bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-assembled active actomyosin gels spontaneously curve and wrinkle similar to biological cells and tissues
Authors: Livne Gefen , Gat Shachar , Armon Shahaf , Bernheim-Groswasser Anne
Published: January 2024

Living systems adopt a diversity of curved and highly dynamic shapes. These diverse morphologies appear on many length scales, from cells to tissues and organismal scales. The common driving force for these dynamic shape changes are contractile stresses generated by myosin motors in the cell cytoskeleton, that converts chemical energy into mechanical work. A good understanding of how contractile stresses in the cytoskeleton arise into different three-dimensional (3D) shapes and what are the shape selection rules that determine their final configurations is still lacking. To obtain insight into the relevant physical mechanisms, we recreate the actomyosin cytoskeleton in vitro, with precisely controlled composition and initial geometry. A set of actomyosin gel discs, intrinsically identical but of variable initial geometry, dynamically self-organize into a family of 3D shapes, such as domes and wrinkled shapes, without the need for specific preprogramming or additional regulation. Shape deformation is driven by the spontaneous emergence of stress gradients driven by myosin and is encoded in the initial disc radius to thickness aspect ratio, which may indicate shaping scalability. Our results suggest that while the dynamical pathways may depend on the detailed interactions between the different microscopic components within the gel, the final selected shapes obey the general theory of elastic deformations of thin sheets. Altogether, our results emphasize the importance for the emergence of active stress gradients for buckling-driven shape deformations and provide insights on the mechanically induced spontaneous shape transitions in contractile active matter, revealing potential shared mechanisms with living systems across scales.
Sound propagation in realistic interactive 3D scenes with parameterized sources using deep neural operators
Authors: Borrel-Jensen Nikolas , Goswami Somdatta , Engsig-Karup Allan P. , Karniadakis George Em , Jeong Cheol-Ho
Published: January 2024

We address the challenge of acoustic simulations in three-dimensional (3D) virtual rooms with parametric source positions, which have applications in virtual/augmented reality, game audio, and spatial computing. The wave equation can fully describe wave phenomena such as diffraction and interference. However, conventional numerical discretization methods are computationally expensive when simulating hundreds of source and receiver positions, making simulations with parametric source positions impractical. To overcome this limitation, we propose using deep operator networks to approximate linear wave-equation operators. This enables the rapid prediction of sound propagation in realistic 3D acoustic scenes with parametric source positions, achieving millisecond-scale computations. By learning a compact surrogate model, we avoid the offline calculation and storage of impulse responses for all relevant source/listener pairs. Our experiments, including various complex scene geometries, show good agreement with reference solutions, with root mean squared errors ranging from 0.02 to 0.10 Pa. Notably, our method signifies a paradigm shift as—to our knowledge—no prior machine learning approach has achieved precise predictions of complete wave fields within realistic domains.
DECVAE: Data augmentation via conditional variational auto-encoder with distribution enhancement for few-shot fault diagnosis of mechanical system
Authors: Liu Yikun , Fu Song , Lin Lin , Zhang Sihao , Suo Shiwei , Xi Jianjun
Published: January 2024

Conditional variational autoencoder (CVAE) has the potential for few-sample fault diagnosis of mechanical systems. Nevertheless, the scarcity of faulty samples leads the augmented samples generated using CVAE suffer from limited diversity. To address the issue, a novel CVAE variant namely CVAE with distribution augmentation (DECVAE) is developed, to generate a set of high-quality augmented samples that are different but share very similar characteristics and categories with the corresponding real samples. First, DECVAE add a new sample distribution distance loss into the optimization objective of traditional CVAE. Amplifying this loss in training process can make the augmented samples cover a larger space, thereby improving diversity. Second, DECVAE introduces an auxiliary classifier into traditional CVAE to enhance the sensitivity to category information, keeping the augmented samples class invariance. Furthermore, to ensure that the information of edge-distributed samples can be fully learned and make augmented samples representative and authentic, a novel multi-model independent fine-tuning strategy is designed to train the DECVAE, which utilizes multiple independent models to fairly focus on all samples of the minority class during DECVAE training. Finally, the effectiveness of the developed DECVAE in few-shot fault diagnosis of mechanical systems is verified on a series of comparative experiments.
Propagation properties of partially coherent radially polarized rotationally-symmetric power-exponent-phase vortex beams in turbulent atmosphere
Authors: Yang Yongqi , Dou Jiantai , Xu Jiaqing , Li Bo , Hu Youyou
Published: January 2024

In this paper, the propagation properties of partially coherent radially polarized rotationally-symmetric power-exponent-phase vortex beams (RP-RSPEPVBs) in turbulent atmosphere were investigated. Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and unified theory of coherence and polarization, the theoretical propagation model was established. Then, the numerical simulations were carried out to reveal the evolution of intensity distribution, spectral degree of coherence (DOC) and spectral degree of polarization (DOP) in turbulent atmosphere. The results showed that although the partially coherent RP-RSPEPVBs diverged during the propagation, the spatial structure remains analogous, and the relatively larger waist widths gain smaller divergence. Moreover, the optical pattern can be evidently modulated by optical parameters, as the number of sidelobes can be changed with topological charge l, and the continuity of the light spot as well as the rotating speed around the optical axis can be influenced by power exponent n. Besides, the spectral DOC and DOP would decrease with larger propagation distance and refractive-index structure constant, but decrease less with a shorter coherence width. This work may be helpful in fields such as remote sensing and optical communication.
Ultra-broadband high-efficiency solar absorber based on Ti-GaAs-Au structure for UV to near-infrared spectral range
Authors: Wang Jincheng , Feng Hengli , Gao Yang
Published: January 2024

In this study, we propose an ultra-broadband solar absorber composed of a trapezoidal base, an outer circular ring, and four nano-cylinders. The absorber has a covered bandwidth range of 300–4000 nm and a temperature range of 373–973 K. The average absorptance within the mentioned wavelength range is over 96.52%, and the efficiency of solar energy thermal conversion is above 0.9 at 373–973 K under a solar concentration factor of 1000, with a maximum efficiency of 0.9644. Analysis of its absorption mechanism using the finite-difference time-domain method indicates that the proposed solar absorber’s outstanding absorption performance is due to the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons, localized surface plasmon resonances, and cavity resonances enhanced electromagnetic fields. This result has also been validated by the impedance matching theory. Moreover, the proposed solar absorber exhibits insensitivity to different polarization angles and maintains a high absorption effect in the range of 0°–70° incidence angle. The designed solar absorber has potential applications in areas such as seawater purification, wastewater treatment, and steam power generation systems.
Wedge-shaped HfO2 buffer layer-induced field-free spin-orbit torque switching of HfO2/Pt/Co structure
Authors: Chen 陈 Jian-Hui 建辉 , Liang 梁 Meng-Fan 梦凡 , Song 宋 Yan 衍 , Yuan 袁 Jun-Jie 俊杰 , Zhang 张 Meng-Yang 梦旸 , Luo 骆 Yong-Ming 泳铭 , Wang 王 Ning-Ning 宁宁
Published: January 2024

Field-free spin–orbit torque (SOT) switching of perpendicular magnetization is essential for future spintronic devices. This study demonstrates the field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization in an HfO2/Pt/Co/TaO
x
structure, which is facilitated by a wedge-shaped HfO2 buffer layer. The field-free switching ratio varies with HfO2 thickness, reaching optimal performance at 25 nm. This phenomenon is attributed to the lateral anisotropy gradient of the Co layer, which is induced by the wedge-shaped HfO2 buffer layer. The thickness gradient of HfO2 along the wedge creates a corresponding lateral anisotropy gradient in the Co layer, correlating with the switching ratio. These findings indicate that field-free SOT switching can be achieved through designing buffer layer, offering a novel approach to innovating spin–orbit device.
Observer-based dynamic event-triggered control for distributed parameter systems over mobile sensor-plus-actuator networks
Authors: Mu 穆 Wenying 文英 , Zhuang 庄 Bo 波 , Qiu 邱 Fang 芳
Published: January 2024

We develop a policy of observer-based dynamic event-triggered state feedback control for distributed parameter systems over a mobile sensor-plus-actuator network. It is assumed that the mobile sensing devices that provide spatially averaged state measurements can be used to improve state estimation in the network. For the purpose of decreasing the update frequency of controller and unnecessary sampled data transmission, an efficient dynamic event-triggered control policy is constructed. In an event-triggered system, when an error signal exceeds a specified time-varying threshold, it indicates the occurrence of a typical event. The global asymptotic stability of the event-triggered closed-loop system and the boundedness of the minimum inter-event time can be guaranteed. Based on the linear quadratic optimal regulator, the actuator selects the optimal displacement only when an event occurs. A simulation example is finally used to verify that the effectiveness of such a control strategy can enhance the system performance.
Synchronization and firing mode transition of two neurons in a bilateral auditory system driven by a high–low frequency signal
Authors: Apata Charles Omotomide , Tang 唐 Yi-Rui 浥瑞 , Zhou 周 Yi-Fan 祎凡 , Jiang 蒋 Long 龙 , Pei 裴 Qi-Ming 启明
Published: January 2024

The FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron circuit integrates a piezoelectric ceramic to form a piezoelectric sensing neuron, which can capture external sound signals and simulate the auditory neuron system. Two piezoelectric sensing neurons are coupled by a parallel circuit consisting of a Josephson junction and a linear resistor, and a binaural auditory system is established. Considering the non-singleness of external sound sources, the high–low frequency signal is used as the input signal to study the firing mode transition and synchronization of this system. It is found that the angular frequency of the high–low frequency signal is a key factor in determining whether the dynamic behaviors of two coupled neurons are synchronous. When they are in synchronization at a specific angular frequency, the changes in physical parameters of the input signal and the coupling strength between them will not destroy their synchronization. In addition, the firing mode of two coupled auditory neurons in synchronization is affected by the characteristic parameters of the high–low frequency signal rather than the coupling strength. The asynchronous dynamic behavior and variations in firing modes will harm the auditory system. These findings could help determine the causes of hearing loss and devise functional assistive devices for patients.
Recent advances in protein conformation sampling by combining machine learning with molecular simulation
Authors: Tang 唐 Yiming 一鸣 , Yang 杨 Zhongyuan 中元 , Yao 姚 Yifei 逸飞 , Zhou 周 Yun 运 , Tan 谈 Yuan 圆 , Wang 王 Zichao 子超 , Pan 潘 Tong 瞳 , Xiong 熊 Rui 瑞 , Sun 孙 Junli 俊力 , Wei 韦 Guanghong 广红
Published: January 2024

The rapid advancement and broad application of machine learning (ML) have driven a groundbreaking revolution in computational biology. One of the most cutting-edge and important applications of ML is its integration with molecular simulations to improve the sampling efficiency of the vast conformational space of large biomolecules. This review focuses on recent studies that utilize ML-based techniques in the exploration of protein conformational landscape. We first highlight the recent development of ML-aided enhanced sampling methods, including heuristic algorithms and neural networks that are designed to refine the selection of reaction coordinates for the construction of bias potential, or facilitate the exploration of the unsampled region of the energy landscape. Further, we review the development of autoencoder based methods that combine molecular simulations and deep learning to expand the search for protein conformations. Lastly, we discuss the cutting-edge methodologies for the one-shot generation of protein conformations with precise Boltzmann weights. Collectively, this review demonstrates the promising potential of machine learning in revolutionizing our insight into the complex conformational ensembles of proteins.
Magnetic and magnetocaloric effect of Er20Ho20Dy20Cu20Ni20 high-entropy metallic glass
Authors: Yu 于 Shi-Lin 世霖 , Tian 田 Lu 路 , Wang 王 Jun-Feng 俊峰 , Zhao 赵 Xin-Guo 新国 , Li 李 Da 达 , Mo 莫 Zhao-Jun 兆军 , Li 李 Bing 昺
Published: January 2024

Er20Ho20Dy20Cu20Ni20 high-entropy metallic glass exhibited excellent magnetic refrigeration material with a wide temperature range and high refrigeration capacity (RC) was reported. Er20Ho20Dy20Cu20Ni20 high-entropy metallic glass was observed with typical spin glass behavior around 15.5 K. In addition, we find that the magnetic entropy change (−ΔS
M) originates from the sample undergoing a ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) transition around 20 K. Under a field change from 0 T to 7 T, the value of maximum magnetic entropy change (

−
Δ

S
M

max

) reaches 12.5 J/kg⋅K, and the corresponding value of RC reaches 487.7 J/kg in the temperature range from 6 K to 60 K. The large RC and wide temperature range make the Er20Ho20Dy20Cu20Ni20 high-entropy metallic glass be a promising material for application in magnetic refrigerators.
Empirical model for fusion cross sections of Ca-induced reactions
Authors: Rani. L Reddi , Sowmya N. , Sridhar K. N , Manjunatha H C. , Armstrong Arasu M. M.
Published: January 2024

A new empirical formula for the astrophysical S-factor has been suggested as a function of the Coulomb interaction parameter, center of mass energy, and barrier height. About 22 fusion reactions with 40,48Ca as projectiles were considered for different targets, leading to compound nuclei with atomic and mass numbers varying between 40

112 and

, respectively. The fusion cross-sections have been estimated using the geometric factor, the Gamow-Sommerfield factor, and the empirical formula for the S-factor. This study's findings showed better agreement with those of available experiments when compared to Wong's formula. The present work leads to a smaller standard deviation value than Wong's formula when used to correlate the experimental data of calcium-induced fusion reactions. Wong's formula provides a good approximation of fusion cross-sections when the center of mass energy is below the fusion barrier when compared to above the fusion barrier.
J/ψ pair hadroproduction at next-to-leading order in nonrelativistic-QCD at ATLAS*
Authors: Sun 孙 Li-Ping 立平
Published: January 2024

We present a complete study on the

pair hadroproduction at next-to-leading order (NLO) in the nonrelativstic-QCD (NRQCD) framework with the pair of

in either

or

fock state. We found that the contribution of the

channel at NLO is essential, and for ATLAS, the NRQCD results can describe the experimental data to a certain extent.
Design of quantum backflow in the complex plane
Authors: Chremmos Ioannis
Published: January 2024

A way is presented to design quantum wave functions that exhibit backflow, namely negative probability current despite having a strictly positive spectrum of momentum. These wave functions are derived from rational complex functions which are analytic in the upper half-plane and have zeros in the lower half-plane through which the backflowing behavior is controlled. In analogy, backflowing periodic wave functions are derived from rational complex functions which are analytic in the interior and have appropriately placed zeros or poles in the exterior of the unit circle. The concept is combined with a Padé-type procedure to design wave functions of this type that approximate a desired profile along the interval of backflow. It is finally shown that the time evolution of these wave packets is elegantly expressed in terms of the well-known Fresnel integrals.
Effectiveness of breath acetone monitoring in reducing body fat and improving body composition: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Choi Seonggyu , Oh Minsuk , Oyama Okimitsu , Park Dong-Hyuk , Hong Sunghyun , Lee Tae Ho , Hwang Junho , Lee Hyun-Sook , Choe Yong-Sahm , Lee Wooyoung , Jeon Justin Y
Published: January 2024

When attempts to lose body fat mass frequently fail, breath acetone (BA) monitoring may assist fat mass loss during a low-carbohydrate diet as it can provide real-time body fat oxidation levels. This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of monitoring BA levels and providing feedback on fat oxidation during a three-week low-carbohydrate diet intervention. Forty-seven participants (mean age = 27.8 ± 4.4 years, 53.3% females, body mass index = 24.1 ± 3.4 kg m−2) were randomly assigned to three groups (1:1:1 ratio): daily BA assessment with a low-carbohydrate diet, body weight assessment (body scale (BS)) with a low-carbohydrate diet, and low-carbohydrate diet only. Primary outcome was the change in fat mass and secondary outcomes were the changes in body weight and body composition. Forty-five participants completed the study (compliance rate: 95.7%). Fat mass was significantly reduced in all three groups (all P < 0.05); however, the greatest reduction in fat mass was observed in the BA group compared to the BS (differences in changes in fat mass, −1.1 kg; 95% confidence interval: −2.3, −0.2; P = 0.040) and control (differences in changes in fat mass, −1.3 kg; 95% confidence interval: −2.1, −0.4; P = 0.013) groups. The BA group showed significantly greater reductions in body weight and visceral fat mass than the BS and control groups (all P < 0.05). In addition, the percent body fat and skeletal muscle mass were significantly reduced in both BA and BS groups (all P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in changes in body fat percentage and skeletal muscle mass between the study groups. Monitoring BA levels, which could have motivated participants to adhere more closely to the low-carbohydrate diet, to assess body fat oxidation rates may be an effective intervention for reducing body fat mass (compared to body weight assessment or control conditions). This approach could be beneficial for individuals seeking to manage body fat and prevent obesity.
Fabrication of hydrophobic optical diffuser film for LED lights through induction-aided hot embossing using micro-textured mold fabricated by μ-WEDM: parametric analysis, wettability study and optical characterization
Authors: Deshmukh Swarup S , Goswami Arjyajyoti
Published: January 2024

This study used an in-house designed induction-aided hot embossing (IHE) setup to make polymer-based hydrophobic optical diffuser film for LED lights. Negative-featured micron sized V-shaped grooves (Width and depth −300 μm, angle −60°, adjacent distance-500 μm) were fabricated on the mold to develop the micro-textured mold required for the hot embossing via μ-WEDM. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polycarbonate (PC) were used as working substrates. Initially, the parametric investigation was carried out by considering the four main parameters of IHE, i.e., embossing temperature-(Te), pressure-(Pe), duration-(te), and deembossing temperature-(Tde). Parametric analysis shows that the height of the embossed micron-sized V-shaped-grooves on the polymer substrate significantly affects the embossed diffuser film’s wettability and lighting efficiency. Embossed PC diffuser film showed the highest height, WCA, and illumination in all parametric investigations. Finally, PC diffuser film was made with the optimal IHE parameters: Te−225 °C, Pe−40 Kg cm−2, te−600 s, Tde−30 °C. This set of settings resulted in a maximum V-groove height of 273.35 ± 4.71 μm and a 94.52% replication rate. Illumination analysis of embossed PC diffuser film (171×102 (lux)) compared to traditional/bare film (71×102 (lux)) revealed a 137.5% percentile gain in illumination. A laser-based optical system was employed for optical characterization, and the X-direction diffused light length on the white screen was measured. The best diffused light length was 109.35 mm for embossed PC diffuser film. To compare plain and embossed diffuser film lighting effectiveness, RGB photos captured by CCD-RGB camera were converted to HSI images to determine hue, saturation, and intensity. The intensity dropped most with embossed PC diffuser film. It shows that embossed PC diffuser sheet diffuses light better. Finally, wettability study showed that all embossed diffuser film surfaces are hydrophobic. Embossed PC diffuser film had the highest WCA (95.3°) and 27.71% higher wettability than bare film.
Exploration of the charge transport mechanism, complex impedance, dielectric/electric modulus and energy storage characteristics of the aloe vera (Aloe Barbadensis Miller) plant
Authors: Nikolic Maria Vesna , Singh Charanjeet , Bogdanovic Milica
Published: January 2024

Complex impedance spectra at room temperature in the frequency range of 8 Hz—5 MHz were measured on freshly cut leaf sections of the Aloe vera plant by AC impedance spectroscopy. They were analyzed using a classical ‘brickwork’ equivalent circuit composed of grain and grain boundary contributions commonly applied to solid-state materials. The obtained grain resistance/capacitance was 0.4 MΩ/72 pF and grain boundary resistance/ capacitance was 66.4 MΩ/50 nF. The determined conductivity changed according to the Jonscher power law with σ
DC of 4.02 · 10–5 (Ωm)−1 and frequency constant of 0.92 characteristic for hopping as the conduction mechanism. Analysis of dielectric permittivity and electric modulus confirmed the non-Debye relaxation behavior. Nyquist plots for electric modulus revealed conductivity relaxation in the low frequency attributed to grain boundaries and impedance modulus displayed dielectric relaxation in the high frequency region associated with grains. A correlation has been established among the investigated parameters, morphology, and EIS-derived simulated parameters.
The impact of silver incorporation on the structural, morphological, and optical properties of spray-pyrolyzed cubic SnS thin films
Authors: T R Kishore Bhat , Pramitha A , Jeganath K , Raviprakash Y
Published: January 2024

Cubic/π-SnS phase has a strong optical absorption onset and larger dielectric constant, which is favorable for solar energy conversion. Hence, these cubic SnS phase films are gaining intense interest in the research community. However, the physical properties and thus its practical application heavily depends on the synthesis condition. We present here the effects of incorporation of silver (Ag) on the physical characteristics of cubic-SnS thin films synthesized by spray pyrolysis. Ag was incorporated at different atomic concentrations of 5, 10, 15, and 20% on cubic SnS thin films. A variety of methods were used to characterize and analyze Ag-incorporated thin films. Structural and vibrational properties were analyzed using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman Spectroscopy, which shows that 5 at% Ag incorporated cubic-SnS have most desirable properties. However, on higher incorporation of Ag, the deterioration of cubic SnS and formation of secondary phases (SnS2 and Sn2S3) is evident. The existence of Sn, S, and Ag ions in the necessary oxidation state has been confirmed by XPS analysis. A direct bandgap was observed in the region of 1.79 and 1.59 eV for the SnS and Ag: SnS thin films, respectively with the aid of Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV–vis Spectroscopy). The Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (PL) showed the near-band edge emission peak for all the samples. The needle shape morphology was observed in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images and roughness variation is estimated using optical profilometer.
A comparative study on the scintillation characteristics of Gd2SiO5:Ce and Lu1.2Gd0.8SiO5:Ce scintillators
Authors: Phunpueok Akapong , Jaiyen Sarawut , Autila Tossawat , Thongpool Voranuch
Published: January 2024

In the present day, inorganic scintillators have been developed to detect high-energy photons such as x-rays and γ-rays. They have been applied in many works, such as astronomy, materials inspection, high energy physics, industrial application, and natural resources exploration. Especially in the medical field, they are used as radiation detectors in diagnostic equipment such as PET scanner, x-ray CT scanner, SPECT scanner, etc. This research studied the scintillation characteristics of Ce:GSO and Ce:LGSO single crystals. We found that at 662 keV gamma-ray energy, Ce:LGSO crystal has about 2.3 times more light yield than Ce:GSO crystal, but the energy resolution of both crystals is not different. For the degree of non-proportionality of both crystals, Ce:LGSO scintillator shows 0.08, which is better than the 0.19 obtained from Ce:GSO scintillator. This work also discusses the two scintillators’ peak-to-total ratio, loss parameter, and intrinsic light yield.
Development of an Al-Zn-Bi alloy sacrificial anode for the protection of steel in artificial seawater: an electrochemical analysis
Authors: Qureshi M H , Farooq A , Wasim M , Deen K M
Published: January 2024

The Al-Zn sacrificial anodes are widely used for cathodic protection in marine steel structures. This study evaluates the impact of bismuth addition on the electrochemical properties of the Al-Zn sacrificial anode in artificial seawater. The microstructure analysis confirms the presence of uniformly distributed intermetallic β-AlFeSi and spherical Bi within the α-Al matrix. The open circuit potential (OCP) comparison between Al-Zn-Bi and carbon steel reveals a potential difference of approximately 400 mV, indicating sufficient cathodic protection for the steel. Electrochemical impedance measurements indicate the initial hindered dissolution of the anode due to surface film formation, which later dissociates due to the aggressive attack of Cl− species in the electrolyte. The sufficiently negative surface potential (−0.875 Vvs. Ag/AgCl) observed at 10 mA cm−2 demonstrates the suitability of anode for fulfilling the cathodic protection criteria of steel structures.
A study of polylactic Acid/K2SiF6:Mn4+ composite luminescent materials: design, preparation, and properties
Authors: Huang Xin , Zhang Lei
Published: January 2024

K2SiF6:Mn4+ (KSF) has been the most representative red emitting fluoride phosphors thanks to its cheap production cost and excellent luminescence properties. Nevertheless, the photoluminescent properties of this phosphor are limited due to intrinsically poor water resistance. In this work, constructing composite luminescent materials by blending KSF with polylactic acid (PLA) polymer was developed using the melt mixing process. The tactic not only makes full use of the photoluminescent properties of KSF, but also enhances the moisture resistance ability by alleviating or suppressing hydrolysis. The photoluminescent spectra, temperature-dependence emitting spectra, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and wide-angle x-ray scattering were conducted to study the morphology, thermal stability and photoluminescent properties of the KSF@PLA composite luminescent materials. KSF was evenly distributed in PLA. Furthermore, the influence of the doping amount of KSF on the structure and properties of PLA was systematically studied and the optimal doping amount of KSF in PLA was determined to be 10%, marked as KSF@PLA 3. Finally, KSF@PLA 3 exhibited excellent moisture resistance ability and thermal stability. After soaking in deionized water for 7 days, the emission intensity of KSF@PLA 3 is almost consistent with the original emission intensity.
Investigation of enhancing EDM machining performance of INCONEL alloy using composite electrodes
Authors: KT Shabarinathan , K Senthilkumar , N Kathiravan , RM Udhayachandran
Published: January 2024

In this research, an attempt was made to reinforce aluminium with graphite particles and use it as a tool material with the objective of combining the properties of aluminium and graphite. The micrograph confirms that the graphite particles were uniformly distributed over the aluminium matrix, density reduces and thermal conductivity increases with the addition of graphite particles. Material Removal Rate (MRR) peaks at 12 A current before declining due to plasma channel expansion, an optimal Ton of 8 μs ws observed, with 4 μs Toff yielding higher MRR. Copper electrodes excel due to thermal conductivity, while 5% graphite in aluminum boosts MRR to 31.89 mm3 min−1, additional graphite decreases MRR. TWR rises with shorter Toff until 6 μs, then decreases. Gap control impacts TWR, with lower spark gaps causing higher TWR due to intense material removal, and higher gaps leading to increased TWR due to incomplete flushing. Copper electrodes have the lowest TWR due to their high melting temperature. The addition of graphite in aluminum reduces TWR at low currents but is less effective at higher currents. Surface roughness (Ra) decreases with higher current, reaching a minimum of 7.02 μm at 12 A. Optimal Ton is 8 μs (7.56 μm), while shorter Toff at 4 μs and a 3 mm gap yield the best Ra of 7.36 μm with A4 composite tool. Copper electrodes result in higher Ra at higher currents, while graphite in aluminum improves surface quality, especially at 5% content. Arcing, an undesirable electrical discharge phenomenon in EDM, adversely affects machining. Experiments revealed a strong correlation between high duty cycles, duty ratios, and arcing propensity, with composite tools being more susceptible due to their variable conductivity. In contrast, non-composite tools, exemplified by copper, withstand higher duty ratios without arcing.
Problematizing Possible -isms in Adult Second Language Classrooms
Authors: Tadic Nadja
Published: January 2024

While addressing issues of prejudice and exclusion is crucial for helping adult second language (L2) learners acquire and critique socio-interactional norms of their pluralistic communities, there is still a lack of work examining how teachers can problematize prejudiced talk when it arises in the classroom. Within the detail-oriented frameworks of conversation analysis and membership categorization analysis, this study examines teacher practices for problematizing students’ hearably prejudiced, stereotypical, or exclusionary talk—that is, students’ possible -isms. Drawing on data from 55 hours of video-recorded English L2 classes in the United States, I explore three problematizing responses to possible -isms: (i) introducing complexities, (ii) offering counter examples, and (iii) treating -isms as absurd. While introducing complexities neutralizes students’ hearable -isms as somehow inadequate, the latter two practices treat the -isms as entirely inaccurate through illustrated and invited corrections. The analysis reveals these practices to be finely attuned to the institutional goals and features of the adult L2 classroom, allowing teachers to incorporate a critical perspective and delicately problematize possible -isms without threatening solidarity with their diverse adult learners.
A fast machine learning dataloader for epigenetic tracks from BigWig files
Authors: Retel Joren Sebastian , Poehlmann Andreas , Chiou Josh , Steffen Andreas , Clevert Djork-Arné
Published: January 2024

We created bigwig-loader, a data-loader for epigenetic profiles from BigWig files that decompresses and processes information for multiple intervals from multiple BigWig files in parallel. This is an access pattern needed to create training batches for typical machine learning models on epigenetics data. Using a new codec, the decompression can be done on a graphical processing unit (GPU) making it fast enough to create the training batches during training, mitigating the need for saving preprocessed training examples to disk.

Availability and implementation

The bigwig-loader installation instructions and source code can be accessed at https://github.com/pfizer-opensource/bigwig-loader
ExEmPLAR (Extracting, Exploring, and Embedding Pathways Leading to Actionable Research): a user-friendly interface for knowledge graph mining
Authors: Beasley Jon-Michael T , Korn Daniel R , Tucker Nyssa N , Alves Erick T M , Muratov Eugene N , Bizon Chris , Tropsha Alexander
Published: January 2024

Knowledge graphs are being increasingly used in biomedical research to link large amounts of heterogenous data and facilitate reasoning across diverse knowledge sources. Wider adoption and exploration of knowledge graphs in the biomedical research community is limited by requirements to understand the underlying graph structure in terms of entity types and relationships, represented as nodes and edges, respectively, and learn specialized query languages for graph mining and exploration. We have developed a user-friendly interface dubbed ExEmPLAR (Extracting, Exploring, and Embedding Pathways Leading to Actionable Research) to aid reasoning over biomedical knowledge graphs and assist with data-driven research and hypothesis generation. We explain the key functionalities of ExEmPLAR and demonstrate its use with a case study considering the relationship of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, to frequently associated cardiovascular conditions.

Availability and implementation

ExEmPLAR is freely accessible at https://www.exemplar.mml.unc.edu/. For code and instructions for the using the application, see: https://github.com/beasleyjonm/AOP-COP-Path-Extractor.
Mosaic-PICASSO: accurate crosstalk removal for multiplex fluorescence imaging
Authors: Cang Hu , Liu Yang , Xing Jianhua
Published: January 2024

Motivation

Ultra-multiplexed fluorescence imaging has revolutionized our understanding of biological systems, enabling the simultaneous visualization and quantification of multiple targets within biological specimens. A recent breakthrough in this field is PICASSO, a mutual-information-based technique capable of demixing up to 15 fluorophores without their spectra, thereby significantly simplifying the application of ultra-multiplexed fluorescence imaging. However, this study has identified a limitation of mutual information (MI)-based techniques. They do not differentiate between spatial colocalization and spectral mixing. Consequently, MI-based demixing may incorrectly interpret spatially co-localized targets as non-colocalized, leading to overcorrection.

Results

We found that selecting regions within a multiplex image with low-spatial similarity for measuring spectroscopic mixing results in more accurate demixing. This method effectively minimizes overcorrections and promises to accelerate the broader adoption of ultra-multiplex imaging.

Availability and implementation

The codes are available at https://github.com/xing-lab-pitt/mosaic-picasso.
Elimination and penetration of amikacin into urine in patients with decreased glomerular filtration rate
Authors: Hartinger Jan Miroslav , Dvořáčková Eliška , Krátký Vojtěch , Hrušková Zdenka , Mysliveček Marek , Bobek Daniel , Benáková Hana , Závora Jan , Kroneislová Gabriela , Halouzková Barbora Agatha , Brejníková Martina , Martínková Vendula , Tesař Vladimír , Slanař Ondřej
Published: January 2024

Background

Amikacin monotherapy is recommended for urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment with multi-resistant pathogens. Even though amikacin efficacy in the treatment of UTIs is dependent on its urinary concentration, there are no robust data proving that sufficiently high urinary concentration is reached in patients with reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Methods

A prospective study to monitor amikacin penetration into urine of 70 patients [40 males, median (interquartile range) age 70 (65–79) years] with different levels of glomerular filtration decline, including patients treated by dialysis, was conducted. The bactericidal efficacy of amikacin in urine samples has been evaluated.

Results

Patients with estimated GFR (eGFR) <30 mL/min had significantly lower median amikacin urinary concentration than patients with eGFR >30 mL/min (89.75 vs 186.0 mg/L, P < .0001; 200.5 vs 830.0 mg/L, P < .0001; and 126.0 vs 408.0 mg/L, P < .0001 for minimal, maximal and minimal together with maximal concentrations, respectively). The amount of amikacin eliminated in the first 10–13 h after dose administration was dependent on eGFR (r2 = 0.6144, P < .0001). The urinary concentration of amikacin in patients treated by dialysis was indirectly proportional to pH of urine. The plasma concentrations of amikacin did not correlate with urinary levels in patients in either of the GFR categories. Microbiological evaluation showed that the critical urinary concentration for efficacy of amikacin during UTI monotherapy in patients treated by dialysis is 100 mg/L. We found that 4 out of 11 patients treated by dialysis did not reach this level during the treatment.

Conclusion

Systemic administration of amikacin monotherapy in patients treated by dialysis is questionable as the concentrations of amikacin in their urine are often below the threshold of effectivity. Amikacin plasma concentrations are not a major determinant of amikacin concentration in urine, therefore pulse dosing is neither necessary nor safe in patients treated by dialysis, and may cause undesirable toxicity.
Emerging Biomarkers for Monitoring Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy
Authors: Mamo Theodros , Dreyzin Alexandra , Stroncek David , McKenna David H
Published: January 2024

BACKGROUND

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized treatment of hematologic malignancies and holds promise for solid tumors. While responses to CAR T-cell therapy have surpassed other available options for patients with refractory malignancies, not all patients respond the same way. The reason for this variability is not currently understood. Therefore, there is a strong need to identify characteristics of patients as well as cellular products that lead to an effective response to CAR T-cell therapy.

CONTENT

In this review, we discuss potential biomarkers that may predict clinical outcomes of CAR T-cell therapy. Based on correlative findings from clinical trials of both commercially available and early-phase products, we classify biomarkers into categories of pre- and post-infusion as well as patient and product-related markers. Among the biomarkers that have been explored, measures of disease burden both pre- and post-infusion, as well as CAR T-cell persistence post-infusion, are repeatedly identified as predictors of disease response. Higher proportions of early memory T cells at infusion appear to be favorable, and tracking T-cell subsets throughout treatment will likely be critical.

There are a growing number of promising biomarkers of CAR T-cell efficacy described in the research setting, however, none of these have been validated for clinical use. Some potentially important predictors of response may be difficult to obtain routinely under the current CAR T-cell therapy workflow. A collaborative approach is needed to select biomarkers that can be validated in large cohorts and incorporated into clinical practice.
Epidemiology of Cancer
Authors: Schwartz Stephen M
Published: January 2024

Background

Cancers are a large and heterogeneous group of malignant tumors that collectively accounted for approximately 600 000 US deaths in 2020; only heart disease claimed more lives. A large amount of knowledge has accumulated regarding the epidemiology of most cancer types, including their causes.

Content

The cancer types most frequently diagnosed among adults in most high-income countries are lung, colorectal, female breast, cutaneous melanoma, and prostate. In general cancer incidence and mortality is very low in children and adolescents, rising exponentially with increasing age during adulthood. There is marked international variation in the incidence of most cancers. The most important causes of cancer are tobacco use (primarily cigarette use), excess alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of physical activity, diets low in fruits and vegetables, infectious agents, and sun exposure. Early detection can reduce the chances that a person will die of cancers of the female breast, uterine cervix, colon and rectum, lung, and prostate.

Although the most common cancers in the United States continue to have a substantial impact on public health, they are caused in whole or part by factors over which people and governments have control through choices they make. Among these are tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, diets low in fruits and vegetables and lack of physical activity, and sun exposure. Thus, a very large proportion of cancer’s impact could be ameliorated if more people avoided these exposures.
Predictive performance of surgical mortality risk scores in infective endocarditis
Authors: El Hatimi Safwane , Erpelding Marie-Line , Selton-Suty Christine , Botros Jean-Baptiste , Goehringer François , Berthelot Emmanuelle , Elfarra Mazen , Deconinck Laurène , Para Marylou , Provenchere Sophie , Hoen Bruno , Agrinier Nelly , Duval Xavier , Iung Bernard
Published: January 2024

OBJECTIVES

This observational study aimed to evaluate Association pour l’Etude et la Prévention de l’Endocardite Infectieuse (AEPEI) surgery score predictive performance in comparison to general (EuroSCORE I, II) and specific (De Feo, PALSUSE) surgical risk scores for infective endocarditis (IE).

METHODS

The study included patients who underwent surgery for IE during the acute phase at Bichat University Hospital (Paris, France) between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2016 and at Nancy University Hospital (Nancy, France) between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019. Patients with IE complicating percutaneous aortic valve implantations or implantable intra-cardiac devices were excluded. Discrimination and calibration were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, calibration curves and the Hosmer–Lemeshow test.

RESULTS

In-hospital mortality rates were 18% at Bichat and 16% at Nancy. Discrimination was high for all risk scores at Bichat (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.77 for EuroSCORE I, 0.78 for EuroSCORE II, 0.76 for De Feo score, 0.72 for PALSUSE and 0.73 for AEPEI with 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.67 to 0.83), but lower at Nancy (0.56 for EuroSCORE I, 0.65 for EuroSCORE II, 0.63 for De Feo score, 0.67 for PALSUSE and 0.66 for AEPEI score with 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.47 to 0.75). With Brier score, all scores were adequately calibrated in both populations between 0.129 (De Feo) and 0.135 (PALSUSE) for Bichat and between 0.128 (De Feo) and 0.135 (EuroSCORE I) for Nancy. With the Hosmer–Lemeshow test, the AEPEI score exhibited the best calibration (observed/predicted ratio 1.058 in Bichat, 1.087 in Nancy).

CONCLUSIONS

This surgical score external validation in 2 large independent populations demonstrated that the AEPEI surgical score had the best predictive performance compared to other prognosis scores. It could be helpful in clinical practice to assist the endocarditis team in decision-making.
Analysis of factors affecting outcome in acute type A aortic dissection complicated by preoperative cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Authors: Montagner Matteo , Kofler Markus , Pitts Leonard , Gasser Simone , Stastny Lukas , Kurz Stephan D , Grimm Michael , Falk Volkmar , Kempfert Jörg , Dumfarth Julia
Published: January 2024

OBJECTIVES

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) aggravates the pre-existing dismal prognosis of patients suffering from acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). We aimed to identify factors affecting survival and outcome in ATAAD patients requiring CPR at presentation at 2 European aortic centres.

METHODS

Data on 112 surgical candidates and undergoing preoperative CPR were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to 30-day mortality. A multivariable model identified predictors for 30-day mortality.

RESULTS

Preoperative death occurred in 23 patients (20.5%). In the remaining 89 surgical patients (79.5%) circulatory arrest time (41 ± 20 min in 30-day non-survivors vs 30 ± 13 min in 30-day survivor, P = 0.003) as well as cardiopulmonary bypass time (320 ± 132 min in 30-day non-survivors vs 252 ± 140 min in 30-day survivor, P = 0.020) time was significantly longer in patients with worse outcome. Thirty-day mortality of the total cohort was 61.6% (n = 69) with cardiac failure in 48% and aortic rupture or haemorrhagic shock (28%) as predominant reasons of death. Age [odds ratio (OR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.09, P = 0.034], preoperative coronary (OR 3.42, 95% CI 1.34–9.26, p = 0.012) and spinal malperfusion (OR 12.49, 95% CI 1.83–225.02, P = 0.028) emerged as independent predictors for 30-day mortality while CPR due to tamponade was associated with improved early survival (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.091–0.81, P = 0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment of underlying cause for CPR is mandatory. Pericardial tamponade, rapidly resolved with pericardial drainage, is a predictor for improved survival, while age and presence of coronary and spinal malperfusion are associated with dismal outcome in this high-risk patient group.
NextPolish2: A Repeat-aware Polishing Tool for Genomes Assembled Using HiFi Long Reads
Authors: Hu Jiang , Wang Zhuo , Liang Fan , Liu Shan-Lin , Ye Kai , Wang De-Peng
Published: January 2024

The high-fidelity (HiFi) long-read sequencing technology developed by PacBio has greatly improved the base-level accuracy of genome assemblies. However, these assemblies still contain base-level errors, particularly within the error-prone regions of HiFi long reads. Existing genome polishing tools usually introduce overcorrections and haplotype switch errors when correcting errors in genomes assembled from HiFi long reads. Here, we describe an upgraded genome polishing tool — NextPolish2, which can fix base errors remaining in those “highly accurate” genomes assembled from HiFi long reads without introducing excessive overcorrections and haplotype switch errors. We believe that NextPolish2 has a great significance to further improve the accuracy of telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genomes. NextPolish2 is freely available at https://github.com/Nextomics/NextPolish2.