bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Cauchy problem for Boltzmann equation modeling a polyatomic gas
Authors: Gamba Irene M. , Pavić-Čolić Milana
Published: January 2023

In the present article, we consider the Boltzmann equation that models a polyatomic gas by introducing one additional continuous variable, referred to as microscopic internal energy. We establish existence and uniqueness theory in the space homogeneous setting for the full non-linear case, under an extended Grad-type assumption on transition probability rates, which comprises hard potentials for both the relative speed and internal energy with the rate in the interval 0,2, multiplied by an integrable angular part and integrable partition functions. The Cauchy problem is resolved by means of an abstract ordinary differential equation (ODE) theory in Banach spaces for the initial data with finite and strictly positive gas mass and energy, finite momentum, and additionally finite K* polynomial moment, with K* depending on the rate of the transition probability and the structure of a polyatomic molecule or its internal degrees of freedom. Moreover, we prove that polynomially and exponentially weighted Banach space norms associated with the solution are both generated and propagated uniformly in time.
Anomalous Nernst effect in compensated ferrimagnetic CoxGd1-x films
Authors: Liu Ruihao , Cai Li , Xu Teng , Liu Jiahao , Cheng Yang , Jiang Wanjun
Published: January 2023

The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) is one of the most intriguing thermoelectric phenomena, which has attracted growing interest both for its underlying physics and potential applications. Typically, a large ANE response is observed in magnets with pronounced magnetizations or nontrivial Berry curvature. Here, we report a significant ANE signal in compensated ferrimagnetic CoxGd1-x amorphous films, which exhibit vanishingly small magnetization. In particular, we found that the polarity of ANE signal is dominated by the magnetization orientation of the transition metal Co sublattices, rather than the net magnetization of CoxGd1-x films. This observation is not expected from the conventional understandings of ANE but is analogous to the anomalous Hall effect in compensated ferrimagnets. The joint contribution from the Berry curvature and the scattering mechanisms near the Co-dominant Fermi surface could interpret the Co-dominant property of ANE. Our work may trigger a more comprehensive understanding of ANE and may be useful for building energy-harvesting devices by employing ANE in compensated ferrimagnets.
Insight on hydrogen injection and GdOx/Co interface chemistry from in operando neutron reflectometry and secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Sheffels S. , Balakrishnan P. P. , Huang M. , Muramoto S. , Borchers J. A. , Dura J. A. , Grutter A. J. , Beach G. S. D.
Published: January 2023

Ionic and redox control of magnetism can produce large changes to a variety of magnetic properties using a relatively small voltage. A model structure that continues to be of interest is Pt/Co/GdOxHy/Au, where the Co magnetic layer oxidation state and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy can be toggled using voltage control of proton transport through the GdOxHy electrolyte layer. The hydration of the oxide layer to form a hydroxide phase is the key to improve the speed of these magneto-ionic devices, but there is insufficient understanding of protonic defect incorporation and transport during hydration and electrical gating. In this work, we use polarized neutron reflectometry (PNR) to observe the effects of hydration and electrical gating by scanning in an as-grown state, a hydrated state, and in operando during electrical gating. We directly measure the depth profile of hydrogen and confirm the transformation from oxide (Gd2O3) to hydroxide [Gd(OH)3]. We observe the accumulation of H in the Co magnetic layer and the effects of gating on the structure and hydrogen content of the other layers in the device stack. Using PNR and secondary ion mass spectrometry, we find evidence for much more complex chemistry at the Co/GdOxHy interface than was previously assumed, including evidence for persistent CoO phases and CoOxHy phases. We offer insight on using PNR to observe relatively fast proton dynamics in the system and fitting a rather complex set of parameters to achieve a physical result for the fit spectrum and scattering length density profiles.
Statistics of geometrical invariants of magnetic field gradient tensors in the turbulent magnetosheath based on magnetospheric multiscale mission
Authors: Ji Yong , Shen Chao , Ma Lan , Ren Nian , Ahmad Nisar
Published: January 2023

Geometrical invariants of magnetic field gradient tensors are used to classify the topological structures of a magnetic field. This study presents a statistical analysis on the geometrical invariants of magnetic field gradient based on high-quality data measured by magnetospheric multiscale mission in turbulent magnetosheath. The method for the classification of velocity field topologies cannot be applied to magnetic field with strong intensity directly because the magnetic field cannot be transformed to zero by selecting a co-moving reference frame in which the velocity is zero. During a strong magnetic field, flux ropes and tubes are the most possible magnetic structures. Statistics in the plane formed by geometrical invariants show that about 23% are force-free structures comprised of 20.5% flux tubes and 79.5% flux ropes. The remaining actively evolved structures are comprised of 30% flux tubes and 70% flux ropes. Moreover, the conditional average of current density and Lorentz force decomposition in geometrical invariants plane are investigated. The results show that flux ropes carried more current density than flux tubes for the same geometrical invariants, and flux ropes tend to associate with magnetic pressure force and flux tubes tend to associate with magnetic tension.
Axial vs equatorial: Capturing the intramolecular charge transfer state geometry in conformational polymorphic crystals of a donor–bridge–acceptor dyad in nanosecond-time-scale
Authors: Basuroy Krishnayan , Velazquez-Garcia Jose de J. , Storozhuk Darina , Henning Robert , Gosztola David J. , Thekku Veedu Sreevidya , Techert Simone
Published: January 2023

Two conformational polymorphs of a donor–bridge–acceptor (D-B-A) dyad, p-(CH3)2N-C6H4-(CH2)2-(1-pyrenyl)/PyCHDMA, were studied, where the electron donor (D) moiety p-(CH3)2N-C6H4/DMA is connected through a bridging group (B), –CH2–CH2–, to the electron acceptor (A) moiety pyrene. Though molecular dyads like PyCHDMA have the potential to change solar energy into electrical current through the process of photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), the major challenge is the real-time investigation of the photoinduced ICT process in crystals, necessary to design solid-state optoelectronic materials. The time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements with the single crystals showed that the ICT state lifetime of the thermodynamic form, PyCHDMA1 (pyrene and DMA: axial), is ∼3 ns, whereas, for the kinetic form, PyCHDMA20 (pyrene and DMA: equatorial), it is ∼7 ns, while photoexcited with 375 nm radiation. The polymorphic crystals were photo-excited and subsequently probed with a pink Laue x-ray beam in time-resolved x-ray diffraction (TRXRD) measurements. The TRXRD results suggest that in the ICT state, due to electron transfer from the tertiary N-atom in DMA moiety to the bridging group and pyrene moiety, a decreased repulsion between the lone-pair and the bond-pair at N-atom induces planarity in the C–N–(CH3)2 moiety, in both polymorphs. The Natural Bond Orbital calculations and partial atomic charge analysis by Hirshfeld partitioning also corroborated the same. Although the interfragment charge transfer (IFCT) analysis using the TDDFT results showed that for the charge transfer excitation in both conformers, the electrons were transferred from the DMA moiety to mostly the pyrene moiety, the bridging group has little role to play in that.
Overcoming positivity violations for density matrices in surface hopping
Authors: Bondarenko Anna S. , Tempelaar Roel
Published: January 2023

Fewest-switches surface hopping (FSSH) has emerged as one of the leading methods for modeling the quantum dynamics of molecular systems. While its original formulation was limited to adiabatic populations, the growing interest in the application of FSSH to coherent phenomena prompts the question of how one should construct a complete density matrix based on FSSH trajectories. A straightforward solution is to define adiabatic coherences based on wavefunction coefficients. In this paper, we demonstrate that inconsistencies introduced in the density matrix through such treatment may lead to a violation of positivity. We furthermore show that a recently proposed coherent generalization of FSSH results in density matrices that satisfy positivity while yielding improved accuracy throughout much (but not all) of parameter space.
Structural variations of endothelial cell monolayer under startup shear conditions
Authors: Psaraki Konstantina , Mitsoulas Vlasios , Pavlou Stavros , Dimakopoulos Yannis
Published: January 2023

We study the response of an endothelial cell monolayer lining the bottom surface of a cartesian Couette geometry in variations of critical shearing parameters that affect the fluid environment, such as the gap distance between the upper moving and the bottom stationary plates and the velocity of the moving plate. Specifically, we propose an in silico rheometric emulation based on startup shear experiments in a representative two-dimensional domain of the monolayer that accounts for the interaction of the blood plasma and the deformable multilayer poroelastic endothelial cells. We present quantitative predictions for the shear and normal stresses on each cell compartment (membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus) and their structural changes. We show that the variation of the Wall Shear Stress (WSS) along the cell membrane is considered significant and strongly dependent on the shape of the cell, while membrane thinning is more prominent at the locus of high WSS in the range of physiological velocities. However, under extreme velocities, wall thinning prevails at the locus of flow stagnation.
Generating accurate density matrices on the tangent space of a Grassmann manifold
Authors: Tan Jake A. , Lao Ka Un
Published: January 2023

Interpolating a density matrix from a set of known density matrices is not a trivial task. This is because a linear combination of density matrices does not necessarily correspond to another density matrix. In this Communication, density matrices are examined as objects of a Grassmann manifold. Although this manifold is not a vector space, its tangent space is a vector space. As a result, one can map the density matrices on this manifold to their corresponding vectors in the tangent space and then perform interpolations on that tangent space. The resulting interpolated vector can be mapped back to the Grassmann manifold, which can then be utilized (1) as an optimal initial guess for a self-consistent field (SCF) calculation or (2) to derive energy directly without time-consuming SCF iterations. Such a promising approach is denoted as Grassmann interpolation (G-Int). The hydrogen molecule has been used to illustrate that the described interpolated method in this work preserves the essential attributes of a density matrix. For phosphorus mononitride and ferrocene, it was demonstrated numerically that reference points for the definition of the corresponding tangent spaces can be chosen arbitrarily. In addition, the interpolated density matrices provide a superior and essentially converged initial guess for an SCF calculation to make the SCF procedure itself unnecessary. Finally, this accurate, efficient, robust, and systematically improved G-Int strategy has been used for the first time to generate highly accurate potential energy surfaces with fine details for the difficult case, ferrocene.
Climate change framing and innovator attention: Evidence from an email field experiment
Authors: Guzman Jorge , Joohyun Oh Jean , Sen Ananya
Published: January 2023

Drawing the attention of innovators to climate change is important for green innovation. We report an email field experiment with MIT using messages about the impact of climate change to invite innovators (SBIR grantees) to apply to a technology competition. We vary our messages on the time frame and scale of the human cost of climate change across scientifically valid scenarios. Innovator attention (clicks) is sensitive to climate change messaging. These changes in clicks also predict higher application rates. The response varies by individual characteristics such as location-based exposure to climate change risks and whether innovators have climate-related innovations. Finally, using a structural model of innovator attention, we provide estimates of the implied discount rate of time and the elasticity of attention to lives at stake.
Engineered adhesion molecules drive synapse organization
Authors: Hale W. Dylan , Südhof Thomas C. , Huganir Richard L.
Published: January 2023

In multicellular organisms, cell-adhesion molecules connect cells into tissues and mediate intercellular signaling between these cells. In vertebrate brains, synaptic cell-adhesion molecules (SAMs) guide the formation, specification, and plasticity of synapses. Some SAMs, when overexpressed in cultured neurons or in heterologous cells co-cultured with neurons, drive formation of synaptic specializations onto the overexpressing cells. However, genetic deletion of the same SAMs from neurons often has no effect on synapse numbers, but frequently severely impairs synaptic transmission, suggesting that most SAMs control the function and plasticity of synapses (i.e., organize synapses) instead of driving their initial establishment (i.e., make synapses). Since few SAMs were identified that mediate initial synapse formation, it is difficult to develop methods that enable experimental control of synaptic connections by targeted expression of these SAMs. To overcome this difficulty, we engineered novel SAMs from bacterial proteins with no eukaryotic homologues that drive synapse formation. We named these engineered adhesion proteins “Barnoligin” and “Starexin” because they were assembled from parts of Barnase and Neuroligin-1 or of Barstar and Neurexin3β, respectively. Barnoligin and Starexin robustly induce the formation of synaptic specializations in a specific and directional manner in cultured neurons. Synapse formation by Barnoligin and Starexin requires both their extracellular Barnase- and Barstar-derived interaction domains and their Neuroligin- and Neurexin-derived intracellular signaling domains. Our findings support a model of synapse formation whereby trans-synaptic interactions by SAMs drive synapse organization via adhesive interactions that activate signaling cascades.
Grammar (morphosyntax) and discourse
Authors: Tsunoda Tasaku
Published: January 2023

The present work attempts to examine the relationship between grammar and discourse. (i) First, it compares
Warrongo (an ergative language that has antipassives and an S/O pivot) and English (an accusative language that has passives and
an S/A pivot). Despite these polar opposite morphosyntactic characteristics, Warrongo and English behave almost in the same way in
discourse – in terms of new mentions, lexical mentions and topic continuity. There are, however, two differences in discourse.
First, Warrongo antipassives and S/O pivot have much higher functional loads than English passives and S/A pivot. Second, Warrongo
antipassives have a use that English passives do not have. (ii) Then, the present work shows that grammar and discourse are not
independent of each other and that they share one principle. The hierarchy of “O > S > A” is attested in grammar and
discourse crosslinguistically and irrespective of the morphosyntactic types of the languages concerned.
Myelination generates aberrant ultrastructure that is resolved by microglia
Authors: Djannatian Minou , Radha Swathi , Weikert Ulrich , Safaiyan Shima , Wrede Christoph , Deichsel Cassandra , Kislinger Georg , Rhomberg Agata , Ruhwedel Torben , Campbell Douglas S. , van Ham Tjakko , Schmid Bettina , Hegermann Jan , Möbius Wiebke , Schifferer Martina , Simons Mikael
Published: January 2023

To enable rapid propagation of action potentials, axons are ensheathed by myelin, a multilayered insulating membrane formed by oligodendrocytes. Most of the myelin is generated early in development, resulting in the generation of long-lasting stable membrane structures. Here, we explored structural and dynamic changes in central nervous system myelin during development. To achieve this, we performed an ultrastructural analysis of mouse optic nerves by serial block face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) and confocal time-lapse imaging in the zebrafish spinal cord. We found that myelin undergoes extensive ultrastructural changes during early postnatal development. Myelin degeneration profiles were engulfed and phagocytosed by microglia using exposed phosphatidylserine as one “eat me” signal. In contrast, retractions of entire myelin sheaths occurred independently of microglia and involved uptake of myelin by the oligodendrocyte itself. Our findings show that the generation of myelin early in development is an inaccurate process associated with aberrant ultrastructural features that require substantial refinement.
The distortions of the free water model for diffusion MRI data when assuming single compartment relaxometry and proton density
Authors: Ferizi Uran , Müller-Oehring Eva M , Peterson Eric T , Pohl Kilian M
Published: January 2023

Objective. To document the bias of the simplified free water model of diffusion MRI (dMRI) signal vis-à-vis a specific model which, in addition to diffusion, incorporates compartment-specific proton density (PD), T1 recovery during repetition time (TR), and T2 decay during echo time (TE). Approach. Both models assume that volume fraction f of the total signal in any voxel arises from the free water compartment (fw) such as cerebrospinal fluid or edema, and the remainder (1-f) from hindered water (hw) which is constrained by cellular structures such as white matter (WM). The specific and simplified models are compared on a synthetic dataset, using a range of PD, T1 and T2 values. We then fit the models to an in vivo healthy brain dMRI dataset. For both synthetic and in vivo data we use experimentally feasible TR, TE, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and physiologically plausible diffusion profiles. Main results. From the simulations we see that the difference between the estimated simplified f and specific f is largest for mid-range ground-truth f, and it increases as SNR increases. The estimation of volume fraction f is sensitive to the choice of model, simplified or specific, but the estimated diffusion parameters are robust to small perturbations in the simulation. Specific f is more accurate and precise than simplified f. In the white matter (WM) regions of the in vivo images, specific f is lower than simplified f. Significance. In dMRI models for free water, accounting for compartment specific PD, T1 and T2, in addition to diffusion, improves the estimation of model parameters. This extra model specification attenuates the estimation bias of compartmental volume fraction without affecting the estimation of other diffusion parameters.
Independent and interactive effects of eCO2 and eTemp. on Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) on Maize-A major input for prediction of future pest scenario
Authors: Srinivasa Rao M , Prasad T V , Vanaja M , Gayatri D L A , Srinivas K , Pratibha G , Srinivas  , Rama Rao C A , Prabhakar M , Yadav S K , Bhaskar S , Singh V K
Published: January 2023

Climate change is now unequivocal and influences crops and the incidence of insect pests. Understanding the spatially variable, species-specific, and complex effects of climate change is essential in developing an appropriate pest management strategy. The two dimensions of climate change i.e., elevated temperature (eTemp.) and elevated CO2 (eCO2) influence insect herbivores. In the present study, the growth and development of an invasive insect pest, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on maize at eCO2 and eTemp conditions using CO2 and temperature Gradient Chambers (CTGC) was estimated. Dilution of bio-chemical constituents was noted with lower leaf nitrogen (9%–14%), higher carbon (3%–11%), higher C : N (18%–26%), and higher tannins (13%) in maize foliage at eCO2+eTemp levels. A significant influence on primary parameters of insect viz., higher total consumption by larvae (38%), extended larval duration (13%) with increased larval weights (17%), and differential pupal weights (14%) in successive generations was recorded at eCO2 + eTemp compared to ambient. Their effect was continued on various insect performance indices also, with higher relative consumption rate, RCR (40%), lower relative growth rate, RGR (11%), and varied approximate digestibility (AD), the efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and digested food (ECD) of S frugiperda larvae. The interactive effect of eCO2 and eTemp led to a higher Potential Population Increase Index (PPII) (19%) due to higher fecund adults. The effect of eCO2 offsets the impact of eTemp when interacting together on some of the insect parameters. The present results indicate that eCO2 and eTemp play a key role in influencing the growth and development of S frugiperda indicating higher pest incidence in future climate change periods.
Predicting the work function of 2D MXenes using machine-learning methods
Authors: Roy Pranav , Rekhi Lavie , Koh See Wee , Li Hong , Choksi Tej S
Published: January 2023

MXenes, which are graphene-like two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have tunable compositions and exhibit rich surface chemistry. This compositional flexibility has resulted in exquisitely tunable electronic, optical, and mechanical properties leading to the applications of MXenes in catalysis, electronics, and energy storage. The work function of MXenes is an important fundamental property that dictates the suitability of MXenes for these applications. We present a series of machine learning models to predict the work function of MXenes having generic compositions and containing surfaces terminated by O*, OH*, F*, and bare metal atoms. Our model uses the basic chemical properties of the elements constituting the MXene as features, and is trained on 275 data points from the Computational 2D Materials Database. Using 15 different features of the MXene as inputs, the neural network model predicts the work function of MXenes with a mean absolute error of 0.12 eV on the training data and 0.25 eV on the testing data. Our feature importance analysis indicates that properties of atoms terminating the MXene surface like their electronegativity, most strongly influence the work function. This sensitivity of the work function to the surface termination is also elucidated through experimental measurements on Ti3C2. We introduce reduced-order models comprising of ten-, eight-, and five-features to predict the work function. These reduced-order models exhibit easier transferability to new materials, while exhibiting a marginal increased mean average error. We demonstrate the transferability of these reduced order models to new materials, by predicting the work function of MXenes having surface terminations beyond the original training set, like Br*, Cl*, S*, N*, and NH*. Predicting electronic properties like the work function from the basic chemical properties of elements, paves the way towards rapidly identifying tailored MXenes having a targeted range of properties that are required for a specific application.
Condition evaluation of in-service concrete electric poles based on improved multi-granularity cascading forest
Authors: Hengbo Xu , Fengjun Li , Xuan Dong
Published: January 2023

The collapse accident of in service concrete poles has seriously affected the safe operation of the distribution network. Accurate assessment and reinforcement of concrete poles in danger can greatly reduce the occurrence of concrete pole breaking accidents. In this paper, an improved multi granularity cascade forest model is proposed to predict the safety of concrete poles. Firstly, 12 features are selected. In order to reduce the influence of redundant features on prediction accuracy, the importance of random forest features is used to select features; After sorting the features according to Pearson correlation coefficient, the improved multi granularity scanning strategy (IMGSS) is used to scan the features to preserve the correlation between features. Finally, the weak classifier in the original deep forest is improved, and all of them are replaced by extreme random trees. Bayesian method is used to optimize the hyperparameters in the model. The experimental results show that the prediction accuracy of the improved multi granularity cascade forest is as high as 92.62%, which is higher than the traditional machine learning algorithm and can effectively evaluate the safety state of concrete poles.
Cobalt nanoparticles cause allergic contact dermatitis in humans
Authors: Midander Klara , Werner Paulina , Isaksson Marléne , Wisgrill Lukas , Lidén Carola , Fyhrquist Nanna , Julander Anneli
Published: January 2023

Background

Cobalt (Co) causes allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and the emerging use of Co nanoparticles (CoNPs) warrants gaining further insight into its potential to elicit ACD in sensitized individuals.

Objectives

The aims of the study were to clarify to what extent CoNPs may elicit ACD responses in participants with Co contact allergy, and to evaluate whether the nanoparticles cause a distinct immune response compared with cobalt chloride (CoCl2) in the skin reactions.

Methods

Fourteen individuals with Co contact allergy were exposed to CoNPs, CoCl2, a Co-containing hard-metal disc (positive control), and an empty test chamber (negative control) by patch testing. Allergic responses were evaluated clinically by a dermatologist at Days 2, 4 and 7. At Day 2, patch-test chambers were removed, and remaining test-substance and skin-wipe samples were collected for inductive-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. Additionally, skin biopsies were taken from patch-test reactions at Day 4 for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, histopathology and ICP-MS analysis of Co skin penetration.

Results

Patch testing with CoNPs elicited allergic reactions in Co-sensitized individuals. At all timepoints, clinical assessment revealed significantly lower frequencies of positive patch-test reactions to CoNPs compared with CoCl2 or to the positive control. CoNPs elicited comparable immune responses to CoCl2. Chemical analysis of Co residues in patch-test filters, and on skin, shows lower doses for CoNPs compared with CoCl2.

Conclusions

CoNPs potently elicit immune responses in Co-sensitized individuals. Even though patch testing with CoNPs resulted in a lower skin dose than CoCl2, identical immunological profiles were present. Further research is needed to identify the potential harm of CoNPs to human health.
Update on the management of Bowen disease with a focus on patients’ needs
Authors: Berking Carola
Published: January 2023

Invited Editorial on the update of the British guidelines on SCC in situ.
Management of anastomotic leakage after robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy with an intrathoracic anastomosis
Authors: de Groot Eline M , Bronzwaer Sebastiaan F C , Goense Lucas , Kingma B Feike , van der Horst Sylvia , van den Berg Jan Willem , Ruurda Jelle P , van Hillegersberg Richard
Published: January 2023

Anastomotic leakage is a feared complication after esophagectomy and associated with increased post-operative morbidity and mrotality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the management of leakage after robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) with intrathoracic anastomosis. From a single center prospectively maintained database, all patients with anastomotic leakages defined by the Esophageal Complications Consensus Group between 2016 and 2021 were included. Contained leakage was defined as presence of air or fluid at level of the anastomosis without the involvement of the mediastinum or thorax. Non-contained leakage was defined as mediastinitis and/or mediastinal/pleural fluid collections. The primary outcome was 90-day mortality and the secondary outcome was successful recovery. In this study, 40 patients with anastomotic leakage were included. The 90-day mortality rate was 3% (n = 1). Leakage was considered contained in 29 patients (73%) and non-contained in 11 patients (27%). In the contained group, the majority of the patients were treated non-surgically (n = 27, 93%) and management was successful in 22 patients (76%). In the non-contained group, all patients required a reoperation with thoracic drainage and management was successful in seven patients (64%). Management failed in 11 patients (28%) of whom 7 developed an esophagobronchial fistula, 3 had a disconnection of the anastomosis and 1 died of a septic bleeding. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the management anastomotic leakage in patients who underwent RAMIE with an intrathoracic anastomosis was successful in 73% of the patients with a 90-day mortality rate of 3%. A differentiated approach for the management of intrathoracic anastomotic leakage is proposed.
Anterior vs. posterior position of dispersive patch during radiofrequency catheter ablation: insights fromin silicomodelling
Authors: Irastorza Ramiro M , Maher Timothy , Barkagan Michael , Liubasuskas Rokas , Berjano Enrique , d’Avila Andre
Published: January 2023

Aims

To test the hypothesis that the dispersive patch (DP) location does not significantly affect the current distribution around the catheter tip during radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) but may affect lesions size through differences in impedance due to factors far from the catheter tip.

Methods

An in silico model of RFCA in the posterior left atrium and anterior right ventricle was created using anatomic measurements from patient thoracic computed tomography scans and tested the effect of anterior vs. posterior DP locations on baseline impedance, myocardial power delivery, radiofrequency current path, and predicted lesion size.

Results

For posterior left atrium ablation, the baseline impedance, total current delivered, current distribution, and proportion of power delivered to the myocardium were all similar with both anterior and posterior DP locations, resulting in similar RFCA lesion sizes (< 0.2 mm difference). For anterior right ventricular (RV) ablation, an anterior DP location resulted in slightly higher proportion of power delivered to the myocardium and lower baseline impedance leading to slightly larger RFCA lesions (0.6 mm deeper and 0.8 mm wider).

Conclusions

An anterior vs. posterior DP location will not meaningfully affect RFCA for posterior left atrial ablation, and the slightly larger lesions predicted with anterior DP location for anterior RV ablation are of unclear clinical significance.
Investigation of the Impact of Childhood Immune Imprinting on Birth Year-Specific Risk of Clinical Infection During Influenza A Virus Epidemics in Hong Kong
Authors: Tsang Tim K , Gostic Katelyn M , Chen Sijie , Wang Yifan , Arevalo Philip , Lau Eric H Y , Cobey Sarah , Cowling Benjamin J
Published: January 2023

Influenza imprinting reduces risks of influenza A virus clinical infection by 40%–90%, estimated from surveillance data in western countries. We analyzed surveillance data from 2010 to 2019 in Hong Kong. Based on the best model, which included hemagglutinin group-level imprinting, we estimated that individuals imprinted to H1N1 or H2N2 had a 17% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3%–28%) lower risk of H1N1 clinical infection, and individuals imprinted to H3N2 would have 12% (95% CI, −3% to 26%) lower risk of H3N2 clinical infection. These estimated imprinting protections were weaker than estimates in western countries. Identifying factors affecting imprinting protections is important for control policies and disease modeling.
Effects of supplementing rice straw with two fodder tree leaves and their combinations on voluntary feed intake, growth, and nitrogen utilization in sheep
Authors: Idan Frank , Adogla-Bessa Tsatsu , Sarkwa Felix O , Frimpong Yaw O , Antwi Christopher
Published: January 2023

Fodder tree leaves (FTL) are limitless nutrient resources that provide high-quality feed, particularly during the dry season, improving animal diets, and reducing the use of concentrates in ruminant livestock farming. In order to determine the benefits of FTL, two experiments were conducted to measure the voluntary feed intake, growth performance, and nitrogen utilization of forest-type (FT) sheep fed rice straw (RS) and supplemented with either Leucaena leucocephala (LEU) or Samanea saman (SAM) or their equal combination (LS). For the growth trial (Experiment 1), 12 male FT sheep with mean initial body weight (BW) of 17.0 ± 1.0 kg (mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design. The diets were Urea-treated RS (UTS) (Control), RS + L (LEU), RS + S (SAM), and RS + 50% L + 50% S (LS). After 14 d of adjustment period, feed intakes and refusals were recorded daily, whereas BW was recorded bi-weekly for 12 wk. Four rams weighing 17.0 ± 1.0 kg BW were randomly assigned to the four treatments over a four period in a repeated (4 × 4) Latin square design to estimate the nitrogen (N) balance study (Experiment 2). Treatment diets were the same as that of Experiment 1. Dry matter intake of straw was highest (P = 0.0001) for sheep fed UTS. However, combining L with S increased (P = 0.0001) straw DM intake compared to feeding L or S alone. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in total feed intake between sheep offered UTS and LS, but both were significantly higher (P = 0.0001) than those offered LEU and SAM. Body weight gain (3.70 kg) and growth rate (196.15 g/d) were highest (P = 0.0001) for sheep offered LS compared to the other treatment groups. Values for N balance differed (P = 0.0001) among treatment diets. N balance for LUE and LS supplemented diets were higher than that of SAM but all were higher (P = 0.0001) than those offered UTS. Leucaena and Samanea leaves could, therefore, be utilized as supplement to poor-quality straws to improve the productivity of small ruminants especially during the long dry seasons in the tropics.
Mandatory lane-changing modelling based on a game theoretic approach in traditional and connected environments
Authors: Cheng Guozhu , Sun Qiuyue , Bie Yiming
Published: January 2023

The paper proposes a model of mandatory lane-changing behaviour based on a non-cooperative game in a traditional environment and analyses its applicability in a connected environment. In order to solve the problem of traffic safety and traffic congestion caused by mandatory lane-changing on urban roads, this paper applies the non-cooperative game theory to describe the game behaviour of the two parties, the lane-changing vehicle and the vehicle behind the target lane, in the connected and traditional environments respectively, and constructs the model considering the safety gain, speed gain and lane-changing gain to obtain a game model and the Nash equilibrium solution. The model is calibrated and tested using NGSIM data, and the results of the study show that the model has a good performance for the decision behaviour of lane-changing vehicles and lag vehicles for mandatory lane-changing behaviour on urban roads.
Reviewing Internal Medicine Clerkship Grading Through a Proequity Lens: Results of a National Survey
Authors: Lai Cindy J. , Alexandraki Irene , Ismail Nadia , Levine Diane , Onumah Chavon , Pincavage Amber T. , Jacob Jackcy , Osborn Jenkins Melissa , Nagarur Amulya , Kisielewski Michael , Osman Nora Y.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Equity in assessment and grading has become imperative across medical education. Although strategies to promote equity exist, there may be variable penetrance across institutions. The objectives of this study were to identify strategies internal medicine (IM) clerkship directors (CDs) use to reduce inequities in assessment and grading and explore IM CDs’ perceptions of factors that impede or facilitate the implementation of these strategies.

Method

From October to December 2021, the Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine conducted its annual survey of IM core CDs at 137 U.S. and U.S. territory–based medical schools. This study is based on 23 questions from the survey about equity in IM clerkship assessment and grading.

Results

The survey response rate was 73.0% (100 of 137 medical school CDs). Use of recommended evidence-based strategies to promote equity in clerkship assessment and grading varied among IM clerkships. Only 30 respondents (30.0%) reported that their clerkships had incorporated faculty development on implicit bias for clinical supervisors of students; 31 (31.0%) provided education to faculty on how to write narrative assessments that minimize bias. Forty respondents (40.0%) provided guidance to clerkship graders on how to minimize bias when writing final IM clerkship summaries, and 41 (41.0%) used grading committees to determine IM clerkship grades. Twenty-three CDs (23.0%) received formal education by their institution on how to generate clerkship grades and summaries in a way that minimized bias.

Conclusions

This national survey found variability among medical schools in the application of evidence-based strategies to promote equity in assessment and grading within their IM clerkships. Opportunities exist to adopt and optimize proequity grading strategies, including development of programs that address bias in clerkship assessment and grading, reevaluation of the weight of standardized knowledge exam scores on grades, and implementation of grading committees.
Effect of pain neuroscience education after breast cancer surgery on pain, physical, and emotional functioning: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial (EduCan trial)
Authors: Dams Lore , Van der Gucht Elien , Devoogdt Nele , Smeets Ann , Bernar Koen , Morlion Bart , Godderis Lode , Haenen Vincent , De Vrieze Tessa , Fieuws Steffen , Moloney Niamh , Van Wilgen Paul , Meeus Mira , De Groef An
Published: January 2023

Pain is one of the most common and long-lasting side effects reported by women surgically treated for breast cancer. Educational interventions may optimize the current physical therapy modalities for pain prevention or relief in this population. Pain neuroscience education (PNE) is an educational intervention that explains the pain experience not only from a biomedical perspective but also the psychological and social factors that contribute to it. Through a double-blinded randomized controlled trial (EduCan trial) it was investigated if PNE, in addition to the standard physiotherapy program immediately after breast cancer surgery, was more effective over the course of 18 months postoperatively than providing a biomedical explanation for pain. Primary outcome was the change in pain-related disability (Pain Disability Index, 0-70) over 12 months. Secondary outcomes included change in pain intensity, upper limb function, physical activity level, and emotional functioning over 4, 6, 8, 12, and 18 months postoperatively. Multivariate linear models for repeated (longitudinal) measures were used to compare changes. Preoperative and postoperative moderators of the change in pain-related disability were also explored. Of 184 participants randomized, the mean (SD) age in the PNE and biomedical education group was 55.4 (11.5) and 55.2 (11.4) years, respectively. The change in pain-related disability from baseline to 12 months postoperatively did not differ between the 2 groups (PNE 4.22 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.40-7.03], biomedical 5.53 [95% CI: 2.74-8.32], difference in change −1.31 [95% CI: −5.28 to 2.65], P = 0.516). Similar results were observed for all secondary outcomes. Future research should explore whether a more patient-tailored intervention would yield better results.
Knockdown of NEAT1 restricts dengue virus replication by augmenting interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 via the RIG-I pathway
Authors: Saini Jaya , Thapa Umesh , Bandyopadhyay Bhaswati , Vrati Sudhanshu , Banerjee Arup
Published: January 2023

The lncRNA NEAT1 plays a vital role in mitochondrial function and antiviral response. We have previously identified NEAT1 as dysregulated lncRNAs and found an inverse correlation with interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 (IFI27) expression associated with developing dengue severity. However, the role of NEAT1 in dengue virus (DV) infection remains elusive. Here, we undertook a study to evaluate the functional consequences of NEAT1 and IFI27 modulation on antiviral response and viral replication in dengue infection. We observed that the knockdown of NEAT1 augmented IFI27 expression and antiviral response via the RIG-I pathway. Increased antiviral response leads to a decrease in dengue viral replication. Further study suggested that the knockdown of IFI27 augmented expression of the activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), a negative regulator of antiviral response, and increased dengue virus replication suggesting an important role played by IFI27 in mediating antiviral response. RNA sequencing study confirmed several mitochondrial genes significantly altered upon knockdown of NEAT1 in DV-infected cells. We further verified the effect of NEAT1 knockdown on mitochondrial functions. We observed a reduced level of phospho-DRP1(S616) expression along with elongated mitochondria in DV2-infected cells. Further, NEAT1 knockdown or ectopic expression of IFI27 increased mitochondrial ROS production and cell death via activation of caspase 3. Our study points to the crucial role of NEAT1 and IFI27 in mediating antiviral response and mitochondrial dysfunction in dengue infection.
Change in brain asymmetry reflects level of acute alcohol intoxication and impacts on inhibitory control
Authors: Dubois Julien , Field Ryan M. , Jawhar Sami , Jewison Austin , Koch Erin M. , Aghajan Zahra M. , Miller Naomi , Perdue Katherine L. , Taylor Moriah
Published: January 2023

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used substances and frequently abused, yet little is known about the neural underpinnings driving variability in inhibitory control performance after ingesting alcohol. This study was a single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized design with participants (N=48) completing three study visits. At each visit participants received one of three alcohol doses; namely, a placebo dose (equivalent Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) = 0.00%), a low dose of alcohol (target BAC=0.04%), or a moderate dose of alcohol (target BAC=0.08%). To measure inhibitory control, participants completed a Go/No-go task paradigm twice during each study visit, once immediately before dosing and once after, while their brain activity was measured with time-domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy (TD-fNIRS). BAC and subjective effects of alcohol were also assessed. We report decreased behavioral performance for the moderate dose of alcohol, but not the low or placebo doses. We observed right lateralized inhibitory prefrontal activity during go-no-go blocks, consistent with prior literature. Using standard and novel metrics of lateralization, we were able to significantly differentiate between all doses. Lastly, we demonstrate that these metrics are not only related to behavioral performance during inhibitory control, but also provide complementary information to the legal gold standard of intoxication (i.e. BAC).
Inhibition of Herpes simplex virus and Vesicular stomatitis virus Proliferation byLactiplantibacillus planterumand star anise Extract Is Associated with Induction ofMXgene expression
Authors: Elebeedy Dalia , Abdelgeliel Asmaa Sayed , Ghanem Aml , Badawy Ingy , Sajer Bayan H. , Redhwan Alya , Alghamdi Mashail A , Eletmany Mohamed R. , El-Sayed Marwa
Published: January 2023

Purpose

There is an immense need to develop new antiviral compounds that are effective and have little side effects. Natural compounds provide a good candidate that is gaining popularity. Probiotics asLactiplantibacillus plantarumand plant-derived medicines as star anise extract have been investigated to treat viral diseases, cancer, and inflammation. This work aimed to investigate the antiviral effect of probiotics (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) and (star anise) against Herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV).

Patients and methods

Lactiplantibacillus plantarumand star anise extract had been prepared and tested against vero cell lines for cytotoxicity assay. The antiviral effect ofL. plantarumand star anise against HSV-1 and VSV was evaluated by titration calculation (TCID50). The expression ofMXgenes were measured in infected cells before and after treatment withL. plantarumand star anise.

Results

We found thatL. planterumis more effective againstHSV-1and caused 2.5 log reduction in virus titre while star anise extract is more effective against VSV and caused 1.25 log reduction in virus titre. Evaluation ofMXgenes expression revealed higher expression in HSV-1 infected cell treated withL. planterumand VSV infected cells treated with star anise extract.

Conclusion

L. planterumand star anise could be useful antiviral natural compounds that have minimal side effects

Plain language Summary

Both Herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1) and Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) caused infection characterized by lytic lesions.Lactiplantibacillus plantarumand star anise had shown promising antiviral effects. So, we investigated the antiproliferative effect ofL. plantarumand star anise against HSV-1 and VSV by assessment of virus titre before and after treatment and assessment ofMXgene coding for antiviral proteins. We found thatL. plantarumand star anise could inhibit proliferation of HSV-1 and VSV and increase expression ofMXgene.L. plantarumand star anise could be good antiviral candidate.
A Scoping Review of Factors used to Explain Disparities in COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions and Uptake among People of Color—United States, December 1, 2020-April 30, 2021
Authors: Wilson Rebecca F. , Kota Krishna Kiran , Sheats Kameron J. , Luna-Pinto Carolina , Owens Chantelle , Harrison Dominique D. , Razi Sima
Published: January 2023

Background

Vaccine access, coupled with the belief that vaccines are important, beneficial, and safe, plays a pivotal role in achieving high levels of vaccination to reduce the spread and severity of COVID-19 in the United States (U.S.) and globally. Many factors can influence vaccine intentions and uptake.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review of factors (e.g., access-related factors, racism) known to influence vaccine intentions and uptake, using publications from various databases and websites published December 1, 2020-April 30, 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to present results.

Results

Overall, 1094 publications were identified through the database search, of which 133 were included in this review. Among the publications included, over 60% included mistrust in vaccines and vaccine-safety concerns, 43% included racism/discrimination, 35% included lack of vaccine access (35%), and 8% had no contextual factors when reporting on vaccine intentions and disparities in vaccine uptake.

Conclusions

Findings revealed during a critical period when there was a well-defined goal for adult COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S., some publications included several contextual factors while others provided limited or no contextual factors when reporting on disparities in vaccine intentions and uptake. Failing to contextualize inequities and other factors that influence vaccine intentions and uptake might be perceived as placing responsibility for vaccination status on the individual, consequently, leaving social and structural inequities that impact vaccination rates and vaccine confidence, among people of color, intact.