bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Auditory Pathway Maturation in Full-term Small for Gestational Age Children: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis
Authors: Santos Dourivaldo Silva , Fernandes Luciene da Cruz , Rissatto-Lago Mara Renata , Costa Ana Caline Nóbrega
Published: April 2023

Introduction Factors of intrauterine growth restriction have been responsible for the births of full-term babies small for their gestational age (SGA). Scientific evidence points that this restriction can cause changes in the neural maturation process.

Objectives To analyze the absolute latencies and interpeak intervals of brainstem auditory evoked potential waves in full-term and SGA children to investigate whether there are changes of neural maturation in this population.

Data Synthesis The search for articles that reported the assessment of brainstem auditory evoked potential in SGA newborns compared with a control, appropriate for their gestational age, both born full-term, for the entire period available in the database research until October 31, 2021 was performed based on the MEDLINE/PubMed Central and on the Latin America and the Caribbean Health Sciences Literature and Virtual Health Library electronic databases. A total of 311 studies were found in the database research. Out of this total, 10 studies were included in the review, 5 of which were eligible for the meta-analysis, involving a total of 473 participants of both genders, with 193 participants belonging to the study group and 280 to the control group. Differences between the groups were only observed in the absolute latency of wave V (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02–0.15; p < 0.01).

Conclusion The SGA condition is responsible for the appearance of brainstem neural conduction dysfunction measured by the brainstem auditory evoked potentials, probably by the maturation process of the auditory pathway of this population.
Accuracy of Electrocardiography-guided PICC in Atrial Fibrillation Patients
Authors: Aljediea Ibraheem , Alshehri Mohammed , Alenazi Khaled , Mimesh Amr , Fleet Mustafa
Published: April 2023

Objectives We conducted this study to review our experience performing electrocardiography-guided peripherally inserted central catheter insertion in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Materials and Methods This is a retrospective study of PICC insertions performed by interventional radiology technologists using electrocardiogram guidance in patients with atrial fibrillation. The study included 99 PICCs inserted using electrocardiography guidance in 79 patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Chest X-ray is used to confirm tip position.

Results We reviewed all PICCs inserted in patients with atrial fibrillation using electrocardiography guidance between September 2017 and June 2022. The review process included success and malposition rates using X-ray correlation. Ninety-four out of 99 PICCs were successfully inserted, and 5 cases required repositioning.

Conclusion Our study suggests that electrocardiography navigation can be safely used for PICC insertion in patients with atrial fibrillation with high success rate.
Effectiveness and Safety of Microwave Ablation Therapy in Parathyroid Adenomas
Authors: Urfali Furkan Ertürk , Aydin Bünyamin , Zeren Sezgin , Cansu Güven Barış , Algin Mustafa Cem , Korkmaz Mehmet
Published: April 2023

Objective We report the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound (US) guided microwave ablation (MWA) treatment of parathyroid adenomas.

Materials and Methods A total of 35 patients underwent US-guided MWA therapy of parathyroid adenomas. Before the procedure, blood parathyroid hormone (PTH; mean: 202.32 ± 158.46 ng/L) level, calcium (mean: 11.65 ± 0.53 mg/dL) level, and parathyroid adenoma volume (mean: 1.76 ± 0.73 cm3) were recorded. Blood parameters and US-guided follow-up evaluations were performed at 1 and 3 months after the procedure.

Results Technical success was 91% for the first session. There was a statistically significant decrease in parathyroid adenoma size and calcium and PTH levels at 3 months of follow-up (p < 0.001). A perfect positive correlation (r: 0.927; p < 0.001) was found between the ablation time and the adenoma size. Transient vocal cord paralysis occurred in two (5.7%) patients and short-term (<2 hours) local pain occurred in four (11.4%) patients after the procedure.

Conclusion US-guided MWA is effective in the treatment of parathyroid adenomas with low complication risk. Our preliminary results showed that MWA treatment resulted in an effective improvement in blood tests and adenoma size.
Cultural inclusion and corporate sustainability: evidence from food culture and corporate total factor productivity in China
Authors: Sun Guangfan , Lin Xin , Chen Junyi , Xu Nuo , Xiong Ping , Li Hanqi
Published: April 2023

This article constructed a food taste deviation index using text analysis based on food culture as a measure of cultural inclusion. Cultural inclusion was related to corporate total factor productivity, aiming to investigate whether the cultural inclusion affects corporate sustainability. The findings showed uneven distribution of cultural inclusion in various areas of China, contributing to the unbalanced sustainable development of firms in different regions, as reflected by the higher total factor productivity of firms located in regions with higher cultural inclusion. A test using mountainous undulation as an instrumental variable verified the causal relationship between cultural inclusion and firm sustainability. Besides, a regression discontinuity design was employed to mitigate the impacts of the bidirectional causality. Moreover, a high level of cultural inclusion in top managers’ hometown significantly improved corporate sustainability, suggesting that executives can transmit cultural inclusion in society. In addition, firms in more inclusive regions are more motivated to increase their social responsibility to staff as a way to promote their total factor productivity, suggesting that cultural inclusion promotes firm sustainability by increasing firms’ care for staff. This article also found that cultural inclusion has heterogeneous effects across firms of different levels of industry competition, and different levels of analyst attention. The research reveals the impact of cultural inclusion on the real economy and help academics dissect the informal institutional reasons behind the sustainable development of firms in different geographies from a new perspective, contributing to the promotion of economic sustainability at the regional level and related policy formulation.
Stress-tuning the bulk photovoltaic response in polycrystalline bismuth ferrite films
Authors: Blázquez Martínez Alfredo , Grysan Patrick , Girod Stéphanie , Kovacova Veronika , Glinsek Sebastjan , Granzow Torsten
Published: April 2023

Bulk or anomalous photovoltaic effect in ferroelectrics has recently sparked interest due to the generation of switchable photovoltages that are not limited by the bandgap of the material. The development of strategies to tune its magnitude is a key for the development of light-driven devices, e.g., photostrictive actuators, photostrictive sensors, or reconfigurable waveguides. In this paper, the bulk photovoltaic effect of polycrystalline solution-deposited bismuth ferrite thin films is studied under different stress conditions induced by different substrates and quantified using a direct strain assessment via x-ray diffraction. An increase in the short-circuit bulk photovoltaic current of 150% is observed with a change from a compressive stress of 0.54 GPa to a tensile stress of 0.93 GPa. This change is attributed to intrinsic piezophotovoltaic effect, demonstrating the potential to strain engineer the bulk photovoltaic effect in thin films.
Hidden singularities in spontaneously polarized molecular solids
Authors: Cassidy Andrew , Pijpers Frank P. , Field David
Published: April 2023

Films of dipolar molecules formed by physical vapor deposition are, in general, spontaneously polarized, with implications ranging from electron transfer in molecular optoelectronic devices to the properties of astrochemical ices in the interstellar medium. Polarization arises from dipole orientation, which should intuitively decrease with increasing deposition temperature, T. However, it is experimentally found that minimum or maximum values in polarization vs T may be observed for cis-methyl formate, 1-propanol, and ammonia. A continuous analytic form of polarization vs T is developed, which has the property that it is not differentiable at all T. The minima and maxima in polarization vs T are marked by singularities in the differential of this analytic form. This exotic behavior is presently unique to films of dipolar species and has not been reported, for example, in the related magnetic phases of spin glasses.
Temperature-dependent electroluminescence of stressed and unstressed InAlGaN multi-quantum well UVB LEDs
Authors: Höpfner Jakob , Gupta Priti , Guttmann Martin , Ruschel Jan , Glaab Johannes , Kolbe Tim , Rass Jens , Knauer Arne , Stölmacker Christoph , Einfeldt Sven , Wernicke Tim , Weyers Markus , Kneissl Michael
Published: April 2023

The electroluminescence of UVB light-emitting diodes emitting at 310 nm before and after 1000 h of operation is studied in the temperature range from 20 to 340 K. Before operation, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) at 10 mA gradually increases with decreasing temperature from 0.8% at 340 K to 1.8% at 150 K and then levels off. This trend is attributed to a reduction of non-radiative recombination and finally the domination of radiative recombination at low temperatures. After 1000 h of operation, the EQE has dropped to 0.45% at 340 K with a maximum EQE of 1.4% at 80 K, followed by a drop for temperatures below 80 K. These findings suggest a stress-induced reduction of both the radiative recombination efficiency and the carrier injection efficiency.
Background-free four-wave mixing microscopy of small gold nanoparticles inside a multi-cellular organ
Authors: Pope Iestyn , Ferreira Nuno G. C. , Kille Peter , Langbein Wolfgang , Borri Paola
Published: April 2023

The ability to detect small metallic nanoparticles by optical microscopy inside environmentally relevant species may have a wide impact for ecotoxicology studies. Here, we demonstrate four-wave mixing microscopy on individual small gold nanoparticles inside the hepatopancreas of Oniscus Asellus, a terrestrial isopod, which ingests metals found in the soil. After the exposure to food containing 10 nm radius gold nanoparticles, hepatopancreas tubules were collected, and nanoparticles were imaged by four-wave mixing microscopy with high contrast, locating them with sub-cellular resolution in the volume, despite the significant light scattering from these multi-cellular organs. Notably, the ultrafast dynamics of the four-wave-mixing non-linearity of gold nanoparticles resonantly excited and probed at their localized surface plasmon allows them to be distinguished from other metal deposits in the hepatopancreas, which manifest as a long-lived photothermal contrast. Our findings bring unexpected insight into the location of gold nanoparticles in relation to the cell types forming the hepatopancreas. Considering its simplicity, volumetric imaging capabilities, specificity, and compatibility with living cell studies, four-wave mixing microscopy holds great potential to investigate the fate of metal nanoparticles inside biological systems.
Fast-release kinetics of a pH-responsive polymer detected by dynamic contact angles
Authors: Li Xiaomei , Auepattana-Aumrung Krisada , Butt Hans-Jürgen , Crespy Daniel , Berger Rüdiger
Published: April 2023

Polymers conjugated with active agents have applications in biomedicine, anticorrosion, and smart agriculture. When the active agent is used as a drug, corrosion inhibitor, or pesticide, it can be released upon a specific stimulus. The efficiency and the sustainability of active agents are determined by the released kinetics. In this work, we study the fast-release kinetics of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) from a pH-responsive, random copolymer of methyl methacrylate and 8-quinolinyl-sulfide-ethyl acrylate [P(MMA-co-HQSEA)] by hydrolysis of the β-thiopropionate groups. We used contact angle measurements of sliding drops as an elegant way to characterize the release kinetics. Based on the results gained from 1H nuclear magnetic resonance measurement, fluorescent intensity measurement, and velocity-dependent contact angle measurement, we found that both the hydrolysis rate and polymer conformation affect the release kinetics of 8HQ from a P(MMA-co-HQSEA) film. Polymer chains collapse and further suppress the release from the inner layer in acidic conditions, while polymer chains in a stretched condition further facilitate the release from the inner layer. As a result, the cumulative release rate of 8HQ is higher in the basic condition than in the acidic condition.
Phosphatidylserine-positive extracellular vesicles boost effector CD8
+
T cell responses during viral infection
Authors: Rausch Lisa , Flaskamp Lavinia , Ashokkumar Ashretha , Trefzer Anne , Ried Christine , Buchholz Veit R. , Obst Reinhard , Straub Tobias , Brocker Thomas , Kranich Jan
Published: April 2023

CD8
+
T cells are crucial for the clearance of viral infections. During the acute phase, proinflammatory conditions increase the amount of circulating phosphatidylserine
+
(PS) extracellular vesicles (EVs). These EVs interact especially with CD8
+
T cells; however, it remains unclear whether they can actively modulate CD8
+
T cell responses. In this study, we have developed a method to analyze cell-bound PS
+
EVs and their target cells in vivo. We show that EV
+
cell abundance increases during viral infection and that EVs preferentially bind to activated, but not naive, CD8
+
T cells. Superresolution imaging revealed that PS
+
EVs attach to clusters of CD8 molecules on the T cell surface. Furthermore, EV-binding induces antigen (Ag)-specific TCR signaling and increased nuclear translocation of the transcription factor Nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATc1) in vivo. EV-decorated but not EV-free CD8
+
T cells are enriched for gene signatures associated with T-cell receptor signaling, early effector differentiation, and proliferation. Our data thus demonstrate that PS
+
EVs provide Ag-specific adjuvant effects to activated CD8
+
T cells in vivo.
Mechanism of secretion of TcpF by the
Vibrio cholerae
toxin-coregulated pilus
Authors: Nguyen Minh , Wu Tzu-Hui , Danielson Katie J. , Khan Nabeel M. , Zhang John Zhijia , Craig Lisa
Published: April 2023

Many bacteria possess dynamic filaments called Type IV pili (T4P) that perform diverse functions in colonization and dissemination, including host cell adhesion, DNA uptake, and secretion of protein substrates—exoproteins—from the periplasm to the extracellular space. The
Vibrio cholerae
toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) and the enterotoxigenic 
Escherichia coli
 CFA/III pilus each mediates export of a single exoprotein, TcpF and CofJ, respectively. Here, we show that the disordered N-terminal segment of mature TcpF is the export signal (ES) recognized by TCP. Deletion of the ES disrupts secretion and causes TcpF to accumulate in the
V. cholerae
periplasm. The ES alone can mediate export of
Neisseria gonorrhoeae
FbpA by
V. cholerae
in a T4P-dependent manner. The ES is specific for its autologous T4P machinery as CofJ bearing the TcpF ES is exported by
V. cholerae
, whereas TcpF bearing the CofJ ES is not. Specificity is mediated by binding of the ES to TcpB, a minor pilin that primes pilus assembly and forms a trimer at the pilus tip. Finally, the ES is proteolyzed from the mature TcpF protein upon secretion. Together, these results provide a mechanism for delivery of TcpF across the outer membrane and release into the extracellular space.
A mutagenesis study of autoantigen optimization for potential T1D vaccine design
Authors: Song Yi , Bell David R. , Ahmed Rizwan , Chan Kevin C. , Lee Sangyun , Hamad Abdel Rahim A. , Zhou Ruhong
Published: April 2023

A previously reported autoreactive antigen, termed the X-idiotype, isolated from a unique cell population in Type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients, was found to stimulate their CD4+ T cells. This antigen was previously determined to bind more favorably than insulin and its mimic (insulin superagonist) to HLA-DQ8, supporting its strong role in CD4+ T cell activation. In this work, we probed HLA-X-idiotype-TCR binding and designed enhanced-reactive pHLA-TCR antigens using an in silico mutagenesis approach which we functionally validated by cell proliferation assays and flow cytometry. From a combination of single, double, and swap mutations, we identified antigen-binding sites p4 and p6 as potential mutation sites for HLA binding affinity enhancement. Site p6 is revealed to favor smaller but more hydrophobic residues than the native tyrosine, such as valine (Y6V) and isoleucine (Y6I), indicating a steric mechanism in binding affinity improvement. Meanwhile, site p4 methionine mutation to hydrophobic residues isoleucine (M4I) or leucine (M4L) modestly increases HLA binding affinity. Select p6 mutations to cysteine (Y6C) or isoleucine (Y6I) exhibit favorable TCR binding affinities, while a swap p5-p6 tyrosine–valine double mutant (V5Y_Y6V) and a p6-p7 glutamine–glutamine double mutant (Y6Q_Y7Q) exhibit enhanced HLA binding affinity but weakened TCR affinity. This work holds relevance to potential T1D antigen-based vaccine design and optimization.
Gas-modulating microcapsules for spatiotemporal control of hypoxia
Authors: Molley Thomas G. , Jiang Shouyuan , Ong Louis , Kopecky Chantal , Ranaweera Chavinya D. , Jalandhra Gagan K. , Milton Laura , Kardia Egi , Zhou Zeheng , Rnjak-Kovacina Jelena , Waters Shafagh A. , Toh Yi-Chin , Kilian Kristopher A.
Published: April 2023

Oxygen is a vital molecule involved in regulating development, homeostasis, and disease. The oxygen levels in tissue vary from 1 to 14% with deviations from homeostasis impacting regulation of various physiological processes. In this work, we developed an approach to encapsulate enzymes at high loading capacity, which precisely controls the oxygen content in cell culture. Here, a single microcapsule is able to locally perturb the oxygen balance, and varying the concentration and distribution of matrix-embedded microcapsules provides spatiotemporal control. We demonstrate attenuation of hypoxia signaling in populations of stem cells, cancer cells, endothelial cells, cancer spheroids, and intestinal organoids. Varying capsule placement, media formulation, and timing of replenishment yields tunable oxygen gradients, with concurrent spatial growth and morphogenesis in a single well. Capsule containing hydrogel films applied to chick chorioallantoic membranes encourages neovascularization, providing scope for topical treatments or hydrogel wound dressings. This platform can be used in a variety of formats, including deposition in hydrogels, as granular solids for 3D bioprinting, and as injectable biomaterials. Overall, this platform’s simplicity and flexibility will prove useful for fundamental studies of oxygen-mediated processes in virtually any in vitro or in vivo format, with scope for inclusion in biomedical materials for treating injury or disease.
Repetition learning is neither a continuous nor an implicit process
Authors: Musfeld Philipp , Souza Alessandra S. , Oberauer Klaus
Published: April 2023

Learning advances through repetition. A classic paradigm for studying this process is the Hebb repetition effect: Immediate serial recall performance improves for lists presented repeatedly as compared to nonrepeated lists. Learning in the Hebb paradigm has been described as a slow but continuous accumulation of long-term memory traces over repetitions [e.g., Page & Norris,
Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B
364
, 3737–3753 (2009)]. Furthermore, it has been argued that Hebb repetition learning requires no awareness of the repetition, thereby being an instance of implicit learning [e.g., Guérard et al.,
Mem. Cogn.
39
, 1012–1022 (2011); McKelvie,
 J. Gen. Psychol.
 
114
, 75–88 (1987)]. While these assumptions match the data from a group-level perspective, another picture emerges when analyzing data on the individual level. We used a Bayesian hierarchical mixture modeling approach to describe individual learning curves. In two preregistered experiments, using a visual and a verbal Hebb repetition task, we demonstrate that 1) individual learning curves show an abrupt onset followed by rapid growth, with a variable time for the onset of learning across individuals, and that 2) learning onset was preceded by, or coincided with, participants becoming aware of the repetition. These results imply that repetition learning is not implicit and that the appearance of a slow and gradual accumulation of knowledge is an artifact of averaging over individual learning curves.
Genetic factors predict hybrid formation in the British flora
Authors: Brown Max R. , Hollingsworth Peter M. , Forrest Laura L. , Hart Michelle L. , Leitch Ilia J. , Jones Laura , Ford Col , de Vere Natasha , Twyford Alex D.
Published: April 2023

Natural hybridization can have a profound evolutionary impact, with consequences ranging from the extinction of rare taxa to the origin of new species. Natural hybridization is particularly common in plants; however, our understanding of the general factors that promote or prevent hybridization is hampered by the highly variable outcomes in different lineages. Here, we quantify the influence of different predictors on hybrid formation across species from an entire flora. We combine estimates of hybridization with ecological attributes and a new species-level phylogeny for over 1,100 UK flowering plant species. Our results show that genetic factors, particularly parental genetic distance, as well as phylogenetic position and ploidy, are key determinants of hybrid formation, whereas many other factors such as range overlap and genus size explain much less variation in hybrid formation. Overall, intrinsic genetic factors shape the evolutionary and ecological consequences of natural hybridization across species in a flora.
Bikeability and the induced demand for cycling
Authors: Fosgerau Mogens , Łukawska Mirosława , Paulsen Mads , Rasmussen Thomas Kjær
Published: April 2023

To what extent is the volume of urban bicycle traffic affected by the provision of bicycle infrastructure? In this study, we exploit a large dataset of GPS trajectories of bicycle trips in combination with a fine-grained representation of the Copenhagen bicycle-relevant network. We apply a model for bicyclists’ choice of route from origin to destination that takes the complete network into account. This enables us to determine bicyclists’ preferences for a range of infrastructure and land-use types. We use the estimated preferences to compute a generalized cost of bicycle travel, which we correlate with the number of bicycle trips across a large number of origin–destination pairs. Simulations suggest that the extensive Copenhagen bicycle lane network has caused the number of bicycle trips and the bicycle kilometers traveled to increase by 60% and 90%, respectively, compared with a counterfactual without the bicycle lane network. This translates into an annual benefit of €0.4M per km of bicycle lane owing to changes in generalized travel cost, health, and accidents. Our results thus strongly support the provision of bicycle infrastructure.
Cross-language influences in L2 syntactic processing and production in late L2 learners
Authors: Muylle Merel , Hartsuiker Robert J. , Bernolet Sarah
Published: April 2023

Is syntactic processing in a second language (L2) influenced by the first language? This chapter reviews studies that address this issue, with an emphasis on work testing cross-linguistic structural priming. Such priming may indicate that the speaker has shared or connected syntactic representations across languages. We first sketch two types of theories of L2 syntactic representations: theories assuming that syntactic sharing increases with experience, and those assuming the opposite trajectory. We then review studies that found cross-linguistic priming in production and in comprehension and discuss how factors such as lexical overlap, proficiency, word order, case marking, and linguistic distance modulate this effect. We conclude with a discussion of the findings in light of current theories of syntactic processing in L2.
Comparing collocations in translated and learner language
Authors: Ferraresi Adriano , Bernardini Silvia
Published: April 2023

This paper compares use of collocations by Italian learners writing in and translating into English, conceptualising the two tasks as different modes of constrained language production and adoptingHalverson’s (2017)revised Gravitational Pull Hypothesis as a theoretical model. A particular focus is placed on identifying a method for comparing datasets containing translations and essays, assembled opportunistically and varying in size and structure. The study shows that lexical association scores for dependency-defined word pairs are significantly higher in translations than essays. A qualitative analysis of a subset of collocations shared and unique to either mode shows that the former set features more collocations with direct cross-linguistic links (connectivity), and that the source/first language seems to affect both modes similarly. We tentatively conclude that second/target language salience effects are more visible in translation than second language use, while connectivity and source language salience affect both modes of bilingual processing similarly, regardless of the mediation variable.
Silver nanowire electrodes for transparent light emitting devices based on WS2 monolayers
Authors: Myja Henrik , Yang Zhiqiao , Goldthorpe Irene A , Jones Alexander J B , Musselman Kevin P , Grundmann Annika , Kalisch Holger , Vescan Andrei , Heuken Michael , Kümmell Tilmar , Bacher Gerd
Published: April 2023

Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers with their direct band gap in the visible to near-infrared spectral range have emerged over the past years as highly promising semiconducting materials for optoelectronic applications. Progress in scalable fabrication methods for TMDCs like metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and the ambition to exploit specific material properties, such as mechanical flexibility or high transparency, highlight the importance of suitable device concepts and processing techniques. In this work, we make use of the high transparency of TMDC monolayers to fabricate transparent light-emitting devices (LEDs). MOCVD-grown WS2 is embedded as the active material in a scalable vertical device architecture and combined with a silver nanowire (AgNW) network as a transparent top electrode. The AgNW network was deposited onto the device by a spin-coating process, providing contacts with a sheet resistance below 10 Ω sq−1 and a transmittance of nearly 80%. As an electron transport layer we employed a continuous 40 nm thick zinc oxide (ZnO) layer, which was grown by atmospheric pressure spatial atomic layer deposition (AP-SALD), a precise tool for scalable deposition of oxides with defined thickness. With this, LEDs with an average transmittance over 60% in the visible spectral range, emissive areas of several mm2 and a turn-on voltage of around 3 V are obtained.
Surface morphology studies and corrosion behaviour of plasma sprayed Cr3C2/8YSZ composite coating on SS316
Authors: Maharajan S , Michael Thomas Rex F , Ravindran D , Rajakarunakaran S
Published: April 2023

Austenitic Stainless Steel (SS316) is a commonly used material in marine and offshore locations. The components’ surface in such environments degrades due to chloride and moisture exposure. Hence, adding a ceramic coating to the surface enhances its functionality. In the present work, Cr3C2 and 8YSZ powders are mixed in an equal ratio to deposit unique composite coated layers on the SS316 substrate by plasma spray coating method. The performance of the composite coating is also compared to that of uncoated, Cr3C2-coated, and 8YSZ-coated substrates. The surface morphology and cross-sectional microstructures of the coated SS316 substrate are examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, and The presence of chemical elements in the coatings is determined using Energy Dispersive x-ray Analysis (EDAX) with elemental mapping. Further, the corrosion resistance of the substrate is evaluated using potentiodynamic polarisation and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) methods. The results show that the composite coating has a decreased porosity of 1.33% area and a higher microhardness of 880.02HV compared to bare and other coated surfaces. The corrosion analysis reveals that the composite coating has a decreased corrosion current density (Icorr) of 3.233 × 10–6 mA cm−2 and an enhanced charge transfer resistance of 2396.23 ohms.cm2 due to strong passivation and restricted electrolyte penetration into the coating. Further, the electrochemical corrosion study reveals that the composite coating exhibits the lowest corrosion rate of 0.00004306 mm / year.
Quantum anomalous Hall effect with high Chern numbers in functionalized square-octagon Sb monolayers
Authors: Bao Hairui , Zhao Bao , Zhang Jiayong , Xue Yang , Zhou Tong , Yang Zhongqin
Published: April 2023

The quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect has attracted continuous attention due to its intriguing properties and potential applications in future electronics. Here, we present our investigation of the electronic and topological properties of a square-octagon Sb monolayer with Mo atoms adsorbed (Mo@so-Sb) using first-principles calculations. Our studies reveal how a trivial insulator can be first engineered into an unusual bipolar magnetic semiconductor (BMS) and then further tuned by strain into a spintronics-favorable half semiconductor (HS) or half metal. Remarkably, with 3.7% compressive strain applied, we achieve a QAH state in Mo@so-Sb with a high Chern number (C = 4) which is much larger than that (C = ±1 or ±2) of the previously predicted Chern insulators. This QAH state is characterized by the appearance of four gapless chiral edge states within the nontrivial band gap, enabling a robust multi-channel low-power-consumption transport. Its nontrivial topology primarily originates from the band inversion between the non-degenerate Mo 4d and Sb 5p orbitals. Additionally, we demonstrate the interesting BMS, HS, and QAH states can be controlled by the Mo adsorption concentrations. Our findings not only provide a versatile means of transforming trivial insulators into the desired spintronics-favorable and topological states, but also open new possibilities for high-performance electronic devices.
The implementation effects of different plastic bag ban policies in China: the role of consumers’ involvement
Authors: Wang Bairong , Li Yong , Cai Xiaojing
Published: April 2023

This study selects three cities in China that implement plastic bag ban policies with different levels of consumer involvement to compare the effects of policy implementation. In general, consumer plastic bag usage behaviour becomes more environmentally friendly when plastic bag ban policies became more stringent. High consumer involvement policies induces changes in pro-environmental bag use; however, their plastic-reducing effects are uncertain and compounded. In contrast, low-consumer-involvement policies could reduce plastic waste damage but could not make consumers’ more environmentally conscious with regard to bag usage. Moreover, this study confirms robust bag usage differences across different groups of consumers. These findings provide valuable insights into the patterns of influence of different types of plastic bag bans. Based on these insights, plastic crisis managers can create more effective and targeted policies to combat the growing plastic crisis.
Calibration and optimization of FSR based smart walking assistance device
Authors: Kumar Mahesh , Vasage Akshay , Kulkarni Gajanan , Padhye Onkar , Kerkar Shivram , Gupta Mridul , Singh Kulwant
Published: April 2023

The movement of the legs is a very important activity and routine exercise in human life for the fundamental necessity of mobility. Few smart walking assistance (SWA) devices have recently been developed to support walking for older people and osteoarthritis patients. A smart walking assistance device was developed using force-sensitive resistors (FSRs) to support mobility. Precise motion control of the walker wheel is necessary to direct the SWA device in the intended direction. Due to the inaccuracy in motor manufacturing and its internal resistances, the motors and respective attached wheels run at different speeds even though the electrical input signal is the same. The asynchronization in the motors attached to the wheels leads to deviation in the intended path of the user. It is very important to follow the exact path by SWA as per the requirement and safety of the user. In this paper, the speed asynchronization issue of the SWA device is addressed. The asynchronization problem is solved using mathematical modeling followed by implementing effective speed control techniques to provide speed synchronization in all the driving motors of SWA. Further, the power consumption of SWA is also analyzed. It has been found that the proposed SWA device, after calibration and optimization with pulse width modulation (PWM) mapping performed a successful operation with a power-saving of 27.62% at no-load and 77.33% at load conditions.
On the Boolean algebra tensor product via Carathéodory spaces of place functions
Authors: Buskes Gerard , Thorn Page
Published: April 2023

We show that the Carathéodory space of place functions on the free product of two Boolean algebras is Riesz isomorphic with Fremlin’s Archimedean Riesz space tensor product of their respective Carathéodory spaces of place functions. We provide a solution to Fremlin’s problem 315Y(f) [Measure Theory, Torres Fremlin, Colchester, 2004] concerning completeness in the free product of Boolean algebras by applying our results on the Archimedean Riesz space tensor product to Carathéodory spaces of place functions.
Introduction: ‘As Rust Eats Iron’
Authors: Eidinow Esther
Published: April 2023

Developing the ideas of the first part of the book, this chapter, which opens the second part of the study, begins the exploration of the ancient emotion phthonos, which is usually translated as ‘envy’. It presents a number of different definitions of phthonos from a range of literary works, and identifies the commonalities among them. It establishes that phthonos is an emotion term that seems to remain both remarkably consistent and strikingly prevalent across ancient Greek culture. The definitions examined here are largely about interpersonal relations, but they also encompass the dynamics between groups and individuals, and groups and groups. Finally, this chapter introduces some of the problems of analysing emotions in different cultures, which will be the subject of the next chapter.
Conclusion: ‘A Covert Form ofWitchcraft’
Authors: Eidinow Esther
Published: April 2023

This chapter returns to the trials of Theoris, Phryne, and Ninon. Drawing together the arguments of the book so far, it suggests that their trials were prompted by social dynamics, and highlights phthonos and gossip. Aeschines’ comments about the trial of Socrates, in which he examines the informal reasons why Socrates was condemned to death, illustrate the important role played by specific social dynamics. The chapter ends by asking what is it that creates the right environment for gossip to become transformed into official legal action.
Hemostatic Net in Facelift Surgery: A 5-Year Single-Surgeon Experience
Authors: Janssen Tim J , Maheshwari Kavish , Sivadasan Anand , Waterhouse Norman
Published: April 2023

Background

The hemostatic net has been promoted as a safe and effective method to prevent hematoma formation following facelift procedures. To date there is little published evidence to validate the replicability and effectiveness of the technique.

Objectives

This study presents 2 cohorts of facelift patients from a single surgeon's practice to assess the impact of the hemostatic net on hematoma formation.

Methods

The records of 304 patients were reviewed on whom the hemostatic net was placed following a facelift between July 2017 and October 2022. Data were collected and assessed for complications and compared with a control group of 359 patients who underwent a facelift procedure without placement of a hemostatic net by the same surgeon between 1999 and 2004.

Results

A total of 663 patients were included. In this retrospective cohort study, analysis of available data showed a significantly reduced hematoma rate of 0.6% in the intervention group compared with 3.9% in the control group (P = .006722).

Conclusions

The use of the hemostatic net is a safe, reproducible, and effective technique in reducing the risk of hematoma in facelift surgery.

Level of Evidence: 4
FISHFactor: a probabilistic factor model for spatial transcriptomics data with subcellular resolution
Authors: Walter Florin C , Stegle Oliver , Velten Britta
Published: April 2023

Motivation

Factor analysis is a widely used tool for unsupervised dimensionality reduction of high-throughput datasets in molecular biology, with recently proposed extensions designed specifically for spatial transcriptomics data. However, these methods expect (count) matrices as data input and are therefore not directly applicable to single molecule resolution data, which are in the form of coordinate lists annotated with genes and provide insight into subcellular spatial expression patterns. To address this, we here propose FISHFactor, a probabilistic factor model that combines the benefits of spatial, non-negative factor analysis with a Poisson point process likelihood to explicitly model and account for the nature of single molecule resolution data. In addition, FISHFactor shares information across a potentially large number of cells in a common weight matrix, allowing consistent interpretation of factors across cells and yielding improved latent variable estimates.

Results

We compare FISHFactor to existing methods that rely on aggregating information through spatial binning and cannot combine information from multiple cells and show that our method leads to more accurate results on simulated data. We show that our method is scalable and can be readily applied to large datasets. Finally, we demonstrate on a real dataset that FISHFactor is able to identify major subcellular expression patterns and spatial gene clusters in a data-driven manner.

Availability and implementation

The model implementation, data simulation and experiment scripts are available under https://www.github.com/bioFAM/FISHFactor.
A Sensitive Ultra­performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometric Method for Determination of Secalonic Acid F in Rat Plasma and Its Application to Pharmacokinetic Study
Authors: Ji Lei , Wang Pengyue , Wan Qingyun , Wang Gege , Liu Weizhong , Liu Desheng
Published: April 2023

Secalonic acid F (SAF) is a fungal secondary metabolite exhibited interesting pharmacological effect. In this study, a simple and sensitive ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometric (UPLC–MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the determination of SAF in rat plasma. Emodin was selected as the internal standard (IS), and plasma samples were prepared by liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was operated on an Agilent SB-C18 column, and the mobile phase was a mixture of 0.5% formic acid in water and methanol (V:V = 20:80) at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. Detection was carried out with a 6460 triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer using electrospray ionization in the multiple-reaction monitoring mode. The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were m/z 639.3 → 415.4 and 269.0 → 225.1 for SAF and IS, respectively. Results showed the calibration curve of SAF was linear in the range of 2–500 ng·mL−1 with the correlation coefficient > 0.99. The matrix effect, extraction recovery, dilution effect, intraday and inter-day precision and accuracy were all in acceptable limits. The analytes were also stable under different conditions. The validated method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study after oral administration in Sprague-Dawley rats at a dose of 10 mg/kg.
Anti-CD20 should be the first-line treatment in high-risk membranous nephropathy
Authors: Zand Ladan , Fervenza Fernando C
Published: April 2023

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a common cause of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in adults and if untreated can progress to endstage kidney disease. Factors considered to place a patient at high or very high risk for progression include elevated serum creatinine at baseline, declining kidney function, persistent heavy proteinuria (>8 g/24 h), or persistent NS, presence of life-threatening complications related to NS (such as venous thromboembolic events), or very high anti-PLA2R antibody titers (>150 RU/ml). Patients who are at high or very high risk of progression should be treated with immunosuppression therapy to induce remission of proteinuria and to avoid progressive loss of kidney function. Traditional forms of immunosuppression for patients with MN have included the use of cyclic courses of corticosteroids with cyclophosphamide or calcineurin inhibitors. These forms of therapy are associated with significant toxicity, e.g. corticosteroids (infections, diabetes, weight gain), cyclophosphamide (infertility, severe leukopenia, malignancy), and calcineurin inhibitors (hypertension, nephrotoxicity). The introduction of anti-CD20+ B-cell therapies in the late 1990s has changed the landscape. In this article we will argue that anti-CD20+ B therapy should be the treatment of choice for patients at high/very high risk of progression when considering its efficacy and side-effect profile.
Effect of roxadustat on red blood cell lifespan in patients with long-term haemodialysis: a single-centre, prospective, single-arm study
Authors: Zhao Bing , Yang Xiaowei , Li Weidan , Zhu Huizi , Meng Qian , Ma Yongjian , Liu Yun , Zhou Yan , Lin Jiangong , Zhai Chunjuan , Zhao Lian , Sun Jing , Wang Rong
Published: April 2023

Background

Reduced survival of red blood cells (RBCs) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is thought to contribute to renal anaemia. Although renal anaemia improved greatly because of the wide use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and the advancement of dialysis techniques, RBC longevity seems not to be obviously ameliorated.

Methods

In this single-centre, single-arm trial, patients who had been undergoing haemodialysis and ESA therapy with epoetin alfa for at least 12 weeks changed their anti-anaemia drugs from epoetin alfa to oral roxadustat three times per week for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in RBC lifespan from baseline at week 24. The change in the circulating percentage of eryptotic RBCs, RBC deformability and RBC oxygen transport ability were also assessed.

Results

A total of 27 patients were enrolled, with 26 completing the full course of intervention. At baseline, the average RBC lifespan was 60.1 days [standard deviation (SD) 14.4; n = 27]. At the end of the study period, 26 patients had an RBC lifespan measurement (83.9 days on average; SD 21.9). The RBC lifespan increased by 22.8 days on average [95% confidence interval (CI) 15.5–30.0, P < .001]. This equated to an average RBC lifespan increase of 39.2% (95% CI 27.8–50.6). The percentage of circulating eryptotic RBCs, erythrocyte filtration index and the pressure at which haemoglobin is 50% saturated decreased significantly from baseline to week 24 (1.39 ± 0.44% versus 0.89 ± 0.25%, P < .0001; 0.29 ± 0.12 versus 0.16 ± 0.08, P < .0001 and 32.54 ± 4.83 versus 28.40 ± 2.29, P < .001, respectively).

Conclusion

Roxadustat prolonged RBC lifespan in patients with long-term haemodialysis.
Impact of radiotherapy on adverse events of self-expanding metallic stents in patients with esophageal cancer
Authors: Machado Andressa A , Martins Bruno C , Josino Iatagan R , Chen André T C , Hong Carlos B C , Santos Alisson L D R , Lima Gustavo R A , Cordero Martin A C , Safatle-Ribeiro Adriana V , Pennacchi Caterina , Gusmon Carla C , Paulo Gustavo A , Lenz Luciano , Lima Marcelo S , Baba Elisa R , Kawaguti Fábio S , Uemura Ricardo S , Sallum Rubens A A , Ribeiro Jr Ulysses , Maluf-Filho Fauze
Published: April 2023

Self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) are considered the treatment of choice for the palliation of dysphagia and fistulas in inoperable esophageal neoplasms. However, the safety of SEMSs in patients who received or who will be submitted to radiotherapy (RT) is uncertain. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of RT on adverse events (AEs) in patients with esophageal cancer with SEMSs. This is a retrospective study conducted at a tertiary cancer hospital from 2009 to 2018. We collected information regarding RT, the histological type of the tumor, the model of SEMSs and AEs after stent placement. Three hundred twenty-three patients with malignant stenosis or fistula were treated with SEMSs. The predominant histological type was squamous cell carcinoma (79.6%). A total of 282 partially covered and 41 fully covered SEMSs were inserted. Of the 323 patients, 182 did not received RT, 118 received RT before SEMS placement and 23 after. Comparing the group that received RT before stent insertion with the group that did not, the first one presented a higher frequency of severe pain (9/118 7.6% vs. 3/182 1.6%; P = 0.02). The group treated with RT after stent placement had a higher risk of global AEs (13/23 56.5% vs. 63/182 34.6%; P = 0.019), ingrowth/overgrowth (6/23 26.1% vs. 21/182 11.5%; P = 0.045) and gastroesophageal reflux (2/23 8.7% vs. 2/182 1.1%; P = 0.034). Treatment with RT before stent placement in patients with inoperable esophageal neoplasm prolongs survival and is associated with an increased risk of severe chest pain. Treatment with RT of patients with an esophageal stent increases the frequency of minor, not life-threatening AEs.
Ability to remotely monitor atrial high-rate episodes using a single-chamber implantable cardioverter-defibrillator with a floating atrial sensing dipole
Authors: Hindricks Gerhard , Theuns Dominic A , Bar-Lev David , Anguera Ignasi , Ayala Paredes Félix Alejandro , Arnold Martin , Geller J Christoph , Merkely Béla , Dyrda Katia Marjolaine , Perings Christian , Maglia Giampiero , Ploux Sylvain , Meyhöfer Jürgen , Blomström-Lundqvist Carina , Karjalainen Pasi , Liang Yanchun , Diemberger Igor , Wranicz Jerzy Krzysztof , Barr Craig , Quartieri Fabio , Timmel Tobias , Bollmann Andreas
Published: April 2023

Aims

To allow timely initiation of anticoagulation therapy for the prevention of stroke, the European guidelines on atrial fibrillation (AF) recommend remote monitoring (RM) of device-detected atrial high-rate episodes (AHREs) and progression of arrhythmia duration along pre-specified strata (6 min…<1 h, 1 h…<24 h, ≥ 24 h). We used the MATRIX registry data to assess the capability of a single-lead implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) with atrial sensing dipole (DX ICD system) to follow this recommendation in patients with standard indication for single-chamber ICD.

Methods and results

In 1841 DX ICD patients with daily automatic RM transmissions, electrograms of first device-detected AHREs per patient in each duration stratum were adjudicated, and the corresponding positive predictive values (PPVs) for the detections to be true atrial arrhythmia were calculated. Moreover, the incidence and progression of new-onset AF was assessed in 1451 patients with no AF history. A total of 610 AHREs ≥6 min were adjudicated. The PPV was 95.1% (271 of 285) for episodes 6min…<1 h, 99.6% (253/254) for episodes 1 h…<24 h, 100% (71/71) for episodes ≥24 h, or 97.5% for all episodes (595/610). The incidence of new-onset AF was 8.2% (119/1451), and in 31.1% of them (37/119), new-onset AF progressed to a higher duration stratum. Nearly 80% of new-onset AF patients had high CHA2DS2-VASc stroke risk, and 70% were not on anticoagulation therapy. Age was the only significant predictor of new-onset AF.

Conclusion

A 99.7% detection accuracy for AHRE ≥1 h in patients with DX ICD systems in combination with daily RM allows a reliable guideline-recommended screening for subclinical AF and monitoring of AF-duration progression.