bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication and characteristics study of self‐powered and UV–Vis–NIR photodetector based on p‐NiO:Eu nanofibers
Authors: Şakar Betül Ceviz , Yıldırım Fatma , Aydoğan Şakir
Published: July 2024

Heterojunctions formed between undoped and Eu‐doped NiO nanofibers (NFs) and n‐Si were fabricated by electrospinning the NiO:Eu NFs onto Si. Since the photoresponse of the Eu‐doped NiO‐containing device was better than the undoped one, the study focused on the doped NiO‐containing device. This was explained by the increase in electron kinetics in terms of the active role of Eu in bonding with the 4f orbitals and the s, d, and f states of NiO. Electro‐optical measurements of the NiO:Eu NFs/n‐Si heterojunction were performed in the visible region depending on the light intensity and in the UV and NIR regions for 10 mW/cm2 powers. It was observed that the device exhibits a good level of rectification properties and responds very well to all lights. At all three light sources, the heterojunction photodetector exhibited self‐powered behavior. Furthermore, for 10 mW/cm2 light intensity, the NiO:Eu NFs/n‐Si photodetector achieved R values of 1.84 A/W at 365 nm, 0.98 A/W at 395 nm, and 1.54 A/W at 850 nm, while it is 0.12 A/W for visible light. Besides, the device showed an external quantum efficiency of 625% and this was attributed to the photocurrent gain. In self‐driven mode, D* values have been determined as 3.0 × 1012 Jones, 2.6 × 1012 Jones, and 2.9 × 1012 Jones for 365, 395, and 850 nm, respectively. The performance of NiO under UV light was attributed to the absorption of NiO under UV light, as well as the very good excitation of (Eu3+) ions by UV light.
Catheter‐related and clinical complications associated with QDOT MICROTM Ablation Catheter
Authors: Kewcharoen Jakrin , Shah Kuldeep , Bhardwaj Rahul , Turagam Mohit K. , Contractor Tahmeed , Mandapati Ravi , Lakkireddy Dhanunjaya , Garg Jalaj
Published: July 2024

Introduction

The QDOT MICROTM Ablation Catheter is a next‐generation ablation catheter that allows for high‐power ablation up to 90 watts.

Methods

We aimed to assess AE associated with the QDOT MICROTM catheter using the MAUDE database. A MAUDE database search was conducted on May 25, 2024, to capture all AEs (since FDA approval) associated with this ablation catheter.

Results

A total of 302 AEs from November 23, 2022, to April 30, 2024, were reported including 148 (49%) catheter‐related issues and 154 (51%) clinical complications. Among the catheter‐related issues, physical catheter damage (74.3%, n = 110) was most common, followed by communication or display issue (10.8%, n = 16), irrigation issue (9.5%, n = 14), signal issue or artifact (3.4%, n = 5), and inaccurate temperature measurement (2.0%, n = 3). Regarding clinical complications, the most common AE was pericardial effusion (43.5%, n = 67), followed by char formation (11.7%, n = 18), catheter thrombosis (7.1%, n = 11), stroke (7.1%, n = 11), pericarditis (7.1%, n = 11), esophageal complications (6.5%, n = 10), phrenic nerve palsy (3.9%, n = 6), cardiac arrest (3.9%, n = 6), significant AV block (3.9%, n = 6), pulmonary vein stenosis (3.2%, n = 5), coronary artery spasm (1.3%, n = 2), and pulmonary embolism (0.6%, n = 1). There were 11 deaths (five related to esophageal complications, five related to cardiac arrest, and one related to pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade).

Conclusion

As high‐power ablation strategy with novel ablation catheters is becoming more widely utilized, operators must be aware of potential catheter‐related issues and clinical complications that may arise. More data are needed to further evaluate risks of these complications to improve the catheter's safety and efficacy.
The effect of the Watson model‐based psycho‐educational intervention on preventing postpartum depression
Authors: Özhüner Yasemin , Özerdoğan Nebahat
Published: July 2024

Rationale

Psycho‐education application is effective in reducing the risk of postpartum depression (PPD) and increasing the level of social support. The quality of care increases with the implementation of Watson's Theory of Human Caring Model (WTHCM)‐based care programs to reduce the risk of PPD.

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a psycho‐educational intervention based on the Watson model on pregnant women in preventing PPD. Additionally, the effect of the psycho‐educational intervention on women's perceptions of social support in relation to PPD was evaluated.

Methods

A randomized‐controlled pretest–posttest control group intervention study design was used. The sample consisted of 91 women (intervention:45, control:46) in their 20th to 32nd gestational week. While all women received routine care at the family health centre the intervention group was additionally applied a psycho‐educational intervention based on the WTHCM. Chi‐square and t‐test analysis methods were performed to determine the homogeneity of the intervention and control groups. The t‐test method was used to compare group scores. Multiple regression analysis was employed to compare multiple variables.

Results

Following the psycho‐educational intervention, the total Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale of the intervention group was found significantly lower than that of the control group, but the total and friend subscale scores on the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were higher (p < 0.05). The regression analysis results indicate that friend and family support, which are sub‐dimensions of the MSPSS, exhibited a significant decrease in both groups. Furthermore, this decline had a greater impact on reducing the PPD level in the intervention group compared to the control group. It was found that while the support of the significant other sub‐dimension reduced the PPD level in the intervention group, it did not make a significant difference in the control group.

Conclusions

The Watson's Theory of Human Caring Model‐based psycho‐educational intervention program decreased women's risk of PPD and increased their social support levels. It is recommended to use approaches that include psycho‐educational intervention in postpartum midwifery care.
Patients' perspectives of the digital counselling competence of healthcare professionals—A qualitative descriptive study
Authors: Suonnansalo Petra , Kaihlaniemi Juulia , Kähkönen Outi , Oikarinen Anne
Published: July 2024

Aim

To describe the perspectives of patients using digital services on the digital counselling competence of healthcare professionals.

Design

A descriptive qualitative interview study.

Methods

The analysed data were collected in Finland during the spring of 2023 via 11 individual, semi‐structured interviews from participants who had received video‐mediated counselling. The interviews were carried out online through Microsoft Teams and adhered to an interview guide using main and ancillary questions. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Results

The patients' perspectives of healthcare professionals' digital counselling competence were related to five categories: (1) competence in preparing for video‐mediated counselling, (2) digital competence in implementing the video‐mediated counselling, (3) competence in interacting with the patient during the video‐mediated counselling, (4) competence in supporting the patient's self‐management in video‐mediated counselling and (5) competence in self‐development as a digital counsellor.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that healthcare professionals need to possess a wide range of digital counselling competencies when providing video‐mediated counselling. This study thus lays the groundwork for future studies of patients' perspectives of healthcare professionals' digital counselling competence.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

The results of this study can be used to develop healthcare professionals' digital counselling competence and patient‐centered care. The presented insights can also be used to map further research topics.

Reporting Method

The Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist was used when reporting the results.

Patient or Public Contribution

Patients who had experience in using digital services participated in the data collection of this study.

Impact

What problem did the study address? Healthcare professionals may well need to develop new competencies as counselling is increasingly moving to digital environments.

What were the main findings? The main areas of digital counselling competence that emerged from the patients' perspectives were competence in preparing for video‐mediated counselling, digital competence, competence in interacting with the patient, competence in supporting self‐management and competence in self‐development as a digital counsellor.

Where and on whom will the research have an impact? The research can be used to build and develop healthcare professionals' digital counselling competence, as well as improve the delivery of patient‐centered care.
Corundum ± magnesium‐deltalumite ± hibonite‐bearing objects in the CH chondrite Sayh al Uhaymir 290
Authors: Ryazantsev Konstantin M. , Krot Alexander N. , Ma Chi , Ivanova Marina A. , Lorenz Cyril A. , Shcherbakov Vasiliy D.
Published: July 2024

Isolated corundum grains and corundum ± Mg‐deltalumite [(Al,Mg)(Al,◻)2O4] ± hibonite assemblages were investigated in the CH3.0 metal‐rich carbonaceous chondrite Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 290. Although very refractory inclusions containing abundant Zr‐ and Sc‐rich oxides and silicates, hibonite, grossite, or perovskite have been previously described in CH chondrites, this is the first discovery of corundum and Mg‐deltalumite in CHs and the first discovery of Mg‐deltalumite in nature. Magnesium‐deltalumite can be indexed by the Fd3m spinel‐type structure and gives a perfect fit to the synthetic Al‐rich spinel cells. Corundum‐Mg‐deltalumite grains, 5–20 μm in size, are occasionally rimmed by a thin layer of hibonite replacing corundum. Some corundum grains contain tiny inclusions of ultrarefractory Zr,Sc‐rich minerals and platinum‐group element (PGE) nuggets. All corundum, hibonite, and Mg‐deltalumite grains studied have 16O‐rich compositions (average Δ17O ± 2SD = −22 ± 3‰). Two corundum grains show evidence for significant mass‐dependent fractionation of oxygen isotopes: Δ18O ~ +34‰ and ~ +19‰. We suggest that the SaU 290 corundum‐rich objects were formed by evaporation and/or condensation in a hot nebular region close to the proto‐sun where the ambient temperature was close to the condensation temperature of corundum. A corundum grain with tiny inclusions of Zr‐ and Sc‐rich phases and PGE metal nuggets recorded formation temperatures higher than the condensation temperature of corundum. Two corundum‐rich objects with highly fractionated oxygen isotopes must have crystallized from a melt that experienced evaporation. Corundum grains corroded by hibonite recorded gas–solid interaction in this region during its cooling. The Mg‐deltalumite ± corundum ± hibonite objects were formed by rapid crystallization of high‐temperature (>2000°C) refractory melts. The lack of minerals with condensation temperatures below those of corundum and hibonite in the SaU 290 corundum‐rich objects suggests that after formation, these objects were rapidly removed from the hot nebular region by disk wind and/or by turbulent diffusion and disk spreading.
Impact of cultural diversity on COVID‐19 vaccination hesitancy in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Frederick Rachel , Ierino Frank , Lopez Rey , Goodman David
Published: July 2024

Aim

To study COVID‐19 vaccination status in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs), reasons for incomplete vaccination and the clinical impact of vaccination on patient outcomes.

Methods

A single‐centre retrospective analysis of KTR (n = 543) conducted between 1970 and December 2022. Data included baseline demographics, number of vaccinations, reason for incomplete vaccination and patient outcomes following COVID‐19 infection. A completed course of COVID‐19 vaccination was defined as four or more vaccine doses. Exclusion criteria: those deceased prior December 2019, managed by another health service, failed graft, or deceased secondary to non‐COVID cause.

Results

273 of 543 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 58.1 ± 12.2 years, 66% were male. 58.2% of patients were fully vaccinated, 22.7% received three doses, 7.7% received two doses, 0.7% received one dose, 0.7% received zero doses, and 10% incomplete records. The most common reasons for incomplete vaccination were COVID‐19 infection, concern for side effects, and patient unawareness of booster recommendations. Vaccination uptake was greater in Australian born patients compared with those born overseas, odds ratio 0.40 (95% CI 0.23–0.69). KTR with incomplete vaccination had poorer outcomes, higher rate of AKI, long COVID, and increased hospitalization.

Conclusion

The majority of KTR were fully vaccinated. KTR with incomplete vaccination status had poorer outcomes with COVID‐19 infection and other issues. Patient education is a major area for improvement targeting patients born overseas and better information regarding side effects. Potential interventions need to address improved communication, cultural relevancy, and language.

image
A facial lentiginous nevus with atypical clinical features in a child: The importance of in vivo reflectance confocal microscopic findings
Authors: Duman Nilay , Yaman Banu , Oraloğlu Göktürk , Karaarslan Işıl
Published: July 2024

A 14‐year‐old girl presented with a facial‐pigmented lesion suspicious of melanoma clinically and dermoscopically. In vivo, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) findings excluded melanoma by revealing typical epidermal honeycomb and cobblestone patterns. Well‐defined follicular contours were seen at the dermal–epidermal junction; there were no elongated, “medusa head‐like” follicular protrusions or folliculotropism, which are classical findings seen in lentigo maligna. With this report, we aim to demonstrate the significance of utilizing RCM technology in difficult to diagnose lentiginous pigmented lesions.
No association between error‐related ERPs and trait anxiety in a nonclinical sample: Convergence across analytical methods including mass‐univariate statistics
Authors: Chen Zelin , Itier Roxane J.
Published: July 2024

Enhanced error monitoring, as indexed by increased amplitude of the error‐related negativity (ERN) event‐related potential (ERP) component, has been suggested to reflect a vulnerability neuro‐marker of anxiety disorders. Another error‐related ERP component is the error positivity (Pe), which reflects late‐stage error processing. The associations between heightened ERN and Pe amplitudes and anxiety levels in the nonclinical population have been inconsistent. In this preregistered study, we examined the association between anxiety, ERN, and Pe, using different analytical methods (mass‐univariate analyses, MUAs and conventional analyses), self‐reported anxiety scales (STAI and STICSA), and trial numbers (all correct trials and equal numbers of correct and error trials). In a sample of 82 healthy adults, both conventional and MUAs demonstrated a robust enhancement of the ERN and Pe to errors relative to the correct‐response ERPs. However, the mass‐univariate approach additionally unveiled a wider array of electrodes and a longer effect duration for this error enhancement. Across the analytic methods, the results showed a lack of consistent correlation between trait anxiety and error‐related ERPs. Findings were not modulated by trial numbers, analyses, or anxiety scales. The present results suggest a lack of enhancement of error monitoring by anxious traits in individuals with subclinical anxiety and those with clinical anxiety but without a clinical diagnosis. Importantly, the absence of such correlation questions the validity of the ERN as a neural marker for anxiety disorders. Future studies that investigate neuro‐markers of anxiety may explore alternative task designs and employ robust statistics to provide a more comprehensive understanding of anxiety vulnerability.
Higher dimensional generalizations of the chiral field equations
Authors: Zakharov Vladimir
Published: July 2024

We consider the self‐dual Yang–Mills equation and its reduction, the Manakov–Zakharov system. We discuss three‐ and four‐dimensional generalizations of the chiral field equations, and explain methods for constructing their exact solutions.
Shelter from the storm: The growing threats from climate change to housing in the United States
Authors: Fischer Mary J.
Published: July 2024

Climate change and its related impacts are fast becoming the dominant force in the housing market. The fundamental role that housing plays in people's lives makes these effects particularly pernicious, often impacting employment, school attendance, undermining physical and mental health, disrupting social networks, and contributing to food insecurity. The complexity of addressing these issues is compounded by the cyclical and reciprocal relationships among these factors, with housing inequalities frequently lying at the core and climate change impacts percolating throughout. I introduce the framework of acute, secondary, and pre‐emptive/reactive impacts to help understand these mechanisms. To understand and contextualize these connections, I provide a brief overview racial segregation in the United States and related inequalities that place some individuals, groups, and communities at greater risk. Other key sources of housing instability in the United States that are often closely related to housing segregation include lack of affordable housing, growing income inequality, housing discrimination, evictions, and foreclosures, all of which contribute to unequal housing outcomes. These factors are explored using the temporal framework to discuss their connection to climate change, which is in and of itself a major force of housing instability.
Intra‐day variations in volar forearm skin hydration
Authors: Mayrovitz Harvey N.
Published: July 2024

Background

Skin hydration (SKH) measurements are used for multiple purposes: to study skin physiology, to clinically investigate dermatological issues, and to assess localized skin water in pathologies like diabetes and lymphedema. Often the volar forearm is measured at various times of day (TOD). This report aims to characterize intra‐day variations in volar forearm SKH to provide guidance on expected TOD dependence.

Materials and methods

Forty medical students (20 male) self‐measured tissue dielectric constant (TDC) on their non‐dominant forearm in triplicate as an index of local skin tissue water every 2 h starting at 0800 and ending at 2400 h. All were trained and pre‐certified in the procedure and had whole‐body fat (FAT%) and water (H2O%) measured. Day average TDC (TDCAVG) was determined as the average of all time points expressed as mean ± SD.

Results

Males versus females had similar ages (25.1 ± 2.2 years vs. 25.1 ± 1.5 years), higher H2O% (56.6 ± 5.0 vs. 51.8 ± 5.7, p = 0.002), and higher TDCAVG (32.7 ± 4.1 vs. 28.5 ± 5.1, p = 0.008). TDC values were not significantly impacted by H2O% or FAT%. Female TDC exhibited a significant decreasing trend from morning to night (p = 0.004); male TDC showed no trend.

Conclusion

Skin water assessed by TDC shows some intra‐day variations for females and males but with quite different temporal patterns. Clinical relevance relates to the confidence level associated with skin hydration estimates when measured at different times of day during normal clinic hours which, based on the present data, is expected to be around 5% for both males and females.
Mapping urban large‐area advertising structures using drone imagery and deep learning‐based spatial data analysis
Authors: Ptak Bartosz , Kraft Marek
Published: July 2024

The problem of visual pollution is a growing concern in urban areas, characterized by intrusive visual elements that can lead to overstimulation and distraction, obstructing views and causing distractions for drivers. Large‐area advertising structures, such as billboards, while being effective advertisement mediums, are significant contributors to visual pollution. Illegally placed or huge billboards can also exacerbate those issues and pose safety hazards. Therefore, there is a pressing need for effective and efficient methods to identify and manage advertising structures in urban areas. This article proposes a deep‐learning‐based system for automatically detecting billboards using consumer‐grade unmanned aerial vehicles. Thanks to the geospatial information from the drone's sensors, the position of billboards can be estimated. Side by side with the system, we share the very first dataset for billboard detection from a drone view. It contains 1361 images supplemented with spatial metadata, together with 5210 annotations.
Computed tomographic anatomic variations of the phrenicoabdominal veins in cats
Authors: Nappo Dario , Massarenti Chiara , Andreis Maria Elena , Zini Eric , Lacava Giuseppe , Rabba Silvia , Auriemma Edoardo
Published: July 2024

There are no published reports describing the anatomic variations of the phrenicoabdominal (PhAbd) veins in cats. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomic variations of the PhAbd veins in cats without adrenal disease. This is an anatomic study. Abdominal CT images of cats acquired from January 2021 to February 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were the presence of pre‐ and postcontrast CT images of the abdomen and the absence of any abdominal diseases that compromise the left and right PhAbd veins visualization. A total of 128 cats were included. Three different vascular anatomic variations were found in the distal pericaval segment of the left phrenicoabdominal (LPhAbd) vein. In the first type, found in 65 cases (50.8%), the LPhAbd vein drained directly into the caudal vena cava. In the second type defined IIa, found in 25 cases (19.5%), the LPhAbd vein drained into the distal third of the left renal vein, less than 5 mm from its opening into the caudal vena cava. In the third type defined IIb, found in 38 cases (29.7%), the LPhAbd vein drained into the distal third of the left renal vein, more than 5 mm from its opening into the caudal vena cava. The right phrenicoabdominal vein had a consistent path and drained into the caudal vena cava in all cases. The knowledge of these vascular variations is expected to help the surgeon during adrenalectomy due to masses with vascular invasion in cats.
Reflexiones en torno a la representación del pasado indígena prehispánico. El municipio de Tornquist como caso de estudio (provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Authors: Oliva Camila
Published: July 2024

Este trabajo tiene por objeto presentar los resultados del análisis de las prácticas y representaciones sociales construidas en torno al poblamiento indígena prehispánico y su registro arqueológico en el Área de Ventania, provincia de Buenos Aires. Metodológicamente se trabajó con el distrito de Tornquist como caso de estudio en torno a tres ejes, los cuales abordaron las representaciones creadas por diferentes organismos y sectores de la comunidad de este distrito bonaerense. El primero se orientó a registrar las prácticas culturales en torno a la materialidad arqueológica y las representaciones asociadas a éstas, en dos sitios arqueológicos incluidos en circuitos de turismo cultural situados en el Parque Provincial Ernesto Tornquist (Cueva del Toro y el Alero Corpus Christi). Una segunda vía analítica buscó investigar las representaciones sobre los grupos indígenas presentes en el discurso institucional de una institución patrimonial (Sala de Interpretaciones), ente que se encuentra asociado a los sitios arqueológicos mencionados previamente. Finalmente, un tercer eje se vinculó al estudio de los imaginarios sociales de la comunidad educativa en torno a la historia de poblamiento del área de estudio, a través del relevamiento de opinión a estudiantes de una escuela pública del municipio de Tornquist. El enfoque metodológico permitió triangular los resultados obtenidos, los cuales dieron cuenta de una correlación entre las prácticas actuales desarrolladas en los sitios y las representaciones construidas en torno al poblamiento prehispánico del Área de Ventania. La importancia de este tipo de estudios reside en la potencialidad de visibilizar las relaciones de identificación colectiva de una comunidad en relación a su pasado y el registro material que da cuenta de éste.
Genomic characterization of the bacterial phylum
Candidatus
Effluviviacota, a cosmopolitan member of the global seep microbiome
Authors: Su Lei , Marshall Ian P. G. , Teske Andreas P. , Yao Huiqiang , Li Jiangtao
Published: July 2024

The microbial communities of marine seep sediments contain unexplored physiological and phylogenetic diversity. Here, we examined 30 bacterial metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from cold seeps in the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Scotian Basin, and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as from deep-sea hydrothermal sediments in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Phylogenetic analyses of these MAGs indicate that they form a distinct phylum-level bacterial lineage, which we propose as a new phylum,
Candidatus
Effluviviacota, in reference to its preferential occurrence at diverse seep areas. Based on tightly clustered high-quality MAGs, we propose two new genus-level candidatus taxa,
Candidatus
Effluvivivax and
Candidatus
Effluvibates. Genomic content analyses indicate that
Candidatus
Effluviviacota are chemoheterotrophs that harbor the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas glycolysis pathway. They gain energy by fermenting organic substrates. Additionally, they display potential capabilities for the degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, xylan, and various peptides. Extracellular anaerobic respiration appears to rely on metals as electron acceptors, with electron transfer primarily mediated by multiheme cytochromes and by a flavin-based extracellular electron transfer (EET) mechanism that involves NADH-quinone oxidoreductase-demethylmenaquinone-synthesizing enzymes, uncharacterized membrane proteins, and flavin-binding proteins, also known as the NUO-DMK-EET-FMN complex. The heterogeneity within the
Ca
. Effluviviacota phylum suggests varying roles in energy metabolism among different genera. While NUO-DMK-EET-FMN electron transfer has been reported predominantly in Gram-positive bacteria, it is now identified in
Ca
. Effluviviacota as well. We detected the presence of genes associated with bacterial microcompartments in
Ca
. Effluviviacota, which can promote specific metabolic processes and protect the cytosol from toxic intermediates.

IMPORTANCE

The newly discovered bacterial phylum
Candidatus
Effluviviacota is widespread across diverse seepage ecosystems, marine environments, and freshwater environments, with a notable preference for cold seeps. While maintaining an average abundance of approximately 1% in the global gene catalog of cold seep habitats, it has not hitherto been characterized. The metabolic versatility of
Ca
. Effluviviacota in anaerobic carbon, hydrogen, and metal cycling aligns with its prevalence in anoxic niches, with a preference for cold seep environments. Variations in metabolic potential between
Ca
. Effluvivivax and
Ca
. Effluvibates may contribute to shaping their respective habitat distributions.
Complete genome sequence of human papillomavirus 31 isolated from the human cervical cell line, CIN612 9E
Authors: Chen Dan , Khurana Simran , McBride Alison
Published: July 2024

Human papillomavirus genomes replicate extrachromosomally in infected tissues and derived keratinocyte cells. The cell line CIN12 9E was established from a cervical CIN1 lesion, contains replicating HPV31 genomes, and is widely used as a model to study the HPV life cycle. Here, we clone and sequence the HPV31 9E genome.
Short-term effects of sunlight exposure on fundus blood flow perfusion in children: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Zhao Lingyi , Zhang Bo , Wang Jingjing , Yang Jinliuxing , Du Linlin , Wang Tianxiao , Xu Xun , He Xiangui , Chen Jun
Published: July 2024

Aim

To evaluate the short-term effects of different sunlight exposure on fundus blood flow perfusion (BFP) after near work.

Methods

In this parallel randomised controlled trial, 81 students aged 7–15 with spherical equivalent refraction between −2.00 and +3.00 diopters were randomly assigned to either a low-illuminance (4k lux) group (N=40) or high-illuminance (10k lux) (N=41). Following 1 hour indoor reading, participants had sunlight exposure matching their group’s intensity for 15 minutes. BFPs in the superficial retina, deep retina and choroid were measured at four time points: pre-reading, post-reading, 5th-minute and 15th-minute sunlight exposure.

Results

Within the initial 5 minutes of sunlight exposure, the 10k lux group showed a tendency for decreased BFP, particularly in the choroid (superficial retina: −0.2, 95% CI −0.9 to 0.5; deep retina: −0.1, 95% CI −0.6 to 0.4; choroid: −0.4, 95% CI −0.8 to 0.0), while the 4k lux group exhibited an increase (superficial retina: 0.7, 95% CI 0.1 to 1.3; deep retina: 0.3, 95% CI −0.2 to 0.8; choroid: 0.1, 95% CI −0.2 to 0.5). From 5 to 15 minutes, BFP decreased in both groups. At the 5th-minute mark, the 10k lux group exhibited a greater decrease in choroid (10k −0.4 vs 4k 0.1, p=0.051). No significant difference was observed after 15 minutes of exposure.

Conclusion

Higher illuminance sunlight exposure can restore fundus BFP more rapidly than lower; however, duration remains pivotal. To prevent myopia, continuous sunlight exposure for over 15 minutes is recommended to aid in reinstating the fundus BFP increased by near work.

Trial registration number

NCT05594732
.
Centering the female athlete voice in a sports science research agenda: a modified Delphi survey with Team USA athletes
Authors: McCleery Julie , Diamond Ellie , Kelly Rose , Li Longxi , Ackerman Kathryn E , Adams William M , Kraus Emily
Published: July 2024

Objectives

To co-construct a sports medicine and exercise science research and translational agenda with Team USA elite female athletes serving as the experts on their health, performance and well-being.

Methods

40 Team USA female athletes across sports disciplines participated in an online, anonymous, modified Delphi survey by ranking topics on a Likert scale (1=‘strongly disagree’ and 5=‘strongly agree’) and providing qualitative justification regarding whether they believed having more information and research on each topic would support their athletic performance, health and well-being. After each Delphi round, quantitative rankings of topics and qualitative justifications were analysed, informing revisions to the list of topics for review in the subsequent round. Researchers provided athletes with a detailed report of findings and revisions following each round.

Results

The final list contained 14 ranked topics. The top five were menstrual cycle symptoms (4.58±0.74), recovery (4.58±0.59), birth control (4.55±0.89), mental health (4.50±0.55) and fueling and the menstrual cycle (4.43±0.74). New topics originating from athletes included recovery, menstrual cycle symptoms, fueling and the menstrual cycle, mental health and sports performance, team dynamics, and institutionalised sexism.

Conclusion

This is the first study to co-construct a research and translational agenda with Team USA elite female athletes. The list of sports science research topics developed by focusing on elite female athletes’ voices lays the foundation for future research and provides valuable insight into the specific needs of female athletes.
Promising for patients or deeply disturbing? The ethical and legal aspects of deepfake therapy
Authors: Hoek Saar , Metselaar Suzanne , Ploem Corrette , Bak Marieke
Published: July 2024

Deepfakes are hyper-realistic but fabricated videos created with the use of artificial intelligence. In the context of psychotherapy, the first studies on using deepfake technology are emerging, with potential applications including grief counselling and treatment for sexual violence-related trauma. This paper explores these applications from the perspective of medical ethics and health law. First, we question whether deepfake therapy can truly constitute good care. Important risks are dangerous situations or ‘triggers’ to the patient during data collection for the creation of a deepfake, and when deepfake therapy is started, there are risks of overattachment and blurring of reality, which can complicate the grieving process or alter perceptions of perpetrators. Therapists must mitigate these risks, but more research is needed to evaluate deepfake therapy’s efficacy before it can be used at all. Second, we address the implications for the person depicted in the deepfake. We describe how privacy and portrait law apply and argue that the legitimate interests of those receiving therapy should outweigh the interests of the depicted, as long as the therapy is an effective and ‘last resort’ treatment option, overseen by a therapist and the deepfakes are handled carefully. We suggest specific preventative measures that can be taken to protect the depicted person’s privacy. Finally, we call for qualitative research with patients and therapists to explore dependencies and other unintended consequences. In conclusion, while deepfake therapy holds promise, the competing interests and ethicolegal complexities demand careful consideration and further investigation alongside the development and implementation of this technology.
Dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy: a rare cause of epilepsy, ataxia and chorea
Authors: Harisankar Karthik , Singh Jagdeep , Mehta Sahil , Lal Vivek
Published: July 2024

A 34-year-old woman presented with insidious onset and gradually progressive cerebellar ataxia over 10 years, with generalised convulsions. On examination, there were myoclonic jerks, choreiform movements and cerebellar syndrome. Her family history suggested an autosomal dominant inheritance with anticipation. Genetic analysis for trinucleotide repeat disorders led to a diagnosis of dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (60 CAG repeats in the atrophin-1 gene). This rare spinocerebellar ataxia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inherited ataxia when combined with seizures and chorea. Other features suggesting a repeat expansion disorder are variable phenotypes within the same family and possible anticipation.
Maintaining mitochondrial NAD+ homeostasis is key for heat-induced skeletal muscle injury prevention despite presence of intracellular cation alterations
Authors: Chen Yifan , Yu Tianzheng , Deuster Patricia A.
Published: July 2024

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in heat-induced skeletal muscle (SKM) injury and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Evidence suggests that cellular ions and molecules, including divalent cations and adenine nucleotides, are involved in the regulation of mitochondrial function. In this study, we examined Ca2+, Mg2+, and NAD+ levels in mouse C2C12 myoblasts and SKM in response to heat exposure. During heat exposure, mitochondrial Ca2+ levels increased significantly, whereas cytosolic Ca2+ levels remained unaltered. The mitochondrial Ca2+ levels in the SKM of heat-exposed mice were 28% higher compared to control mice. No changes in cytosolic Ca2+ were detected between the two groups. Following heat exposure, cytosolic and mitochondrial Mg2+ levels were reduced by 47% and 23% in C2C12 myoblasts, and by 51% and 44% in mouse SKMs, respectively. In addition, heat exposure decreased mitochondrial NAD+ levels by 32% and 26% in C2C12 myoblasts and mouse SKMs, respectively. Treatment with the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) partially prevented heat-induced depletion of NAD+. Additionally, NR significantly reduced heat-increased mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial depolarization, and apoptosis in C2C12 myoblasts and mouse SKMs. No effects of NR on heat-induced changes in intracellular Ca2+ and Mg2+ levels were observed. This study provides in vitro and in vivo evidence that acute heat stress causes alterations in mitochondrial Ca2+, Mg2+, and NAD+ homeostasis. Our results suggest mitochondrial NAD+ homeostasis as a therapeutic target for the prevention of heat-induced SKM injury.
Kinematic response of floating single piles in saturated and nearly-saturated soil to P-waves
Authors: Zheng Changjie , Kouretzis George , Ding Xuanming
Published: July 2024

This paper presents closed-form expressions for the analysis of floating single piles subjected to vertically propagating harmonic P-waves. The foundation soil is treated as poroelastic medium, and can be either fully-saturated or nearly-saturated. We show that the existence of non-continuous air phase in the form of air bubbles dissolved in the pore water will have noteworthy effect on the vertical kinematic response of piles. Through parametric analyses, we demonstrate that hydromechanical analysis techniques that consider soil as fully saturated may significantly over-estimate pile head displacements for frequencies relevant to seismic P-waves. In addition, we quantify differences in the response between end-bearing and floating piles, and show that these differences are more prominent when soil is not fully saturated. Although the proposed expressions have been derived while considering elastic soil and pile response, findings relevant to the effect of the degree of soil saturation to the vertical kinematic response of piles are generally applicable to any coupled stress-flow analysis method.
FIT-RAG: Black-Box RAG with Factual Information and Token Reduction
Authors: Mao Yuren , Dong Xuemei , Xu Wenyi , Gao Yunjun , Wei Bin , Zhang Ying
Published: July 2024

Due to the extraordinarily large number of parameters, fine-tuning large language models (LLMs) to update long-tail or out-of-date knowledge is impractical in lots of applications. To avoid fine-tuning, we can alternatively treat a LLM as a black-box (i.e., freeze the parameters of the LLM) and augment it with a retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system, namely black-box RAG. Recently, black-box RAG has achieved success in knowledge-intensive tasks and has gained much attention. Existing black-box RAG methods typically fine-tune the retriever to cater to LLMs’ preferences and concatenate all the retrieved documents as the input, which suffers from two issues: (1) Ignorance of Factual Information. The LLM preferred documents may not contain the factual information for the given question, which can mislead the retriever and hurt the effectiveness of black-box RAG; (2) Waste of Tokens. Simply concatenating all the retrieved documents brings large amounts of unnecessary tokens for LLMs, which degenerates the efficiency of black-box RAG. To address these issues, this article proposes a novel black-box RAG framework which utilizes the factual information in the retrieval and reduces the number of tokens for augmentation, dubbed FIT-RAG. FIT-RAG utilizes the factual information by constructing a bi-label document scorer which takes the factual information and LLMs’ preferences as labels respectively. Besides, it reduces the tokens by introducing a self-knowledge recognizer and a sub-document-level token reducer, which enables FIT-RAG to avoid unnecessary augmentation and reduce augmentation tokens as much as possible. FIT-RAG achieves both superior effectiveness and efficiency, which is validated by extensive experiments across three open-domain question-answering datasets: TriviaQA, NQ, and PopQA. FIT-RAG can improve the answering accuracy of Llama2-13B-Chat by 14.3% on TriviaQA, 19.9% on NQ and 27.5% on PopQA, respectively. Furthermore, it can save approximately half of the tokens on average across the three datasets.
A Hybrid Sparse-dense Defensive DNN Accelerator Architecture against Adversarial Example Attacks
Authors: Wang Xingbin , Zhao Boyan , Su Yulan , Zhang Sisi , Yuan Fengkai , Zhang Jun , Meng Dan , Hou Rui
Published: July 2024

Understanding how to defend against adversarial attacks is crucial for ensuring the safety and reliability of these systems in real-world applications. Various adversarial defense methods are proposed, which aim at improving the robustness of neural networks against adversarial attacks by changing the model structure, adding detection networks, and adversarial purification network. However, deploying adversarial defense methods in existing DNN accelerators or defensive accelerators leads to many key issues. To address these challenges, this article proposessDNNGuard, an elastic heterogeneous DNN accelerator architecture that can efficiently orchestrate the simultaneous execution of original (target) DNN networks and thedetectalgorithm or network. It not only supports for dense DNN detect algorithms, but also allows for sparse DNN defense methods and other mixed dense-sparse (e.g., dense-dense and sparse-dense) workloads to fully exploit the benefits of sparsity. sDNNGuard with a CPU core also supports the non-DNN computing and allows the special layer of the neural network, and used for the conversion for sparse storage format for weights and activation values. To reduce off-chip traffic and improve resources utilization, a new hardware abstraction with elastic on-chip buffer/computing resource management is proposed to achieve dynamical resource scheduling mechanism. We propose anextended AI instruction setfor neural networks synchronization, task scheduling and efficient data interaction. Experiment results show that sDNNGuard can effectively validate the legitimacy of the input samples in parallel with the target DNN model, achieving an average 1.42× speedup compared with the state-of-the-art accelerators.
Interobserver Agreement and Performance of Concurrent AI Assistance for Radiographic Evaluation of Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Brejnebøl Mathias W. , Lenskjold Anders , Ziegeler Katharina , Ruitenbeek Huib , Müller Felix C. , Nybing Janus U. , Visser Jacob J. , Schiphouwer Loes M. , Jasper Jorrit , Bashian Behschad , Cao Haoyin , Muellner Maximilian , Dahlmann Sebastian A. , Radev Dimitar I. , Ganestam Ann , Nielsen Camilla T. , Stroemmen Carsten U. , Oei Edwin H. G. , Hermann Kay-Geert A. , Boesen Mikael
Published: July 2024

In this retrospective, three-center, multireader study using consecutive knee radiographs in patients with suspected osteoarthritis, concurrent artificial intelligence assistance improved osteoarthritis grading performance of junior readers and increased interobserver agreement across all readers.
BTB and CNC homology 1 deficiency disrupts intestinal IgA secretion through regulation of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor expression
Authors: Hamada Riku , Yonezawa Akari , Matsumoto Kenji , Mitani Takakazu , Takagi Tomohisa , Muto Akihiko , Igarashi Kazuhiko , Naito Yuji , Higashimura Yasuki
Published: July 2024

The transcriptional repressor Bach1 has been implicated in diverse intestinal functions, but the effects of Bach1 on IgA-mediated mucosal immunity remain unclear. We demonstrate here that Bach1 deficiency causes abnormal secretion of IgA into the intestinal lumen, although the proportions of IgA-producing cells were not altered. Furthermore, Bach1 regulates the expression of pIgR, which plays an important role in the transepithelial transport of IgA, at the posttranscriptional level.
Secretagogue-induced pancreatitis in mice devoid of chymotrypsin
Authors: Demcsák Alexandra , Shariatzadeh Siavash , Sahin-Tóth Miklós
Published: July 2024

Chymotrypsins defend the pancreas against the inflammatory disorder pancreatitis by degrading harmful trypsinogen. This study demonstrates that mice devoid of pancreatic chymotrypsins are phenotypically normal but become sensitized to secretagogue hyperstimulation and exhibit increased intrapancreatic trypsin activation, more severe acute pancreatitis, and rapid progression to chronic pancreatitis. The observations confirm and extend the essential role of chymotrypsins in pancreas health.
Open Repair of Posterior Cruciate Ligament Tibial Bony Avulsion With Metal Anchor: A Case Report
Authors: Bonaspetti Giovanni , Tonolini Stefano , Dib Giovanni , Piovani Alessia
Published: July 2024

Introduction: The posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is the largest and strongest intra‐articular ligament of the knee joint and the primary posterior stabilizer. PCL injuries are less frequent than other knee ligament injuries and are typically combined with meniscal and chondral injuries or in the context of multiligamentous injuries. It is critical to properly diagnose and treat these lesions in order to avoid the risk of PCL insufficiency, subsequent knee instability, and early osteoarthritis. Surgical management can vary, and the ideal fixation device is still debated. Suture anchors are an unusual mean of fixation of PCL tibial bony avulsion. We report on two patients treated with open anchor fixation for PCL tibial bony avulsion with a follow‐up of 3 years.

Case Presentation: A 15‐year‐old male and a 65‐year‐old male were treated with open anchor fixation for bony tibial avulsion of the PCL. Surgical treatment was performed at 5 weeks and 3 weeks after the trauma, respectively. Diagnosis was made with an X‐ray followed by CT and MR scans. Repair was achieved by reinserting the PCL bony fragment to its posterior tibial eminence with suture anchors through an open posterior approach. Both patients recovered full knee stability and a pain‐free full range of motion (ROM) within 4 months and returned to their previous activities with a high satisfaction. The patient has been followed up for 3 years, and no complications were observed.

Conclusion: PCL bony avulsions are rare, and their optimal treatment remains a significant subject of debate, particularly in the skeletally immature patient. We believe that open repair with metal anchors could be a good choice to repair PCL bony tibial avulsion in patients without concomitant intra‐articular lesions and immature growth plates or severe fragmentation.
Numerical Methods Based on the Hybrid Shifted Orthonormal Polynomials and Block‐Pulse Functions for Solving a System of Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Rageh Abdulqawi A. M. , Hadhoud Adel R.
Published: July 2024

This paper develops two numerical methods for solving a system of fractional differential equations based on hybrid shifted orthonormal Bernstein polynomials with generalized block‐pulse functions (HSOBBPFs) and hybrid shifted orthonormal Legendre polynomials with generalized block‐pulse functions (HSOLBPFs). Using these hybrid bases and the operational matrices method, the system of fractional differential equations is reduced to a system of algebraic equations. Error analysis is performed and some simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed techniques. The numerical results of the proposed methods are compared to those of the existing numerical methods. These approaches are distinguished by their ability to work on the wide interval [0, a], as well as their high accuracy and rapid convergence, demonstrating the utility of the proposed approaches over other numerical methods.