bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lessons learned from the perinatal audit of uterine rupture in the Netherlands: A mixed‐method study
Authors: Rosman Ageeth N. , van Dillen Jeroen , Zwart Joost , Overtoom Evelien , Schaap Timme , Bloemenkamp Kitty , van den Akker Thomas
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims

To analyze outcomes of nationwide local audits of uterine rupture to draw lessons for clinical care.

Methods

Descriptive cohort study. Critical incident audit sessions within all local perinatal cooperation groups in the Netherlands. Women who sustained uterine rupture between January 1st, 2017 and December 31st, 2019.

Main Outcome Measures

Improvable factors, recommendations, and lessons learned for clinical care. Women's case histories were discussed in multidisciplinary perinatal audit sessions. Participants evaluated care against national and local clinical guidelines and common professional standards to identify improvable factors. Cases and outcomes were registered in a nationwide database.

Results

One hundred and fourteen women who sustained uterine rupture were discussed in local perinatal audit sessions by 40–60 participants on average: A total of 111 (97%) were multiparous of whom 107 (94%) had given birth by cesarean section in a previous pregnancy. The audit revealed 178 improvable factors and 200 recommendations. Six percent (N = 11) of the improvable factors were identified as very likely and 18% (N = 32) as likely to have a relationship with the outcome or occurrence of uterine rupture. Improvable factors were related to inadequate communication, absent, or unclear documentation, delay in diagnosing the rupture, and suboptimal management of labor. Speak up in case a suspicion arises, escalating care by involving specialist obstetricians, addressing the importance of accurate documentation, and improving training related to fetal monitoring were the most frequent recommendations and should be topics for team (skills and drills) training.

Conclusions

Through a nationwide incident audit of uterine rupture, we identified improvable factors related to communication, documentation, and organization of care. Lessons learned include “speaking up,” improving the transfer of information and team training are crucial to reduce the incidence of uterine rupture.
Determination of the ecological water quality in the Orienco stream using benthic macroinvertebrates in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon
Authors: Sinche Federico , Cabrera Manuel , Vaca Lenin , Segura Edison , Carrera Pablo
Published: August 2022

In recent years, pollution of watercourses in nearby protected ecosystems has increased due to urbanization. Standard physiochemical methods and probes are one way to monitor watercourses for quality. However, they often do not provide the full ecological status of the body of water. In this work, we set out to assess the ecological water quality of an urban stream by using benthic macroinvertebrates as bioindicators. We conducted the work on the Orienco stream in Lago Agrio in the province of Sucumbíos in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon (NEA). The stream has become a sink of raw domestic sanitary wastewater from rural and urban areas. A total of 4511 macroinvertebrates from 10 families were identified across 17 sampling points. We compared our results from the biotic indices derived from the macroinvertebrates to standard water-quality parameters (temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, ammonia–nitrogen, and pH) simultaneously sampled in the stream. The standard parameter results indicated that the water-quality levels of the stream met the Ecuadorian water-quality criteria most of the time. However, the results from the biotic indices classified the stream water as poor or very poor water quality. The results from the Biological Monitoring Working Party, Average Score per Taxon, and Family Biotic Indices had overall scores of heavily polluted waters of 45, 4.5, and 8.74, respectively. Furthermore, these results were consistent with reduced richness and evenness, and overall lower Shannon diversity and relatively higher Simpson Dominance indices of 0.71 and 2.56, respectively. We conclude that the macroinvertebrates were better indicators of the ecological water quality of the Orienco stream than the water-quality parameters from standard methods and probes alone. Our findings highlight the need for more integrated ecological assessments, which can provide critical information to the management and conservation strategies of urban watercourses in the NEA region. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:615–625. © 2022 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
A unique investigation of thallium, tellurium, osmium, and other heavy metals in recurrent pregnancy loss: A novel approach
Authors: Tabassum Hajera , Alrashed May , Malik Abdul , Alanazi Samyah T. , Alenzi Naif D. , Ali Mir Naiman , AlJaser Feda S. , Altoum Ghadah H. , Hijazy Sereen M. , Alfadhli Reem A. , Alrashoudi Reem , Akhtar Suhail
Published: August 2022

Objective

To study the impact of heavy metals especially tellurium, thallium, and osmium, in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and to study their association with antioxidant status and DNA damage.

Methods

This case–control study included women with RPL (n = 30) and healthy pregnant women as control (n = 30). Following blood collection, serum levels of thallium, tellurium, osmium, lead, mercury, and cadmium were estimated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer.

Results

Women with RPL exhibited significantly higher levels of heavy metals (P < 0.001) when compared with control women. Intriguingly, increased levels of serum thallium, tellurium, osmium, and lead were negatively correlated with total antioxidant status (P < 0.05). Further, the RPL group demonstrated strong positive correlation between heavy metals (thallium, tellurium, osmium, lead) and DNA damage (P < 0.05). No significant correlation between other heavy metals and markers of cellular damage was noted.

Conclusion

Enhanced levels of heavy metals in women with RPL and correlation of thallium, tellurium, osmium, and lead with markers of cellular damage reflect the role of heavy metal poisoning, especially thallium, tellurium, and osmium, as potential risk factor in the etiology underlying recurrent miscarriage.
Influence of ionized saline water on soil water and salt transport in saline soils
Authors: Wei Kai , Lin Shudong , Zhang Jihong , Wang Quanjiu , Guo Yi , Mu Weiyi
Published: August 2022

The utilization of saline water plays an important role in agricultural production in saline areas to overcome freshwater shortages. Ionized saline water might alleviate the adverse effects of salinity on soil and plants. In this study, field experiments were conducted to study the effect of ionized saline water on the soil water content and salinity distribution in a sandy soil under a surface emitter. Passing groundwater through an ionization system installed on a feeding pipeline resulted in producing ionized saline water. Three emitter discharges (1.0, 1.8, 3.1 L h−1) and two water types (non‐ionized and ionized saline water) were considered in the experiments. As a result of using ionized saline water, soil water content and salt leaching increased. Ionized treatment increased the salinity desalination rate by 31, 33 and 26% for surface soil layer in comparison with non‐ionized treatments of 1.0, 1.8 and 3.1 L h−1, respectively. It was found that using ionized saline water could decrease the surface wetting radius by 6–9% and increase the wetting depth by 11–17%. A discharge rate of 1.8 L h−1 was recommended as the optimal discharge rate for ionized saline water under drip irrigation. The results indicated that saline water could be improved through ionized treatment for agricultural irrigation in saline soils in an arid region.
Trends and prospects in graphene and its derivatives toxicity research: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Wu Jingying , Liu Qing , Wang Shile , Sun Jinfang , Zhang Ting
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current research status, hot topics, and future prospects in the field of graphene and its derivatives toxicity. In the article, the Web of Science Core Collection database was used as the data source, and the CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to conduct a visual analysis of the last 10 years of research on graphene and its derivatives toxicity. A total of 8573 articles were included, and we analyzed the literature characteristics of the research results in the field of graphene and its derivatives toxicity, as well as the distribution of authors and co‐cited authors; the distribution of countries and institutions; the situation of co‐cited references; and the distribution of journals and categories. The most prolific countries, institutions, journals, and authors are China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, RSC Advances, and Wang, Dayong, respectively. The co‐cited author with the most citations was Akhavan, Omid. The five research hotspot keywords in the field of graphene and its derivatives toxicity were “nanomaterials,” “exposure,” “biocompatibility,” “adsorption,” and “detection.” Frontier topics were “facile synthesis,” “antibacterial activity,” and “carbon dots.” Our study provides perspectives for the study of graphene and its derivatives toxicity and yields valuable information and suggestions for the development of graphene and its derivatives toxicity research in the future.
Glucosamine‐phosphate N‐acetyltransferase 1 and its DNA methylation can be biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer
Authors: Ding Peikun , Peng Bin , Li Guofeng , Sun Xuefeng , Wang Guangsuo
Published: August 2022

Objective

Lung cancer ranking high in the cancer‐related list has long perplexed patients, in which glucosamine‐phosphate N‐acetyltransferase 1 (GNPNAT1) is found to be highly expressed. Besides, DNA methylation is perceived as a biomarker to assess the prognosis of patients with various cancers. However, the correlation between GNPNAT1 and DNA methylation and the role of GNPNAT1 in lung cancer remain vague.

Methods

Principal component analysis (PCA), heatmap, volcano map, Venn diagram, gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were used to screen out the candidate genes. The viability, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells were detected by CCK‐8 and Transwell assays. An xenograft tumor mouse model was established. The relative expressions of GNPNAT1, E‐cadherin, vimentin, Matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐2 (TIMP‐2), E2F1, and cyclin D1 in cells or xenograft tumor tissues were quantified by Western blot, RT‐qPCR, or immunohistochemistry assay.

Results

GNPNAT1 was screened as the research object. GNPNAT1 methylation was downregulated, while GNPNAT1 expression was upregulated in lung cancer tissues. The methylation and mRNA levels of GNPNAT1 were correlated with the patient prognosis. GNPNAT1 increased cell viability, migration and invasion, and promoted the xenograft tumor volume and weight, whereas shGNPNAT1 acted oppositely. Moreover, expressions of Vimentin, MMP‐2, E2F1, and cyclin D1 were increased, but E‐cadherin and TIMP‐2 expressions were decreased by overexpressed GNPNAT1, whilst GNPNAT1 knockdown ran conversely.

Conclusion

GNPNAT1 and methylated GNPNAT1 coverage are biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer.
A variant of the Erdős–Rényi random graph process
Authors: Logan Adam , Molloy Mike , Prałat Paweł
Published: August 2022

We consider a natural variant of the Erdős–Rényi random graph process in which vertices are special and are never put into the same connected component. The model is natural and interesting on its own, but is actually inspired by the multiway cut problem that itself is connected to a number of important problems in graph theory. We will show that a phase transition for the appearance of the giant component occurs when the number of special vertices is roughly , where is the number of vertices.
Safety and effectiveness of apixaban versus warfarin for acute venous thromboembolism in patients with end‐stage kidney disease: A national cohort study
Authors: Ellenbogen Michael I. , Ardeshirrouhanifard Shirin , Segal Jodi B. , Streiff Michael B. , Deitelzweig Steven B. , Brotman Daniel J.
Published: August 2022

Background

Patients with end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD) are at significantly increased risk for both thrombosis and bleeding relative to those with normal renal function. The optimal therapy of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with ESKD is unknown.

Objective

To compare the safety and effectiveness of apixaban relative to warfarin in patients with ESKD and acute VTE.

Design, Setting and Participants

New‐user, active‐comparator retrospective United States population‐based cohort with inverse probability of treatment weighting, using the United States Renal Data System data from 2014 to 2018. We included adults with ESKD on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis who were newly initiated on apixaban or warfarin for an acute VTE.

Main Outcome and Measures

The coprimary outcomes were major bleeding, recurrent VTE, and all‐cause mortality within 6 months of anticoagulant initiation. Secondary outcomes were intracranial hemorrhage and gastrointestinal bleeding. The primary analyses were based on intent‐to‐treat defined by the first drug received and accounted for competing risks of death. Sensitivity analyses included varied follow‐up time, as‐treated analyses, and dose‐specific apixaban subgroups.

Results

The apixaban and warfarin cohorts included 2302 and 9263 patients, respectively. Apixaban was associated with a lower risk of major bleeding (hazard ratio [HR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70–0.94), intracranial bleeding (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.48–0.98), and gastrointestinal bleeding (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.69–0.96). Recurrent VTE and all‐cause mortality were not significantly different between the groups.

Conclusion

Apixaban was associated with a lower risk of bleeding relative to warfarin when used to treat acute VTE in patients with ESKD on dialysis.
A well‐defined hierarchically porous metal–organic framework and its application in separation and purification of steviol glycosides
Authors: Chen Nana , Huang Mingli , Fu Qiaoge , Shi Chaoyi , Guo Ruili
Published: August 2022

The separation and removal of stevioside from natural product steviol glycosides to obtain high‐purity rebaudioside A is of great significance for the application of steviol glycosides in food, medicine, and other fields. Here, in order to explore the adsorbent pore structure suitable for the separation of stevioside and rebaudioside A, a hierarchically porous amino‐functionalized metal–organic framework (HP‐NH2‐MIL‐53) with an appropriate and narrow pore size distribution was prepared using a modulator‐induced defect‐formation strategy. The results showed that the hierarchically porous structure with micropores and mesopores increased the specific surface area and exposed amino groups compared with original metal organic framework (NH2‐MIL‐53), and the maximum adsorption capacity of HP‐NH2‐MIL‐53 for stevioside and rebaudioside A was 233.89 mg/g. The narrow pore size distribution close to 3.80 nm promoted the screening effect, resulting in a maximum adsorption selectivity of 4.13. This work proves that when the pore size of the adsorbent is between 1.41 and 3.80 nm, it has a certain pore size screening effect on stevioside and rebaudioside A, and the hierarchically porous metal‐organic frameworks provide a pre‐design idea of adsorbent structure for the separation of natural products with molecular weight of 800–1000 Da.
Hot corrosion behavior of Al2O3 + Sm2SrAl2O7 composite thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Joseph Fredy J. , Arya Shashi Bhushan , Tailor Satish
Published: August 2022

Rare earth‐based samarium strontium aluminate (Sm2SrAl2O7) powder has been synthesized in the laboratory through molten salt synthesis and Al2O3 + Sm2SrAl2O7 (SSA) thermal barrier coatings have been developed on an Inconel 718 superalloy substrate by atmospheric plasma spraying technique. The microstructures and surface morphologies of the samples before and after the hot corrosion tests in 50 wt% Na2SO4 + 50 wt% V2O5 (aviation atmosphere) and 90 wt% Na2SO4 + 5 wt% V2O5 + 5 wt% NaCl (marine atmosphere) at 700°C and 900°C were examined. It is observed that samples exposed to marine conditions exhibited 14.5% and 11.6% lower lifetime than the samples exposed to aviation conditions at 700°C and 900°C, respectively, due to significant chlorides attack.
An acoustic Riemann solver for large strain computational contact dynamics
Authors: Runcie Callum J. , Lee Chun Hean , Haider Jibran , Gil Antonio J. , Bonet Javier
Published: August 2022

This article presents a vertex‐centered finite volume algorithm for the explicit dynamic analysis of large strain contact problems. The methodology exploits the use of a system of first order conservation equations written in terms of the linear momentum and a triplet of geometric deformation measures (comprising the deformation gradient tensor, its co‐factor, and its Jacobian) together with their associated jump conditions. The latter can be used to derive several dynamic contact models ensuring the preservation of hyperbolic characteristic structure across solution discontinuities at the contact interface, a clear advantage over the standard quasi‐static contact models where the influence of inertial effects at the contact interface is completely neglected. Taking advantage of the conservative nature of the formalism, both kinetic (traction) and kinematic (velocity) contact interface conditions are explicitly enforced at the fluxes through the use of appropriate jump conditions. Specifically, the kinetic condition is enforced in the usual linear momentum equation, whereas the kinematic condition can now be easily enforced in the geometric conservation equations without requiring a computationally demanding iterative algorithm. Additionally, a total variation diminishing shock capturing technique can be suitably incorporated in order to improve dramatically the performance of the algorithm at the vicinity of shocks. Moreover, and to guarantee stability from the spatial discretization standpoint, global entropy production is demonstrated through the satisfaction of semi‐discrete version of the classical Coleman–Noll procedure expressed in terms of the time rate of the so‐called Hamiltonian energy of the system. Finally, a series of numerical examples is examined in order to assess the performance and applicability of the algorithm suitably implemented in OpenFOAM. The knowledge of the potential contact loci between contact interfaces is assumed to be known a priori.
Aconitate decarboxylase 1 regulates glucose homeostasis and obesity in mice
Authors: Frieler Ryan A. , Vigil Thomas M. , Song Jianrui , Leung Christy , Goldstein Daniel R. , Lumeng Carey N. , Mortensen Richard M.
Published: August 2022

Objective

The intersection between immunology and metabolism contributes to the pathogenesis of obesity‐associated metabolic diseases as well as molecular control of inflammatory responses. The metabolite itaconate and the cell‐permeable derivatives have robust anti‐inflammatory effects; therefore, it is hypothesized that cis‐aconitate decarboxylase (Acod1)‐produced itaconate has a protective, anti‐inflammatory effect during diet‐induced obesity and metabolic disease.

Methods

Wild‐type and Acod1−/− mice were subjected to diet‐induced obesity. Glucose metabolism was analyzed by glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests, and indirect calorimetry. Gene expression and transcriptome analysis was performed using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) and RNA sequencing.

Results

Wild‐type and Acod1−/− mice on high‐fat diet had equivalent weight gain, but Acod1−/− mice had impaired glucose metabolism. Insulin tolerance tests and glucose tolerance tests after 12 weeks on high‐fat diet revealed significantly higher blood glucose levels in Acod1−/− mice. This was associated with significant enrichment of inflammatory gene sets and a reduction in genes related to adipogenesis and fatty acid metabolism. Analysis of naive Acod1−/− mice showed a significant increase in fat deposition at 3 and 6 months of age and obesity and insulin resistance by 12 months.

Conclusions

The data show that Acod1 has an important role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and obesity under normal and high‐fat diet conditions.
Challenges in the interpretation of a germline TERT variant in a patient with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
Authors: Janczar Szymon , Kirschner Martin , Beier Fabian , Brümmendorf Tim H. , Ussowicz Marek , Babol‐Pokora Katarzyna , Oszer Aleksandra , Yoshimi Ayami , Kalwak Krzysztof , Mlynarski Wojciech
Published: August 2022

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a bone marrow failure syndrome with extrahematopoietic abnormalities. DC is a paradigmatic telomere biology disorder (TBD) caused by germline mutations in genes responsible for telomere maintenance including TERT. Cryptic TBD is a bone marrow failure syndrome due to premature telomere shortening but without additional symptoms, frequently clinically indistinguishable from severe aplastic anemia (SAA) or hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndrome. We present the complex diagnostic pathway in a boy with a rare germline p.Thr726Met TERT variant with previous reports of SAA association and compromised enzymatic function who presented with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, which is a rare myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm of childhood.
Meditation reduces brain activity in the default mode network in children with active cancer and survivors
Authors: Hehr Aneesh , Iadipaolo Allesandra S. , Morales Austin , Cohen Cindy , Taub Jeffrey W. , Harper Felicity W. K. , Goldberg Elimelech , Bluth Martin H. , Rabinak Christine A. , Marusak Hilary A.
Published: August 2022

Background

Mounting evidence demonstrates that meditation can lower pain and emotional distress in adults, and more recently, in children. Children may benefit from meditation given its accessibility across a variety of settings (e.g., surgical preparation). Recent neuroimaging studies in adults suggest that meditation techniques are neurobiologically distinct from other forms of emotion regulation, such as distraction, that rely on prefrontal control mechanisms, which are underdeveloped in youth. Rather, meditation techniques may not rely on “top‐down” prefrontal control and may therefore be utilized across the lifespan.

Procedure

We examined neural activation in children with cancer, a potentially distressing diagnosis. During neuroimaging, children viewed distress‐inducing video clips while using martial arts‐based meditation (focused attention, mindful acceptance) or non‐meditation (distraction) emotion regulation techniques. In a third condition (control), participants passively viewed the video clip.

Results

We found that meditation techniques were associated with lower activation in default mode network (DMN) regions, including the medial frontal cortex, precuneus, and posterior cingulate cortex, compared to the control condition. Additionally, we found evidence that meditation techniques may be more effective for modulating DMN activity than distraction. There were no differences in self‐reported distress ratings between conditions.

Conclusion

Together, these findings suggest that martial arts‐based meditation modulates negative self‐referential processing associated with the DMN, and may have implications for the management of pediatric pain and negative emotion.
Ionic liquid‐functionalized reinforcements in epoxy‐based composites: A systematic review
Authors: Kerche Eduardo Fischer , Fonseca Eduardo , Schrekker Henri Stephan , Amico Sandro Campos
Published: August 2022

Several high‐performance reinforcements may be used in epoxy‐based composites. These commonly undergo chemical and/or physical treatments to enhance their interfacial interactions with polymer matrices. One recent technology comprises the use of ionic liquids (IL) as compatibilizers. This strategy may result in the development of composite materials with greater performance or multifunctional characteristics. Herein, an overview in the area of IL‐modified reinforcements and their effect on epoxy‐based composites is presented. The PRISMA protocol was followed for the review, and the focus of these studies was on the modification of carbon nanotubes, followed by graphene/graphite nanoplatelets and bio‐fillers. The most used IL were those based on imidazolium cation, especially 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride. In most cases, when IL are used, the reinforcement displays stronger interactions with the epoxy matrix, depending the treatment route employed. Improved interfacial interactions are cited as the main reason for the improvement in the composite mechanical and thermal performances. It was also found that strategies for using low IL content, or routes that enable recovery of the salts after fiber/particle treatment, are still required, as well as the study of the influence of different amounts/types of IL on the structure of fillers and their relationships with the composite properties.
Plasma and cellular ivacaftor concentrations in patients with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Guimbellot Jennifer S. , Ryan Kevin J. , Anderson Justin D. , Parker Kennedy L. , Victoria Odom Lauren , Rowe Steven M. , Acosta Edward P.
Published: August 2022

Access to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators has been gradually increasing for people with cystic fibrosis, the first of which was ivacaftor, a CFTR potentiator that is part of all clinically available modulator treatments. In this study, we hypothesized that the steady‐state concentrations in blood and tissue are highly variable in patients taking ivacaftor in a real‐world context, which may have an impact on the treatment approach. We collected nasal epithelial cells to estimate target site concentrations and blood samples to estimate pharmacokinetic parameters at a steady state. We found that patients on ivacaftor monotherapy have variable concentrations well above the maximal effective concentration and may maintain concentrations necessary for the clinical benefit even if dosing is reduced. We also are the first to provide detailed target site concentration data over time, which shows that tissue concentrations do not fluctuate significantly and do not correlate with plasma concentrations. These findings show that some patients may have higher‐than‐expected concentrations and may benefit from tailored dosing to balance clinical response with side effects or adherence needs.
Enhanced attenuation (EA) to manage PFAS plumes in groundwater
Authors: Newell Charles J. , Javed Hassan , Li Yue , Johnson Nicholas W. , Richardson Stephen D. , Connor John A. , Adamson David T.
Published: August 2022

Remediation of per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater is particularly challenging because of their unique chemical and fate and transport properties. Many conventional in‐situ remediation technologies, commonly applied to address other groundwater contaminants, have proven ineffective for treatment of PFAS. Given their stability, destruction of PFAS in‐situ has remained elusive as an in‐situ treatment option. Consequently, new approaches to manage PFAS groundwater plumes are of great interest to environmental practitioners. We propose that enhancing PFAS retention can play an important role in reducing PFAS mass flux and providing long‐term protection of downgradient groundwater receptors. Enhanced retention of PFAS fits directly into the enhanced attenuation (EA) framework, an established groundwater remediation strategy that was developed in the first decade of the 2000s for other groundwater contaminants. In this paper, we propose eight EA approaches for PFAS in groundwater, including technologies that are currently being implemented at PFAS sites (e.g., injection of particulate carbon amendments), applications of conventional remediation technologies to PFAS sites (e.g., capping to retain PFAS in the vadose zone), and novel, innovative approaches (e.g., intentional food grade LNAPL emplacement to retain PFAS) for enhanced PFAS retention. These EA approaches leverage the properties of PFAS to (i) facilitate sorption to conventional and novel sorbents, (ii) concentrate PFAS at air/water interface via gas sparging, and/or (iii) encourage retention via tidal pumping and PFAS salting out processes. For each of the proposed EA approaches, we describe the methodology or concept and discuss the key processes, potential applications, anticipated increases in PFAS retention compared to natural systems, potential challenges, alternate designs, and current likelihood of large‐scale adoption.
Weighted generalized score test for comparing predictive values in the presence of verification bias
Authors: Wu Yougui
Published: August 2022

Positive and negative predictive values of a diagnostic test are two important measures of test accuracy, which are more relevant in clinical settings than sensitivity and specificity. Statistical methods have been well‐developed to compare the predictive values of two binary diagnostic tests when test results and disease status fully observed for all study patients. In practice, however, it is common that only a subset of study patients have the disease status verified due to ethical or cost considerations. Methods applied directly to the verified subjects may lead to biased results. A bias‐corrected method has been developed to compare two predictive values in the presence of verification bias. However, the complexity of the existing method and the computational difficulty in implementing it has restricted its use. A simple and easily implemented statistical method is therefore needed. In this paper, we propose a weighted generalized score (WGS) test statistic for comparing two predictive values in the presence of verification bias. The proposed WGS test statistic is intuitive and simple to compute, only involving some minor modification of the WGS test statistic when disease status is verified for each study patient. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed WGS test statistic preserves type I error much better than the existing Wald statistic. The method is illustrated with data from a study of methods for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
Fast Current‐Driven Synthesis of ZIF‐Derived Catalyst Layers for High‐Performance Zn‐Air Battery
Authors: Zhu Weikang , Liu Haotian , Yue Runfei , Pei Yabiao , Zhang Junfeng , Liu Xin , Li Ran , Yin Yan , Guiver Michael D.
Published: August 2022

As a core component, the catalyst layer (CL) is widely used in fuel cell, metal‐air battery, and other energy conversion devices. Herein, a highly efficient method for CL preparation via fast current‐driven synthesis followed by pyrolysis is proposed. Compared with previously reported fabrication procedures of zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIF)‐based CLs, this method directly deposits the ZIF precursor onto the conductive substrate in a very short time (≤15 min). The self‐supporting CL, converted from ZIF membrane by simple single‐step pyrolysis, is assembled with the gas diffusion layer to obtain cathode. Electrochemical tests exhibit a small potential gap (0.83 V) between the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, as well as high performance and excellent stability for Zn‐air battery (241 mW cm–2 at 390 mA cm–2), due to the unique design of a bi‐continuous framework (interconnected pores and long carbon nanotubes) and Co‐based active sites. This work may provide new directions for the fast fabrication of non‐platinum group metal CLs for metal‐air batteries or fuel cell applications.
Recognising early‐career vets who go the extra mile and make a difference
Authors: Morley Malcolm
Published: August 2022

BVA junior vice president Malcolm Morley, who will be judging this year's BVA Young Vet of the Year Award entries, invites you to recognise the excellent early‐career vets you know.
Under care – a chance to have your say
Authors: Moore Alice
Published: August 2022

Alice Moore, a member of BVA's Policy Committee, encourages recent graduates to get involved with the RCVS's current consultation on its ‘under care’ guidance.
Self‐care is not a frivolous want but vital to personal and professional success
Authors: Thurman Legend
Published: August 2022

Vet student Legend Thurman describes how she struggled with imposter syndrome and how success coaching, her faith and yoga helped her improve all aspects of her life.
Single‐source‐precursor derived bulk Si3N4/HfBxN1‐x ceramic nanocomposites with excellent oxidation resistance
Authors: Li Wei , Du Hanzi , Tian Chuanmu , Jiang Tianshu , Bernauer Jan , Widenmeyer Marc , Wiehl Leonore , Molina‐Luna Leopoldo , Hofmann Jan Philipp , Weidenkaff Anke , Yu Zhaoju , Riedel Ralf
Published: August 2022

In the present work, bulk Si3N4/HfBxN1‐x ceramic nanocomposites were successfully fabricated via a polymer‐derived ceramic approach. The chemical reaction to form the single‐source precursor was confirmed by FT‐IR and XPS, in which both Si−H and N−H groups of perhydropolysilazane react with borane dimethyl sulfide complex and tetrakis(dimethylamido) hafnium(IV). The investigation of the polymer‐to‐ceramic transformation of the synthesized precursors indicates that Hf‐ and B‐modified PHPS exhibits high ceramic yields of up to 100 wt % after pyrolysis at 1000 °C under ammonia. Moreover, XRD and TEM results show that the SiHfBN ceramics with a molar ratio of B : Hf=5 and 10 resist crystallization at temperatures up to 1500 °C and separate after annealing at 1700 °C into nanocomposites comprising of an α‐Si3N4 matrix with embedded ternary HfBxN1‐x phases, solid solutions of rock salt‐type HfN and HfB. Based on the investigation, warm‐pressing was applied to fabricate bulk SiHfBN specimens, and the oxidation behavior of samples annealed at 1700 °C was recorded at 1500 °C over a range of oxidation times between 1 and 50 h. The weight changes of Si3N4/HfBxN1‐x ceramics with B : Hf molar ratios of 2 : 1, 5 : 1 and 10 : 1 are 4.31 %, 4.37 % and 2.57 %, respectively. The formation of HfSiO4, B2O3 and SiO2 during oxidation plays a crucial role for the improvement of the oxidation resistance of the Si3N4/HfBxN1‐x ceramics.
Factors affecting the behavior of captive white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and the accuracy of ad‐hoc keeper data
Authors: Goodenough Anne E. , Price Thomas W. , Brazier Danica L. , McDonald Katie
Published: August 2022

Although white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) are common in captivity, few behavioral studies have been conducted and there is seemingly no research for immersive exhibits where potential for visitor effects is high. Moreover, little information exists on possible effects of weather and temperature on rhino outside their native range. Here we analyze 14,501 observations of rhino in a drive‐through enclosure. Data were collected by researchers (n = 12,160 datapoints) and keepers (n = 2341 datapoints) over a 4‐month period. We aimed to: (1) quantify behavior using detailed researcher‐collected data and contemporaneous but ad hoc keeper‐collected data; (2) compare datasets statistically; (3) establish effects of visitors, temperature, and weather on behavior; and (4) assess the influence of visitors on similarity of researcher/keeper datasets. Activity budgets were similar to the wild and the single previous study from a traditional (nondrive‐through) enclosure. There was some discrepancy in activity budgets between researcher and keeper data due to significant differences in recorded frequency of two rare behaviors (horn rub; social interaction) and two behaviors that could be easily confused (grazing vs. standing with head‐down): recording of other behaviors matched well. Weather and temperature affected behavior, with rhino becoming more sedentary (−locomotion, grazing; +resting, standing, and sedentary eating of hay) on hot/sunny days compared to cool/wet days. The number of visitor vehicles had a fairly negligible effect but resting was lower on busy days, possibly as vigilance increased. The match between researcher/keeper datasets was lowest when visitor numbers were high, suggesting visitors might affect keeper ability to accurately record behavior.
Complementing Büchi Automata with Ranker
Authors: Havlena Vojtěch , Lengál Ondřej , Šmahlíková Barbora
Published: August 2022

We present the toolRankerfor complementing Büchi automata (BAs).Rankerbuilds on our previous optimizations of rank-based BA complementation and pushes them even further using numerous heuristics to produce even smaller automata. Moreover, it contains novel optimizations of specialized constructions for complementing (i) inherently weak automata and (ii) semi-deterministic automata, all delivered in a robust tool. The optimizations significantly improve the usability ofRanker, as shown in an extensive experimental evaluation with real-world benchmarks, whereRankerproduced in the majority of cases a strictly smaller complement than other state-of-the-art tools.
End-to-End Mechanized Proof of an eBPF Virtual Machine for Micro-controllers
Authors: Yuan Shenghao , Besson Frédéric , Talpin Jean-Pierre , Hym Samuel , Zandberg Koen , Baccelli Emmanuel
Published: August 2022

RIOT is a micro-kernel dedicated to IoT applications that adopts eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filters) to implement so-called femto-containers. As micro-controllers rarely feature hardware memory protection, the isolation of eBPF virtual machines (VM) is critical to ensure system integrity against potentially malicious programs. This paper shows how to directly derive, within the Coq proof assistant, the verified C implementation of an eBPF virtual machine from a Gallina specification. Leveraging the formal semantics of the CompCert C compiler, we obtain an end-to-end theorem stating that the C code of our VM inherits the safety and security properties of the Gallina specification. Our refinement methodology ensures that the isolation property of the specification holds in the verified C implementation. Preliminary experiments demonstrate satisfying performance.
Murxla: A Modular and Highly Extensible API Fuzzer for SMT Solvers
Authors: Niemetz Aina , Preiner Mathias , Barrett Clark
Published: August 2022

SMT solvers are highly complex pieces of software with performance, robustness, and correctness as key requirements. Complementing traditional testing techniques for these solvers with randomized stress testing has been shown to be quite effective. Recent work has showcased the value of input fuzzing for finding issues, but this approach typically does not comprehensively test a solver’s API. Previous work on model-based API fuzzing was tailored to a single solver and a small subset of SMT-LIB. We present Murxla, a comprehensive, modular, and highly extensible model-based API fuzzer for SMT solvers. Murxla randomly generates valid sequences of solver API calls based on a customizable API model, with full support for the semantics and features of SMT-LIB. It is solver-agnostic but extensible to allow for solver-specific testing and supports option fuzzing, cross-checking with other solvers, translation to SMT-LIBv2, and SMT-LIBv2 input fuzzing. Our evaluation confirms its efficacy in finding issues in multiple state-of-the-art SMT solvers.
FORQ-Based Language Inclusion Formal Testing
Authors: Doveri Kyveli , Ganty Pierre , Mazzocchi Nicolas
Published: August 2022

We propose a novel algorithm to decide the language inclusion between (nondeterministic) Büchi automata, a PSpace-complete problem. Our approach, like others before, leverage a notion of quasiorder to prune the search for a counterexample by discarding candidates which are subsumed by others for the quasiorder. Discarded candidates are guaranteed to not compromise the completeness of the algorithm. The novelty of our work lies in the quasiorder used to discard candidates. We introduce FORQs (family of right quasiorders) that we obtain by adapting the notion of family of right congruences put forward by Maler and Staiger in 1993. We define a FORQ-based inclusion algorithm which we prove correct and instantiate it for a specific FORQ, called the structural FORQ, induced by the Büchi automaton to the right of the inclusion sign. The resulting implementation, called Forklift, scales up better than the state-of-the-art on a variety of benchmarks including benchmarks from program verification and theorem proving for word combinatorics. Artifact:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6552870
Searching for anomalous top quark interactions with proton tagging and timing detectors at the LHC
Authors: Baldenegro Cristian , Bellora Andrea , Fichet Sylvain , von Gersdorff Gero , Pitt Michael , Royon Christophe
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We study the LHC sensitivity to new broad neutral resonances produced in two-photon fusion and decaying to a top quark pair, γγ → $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

. This is probed in central exclusive $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

production in proton-proton collisions, pp → $$ pt\overline{t}p $$
pt

t
¯

p
. We use the tagging of the intact protons by PPS (CMS) and AFP (ATLAS) and consider the semi-leptonic $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

channel. The sensitivity is also mapped onto a set of dimension-8 $$ \gamma \gamma t\overline{t} $$
γγt

t
¯

operators in the large mass limit. Using the kinematical correlations between the intact protons and the reconstructed $$ t\overline{t} $$
t

t
¯

system, we obtain a sensitivity to the couplings of the dimension-8 operators of 1.4 10−11 GeV−4 at 95% CL. The sensitivity to the anomalous couplings is significantly improved down to about 7 10−12 GeV−4 if the proton time-of-flight is known with a precision of 20 ps in future measurements. The 95% CL sensitivity to broad neutral resonances reaches masses of order 1500 GeV when using timing information.
Topology optimization incorporating a passageway for powder removal in designs for additive manufacturing
Authors: Liu Dedao , Chiu Louis N. S. , Davies Chris , Yan Wenyi
Published: August 2022

In powder-based additive manufacturing, the unused powder must be removed after printing. Topology optimization has been applied to designs for additive manufacturing, which may lead to designs with enclosed voids, where the powder will be trapped inside during printing. A topology optimization method incorporating a powder removal passageway is developed to avoid the powder being trapped inside the structure. The passageway is generated by connecting the entrance, all voids, and the exit sequentially. Each void is limited to have only one pair of inlet and outlet to guarantee a single-path flow to facilitate powder removal after the additive manufacturing. The path of the passageway is optimized to minimize its influence on structural stiffness. The proposed optimization method was applied to two practical case studies where the powder removal passageways were generated successfully.
Optimisation of the physicochemical stability of extra virgin olive oil-in-water nanoemulsion: processing parameters and stabiliser type
Authors: Kampa Jansuda , Koidis Anastasios , Ghawi Sameer Khalil , Frazier Richard A. , Rodriguez-Garcia Julia
Published: August 2022

Extra virgin olive oil-in-water nanoemulsions stabilised with synthetic or clean label surfactants (Tween 20 or soy lecithin) was prepared using high-pressure homogenisation (HPH). The effect of HPH pressure and the number of cycles were assessed through response surface methodology to optimise homogenisation processing parameter. Mean droplet diameter (MDD), polydispersity index (PDI), thermal stability and oxidation stability of the resulting emulsions were evaluated. The results showed that the formation and stability of nanoemulsions can be affected by the homogenisation processing parameters (pressure and cycles) and the properties of surfactants (interfacial tension, viscoelasticity and molecule structure). Although MDD and PDI of Tween 20 stabilised nanoemulsions were influenced by homogenisation pressure and cycles, there was not a significant effect on lecithin-stabilised nanoemulsions. A homogenisation pressure of at least 400 bars produced Tween 20 stabilised nanoemulsion (MDD < 200 nm), whereas lecithin-stabilised nanoemulsion were obtained after high-speed homogenisation without using HPH. HPH at 400 bars for 1 cycle produced nanoemulsions with greater physical stability when using either Tween 20 or lecithin. Tween 20 stabilised nanoemulsion showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) thermal stability and lipid oxidative stability than lecithin-stabilised nanoemulsion. Following an optimisation study using regression modelling, the optimal homogenisation parameter for MDD of Tween 20 stabilised emulsion was found at pressure of 764 bars with 1 cycle, while lecithin-stabilised emulsion was found at pressure of 3 bars with 2 cycles. Overall, this study has important implications for optimising nanoemulsion production for potential application in the food industry.
Sugar Concentration, Nitrogen Availability, and Phylogenetic Factors Determine the Ability of Acinetobacter spp. and Rosenbergiella spp. to Grow in Floral Nectar
Authors: Morales-Poole José R. , de Vega Clara , Tsuji Kaoru , Jacquemyn Hans , Junker Robert R. , Herrera Carlos M. , Michiels Chris , Lievens Bart , Álvarez-Pérez Sergio
Published: August 2022

The floral nectar of angiosperms harbors a variety of microorganisms that depend predominantly on animal visitors for their dispersal. Although some members of the genus Acinetobacter and all currently known species of Rosenbergiella are thought to be adapted to thrive in nectar, there is limited information about the response of these bacteria to variation in the chemical characteristics of floral nectar. We investigated the growth performance of a diverse collection of Acinetobacter (n = 43) and Rosenbergiella (n = 45) isolates obtained from floral nectar and the digestive tract of flower-visiting bees in a set of 12 artificial nectars differing in sugar content (15% w/v or 50% w/v), nitrogen content (3.48/1.67 ppm or 348/167 ppm of total nitrogen/amino nitrogen), and sugar composition (only sucrose, 1/3 sucrose + 1/3 glucose + 1/3 fructose, or 1/2 glucose + 1/2 fructose). Growth was only observed in four of the 12 artificial nectars. Those containing elevated sugar concentration (50% w/v) and low nitrogen content (3.48/1.67 ppm) were limiting for bacterial growth. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the ability of the bacteria to grow in different types of nectar is highly conserved between closely related isolates and genotypes, but this conservatism rapidly vanishes deeper in phylogeny. Overall, these results demonstrate that the ability of Acinetobacter spp. and Rosenbergiella spp. to grow in floral nectar largely depends on nectar chemistry and bacterial phylogeny.