bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and mortality of hospital-onset bloodstream infection: a cohort study
Authors: Valik John Karlsson , Hedberg Pontus , Holmberg Fredrik , van der Werff Suzanne Desirée , Nauclér Pontus
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic burdens hospitals, but consequences for quality of care outcomes such as healthcare-associated infections are largely unknown. This cohort included all adult hospital episodes (n=186 945) at an academic centre between January 2018 and January 2021. Data were collected from the hospitals’ electronic health record data repository. Hospital-onset bloodstream infection (HOB) was defined as any positive blood culture obtained ≥48 hours after admission classified based on microbiological and hospital administrative data. Subgroup analyses were performed with exclusion of potential contaminant bacteria. The cohort was divided into three groups: controls (prepandemic period), non-COVID-19 (pandemic period) and COVID-19 (pandemic period) based on either PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections from respiratory samples or International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision diagnoses U071 and U72 at discharge. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR) and risk of death in patients with HOB were compared between the prepandemic and pandemic periods using Poisson and logistic regression. The incidence of HOB was increased for the COVID-19 group compared with the prepandemic period (aIRR 3.34, 95% CI 2.97 to 3.75). In the non-COVID-19 group, the incidence was slightly increased compared with prepandemic levels (aIRR 1.20, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.32), but the difference decreased when excluding potential contaminant bacteria (aIRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.31, p=0.04). The risk of dying increased for both the COVID-19 group (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.44, 95% CI 1.75 to 3.38) and the non-COVID-19 group (aOR 1.63, 95% CI 1.22 to 2.16) compared with the prepandemic controls. These findings were consistent also when excluding potential contaminants. In summary, we observed a higher incidence of HOB during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mortality risk associated with HOB was greater, compared with the prepandemic period. Results call for specific attention to quality of care during the pandemic.
Declining fitness and physical education lessons in UK adolescents
Authors: Weedon Benjamin David , Liu Francesca , Mahmoud Wala , Burden Samuel Joseph , Whaymand Luke , Esser Patrick , Collett Johnny , Izadi Hooshang , Joshi Shawn , Meaney Andy , Delextrat Anne , Kemp Steve , Jones Alexander , Dawes Helen
Published: January 2022

Objectives

The objective was to determine recent cross-sectional trends in health-related fitness (HRF) in secondary school students by studying the 13–14 years old age group repeatedly over 6 years, considering parallel national trends in physical education (PE).

Methods

Height, weight, broad jump, grip strength, 20 m shuttle run and throwing and catching skills were measured by the same research team using standardised techniques from 2014 to 2019. Trends in these HRF measures were assessed by linear regression, adjusting for school, sex and height. Interactions with fitness and body mass index (BMI) were tested. The number of PE lessons reported in the UK Annual School Workforce Census between 2010 and 2019 for all state-funded secondary schools was analysed.

Results

Grip strength (B=−0.60, 95% CI −0.78 to –0.41), broad jump (B=−1.16, 95% CI −1.99 to –0.34), 20 m shuttle run (B=−1.85, 95% CI −2.58 to –1.12) and throwing and catching skills (B=−0.12, 95% CI −0.15 to –0.08) declined significantly over the study period. There was a greater reduction in broad jump and grip strength in adolescents with low fitness and a greater reduction in fitness and motor competence in adolescents with normal BMI. These declines coincided with a 16% reduction nationally in secondary school PE between 2010 (333 800 hours) and 2019 (280 725 hours).

Conclusion

Adolescent HRF has declined in recent years, in parallel with PE lessons. Declines were observed across all young people and particularly those of low fitness and normal BMI. To reach the majority of young people, policy makers could increase PE in schools to increase activity and prevent worsening fitness and health in future generations.
Ultrasound use to assess Crohn’s disease in the UK: a survey of British Society of Gastroenterology Inflammatory Bowel Disease Group members
Authors: Radford Shellie Jean , Taylor Stuart , Moran Gordon
Published: January 2022

Background

Small bowel ultrasound has very good diagnostic accuracy for disease extent, presence and activity in Crohn’s Disease, is well tolerated by patients and is cheaper when compared with MRI. However, uptake of ultrasound in the UK is limited.

Methods

An online survey to assess the current usage of ultrasound throughout the UK was undertaken by BSG IBD group members between 9/06/2021- 25/06/2021. Responses were anonymous.

Results

103 responses were included in the data analysis. Responses came from 66 different NHS trusts from 14 different regions of the UK. All respondents reported that they currently have an MRI service for Crohn’s disease, whereas only 31 had an ultrasound service. Average time for results to be reported for MRI scans was reported as between 4– and 6 weeks, with a range of 2 days to 28 weeks. The average time for an ultrasound to be reported was stated as 1–4 weeks, with a range of 0–8 weeks. There was disparity between the reported confidence of clinicians making clinical decisions when using ultrasound compared to MRI. Of those respondents who did not have access to an ultrasound service, 72 stated that they would be interested in developing an ultrasound service.

Conclusion

There is an appetite for the uptake of ultrasound in the UK for assessment of Crohn’s disease, however, there remains a significant number of UK centres with little or no access to an ultrasound service. Further research is necessary to understand why this is the case.
Prevalence, incidence and survival of heart failure: a systematic review
Authors: Emmons-Bell Sophia , Johnson Catherine , Roth Gregory
Published: January 2022

Studies of the epidemiology of heart failure in the general population can inform assessments of disease burden, research, public health policy and health system care delivery. We performed a systematic review of prevalence, incidence and survival for all available population-representative studies to inform the Global Burden of Disease 2020. We examined population-based studies published between 1990 and 2020 using structured review methods and database search strings. Studies were sought in which heart failure was defined by clinical diagnosis using structured criteria such as the Framingham or European Society of Cardiology criteria, with studies using alternate case definitions identified for comparison. Study results were extracted with descriptive characteristics including age range, location and case definition. Search strings identified 42 360 studies over a 30-year period, of which 790 were selected for full-text review and 125 met criteria for inclusion. 45 sources reported estimates of prevalence, 41 of incidence and 58 of mortality. Prevalence ranged from 0.2%, in a Hong Kong study of hospitalised heart failure patients in 1997, to 17.7%, in a US study of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65+ from 2002 to 2013. Collapsed estimates of incidence ranged from 0.1%, in the EPidémiologie de l’Insuffisance Cardiaque Avancée en Lorraine (EPICAL) study of acute heart failure in France among those aged 20–80 years in 1994, to 4.3%, in a US study of Medicare beneficiaries 65+ from 1994 to 2003. One-year heart failure case fatality ranged from 4% to 45% with an average of 33% overall and 24% for studies across all adult ages. Diagnostic criteria, case ascertainment strategy and demographic breakdown varied widely between studies. Prevalence, incidence and survival for heart failure varied widely across countries and studies, reflecting a range of study design. Heart failure remains a high prevalence disease among older adults with a high risk of death at 1 year.
The national trauma triage protocol: how EMS perspective can inform the guideline revision
Authors: Fischer Peter E , Gestring Mark L , Sagraves Scott G , Michaels Holly N , Patel Bhavin , Dodd Jimm , Campion Eric M , VanderKolk Wayne E , Bulger Eileen M
Published: January 2022

Objectives

The Field Triage Guidelines (FTG) support emergency medical service (EMS) decisions regarding the most appropriate transport destination for injured patients. While the components of the algorithm are largely evidenced-based, the stepwise approach was developed with limited input from EMS providers. FTG are only useful if they can easily be applied by the field practitioner. We sought to gather end-user input on the current guidelines from a broad group of EMS stakeholders to inform the next revision of the FTG.

Methods

An expert panel composed an end-user feedback tool. Data collected included: demographics, EMS agency type, geographic area of respondents, use of the current FTG, perceived utility, and importance of each step in the algorithm (1: physiologic, 2: anatomic, 3 mechanistic, 4: special populations). The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT), in partnership with several key organizations, distributed the tool to reach as many providers as possible.

Results

3958 responses were received (82% paramedics/emergency medical technicians, 9% physicians, 9% other). 94% responded directly to scene emergency calls and 4% were aeromedical providers. Steps 2 and 3 were used in 95% of local protocols, steps 1 and 4 in 90%. Step 3 was used equally in protocols across all demographics; however, step 1 was used significantly more in the air medical services than ground EMS (96% vs 88%, p<0.05). Geographic variation was demonstrated in FTG use based on the distance to a trauma center, but step 3 (not step 1) drove the majority of the decisions. This point was reinforced in the qualitative data with the comment, “I see the wreck before I see the patient.”

Conclusion

The FTG are widely used by EMS in the USA. The stepwise approach is useful; however, mechanism (not physiological criteria) drives most of the decisions and is evaluated first . Revision of the FTG should consider the experience of the end-users.

Level of evidence

V.
A-kinase anchoring protein 5 anchors protein kinase A to mediate PLN/SERCA to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by hypoxia and reoxygenation
Authors: Wang Zhi , Zhang Xu , Zhu Feng , Zhou Simin , Wang Qiushu , Wang Hegui
Published: January 2022

The A-kinase anchoring protein 5 (AKAP5) has a variety of biological activities. This study explored whether AKAP5 was involved in cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R) and its possible mechanism. H9C2 cells were used to construct an H/R model in vitro, followed by AKAP5 overexpression. Flow cytometry was performed to determine the rate of cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Phosphorylation of phospholamban (PLN), sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase 2a (SERCA2a), and apoptosis-related proteins was determined by western blotting. Immunofluorescence staining and immunoprecipitation were performed to detect the distribution and interaction between AKAP5, protein kinase A (PKA), and PLN. After H/R induction, H9C2 cells exhibited significantly reduced AKAP5 protein expression. Upregulation of AKAP5 promotes cell survival and significantly reduces lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels and apoptosis rates in H9C2 cells. In addition, the overexpression of AKAP5 was accompanied by the activation of the PLN/SERCA2a signaling pathway and a reduction in apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining and immunoprecipitation revealed that AKAP5 co-localized and interacted with PLN and PKA. Interestingly, St-Ht31, an inhibitory peptide that disrupts AKAP interactions with regulatory subunits, inhibits the effect of AKAP5 overexpression on H/R-induced apoptosis in H9C2 cardiomyocytes. AKAP5 overexpression alleviated H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis possibly by anchoring PKA to mediate the PLN/SERCA pathway, suggesting that AKAP5 is a potential therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Multi-year investigation on the rate, timing, and use of surfactant for thinning apples with post-bloom applications of metamitron
Authors: Cline John A. , Bakker Catherine J. , Beneff Amanda
Published: January 2022

Several experiments were conducted in Simcoe, Ontario, to evaluate the efficacy of metamitron (MET) as a post-bloom thinner for Ambrosia, Gala, and Honeycrisp apple trees. Trees were treated with rates of MET ranging from 165–480 mg·L−1, as well as different timings ranging from 5–22 mm fruit diameter. The effect of including a non-ionic surfactant on thinning efficacy with MET was also evaluated. Treatments were compared with untreated trees and industry standard sprays of carbaryl, 1-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 6-benzyladenine (6-BA), or combinations thereof. Response to MET varied by cultivar and season. In six of the seven experiments MET reduced fruit set, but only in four experiments did MET reduce the number of fruit per tree or crop load compared with the untreated control trees. Petal fall (5–7 mm) applications of MET were less effective than later timings. Thinning response increased with higher rates of MET in four of the seven studies. For Honeycrisp and Ambrosia, 175 mg·L−1 MET was effective in reducing fruit set and crop load, while rates at or above 263 mg·L−1 MET were required to thin Gala. MET improved fruit size distribution into larger categories and caused minimal leaf phytotoxicity with or without a non-ionic surfactant. Environmental factors such as nighttime temperature and solar radiation largely could not account for the seasonal or application timings in thinning response to MET. Greater understanding of the carbon balance and interplay of solar radiation, nighttime temperature, cultivar and fruitlet size on thinning response is required to improve the predictive thinning response of apple to MET.
Roman-Urdu-Parl: Roman-Urdu and Urdu Parallel Corpus for Urdu Language Understanding
Authors: Alam Mehreen , Hussain Sibt Ul
Published: January 2022

Availability of corpora is a basic requirement for conducting research in a particular language. Unfortunately, for a morphologically rich language like Urdu, despite being used by over a 100 million people around the globe, the dearth of corpora is a major reason for the lack of attention and advancement in research. To this end, we present the first-ever large-scale publicly available Roman-Urdu parallel corpus, Roman-Urdu-Parl, with 6.37 million sentence-pairs. It is a huge corpus collected from diverse sources, annotated using crowd-sourcing techniques, and also assured for quality. It has a total of 92.76 million Roman-Urdu words, 92.85 million Urdu words, Roman-Urdu vocabulary of 42.9 K words, and Urdu vocabulary of 43.8 K words. Roman-Urdu-Parl has been built to ensure that it not only captures the morphological and linguistic features of the language but also the heterogeneity and variations arising due to demographic conditions. We validate the authenticity and quality of our corpus by using it to address two natural language processing research problems, that is, on learning word embeddings and building a machine transliteration system. Our contribution of the corpus leads to exceptional results in both settings, for example, our machine transliteration system sets a new state-of-the-art with a Bilingual Evaluation Understudy (BLEU) score of 84.67. We believe that Roman-Urdu-Parl can serve as fuel for igniting and advancing works in many research areas related to the Urdu language.
A Survey of Real-Time Ethernet Modeling and Design Methodologies: From AVB to TSN
Authors: Deng Libing , Xie Guoqi , Liu Hong , Han Yunbo , Li Renfa , Li Keqin
Published: January 2022

With the development of real-time critical systems, the ever-increasing communication data traffic puts forward high-bandwidth and low-delay requirements for communication networks. Therefore, various real-time Ethernet protocols have been proposed, but these protocols are not compatible with each other. The IEEE 802.1 Working Group developed standardized protocols named Audio Video Bridging (AVB) in 2005, and renamed it Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) later. TSN not only adds new features but also retains the original functions of AVB. Proposing real-time Ethernet modeling and design methodologies is the key to meeting high-bandwidth and low-delay communication requirements. This article surveys the modeling from AVB to TSN, mainly including: (1) AVB and TSN modeling; (2) end-to-end delay modeling; (3) real-time scheduling modeling; (4) reliability modeling; and (5) security modeling. Based on these models, this article surveys the recent advances in real-time Ethernet design methodologies from AVB to TSN: (1) end-to-end delay analysis from AVB to TSN; (2) real-time scheduling from AVB to TSN; (3) reliability-aware design for TSN; and (4) security-aware design for TSN. Among the above four points, the last two points are only for TSN, because AVB lacks reliability and security mechanisms. This article further takes the automotive use case as an example to discuss the application of TSN in automobiles. Finally, this article discusses the future trends of TSN. By surveying the recent advances and future trends, we hope to provide references for researchers interested in real-time Ethernet modeling and design methodologies for AVB and TSN.
Video Generative Adversarial Networks: A Review
Authors: Aldausari Nuha , Sowmya Arcot , Marcus Nadine , Mohammadi Gelareh
Published: January 2022

With the increasing interest in the content creation field in multiple sectors such as media, education, and entertainment, there is an increased trend in the papers that use AI algorithms to generate content such as images, videos, audio, and text.Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)is one of the promising models that synthesizes data samples that are similar to real data samples. While the variations of GANs models in general have been covered to some extent in several survey papers, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that reviews the state-of-the-art video GANs models. This paper first categorizes GANs review papers into general GANs review papers, image GANs review papers, and special field GANs review papers such as anomaly detection, medical imaging, or cybersecurity. The paper then summarizes the main improvements in GANs that are not necessarily applied in the video domain in the first run but have been adopted in multiple video GANs variations. Then, a comprehensive review of video GANs models are provided under two main divisions based on existence of a condition. The conditional models are then further classified according to the provided condition into audio, text, video, and image. The paper concludes with the main challenges and limitations of the current video GANs models.
Network Traffic Generation: A Survey and Methodology
Authors: Adeleke Oluwamayowa Ade , Bastin Nicholas , Gurkan Deniz
Published: January 2022

Network traffic workloads are widely utilized in applied research to verify correctness and to measure the impact of novel algorithms, protocols, and network functions. We provide a comprehensive survey of traffic generators referenced by researchers over the last 13 years, providing in-depth classification of the functional behaviors of the most frequently cited generators. These classifications are then used as a critical component of a methodology presented to aid in the selection of generators derived from the workload requirements of future research.
Privacy-Preserving Reputation Systems Based on Blockchain and Other Cryptographic Building Blocks: A Survey
Authors: Hasan Omar , Brunie Lionel , Bertino Elisa
Published: January 2022

The purpose of a reputation system is to hold the users of a distributed application accountable for their behavior. The reputation of a user is computed as an aggregate of the feedback provided by fellow users in the system. Truthful feedback is clearly a prerequisite for computing a reputation score that accurately represents the behavior of a user. However, it has been observed that users can hesitate in providing truthful feedback because, for example, of fear of retaliation. Privacy-preserving reputation systems enable users to provide feedback in a private and thus uninhibited manner. In this survey, we propose analysis frameworks for privacy-preserving reputation systems. We use these analysis frameworks to review and compare the existing approaches. Emphasis is placed on blockchain-based systems as they are a recent significant development in the area. Blockchain-based privacy-preserving reputation systems have properties, such as trustlessness, transparency, and immutability, which prior systems do not have. Our analysis provides several insights and directions for future research. These include leveraging blockchain to its full potential in order to develop truly trustless systems, to achieve some important security properties, and to include defenses against common attacks that have so far not been addressed by most current systems.
Network Representation Learning: From Preprocessing, Feature Extraction to Node Embedding
Authors: Zhou Jingya , Liu Ling , Wei Wenqi , Fan Jianxi
Published: January 2022

Network representation learning (NRL) advances the conventional graph mining of social networks, knowledge graphs, and complex biomedical and physics information networks. Dozens of NRL algorithms have been reported in the literature. Most of them focus on learning node embeddings for homogeneous networks, but they differ in the specific encoding schemes and specific types of node semantics captured and used for learning node embedding. This article reviews the design principles and the different node embedding techniques for NRL over homogeneous networks. To facilitate the comparison of different node embedding algorithms, we introduce a unified reference framework to divide and generalize the node embedding learning process on a given network into preprocessing steps, node feature extraction steps, and node embedding model training for an NRL task such as link prediction and node clustering. With this unifying reference framework, we highlight the representative methods, models, and techniques used at different stages of the node embedding model learning process. This survey not only helps researchers and practitioners gain an in-depth understanding of different NRL techniques but also provides practical guidelines for designing and developing the next generation of NRL algorithms and systems.
Novel Mouse Models for Cancer Immunology
Authors: Connolly Kelli A. , Fitzgerald Brittany , Damo Martina , Joshi Nikhil S.
Published: January 2022

Mouse models of cancer immunology provide excellent systems in which to study and test biological mechanisms of the immune response against cancer. Historically, these models were designed to have different strengths based on the current major research questions at the time. As such, many mouse models of immunology used today were not originally developed to study current questions in the relatively new field of cancer immunology, but instead have been adapted for such purposes. In this review, we discuss various mouse models of cancer immunology in a historical context in order to provide a fuller perspective of each model's strengths. From this outlook, we discuss the current state of the art and strategies for tackling future modeling challenges.
Bioactive Components in Traditional Foods Aimed at Health Promotion: A Route to Novel Mechanistic Insights and Lead Molecules?
Authors: Witkamp Renger F.
Published: January 2022

Traditional foods and diets can provide health benefits beyond their nutrient composition because of the presence of bioactive compounds. In various traditional healthcare systems, diet-based approaches have always played an important role, which has often survived until today. Therefore, investigating traditional foods aimed at health promotion could render not only novel bioactive substances but also mechanistic insights. However, compared to pharmacologically focused research on natural products, investigating such nutrition-based interventions is even more complicated owing to interacting compounds, less potent and relatively subtle effects, the food matrix, and variations in composition and intake. At the same time, technical advances in ‘omics’ technologies, cheminformatics, and big data analysis create new opportunities, further strengthened by increasing insights into the biology of health and homeostatic resilience. These are to be combined with state-of-the-art ethnobotanical research, which is key to obtaining reliable and reproducible data. Unfortunately, socioeconomic developments and climate change threaten traditional use and knowledge as well as biodiversity.
Investigation of Trap States, Series Resistance and Diode Parameters in Al/Gelatin/n-Si Schottky Diode by Voltage and Frequency Dependent Capacitance and Conductance Analysis
Authors: Cavdar Sukru , Demirolmez Yesim , Turan Neslihan , Koralay Haluk , Tuğluoğlu Nihat , Arda Lütfi
Published: January 2022

Inorganic-organic Schottky contacts based on Gelatin on n-Si wafer have been prepared by a spin coating technique. The reverse and forward bias capacitance-voltage (

C
‐
V

) and conductance-voltage (

G
‐
V

) properties of the Al/Gelatin/n-Si Schottky diode at room temperature in the frequency range from 30 kHz to 1 MHz have been computed by taking into account the series resistance (

R

s

) and interface states (

D

it

) effects. The conductance and Hill-Coleman method were used to determine interfacial layer capacitance (

C

in

),

R

s

and

D

i
t

.

The values of

R

s

and

D

it

were determined as 810 Ω and 1.52 x−1012 eV−1 cm−2 for 30 kHz and 38 Ω and 3.38 x 1011 eV−1 cm−2 for 1 MHz. Experimental results corroborated that the

R

s

and

D

it

are influential parameters which severely impact the basic electrical parameters of Al/Gelatin/n-Si Schottky diode. Both the measured capacitance (

C

m

) and conductance (

G

m

) were corrected in order to obtain the real diode capacitance (

C

c

) and conductance (

G

c

). Schottky diode parameters such as barrier height (

Φ

B

), ionized donor density (

N

D

), Fermi level (

E

F

), built-in voltage (

V

D

) were extracted from the frequency-dependent

C

c

‐
V

and

1
/

C

c

2

‐
V

relations. The values of

Φ

B

was determined as 0.796 eV for 30 kHz and 1.090 eV for 1 MHz. The

R

s

and

D

it

values were observed to decrease, while the

Φ

B

values increase as the frequency increases. Results reveal that the fabricated diode can potentially be used as a promising candidate material for electronics applications.
Radical-Induced Effect on PEALD SiO2 Films by Applying Positive DC Bias
Authors: Park Suhyeon , Park Taehun , Choi Yeongtae , Jung Chanwon , Kim Byunguk , Jeon Hyeongtag
Published: January 2022

Multiple patterning technology has become an essential process. In the commonly used self-aligned multiple patterning process, the spacer should be dense at low temperatures and have a high elastic modulus. To meet these conditions, many thin-film deposition methods, such as plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition, have been studied. We investigated remote plasma atomic layer deposition (RPALD) technology with a DC positive bias. After applying bias voltage to the plasma region, changes in the plasma properties, such as density and flux, were examined and applied to SiO2 deposition. When DC positive bias was applied, the sheath voltage decreased, causing an increase in the radical density, which contributed to the surface reaction. In an elastic recoil detection analysis, the application of 200 V reduced the hydrogen content of the film from 11.89% to 10.07% compared with no bias; an increase in SiO2 film density from 2.32 to 2.35 g cm−3 was also measured. The elastic modulus and hardness were shown to increase through a nano-indenter analysis and surface roughness improved with the suppression of energetic ions impinging on the film surface. Thus, the application of DC positive bias during the RPALD process effectively improved the physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of SiO2 film.
(Keynote) Photocatalytic Aspects of CsPbBr3 Perovskite Nanocrystals
Authors: Kamat Prashant V , Scheidt Rebecca , Balakrishna Geetha , Kobosko Steven , Ravi Vikashkumar
Published: January 2022

Lead halide perovskites have been extensively studied to explore their photovoltaic properties. They offer a useful strategy for continuous tuning of the semiconductor bandgap. In addition to photovoltaic applications these lead halide perovskites offer rich photophysical properties with ability to induce electron and hole transfer at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. The photoinduced electron transfer between CsPbBr3 quantum dots and methyl viologen shows electron transfer to be completed with 20 ps. The transient absorption spectroscopy and emission spectroscopy offers mechanistic and kinetic insights of the interfacial charge transfer processes. CsPbBr3 films cast from colloidal suspension can also be transformed into CsPbI3 via a halide exchange reaction upon exposure to a heated PbI2 solution (~70°C). The internal structure of hybrid CsPbBrxI3-x varies with increasing thickness of the exchanged film. The gradient structure thus allows us to probe the flow of the charge carriers within the film. The electron transfer properties that highlight photocatalytic properties of mixed halide nanocrystals will be discussed.
(Invited) A New Strategy to Enhance Long-Term Photostability of BiVO4 Photoanodes for Solar Water Splitting
Authors: Lee Dong Ki , Choi Kyoung-Shin
Published: January 2022

As the performance of photoelectrodes used in in a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) for water splitting continues to improve, concurrently improving their photostabilities has become an important issue. In this presentation, we report a new strategy to suppress photocorrosion of photoelectrodes using a BiVO4 photoanode as an example. BiVO4 has been recently identified as a promising oxide-based photoanodes for solar water splitting owing to many of its uniquely advantageous features. Anodic photocorrosion of BiVO4 photoanodes involves the loss of V5+ from the BiVO4 lattice by dissolution. Any composition change caused by the anodic photocorrosion of BiVO4 must be coupled with the oxidation of one or more of the elements present in BiVO4. Since V5+ in the BiVO4 lattice cannot be further oxidized, the dissolution of V5+ must be linked with the photooxidation of Bi3+ and/or lattice O2- ions. We show that the use of a V5+-saturated electrolyte, which inhibits the photooxidation-coupled dissolution of BiVO4, can slow down the rate of photocorrosion considerably and serve as a simple yet effective method to suppress anodic photocorrosion of BiVO4. We also discovered that the V5+ species in the solution can incorporate into the oxygen evolution catalyst (OEC) layer present on the BiVO4
surface during water oxidation, further enhancing water oxidation kinetics. The effect of the V5+ species in the electrolyte on both the long-term photostability of BiVO4 and the performance of the OEC layer will be discussed in detail.
(Invited) On the Role of Electrocatalysts in the Process of Light-Driven Water Splitting
Authors: Fiechter Sebastian , Xi Fanxing , Bozheyev Farabi , Abdi Fatwa Firdaus , Ellmer Klaus , Bogdanoff Peter , Kölbach Moritz
Published: January 2022

Due to its high energy density, hydrogen could play an important role to store chemical energy in GW scale. To produce it in large quantities, “artificial leaf”-type structures can be used to convert solar light into hydrogen by photoelectrochemical splitting of water. Since this process is most efficiently working under acidic conditions, acid-stable semiconducting materials are required to efficiently absorb sunlight and generate electron-hole pairs, the energy of which must be high enough to split water. In addition, cheap and abundant electrocatalysts are needed to minimize the overvoltages at cathode and anode.

To replace costly platinum as well as RuO2 as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, resp., alternative catalysts such as MoCo, (Mo,Co)Sx and (NH4)2Mo3S13 for pH <7 [1] and amorphous CoOxOHy, Mn2O3 for pH >7 [2] have been tested as hydrogen (HE) and oxygen evolution (OE) catalysts, respectively. The materials were first deposited on conductive glass by reactive magnetron sputtering, spin coating or electrochemical deposition techniques and investigated electrochemically. Highest activity as HE catalysts was found by depositing (NH4)2Mo3S13 on amorphous MoSx/FTO and alloys of MoCo, while porous layers of Mn2O3 deposited on FTO glass showed high activity as OE catalyst. Due to their remarkable behavior as dark catalysts (η(Mn2O3) = 340 mV and η(MoSx) = -170 mV at j = 10 mA/cm2), the materials were afterwards deposited on p- and n-type photosensitive transition metal chalcogenide layers to investigate their behavior under illumination.

Surprisingly, (NH4)2Mo3S13, deposited on highly 001-textured polycrystalline p-type WSe2 film, behaved as a photosensitive hydrogen evolving electrode. Here the deposited catalyst film operates as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution, but also as a semiconductor at the catalyst-semiconductor interface forming a buried heterojunction.

References:

[1] Jesse D. Benck, Sang Chul Lee, Kara D. Fong, Jakob Kibsgaard, Robert Sinclair, Thomas F. Jaramillo, Adv. Energy Mater. 4 (2014) 1400739-1400739.

[2] Bogdanoff P., Stellmach D., Gabriel O., Stannowski B., Schlatmann R., van de Krol R., Fiechter S, Energy Technology 4, (2016) 230–241, DOI:number:10.1002/ente.201500317

[3] Stellmach D., Bogdanoff P., Gabriel O., Stannowski B., Schlatmann R., van de Krol R, Fiechter S., Nanostructured MoS2 particles as a novel hydrogen evolving catalyst integrated in a PV-hybrid electrolyzer, Materials and Processes for Energy: Communicating, Current Research and Technological Developments, Vol. 1 (A. Méndez-Vilas, Ed.), FORMATEX 2013, 880-886.

[4] Moritz Kölbach, Sebastian Fiechter, Roel van de Krol, Peter Bogdanoff,

Catalysis Today, 290 (2017) 2–9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2017.03.030

[5] Ramírez A., Hillebrand, P., Stellmach D., May M.M., Bogdanoff P., Fiechter S.,Phys Chem. C, 118 (2014) 14073-14081 and SI.
(Invited) Photocatalysis on TiO2: Insights from Simulations
Authors: Selloni Annabella
Published: January 2022

We discuss recent applications of first principles electronic structure calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to understand materials properties and reaction mechanisms in TiO2-based photocalysis. We focus on the structure of the TiO2-water interface, the behavior of photoexcited electrons at this interface, and the formation and structure of so-called black TiO2, a promising functional material capable to absorb the whole spectrum of visible light.
Analysis of Key Indicators in English Teaching Evaluation Based on Big Data Model
Authors: Hou Weili
Published: January 2022

With the advent of the era of big data, the traditional English teaching methods in the past can no longer accurately assess the comprehensive level of English teachers and classrooms because of various factors. In order to reexamine and plan English teaching content, based on the big data model, we will carefully analyze the key indicators in English teaching evaluation using computer technologies such as particle swarm optimization and support vector machine, hoping to dig out the characteristics of English education in a deeper way, so as to make a series of index adjustments to English classroom and improve English teaching level. The results of this study show the following: (1) The average accuracy of the evaluation index of the model designed in this study is as high as 96.56%; after 20 tests, the test time of this model method is the least, and the test time can be as low as 13.32 ms. (2) For eight first-class indexes of A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H and 29 second-class indexes, the expert scores are all greater than 3.66, and the standard deviation is all less than 1, which accords with the standard of reaching common opinions. The key index test system is reasonable. (3) We find that the weights of A2, D1, H1, and H2 are all higher than 0.5, the weights of A1, B3, C5, E5, F4, and G4 are all higher than 0.3, and the weights of other indexes are all less than 0.3. This shows that each index has a different weight and emphasis on English teaching evaluation. (4) Taking a certain teacher as an example to assess English proficiency can effectively analyze the key indicators of English teachers and enable the teacher to make corresponding improvements and formulate strategies. On the whole, the teacher has strong writing ability and listening ability; the ability of speaking and translating is slightly weak, both of which are about 0.8; for listening analysis, idiom and sentence ability are generally to be enhanced, about 0.8. (5) The comprehensive scoring of English teaching is carried out, large difference in scoring values is avoided, and fairer test results are given. It is found that after big data analysis, the key indicators of English are analyzed accurately, the classroom teaching is diversified, and the students’ final classroom evaluation reflects well, so this method has obvious advantages.
Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Rifampicin Resistance Using GeneXpert MTB/RIF Assay at Enat Hospital, Central Ethiopia
Authors: Selfegna Sebsib , Alelign Amir
Published: January 2022

Background. Tuberculosis remains to be a public health threat in Ethiopia. However, the use of ill diagnostic methods and the lack of enough epidemiological information in the country contributed to the diagnostic delay and development of anti-TB drug resistance. Therefore, the present study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of pulmonary TB (PTB) and the development of drug resistance using GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay in Merhabete district, Central Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional, health facility-based study was conducted from December 2019 to June 2020. Bacteriological examination and GeneXpert molecular diagnostic methods were used for the detection of M. tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance (RR). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the possible association of risk factors with the occurrence of PTB and RR.

P

values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results. The overall prevalence rates of PTB and RR M. tuberculosis were 11.2% and 15.8%, respectively. The logistic regression analysis revealed that being in the age group of 49-64 years was significantly associated with the occurrence of TB (

P
=
0.01

). The odds of HIV-positive and retreatment study participants to be infected by M. tuberculosis were much more than those of HIV-negative and newly treated cases, respectively (

P
<
0.05

). However, none of the sociodemographic and clinical patient characteristics was significantly associated with the development of RR-TB (

P
>
0.05

). Conclusion. In the present study, high prevalence rates of PTB and RR M. tuberculosis were observed. The findings, which were attributed to different risk factors, suggested an urgent need for appropriate intervention measures to reduce the transmission of PTB and the development of anti-TB drug resistance in the study area.
Analysis and Improvement of Blockchain-Based Multilevel Privacy-Preserving Location Sharing Scheme for Telecare Medical Information Systems
Authors: Huang Zhenjie , Guo Yafeng , Huang Hui , Duan Runlong , Zhao Xiaolong
Published: January 2022

Patient location sharing is an important part of modern smart healthcare and mobile medical services. Blockchain has many attractive properties and is suitable for managing patient locations in telecare medical information systems (TMIS). Recently, Ji et al. proposed a blockchain-based multilevel privacy-preserving location sharing (BMPLS) scheme for TMIS. In this paper, we show that Ji et al.’s BMPLS scheme does not achieve confidentiality and multilevel privacy-preserving. An adversary outside the system can use an ordinary personal computer to completely break the system within a dozen hours and obtain the location of any patient at any time. The adversary inside the system can use an ordinary personal computer to obtain the location of the designated patient within tens of seconds. Using salting technology, we propose an improved BMPLS scheme to fix our attacks. We also optimized the BMLS scheme to make it correct and executable. The security analysis shows that the improved BMPLS scheme achieves decentralization, untamperability, confidentiality, multilevel privacy-preserving, retrievability, and verifiability. The simulation shows that the improved BMPLS scheme is practical, the computational overhead of the location record phase is within 10 ms, and the computational overheads of the location sharing and location extraction phases are both within 30 ms.
[Retracted] Assembly of 97 Novel Bacterial Genomes in the Microbial Community Affiliated with Polyvinyl Alcohol in Soil of Northern China
Authors: Liu Jiaxing , Gu Xun , Li Hui
Published: January 2022

Background. Undeveloped ecosystems belong to rich source of microbial population, of which resources remain unearthed. A kind of polymeric compound system with high polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) content has been reported and named Taisui. Marker gene amplification showed that Taisui harbored little‐explored microbial communities. Aim. To address this issue, our study attempted to recover draft genomes and functional potential from microbial communities in Taisui using the metagenomic approach. Material and Methods. Taisui communities provided 97 novel bacterial genomes from 13 bacterial phyla, including bacteria candidate phylum. Two novel genus‐level lineages were recovered from Planctomycetes and Chloroflexi. Based on the draft genomes, we expanded the number of taxa with potential productions of PKS and NRPS in phyla including Candidatus Dadabacteria, Chloroflexi, and Planctomycetes. Results. A rich diversity of PVA dehydrogenase genes from 4 phyla, involving Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Acitinobacteria, and Planctomycetes, were identified. The phylogenetic tree of PVA dehydrogenase showed the possibility of horizontal gene transfer between microbes. Conclusion. Our study underscores the substantial microbial diversity and PVA degradation potential in the previously unexplored Taisui system.
Biomaterials and Biological Parameters for Fixed-Prosthetic Implant-Supported Restorations: A Review Study
Authors: Afshari Aysooda , Mosaddad Seyed Ali , Alam Mostafa , Abbasi Kamyar , Darestani Meshkat Naeimi
Published: January 2022

Because of the increasing use of dental implants, dental practitioners should understand the treatment and nature of peri-implant diseases (PIDs). This disease is a serious problem of dentistry, regarding epidemiology and therapy. Due to the increase in the practice of implantology as well as the increased number of implants placed every year, the rate of PID has widely increased. Peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis, gingivitis, and periodontitis are common clinical manifestations of the disease. PIDs are caused by chronic inflammatory processes in the tissues around an intraoral implant, with increasing incidence, and have become a health concern. Bacterial infections are involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. The imbalance between the host response and bacterial biofilm results in tissue destruction. New challenges lie in the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of PIDs. The aim of this overview was to focus on the nature of the disease itself, useful diagnostic criteria, common responsible bacteria, and the prosthetic effects of fixed restorations on the health of the periodontium since recognizing the parameters involved in the development of periodontal and PIDs will play a crucial role in preventing the progression and minimizing the complications of these diseases having a fixed prosthesis.
Degree-Based Topological Indices of Generalized Subdivision Double-Corona Product
Authors: Wang Ying , Waheed Muhammad , Jamil Muhammad Kamran , Shah Syed Mazhar , Aslam Adnan , Aram Hamideh
Published: January 2022

Graph operations play an important role in constructing complex network structures from simple graphs. Computation of topological indices of these complex structures via graph products is an important task. In this paper, we generalized the concept of subdivision double-corona product of graphs and investigated the exact expressions of the first and second Zagreb indices, first reformulated Zagreb index, and forgotten topological index (F-index) of this graph operation.
Management of LC Type I (LC‐1) Pelvic Injuries with Complete Sacral Fracture: Comparison of Solitary Anterior Fixation with Combined Anterior‐Posterior Fixation
Authors: Wang Pengfei , Ali Syed Haider , Fei Chen , Zhang Binfei , Wei Xing , Wang Hu , Cong Yuxuan , Deng Hongli , Fu Yahui , Zhang Kun , Zhuang Yan
Published: January 2022

Background. Management of LC‐1 type pelvic injuries, particularly in patients with complete sacral fracture (LC‐1 PICSF, OTA type 61‐B2.1), remains controversial. Specific indications for solitary fixation remain unclear, and there is a paucity of outcomes data in comparison to combined fixation. We undertook a retrospective study in patients with LC‐1 PICSFs to compare outcomes between solitary anterior fixation and combined anterior‐posterior fixation. Methods. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with enrollment from 2016 to 2018 at a single tertiary‐referral center in China. Adults with operatively managed LC‐1 PICSFs were enrolled. Patients with sacral displacement < 1 cm as assessed by axial CT received solitary anterior ring fixation (group A); patients with displacement ≥ 1 cm received combined fixation of both the anterior and posterior rings (group B). Reduction was confirmed by manipulation under anesthesia. Patients followed up for at least 24 months postoperatively. Primary outcome was function (Majeed score). Secondary outcomes included intraoperative characteristics, pain (VAS score), quality of fracture reduction (Tornetta and Matta radiographic grading), rate of nonunion, early weight‐bearing status, and complication rate. Results. 68 (89%) of 76 enrolled patients completed follow‐up. Patients in group A exhibited improved operative times, less time under fluoroscopy, and less blood loss as compared to group B. There were no significant differences between groups A and B regarding quality of fracture reduction, rate of union, functional outcomes, or rate of complications. Notably, group B patients were more likely to achieve full early weight‐bearing. Conclusion. LC‐1 PFCSFs can get benefits from ORIF; the treatment algorithm should be differently made following the degree of the sacral fractures displacement. Less than 1 cm sacral fracture displacement may get good functional outcomes from solitary anterior fixation. However, for the sacral fractures displacement greater or equal to 1 cm, both the anterior and posterior pelvic rings should be surgical stabilization.