bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multi‐antenna super‐resolution passive Wi‐Fi radar algorithm: Combined model order selection and parameter estimation
Authors: Yildirim Hasan Can , Storrer Laurent , De Doncker Philippe , Louveaux Jerôme , Horlin François
Published: June 2022

In recent years, Wi‐Fi has become the main gateway that connects users to the Internet. Considering the availability of Wi‐Fi signals, and their suitability for channel estimation, IEEE established the Wi‐Fi Sensing (WS) Task Group whose purpose is to study the feasibility of Wi‐Fi‐based environment sensing. However, Wi‐Fi signals are transmitted over limited bandwidths with a relatively small number of antennas in bursts, fundamentally limiting the range, Angle‐of‐Arrival and speed resolutions. This paper presents a super‐resolution algorithm to perform the parameter estimation in a quasi‐monostatic WS scenario. The proposed algorithm, RIVES, estimates the range, Angle‐of‐Arrival and speed parameters with Vandermonde decomposition of Hankel matrices. To estimate the size of the signal subspace, RIVES uses a novel Model Order Selection method which eliminates spurious noise targets based on their distance to the noise and signal subspaces. Various scenarios with multiple targets are simulated to show the robustness of RIVES. In order to prove its accuracy, real‐life indoor experiments are conducted with human targets by using Software Defined Radios.
Fluorene-Modified Zinc Porphyrin as Low-Cost Hole-Transporting Material for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Wang Yu-Duan , Shao Jiang-Yang , Lan Zhong-Rui , Zhong Yu-Wu
Published: June 2022

The potential of porphyrin derivatives as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) has been demonstrated. The structural engineering of porphyrin HTMs provides an important means for further improvement of the performance of PSCs. Herein, a zinc-porphyrin derivative (ZnP-FL) decorated with four fluorene-terminated triarylamines is presented. The lab synthesis cost of ZnP-FL is estimated to be around $32.2/g. It exhibits good charge-transport ability and thermal stability. A high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.31% is achieved by using ZnP-FL HTM (V
oc = 1.08 V; J
sc = 24.08 mA · cm−2), which is distinctly higher than that of a control HTM without the fluorene groups (PCE = 17.75%; V
oc = 0.97 V; J
sc = 24.04 mA · cm−2). This performance enhancement is mainly attributed to the improved open-circuit voltage, which benefits from the stabilized HOMO level of ZnP-FL. In addition, the porphyrin HTM-based PSCs show superior air and thermal stability to the device with the standard HTM spiro-OMeTAD. These results demonstrate that the low-cost and easily accessible porphyrin derivatives are promising HTMs for efficient and stable PSCs.
Correlation of Ultrasound-Based Hydration Assessment Measures with CVP and Clinical Hydration Status among Children Admitted to the PICU: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Tripathi Sandeep , Osman Tara , Hafzalah Mina , Lee Kejin , Whalen Drew A.
Published: June 2022

Purpose This article assesses the correlation of respiratory variation in inferior vena cava (IVC) with central venous pressure (CVP) in children. Secondary objective was to evaluate IVC variability with clinical hydration status.

Methods IVC variability was assessed at the subcostal (SC) and right lateral (RL) region, and collapsibility index (CI) (spontaneously breathing) and distensibility index (DI) (positive pressure) and IVC/aortic ratio were calculated. Partial correlations were calculated between CI/DI with CVP adjusting for body mass index and age. Sensitivity of CI and DI to predict clinical dehydration was calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results A total of 145 ultrasounds were performed on 72 patients (41% positive pressure). Only RL CI in spontaneously breathing patients strongly correlated with CVP (r = –0.65, p < 0.001). A moderate correlation was observed between CI and DI from SC and RL regions (r's = 0.38 and 0.47). Among spontaneously breathing patients, a significant difference was observed in the SC CI based on hydration status. For patients on positive pressure, IVC/aortic ratio had a significant difference. SC CI had the highest area under the curve (0.82) to detect dehydration with 80% sensitivity/87% specificity for a cutoff of 40%.

Conclusion SC CI is the most reliable measure to assess the hydration status of spontaneously breathing children, while the IVC/aortic ratio performs well for patients under positive pressure. RL CI has strong negative correlation with CVP in spontaneously breathing patients.
Adaptation of a Public–Private Partnership Model for the Implementation of Minipool Nucleic Acid Testing for Screening Routine Blood Donations and Assay Evaluation
Authors: Mahapatra Smita , Parida Pankaj , Prasad Chitta Ranjan , Palai Sabita , Mishra Debashis , Behera Susmita , Mishra Rabindra Kumar , Prusty Binayak Prasad , Sarkar Kalyan
Published: June 2022

Background Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAT) for the screening of blood donations is known to improve blood safety. The decision to initiate NAT requires careful deliberation of infrastructure, skilled manpower, and financial resources. This report outlines the initiative of the Government of Odisha to implement NAT screening in government blood banks in the state of Odisha, India, through public–private partnership (PPP) and evaluates the incremental yield of minipool NAT screening over serology testing of blood donations.

Methods Blood donations collected between June 2016 and September 2018 were initially screened for HBV (HBsAg), HCV (anti-HCV), and HIV (anti-HIV-1 and HIV-2) by ELISA, and syphilis and malaria. Sero-nonreactive donations were further screened in pools of six by Roche cobas TaqScreen MPX test version 2.0 (MPX2) NAT.

Results On screening 3,39,472 blood donations, 1.34% seroreactive donations were detected. In all, 847 NAT-reactive donations (0.26%): 693 HBV, 58 HCV, and 96 HIV were detected. The NAT yields were 1:386 overall, 1:472 for HBV, 1:5642 for HCV, and 1:3409 for HIV.

Conclusion NAT testing using the highly sensitive MPX2 assay leads to incremental detection of TTIs over serology. Implementation of NAT along with serological testing in blood centers all over India will be an important step towards providing safe blood. Our study not only highlights the benefits of minipool NAT testing but also presents a scalable PPP model that can serve as a template for application across other states.
Immunity in Stroke: The Next Frontier
Authors: Li Ting , Liesz Arthur
Published: June 2022

Translational stroke research has long been focusing on neuroprotective strategies to prevent secondary tissue injury and promote recovery after acute ischemic brain injury. The inflammatory response to stroke has more recently emerged as a key pathophysiological pathway contributing to stroke outcome. It is now accepted that the inflammatory response is functionally involved in all phases of the ischemic stroke pathophysiology. The immune response is therefore considered a breakthrough target for ischemic stroke treatment. On one side, stroke induces a local neuroinflammatory response, in which the inflammatory activation of glial, endothelial and brain-invading cells contributes to lesion progression after stroke. On the other side, ischemic brain injury perturbs systemic immune homeostasis and results in long-lasting changes of systemic immunity. Here, we briefly summarize current concepts in local neuroinflammation and the systemic immune responses after stroke, and highlight two promising therapeutic strategies for poststroke inflammation.
Diagnostic Value of Urine Ribonuclease 7 (RNase 7) to Creatinine Ratio for Detecting Urinary Tract Infection in Children with Pyuria
Authors: Cetin Nuran , Kiraz Zeynep Kusku , Gencler Aylin
Published: June 2022

Objective Ribonuclease 7 (RNase 7) is one of the members of the antimicrobial peptides playing a role in maintaining urinary tract sterility. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of the urine RNase 7 levels in children with pyuria and associations between RNase 7 and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and renal scarring.

Methods This study included 109 children with pyuria (46 febrile urinary tract infections [UTIs], 38 nonfebrile UTIs, and 25 sterile pyuria) whose RNase 7 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay. The results for urine RNase 7 concentrations were expressed as micrograms per milligrams creatinine.

Results RNase 7/Cr levels were higher in patients with both febrile and nonfebrile UTIs than the patients with sterile pyuria (p = 0.001). RNase 7/Cr had predictive values of diagnosis of febrile and nonfebrile UTIs (cut-off value: 2.92 µg/mg, p = 0.003; cut-off value: 3.67 µg/mg, p < 0.001, respectively). RNase 7/Cr had higher levels in the patients with VUR than without VUR (cut-off value: 4.28 µg/mg, p = 0.037). The patients with renal scarring had higher urine RNase 7/Cr than those without scarring (cut-off value: 4.54 µg/mg, p = 0.041).

Conclusion The evaluation of RNase 7/Cr may help prevent unnecessary and/or inappropriate antibiotic use in children with pyuria. The higher RNase 7 levels in patients with VUR and renal scarring may reflect long-term inflammation or greater inflammatory response during acute infection.
Prospective Elective Neurosurgical Theater Utilization Audit in Pakistan: Problems in a Public Tertiary Care Hospital and Proposed Solutions from Lower-Middle-Income Country
Authors: Ashraf Mohammad , Kamboh Usman Ahmad , Raza Muhammad Asif , Khan Muhammad Irfan , Sultan Kashif Ali , Choudhary Nabeel , Hussain Syed Shahzad , Ashraf Naveed
Published: June 2022

Background In lower-middle-income countries such as Pakistan, public hospitals provide free healthcare but suffer from poor management and misgovernance, negatively impacting service provision. One aspect of this is operating theater time (OTT) utilization. In a 1,600-bed hospital with a 22 million catchment population, we noticed significant delays and inadequate OTT efficiency at the neurosurgery department of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. This audit aimed to analyze the neurosurgical OTT utilization, identify delays, and highlight managerial deficiencies and areas for improvement while comparing our workflow with contemporary international literature.

Materials and Methods We prospectively audited OTT utilization at the neurosurgical department. All elective surgeries from January to April 2021 were included to identify delays concerning patient transfer, anesthesia team arrival, preparation and intubation time, operative time, and anesthesia extubation time.

Results Fifty-six per cent of OTT was utilized operating. Sources of delay included the delayed arrival of anesthesia team (4.7%) and the delay in transferring patients to OT (9.7%). Anesthesia intubation and preparation time accounted for 23% of OT utilization and was significantly longer than the comparable international studies. Extubation time accounted for 5.7% of OT utilization. The issues surrounding transfer delays and prolonged anesthesia time were discussed, with strategies to address them developed with close vital input from our anesthesia colleagues and ward staff.

Conclusion Gross delays relatively simple in nature were identified due to poor management and less than ideal interspecialty coordination. Most delays were avoidable and can be addressed by proper planning, optimization of patient transfer and resources, and, most importantly, improved communication between surgeons, anesthetists, and ward staff. This can ensure optimal use of theater time and benefit all specialties, including ancillary staff, and, most importantly, the patient. A reaudit is warranted to assess the impact of interventions on OTT utilization.
Biofilm control on metallic materials in medical fields from the viewpoint of materials science – from the fundamental aspects to evaluation
Authors: Kanematsu Hideyuki , Barry Dana M. , Ikegai Hajime , Mizunoe Yoshimitsu
Published: June 2022

This review describes biofilms and the need for a materials science/engineering approach to solve the problems in the medical field. In particular, biofilm problems are closely related to infectious diseases. Most chronic diseases and the hospital-acquired infections could be attributed to biofilms. Biofilms usually form on materials. They may be biomaterials such as implants, catheters, stents and others. These films can also form on items outside of the human body. They include beds, service tables, medical knives, needles for injections, etc. Even though materials obviously affect biofilms formation and growth, there have been few studies using the materials science approach. In this review, we summarize the concept of biofilms from the viewpoint of materials science. Topics include the interaction between biofilms and materials (especially metallic materials), evaluation techniques, a bird's-eye analysis of previous investigations, and a discussion about the future direction for developing anti-infectious metallic materials.
Microcosm based bio-efficacy evaluation of biologically produced nano-Zn–Fe fertiliser
Authors: Bedi Ankita , Singh Braj Raj
Published: June 2022

Chemical fertilisers are a significant component of agricultural inputs needed to achieve the highest possible yield and productivity. Fertilisers, on the other hand, change the nutrient balance and health of the soil. Furthermore, because of its low usage efficiency, this widespread use has a negative impact on ecosystems. In this study, nano-Zn–Fe fertiliser was synthesised in a microbial bioreactor and its key properties were determined, including actual particle size, elemental composition, zeta potential, and bioactive content. A microcosm plant bioassay system developed in-house was used to assess the bio-efficacy of biologically generated nano-Zn–Fe fertiliser. The fertiliser was applied to maize (at a rate of 1500 μg g−1 seeds) using a polymer-based seed coating technique and compared to commercial bulk and nano-fertilisers. The results indicate that nano-Zn–Fe fertiliser considerably improves seed germination, plant growth, and nutrient uptake in plants when compared to controls (polymer and feedstock material coated seeds) and commercial goods (bulk and nano-fertilisers). Additionally, we calculated the lead content of the plant system to verify that the produced material is non-toxic in accordance with global fertiliser permissible limit standards. As a result, nano-Zn-Fe fertilisers may be a more viable option for supplying an alternative source of zinc and iron fertilisers to balance global agricultural productivity constraints.
Investigation on anti-penetration capability of water filled aluminum alloy cell structure to the shaped charge jet
Authors: Zhao Changfang , Zhang Kebin
Published: June 2022

Passive protective armor is reliable and cheap, and is favored by many armored weapons and equipment. However, reports on metal-liquid composite armor are not sufficient and systematic. Based on the shaped charge jet (SCJ), the anti-penetration capabilities of water filled aluminum alloy cell structure were studied. The hourglass cell structure (HCS) was designed according to the shock wave propagation characteristics in liquid, and the expansion-convergence cell structure (E-CCS) was derived. Based on the virtual origin theory, the residual tip velocity of jet after SCJ penetrated the cell structure was calculated. According to the theory of supersonic disturbance propagation, the Mach cone half angle of SCJ shock wave propagation in liquid was defined and corrected. The propagation and reflection behavior of shock wave were discussed to analysis the radial convergence of liquid. Via the Van Leer Arbitrary Lagrangian Euler finite element simulation model verified by experiments, the simulation studies of SCJ penetrated the circular cell structure (CCS), HCS, E-CCS and convergence/expansion multi-cell structure were performed. The results show that HCS has better effect of interfering with SCJ than that of CCS and E-CCS. An important discovery is that when the liquid composite multi-cell structure is penetrated by SCJ, the attacked cell will not affect other cells due to the shock wave has been trapped in a single cell.
Simultaneous Separation and Tumescence: A New Paradigm for Liposuction Donor Site Preparation
Authors: Del Vecchio Daniel , Wall Simeon , Stein Michael J , Jovic Thomas H , Whitaker Iain S
Published: June 2022

Background

An ever-increasing demand for liposuction and fat transplantation procedures in the United States reflects their continued safety and clinical effectiveness. Technical breakthroughs, such as the utilization of tumescent infiltration and fat separation techniques, have been instrumental in optimizing outcomes but add time to the surgical procedure. Simultaneous separation and tumescence (SST) is a new technique combining these innovations to further improve safety and efficiency in liposuction.

Objectives

The authors describe their technique for utilizing SST on more than 1200 patients spanning a 6-year period. A split abdomen study was designed to compare the vasoconstrictive effectiveness of SST with traditional Klein infiltration techniques.

Methods

A quantification perfusion analysis utilizing indocyanine green angiography was performed on 4 patients to illustrate the vasoconstrictive effectiveness of SST over traditional Klein infiltration techniques. A mean relative vasoconstriction score was calculated relative to the umbilicus for each technique.

Results

Compared with traditional Klein tumescence techniques, SST has a similar complication rate, utilizes similar infiltrative volumes, and increases vasoconstriction (mean 89.6% SST hemiabdomen vs 48.1% Klein hemiabdomen at 2 minutes, P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

SST represents a novel, long-overdue departure from Klein tumescence, which has been a valuable mainstay for donor site preparation for over 3 decades. SST will pave the way for more efficient operative times and potentially higher volumes of fat being safely extracted.

Level of Evidence: 4
Efficacy and Tolerability of Topical Platelet Exosomes for Skin Rejuvenation: Six-Week Results
Authors: Proffer Sydney L , Paradise Christopher R , DeGrazia Emily , Halaas Yael , Durairaj K Kay , Somenek Michael , Sivly Angela , Boon Andrea J , Behfar Atta , Wyles Saranya P
Published: June 2022

Background

Exosomes are regenerative mediators for skin rejuvenation. Human platelet extract (HPE) is an allogeneic exosome product derived from US-sourced, leukocyte-reduced apheresed platelets with consistent purity and potency.

Objectives

The authors sought to better characterize the safety and tolerability of novel HPE (plated) Intensive Repair Serum (Rion Aesthetics, Rochester, MN) and its maximal effects on skin rejuvenation at 6 weeks.

Methods

This prospective, single-arm, non-randomized, longitudinal study investigated the safety and efficacy of HPE. Structured sub-analysis evaluated multifactorial improvement in skin health following standardized skin care regimen to determine the maximal effect. Evaluation at baseline and 6 weeks included participant questionnaires and photo documentation with VISIA-CR Generation 5 3D PRIMOS (Canfield Scientific Inc, Fairfield, NJ).

Results

VISIA-CR imaging yielded quantifiable and statistically significant improvements in overall skin health (skin health score). A greater score correlated to greater overall skin health, and there was a statistically significant mean delta improvement of 224.2 ± 112.8 (mean ± standard deviation, P ≤ 0.0001) in skin health score at 6 weeks compared with baseline. This correlated to reduction in redness, wrinkles, and melanin production across all cosmetic units (P = 0.005, P = 0.0023, P ≤ 0.0001, respectively) and significant improvements in luminosity and color evenness (P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions

A topically applied platelet-derived exosome product, HPE, induced normalization to skin health at 4 to 6 weeks with improved various clinical measures of facial photodamage and cutaneous aging. It is safe, well-tolerated, and well-liked by participants.

Level of Evidence: 4
Cucurbitacin B alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation and reducing oxidative stress
Authors: Chu Xiuli , Zhang Lin , Zhou Yajun , Fang Qi
Published: June 2022

Cucurbitacin B (CuB) has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties. However, the effect of CuB on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury was unclear. In this work, we found that CuB significantly elevated cell viability, decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and proinflammatory factor levels in oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation-exposed PC12 cells, reduced cerebral infarction volume and neuronal apoptosis, inhibited oxidative stress and inflammation, and improved neurological function in mice with middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced cerebral I/R injury. Meanwhile, CuB decreased levels of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, and cleaved interleukin-1β, which were upregulated by I/R injury. Moreover, upregulation of NLRP3 dramatically reversed the effects of CuB on NLRP3 inflammasome activation, cell viability, and levels of proinflammatory factors in vitro. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that CuB attenuated cerebral I/R injury by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation and reducing oxidative stress.
Grid-connected microgrid: design and feasibility analysis for a local community in Bangladesh
Authors: Mahmud Dewan Mahnaaz , Ahmed S M Masum , Hasan Sayeed , Zeyad Mohammad
Published: June 2022

Global demand for electricity is growing significantly in developing nations. Renewable energy accounts for barely 3% of total energy consumption in Bangladesh. Sources of renewable energy, e.g. solar, are increasingly being acknowledged as viable supply-side choices for microgrids. This article presents a grid-connected microgrid design based on meteorological data for a local community situated in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. This study presents a feasible design of a system that gives the lowest cost of energy production and emissions that is evaluated using software named Hybrid Optimization Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER Pro). Comparison and assessment of the net present cost, cost of energy, operating cost and environmental emission for five different feasible microgrids are analysed concerning real-time data. Also, a suitable case is sorted out and proposed for the local community for electrification. The proposed case offers a $0.0442/kWh cost of energy, which is ~32% cheaper than the current rate with a 57.5% renewable fraction and a payback period of 16.86 years. People of this local community will have access to considerably more clean energy at a lower price by this study; also this design could sell the excess energy to the grid to avoid frequent electricity outages.
Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development
Authors: Maka Ali O M , Alabid Jamal M
Published: June 2022

Solar energy is environmentally friendly technology, a great energy supply and one of the most significant renewable and green energy sources. It plays a substantial role in achieving sustainable development energy solutions. Therefore, the massive amount of solar energy attainable daily makes it a very attractive resource for generating electricity. Both technologies, applications of concentrated solar power or solar photovoltaics, are always under continuous development to fulfil our energy needs. Hence, a large installed capacity of solar energy applications worldwide, in the same context, supports the energy sector and meets the employment market to gain sufficient development. This paper highlights solar energy applications and their role in sustainable development and considers renewable energy’s overall employment potential. Thus, it provides insights and analysis on solar energy sustainability, including environmental and economic development. Furthermore, it has identified the contributions of solar energy applications in sustainable development by providing energy needs, creating jobs opportunities and enhancing environmental protection. Finally, the perspective of solar energy technology is drawn up in the application of the energy sector and affords a vision of future development in this domain.
Nestling sex ratio is unaffected by individual and population traits in the griffon vulture
Authors: Gómez-López Guillermo , Martínez Félix , Sanz-Aguilar Ana , Carrete Martina , Blanco Guillermo
Published: June 2022

Variation in offspring sex ratios is a central topic in animal demography and population dynamics. Most studies have focused on bird species with marked sexual dimorphism and multiple-nestling broods, where the offspring sex ratio is often biased due to different individual or environmental variables. However, biases in offspring sex ratios have been far less investigated in monomorphic and single-egg laying species, and few studies have evaluated long-term and large-scale variations in the sex ratio of nestling vultures. Here, we explore individual and environmental factors potentially affecting the secondary sex ratio of the monomorphic griffon vulture Gyps fulvus. We used information collected at three breeding nuclei from central Spain over a 30-year period (1990–2020) to analyse the effects of nestling age, parental age, breeding phenology, conspecific density, population reproductive parameters, and spatial and temporal variability on nestling sex. Sex ratio did not differ from parity either at the population or the nuclei level. No significant between-year differences were detected, even under highly changing conditions of food availability associated with the mad-cow crisis. We found that tree nesting breeders tend to have more sons than daughters, but as this nesting behavior is rare and we consequently have a small sample size, this issue would require additional examination. Whereas further research is needed to assess the potential effect of breeder identity on nestling sex ratio, this study contributes to understanding the basic ecology and population dynamics of Griffon Vultures, a long-lived species with deferred maturity and low fecundity, whose minor deviations in the offspring sex ratio might imply major changes at the population level.
Machine learning of source spectra for large earthquakes
Authors: Ma Shang , Li Zefeng , Wang Wei
Published: June 2022

The shape of earthquake source spectra, traditionally fit by physics-based models, contains important parameters to constrain rupture dimension, duration and geometry. Here we apply machine learning (ML) to derive single- and double-variable data-driven models of source spectra from 3675 Mw > 5.5 global earthquakes, assuming that the Fourier transform of source time functions represent earthquake source spectra below 1 Hz. The single-variable ML model, in the same degree of freedom as the Brune model, improves the goodness of fit by 8.5 per cent. Specifically, the ML model fits the data without systematic bias, whereas the Brune model tends to underestimate at intermediate frequencies and overestimate at high frequencies. The latter discrepancy cannot be modelled by increasing the fall-off exponent in the Brune- or the Boatwright-type models. The double-variable ML model is compared to existing double-corner-frequency models and is found to capture the second-order features such as the subtle curvature differences around the corner. Our results demonstrate that unsupervised ML can extract hidden global characteristics of high-dimensional data and provide observational evidence to amend existing physical models.
Spatio-temporal variation in the zooplankton prey of lesser sandeels: species and community trait patterns from the Continuous Plankton Recorder
Authors: Olin Agnes B , Banas Neil S , Johns David G , Heath Michael R , Wright Peter J , Nager Ruedi G
Published: June 2022

The phenology, distribution, and size composition of plankton communities are changing rapidly in response to warming. This may lead to shifts in the prey fields of planktivorous fish, which play a key role in transferring energy up marine food chains. Here, we use 60 + years of Continuous Plankton Recorder data to explore temporal trends in key taxa and community traits in the prey field of planktivorous lesser sandeels (Ammodytes marinus) in the North Sea, the Faroes and southern Iceland. We found marked spatial variation in the prey field, with Calanus copepods generally being much more common in the northern part of the study area. In the western North Sea, the estimated amount of available energy in the prey field has decreased by more than 50% since the 1960s. This decrease was accompanied by declining abundances of small copepods, and shifts in the timing of peak annual prey abundances. Further, the estimated average prey community body size has increased in several of the locations considered. Overall, our results point to the importance of regional studies of prey fields, and caution against inferring ecological consequences based only on large-scale trends in key taxa or mean community traits.
Myeloid immune checkpoint ILT3/LILRB4/gp49B can co-tether fibronectin with integrin on macrophages
Authors: Itoi So , Takahashi Naoyuki , Saito Haruka , Miyata Yusuke , Su Mei-Tzu , Kezuka Dai , Itagaki Fumika , Endo Shota , Fujii Hiroshi , Harigae Hideo , Sakamoto Yuzuru , Takai Toshiyuki
Published: June 2022

LILRB4 (B4, also known as ILT3/CD85k) is an immune checkpoint of myeloid lineage cells, albeit its mode of function remains obscure. Our recent identification of a common ligand for both human B4 and its murine ortholog gp49B as the fibronectin (FN) N-terminal 30 kDa domain poses the question of how B4/gp49B regulate cellular activity upon recognition of FN in the plasma and/or the extracellular matrix. Since FN in the extracellular matrix is tethered by FN-binding integrins, we hypothesized that B4/gp49B would tether FN in cooperation with integrins on the cell surface, thus they should be in close vicinity to integrins spatially. This scenario suggests a mode of function of B4/gp49B by which the FN-induced signal is regulated. The FN pull-down complex was found to contain gp49B and integrin β 1 in bone marrow-derived macrophages. The confocal fluorescent signals of the three molecules on the intrinsically FN-tethering macrophages were correlated to each other. When FN-poor macrophages adhered to culture plates, the gp49–integrin β 1 signal correlation increased at the focal adhesion, supporting the notion that gp49B and integrin β 1 become spatially closer to each other there. Adherence of RAW264.7 and THP-1 cells to immobilized FN induced phosphorylation of spleen tyrosine kinase, whose level was augmented under B4/gp49B deficiency. Thus, we concluded that B4/gp49B can co-tether FN in cooperation with integrin in the cis configuration on the same cell, forming a B4/gp49B–FN–integrin triplet as a regulatory unit of a focal adhesion-dependent pro-inflammatory signal in macrophages.
Deep learning-based NLP data pipeline for EHR-scanned document information extraction
Authors: Hsu Enshuo , Malagaris Ioannis , Kuo Yong-Fang , Sultana Rizwana , Roberts Kirk
Published: June 2022

Objective

Scanned documents in electronic health records (EHR) have been a challenge for decades, and are expected to stay in the foreseeable future. Current approaches for processing include image preprocessing, optical character recognition (OCR), and natural language processing (NLP). However, there is limited work evaluating the interaction of image preprocessing methods, NLP models, and document layout.

Materials and Methods

We evaluated 2 key indicators for sleep apnea, Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen saturation (SaO2), from 955 scanned sleep study reports. Image preprocessing methods include gray-scaling, dilating, eroding, and contrast. OCR was implemented with Tesseract. Seven traditional machine learning models and 3 deep learning models were evaluated. We also evaluated combinations of image preprocessing methods, and 2 deep learning architectures (with and without structured input providing document layout information), with the goal of optimizing end-to-end performance.

Results

Our proposed method using ClinicalBERT reached an AUROC of 0.9743 and document accuracy of 94.76% for AHI, and an AUROC of 0.9523 and document accuracy of 91.61% for SaO2.

Discussion

There are multiple, inter-related steps to extract meaningful information from scanned reports. While it would be infeasible to experiment with all possible option combinations, we experimented with several of the most critical steps for information extraction, including image processing and NLP. Given that scanned documents will likely be part of healthcare for years to come, it is critical to develop NLP systems to extract key information from this data.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the proper use of image preprocessing and document layout could be beneficial to scanned document processing.
Simplifying Nontargeted Analysis of PFAS in Complex Food Matrixes
Authors: Kaufmann Anton , Butcher Patrick , Maden Kathryn , Walker Stephan , Widmer Mirjam
Published: June 2022

Background

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of toxic environmental contaminants that are characterized by their high chemical stability and enormous structural diversity.

Objective

The limited availability of PFAS reference standards is the main motivation for developing nontargeted analytical methods. Current concepts are complex and rely on multiple filtering steps (e.g., assumption of homologous series, detection of mass defects, generic fragments, and spectra obtained from web-based sources).

Method

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS)–based chromatograms of fish liver extracts were deconvoluted. Based on the ion abundance between the monoisotopic and the first isotopic peak, the number of carbons (C) was estimated for each extracted feature. A mass over carbon (m/C) and mass defect over carbon (md/C) ratio was calculated.

Results

PFAS-related peaks are strongly discriminated from matrix peaks when plotting m/C versus md/C. This enables nontarget detection of PFAS present at low µg/kg concentration in complex food matrixes.

Conclusions

The proposed concept is highly selective by revealing a relatively small number of high-probability PFAS candidates (features). The small number of surviving candidates permits the MS/MS-based confirmation of each feature. This strategy led to the finding of one PFAS not present in the reference standard solution, as well as the detection of an unexpected set of PFAS adducts.

Highlights

The proposed concept of mass over carbon versus mass defect over carbon is suited for the nontarget detection of low amounts of PFAS in complex matrixes. It should be capable of detecting any PFAS (F/H ratio should be >1:1) regardless of the ionization mode.
Phencyclidine in Drivers and Decedents in Dallas County: A Five-Year Retrospective Review of Toxicological and Demographical Data
Authors: Glicksberg Lindsay , Casey Brittany K
Published: June 2022

Presented are phencyclidine (PCP)-positive cases received by the Toxicology Laboratory at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences from local law enforcement agencies and the Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020. Of the 43,940 requests for testing received during that time, 898 (2.04%) were positive for PCP. These cases were evaluated for PCP concentration, additional/concurrently reported drug concentrations and demographics. For ME cases, the cause and manner of death were also evaluated. Although the number of requests received by the Toxicology Laboratory increased each year, the percentage positive for PCP remained consistent. Subjects ranged from 18 to 71 years old (median 48 years) and were predominantly black (94.19%) and male (78.49%). PCP concentrations for all case types ranged from 0.02 to 2.33 mg/L (median 0.05 mg/L); driving while intoxicated (DWI) cases ranged from 0.02 to 0.14 mg/L (median 0.04 mg/L) and ME cases ranged from 0.02 to 2.33 mg/L (median 0.13 mg/L). In addition to PCP, one or more drug(s) or metabolite(s) was identified concurrently in 69.49% of cases. Cannabinoids were the most frequently detected (39.8%), followed by cocaine and its metabolites (22.0%) and ethanol (18.5%). Results were similar when comparing the additional drugs reported in ME and DWI cases. PCP concentrations in ME samples were generally higher, especially for stimulant drugs. Of the 264 ME cases positive for PCP, the manner of death was determined to be an accident for the majority of cases (62.54%), and the most common cause of death was drug toxicity (35.61%). The results from this study facilitate comparison of laboratory- or region-specific data sets, help determine whether laboratory scopes meet testing needs, contribute to reference ranges and provide the foundation for well-informed policy decisions.
Comparison of map metrics as fitness input for assisted seismic history matching
Authors: Hallam Antony , Chassagne Romain , Aranha Claus , He Yifan
Published: June 2022

Assisted seismic history matching (ASHM) is an optimisation problem that incorporates 4D seismic data as a constraint upon a reservoir simulation update. The observed and simulated three-dimensional seismic data is typically reduced to a Cartesian map representation and the misfit between the two is calculated using the mean squared error (MSE). The MSE metric is simple to implement and understand, but it is incapable of capturing the nuances and patterns required to match seismic maps effectively. We test alternative measures of the misfit (metrics) that borrow from image processing and meteorological history matching so that more robust misfit information can be used during optimisation. In this two-part study we first test our metrics on realistic but synthetic one-dimensional problems to understand the metric characteristics, and their sensitivity to noise, better. The introduced metrics are then tested in a realistic ASHM optimisation task. We find that two of our proposed alternatives to MSE are more stable and provide superior results when used for ASHM optimisation.
An analysis for unipole acoustic logging while drilling wavefields with varying eccentered collar positions
Authors: Fu Xin , Gou Yang
Published: June 2022

The unipole logging while drilling (LWD) tool is a recently developed acoustic logging tool that uses an azimuthal emitting source to generate acoustic waves in the borehole to measure the longitudinal and transverse wave speeds of the surrounding stratum. In this study, the unipole transmitter transducer is modeled as a surface force source, and the analytical solution for unipole LWD wavefield is derived. The received waveforms are composed of infinite-order contributions owing to the directivity of the excitation of the unipole source. Using up to eight lowest-order modes, the acoustic waveforms excited by the unipole are calculated in both soft and hard formations, and then slowness-time coherence and velocity dispersion analysis are performed. The pure mode waves are obtained using the mode wave decomposition method. The influence of tool eccentricity (off-center positioning) on the wavefields excited by the unipole transmitter is also discussed. Based on the addition theorem of the Bessel function, the analytical solution of the received waveforms when the tool is eccentered can be obtained. In soft and hard formations, the received waveforms with tool eccentricities of 0 to 90% are compared. Tool eccentricity has a smaller effect for the soft formation than the hard formation. The received waveforms on the side closest to the borehole wall are also affected most when the tool is off center, with a sharp increase in amplitude in the fast formation and a late arrival wave group in the soft formation. These conclusions are important for the design and data interpretation of a unipole LWD tool.
Research on acoustic logging while drilling transmitting technologies
Authors: Tan Baohai , Zhang Kai , Su Yuanda , Li Shengqing , Zhang Lijun
Published: June 2022

Acoustic logging while drilling (LWD) technology plays an important role in oil and gas exploration and development. Compared to traditional wireline logging, LWD must address more additional crucial problems, such as great noise confusions. This paper studies a series of technologies to improve the transmitting performances of LWD tools. First, we verified that the shear wave remote detection technology successfully adopted in wireline logging was also suitable for LWD, which could significantly expand its detection range. In addition, we calculated its dominant excitation frequency bands, which were different with wireline logging. Second, a class AB push–pull excitation circuit was designed. The results demonstrated that this circuit could obtain ideal excitation signals for LWD transmitting transducers. Furthermore, the signal shapes, excitation frequencies and cycle amounts are easily to adjust. In this study, we proposed a broadband impedance matching technology to solve the impedance mismatching problem between the excitation circuits and the excitation transducer. Acoustic experiments showed that this technology improved emitting powers of LWD transducers significantly.
Reliable electrochemical setup for in situ observations with an atmospheric SEM
Authors: Yoshida Kaname , Sasaki Yuki , Kuwabara Akihide , Ikuhara Yuichi
Published: June 2022

A novel setup for the in situ observation of electrochemical reactions in liquids through atmospheric scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is presented. The proposed liquid-phase electrochemical SEM system consists of a working electrode (WE) on an electrochemical chip and other two electrodes inserted into a liquid electrolyte; electrochemical reactions occurring at the WE are controlled precisely with an external potentiostat/galvanostat connected to the three electrodes. Copper deposition from a CuSO4 aqueous solution was conducted onto the WE, and simultaneous acquisition of nanoscale images and reliable electrochemical data was achieved with the proposed setup.
Netflix, library analysis, and globalization: rethinking mass media flows
Authors: Lotz Amanda D , Eklund Oliver , Soroka Stuart
Published: June 2022

The advent of subscriber-funded, direct-to-consumer, streaming video services has important implications for video distribution around the globe. Conversations about transnational media flows and power—a core concern of critical communication studies—have only just begun to explore these changes. This article investigates how global streamers challenge existing communication and media theory about transnational video and its cultural power and considers the theory rebuilding necessitated by streamers’ discrepant features. It takes particular focus on Netflix and uses the library data available from Ampere Analysis to empirically explore and compare 17 national libraries. Analyses suggest considerable variation in the contents of Netflix libraries cross-nationally, in contrast with other U.S.-based services, as well as Netflix libraries offering content produced in a greater range of countries. These and other results illustrate, albeit indirectly, the operations and strategies of global streamers, which then inform theory building regarding their cultural role.
Optimizing spectral stacking for 21-cm observations of galaxies: accuracy assessment and symmetrized stacking
Authors: Sinigaglia Francesco , Elson Ed , Rodighiero Giulia , Vaccari Mattia
Published: June 2022

We present an assessment of the accuracy of common operations performed in 21-cm spectral line stacking experiments. To this end, we generate mock interferometric data surveying the 21-cm emission at frequency 1310 < ν < 1420 MHz (0.005 < z < 0.084) and covering an area ∼6 deg2 of the sky, mimicking the observational characteristics of real MeerKAT observations. We find that the primary beam (PB) correction accounts for just few per cent ($\sim 8{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at 0 PB power, $\sim 3{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at 0.6 PB power) deviations from the true MHI signal, and that weighting schemes are based on noise properties provide unbiased results. On the contrary, weighting schemes based on distance can account for significant systematic mass differences when applied to a flux-limited sample ($\Delta M_{\rm HI}\sim 40{-}50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ in the studied case). We find no significant difference in the final $\mathinner {\langle {M_{\rm HI}}\rangle }$ obtained when spectroscopic redshift uncertainties are accounted for in the stacking procedure (Δz ∼ 0.000 35, i.e. $\Delta v \sim 100\, {\rm km\, s}^{-1}$). We also present a novel technique to increase the effective size of the galaxy sample by exploiting the geometric symmetries of galaxy cubelets, potentially enhancing the S/N by a factor of $\sim \sqrt{2}$ when analyzing the final stacked spectrum (a factor of 4 in a cubelet). This procedure is found to be robustly unbiased, while efficiently increasing the S/N, as expected. We argue that an appropriate framework employing detailed and realistic simulations is required to exploit upcoming data sets from SKA pathfinders in an accurate and reliable manner.
Chemical enrichment in the cool core of the Centaurus cluster of galaxies
Authors: Fukushima Kotaro , Kobayashi Shogo B , Matsushita Kyoko
Published: June 2022

Here, we present results from over 500 ksChandra and XMM–Newton observations of the cool core of the Centaurus cluster. We investigate the spatial distributions of the O, Mg, Si, S, Ar, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Ni abundances in the intracluster medium with CCD detectors, and those of N, O, Ne, Mg, Fe, and Ni with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS). The abundances of most of the elements show a sharp drop within the central 18 arcsec, although different detectors and atomic codes give significantly different values. The abundance ratios of the above elements, including Ne/Fe with RGS, show relatively flat radial distributions. In the innermost regions with the dominant Fe–L lines, the measurements of the absolute abundances are challenging. For example, AtomDB and SPEXACT give Fe = 0.5 and 1.4 solar, respectively, for the spectra from the innermost region. These results suggest some systematic uncertainties in the atomic data and response matrices at least partly cause the abundance drop rather than the metal depletion into the cold dust. Except for super-solar N/Fe and Ni/Fe, sub-solar Ne/Fe, and Mg/Fe, the abundance pattern agrees with the solar composition. The entire pattern is challenging to reproduce with the latest supernova nucleosynthesis models. Observed super-solar N/O and comparable Mg abundance to stellar metallicity profiles imply that the mass-loss winds dominate the intracluster medium in the brightest cluster galaxy. The solar Cr/Fe and Mn/Fe ratios indicate a significant contribution of near- and sub-Chandrasekhar mass explosions of Type Ia supernovae.