bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Domain wall based spin torque nano-oscillator in Z-type magnetic nanowire with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy
Authors: Zhou Xingfeng , Pan Zizhao , Ma Fusheng
Published: August 2023

A domain wall based spin torque nano-oscillator is a potential device for microwave generation because of its tunability of frequency, operation at room temperature, and integration with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductors. Here, we proposed and numerically demonstrated a spin nano-oscillator with domain wall steady oscillation in Z-type magnetic nanowires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by micromagnetic simulations. We find that the dynamical behavior of domain walls at Z-junctions is highly affected by the dimension of Z-junctions and current density. Three kinds of behaviors are found, i.e., damped oscillation, steady oscillation, and collapse. The observed steady oscillation can be used as spin torque nano-oscillators with a working frequency can approach 20 GHz. Our findings could enrich the investigation of spin torque nano-oscillators at high frequencies for novel microwave emitters.
Dielectric constant measurement sensitivity in electrostatic force and force gradient microscopy-based modes
Authors: Stan Gheorghe
Published: August 2023

Understanding the nanoscale electrostatic interaction between a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe and a dielectric film is central to the operation of various nanoscale dielectric microscopies and determination of dielectric properties of the film. There is no simple analytical description of the electrostatic interaction generated in the confined probe-sample geometry for neither static nor dynamic AFM modes used in dielectric measurements. An accurate description of the involved physics is obtained only by means of a finite element analysis modeling of the system. However, the alternative to using the numerical analysis is not very popular due to being slower and requiring relatively high computation resources. In this work, we revised the contributions from different parts of the AFM probe to the probe-sample capacitance by both analytical and numerical methods. We tried to reconciliate the two approaches and observed the differences as a function of geometry and material parameters. Under various noise levels, the efficiency of an analytical model was tested against a finite element analysis that captures in detail the electrostatic interaction in AFM-based dielectric measurements. The investigation was performed in both spectroscopic force-distance curves and constant height scans with measurements for deflection and frequency of the AFM probe. The obtained measurement sensitivities are relevant in selecting the optimal scanning mode and its operational parameters for a given film thicknesses and dielectric constants but also show the critical role of the numerical analysis to the correct interpretation of the measurements.
Revealing complex relaxation behavior of monohydroxy alcohols in a series of octanol isomers
Authors: Böhmer Till , Richter Timo , Gabriel Jan Philipp , Zeißler Rolf , Weigl Peter , Pabst Florian , Blochowicz Thomas
Published: August 2023

We investigate the reorientation dynamics of four octanol isomers with very different characteristics regarding the formation of hydrogen-bonded structures by means of photon-correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. PCS is largely insensitive to orientational cross-correlations and straightforwardly probes the α-process dynamics, thus allowing us to disentangle the complex dielectric relaxation spectra. The analysis reveals an additional dielectric relaxation contribution on time scales between the structural α-process and the Debye process. In line with nuclear magnetic resonance results from the literature and recent findings from rheology experiments, we attribute this intermediate contribution to the dielectric signature of the O–H bond reorientation. Due to being incorporated into hydrogen-bonded suprastructures, the O–H bond dynamically decouples from the rest of the molecule. The relative relaxation strength of the resulting intermediate contribution depends on the respective position of the hydroxy group within the molecule and seems to vanish at sufficiently high temperatures, i.e., exactly when the overall tendency to form hydrogen bonded structures decreases. Furthermore, the fact that different octanol isomers share the same dipole density allows us to perform an in-depth analysis of how dipolar cross-correlations appear in dielectric loss spectra. We find that dipolar cross-correlations are not solely manifested by the presence of the slow Debye process but also scale the relaxation strength of the self-correlation contribution depending on the Kirkwood factor.
Study on the dynamics and wake characteristics of a floating tidal stream turbine with pitch motion under free surface
Authors: Xu Junhui , Zhang Yuquan , Peng Bin , Zheng Yuan , Li Chengyi , Zang Wei , Fernandez-Rodriguez Emmanuel
Published: August 2023

To improve knowledge of the unsteady hydrodynamic characteristics of a floating horizontal-axis tidal turbine (HATT) in complex marine environments, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical method is established to analyze the functioning of a HATT under free surface and pitch conditions: an amplitude of 2.5°–12.5° and a period of 3–15 s. The appropriateness of the CFD method is validated against piled turbine tests in a circulating flume, which turned out to be only 1.43% off at the rated tip speed ratio. The power and thrust coefficients exhibit periodic variation with a frequency twice the pitch's motion. From the ecological perspective, the wake velocity field presents radial warps accompanied by several ellipsoidal low-velocity core regions, which corresponds to the fused vortex rings in the vortex zone. Notably, the wake is more influenced with large rather than small amplitudes and periods; meanwhile, the wake is more sensitive to frequency changes than to amplitude changes. The results could lay a foundation for future research into more complex motion response of floating tidal turbines.
Development of a new hybrid energy system based on a microturbine and parabolic trough collector for usage in sports stadiums
Authors: Su Zhanguo , Li Liguang , Meng Junyan , Su Yipping , Yao Yuzhong , Alayi Reza
Published: August 2023

The use of solar technologies is expanding day by day due to easy access and its easiness in combining with other systems. The low density of solar radiation in some places has caused a quiet acceptance of this type of energy, which can be overcome by concentrating solar radiation in a specific area. One of the other problems of renewable energy is the lack of access at all hours of the day and night, and to solve this problem, a gas microturbine system has been used. The purpose of this research is to supply the thermal and electrical energy needed by the sports stadium. The purpose of this research is to investigate the hybrid gas microturbine system with a capacity of 30 kW with a linear parabolic concentrator collector. To achieve this goal, thermodynamic modeling was done and the effect of effective parameters on electrical and thermal power production was evaluated. Among the significant results of this research, the decrease of 0.1% in mechanical power due to the increase of 5 °C in the ambient temperature is noticeable, and on the other hand, according to the obtained results, it can be said that the electrical and mechanical efficiencies increase by 3% due to the increase in the annual radiation intensity to the amount of 1100 W/m2.
A new method for high-resolution particle measurement with a large field of view via dual-view shadowgraph imaging
Authors: Zhang Xiaokun , Zhang Haibin , Bai Bofeng
Published: August 2023

The analysis of interactions between micro-particles and carrier gas is a critical aspect in the study of micro-particle behavior, particularly in fuel spray and spray cooling. However, optical imaging techniques face inherent limitations that pose challenges to existing testing methods in achieving high capturing capability for micro-particles and a large field of view simultaneously. The current study proposes a Dual-view Wide-field High-precision Particle Sizing Technique that integrates hardware (dual-view lenses) and software (cGAN-ResNet joint algorithm). It aims to achieve accurate measurements of micro-particles in a large field of view. Our innovative approach involves simultaneous capture using dual-view lenses, where the smaller view lens aims to achieve high-resolution images. By employing machine learning techniques, we establish correspondences between droplets within the overlapping region of the two different-resolution images. This allows us to reconstruct the droplet information with high resolution for all droplets within the larger field of view, enabling accurate measurement of droplet characteristics across a wide field. We created synthetic datasets using the microSIG program to emulate real-world scenarios and validate our algorithm's accuracy and generalization. The results indicate that our method outperformed traditional adaptive threshold methods and significantly increased the field of view by several folds. Our algorithm has a key feature of real-time learning, thereby allowing it to be adaptable to datasets other than those used in this study and their derivatives. Our study shows that the fusion of multiple deep learning techniques is promising for accurately reconstructing and rapidly measuring micro-particles with a large field of view.
Quasiparticle poisoning in superconducting quantum computers
Authors: Aumentado José , Catelani Gianluigi , Serniak Kyle
Published: August 2023

Recent research has uncovered new insights into how some errors in superconducting qubits are generated and the best ways to mitigate them.
Exploring complex systems through applications
Authors: Deegan Robert
Published: August 2023

When Things Grow Many: Complexity, Universality and Emergence in Nature, L. S. Schulman
Estimating Mediterranean stand fuel characteristics using handheld mobile laser scanning technology
Authors: Coskuner Kadir Alperen , Vatandaslar Can , Ozturk Murat , Harman Ismet , Bilgili Ertugrul , Karahalil Uzay , Berber Tolga , Tunc Gormus Esra
Published: August 2023

Background Accurate, timely and easily obtainable information on stand fuel is of great importance in the prediction of fire behaviour. Aims The objective of this study is to measure several stand fuel characteristics with handheld mobile laser scanning (HMLS) in six fuel types for Mediterranean region, and compare the results with traditional field fuel measurements (FFM) in 35 different sampling plots. Methods The measurements involved overstorey (the number of trees, diameter at breast height, crown base height, tree height, maximum tree height, stand crown closure) and understorey (understorey closure, understorey height) fuel characteristics, and ground slope. Correlation analysis and t-test were performed to examine the relationship between FFM and HMLS datasets. In addition, cross-validation statistics (RMSE, rRMSE and R2) were employed to evaluate the accuracy of the HMLS method. Key results The results indicated strong correlations among all fuel characteristics. However, overstorey fuel characteristics were more favourable (r-values between 0.804 and 0.996, P < 0.01) than understorey (r-values between 0.483 and 0.612, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between FFM and HMLS datasets in all fuel characteristics (P > 0.05). Conclusions The results indicated that the HMLS was practical, cost-effective, time-efficient and required less labour as compared to traditional FFM in plot-level (i.e. 0.1 ha) inventories.
Adaptive metrics for an evolving pandemic: A dynamic approach to area-level COVID-19 risk designations
Authors: Bilinski Alyssa M. , Salomon Joshua A. , Hatfield Laura A.
Published: August 2023

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have proposed risk metrics, such as the CDC Community Levels, to guide local and state decision-making. However, risk metrics have not reliably predicted key outcomes and have often lacked transparency in terms of prioritization of false-positive versus false-negative signals. They have also struggled to maintain relevance over time due to slow and infrequent updates addressing new variants and shifts in vaccine- and infection-induced immunity. We make two contributions to address these weaknesses. We first present a framework to evaluate predictive accuracy based on policy targets related to severe disease and mortality, allowing for explicit preferences toward false-negative versus false-positive signals. This approach allows policymakers to optimize metrics for specific preferences and interventions. Second, we propose a method to update risk thresholds in real time. We show that this adaptive approach to designating areas as “high risk” improves performance over static metrics in predicting 3-wk-ahead mortality and intensive care usage at both state and county levels. We also demonstrate that with our approach, using only new hospital admissions to predict 3-wk-ahead mortality and intensive care usage has performed consistently as well as metrics that also include cases and inpatient bed usage. Our results highlight that a key challenge for COVID-19 risk prediction is the changing relationship between indicators and outcomes of policy interest. Adaptive metrics therefore have a unique advantage in a rapidly evolving pandemic context.
A standing Leidenfrost drop with Sufi whirling
Authors: Yang Jinlong , Li Yong , Wang Dehui , Fan Yue , Ma Yuanyuan , Yu Fanfei , Guo Junchang , Chen Longquan , Wang Zuankai , Deng Xu
Published: August 2023

When a water drop is placed on a hot solid surface, it either undergoes explosive contact boiling or exhibits a stable state. In the latter case, the drop floats over an insulating layer of vapor generated by rapid vaporization of water at the surface/drop interface; this is known as the Leidenfrost state. Here, we discuss a previously unrecognized steady state in which a water drop “stands” on a hot smooth surface. In this state, the drop stabilizes itself with partial adhesion on the hot surface, leading to unique deformation and rotation behavior reminiscent of Sufi whirling—a form of spinning dance. Our analysis of this standing Leidenfrost state reveals the underlying mechanisms that drive the drop’s stable partial adhesion and subsequent deformation with rotation. The heat-transfer efficiency of this standing state is up to 390% greater than that of the traditional floating Leidenfrost state.
Manipulating solid-state spin concentration through charge transport
Authors: Wang Guoqing , Li Changhao , Tang Hao , Li Boning , Madonini Francesca , Alsallom Faisal F. , Calvin Sun Won Kyu , Peng Pai , Villa Federica , Li Ju , Cappellaro Paola
Published: August 2023

Solid-state defects are attractive platforms for quantum sensing and simulation, e.g., in exploring many-body physics and quantum hydrodynamics. However, many interesting properties can be revealed only upon changes in the density of defects, which instead is usually fixed in material systems. Increasing the interaction strength by creating denser defect ensembles also brings more decoherence. Ideally one would like to control the spin concentration at will while keeping fixed decoherence effects. Here, we show that by exploiting charge transport, we can take some steps in this direction, while at the same time characterizing charge transport and its capture by defects. By exploiting the cycling process of ionization and recombination of NV centers in diamond, we pump electrons from the valence band to the conduction band. These charges are then transported to modulate the spin concentration by changing the charge state of material defects. By developing a wide-field imaging setup integrated with a fast single photon detector array, we achieve a direct and efficient characterization of the charge redistribution process by measuring the complete spectrum of the spin bath with micrometer-scale spatial resolution. We demonstrate a two-fold concentration increase of the dominant spin defects while keeping the
T
2
of the NV center relatively unchanged, which also provides a potential experimental demonstration of the suppression of spin flip-flops via hyperfine interactions. Our work paves the way to studying many-body dynamics with temporally and spatially tunable interaction strengths in hybrid charge–spin systems.
A critique of the adjacency pair dogma
Authors: Cooren François , Dion Frédéric , Balay Matthieu
Published: August 2023

Drawing inspiration from key authors such as Weick, Taylor and Van Every, Greimas, Goffman, Sbisà, and Tsui, we
propose to explore what we call the basic organizing unit, in other words, the minimal form that a sequence of action must take in
order to claim a certain degree of organizationality. In order to empirically test this proposition, we purposively analyze
interactions taking place outside of a classical organizational context, i.e., street hypnosis sessions. What interests us is not
only how these sessions are organized, but also how they organize themselves. Our aim, therefore, is to identify key moments when
a certain organizationality seems to express itself, an organizationality that we propose to detect through the identification of
these basic organizing units. This leads us to show that the adjacency pair model, which has been historically
defined as a fundamental unit of conversational organization should, in fact, be replaced by our triadic model of interaction.
Constituting climate change in dialogic practice
Authors: Smithberger Leanna
Published: August 2023

In this essay, I present data from a regional climate conference
to demonstrate how speakers engage in dialogic practice to constitute a moral
universe of climate actors. I employ the notion of the science-policy-practice
dialogue to introduce three identity categories – scientist expert, elected
policymaker, and practitioner – which participants use to position themselves
and relate to others and their environments. Using discourse analysis, I attend
to the membership categorization devices speakers use to deploy these identity
categories and constitute the cast of climate characters. Speakers assign
themselves and others to identity categories by making claims to enoughness,
which are then used to establish expectations and justify actions.
Debaters’ actions to manage interaction in the context of the debate talk show
Authors: Vasilyeva Alena L.
Published: August 2023

The project explores how conflict is managed in a debate talk show that addresses the current situation in Belarus and its future. The analysis shows that the debaters act as co-designers of the debate activity. They indicate a variety of moves that they find inappropriate (e.g., personal attacks) and use various interactional resources to challenge these actions, which is done directly (e.g., directly naming inappropriate actions) and indirectly (e.g., nonverbal actions). Their interventions are aimed at managing interaction, but at the same time, they undermine their opponents’ image. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of identities as an interactional resource to shape interaction. The analysis also demonstrates the role of a multi-party structure of the debate in managing interaction.
“Doing being an involved parent”
Authors: Colla Vittoria
Published: August 2023

The present study investigates the increasingly common phenomenon of parental involvement in children’s education from a dialogic perspective. Drawing on video-recorded parent-child homework conversations in Italian families and adopting a conversation analysis-informed approach, the study analyzes how a value-laden cultural notion like ‘family-school partnership’ is given ‘dialogic existence’ through a variety of discursive practices. Specifically, it identifies four practices deployed by parents when supervising children’s homework: (1) making the teacher speak, (2) drawing parallels between family and school, (3) siding with the teacher, and (4) adopting a teacher-like evaluative stance. Beyond their specificities, all these practices reproduce the school’s institutional culture inside the home. It is argued that, through these practices, parents ‘do being involved’ in homework and implement a partnership based on shared values between family and school.
Processing parameter correlations in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing for Fe–Si soft magnetic materials through design of experiments
Authors: Ji Myeongjun , Shim Hyun-Jun , Kim Jeong Hyun , Lee Yong-Seong , Choi Joon Phil , Lee Young-In
Published: August 2023

Owing to its processing freedom, additive manufacturing has emerged as a promising material processing method for Fe–Si alloys. In this process, the melt pool fused by selective laser undergoes rapid cooling, which results in non-equilibrium solidifications. Therefore, it is essential to systematically investigate the relationship between process parameters, microstructure and magnetic properties of the Fe–Si alloys manufactured by the L-PBF process. However, the conventional experimental approaches require time-consuming and costly procedures and a great deal of trial and error. In this regard, an efficient and cost-effective tool is needed to investigate the effect of process parameters on the microstructure and magnetic properties under a wide range of process conditions. In this study, the processing parameter correlations were conducted based on the statistical methods using the design of experiments. Through this method, the effect of process parameters on various properties, including relative density, coercivity and saturation magnetisation, was systematically investigated.
Fabrication of 2D+1D nanoarchitecture for transition metal oxide modified CdS nanorods: A comparative study on their photocatalytic hydrogen-generation efficiency
Authors: Archana B , Kottam Nagaraju , Smrithi S P , Sekhar K B Chandra
Published: August 2023

We report the formation of Mo1−xWxO3-CdS (0 ≤ x ≤1) nanophotocatalysts by a combination of solid-state and solution-impregnation processes. The formation of 2D+1D heterostructured composite was revealed by electron microscopy and the structure of ternary co-catalyst and photocatalysts were confirmed by spectroscopic analyses. The H2 evolution activity of the nanocomposites was assessed via photocatalytic splitting of water under the irradiation of visible light. All the nanocomposites studied here exhibit notable catalytic activity and good photostability using lactic acid as the sacrificial electron donor compared to a pristine compound. Among these nanocomposites, WO3-CdS shows superior activity with H2 evolution rates of 15.19 mmolg−1h−1, 28 times higher than the pure CdS. The WO3-CdS photoactivity is not only superior among all the composites studied here but also highest among the reported WO3 composite catalysts to date. The novel construction of the oxide-based nanocomposite photocatalyst shown here efficiently enhances the catalytic activity by effective separation of charge carriers and inhibits photocorrosion of CdS nanorods. The apparent quantum yield of the hydrogen evolution for WO3-CdS was found to be 8% in the visible spectral range. The disparity of the catalytic ability between MoO3 and WO3 and the variance among the compositions was unraveled through optical band-offset alignment with respect to CdS. Though the 2D+1D novel fabrication is common to all the composites, the difference in the type of band alignment MoO3 (type-I) and WO3 (type-II) with CdS plays a highly significant role in the co-catalytic activity.
Urea additive improves the performance of low bandgap tin–lead perovskite solar cells
Authors: Gan Xinlei , Peng Xuefeng , Han Yinxia , Xing Yanjun , Xiong Jiaxing , Wang Qiuxiang , Zhang Jing , Zhu Yuejin
Published: August 2023

Recently, narrow bandgap tin–lead mixed perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have become a research hotspot because they can be applied in tandem cells to break the Shockley–Queisser radiative limit of the single junction PSCs. However, the introduction of tin, on the one hand, makes the crystal quality of perovskite thin film worse, leading to the increase of film defects; on the other hand, the easy oxidation of divalent tin also leads to the increase of defect states, which seriously affects the photoelectric conversion efficiency of tin–lead cell devices. Good crystallization and low defect density of perovskite layer are very important to ensure good light absorption and photogenerated carrier generation and transport. Here, we adjust the crystallization of tin–lead perovskite films by a Lewis base—urea (CO(NH2)2), which significantly increases the grain size and improves the film morphology. At the same time, because of the Lewis base property of urea, the uncoordinated Pb2+ and Sn2+ defects of Lewis acids in the tin–lead films are effectively passivated, and the occurrence of non-radiative recombination in the films is reduced. Under the dual effects of improving crystallization and passivating defects, the photoelectric performance of tin–lead perovskite solar cell devices is significantly improved to 18.1% compared with the original device of 15.4%.
Enhancing ion extraction with an inverse sheath in negative hydrogen ion sources for NBI heating
Authors: Sun Guang-Yu , Yang Wei , Chen Jian , Sun Hao-Min , Guo Bao-Hong , Zhang Shu , Wang Ying-Han , Yang Xiong , Sun An-Bang , Zhang Guan-Jun
Published: August 2023

Negative hydrogen ion (H−) sources employed in neutral beam injection (NBI) systems are subject to extraction efficiency issues due to the considerable volumetric losses of negative hydrogen ions. Here, we propose to improve the H− extraction by activating an alternative sheath mode, the electronegative inverse sheath, in front of the H− production surface, which features zero sheath acceleration for H− with a negative sheath potential opposite to the classic sheath. With the inverse sheath activated, the produced H− exhibits smaller gyration, a shorter transport path, less destructive collisions, and therefore higher extraction probability than the commonly believed space-charge-limited (SCL) sheath. Formation of the proposed electronegative inverse sheath and the SCL sheath near the H–-emitting surface is investigated by the continuum kinetic simulation. Dedicated theoretical analyses are also performed to characterize the electronegative inverse sheath properties, which qualitatively agree with the simulation results. We further propose that the transition between the two sheath modes can be realized by tuning the cold ion generation near the emissive boundary. The electronegative inverse sheath is always coupled with a plasma consisting of only hydrogen ions with approximately zero electron concentration, which is reminiscent of the ion–ion plasma reported in previous NBI experiments.
More to Offer Than Direct Clinical Benefit: FDA’s Vaccine Licensure Process Ignores Population Health and Social Determinants of Disease
Authors: Jones Malia , Jetelina Katelyn K
Published: August 2023

The current US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licensure process underestimates the potential benefits of vaccines at both the individual and population levels by considering only direct clinical outcomes of vaccination. While all approved vaccines do protect the person who takes them from poor clinical outcomes for a specific infectious disease, many vaccines also have the potential to offer measurable, direct nonclinical benefits. For example, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinations for school-aged children may prevent school absenteeism. Also, by preventing infection or reducing its length and severity, some vaccines also protect—to some extent—the patient’s immediate contacts from contracting the same disease. These nonclinical and population-level benefits are not considered as part of the FDA’s current vaccine approval process, but they could be. We argue that the FDA’s structured benefit-risk assessment framework, used for vaccine approvals, can and should consider both clinical and nonclinical benefits of vaccination when sufficient evidence exists to make an informed assessment. Including them could incentivize vaccine developers to measure additional vaccination effects, inform population health, and address health inequalities—including inequalities in the social determinants of health.
Baclofen during alcohol detoxification reduces the need for additional diazepam: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Crunelle Cleo L , Jegham Sami , Vanderbruggen Nathalie , Matthys Frieda
Published: August 2023

Baclofen may reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, as an alternative or as an adjuvant for benzodiazepines, but the available data are insufficient to support baclofen-assisted alcohol withdrawal. This study investigated the need for diazepam during acute alcohol withdrawal in patients receiving baclofen. In a single-blind, dose-dependent randomized controlled trial with three study arms, 63 patients with alcohol use disorder, starting in-patient benzodiazepine-assisted alcohol detoxification, were randomly assigned to receive placebo (n = 18), baclofen 30 mg/day (N = 20), or baclofen 60 mg/day (N = 25) for 7 days. Diazepam was provided as needed based on the withdrawal symptoms stated by Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-revised. The primary outcome measure was the number of patients in need of diazepam during alcohol detoxification. Secondary outcome measure included the between-group difference in the amount of diazepam needed during alcohol detoxification. Using baclofen 60 mg/day, 32% of patients needed additional diazepam compared to 35% on baclofen 30 mg/day and compared to 72% on placebo (P = .013). The median total amount of diazepam needed was significantly lower in patients receiving baclofen 60 mg/day (0 ± 10 mg diazepam) and baclofen 30 mg/day (0 ± 10 mg diazepam) compared to placebo (10 ± 43 mg diazepam; P = .017). Adverse events were comparable between patients on baclofen and placebo. Baclofen can reduce the withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detoxification. Baclofen was well tolerated and may be considered for the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome, especially useful in situations where benzodiazepines should be withheld, such as patients with liver impairment.
Current Trends in Ideal Nasal Aesthetics Show Younger Patients Have a Preference Toward Longer Augmented Noses
Authors: Patel Anmol A , Gordon Alexandra R , Townsend Alexandra N , Shah Jinesh , Garfein Evan S , Tepper Oren M
Published: August 2023

Background

Aesthetic norms fluctuate over time and often result in generational differences in preferred ideal nasal aesthetics. While some traditional concepts of the ideal nasal aesthetic have been suggested in our literature, there has been no study to date that has identified contemporary preferences across different age groups.

Objectives

To understand the general population's current perception of ideal nasal profiles.

Methods

Two-dimensional images of female noses (n = 10) of varying ethnicities were simulated to alter either the radix height or nasolabial angle (NLA) independently. Radix height was manipulated by increasing or decreasing the height by 5 mm relative to baseline. For NLA, 3 images were created with the following measurements: (1) 90°, (2) 100°, and (3) 110°. Groups were categorized by generation and age at the time of completing the study: Generation Z (Gen Z; age 18-23), Millennial 20s (age 24-30), Millennial 30s (age 31-39), and Generation X (Gen X; age 40-55). Each figure consisted of either 3 variations in radix height (n = 10) or 3 variations in NLA (n = 10). Within each figure, volunteers were asked to choose their preferred nose.

Results

The younger generations, Gen Z and Millennial 20s and 30s, preferred a more augmented radix compared to Gen X which preferred a baseline radix height. Gen Z, Millennial 20s, and Gen X preferred a 90° NLA, while Millennial 30s preferred an NLA of 100°.

Conclusions

The authors found that younger populations (Gen Z, Millennial 20s, and Millennial 30s) preferred a more augmented appearance to the nasal radix and, on average, a more acute NLA than published data suggest.

Level of Evidence: 3
Sex and background risk influence responses to acute predation risk in Trinidadian guppies
Authors: Brusseau Alix J P , Feyten Laurence E A , Groves Veronica , Felismino Miguel Eduardo L , Cao Van Truong Denis , Crane Adam L , Ramnarine Indar W , Brown Grant E
Published: August 2023

Intraspecific sex differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior are widespread among taxa. However, despite their fundamental importance, they have been relatively understudied in the context of risk assessment. For instance, with Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata), there has been a bias toward the exclusive use of females, as males are thought to be less responsive to acute predation threats. However, there is little empirical evidence supporting this assumption. Moreover, the antipredator behavior of male guppies has been unexplored, perhaps resulting in the over-generalization of female behavior to both sexes in previous studies. Here, we conducted laboratory experiments involving wild-caught and laboratory-reared guppies. In Experiment 1, shoals of either male or female guppies from a high-predation population were tested for their response to alarm cues, novel odor, or a water control. We found that while female shoals exhibited strong antipredator responses to alarm cues and neophobic responses to novel odor, male shoals exhibited only a weak response to alarm cues and no evidence of neophobia. In Experiment 2, we exposed male and female guppies to high- or low-predation risk and then tested individuals for their responses to alarm cues, novel odor, or water control. Regardless of background risk, males did not respond to any stimulus. In contrast, low-risk females exhibited antipredator responses toward alarm cues and those from high background risk displayed neophobia. Our results suggest that females are more cautious when encountering an acute predation risk, highlighting the importance of accounting for both sexes in studies on predation.
Predicting gastric cancer tumor mutational burden from histopathological images using multimodal deep learning
Authors: Li Jing , Liu Haiyan , Liu Wei , Zong Peijun , Huang Kaimei , Li Zibo , Li Haigang , Xiong Ting , Tian Geng , Li Chun , Yang Jialiang
Published: August 2023

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a significant predictive biomarker for selecting patients that may benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Whole exome sequencing is a common method for measuring TMB; however, its clinical application is limited by the high cost and time-consuming wet-laboratory experiments and bioinformatics analysis. To address this challenge, we downloaded multimodal data of 326 gastric cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas, including histopathological images, clinical data and various molecular data. Using these data, we conducted a comprehensive analysis to investigate the relationship between TMB, clinical factors, gene expression and image features extracted from hematoxylin and eosin images. We further explored the feasibility of predicting TMB levels, i.e. high and low TMB, by utilizing a residual network (Resnet)-based deep learning algorithm for histopathological image analysis. Moreover, we developed a multimodal fusion deep learning model that combines histopathological images with omics data to predict TMB levels. We evaluated the performance of our models against various state-of-the-art methods using different TMB thresholds and obtained promising results. Specifically, our histopathological image analysis model achieved an area under curve (AUC) of 0.749. Notably, the multimodal fusion model significantly outperformed the model that relied only on histopathological images, with the highest AUC of 0.971. Our findings suggest that histopathological images could be used with reasonable accuracy to predict TMB levels in gastric cancer patients, while multimodal deep learning could achieve even higher levels of accuracy. This study sheds new light on predicting TMB in gastric cancer patients.
PhaBOX: a web server for identifying and characterizing phage contigs in metagenomic data
Authors: Shang Jiayu , Peng Cheng , Liao Herui , Tang Xubo , Sun Yanni
Published: August 2023

Motivation

There is accumulating evidence showing the important roles of bacteriophages (phages) in regulating the structure and functions of the microbiome. However, lacking an easy-to-use and integrated phage analysis software hampers microbiome-related research from incorporating phages in the analysis.

Results

In this work, we developed a web server, PhaBOX, which can comprehensively identify and analyze phage contigs in metagenomic data. It supports integrated phage analysis, including phage contig identification from the metagenomic assembly, lifestyle prediction, taxonomic classification, and host prediction. Instead of treating the algorithms as a black box, PhaBOX also supports visualization of the essential features for making predictions. The web server is designed with a user-friendly graphical interface that enables both informatics-trained and nonspecialist users to analyze phages in microbiome data with ease.

Availability and implementation

The web server of PhaBOX is available via: https://phage.ee.cityu.edu.hk. The source code of PhaBOX is available at: https://github.com/KennthShang/PhaBOX.
AlphaPeptStats: an open-source Python package for automated and scalable statistical analysis of mass spectrometry-based proteomics
Authors: Krismer Elena , Bludau Isabell , Strauss Maximilian T , Mann Matthias
Published: August 2023

The widespread application of mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics in biomedical research increasingly requires robust, transparent, and streamlined solutions to extract statistically reliable insights. We have designed and implemented AlphaPeptStats, an inclusive Python package with currently with broad functionalities for normalization, imputation, visualization, and statistical analysis of label-free proteomics data. It modularly builds on the established stack of Python scientific libraries and is accompanied by a rigorous testing framework with 98% test coverage. It imports the output of a range of popular search engines. Data can be filtered and normalized according to user specifications. At its heart, AlphaPeptStats provides a wide range of robust statistical algorithms such as t-tests, analysis of variance, principal component analysis, hierarchical clustering, and multiple covariate analysis—all in an automatable manner. Data visualization capabilities include heat maps, volcano plots, and scatter plots in publication-ready format. AlphaPeptStats advances proteomic research through its robust tools that enable researchers to manually or automatically explore complex datasets to identify interesting patterns and outliers.

Availability and implementation

AlphaPeptStats is implemented in Python and part of the AlphaPept framework. It is released under a permissive Apache license. The source code and one-click installers are freely available and on GitHub at https://github.com/MannLabs/alphapeptstats.
demuxmix: demultiplexing oligonucleotide-barcoded single-cell RNA sequencing data with regression mixture models
Authors: Klein Hans-Ulrich
Published: August 2023

Motivation

Droplet-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is widely used in biomedical research for interrogating the transcriptomes of single cells on a large scale. Pooling and processing cells from different samples together can reduce costs and batch effects. To pool cells, they are often first labeled with hashtag oligonucleotides (HTOs). These HTOs are sequenced alongside the cells’ RNA in the droplets and subsequently used to computationally assign each droplet to its sample of origin, a process referred to as demultiplexing. Accurate demultiplexing is crucial but can be challenging due to background HTOs, low-quality cells/cell debris, and multiplets.

Results

A new demultiplexing method based on negative binomial regression mixture models is introduced. The method, called demuxmix, implements two significant improvements. First, demuxmix’s probabilistic classification framework provides error probabilities for droplet assignments that can be used to discard uncertain droplets and inform about the quality of the HTO data and the success of the demultiplexing process. Second, demuxmix utilizes the positive association between detected genes in the RNA library and HTO counts to explain parts of the variance in the HTO data resulting in improved droplet assignments. The improved performance of demuxmix compared with existing demultiplexing methods is assessed using real and simulated data. Finally, the feasibility of accurately demultiplexing experimental designs where non-labeled cells are pooled with labeled cells is demonstrated.

Availability and implementation

R/Bioconductor package demuxmix (https://doi.org/doi:10.18129/B9.bioc.demuxmix)
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor G2 is dispensable for lumicrine signaling regulating epididymal initial segment differentiation and gene expression
Authors: Kiyozumi Daiji , Ikawa Masahito
Published: August 2023

The mammalian epididymis is the organ for functional sperm maturation. In rodents, the initial segment, the most proximal region of the epididymis, plays a critical role in sperm maturation. The luminal epithelial differentiation and the following gene expression of the initial segment are regulated by the lumicrine signaling, a testis-epididymis transluminal secreted signaling. Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor G2 (ADGRG2) is expressed in the efferent duct and the initial segment epididymis. In the preceding study, Adgrg2 ablation decreased the expression of several genes expressed in the initial segment. Such downregulated genes include those known to be regulated by lumicrine signaling, suggesting the involvement of ADGRG2 in lumicrine signaling. The present study examined whether ADGRG2 is associated with the lumicrine signaling regulating epididymal initial segment differentiation and gene expression. Adgrg2-null mice were generated by CRISPR/CAS9-mediated genome editing. The postnatal differentiation of the Adgrg2-null male epididymal initial segment was histologically comparable with that of control wild-type animals. The RNA-seq of Adgrg2-null mice was performed together with those of efferent duct-ligated and W/Wv mice in both of which lumicrine signaling is defective. The comparative transcriptome analyses clarified that the expressions of genes expressed in the initial segment and regulated by lumicrine signaling were decreased by Adgrg2 nullification. However, the extent of such downregulations observed in Adgrg2-null epididymis was not so prominent compared with those of lumicrine signaling deficient Nell2−/−, efferent duct-ligated, or W/Wv mice. Collectively, these findings indicate that ADGRG2 is dispensable for the lumicrine regulation of epididymal initial segment differentiation.
Take-Up Advocacy in Social Work Practice: A Care-Oriented Approach
Authors: Benish Avishai , Weiss-Gal Idit
Published: August 2023

Securing rights for service users, particularly in taking up their social rights, has long been a goal of the social work profession. However, take-up advocacy is an under-researched and under-theorised practice, and little is known about how social workers engage in it and perceive it. The goal of this study is to provide an empirically driven conceptualisation of take-up advocacy by expanding knowledge on how social workers engage in it and their perceptions of its purpose and nature. This study employed a qualitative research design based on forty semi-structured interviews with social workers working in an Israeli programme that defined take-up advocacy as a core duty and practice. A thematic categorical content analysis of the interviews revealed that the social workers adopted a unique care-oriented model of advocacy, in which they infused the goals, principles and strategies of social work treatment into the legally oriented archetype of take-up advocacy. This care-oriented approach includes adopting broader perceptions of goals, taking a holistic perspective, involving service users in the take-up process, standing alongside service users, employing emotional tools and using the take-up process for relationship building.
Simultaneous allocation of renewable energy sources and custom power quality devices in electrical distribution networks using artificial rabbits optimization
Authors: Chegudi Ranga Rao , Ramadoss Balamurugan , Alla Ramakoteswara Rao
Published: August 2023

This study suggests an optimal renewable energy source (RES) allocation and distribution-static synchronous compensator (D-STATCOM) and passive power filters (PPFs) for an electrical distribution network (EDN) to improve its performance and power quality (PQ). First, the latest metaheuristic artificial rabbits optimization (ARO) is used to locate and size solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT) and D-STATCOM units. In the second stage, ratings of single-tuned PPFs and D-STATCOMs at the RESs are determined, considering non-linear loads in the network. The multi-objective function reduces power loss, improves the voltage stability index (VSI) and limits total harmonic distortion. Simulations using the IEEE 33-bus EDN compared the ARO results with those of previous studies. In the first scenario, ideally integrated D-STATCOMs, PVs and WTs reduced losses by 34.79%, 64.74% and 94.15%, respectively. VSI increases from 0.6965 to 0.7749, 0.8804 and 0.967. The optimal WT integration of the first scenario outperformed the PVs and D-STATCOMs. The second step optimizes the WTs and PQ devices for non-linear loads. WTs and D-STATCOMs reduce the maximum total harmonic distortion of the voltage waveform by 5.21% with non-linear loads to 3.23%, while WTs and PPFs reduce it to 4.39%. These scenarios demonstrate how WTs and D-STATCOMs can improve network performance and PQ. The computational efficiency of ARO is compared to that of the pathfinder algorithm, future search algorithm, butterfly optimization algorithm and coyote optimization algorithm. ARO speeds up convergence and improves solution quality and comprehension.
Experimental study on hybridization of a PV–TEG system for electrical performance enhancement using heat exchangers, energy, exergy and economic levelized cost of energy (LCOE) analysis
Authors: Qasim Mohammed A , Velkin Vladimir I , Shcheklein Sergey E
Published: August 2023

The concept of employing thermoelectric generators (TEGs) to recover energy from waste heat has gained popularity, with applications that range from milliwatt to kilowatt levels of output power. In this study, a hybrid photovoltaic panel and thermoelectric generator (HPVTEG) system consisting of an integrated heat exchanger, a commercial polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) panel and a commercial bismuth telluride TEG was proposed. Here, TE components can be used to cool PV modules, increasing their output power via the Seebeck effect. The main finding is that the hybrid system has a reduced average temperature of 16.01°C. The average power of the stand-alone PV panel is 28.06 W, but that of the HPVTEG system is 32.76 W, which is an increase of 4.7 W. The conversion efficiency and power of the hybrid system increased by 16.7% and 16.4%, respectively, compared with a stand-alone PV panel. The HPVTEG system achieved an average exergy efficiency of 12.79% compared with 10.98% for a stand-alone PV panel. According to the calculation results, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of the stand-alone PV panel can range from 0.06741 to 0.10251 US$/kWh depending on how many days it is in operation, while the LCOE of the HPVTEG system can range from 0.06681 to 0.10160 US$/kWh.