bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological adjustments of the Yamuna River in the Himalayan foothills in response to natural and anthropogenic stresses
Authors: Yadav Anshul , Boothroyd Richard J. , Sambrook Smith Gregory H. , Sen Sumit
Published: July 2023

Rivers can adjust to natural and anthropogenic stresses through changes in flow regime and sediment dynamics. Flow regulation due to dam construction can modify sediment transport processes, causing morphological adjustments and changes in conveyance capacity. In this study, we explored morphological adjustments along a 46 km segment of the Yamuna River in the Himalayan foothills from Dakpathar Barrage to Hathni Kund Barrage using a combination of remote sensing approaches. The cloud computing platform Google Earth Engine (GEE) was used to analyse multi‐temporal collections of Landsat satellite imagery acquired between 1989 and 2021. Active river channels (including water and exposed sediment) were classified using an MNDWI and NDVI thresholding approach from annually resolved temporal composite images. Declassified CORONA satellite imagery (acquired in 1965, 1973 and 1976) was manually digitized to provide longer‐term insights into channel change. Morphological adjustments were assessed using the RivMAP toolbox, providing quantitative information on the rates of bank erosion and accretion, bank line shifts and changes in active channel width. Results showed a substantial narrowing of the active channel after 2013, which coincided with the construction of the Lakhwar‐Vyasi Dam. We calculated a 67% reduction in mean active channel width, narrowing from ~800 m in 1989 to ~250 m in 2021. During the same period, evidence of sand mining in the active channel indicates a substantial increase in mining activities after 2015. The concept of stasis was explored under different flow regulation scenarios to suggest that the river has undergone a state of inactivity, where the river is doing nothing for much longer durations. We suggest that the combined effects of flow regulation and increased mining activities during the same period have altered river morphology, and further stresses due to a combination of human activities can be damaging for the river regime. This study sheds light on the potential implications of multiple stresses acting on the Yamuna River at the same time, which can inform future sustainable river management activities.
The isotropy of cryptocurrency volatility
Authors: Hairudin Aiman , Mohamad Azhar
Published: July 2023

We examine the fractal volatility and long‐range dependence of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether and USD Coin by employing the continuous wavelet transform, maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform and rescaled range. Our dataset consists of daily prices spanning from January 2017 through to October 2022, encapsulating pre‐ and post‐epidemic eras. Generally, our findings suggest that Tether presents the least overall volatility throughout the time‐frequency spectrum. USD Coin demonstrates ephemeral turbulence, contrary to Tether's maturity in influencing market equilibrium through token issuance and trade responses. In the post‐epidemic sample, both stablecoins indicate mean reversion, with USD Coin showing marginally better efficiency. Conversely, investment tokens display persistent clusters due to retail traders and long‐term fundamental institutions. Although both tokens illustrate multifractal volatility, Ethereum unveils more essence of self‐similarity than Bitcoin. Hence, there is no evidence that Ethereum truly duplicates Bitcoin since policy‐related events differ between them, as both return series move incongruously. Conditional dynamics signify that all cryptocurrencies, except Tether, were affected by the pandemic transition of COVID‐19 and subsequent macroeconomic news. The unconditional volatility of stablecoins evinces zero‐mean errors, antithetical to investment tokens exhibiting annual cycles. The fractal geometry suggests that investment tokens simulate one‐dimensional lines, whereas stablecoins mimic two‐dimensional planes.
Glioma detection using EHO based FLAME clustering in MR brain images
Authors: Karun Baiju , Prasath T. Arun , Rajasekaran M. Pallikonda , Makreri Rakhee
Published: July 2023

MRI is a popular imaging method for examining brain tumours. The ability to precisely segment tumours from MRI is absolutely essential for medical diagnostics and surgical planning. Manual tumour segmentation might be unrealistic for more comprehensive studies. Deep learning is the most widely used technique in medical diagnosis. For effective tumour dissection from brain MRI, this paper proposed a novel combination of FLAME and EHO Algorithm. FLAME is a type of clustering method that groups the most similar pixels in to a single cluster. EHO algorithm is one of the nature‐inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithms based on the social herding behaviour of elephants and swimming search methods. The proposed methodology's efficiency is validated through testing on various BraTS challenge datasets. The average computational time, mean squared error, peak signal to noise ratio, tanimoto coefficient, and dice score ‐ obtained are 23.3775 s, 0.213, 54.9669 dB, 54.6148%, and 84.053%, respectively.
Front Cover
Authors: Bai Lin , Wu Yaping , Dai Wenshu , Zhang Jie , Zheng Lily , Cheng Jingqiu
Published: July 2023

A quick and easy method for labeling blood vessels of cleared organs of mice was established. This method effectively labels the vascular network of mouse organs, showing details down to the capillary level. Through adjusting of mw. Of FITC‐Dextran and injection methods, labeling preference could be manipulated. By using software (eg. Imaris) processing, further information such as the number of cerebral blood vessels or kidney glomeruli could be concluded.

For further details please visit the article by Lin Bai, Yaping Wu, Wenshu Dai, Jie Zhang, Lily Zheng, and Jingqiu Cheng (e202300042).

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Random Forest Models for Prediction of Hip Fracture Risk Versus Mortality Risk in the Oldest Old
Authors: Langsetmo Lisa , Schousboe John T. , Taylor Brent C. , Cauley Jane A. , Fink Howard A. , Cawthon Peggy M. , Kado Deborah M. , Ensrud Kristine E. ,   for the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Research Group
Published: July 2023

Targeted fracture prevention strategies among late‐life adults should balance fracture risk versus competing mortality risk. Models have previously been constructed using Fine‐Gray subdistribution methods. We used a machine learning method adapted for competing risk survival time to evaluate candidate risk factors and create models for hip fractures and competing mortality among men and women aged 80 years and older using data from three prospective cohorts (Study of Osteoporotic Fractures [SOF], Osteoporotic Fracture in Men study [MrOS], Health Aging and Body Composition study [HABC]). Random forest competing risk models were used to estimate absolute 5‐year risk of hip fracture and absolute 5‐year risk of competing mortality (excluding post–hip fracture deaths). Models were constructed for both outcomes simultaneously; minimal depth was used to rank and select variables for smaller models. Outcome specific models were constructed; variable importance was used to rank and select variables for inclusion in smaller random forest models. Random forest models were compared to simple Fine‐Gray models with six variables selected a priori. Top variables for competing risk random forests were frailty and related components in men while top variables were age, bone mineral density (BMD) (total hip, femoral neck), and frailty components in women. In both men and women, outcome specific rankings strongly favored BMD variables for hip fracture prediction while frailty and components were strongly associated with competing mortality. Model discrimination for random forest models varied from 0.65 for mortality in women to 0.81 for hip fracture in men and depended on model choice and variables included. Random models performed slightly better than simple Fine‐Gray model for prediction of competing mortality, but similarly for prediction of hip fractures. Random forests can be used to estimate risk of hip fracture and competing mortality among the oldest old. Modest gains in performance for mortality without hip fracture compared to Fine‐Gray models must be weighed against increased complexity. © 2023 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Perceived corruption reduces algorithm aversion
Authors: Castelo Noah
Published: July 2023

Scholarship on when and why humans are willing to rely on algorithms rather than other humans has made substantial progress in recent years, although virtually all such research is based on Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) research participants. This limits efforts to understand the cultural generalizability of attitudes toward algorithms. In this paper, I study algorithm aversion among participants from over 30 countries on all inhabited continents, thereby significantly increasing the diversity of this field's knowledge base. Furthermore, I leverage this diversity to test a theoretically derived prediction: that perceived corruption makes algorithmic decision‐making more appealing. I find that participants who are born or raised in countries with high levels of perceived corruption are much less averse to algorithmic decision‐making (or, in some studies, are not at all algorithm averse), relative to those from countries with low perceived corruption. Furthermore, experimentally varying corruption salience causes a decrease in algorithm aversion. I explore mechanisms and boundary conditions of these effects and discuss the implications in the context of algorithms that can both increase and decrease injustice.
Using a change management model to develop and implement dental curricula: A case study
Authors: Quinonez Rocio B. , Zomorodi Meg , Broome Angela , Mason Matt , Duqum Ibrahim
Published: July 2023

Curriculum transformation is a guiding principle and driving force to continued institutional growth and innovation in oral health education. The transformation process starts from the need and desire for change to achieve the strategic goals of curriculum invocation. The design and implementation process must follow a systematic approach to ensure the oral health curricula are meeting the demands of preparing learners for their future careers and are in line with the institutional strategic goals and processes. The process of curriculum transformation needs to be carefully crafted and implemented to include all constituents and have clear and measurable outcomes to define its path and results. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry is undergoing the journey of oral health curriculum innovation and transformation. The goal of this paper is to describe the change management process using Kotter's organizational model that may apply to other schools aiming to innovate dental curricula.
The effect of game‐based learning on basic life support skills training for undergraduate dental students
Authors: Akaltan Kadriye Funda , Önder Canan , Vural Çağıl , Orhan Kaan , Akdoğan Nihan , Atakan Cemal
Published: July 2023

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of serious game training on the performance of undergraduate dental students during basic life support (BLS) training.

Methods

Students at the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry were divided into two groups at random: Serious Game (SG) (n = 46) and Traditional (Tr) (n = 45). Students completed the BLS pre‐test following their lecture‐based training. The SG set of students practiced until they achieved an 85 on the BLS Platform, after which they completed the BLS post‐test. All students practiced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a manikin with the instructor's guidance, and then they independently applied CPR by using the model training component. The module evaluation scale was then used to determine each student's grade. Finally, the students provided input on surveys regarding technology perceptions of SG training, serious gaming, and hands‐on training.

Results

In the SG group, the BLS post‐test scores were significantly higher than the pre‐test results (p = 0.00). In the SG and Tr groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the overall hands‐on training scores (p = 0.11). Students in both groups evaluated the hands‐on training on the manikin favorably and with high levels of participation.

Conclusions

The SG‐based training platform for BLS training has enhanced the BLS performance of undergraduate dental students in terms of knowledge and skill. It has been shown that digital learners have a beneficial impact on game‐based learning outcomes; it is advised to use SGs and develop new games for various learning objectives.
Validity of Quantitative, Multi‐Parametric MRI in the Diagnosis of Polyneuropathies
Authors: Finsterer Josef
Published: July 2023

Level of Evidence

5

Technical Efficacy Stage

2
Thermal desorption direct analysis in real‐time high‐resolution mass spectrometry and machine learning allow the rapid authentication of ground black pepper and dried oregano: A proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Zacometti Carmela , Massaro Andrea , di Gioia Tommaso , Lefevre Stephane , Frégière‐Salomon Aline , Lafeuille Jean‐Louis , Fiordaliso Candalino Ingrid , Suman Michele , Piro Roberto , Tata Alessandra
Published: July 2023

Thermal desorption direct analysis in real‐time high‐resolution mass spectrometry (TD‐DART‐HRMS) approaches have gained popularity for fast screening of a variety of samples. With rapid volatilization of the sample at increasing temperatures outside the mass spectrometer, this technique can provide a direct readout of the sample content with no sample preparation. In this study, TD‐DART‐HRMS's utility for establishing spice authenticity was examined. To this aim, we directly analyzed authentic (typical) and adulterated (atypical) samples of ground black pepper and dried oregano in positive and negative ion modes. We analyzed a set of authentic ground black pepper samples (n = 14) originating from Brazil, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Ecuador, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Cambodia, and adulterated samples (n = 25) consisting of mixtures of ground black pepper with this spice's nonfunctional by‐products (pinheads or spent) or with different exogenous materials (olive kernel, green lentils, black mustard seeds, red beans, gypsum plaster, garlic, papaya seeds, chili, green aniseed, or coriander seeds). TD‐DART‐HRMS facilitated the capture of informative fingerprinting of authentic dried oregano (n = 12) originating from Albania, Turkey, and Italy and those spiked (n = 12) with increasing percentages of olive leaves, sumac, strawberry tree leaves, myrtle, and rock rose. A predictive LASSO classifier was built, after merging by low‐level data fusion, the positive and negative datasets for ground black pepper. Fusing multimodal data allowed retrieval of more comprehensive information from both datasets. The resultant classifier achieved on the withheld test set accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 100%, 75%, and 90%, respectively. On the contrary, the sole TD‐(+)DART‐HRMS spectra of the oregano samples allowed construction of a LASSO classifier that predicted the adulteration of the oregano with excellent statistical indicators. This classifier achieved, on the withheld test set, 100% each for accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.
Alcohol cue reactivity in the brain: Age‐related differences in the role of social processes in addiction in male drinkers
Authors: Kuhns Lauren , Mies Gabry , Kroon Emese , Willuhn Ingo , Lesscher Heidi , Cousijn Janna
Published: July 2023

Social attunement (SA)—the tendency to harmonize behavior with the social environment—has been proposed to drive the escalation of alcohol use in adolescence, while reducing use in adulthood. Little is known about how heightened social sensitivity in adolescence may interact with neural alcohol cue reactivity—a marker of alcohol use disorder—and its relationship to alcohol use severity over time. The aims of this study were to test whether (1) adolescents and adults differ in social alcohol cue reactivity in the nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, and right medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and (2) age moderates the relationship between social alcohol cue reactivity and social attunement, measures of drinking at baseline, and changes in drinking over time. A sample of male adolescents (16–18 years) and adults (29–35 years) completed an fMRI social alcohol cue‐exposure task at baseline and an online follow‐up two to three years later. No main effects of age or drinking measures were observed in social alcohol cue reactivity. However, age significantly moderated associations of social alcohol cue reactivity in the mPFC and additional regions from exploratory whole‐brain analyses with SA, with a positive association in adolescents and negative association in adults. Significant age interactions emerged only for SA in predicting drinking over time. Adolescents with higher SA scores escalated drinking, while adults with higher SA scores reduced drinking. These findings warrant further research on SA as a risk and protective factor and suggest that social processes influence cue reactivity differentially in male adolescents and adults.
Moisture source anomalies connected to flood‐drought changes over the three‐rivers headwater region of Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhao Ruiyu , Chen Bin , Zhang Wei , Yang Shuai , Xu Xiangde
Published: July 2023

The Flood‐Drought condition over the Three‐River Headwater region (TRHR) of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) exerts vital impacts on regional climate and downstream livelihoods. However, the reasons behind precipitation variability over this region remain elusive. In this study, the multi‐year moisture sources of water vapour reaching the TRHR were identified to reveal their connection to the interannual variability of summer precipitation by utilizing a Lagrangian diagnosis analysis. The results show that the moisture sources could be tracked backward covering vast areas, with the peak values located mostly at the northern Indian continent and adjacent regions of TRH itself. The variability of integrated moisture sources' contribution agrees well with the summer precipitation on the interannual scale; However, the role of different regions varies in line with their geographical location. More specifically, summer precipitation is positively correlated with the moisture source over the adjacent areas of TRH and the remote terrestrial‐oceanic regions, in contrast to a negative correlation to the water vapour departing from the Northeastern Asian and western regions to the TP. The Indian summer monsoon circulation and local recycling process play a dominant role in modulating the summer precipitation on the interannual scale, whereas the role of the westerlies is almost negligible. The abnormal atmosphere circulations triggered by mid‐high latitude wave trains and anomalies in SST in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean could serve as possible drivers for the precipitation variability over TRHR.
Anorectal melanoma
Authors: Fastner Suzanne , Hieken Tina J. , McWilliams Robert R. , Hyngstrom John
Published: July 2023

Anorectal melanoma is an aggressive mucosal melanoma subtype with a poor prognosis. Although recent advancements have been seen for cutaneous melanoma, the optimal treatment paradigm for management of anorectal melanoma is evolving. In this review, we highlight differences in the pathogenesis of mucosal versus cutaneous melanoma, new concepts of staging for mucosal melanoma, updates to surgical management of anorectal melanoma, and current data for adjuvant radiation and systemic therapy in this unique patient population.
Microextraction by packed sorbent of N‐nitrosamines from Losartan tablets using a high‐throughput robot platform followed by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Pereira dos Santos Natalia Gabrielly , Medina Deyber Arley Vargas , Lanças Fernando Mauro
Published: July 2023

The development of a fast, cost‐effective, and efficient microextraction by packed sorbent setup was achieved by combining affordable laboratory‐repackable devices of microextraction with a high‐throughput cartesian robot. This setup was evaluated for the development of an analytical method to determine N‐nitrosamines in losartan tablets. N‐nitrosamines pose a significant concern in the pharmaceutical market due to their carcinogenic risk, necessitating their control and quantification in pharmaceutical products. The parameters influencing the performance of this sample preparation for N‐nitrosamines were investigated through both univariate and multivariate experiments. Microextractions were performed using just 5.0 mg of carboxylic acid‐modified polystyrene divinylbenzene copolymer as the extraction phase. Under the optimized conditions, the automated setup enabled the simultaneous treatment of six samples in less than 20 min, providing reliable analytical confidence for the proposed application. The analytical performance of the automated high‐throughput microextraction by the packed sorbent method was evaluated using a matrix‐matching calibration. Quantification was performed using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry with chemical ionization at atmospheric pressure. The method exhibited limits of detection as low as 50 ng/g, good linearity, and satisfactory intra‐day (1.38–18.76) and inter‐day (2.66–20.08) precision. Additionally, the method showed accuracy ranging from 80% to 136% for these impurities in pharmaceutical formulations.
Ultrasound‐Guided A1 Pulley Release: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nakagawa Hirotaka , Redmond Travis , Colberg Ricardo , Latzka Erek , White Mia S. , Bowers Robert L. , Sussman Walter I.
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this review was to summarize the current literature pertaining to ultrasound‐guided percutaneous A1 pulley release procedures. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science for clinical studies examining ultrasound‐guided percutaneous A1 pulley release. A total of 17 studies involving 749 procedures were included in this review. The overall success rate was 97%. There were 23 minor complications (4 cases of hematomas, 15 cases of persistent pain, and 4 cases of transient numbness) and no major complications reported. Ultrasound‐guided A1 pulley release is an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of trigger fingers and thumb.
Copper and cadmium content in Polish soil: Analysis of 25‐year monitoring study
Authors: Wdowczyk Aleksandra , Tomczyk Paweł , Szymańska‐Pulikowska Agata , Wiatkowska Barbara , Rosik‐Dulewska Czesława
Published: July 2023

Metals can accumulate in agricultural soils, presenting a serious threat to human health; therefore, it is important to analyze the quality of these soils to avoid possible harm related to their contamination in the future. Despite the importance of monitoring arable soil quality, few studies have examined the current state of Cu and Cd soil contamination through analysis of historical data and temporal trends in heavy metal content. Therefore, this study was aimed at analyzing the spatial variability of Cu and Cd content (expressed by toxicity indices) and assessing the level of contamination of arable soils in Poland over the last 25 years (1995–2020). The average Cu content in soil throughout the duration of the study was ~10 mg/kg. The average Cd content increased from 0.7 mg/kg (in 1995) to 3.4 mg/kg (in 2020). The evaluation of Cu and Cd soil contamination showed that soils contaminated with Cd and Cu constituted 1.4% and 2.3% of the total monitoring points, respectively. The geoaccumulation index and pollution index ranged for Cu from −5.23 to 3.09 (mean: −2.50) and from 0.02 to 6.40 (mean: 0.20), and for Cd from −5.23 to 6.92 (mean: −1.67) and from 0.01 to 60.58 (mean: 0.44). The soil was practically uncontaminated with Cu and Cd in 98.77%/98.92% and 93.44%/97.92% of cases, respectively. On a national scale, the contents of Cu and Cd in soils depend on soil properties (pH, C, OM, ST, and CM) to a very small extent. An assessment of the spatial distribution of Cu and Cd concentrations in Polish arable soils indicated regional differences related to the degree of industrialization/urbanization. The obtained results show the impact of human activity on the level of heavy metals present in soils.
Ion‐molecule studies of energetic oxygen allotropes in flow tubes: O2(v),O2(aΔg1),O3,andO
Authors: Eyet Nicole , Ard Shaun G. , Shuman Nicholas S. , Viggiano Albert A.
Published: July 2023

Starting in the 1960s, flow tube apparatuses have played a central role in the study of ion‐molecule kinetics, allowing for immense chemical diversity of cationic, anionic, and neutral reactants. Here, we review studies of oxygen allotropes, excluding ground state O2 (), and focusing instead on reactions of cations, anions, and metal chemi‐ionization reactions with ground state atomic oxygen (O 3P), vibrationally excited molecular oxygen (O2(v)), electronically excited molecular oxygen (O2 ()), and ozone (O3). Historical outlines of work over several decades are given along with a focus on more recent work by our group at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The use of double free flaps with intra‐flap anastomosis for complex defects reconstruction
Authors: Tartanus Justyna , Meroni Matteo , Scaglioni Mario F.
Published: July 2023

Background

Over the years, the improvements in microsurgical field allowed the reconstruction of increasingly larger and more complex defects. In this context, we conceived linking more flaps with a single vascular supply. The double free flaps with intra‐flap anastomosis offer a better match with recipient site requirements, still having a minimal donor and recipient site morbidity. In the present paper, we describe our experience with this procedure, focusing on its features and providing a collection of cases in different areas and clinical settings.

Patients and Methods

Consecutive single‐center case series with 16 patients who received defect reconstruction using double free flaps with intra‐flap anastomosis between February 2019 and August 2021. The median age was 58 years old (range 39–77). Nine patients were men and seven were women. The defects were located throughout the body, including breast, head and neck, lower and upper limbs. In 12 cases, the cause of the defect was surgical removal of a tumor, while in four cases the cause was trauma. The main indication for this procedure was related to the need of covering a large defect, either in terms of volume or surface, resorting to only one vascular axis.

Results

A total of 32 flaps were harvested, including 10 different techniques. The flaps size ranged from 6 × 3 cm to 24 × 8 cm. Eleven patients completely healed without any complications. No flaps were lost. Three patients developed a minor wound dehiscence and one a wound infection treated conservatively with antibiotic therapy. One patient experienced both of these complications. The median follow up was 12 months and ranged between 6 and 24 months. At the final clinical evaluation, the reconstructive result was stable in all cases and all the patients had a complete resumption of their daily activities.

Conclusions

Double free flaps reconstruction with intra‐flap anastomosis represents a valid and reliable option for the coverage of complex defects in case of depleted recipient sites. This procedure allows us to transfer high amounts of tissue resorting to a single vascular axis. However, it represents a technical challenge and a highly experienced microsurgical team is required.
Effective properties of fractional viscoelastic composites via two‐scale asymptotic homogenization
Authors: Ramírez‐Torres Ariel , Penta Raimondo , Grillo Alfio
Published: July 2023

Driven by the growing interest in fractional constitutive modeling, we adopt a two‐scale asymptotic homogenization approach to study the effective properties of fractional viscoelastic composites. We focus on a purely mechanical setting and derive the cell and homogenized problems corresponding to the balance of linear momentum equation in the absence of body forces and inertial terms. In doing this, we reformulate the original framework in the Laplace–Carson domain and discuss how to obtain the effective coefficients in the time domain. We particularize the general setting of our work by considering memory functions that describe special types of fractional linear viscoelastic behaviors, and after presenting the limit cases of our selections, we framed the homogenization results to account for benchmark problems with different combinations of constitutive models. Specifically, these latter involve elastic, fractional Kelvin–Voigt, fractional Zener and fractional Maxwell constituents. Our results permit us to reinforce the interpretation of the theoretical findings and to elucidate the role of the fractional constitutive models on the effective properties of the composites under investigation.
Empirical optimization of energy bin weights for compressing measurements with realistic photon counting x‐ray detectors
Authors: Yang Yirong , Wang Sen , Pal Debashish , Yin Zhye , Pelc Norbert J. , Wang Adam S.
Published: July 2023

Background

Photon counting detectors (PCDs) provide higher spatial resolution, improved contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), and energy discriminating capabilities. However, the greatly increased amount of projection data in photon counting computed tomography (PCCT) systems becomes challenging to transmit through the slip ring, process, and store.

Purpose

This study proposes and evaluates an empirical optimization algorithm to obtain optimal energy weights for energy bin data compression. This algorithm is universally applicable to spectral imaging tasks including 2 and 3 material decomposition (MD) tasks and virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs). This method is simple to implement while preserving spectral information for the full range of object thicknesses and is applicable to different PCDs, for example, silicon detectors and CdTe detectors.

Methods

We used realistic detector energy response models to simulate the spectral response of different PCDs and an empirical calibration method to fit a semi‐empirical forward model for each PCD. We numerically optimized the optimal energy weights by minimizing the average relative Cramér–Rao lower bound (CRLB) due to the energy‐weighted bin compression, for MD and VMI tasks over a range of material area density (0–40 g/cm2 water, 0–2.16 g/cm2 calcium). We used Monte Carlo simulation of a step wedge phantom and an anthropomorphic head phantom to evaluate the performance of this energy bin compression method in the projection domain and image domain, respectively.

Results

The results show that for 2 MD, the energy bin compression method can reduce PCCT data size by 75% and 60%, with an average variance penalty of less than 17% and 3% for silicon and CdTe detectors, respectively. For 3 MD tasks with a K‐edge material (iodine), this method can reduce the data size by 62.5% and 40% with an average variance penalty of less than 12% and 13% for silicon and CdTe detectors, respectively.

Conclusions

We proposed an energy bin compression method that is broadly applicable to different PCCT systems and object sizes, with high data compression ratio and little loss of spectral information.
US patterns of care for urodynamic evaluation for BPH
Authors: Sze Christina , Zhang Tenny R. , Dreyfuss Leo , DeMeo Gina , Thorogood Samantha L. , Chughtai Bilal , Te Alexis E. , Lee Richard K. , Hu Jim C.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Practice patterns around the use of urodynamic evaluation (UDS) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) surgery are largely undefined. As such, we investigated factors associated with the use of UDS for BPH.

Methods

We used American Board of Urology case log data from 2008 to 2020, to compare patient‐ and surgeon‐sided factors associated with UDS utilization and BPH surgeries. We performed logistic regression models to identify factors independently associated with UDS usage for BPH.

Results

Among urologists performing UDS, the majority (80%) self‐identified as general urologists and practiced in a private practice group (69%). Compared with urologists who performed no UDS, urologists who performed any UDS for BPH were more likely to be from the Mid‐Atlantic (20.3% vs. 10.6%, p < 0.01) and practice in regions with populations of >1 000 000 (34.7% vs. 28.5%, p < 0.01). Overall, UDS utilization declined over time (odds ratio [OR]: 0.95 year‐to‐year, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91–0.99). In adjusted analyses, the odds of performing UDS was higher among male (OR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.17–4.09), older (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.06), and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery subspecialty (OR: 3.23, 95% CI: 2.01–5.2) urologists. Additionally, performing UDS for BPH was associated with higher BPH surgical case volume (OR: 1.004, 95% CI: 1.001–1.008).

Conclusion

There is a significant practice variation in use of UDS for BPH. Although overall BPH surgeries are increasing, urologists are increasingly less likely to perform UDS for BPH. Specifically, urologists who perform UDS have significantly higher BPH case volume than those who do not perform UDS, suggesting that UDS usage may not factor into BPH surgery decision‐making.
The role of institutional and governance factors in public–private partnerships infrastructure investments in emerging economies
Authors: Gupta Aparajita , Sharma Anil Kumar
Published: July 2023

The overall development and sustained growth of any economy depend heavily on its infrastructure provisioning. Emerging economies are usually characterised by constrained public investments in infrastructure. Budgetary constraints of the governments are one of the major hurdles to these investments. Due to these reasons that governments of emerging economies continuously seek collaborations with the private sector for additional sources of funding infrastructure. Economies with solid institutional and governance frameworks are known to provide a conducive environment for enhanced private sector attraction in the sector. However, emerging economies face greater institutional and governance issues than developed economies, and they sometimes fall short of luring private investments in the infrastructure sector. The objective of this study is to empirically evaluate the role of institutional and governance aspects in private sector attraction in emerging economies. This study provides empirical evidence with a sample of 114 emerging economies over a period of 20 years. Various econometric estimates were developed to explore the interplay between public‐private partnership investments and governance factors. The results of the study provide an evidence of a positive association between these factors and private investments in public‐private partnership arrangements.
An in‐silico‐based study identified peptide inhibitors that can block the egression of the monkeypox virus by inhibiting the p37 protein target
Authors: Singh Swati , Srivastava Varshita , Godara Priya , Banavath Hemanth Naick , Tak Harshita , Nayak Arya , Kumari Deepika , Naik Biswajit , Prusty Dhaneswar
Published: July 2023

Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by the Poxviridiea family virus Monkeypox. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70,420 monkeypox virus infections had been reported in 107 countries as of October 6, 2022. New studies have concluded that the monkeypox outbreak is caused by a strain with a unique mutation, increasing the possibility that the virus may develop resistance to current medicines by accumulating mutations in therapeutic targets. As peptide‐based therapeutics impede the drug target through multiple interactions, it may offer a better therapeutic solution to the possible drug resistance issue related to monkeypox treatment. Therefore, in this work, we screened an antiviral peptide library, the CPP site 2.0 database, against the p37 target protein using molecular docking approaches. The p37 is required for the viral pathogen's successful egression and spread. The allergenicity and physicochemical properties of the peptides were thoroughly analyzed before the molecular docking studies for selecting druggable candidates. The interactions of the peptides bearing the highest docking score were validated further by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. Our investigation revealed that two cell‐penetrating peptides of the CPP site 2.0 database might effectively prevent the egression and spread of the MPXV by inhibiting p37. Following more testing, these peptides can be explored in developing peptide‐based therapies against the MPX therapy.
Der Müller von Nottingham
Authors: Loos Andreas
Published: July 2023

Trotz des ungeliebten Müllerberufs schaffte es der Gesuchte, bereits mit einer bahnbrechenden Arbeit der Physik seinen Stempel aufzudrücken.
Use of insect pest thresholds in oilseed rape and cereals: is it worth it?
Authors: Thiel Lukas , Mergenthaler Marcus , Wutke Martin , Haberlah‐Korr Verena
Published: July 2023

Background

Integrated pest management (IPM) uses thresholds to minimize pesticide use, and field monitoring of damaging organisms is an important component to evaluate whether or not thresholds have been breached. However, monitoring requires time and knowledge which impacts costs and benefits. In this study, we evaluated the effects of using insect pest thresholds on time effort, frequency of insecticide treatment and economics in comparison with common farm practices (business as usual) in winter wheat (WW), winter barley (WB) and winter oilseed rape (OSR). This study was done over 2 years (2018 to 2020) on 24 conventionally managed farms in North Rhine‐Westphalia (Germany).

Results

Farmers spent significantly more time (42 min ha−1/season) monitoring insect pests in OSR than in WW (16 min ha−1/season) and WB (19 min ha−1/season). The use of insecticides in OSR was significantly reduced by 42% in comparison to business as usual. In cereal crops, the use of insecticide treatment was reduced by 50% but this was not significantly different to business as usual. Yields were not significantly reduced when crops were managed in accordance with IPM, and negative differences were small and not significant. However, economically, the costs of monitoring can only be recovered when labor costs and commodity prices are low and insecticide cost is high.

Conclusion

Insect pest thresholds can help link the policy and environmental goals of insecticide reduction and the agronomic goal of production security. In the future, the time and cost required for monitoring should be reduced through intelligent solutions and tools, increasing the economic viability of monitoring and IPM. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Seasonal influence on respiratory tract infection severity including COVID‐19 quantified through Markov Chain modeling
Authors: van Wijk Rob C. , Mockeliunas Laurynas , Upton Caryn M. , Peter Jonathan , Diacon Andreas H. , Simonsson Ulrika S. H.
Published: July 2023

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are a burden to global health, but their characterization is complicated by the influence of seasonality on incidence and severity. The Re‐BCG‐CoV‐19 trial (NCT04379336) assessed BCG (re)vaccination for protection from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and recorded 958 RTIs in 574 individuals followed over 1 year. We characterized the probability of RTI occurrence and severity using a Markov model with health scores (HSs) for four states of symptom severity. Covariate analysis on the transition probability between HSs explored the influence of demographics, medical history, severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), or influenza vaccinations, which became available during the trial, SARS‐CoV‐2 serology, and epidemiology‐informed seasonal influence of infection pressure represented as regional COVID‐19 pandemic waves, as well as BCG (re)vaccination. The infection pressure reflecting the pandemic waves increased the risk of RTI symptom development, whereas the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies protected against RTI symptom development and increased the probability of symptom relief. Higher probability of symptom relief was also found in participants with African ethnicity and with male biological gender. SARS‐CoV‐2 or influenza vaccination reduced the probability of transitioning from mild to healthy symptoms. Model diagnostics over calendar‐time indicated that COVID‐19 cases were under‐reported during the first wave by an estimated 2.76‐fold. This trial was performed during the initial phase of the COVID‐19 pandemic in South Africa and the results reflect that situation. Using this unique clinical dataset of prospectively studied RTIs over the course of 1 year, our Markov Chain model was able to capture risk factors for RTI development and severity, including epidemiology‐informed infection pressure.
High‐Performance Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices Based on Microrod‐Like Structures of Calcium Phosphate (Ca2P2O7)
Authors: Asghar Ali , Chen Zhangwei , Al-Harthi Enaam A. , Hakami Jabir , Rashid Muhammad Shahid , Sultana Hafeez , Hussain Sajad , Javed Yasir , Shad Naveed Akhtar , Imran Mohd
Published: July 2023

Herein, the hydrothermal method is used to synthesize microrod‐like morphology of calcium phosphate (Ca2P2O7). The prepared electrode manifests a high specific capacitance of 1174.5 Fg−1 and a specific capacity of 807.5 Cg−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1. Finally, the potential supercapacitor electrode material shows a maximum power density of 1855.7 W kg−1 and an energy density of 55.23 Wh kg−1 at the current densities of 5 and 0.5 Ag−1, respectively with the three‐electrode system. While, the two‐electrode system exhibits a maximum power density of 1330.9 W kg−1 and an energy density of 11.7 Wh kg−1 at the current densities of 5 and 1 Ag−1, respectively. The electrode exhibits higher lifetime capacitance retention of 88.74% after 5000 cycles. The b value lies within the range of 0.68–1, which is suitable for both batteries and supercapacitors for transport application.
Regioselectivity of CH activation in cytochrome P450‐catalyzed intramolecular cyclization of alkylamine compounds
Authors: Qin Dan , Dong Lu , Jiang Xue , Yang Lijun
Published: July 2023

The reaction mechanism of cytochrome P450‐mediated intramolecular cyclization of 2‐aminoamide compounds to imidazolinone was studied by density functional theory. The cyclization reaction involves three steps: hydrogen abstraction, dehydration of intermediates to zwitterions and final ring closure. Interestingly, high spin (HS) state P450‐catalyzed dehydration exhibits a mechanism distinct from conventional processes such as in low spin state. In HS pathways, the hydroxyl group after hydrogen abstraction does not rebound but produce an intermediate, which makes the second hydrogen abstraction regioselective. Regioselectivity leads to diverse intermediates and mechanisms to zwitterion, which implies different functions of the high and low spin states P450. The alkylamine nitrogen and amide group are key groups to enables regioselectivity of in HS pathway. Small changes of molecular structure can affect the molecular transformation process, indicating the complex regulation of electronic state to reaction process. The results lay the theoretical basis for the regioselectivity determined by P450 enzyme and substrate structure together. The research establishes a foundation for the drug design, drug metabolite, and synthesis of nitrogen‐containing heterocyclic drugs.
Flexible Control of Phase and Polarization based on All‐Dielectric Metamaterials
Authors: Ke Lan , Li Chenxia , Zhang Simeng , Fang Bo , Tang Ying , Hong Zhi , Jing Xufeng
Published: July 2023

A metasurface is a planar structure that can flexibly control the polarization, phase, and amplitude of incident electromagnetic waves. An all‐dielectric hexagonal cell structure to reduce the interaction between cells and achieve efficient parametric regulation of electromagnetic waves is proposed. The single resonant transmission phase and the geometric phase are superimposed to realize the composite phase unit structure and construct a multifunctional flat metasurface device. The designed metasurface can flexibly tune the phase and polarization of incident electromagnetic waves and enable multifunctional integration phenomena, such as polarization separation, light intensity convergence, and vector light generation, on a single metasurface.
Impermeable Graphene Skin Increases the Heating Efficiency and Stability of an MXene Heating Element
Authors: Kang Dong Jun , Lee Ki Hyun , Noh Sung Hyun , Shin Hwansoo , Jeong Woojae , Lee Hyeonhoo , Seo Yeongbhin , Han Tae Hee
Published: July 2023

A Joule heater made of emerging 2D nanosheets, i.e., MXene, has the advantage of low‐voltage operation with stable heat generation owing to its highly conductive and uniformly layered structure. However, the self‐heated MXene sheets easily get oxidized in warm and moist environments, which limits their intrinsic heating efficiencies. Herein, an ultrathin graphene skin is introduced as a surface‐regulative coating on MXene to enhance its oxidative stability and Joule heating efficiency. The skin layer is deposited on MXene using a scalable solution‐phased layer‐by‐layer assembly process without deteriorating the excellent electrical conductivity of the MXene. The graphene skin comprises narrow and hydrophobic channels, which results in ≈70 times higher water impermeability of the hybrid film of graphene and MXene (GMX) than that of the pristine MXene. A complementary electrochemical analysis confirms that the graphene skin facilitates longer‐lasting protection than conventional polymer coatings owing to its tortuous pathways. In addition, the sp2 planar carbon surface with a low heat loss coefficient improves the heating efficiency of the GMX, indicating that this strategy is promising for developing adaptive heating materials with a tractable voltage range and high Joule heating efficiency.
Guest‐Stimulated Nonplanar Porphyrins in Flexible Metal−Organic Frameworks
Authors: Xu Qian , Chen Jishi , Wang Yujun , Wang Dongjuan , Xu Xianzhen , Xia Jianfei , Zhang Kou‐Lin , Zhou Xin , Fan Weidong , Wang Zonghua , Hou Chuantao , Sun Daofeng
Published: July 2023

Nonplanar porphyrins with out‐of‐plane distortions play crucial roles in many biological functions and chemical applications. The artificial construction of nonplanar porphyrins usually involves organic synthesis and modification, which is a highly comprehensive approach. However, incorporating porphyrins into guest‐stimulated flexible systems allows to manipulate the porphyrin distortion through simple ad/desorption of guest molecules. Here, a series of porphyrinic zirconium metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) is reported that exhibit guest‐stimulated breathing behavior. X‐Ray diffraction analysis and skeleton deviation plots confirm that the material suffers from porphyrin distortion to form a ruffled geometry under the desorption of guest molecules. Further investigation reveals that not only the degree of nonplanarity can be precisely manipulated but also the partial distortion of porphyrin in a single crystal grain can be readily achieved. As Lewis acidic catalyst, the MOF with nonplanar Co‐porphyrin exhibits active properties in catalyzing CO2/propylene oxide coupling reactions. This porphyrin distortion system provides a powerful tool for manipulating nonplanar porphyrins in MOFs with individual distortion profiles for various advanced applications.