bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration eines roboterassistierten Systems in den
Aufbereitungsprozess von flexiblen Endoskopen
Authors: Allescher Hans-Dieter , Voigt Florian , Mangold Martin , Haddadin Sami
Published: August 2023

Einleitung Eine einwandfreie Aufbereitung von Endoskopen und deren
Instrumentarien ist eine Grundvorrausetzung für die Patientensicherheit
bei der flexiblen Endoskopie. Die Endoskop-Aufbereitung ist aktuell eine
Kombination aus festgelegten manuellen Schritten und einer Behandlung mittels
automatisierter Wasch- und Desinfektionsgeräte. Die manuellen Schritte
der Aufbereitung werden von speziell ausgebildetem
Endoskopie-Aufbereitungspersonal übernommen. Dennoch haben manuelle
Prozesse immer eine gewisse Personen-abhängige Varianz bei der
Durchführung. Um diese nicht standardisierbaren Schritte zu optimieren,
war es das Ziel dieser Arbeit, den Einsatz eines robotischen Systems für
eine automatisierte Endoskop-Aufbereitung zu evaluieren.

MethodikDie Autoren verwendeten zur Aufbereitung ein Standard-Reinigungs-
und Desinfektionsgerät nach dem Durchreiche-Prinzip sowie einen
handelsüblichen Endoskop-Trockenschrank. Für den
Endoskop-Transfer wurde ein Franka Emika Panda Roboter eingesetzt. Der Roboter
wurde so programmiert, dass er mit der Umgebung und den verwendeten
Gegenständen in einer adaptiven und anpassungsfähigen Weise
interagiert. Dadurch wurde gewährleistet, dass es durch die angepassten
Kräfte und Bewegungen zu keinen Schäden an den Geräten,
Maschinen oder auch dem Roboter kommt.

ErgebnisseIn einer ersten Evaluationsphase wurden die Fähigkeiten
des Roboters untersucht, den Gerätekorb der Aufbereitungsmaschine sicher
zu bewegen und bestimmte vordefinierte Aufgaben (Aufnahme, korrekte
Positionierung, Schlauchverbindungen anschließen, Kollisionsreaktion)
auszuführen. Anschließend wurde ein 2. Roboterarm
hinzugefügt, um mit 2 unabhängigen Manipulatoren die Genauigkeit
und Unabhängigkeit der Prozesse zu überprüfen. Es wurden
jeweils 50 konsekutive Aufbereitungs- bzw. Transfer-Prozeduren untersucht. Die
Endoskope wurde in einem adaptierten Reinigungskorb mit einem speziellen
Greiftool aus der Aufbereitungsmaschine entnommen und in einen
Routine-Trockenschrank transferiert. Die durchschnittliche Zeit zum Trennen der
Einzelkanalverbindungen, der Entnahme, dem Transfer des Korbes und der
Verbindung der Einzelkanäle betrug 104,2±1,2 Sekunden, und es
wurde zu 100% ein erfolgreicher Transfer erreicht.

Schlussfolgerung Diese Arbeit beschreibt erstmals den Einsatz eines
adaptiven und anpassungsfähigen Roboters bei der Aufbereitung von
flexiblen Endoskopen. Auch wenn noch nicht der gesamte Aufbereitungsprozess
abgebildet werden kann, bietet dieser Ansatz die Möglichkeit die
Aufbereitung von Endoskopen weiter zu vereinheitlichen und zu standardisieren.
Das Ziel wäre einen komplett standardisierbaren und damit auch
zertifizierbaren Aufbereitungsprozess zu entwickeln.
Long-term Outcomes after Medial Open Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy – A Retrospective Study of 69 Patients
Authors: Schröter Steffen , Klink Julian , Ihle Christoph , Gueorguiev Boyko Guergov , Herbst Moritz , Maiotti Marco , Histing Tina , Ahrend Marc-Daniel
Published: August 2023

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a widespread option to avoid or delay total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The present study aimed to assess the long-term survival rate and postoperative
subjective knee function after isolated medial open wedge HTO in patients with symptomatic medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) and varus malalignment.

Sixty-nine patients (48.8 ± 6.7, 35–66 years; preoperative mechanical tibiofemoral angle [mTFA] −5.3 ± 3.4; −14.9–0.0° varus) treated with medial open wedge HTO using a TomoFix plate were
included in this retrospective study, with a follow-up of at least 10 years (11.8 ± 1.0 years). The survival rate after HTO was calculated after 5 and 10 years. Subjective knee function was
assessed using Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), Oxford knee, Lequesne, and Lysholm scores.

Thirty-three patients underwent conversion to TKA, on average, 7.0 ± 3.4 (1.3–13.7) years after HTO. Five- and ten-year survival rates were 84.1 and 60.9%, respectively. Patients without
conversion to TKA showed a Lysholm score of 64.5 (35–92), Lequesne score of 7 (1–13), HSS score of 71 (56–86), and Oxford knee score of 38.5 (25–44) at the last follow-up (more than 10 years).
Significantly higher scores were registered at the last follow-up compared to the preoperative state regarding the Lysholm score (preoperative: 43.5 [12–95]; follow-up: 64.5 [35–92];
p < 0.001). The HSS score (preoperative: 69.5 [43–93]; follow-up: 71 [56–86]; p = 0.6941) showed no statistically significant change during the 10-year follow-up period. The Lequesne score
was significantly lower than the preoperative score (preoperative: 11.5 [0.5–22]; follow-up: 7 [1–13]; p < 0.001), indicating a lower handicap.

The majority of patients with a valgus medial compartmental knee OA treated with HTO with fixation using the TomoFix plate can expect no conversion to TKA for more than 10 years.
Furthermore, patients without conversion to TKA after 10 years still had a significantly higher subjective knee function than preoperatively. Further research is needed to identify risk
factors for conversion to TKA. This helps to guide surgeons in selecting patients who will benefit most from HTO.
Pulmonale Beteiligung bei idiopathischen inflammatorischen Myopathien
Authors: Berger Melanie , Zimmermann Maximilian , Kreuter Michael , Strunk Johannes , Windisch Wolfram , Höppner Jakob , Plath Ilka , Schumacher Falk
Published: August 2023

Idiopathische inflammatorische Myopathien (IIM) sind seltene Systemerkrankungen, bei denen es je nach Entität häufig zu einer pulmonalen Beteiligung kommt, v.a. in Form einer interstitiellen Lungenerkrankung (ILD=interstitial lung disease). Es liegen nur wenige prospektive Daten über diese sehr heterogene Erkrankungsgruppe in Kombination mit einer ILD vor. Die Diagnose ist eng verknüpft mit dem Diagnoseleitfaden für interstitielle Lungenerkrankungen jeglicher Ätiologie und sollte in einem interdisziplinären Zentrum mit entsprechender Expertise gestellt werden. Zur Diagnostik gehören Myositis-spezifische Antikörper (MSA) und Myositis-assoziierte Antikörper (MAA), deren Nachweis mit einem Phänotyp und einem prognostischen Verlauf assoziiert sein kann. V.a. Anti-tRNA-Synthetase-Antikörper (Anti-ARS) und gegen das Melanom-Differenzierungsantigen-5-gerichtete Antikörper (MDA5-AK) spielen bei der IIM mit ILD eine entscheidende Rolle für die Prognose und das Therapieansprechen. Die am häufigsten vorkommenden ILD-Muster sind NSIP (nicht spezifische interstitielle Pneumonie) und OP (organisierende Pneumonie) oder ein Mischbild aus beiden Mustern. Die Grundbausteine der Therapie sind der initiale Einsatz von systemischen Steroiden und die frühzeitige Ergänzung von immunsuppressiven Substanzen, für deren Einsatz es hauptsächlich retrospektive Daten gibt. Neue prospektive Studien geben Anlass zur Hoffnung auf die Etablierung von Behandlungspfaden für die Zukunft.
Immulina as an Immunostimulatory Supplement: Formulation and Pharmacological Studies
Authors: Li Yusheng , Ji Nan , Wang Minia , Pugh Nirmal D. , Khan Ikhlas A. , Tan Chalet
Published: August 2023

Immulina is a commercially available extract of Arthrospira platensis enriched with bacterial lipoproteins that acts as a potent Toll-like receptor 2 agonist. However, the
immunostimulatory effect of Immulina is not well understood in vivo. Here, to devise an Immulina formulation suitable for in vivo oral gavage dosing, Immulina nanosuspension
was prepared and freeze-dried to yield lyophilized nano-Immulina, which had an average particle size of around 300 nm and fully retained the bioactivity as a Toll-like receptor 2 agonist.
Compared to the regular Immulina powder, lyophilized nano-Immulina notably accelerated the dissolution in aqueous media. Immulina nanosuspension was found to stimulate the production of
proinflammatory cytokines in murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and macrophages. The immune response to Immulina was investigated in healthy mice by longitudinally monitoring the
phagocytic activity of circulating neutrophils as a surrogate marker. Following daily oral ingestion of Immulina nanosuspension (10 mg/mouse/day), the phagocytic activity of circulating
neutrophils was significantly elevated, suggesting an important mechanism for Immulina to enhance innate immunity.
Trends of Medicare Reimbursement Rates for Lower Extremity Procedures
Authors: Siotos Charalampos , Aminzada Amir , Whitney Natalia , Najafali Daniel , Toms III John A. , Mpontozis Anastasios , Kokosis George , Shenaq Deana S. , Derman Gordon H. , Dorafshar Amir H. , Kurlander David E.
Published: August 2023

Background Data collected across many surgical specialties suggest that Medicare reimbursement for physicians consistently lags inflation. Studies are needed that describe reimbursement rates for lower extremity procedures. Our goal is to analyze the trends in Medicare reimbursement rates from 2010 to 2021 for both lower extremity amputation and salvage surgeries.

Methods The Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services was assessed and Current Procedural Terminology codes for common lower extremity procedures were collected. Average reimbursement rates from 2010 to 2021 were analyzed and adjusted for inflation. The rates of work-, facility-, and malpractice-related relative value units (RVUs) were also collected.

Results We found an overall increase in Medicare reimbursement of 4.73% over the study period for lower extremity surgery. However, after adjusting for inflation, the average reimbursement decreased by 13.19%. The adjusted relative difference was calculated to be (−)18.31 and (−)11.34% for lower extremity amputation and salvage procedures, respectively. We also found that physician work-related RVUs decreased by 0.27%, while facility-related and malpractice-related RVUs increased.

Conclusion Reimbursement for lower extremity amputation and salvage procedures has steadily declined from 2010 to 2021 after adjusting for inflation, with amputation procedures being devaluated at a greater rate than lower extremity salvage procedures. With the recent marked inflation, knowledge of these trends is crucial for surgeons, hospitals, and health care policymakers to ensure appropriate physician reimbursement.

Level of Evidence IV (cross-sectional study).
A Simple and Powerful tert-Butylation of Carboxylic Acids and Alcohols
Authors: Namba Kosuke , Ogasa Chie , Kayano Kimika
Published: August 2023

A simple and safe tert-butylation reaction was developed. Treatment of various free amino acids with 1.1 equivalents of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide in tert-butyl acetate directly afforded tert-butyl esters with free amino groups quickly and in good yields. In addition, various carboxylic acids and alcohols without amino groups were converted into tert-butyl esters and ethers, respectively, in high yields in the presence of small catalytic amounts of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. All tert-butylation reactions of free amino acids, carboxylic acids, and alcohols proceeded much faster and in higher yields compared with conventional methods.
Influence of Implant Adjacent Teeth on the Accuracy of Digital Impression
Authors: Abduo Jaafar , El-Haddad Hossam
Published: August 2023

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adjacent teeth patterns on the accuracy of digital scans of parallel and divergent implants for three-unit prostheses.

Materials and Methods A maxillary typodont model with implants in the locations of the first premolars and first molars was used to develop three clinical scenarios for three-unit prostheses: (S1) Partially edentulous arch with missing first premolars and first molars only; (S2) partially edentulous arch with missing first premolars, second premolars and first molars; and (S3) partially edentulous arch with missing canines, first premolars, second premolars, first molars, and second molars. On one side, the implants were parallel, and for the other side, the implants had a 15-degree buccolingual angle. With the aid of scan bodies, 10 digital impressions were taken for each scenario and for each side. To evaluate the accuracy, a reverse engineering software was used to measure trueness, precision, and interimplant distance.

Results The best trueness for parallel implants was observed for S2 (30.0 µm), followed by S3 (67.3 µm) and S1 (74.8 µm) (p < 0.001). Likewise, S2 had the best precision for parallel implants (31.3 µm) followed by S3 (38.0 µm) and S1 (70.3 µm) (p < 0.001). For the divergent implants, S2 exhibited the best trueness (23.1 µm), followed by S3 (48.2 µm) and S1 (59.4 µm) (p = 0.007). Similarly, the S2 had the best precision (12.3 µm) followed by S3 (62.1 µm) and S1 (66.9 µm) (p < 0.001). The S2 had the least interimplant distance deviation followed by S1 and S3. The difference was significant for parallel implants (p = 0.03), but insignificant for divergent implants (p = 0.15).

Conclusion Regardless of the presenting scenario, digital implant impressions for three-unit prostheses appear to be clinically accurate. A clear interimplant area between scan bodies enhanced the accuracy of digital impressions. This observation can be attributed to more accessible axial surface scanning of the scan body.
Interventions in Gastric Varices: TIPS versus BRTO
Authors: Sanin Emilio , Lopera Jorge E. , de Assis André Moreira , de Carvalho Melo Junior José Andrade , Alvarez Sergio
Published: August 2023

Gastric varices (GV) are a relatively uncommon cause of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. Compared with esophageal varices (EV), GV have been less well studied and therefore there is less consensus on the best treatment alternative. GV have distinct hemodynamic and anatomic considerations which must be well understood to provide adequate treatments. The purpose of this review is to describe the endovascular treatment options available: transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) and its variants. Each of these alternatives has its indications for different clinical scenarios. Both are effective in controlling acute bleeding, but BRTO seems to have better long-term results. A detailed description of indications, techniques, complications, and results is included.
The swimming performance of microrobots in tight spaces
Authors: Green Leigh Ann
Published: August 2023

How confinements can affect the propulsion of microswimmers.
Anomaly classification by inserting prior knowledge into a max-tree based method for divertor hot spot characterization on WEST tokamak
Authors: Gorse Valentin , Mitteau Raphaël , Marot Julien
Published: August 2023

The divertor of WEST (W Environment in Steady-state Tokamak) is the main component for plasma control and exhaust. It receives high heat fluxes, which can cause damage to plasma facing units above the allowable heat flux. Improving the operation safety on the actively cooled tungsten divertor is being researched in place at WEST, toward providing divertor monitoring solution for ITER. Divertor operation safety relies on detecting, monitoring, and classifying all hot spots on the divertor surface using infrared (IR) cameras. In this paper, a method based on max-tree representation and attributes of IR images is used to classify normal from abnormal strikelines on the divertor. The proposed method requires only high-level prior knowledge of abnormal temperatures and divertor structure but does not require any labeled data, unlike existing methods, such as support vector machines (SVMs) or convolutional neural networks (CNNs). The max-tree classifier method is tested on real IR images from the WEST tokamak and shows that 88% of hot spots are accurately classified with a small enough calculation duration that can be performed between two pulses.
Determining the normalization of the quantum field theory vacuum, with implications for quantum gravity
Authors: Mannheim Philip D
Published: August 2023

In a standard quantum field theory the norm

⟨
Ω
|
Ω
⟩

of the vacuum state is taken to be finite. In this paper we provide a procedure, based on constructing an equivalent wave mechanics, for determining whether or not

⟨
Ω
|
Ω
⟩

actually is finite. We provide an example based on a second-order plus fourth-order scalar field theory, a prototype for quantum gravity, in which it is not. In this example the Lorentzian path integral with a real measure diverges though the Euclidean path integral does not. Thus in this example contributions from the Wick rotation contour cannot be ignored. Since

⟨
Ω
|
Ω
⟩

is not finite, use of the standard Feynman rules is not valid. And while these rules not only lead to states with negative norm, they in fact lead to states with infinite negative norm. However, if the fields in that theory are continued into the complex plane, we show that then there is a domain in the complex plane known as a Stokes wedge in which one can define an appropriate time-independent, positive and finite inner product, viz. the

⟨
L
|
R
⟩

overlap of left-eigenstates and right-eigenstates of the Hamiltonian; with the vacuum state then being normalizable, and with there being no states with negative or infinite

⟨
L
|
R
⟩

norm. In this Stokes wedge it is the Euclidean path integral that diverges while the Lorentzian path integral does not. The concerns that we raise in this paper only apply to bosons since the matrices associated with their creation and annihilation operators are infinite dimensional. Since the ones associated with fermions are finite dimensional, the fermion theory vacuum is automatically normalizable. We discuss some general implications of our results for quantum gravity studies, and show that they are relevant to the construction of a consistent, unitary and renormalizable quantum theory of gravity.
Recent progress on two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures for photocatalytic water splitting: a selective review
Authors: Zhang Chang , Ren Kai , Wang Sake , Luo Yi , Tang Wencheng , Sun Minglei
Published: August 2023

Hydrogen production through photocatalytic water splitting is being developed swiftly to address the ongoing energy crisis. Over the past decade, with the rise of graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials, an increasing number of computational and experimental studies have focused on relevant van der Waals (vdW) semiconductor heterostructures for photocatalytic water splitting. In this review, the fundamental mechanism and distinctive performance of type-II and Z-scheme vdW heterostructure photocatalysts are presented. Accordingly, we have conducted a systematic review of recent studies focusing on candidates for photocatalysts, specifically vdW heterostructures involving 2D transition metal disulfides (TMDs), 2D Janus TMDs, and phosphorenes. The photocatalytic performance of these heterostructures and their suitability in theoretical scenarios are discussed based on their electronic and optoelectronic properties, particularly in terms of band structures, photoexcited carrier dynamics, and light absorption. In addition, various approaches for tuning the performance of these potential photocatalysts are illustrated. This strategic framework for constructing and modulating 2D heterostructure photocatalysts is expected to provide inspiration for addressing possible challenges in future studies.
Bulk plasmon-limited mobility in semiconductors: from bulk to nanowires
Authors: Kovalenko Konstantin L , Kozlovskiy Sergei I , Sharan Nicolai N , Venger Eugeniy F
Published: August 2023

Analytical expressions are obtained for the low-field mobility in semiconductors for scattering of three-dimensional (3D), two-dimensional (2D), and one-dimensional (1D) charged carriers by bulk plasmons. The consideration is based on the quantum kinetic equation and model distribution function in form of a shifted Fermi distribution and includes calculations of the dielectric function of 3D, 2D and 1D carriers in the random phase approximation. The resulting analytical expressions give dependences of the plasmon limited mobility on the dimensionality of charge carrier system, their density, effective mass, temperature and confining dimensions. The plasmon limited mobility decreases as the dimensionality of the electron gas D decreases. The physical reason for this is an increase in the absolute value of the cutoff vector with a decrease in D. Comparison of our calculations with known experimental data shows that relative contribution of the electron–plasmon scattering to total mobility reaches a maximum in the temperature range 10–100 K and can be a few percent in bulk crystals, ten of percent in quantum wells, and is close to the experimental values in nanowires. A noticeable effect of the scattering 3D, 2D and 1D electrons by bulk plasmons on mobility is expected in semiconductors with a sufficiently high mobility of more than 105 cm2 V−1 s.
Personalized fault diagnosis of rolling bearings in trains based on digital twin
Authors: Liu Chang , He Deqiang , Wei Zexian , He Changfu , Lao Zhenpeng , Shan Sheng
Published: August 2023

Applying methods such as deep learning improves the efficiency of bearing fault diagnosis and reduces trains’ operation and maintenance costs. However, in practical applications, the deficiency of historical data and the imbalance of data types often limit the effectiveness of the diagnosis. The variability between operating conditions also restricts the availability of transfer learning including domain adaptation. To address this challenge, a digital twin (DT) framework is established to fill the data for train fault diagnosis. A train bearing dynamics model is optimized using virtual-reality mapping in the DT framework with measured health data as a baseline to generate data closer to reality. Finally, the fault diagnosis uses a hybrid dataset that mixes measured and simulated data as a source domain for transfer learning. The Case Western Reserve University dataset is used as an example, and the accuracy reaches up to 99.40%, which verifies the method’s effectiveness.
Opposite atom dependence of isotope engineering of thermal conductivity in bulk and 2D GaN
Authors: Sun Guoqing , Xiang Zheng , Ma Jinlong , Luo Xiaobing , Xu Dongwei
Published: August 2023

Isotope engineering has been shown to be an effective means of regulating thermal conductivity. In this work, we studied the isotope engineering of thermal conductivity in bulk and 2D GaN, and diametrically opposite atom isotope dependence is found. That is, Ga isotope has a large effect (77%) on bulk GaN, while the effect of N isotope on the thermal conductivity is negligible. In 2D GaN, however, N isotope effect (20%) is more significant than that of Ga. Understanding of the different isotope dependence is achieved by deeper insight. Due to the relative magnitude of scattering rate, isotopic scattering influences the thermal conductivity of bulk and 2D GaN in different frequency regions, leading to the opposite atom dependence.
Computational evaluation of absorption characteristics of ceramic-based auxetic materials in X-band frequency range
Authors: Phanendra Kumar A , Nakka Rajesh , Harursampath Dineshkumar , A Ponnusami Sathiskumar
Published: August 2023

This research study investigates the absorption capabilities of ceramic-based auxetic metamaterials within the X-band frequency range, emphasising their potential application in stealth technology. Four distinct auxetic topologies have been chosen for this purpose: star, re-entrant, anti-tetrachiral, and missing-rib/cross-chiral while maintaining an equal cross-sectional area for comparison analysis. A computationally efficient homogenisation scheme based on the variational asymptotic method is used to evaluate the effective properties of these auxetics. The absorption spectra are then obtained by evaluating scattering matrices using these effective properties. The influence of auxetics out-of-plane thickness, incidence and polarisation angles on the proposed ceramic absorber’s absorption spectra is evaluated. One of the interesting observations is the identical absorption capabilities of star and missing-rib/cross-chiral geometries despite their distinct architectures. The star and missing-rib/cross-chiral based absorbers achieved a maximum absorption of 99.99% or a minimum reflection loss (RL) of −40 dB with a thickness of 3.50 mm. The RL is less than −10 dB (the standard for an electromagnetic (EM) absorber) for all incidence angles less than 70∘. The findings of this study hold significant potential for the advancement of ceramic-based auxetic metamaterials in EM absorption applications within the aerospace industry.
Topological edge state assisted dynamically tunable microwave propagations in photonic crystals
Authors: Jana Sambhu , Devi Koijam Monika , Kulkarni Gopal , Mallick Soumyajyoti , Roy Chowdhury Dibakar
Published: August 2023

Topological photonics has emerged as a cutting-edge and intriguing field that permits electromagnetic waves to transmit with minimal losses even when they come in contact with sharp turns or imperfections or defects. In this study, we validate a strategy to realize dynamically amplitude tunable light propagation in a topological waveguide based on a three-dimensional printed valley Hall photonic crystal structure operating in the microwave frequency region. Here, tunable light propagation is facilitated by inserting an active defect in the form of a semiconductor (silicon) material slab across the domain boundary of the topological waveguide. In this configuration, dynamic variation of transmission amplitude is realized via photoexcitation of the semiconductor defect using an external laser of wavelength,

λ
∼
510

nm. This results in active amplitude tunability of

∼
−
10

dB in topological wave propagation under a photoexcitation of 100 mW. Our demonstrated route can lead to the design of dynamically controlled topological photonic devices such as optical modulators, switches, optical buffers, etc which are important for the development of 6G communication systems.
Higher-order co-mutation interactions in mitochondrial genomes
Authors: Verma Rahul K , Shinde Pramod , Mishra Ankit , Jalan Sarika
Published: August 2023

Pair-wise co-mutation networks of the mitochondrial genome have already provided ample evidences about the roles of genetic interactions in the manifestation of phenotype under altered environmental conditions. Here, we present a method to construct and analyze higher-order interactions, namely, three-uniform hypergraphs of the mitochondrial genome for different altitude populations to decipher the role of co-mutating variable sites beyond pair-wise interactions. We considered the human mitochondrial DNA residing at different altitudes with respect to Tibet in Asia as a case study. We found that in 50% of the gene triangles, two positions were occupied by coding genes, which suggested that coding genes are dominantly involved in forming the hyperedges. Based on weights of the gene triangles, we identified altitude-specific genes such as, in low-altitude ATP6 and ND genes, in mid-altitude CO1 and ND genes, and in high-altitude ATP6, CO1, CYB and ND genes. This framework of three-uniform hypergraph serves an avenue for future investigation of nuclear genomes in context of phenotypic association and genetic disorders beyond the pair-wise interactions.
Effects of pulse energy and contact foil thickness on the surface integrity of LY2 aluminum alloy subjected to laser shock wave planishing technology
Authors: Wu Lei , Dai Fengze , Huang Shu , Chen Xizhang
Published: August 2023

Reducing the surface roughness is an effective way to improve the fatigue performance of aero-engine blades. In this paper, the milled surface of LY2 aluminum alloy was processed by a laser shock wave planishing (LSWP) technology, and the influence of the laser pulse energy and the contact foil thickness on the surface integrity were studied. The results showed that the thinner the contact foil and the higher the pulse energy were, the higher the removal rate of tool marks (the degree to which the milled topography of LY2 aluminum alloy surface is flattened) was. On the contrary, the thicker the contact foil and the lower the pulse energy were, the lower the removal rate of tool marks was. It will cause ‘center depression’ under LSWP with a thin contact foil and a high laser pulse energy, resulting in an increase of surface roughness, a large difference in residual stress and micro-hardness between the center and the laser spot edge. In the overlapping LSWP experiment, when the contact foil thickness matched the appropriate laser pulse energy, the milled surface was flattened without boundary effect, and in 67% overlapping experiment, a thicker contact foil can be used to achieve the same high-quality surface as in 50% overlapping experiment.
Preparation and characterization of Ni-Co-TiN/CeO2 composite coating by jet electrodeposition for improved mechanical and anti-corrosion properties
Authors: Chen Yuanlong , Li Huigui , Fang Cheng , Deng Weiping , Zhu Fankai , He Gaoqing , Tian Zongjun , Jiang Wei
Published: August 2023

The Ni-Co alloy was coated with Ni-Co-TiN/CeO2 by Jet electrodeposition to enhance the properties of Nickel-Cobalt (Ni-Co) alloy. The morphologies, texture orientation, microhardness, coating adhesion, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance of Ni-Co-TiN/CeO2 composite coatings were characterized. The influences of concentration of mixed particles (micron-TiN and nano- CeO2) on microstructural, surface properties, mechanical properties and anti-corrosion performance of the composite coatings were studied. The addition of nano-mixed particles changed the morphology of Ni-Co-TiN/CeO2 composite coating from large cellular protrusion structures to fine granular structures, the mechanical properties and anti-corrosion performance of Ni-Co-TiN/CeO2 composite coatings were improved. The composite coating exhibited superior microhardness, bonding force, wear resistance and anti-corrosion performance, when the concentration of mixed particles was 4 g l−1. This work contributed to the development of a variety of micro- and nanoparticle phase-enhanced metal-based composite coatings.
Using a fast hybrid pixel detector for dose-efficient diffraction imaging beam-sensitive organic molecular thin films
Authors: Wu Mingjian , Stroppa Daniel G , Pelz Philipp , Spiecker Erdmann
Published: August 2023

We discuss the benefits and showcase the applications of using a fast, hybrid-pixel detector (HPD) for 4D-STEM experiments and emphasize that in diffraction imaging the structure of molecular nano-crystallites in organic solar cell thin films with a dose-efficient modality 4D-scanning confocal electron diffraction (4D-SCED). With 4D-SCED, spot diffraction patterns form from an interaction area of a few nm while the electron beam rasters over the sample, resulting in high dose effectiveness yet highly demanding on the detector in frame speed, sensitivity, and single-pixel count rate. We compare the datasets acquired with 4D-SCED using a fast HPD with those using state-of-the-art complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) cameras to map the in-plane orientation of π-stacking nano-crystallites of small molecule DRCN5T in a blend of DRCN5T: PC71BM after solvent vapor annealing. The high-speed CMOS camera, using a scintillator optimized for low doses, showed impressive results for electron sensitivity and low noise. However, the limited speed restricted practical experimental conditions and caused unintended damage to small and weak nano-crystallites. The fast HPD, with a speed three orders of magnitude higher, allows a much higher probe current yet a lower total dose on the sample, and more scan points cover a large field of view in less time. A lot more faint diffraction signals that correspond to just a few electron events are detected. The improved performance of direct electron detectors opens more possibilities to enhance the characterization of beam-sensitive materials using 4D-STEM techniques.
Investigating the aerodynamic effect of rooftop cargo compartment – a case of modified intercity bus
Authors: Tefera Addis , Bekele Addisu , Pandey Vivek
Published: August 2023

Buses are one mode of mass transportation but they are inefficient in terms of fuel consumption and ergonomically poor when loaded. Thus to decrease the fuel consumption, an improvement on the aerodynamic shape of the bus is required. This paper mainly focused on locally modified ISUZU buses which are serving as an intercity bus in Ethiopia. These buses are inefficient in terms of fuel consumption because of their body design and other add-on devices. One of the add-on devices which spoil the aerodynamic profile of this bus is the luggage loaded on the roof rack. Therefore, in this paper aerodynamically efficient rooftop luggage compartment is designed for these buses. The performance test is carried out for a scaled-down ISUZU bus model numerically using ANSYS Fluent CFD software and experimentally using wind tunnel testing. The numerical results are validated by an experimental test which is carried out using HM 170 open wind tunnel set-up. According to the numerical result, the modified bus reduced the drag coefficient by 34%, 34.5% and 34%, when compared to the clean roof baseline bus, the baseline bus with roof rack and the loaded baseline bus respectively. Similarly, the drag force is reduced by 12%, 14% and 32% respectively. In addition, the fuel consumption is reduced by 2.15 l h
−1, 4.17 l h
−1 and 7.24 l h
−1 respectively. It is also found that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Overall, the modified bus is found to be more fuel saving and ergonomically better design.
Enhancement of corrosion resistance of CrMoV low alloy steels using cryogenic treatment
Authors: Sarveswara Reddy S , Durga Rajesh K V , Francis Luther King M
Published: August 2023

The current investigation explores the effect of cryogenic treatment on the microstructural and corrosion behavior of CrMoV low-alloy steels. The casted samples in the required dimensions were treated by annealing followed by deep cryogenic treatment (DCT). Initially, the microstructural modification brought by combined treatments was studied using an optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. After DCT, a refined and uniform grain structure was identified. The DCT resulted in the development of a fine-grained structure and reduced the mean grain size of the alloy, and this refinement of the grain structure is due to the reduction of lattice defects during the cooling process. The corrosion behavior was studied using the weight loss and Tafel polarization tests. The corrosion findings indicated a significant enhancement in the corrosion resistance of the specimens after DCT. The DCT specimens exhibited higher corrosion potentials compared to the base material. The DCT can promote the development of a more protective passive layer on the sample’s surface. This passive layer serves as an obstacle, preventing the diffusion of corrosive products and increasing corrosion resistance. Finally, it suggests that DCT positively impacts the CrMoV steels’ resistance to corrosion.
Deep learning neural network for approaching Schrödinger problems with arbitrary two-dimensional confinement
Authors: Radu A , Duque C A
Published: August 2023

This article presents an approach to the two-dimensional Schrödinger equation based on automatic learning methods with neural networks. It is intended to determine the ground state of a particle confined in any two-dimensional potential, starting from the knowledge of the solutions to a large number of arbitrary sample problems. A network architecture with two hidden layers is proposed to predict the wave function and energy of the ground state. Several accuracy indicators are proposed for validating the estimates provided by the neural network. The testing of the trained network is done by applying it to a large set of confinement potentials different from those used in the learning process. Some particular cases with symmetrical potentials are solved as concrete examples, and a good network prediction accuracy is found.
Comorbid Conditions and Complications in Body Contouring Surgery: A Retrospective Review
Authors: Garoosi Kassra , Mundra Leela , Jabbari Kayvon , Winocour Julian , Iorio Matthew L , Mathes David W , Kaoutzanis Christodoulos
Published: August 2023

Background

Body contouring procedures have significantly increased in popularity in the United States.

Objectives

The authors sought to understand, categorize, and classify patients’ experiences with postoperative complications following common body contouring procedures.

Methods

PearlDiver (PearlDiver Technologies, Colorado Springs, CO), a database with over 90 million patients, was queried to identify patients who had undergone body contouring procedures between 2010 and 2021 using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. The authors identified patients who underwent panniculectomy, abdominoplasty, brachioplasty, thighplasty, mastopexy, breast augmentation, augmentation mastopexy, breast reduction, and liposuction for analysis. They reviewed combined procedures and analyzed risk factors associated with the most common complications.

Results

There were 243,886 patients included in the study. The majority of patients were female, between 50 and 59 years old, and had their procedures performed in the southern United States. There were an average of 25,352 procedures per year. The majority of cases involved breast surgeries. The most common preoperative comorbid conditions diagnosed 1 year before surgery were hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. The most common postoperative complications within 90 days were wound dehiscence, hematoma, and urinary tract infection. A logistic regression evaluating the association of the preoperative comorbid conditions with postoperative complications found that patients with obesity, tobacco use, diabetes, and hypertension had an increased risk of developing wound dehiscence, hematoma, and surgical-site infection.

Conclusions

The data suggest that patients with obesity, tobacco use, diabetes, and hypertension undergoing body contouring surgery are at greater risk of developing wound dehiscence, hematomas, and surgical-site infections. Understanding this data is imperative for providers to adequately identify associated risk factors, stratify patients, and provide adequate perioperative counseling.

Level of Evidence: 2
diseaseGPS: auxiliary diagnostic system for genetic disorders based on genotype and phenotype
Authors: Huang Daoyi , Jiang Jianping , Zhao Tingting , Wu Shengnan , Li Pin , Lyu Yongfen , Feng Jincai , Wei Mingyue , Zhu Zhixing , Gu Jianlei , Ren Yongyong , Yu Guangjun , Lu Hui
Published: August 2023

The next-generation sequencing brought opportunities for the diagnosis of genetic disorders due to its high-throughput capabilities. However, the majority of existing methods were limited to only sequencing candidate variants, and the process of linking these variants to a diagnosis of genetic disorders still required medical professionals to consult databases. Therefore, we introduce diseaseGPS, an integrated platform for the diagnosis of genetic disorders that combines both phenotype and genotype data for analysis. It offers not only a user-friendly GUI web application for those without a programming background but also scripts that can be executed in batch mode for bioinformatics professionals. The genetic and phenotypic data are integrated using the ACMG-Bayes method and a novel phenotypic similarity method, to prioritize the results of genetic disorders. diseaseGPS was evaluated on 6085 cases from Deciphering Developmental Disorders project and 187 cases from Shanghai Children’s hospital. The results demonstrated that diseaseGPS performed better than other commonly used methods.

Availability and implementation

diseaseGPS is available to freely accessed at https://diseasegps.sjtu.edu.cn with source code at https://github.com/BioHuangDY/diseaseGPS.
RNA 3D structure modeling by fragment assembly with small-angle X-ray scattering restraints
Authors: Chojnowski Grzegorz , Zaborowski Rafał , Magnus Marcin , Mukherjee Sunandan , Bujnicki Janusz M
Published: August 2023

Structure determination is a key step in the functional characterization of many non-coding RNA molecules. High-resolution RNA 3D structure determination efforts, however, are not keeping up with the pace of discovery of new non-coding RNA sequences. This increases the importance of computational approaches and low-resolution experimental data, such as from the small-angle X-ray scattering experiments. We present RNA Masonry, a computer program and a web service for a fully automated modeling of RNA 3D structures. It assemblies RNA fragments into geometrically plausible models that meet user-provided secondary structure constraints, restraints on tertiary contacts, and small-angle X-ray scattering data. We illustrate the method description with detailed benchmarks and its application to structural studies of viral RNAs with SAXS restraints.

Availability and implementation

The program web server is available at http://iimcb.genesilico.pl/rnamasonry. The source code is available at https://gitlab.com/gchojnowski/rnamasonry.
IsoFrog: a reversible jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo feature selection-based method for predicting isoform functions
Authors: Liu Yiwei , Yang Changhuo , Li Hong-Dong , Wang Jianxin
Published: August 2023

Motivation

A single gene may yield several isoforms with different functions through alternative splicing. Continuous efforts are devoted to developing machine-learning methods to predict isoform functions. However, existing methods do not consider the relevance of each feature to specific functions and ignore the noise caused by the irrelevant features. In this case, we hypothesize that constructing a feature selection framework to extract the function-relevant features might help improve the model accuracy in isoform function prediction.

Results

In this article, we present a feature selection-based approach named IsoFrog to predict isoform functions. First, IsoFrog adopts a reversible jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC)-based feature selection framework to assess the feature importance to gene functions. Second, a sequential feature selection procedure is applied to select a subset of function-relevant features. This strategy screens the relevant features for the specific function while eliminating irrelevant ones, improving the effectiveness of the input features. Then, the selected features are input into our proposed method modified domain-invariant partial least squares, which prioritizes the most likely positive isoform for each positive MIG and utilizes diPLS for isoform function prediction. Tested on three datasets, our method achieves superior performance over six state-of-the-art methods, and the RJMCMC-based feature selection framework outperforms three classic feature selection methods. We expect this proposed methodology will promote the identification of isoform functions and further inspire the development of new methods.

Availability and implementation

IsoFrog is freely available at https://github.com/genemine/IsoFrog.
Accessibility of covariance information creates vulnerability in Federated Learning frameworks
Authors: Huth Manuel , Arruda Jonas , Gusinow Roy , Contento Lorenzo , Tacconelli Evelina , Hasenauer Jan
Published: August 2023

Motivation

Federated Learning (FL) is gaining traction in various fields as it enables integrative data analysis without sharing sensitive data, such as in healthcare. However, the risk of data leakage caused by malicious attacks must be considered. In this study, we introduce a novel attack algorithm that relies on being able to compute sample means, sample covariances, and construct known linearly independent vectors on the data owner side.

Results

We show that these basic functionalities, which are available in several established FL frameworks, are sufficient to reconstruct privacy-protected data. Additionally, the attack algorithm is robust to defense strategies that involve adding random noise. We demonstrate the limitations of existing frameworks and propose potential defense strategies analyzing the implications of using differential privacy. The novel insights presented in this study will aid in the improvement of FL frameworks.

Availability and implementation

The code examples are provided at GitHub (https://github.com/manuhuth/Data-Leakage-From-Covariances.git). The CNSIM1 dataset, which we used in the manuscript, is available within the DSData R package (https://github.com/datashield/DSData/tree/main/data).
A neighborhood-regularization method leveraging multiview data for predicting the frequency of drug–side effects
Authors: Wang Lin , Sun Chenhao , Xu Xianyu , Li Jia , Zhang Wenjuan
Published: August 2023

Motivation

A critical issue in drug benefit-risk assessment is to determine the frequency of side effects, which is performed by randomized controlled trails. Computationally predicted frequencies of drug side effects can be used to effectively guide the randomized controlled trails. However, it is more challenging to predict drug side effect frequencies, and thus only a few studies cope with this problem.

Results

In this work, we propose a neighborhood-regularization method (NRFSE) that leverages multiview data on drugs and side effects to predict the frequency of side effects. First, we adopt a class-weighted non-negative matrix factorization to decompose the drug–side effect frequency matrix, in which Gaussian likelihood is used to model unknown drug–side effect pairs. Second, we design a multiview neighborhood regularization to integrate three drug attributes and two side effect attributes, respectively, which makes most similar drugs and most similar side effects have similar latent signatures. The regularization can adaptively determine the weights of different attributes. We conduct extensive experiments on one benchmark dataset, and NRFSE improves the prediction performance compared with five state-of-the-art approaches. Independent test set of post-marketing side effects further validate the effectiveness of NRFSE.

Availability and implementation

Source code and datasets are available at https://github.com/linwang1982/NRFSE or https://codeocean.com/capsule/4741497/tree/v1.