discrete solution. The α-robust error bounds are derived, i.e., bounds remain valid as α→1−, where α ∈(0,1) is the order of a temporal fractional derivative. The numerical experiments are presented to justify the theoretical findings.
On the Natural Keulegan–Carpenter Number for Subsea Industrial Modulus Installation
Authors: Fernandes Antonio Carlos , Soares Rodrigo Batista , de Andrade Emerson Martins , Junior Joel Sena Sales
Published: March 2024

The behavior of subsea equipment has been widely studied by companies to minimize risks during subsea installation, which brings huge costs to the operation. The prediction of equipment motions typically is accomplished by utilizing either commercial software or recommended practices from Classification Societies to comply with the minimum requirements for launching operations. This article analyzes subsea installation in time and frequency domains using experimental, numerical, and analytical approaches. Experiments have been carried out at Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnológicas (IPT) to investigate the dependency of drag and added mass coefficients on Keulegan–Carpenter (KC) number and at Laboratory of Waves and Currents (LOC-COPPE/UFRJ) to study equipment and cable responses on the installation. A numerical model is made in orcaflex® for determining the transmissibility of displacement and force in function of frequency ratio, and the time series of manifold responses. Linearized models from DNV (DNV-GL, 2017, “Recommended Practice (DNVGL-RP-N103) – Modelling and Analysis of Marine Operations.”) and the so-called natural KC (proposed in the present article) are taken in the investigation and compared to previous methodologies. The natural KC approach arises as an innovative way of investigating subsea equipment as the literature only provides parametric analysis considering an arbitrary KC value (i.e., Pestana et al., 2021, “Subsea Manifold Installation: Operational Windows Estimation Based on Hydrodynamic Model Testing,” Ocean. Eng., 219, p. 108364). The analyses notice a good agreement among experiments, orcaflex® model, and natural KC model, whereas the curves found by the DNV method usually overpredict the response of subsea equipment, especially around resonance region.
From the perspective of perceptual speech quality: The robustness of frequency bands to noise
Authors: Fan Junyi , Williamson Donald S.
Published: March 2024

Speech quality is one of the main foci of speech-related research, where it is frequently studied with speech intelligibility, another essential measurement. Band-level perceptual speech intelligibility, however, has been studied frequently, whereas speech quality has not been thoroughly analyzed. In this paper, a Multiple Stimuli With Hidden Reference and Anchor (MUSHRA) inspired approach was proposed to study the individual robustness of frequency bands to noise with perceptual speech quality as the measure. Speech signals were filtered into thirty-two frequency bands with compromising real-world noise employed at different signal-to-noise ratios. Robustness to noise indices of individual frequency bands was calculated based on the human-rated perceptual quality scores assigned to the reconstructed noisy speech signals. Trends in the results suggest the mid-frequency region appeared less robust to noise in terms of perceptual speech quality. These findings suggest future research aiming at improving speech quality should pay more attention to the mid-frequency region of the speech signals accordingly.
Accurate detection of acute sleep deprivation using a metabolomic biomarker—A machine learning approach
Authors: Jeppe Katherine , Ftouni Suzanne , Nijagal Brunda , Grant Leilah K. , Lockley Steven W. , Rajaratnam Shantha M. W. , Phillips Andrew J. K. , McConville Malcolm J. , Tull Dedreia , Anderson Clare
Published: March 2024

Sleep deprivation enhances risk for serious injury and fatality on the roads and in workplaces. To facilitate future management of these risks through advanced detection, we developed and validated a metabolomic biomarker of sleep deprivation in healthy, young participants, across three experiments. Bi-hourly plasma samples from 2 × 40-hour extended wake protocols (for train/test models) and 1 × 40-hour protocol with an 8-hour overnight sleep interval were analyzed by untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Using a knowledge-based machine learning approach, five consistently important variables were used to build predictive models. Sleep deprivation (24 to 38 hours awake) was predicted accurately in classification models [versus well-rested (0 to 16 hours)] (accuracy = 94.7%/AUC 99.2%, 79.3%/AUC 89.1%) and to a lesser extent in regression (
R
2
= 86.1 and 47.8%) models for within- and between-participant models, respectively. Metabolites were identified for replicability/future deployment. This approach for detecting acute sleep deprivation offers potential to reduce accidents through “fitness for duty” or “post-accident analysis” assessments.
Induction of somatic cell haploidy by premature cell division
Authors: Mikhalchenko Aleksei , Gutierrez Nuria Marti , Frana Daniel , Safaei Zahra , Van Dyken Crystal , Li Ying , Ma Hong , Koski Amy , Liang Dan , Lee Sang-Goo , Amato Paula , Mitalipov Shoukhrat
Published: March 2024

Canonical mitotic and meiotic cell divisions commence with replicated chromosomes consisting of two sister chromatids. Here, we developed and explored a model of premature cell division, where nonreplicated, G
0
/G
1
-stage somatic cell nuclei are transplanted to the metaphase cytoplasm of mouse oocytes. Subsequent cell division generates daughter cells with reduced ploidy. Unexpectedly, genome sequencing analysis revealed proper segregation of homologous chromosomes, resulting in complete haploid genomes. We observed a high occurrence of somatic genome haploidization in nuclei from inbred genetic backgrounds but not in hybrids, emphasizing the importance of sequence homology between homologs. These findings suggest that premature cell division relies on mechanisms similar to meiosis I, where genome haploidization is facilitated by homologous chromosome interactions, recognition, and pairing. Unlike meiosis, no evidence of recombination between somatic cell homologs was detected. Our study offers an alternative in vitro gametogenesis approach by directly reprogramming diploid somatic cells into haploid oocytes.
Late-stage modification of complex drug: Base-controlled Pd-catalyzed regioselective synthesis and bioactivity of arylated osimertinibs
Authors: Feng Rui , Zhen Yong-Qi , Wu Dongbo , Sun Lian , Xu Jin-Bu , Li Xiaohuan , Zhang Lan , Gao Feng
Published: March 2024

Achieving regioselective synthesis in complex molecules with multiple reactive sites remains a tremendous challenge in synthetic chemistry. Regiodivergent palladium-catalyzed C─H arylation of complex antitumor drug osimertinib with various aryl bromides via the late-stage functionalization strategy was demonstrated here. This reaction displayed a switch in regioselectivity under complete base control. Potassium carbonate (K
2
CO
3
) promoted the arylation of acrylamide terminal C(sp
2
)-H, affording 34 derivatives. Conversely, sodium
tert
-butoxide (
t
-BuONa) mediated the aryl C(sp
2
)-H arylation of the indole C2 position, providing 27 derivatives. The derivative
3r
containing a 3-fluorophenyl group at the indole C2 position demonstrated similar inhibition of EGFR
T790M/L858R
and superior antiproliferative activity in H1975 cells compared to osimertinib, as well as similar antiproliferative activity in A549 cells and antitumor efficacy in xenograft mouse model bearing H1975 cells. This approach provides a “one substrate–multi reactions–multiple products” strategy for the structural modification of complex drug molecules, creating more opportunities for the fast screening of pharmaceutical molecules.
Subcapsular sinus macrophages maximize germinal center development in non-draining lymph nodes during blood-borne viral infection
Authors: Aguilar Cynthia C. , Kalia Anurag , Brisse Morgan E. , Dowd Kimberly A. , Wise-Dent Olivia , Burgomaster Katherine E. , Droppo Joanna , Pierson Theodore C. , Hickman Heather D.
Published: March 2024

Lymph node (LN) germinal centers (GCs) are critical sites for B cell activation and differentiation. GCs develop after specialized CD169
+
macrophages residing in LN sinuses filter antigens (Ags) from the lymph and relay these Ags into proximal B cell follicles. Many viruses, however, first reach LNs through the blood during viremia (virus in the blood), rather than through lymph drainage from infected tissue. How LNs capture viral Ag from the blood to allow GC development is not known. Here, we followed Zika virus (ZIKV) dissemination in mice and subsequent GC formation in both infected tissue–draining and non-draining LNs. From the footpad, ZIKV initially disseminated through two LN chains, infecting LN macrophages and leading to GC formation. Despite rapid ZIKV viremia, non-draining LNs were not infected for several days. Non-draining LN infection correlated with virus-induced vascular leakage and neutralization of permeability reduced LN macrophage attrition. Depletion of non-draining LN macrophages significantly decreased GC B cells in these nodes. Thus, although LNs inefficiently captured viral Ag directly from the blood, GC formation in non-draining LNs proceeded similarly to draining LNs through LN sinus CD169
+
macrophages. Together, our findings reveal a conserved pathway allowing LN macrophages to activate antiviral B cells in LNs distal from infected tissue after blood-borne viral infection.
Cefazolin as a predictor of urinary cephalosporin activity in indicated Enterobacterales
Authors: Bryson Alexandra L. , Bhalodi Amira , Liesman Rachael M. , Mathers Amy J.
Published: March 2024

Traditionally, cephalothin susceptibility results were used to predict the susceptibility of additional cephalosporins; however, in 2013–2014, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) revisited this practice and determined that cefazolin is a more accurate proxy than cephalothin for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs). Therefore, a cefazolin surrogacy breakpoint was established to predict the susceptibility of seven oral cephalosporins for
Escherichia coli
,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, and
Proteus mirabilis
in the context of uUTIs. Clinical microbiology laboratories face several operational challenges when implementing the cefazolin surrogacy breakpoint, which may lead to confusion for the best path forward. Here, we review the historical context and data behind the surrogacy breakpoints, review PK/PD profiles for oral cephalosporins, discuss challenges in deploying the breakpoint, and highlight the limited clinical outcome data in this space.
Multimethod dating of ice-rafted dropstones reveals hidden localized glacial erosion in Wilkes Subglacial Basin, Antarctica
Authors: Kodama Samuel T. , Cox Stephen E. , Thomson Stuart N. , Hemming Sidney R. , Williams Trevor , Licht Kathy J. , Formica Adam , Reiners Peter W.
Published: March 2024

The Antarctic ice sheet blankets >99% of the continent and limits our ability to study how subglacial geology and topography have evolved through time. Ice-rafted dropstones derived from the Antarctic subglacial continental interior at different times during the late Cenozoic provide valuable thermal history proxies to understand this geologic history. We applied multiple thermochronometers covering a range of closure temperatures (60–800 °C) to 10 dropstones collected during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 318 in order to explore the subglacial geology and thermal and exhumation history of the Wilkes Subglacial Basin. The Wilkes Subglacial Basin is a key target for study because ice-sheet models show it was an area of ice-sheet retreat that significantly contributed to sea-level rise during past warm periods. Depositional ages of dropstones range from early Oligocene to late Pleistocene and have zircon U-Pb or 40Ar/39Ar ages indicating sources from the Mertz shear zone, Adélie craton, Ferrar large igneous province, and Millen schist belt. Dropstones from the Mertz shear zone and Adélie craton experienced three cooling periods (1700–1500 Ma; 500–280 Ma; 34–0 Ma) and two periods of extremely slow cooling rates (1500–500 Ma; 280–34 Ma). Low-temperature thermochronometers from seven of the dropstones record cooling during the Paleozoic, potentially recording the Ross or Pan-African orogenies, and during the Mesozoic, potentially recording late Paleozoic to Mesozoic rifting. These dropstones then resided within ~500 m of the surface since the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic. In contrast, two dropstones deposited during the mid-Pliocene, one from the Mertz shear zone and one from Adélie craton, show evidence for localized post-Eocene glacial erosion of ≥2 km.
Neonatal herpes simplex virus encephalitis with intracranial bleeding in a newborn baby with concurrent rhesus incompatibility
Authors: Clemence Pascal , Mariki Haika , Mkony Martha , Manji Karim Premji
Published: March 2024

We report a baby with neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis concurrent with Rrhesus (Rh) incompatibility. He was delivered by a Ggravida 2 mother with a history of miscarriage in her previous pregnancy at a gestation age of 4 months. She had Bblood group 0 and Rrhesus negative. The baby was noticed to have jaundice on day one1 of life accompanied by generalised petechiae on the face and upper chest. A full blood picture revealed severe anaemia and severe thrombocytopaenia and HSV 1/2 IgM was positive. MRI of the brain showed multiple extensive haemorrhagic lesions on the frontal-temporal regions.
Hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal status of lung cancer dictates metastatic success through differential interaction with NK cells
Authors: Parodi Monica , Centonze Giovanni , Murianni Fabio , Orecchia Paola , Andriani Francesca , Roato Ilaria , Gardelli Cecilia , Balsamo Melissa , Moro Massimo , Taiè Giulia , Pastorino Ugo , Petretto Andrea , Lavarello ‎ Chiara , Milione Massimo , Sozzi Gabriella , Roz Luca , Vitale Massimo , Bertolini Giulia
Published: March 2024

Background

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) endows cancer cells with pro-metastatic properties, which appear most effective when cells enter an intermediate hybrid (H) state, characterized by integrated mesenchymal (M) and epithelial (E) traits. The reasons for this advantage are poorly known and, especially, it is totally unexplored whether the interplay between H-cells and NK cells could have a role. Here we characterize the pro-metastatic mechanics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) H-cells and their subset of cancer-initiating cells (CICs), dissecting crucial interactions with NK cells.

Methods

Human lung cancer cell lines and sublines representative of E, M, or H states, assessed by proteomics, were analyzed in vivo for their tumor-forming and disseminating capabilities. Interactions with NK cells were investigated in vitro using migration assays, cytotoxic degranulation assays, and evaluation of CD133+ CICs modulation after coculture, and validated in vivo through NK cell neutralization assays. Correlation between EMT status, NK cell infiltration, and survival data, was evaluated in a cohort of surgically resected NSCLC cases (n=79).

Results

We demonstrated that H-cells, have limited dissemination capability but show the highest potential to initiate metastases in vivo. This property was related to their ability to escape NK cell surveillance. Mechanistically, H-cells expressed low levels of NK-attracting chemokines (CXCL1 and CXCL8), generating poorly infiltrated metastases. Accordingly, proteomics and GO enrichment analysis of E, H, M cell lines showed that the related secretory processes could change during EMT.

Furthermore, H-CICs uniquely expressed high levels of the inhibitory ligand B7-H3, which protected H-CIC from NK cell-mediated clearance. In vivo neutralization assays confirmed that, indeed, the pro-metastatic properties of H-cells are poorly controlled by NK cells.

Finally, the analysis of patients revealed that detection of hybrid phenotypes associated with low NK infiltration in NSCLC clinical specimens could identify a subset of patients with poor prognosis.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that H-cells play a central role in the metastatic spread in NSCLC. Such pro-metastatic advantage of H-cells is supported by their altered interaction with NK cells and by the critical role of B7-H3 in preserving their H-CIC component, indicating B7-H3 as a potential target in combined NK-based therapies.
Disease activity trajectories from childhood to adulthood in the population-based Nordic juvenile idiopathic arthritis cohort
Authors: Rypdal Veronika , Glerup Mia , Rypdal Martin , Arnstad Ellen , Aalto Kristiina , Berntson Lillemor , Fasth Anders , Herlin Troels , Myrup Charlotte , Peltoniemi Suvi , Rygg Marite , Nordal Ellen Berit
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To identify long-term disease activity trajectories from childhood to adulthood by using the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (cJADAS10) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Second, to evaluate the contribution of the cJADAS10 components and explore characteristics associated with active disease at the 18-year follow-up.

Methods

Patients with onset of JIA in 1997–2000 were followed for 18 years in the population-based Nordic JIA cohort. We used a discrete mixture model for longitudinal clustering of the cJADAS10 and its components. We assessed factors potentially associated with higher scores on the patient’s global assessment of well-being (PaGA) by hierarchical clustering and correlation analysis.

Results

Four disease activity trajectories were identified based on the cJADAS10 components among 427 patients. In trajectory-group 2, the PaGA and the physician’s global assessment of disease activity (PhGA) increased significantly during the course, but not the active joint count. The increase in the PaGA was significantly higher than the increases in the PhGA and the active joint count (p<0.0001). A similar pattern was found among all the patients with active disease in the total cohort. Patients with higher PaGA scores had unfavourable scores on several other patient-reported outcomes.

Conclusions

We have identified groups of patients based on long-term disease activity trajectories. In our study the PaGA was the most important driver of disease activity into adulthood assessed by cJADAS10. We need to better understand how our patients interpret global well-being and implement strategies to achieve inactive disease perceived both by the patient and the physician.
Failure rates of nonoperative management of low-grade splenic injuries with active extravasation: an Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma multicenter study
Authors: Spoor Kristen , Cull John David , Otaibi Banan W , Hazelton Joshua P , Chipko John , Reynolds Jessica , Fugate Sam , Pederson Claire , Zier Linda B , Jacobson Lewis E , Williams Jamie M , Easterday Thomas S , Byerly Saskya , Mentzer Caleb , Hawke Edward , Cullinane Daniel C , Ontengco Julianne B , Bugaev Nikolay , LeClair Madison , Udekwu Pascal , Josephs Cooper , Noorbaksh Matthew , Babowice James , Velopulos Catherine Garrison , Urban Shane , Goldenberg Anna , Ghobrial Gaby , Pickering John M , Quarfordt Steven D , Aunchman Alia F , LaRiccia Aimee K , Spalding Chance , Catalano Richard D , Basham Jordan E , Edmundson Philip M , Nahmias Jeffry , Tay Erika , Norwood Scott H , Meadows Katelyn , Wong Yee , Hardman Claire
Published: March 2024

Objectives

There is little evidence guiding the management of grade I–II traumatic splenic injuries with contrast blush (CB). We aimed to analyze the failure rate of nonoperative management (NOM) of grade I–II splenic injuries with CB in hemodynamically stable patients.

Methods

A multicenter, retrospective cohort study examining all grade I–II splenic injuries with CB was performed at 21 institutions from January 1, 2014, to October 31, 2019. Patients >18 years old with grade I or II splenic injury due to blunt trauma with CB on CT were included. The primary outcome was the failure of NOM requiring angioembolization/operation. We determined the failure rate of NOM for grade I versus grade II splenic injuries. We then performed bivariate comparisons of patients who failed NOM with those who did not.

Results

A total of 145 patients were included. Median Injury Severity Score was 17. The combined rate of failure for grade I–II injuries was 20.0%. There was no statistical difference in failure of NOM between grade I and II injuries with CB (18.2% vs 21.1%, p>0.05). Patients who failed NOM had an increased median hospital length of stay (p=0.024) and increased need for blood transfusion (p=0.004) and massive transfusion (p=0.030). Five patients (3.4%) died and 96 (66.2%) were discharged home, with no differences between those who failed and those who did not fail NOM (both p>0.05).

Conclusion

NOM of grade I–II splenic injuries with CB fails in 20% of patients.

Level of evidence

IV.
The utility of monitoring snow for microplastics in the Arctic: a pilot study from Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut
Authors: Hamilton Bonnie M. , Harris Les N. , Provencher Jennifer F. , Rochman Chelsea M.
Published: March 2024

Plastic pollution, including microplastics (<5 mm) has been identified as an emerging contaminant of Arctic concern and has been observed in wildlife, water, sediment, air, and snow. Because snow is relatively easy to sample and process for microplastics, it may be a useful compartment to monitor to assess patterns of microplastic contamination in polar regions. Microplastics can enter the Arctic through both long-range transport pathways and from local sources. By sampling snow across spatial scales, and multiple distances from local communities, researchers can explore local and distant sources of microplastics, thereby informing management strategies. With this in mind, we aimed to quantify mass concentrations of microplastics in snow samples collected north-east of Iqaluktuuttiaq, Nunavut. We sampled five sites in a transect moving away from town and quantified microplastics using Pyrolysis/gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. We found microplastics at every location, but patterns along the transect were unclear. We observed differences in polymer types at sampling sites closer to the community compared to sites further away suggesting the presence of local inputs. Overall, we highlight the use of snow as a local monitoring tool to assess contamination and sources of microplastics in the Arctic to inform future long-term monitoring programs.
Large-scale digital signatures of emotional response to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign
Authors: Bertani Anna , Gallotti Riccardo , Menini Stefano , Sacco Pierluigi , De Domenico Manlio
Published: March 2024

The same individuals can express very different emotions in online social media with respect to face-to-face interactions, partially because of intrinsic limitations of the digital environments and partially because of their algorithmic design, which is optimized to maximize engagement. Such differences become even more pronounced for topics concerning socially sensitive and polarizing issues, such as massive pharmaceutical interventions. Here, we investigate how online emotional responses change during the large-scale COVID-19 vaccination campaign with respect to a baseline in which no specific contentious topic dominates. We show that the online discussions during the pandemic generate a vast spectrum of emotional response compared to the baseline, especially when we take into account the characteristics of the users and the type of information shared in the online platform. Furthermore, we analyze the role of the political orientation of shared news, whose circulation seems to be driven not only by their actual informational content but also by the social need to strengthen one’s affiliation to, and positioning within, a specific online community by means of emotionally arousing posts. Our findings stress the importance of better understanding the emotional reactions to contentious topics at scale from digital signatures, while providing a more quantitative assessment of the ongoing online social dynamics to build a faithful picture of offline social implications.
Holographic two-point functions in medium
Authors: Park Chanyong , Kim Se-Jin , Lee Jung Hun
Published: March 2024

In this paper, we study two-point correlation function in a medium composed of two kinds of matter, which is the dual of a three-dimensional generalized p-brane gas geometry. Following the holographic prescription, we calculate temporal and spatial two-point functions in the medium. In general, the screening effect of the medium makes two-point functions decreases more rapidly than the CFTs two-point function. In the extremal limit, however, we find that a temporal two-point function is still conformal. This indicates that a two-dimensional UV CFT flows into a one-dimensional quantum mechanics in the IR limit. This is consistent with the fact that the near horizon geometry in the extremal limit reduces to AdS2. We also investigate holographic mutual information representing the correlation between two subsystems. We show that a critical distance in the IR region, where the mutual information vanishes, leads to a similar behavior to the correlation length of a two-point function.
Exploring novel optical soliton solutions for the stochastic chiral nonlinear Schrödinger equation: Stability analysis and impact of parameters
Authors: Rayhanul Islam S. M. , Yiasir Arafat S. M. , Inc Mustafa
Published: March 2024

The primary aim of this investigation is to uncover novel optical soliton solutions (OSSs) and conduct a comprehensive stability analysis of a particular model. The extraction of OSSs is facilitated through two potent techniques: the advanced auxiliary equation and the [Formula: see text]-expansion approaches, both proven to be highly effective in revealing soliton solutions in various nonlinear evolution equations. In this paper, we provide an in-depth exposition of the obtained solutions, elucidating them both graphically and in their physical context. Furthermore, we investigate the influence of diverse parameters on these results by presenting several graphical representations. Additionally, we delve into the stability of equilibria and conduct a thorough phase-plane analysis of the model. To provide a broader context, we also offer a comparative discussion of our solutions in relation to previous works in the field. Considering the significance of the stochastic chiral nonlinear Schrödinger equation in soliton theory, the solutions obtained here hold the potential to illustrate intricate physical phenomena and find applications across diverse fields in the realm of communication systems.
Extremal results on the Mostar index of trees with fixed parameters
Authors: Hayat Fazal , Xu Shou-Jun
Published: March 2024

For a graph [Formula: see text], the Mostar index of [Formula: see text] is the sum of [Formula: see text] over all edges [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denotes the number of vertices of [Formula: see text] that have a smaller distance in [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] than to [Formula: see text], and analogously for [Formula: see text]. We determine all the graphs that maximize and minimize the Mostar index, respectively, over all trees in terms of some fixed parameters like the number of odd vertices, the number of vertices of degree two, and the number of pendent paths of fixed length.
Experimental Study on Electro-Discharge Drilling of NiTiCu10 Shape Memory Alloy
Authors: Om Hari , Singh Shankar
Published: March 2024

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are potential materials in various areas such as engineering and medicine, and their applications are being studied for practical use. SMAs show competence in their main material properties in response to their working environment or external stimuli. Machining of NiTiCu10 SMAs is difficult using traditional machining because of their wide-ranging mechanical properties like high toughness, strength, and sensitivity to phase transformation temperature. Nonconventional machining methods such as electro-discharge machining (EDM) are suitable for effective machining SMAs. The work material NiTiCu10 SMA has been used in this study, and processed using the vacuum induction melting (VIM) technique. The addition of copper leads to increase in the martensitic transformation temperatures. This paper focuses on the electro-discharge drilling (EDD) of NiTiCu10 SMA using copper tool electrode. Experimental analysis of performance criteria has been evaluated by conducting experiments following one factor at a time (OFAT) approach. Machining features such as material removal rate (MRR), tool electrode wear rate (TEWR), and surface roughness (SR) have been studied by considering pulse current ([Formula: see text]), gap voltage ([Formula: see text]), pulse on time ([Formula: see text]), pulse off time ([Formula: see text]), and rotational speed of tool electrode (N). Experimental results have shown that machining at the highest [Formula: see text] of 12[Formula: see text]A yields the highest MRR with the value of 4.077[Formula: see text]mm3/min, whereas mcahining at [Formula: see text] of 15[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s yields the lowest TEWR with the value of 0.031[Formula: see text]mm3/min. The lowest SR is 2.8[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m achieved at the lowest [Formula: see text] of 15[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s. Surface morphology is significant in quality evaluation in the manufacturing, and building industries because it directly determines the mechanical performance of parts, and the service life of products. Morphological investigation via scanning electron microscope (SEM) has confirmed the formation of craters, debris, microcracks, and resolidified layers. The benefit of this study has been that we have been able to select the range of significant control factors, and predict their levels, for decisive experimentation.
Fracture behaviour of bicrystalline graphene characterized via freestanding indentation
Authors: Cao Guoxin , Ren Y.
Published: March 2024

Using molecular mechanics (MM) simulations, the failure stress of bicrystalline graphene with different tilt angles is investigated using their free-standing indentation behaviour, in which two types of grain boundaries, including armchair (ac) and zigzag (zz) grain boundaries, and two types of indenter tip, including cylindrical and spherical tips are considered. For reference purposes, the corresponding results under inplane stretching are also examined. It is found that the failure stress of grain boundary (GB) in bicrystalline graphene decreases with the decrease of the GB tilt angle [Formula: see text], which is similar to that determined in inplane stretching. In indentation, the stress concentration under the indenter tip will decrease the failure stress of graphene; in addition, the out-of-plane deformation of graphene in indentation can partially release the pretension induced by the GB in bicrystalline graphene. For the GB with a small prestress, the effect of the former is larger than that of the latter; but for the GB with a larger prestress, the effect of the latter is larger than that of the former. Consequently, the effect of tilt angle [Formula: see text] on the GB strength of bicrystalline graphene is lower in indentation than that given by inplane stretching.
Diagenetic products, settings and evolution of the pre-salt succession in the Northern Campos Basin, Brazil
Authors: Strugale Michael , Lima Bruno Eustáquio Moreira , Day Christopher , Omma Jenny , Rushton Jeremy , Olivito João Paulo Roncolatto , Bouch Jon , Robb Laurence , Roberts Nick , Cartwright Joe
Published: March 2024

Despite all the effort made towards an understanding of the sedimentary, tectonic and diagenetic evolution of the pre-salt sequence and the Pre-Salt reservoirs of the Northern Campos Basin (East Brazil), two knowledge gaps have yet to be filled: (1) a detailed study of diagenesis in the crystalline basement and rift phases; and (2) the timing of diagenetic events that affected the pre-salt succession. In this study, samples from these geologic units were analysed for mineral composition and paragenetic evolution, fluid temperature and salinity, stable isotope compositions and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer derived U–Pb ages of carbonate phases. The U–Pb ages of replacive and vein-filling cements reveal three tectono-diagenetic events, named the Barremian–Aptian (BADE, 125–117 Ma), the Albo–Cenomanian (ACDE, 103–98 Ma) and the Campanian–Maastrichtian (CMDE, 83–70 Ma). Each phase is characterized by distinct minerals, precipitation temperatures and burial conditions. The hydrothermal qualifier, identified by the temperature contrast between fluid and host rock, was initially high during BADE, then diminished over time (through ACDE) until it achieved equilibrium with the host rocks during CMDE. Diagenetic events are not coeval with magmatism but do coincide with known regional tectonic events described in the literature and are interpreted to be the result of increasing intraplate stresses. Multidisciplinary studies that include diagenetic events constrained by geochronological data will certainly lead to more robust conceptual geologic models, and, therefore, to a more reliable management of resources and strategies such as enhanced oil recovery, carbon capture, utilization and storage, and drinking water.
Self-supervised Bipartite Graph Representation Learning: A Dirichlet Max-margin Matrix Factorization Approach
Authors: Zhong Shenghai , Guo Shu , Liu Jing , Huang Hongren , Wang Lihong , Li Jianxin , Li Chen , Hei Yiming
Published: March 2024

Bipartite graph representation learning aims to obtain node embeddings by compressing sparse vectorized representations of interactions between two types of nodes, e.g., users and items. Incorporating structural attributes among homogeneous nodes, such as user communities, improves the identification of similar interaction preferences, namely, user/item embeddings, for downstream tasks. However, existing methods often fail to proactively discover and fully utilize these latent structural attributes. Moreover, the manual collection and labeling of structural attributes is always costly. In this article, we propose a novel approach called Dirichlet Max-margin Matrix Factorization (DM3F), which adopts a self-supervised strategy to discover latent structural attributes and model discriminative node representations. Specifically, in self-supervised learning, our approach generates pseudo group labels (i.e., structural attributes) as a supervised signal using the Dirichlet process without relying on manual collection and labeling, and employs them in a max-margin classification. Additionally, we introduce a Variational Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm (Variational MCMC) to effectively update the parameters. The experimental results on six real datasets demonstrate that, in the majority of cases, the proposed method outperforms existing approaches based on matrix factorization and neural networks. Furthermore, the modularity analysis confirms the effectiveness of our model in capturing structural attributes to produce high-quality user embeddings.
Tracking and Disturbance Suppression of the Radio Telescope Servo System Based on the Equivalent-Input-Disturbance Approach
Authors: Yang Lei , Wang Na , Liu Zhiyong , Li Ning
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a composite control algorithm for the radio telescope servo control system to address the target tracking and matched/mismatched disturbance suppression problems. The algorithm consists of the equivalent-input-disturbance (EID) approach and the optimal control method. An EID estimator is developed using the difference between the estimated output of the state observer and the measurement output and then the estimate of the EID is fed forward into the control input to reject the disturbance. A cost function with clear physical meaning is selected and the weighting parameters are adjusted for the optimal controller to improve tracking performance. Considering the nonminimum phase characteristics of the radio telescope system, the state observer gain is computed using the linear matrix inequality (LMI) method. The system stability is analyzed using the small gain theorem, and the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) control method is utilized to determine the state feedback gain. Finally, the composite controller is designed for an identified telescope model. Simulation results show that for the tracking performance, the settling time of proposed method is 1.13 s and reduces by about 0.32 s and 0.87 s than that of the ADRC controller and PI controller, respectively. For the antidisturbance performance, the RMS value and the maximum error of the proposed method are 0.0039 and 0.0128, which are 42.86% and 40.38% of the ADRC controller and 30.71% and 27.77% of the PI controller, respectively, which indicates that the proposed method has better control performance. In addition, the proposed controller has certain robustness to systematic parameter perturbations.