bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Multifunctional Paper Using Lignocellulosic Nanofiber Reinforced Coatings
Authors: Fang Zhen , Feng Jiao , Fu Limei , Sun Changjiang , Liu Weimin , Qiao Zhuhui , Wen Yangbing
Published: October 2023

Lignocellulosic nanofiber (LCNF) has been recognized as an promising candidate for multifunctional biological coatings. In this work, LCNF was produced in a one-pot approach from high yield pulp (HYP) with different meshes using polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (DES) comprising choline chloride (ChCl) and acrylic acid (AA). The DES-treatment did not alter the chemical properties of LCNF and employment of this LCNF/DES coating endowed the paper with improved hydrophobicity, tensile-strain, and electrical conductivity. Of particular interest is that the LCNF60/DES coated paper presented outstanding fire-resistant properties. This work contributes knowledge to develop an eco-friendly and inexpensive approach by using the most abundant bioresource, lignocellulosic biomass, to produce multifunctional paper and advance the development of the application of LCNF.
Experimental Study of Multidimensional Wire-plate/sintered Hybrid Mini Heat Pipes for Electronics
Authors: Mantelli Marcia B. H. , Batista João V. , Mera Juan P. F.
Published: October 2023

The experimental study concerning new two and three dimensional mini heat pipes, proposed for cooling electronic components in printed circuit boards is presented. These heat pipes can capture the heat from electronic components and conduct it to the cabinet wall, through the narrow spaces available between boards. As the location and dissipation of the electronic components vary, several different heat pipes are necessary for a complex electronic equipment, which should operate at different temperatures and orientations. A hybrid wick structure, composed by sintered copper powder and wire-plate technologies along the device are proposed. Four different types of hybrid mini heat pipes, in up to three generations, were designed and constructed, using diffusion bonding fabrication technique. Two different testing setups were developed. First, the thermal performance of the hybrid heat pipes was accessed, resulting in the selection of the appropriated working fluid and its volume. Second, the devices were tested in rigs that mimic actual electronic equipment geometries and operational conditions. The several hybrid multidimensional heat types worked well, even against gravity. Besides, the present work shows that the wire-plate wick structure, up to this date considered only in academic studies, resulted in very flexible heat pipes, able to start up easily, in several adverse geometric and gravitational conditions, especially when combined with more conventional technologies, such as sintered porous media. Besides, the fabrication process developed that includes diffusion bonding, can be considered a novelty.
The Association of Agent Orange (AO) Exposure with Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) to Multiple Myeloma (MM) Progression: A Population-based Study of Vietnam War Era Veterans
Authors: Liu Lawrence W. , Wang Mei , Grandhi Nikhil , Schroeder Mark A. , Thomas Theodore , Vargo Kristin , Gao Feng , Sanfilippo Kristen M. , Chang Su-Hsin
Published: October 2023

Background: Herbicide and pesticide exposure (e.g., agent orange [AO]) is associated with an increased risk of multiple myeloma (MM) due to the contaminant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).​ Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is the precursor state to MM; however, not all patients with MGUS progress to MM. It is unclear whether AO exposure increases the risk of progression of MGUS to MM.
Purpose: We aimed to determine the association between AO exposure and progression to MM in a nation-wide study of U.S. Veterans with MGUS.
Patients and Methods: This is a population-based cohort study of Vietnam Era Veterans diagnosed with MGUS. A natural language processing (NLP) algorithm was used to confirm MGUS and progression to MM. The association between AO and progression was analyzed using multivariable Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model with death as a competing event. Veterans who served during the Vietnam War Era from 1/9/1962-5/7/1975 and were diagnosed with MGUS between 10/1/1999-12/31/2021 were included. We excluded patients with missing BMI values, progression within 1 year after MGUS diagnosis date, non-IgG or IgA MGUS, or birth years outside of the range of the AO exposed group, and race other than Black and White. AO exposure and service during 1/9/1962-5/7/1975 and stratified according to TCDD exposure levels by three time periods: 1/9/1962-11/30/1965 (high), 12/1/1965-12/31/1970 (medium), or 1/1/1971-5/7/1975 (low). The association between AO and progression was analyzed using multivariable Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard model with death as a competing event.
Results: We identified 10,847 Veterans with MGUS, of whom 7,996 had AO exposure. Overall, 7.4% of MGUS patients progressed to MM over a median follow-up of 5.2 years. In multivariable analysis, AO exposure from 1/9/1962-11/30/1965, high TCDD exposure, was associated with an increased risk of progression (adjusted hazard ratio 1.48; 95% confidence interval 1.02-2.16), compared to Veterans with no exposure.
Conclusions: In patients with MGUS, the high Agent Orange exposure time period is associated with a 48% increased risk of progression to multiple myeloma. This suggests that patients with MGUS and prior Agent Orange exposure or occupational exposure to TCDD (eg. Agricultural workers) may require thorough screening for plasma cell dyscrasias.
Identification of the Hub Genes Linked to Lead (IV)-Induced Spleen Toxicity Using the Rat Model
Authors: Yang Bing , Wang Zhongyuan , Hu Zhongze , Wang Shujuan , Xu Jingen , Li Xiaofeng
Published: October 2023

Exposure to lead (Pd) can have harmful effects on the organs of both humans and animals, particularly the spleen. However, the precise mechanisms through which Pd (IV) exposure leads to spleen toxicity remain unclear. Hence, this study aimed to identify the key genes and signaling pathways involved in spleen toxicity caused by Pd (IV) incubation. We obtained the dataset GSE59925 from the Gene Expression Omnibus, which included spleen samples treated with lead tetraacetate (PdAc4) as well as control samples on the 1st and 5th day after PdAc4 exposure. Through differential expression analysis, we identified 607 and 704 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the spleens on the 1st and 5th day following PdAc4 treatment, respectively, with 245 overlapping DEGs between the two time points. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the commonly shared DEGs were primarily involved in signal transduction, drug response, cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration. Pathway analysis indicated that the common DEGs were primarily associated with MAPK, TNF, cAMP, Hippo, and TGF-β signaling pathways. Furthermore, we identified hub genes such as CXCL10, PARP1, APOE, and VDR that contribute to PdAc4-induced spleen toxicity. This study enhances our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying Pd (IV) toxicity in the spleen.
Boosting Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Adaptability in Cardiac Rehabilitation with Cognitive Model
Authors: Hu Tiehan , Medeiros Elias Paulino , Yuan Ao , Wu Jingzhi , Zheng Yingfang , Jiang Xinyu , Albuquerque Victor Hugo C. , Wu Wanqing
Published: October 2023

Cardiovascular diseases have emerged as a serious threat to global human health. Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is increasingly known as a crucial component in the continuum of care for patients with cardiovascular. Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRVB) facilitates the modulation of the patient's Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) non-invasively by enabling Resonance Frequency (RF) breathing of patients, and realizes the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, which provides support to the development of CR. However, it heavily depends on the manual selection of RF and face-to-face guidance of doctors through the traditional therapies of HRVB, which results in the great constraint of HRVB in widespread application and development in home-based CR. Herein, we proposed a remote human-computer collaborative HRVB system that enabled the independent adjustment of RF, which is named "FreeResp". It gets rid of the requirement of manual adjustment of RF by utilizing a simplistic cognitive computational model. Moreover, wearable technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) were integrated to make remote treatments for patients at home possible. FreeResp exhibited commendable consistency with conventional HRVB methods in determining RF values (22/24) among 24 valid training samples. In addition, the results of the one-month home-based RF breathing training test that used FreeResp demonstrated a significant enhancement in the participants' Heart Rate Variability (HRV) (p < 0.05). Therefore, the FreeResp, as a novel healthcare system, offers timely and precise interventions for home-based patients, providing a fresh perspective for the advancement of home-based CR, and pioneering new therapeutic approaches for long-term cardiovascular health management.
Three-Dimensional Finite Element Model for FrameBeam Anchor Support Reinforcement of Frozen Soil Slopes
Authors: Cui Zhengnan , Tian Wentong , Liu Kun , Guo Dingnan , Yang Bo
Published: October 2023

To investigate the distinctive characteristics of deformation and internal force variations in frame beam anchor structure supporting frozen soil slopes during freezing-induced frost heave, a comprehensive three-dimensional finite element model was developed. This model, utilizing the Winkler elastic foundation beam theory, is engineered to examine frost heave occurrences in frame anchor structures during freezing periods. The frame beam is modeled as a homogeneous elastic Euler-Bernoulli continuous beam, while the frozen soil behind the slope is represented through simplified pre-compressed soil springs. Simultaneously, based on the heat conduction differential equation during the phase coexistence of solid and liquid in the freezing-expansion process, the freezing expansion distribution force acting on the frame beam is obtained. By employing MATLAB programming and leveraging existing engineering cases, customized calculation programs were developed and compared against numerical simulation outcomes. The findings underscore the efficacy of the proposed method in accurately portraying the free frost heave displacement of frozen soil on slopes. Lateral displacements and bending moments obtained through this approach are consistently aligned with the results of numerical simulations. Moreover, the proposed calculation method offers a swift means of assessing frost heave displacement and the stress state of frame anchor structures, requiring only a minimal set of parameters. The research outcomes not only present a comprehensive insight into the three-dimensional dynamics between frozen soil and frame anchor support structures but also provide invaluable scientific guidance for designing frame anchor slope structures in cold regions.
Towards an integrative approach of healthcare. Implementing Positive Health in three cases in the Netherlands
Authors: de Bekker Ankie , Beijer Maarten , Lemmens Lidwien
Published: October 2023

Background: The healthcare system is under tremendous pressure. One possible solution towards relieving some of this pressure is to use Positive Health, which takes ‘health’ as a starting point, rather than ‘illness’. Positive Health provides opportunities for stimulating integrated care.
Methods: Three cases in the Netherlands are studied in this paper. Their way of working with Positive Health is investigated through semi-structured and narrative interviews, using realist-evaluation and thematic analyses.
Results: Seven ‘working elements’ are identified that enhance the chances of successfully implementing Positive Health in practice (part 1). The interviews show that healthcare professionals have noticed that people adopt a healthier lifestyle and gain a greater degree of control over their own health. This boosts job satisfaction for healthcare professionals too. The organisations and professionals involved are enthusiastic about working with Positive Health, but still experience barriers (part 2).
Conclusions: The results of this study imply that implementing Positive Health in practice can facilitate collaboration between organisations and professionals from different disciplines, such as healthcare, welfare, and municipal health services. Operating from the perspective of a shared goal, professionals from different disciplines will find it easier to jointly organise activities to foster citizens’ health. Additionally, more attention is paid to non-medical problems affecting people’s well-being, such as loneliness or financial problems.
APELA promotes luteal angiogenesis through the regulation of TGF-β/SMAD3 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhao Hongru , Liu Hui , Yin Jiting , Lu Siying , Zhang Yulu , Li Yue , Zhu Jun , Cheng Yanmin , Yang Bei , Kuang Haibin
Published: October 2023

Luteal angiogenesis is absolutely required for the development and function of corpus luteum. Recently, APELA has been shown to be essential to embryonic development and angiogenesis. However, whether APELA is involved in the luteal development and angiogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we established a PMSG/hCG superovulating model and spheroid-based angiogenesis assay of HUVECs to analyze the roles of APELA through APLNR in the luteal development and angiogenesis. Our immunohistochemical results showed that APELA and APLNR were highly expressed in the ovarian corpus luteum, but their expression levels significantly decreased in the PGF2α-induced luteolysis model. ML221 treatment of APLNR antagonist could inhibit the development and endocrine function of corpus luteum as evidenced by the downregulation of luteal area and serum progesterone and estradiol and ovarian steroidogenic enzymes mRNA. Furthermore, ML221 significantly suppressed ovarian CD31 staining and expression levels of Ang2, Tie2, Vegfa and Hif1 mRNA, followed by decreased expression of ovarian P-SMAD3/SMAD3, TGFβR1 and TGFβ1 proteins. In vitro experiments demonstrated that recombinant APELA significantly increased the rate of sprouts/spheroid and sprout length and tip-cells at the extremity of sprouts, enhanced expression levels of related angiogenic factors and molecules of TGFβ signaling pathway of HUVECs. Nevertheless, ML221 cotreatment could abrogated the promotional effect of APELA. In summary, we conclude that APELA acting through APLNR has an obligatory role in the luteal angiogenesis and corpus luteum formation.
Applying Machine Learning with Tree Ensemble Methods and SHAP Values based on Routine Circulating Biomarkers to Detect Left Atrial Morphological and Functional Remodeling in Hypertension
Authors: Wang Shaobo , Pan Yu , Fu Tingting , Sun Qiaobing , Jiao Zengtao , Liu Youjun , Jiang Yinong , Liu Yan
Published: October 2023

Introduction: Hypertension induces left atrial (LA) dysfunction and stiffness. Machine learning (ML) has been increasingly used in clinical diagnosis and prognosis prediction. To detect LA stiffness using ML with tree ensemble methods and SHAP values based on clinical biomarkers which were routinely measured in hypertension.
Methods: 351 hypertensive patients were enrolled and measured LA volume (LAV) using the biplane modified Simpson’s method and LA reservoir strain (LAS-S) using 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography. The LA stiffness index (LASI) was defined as the ratio of E/eʹ to LAS-S. Four tree-based ML algorithms, including XGBoost, GBDT, Random Forest (RF), and LightGBM were used to discriminate the increased LASI (≥0.29) and LAV index (LAVI) ( ≥ 28 mL/m2) based on the routine circulating biomarkers including 38 features. We also used the SHAP values to evaluate features importance and interactions.
Results: The top 20 selected variables were used as inputs for four ML models, GBDT presented the highest AUC/ROC (0.85, 95% CI 0.70-0.94) for predicting LASI, and RF model exhibited the best AUC/ROC (0.75, CI 0.57-0.92) for predicting LAVI. SHAP summary plot was applied on GBDT or RF model to identify feature contribution to LA stiffness and LA enlargement, and SHAP also revealed the interactions between variables.
Conclusions: tree-based ML models with the SHAP method combining routine circulating biomarkers predicted LA stiffness with high accuracy. ML models can be useful to screen hypertensive patients with preclinical cardiac TOD, in order to improve personalized medical care at low cost.
Early outcome prediction (NEWS, EWSO2 and HRV) for spontaneously breathing ICU patients - A data-warehousing analysis
Authors: FERRIERE Nicolas , BODENES Laetitia , DE LONGEAUX Kahaia , LELLOUCHE François , L'HER Erwan
Published: October 2023

Purpose
Predicting models using physiological parameters have been developed for use in the emergency department. The aim of our study was to evaluate NEWS (New Early Warning Score), EWSO2 (Early Warning Score Oxygen), and Heart rate variability (HRV) as outcome predictors for spontaneously breathing patients attending the ICU.
Methods
A post-hoc analysis of a prospective datawarehousing project (ReaSTOC clinicalTrials identifier NCT 02893462). Physiological data and raw PPG curves were prospectively collected during the first 24-hrs of ICU admission. NEWS, EWSO2 and HRV were calculated and the best thresholds to predict the need for invasive ventilation and mortality were determined.
Results
From 112 patients, 8 and 18 patients died within the ICU and during their hospitalization respectively. Patients who died in ICU had a highest NEWS score as compared to ICU survivors (9,0 [5,0–11,6] vs. 6,0 [5,0–7,0]; p = 0.03), highest EWSO2 index (18,4 [15, 7–19, 8] vs. 9,0 [5, 8–20, 9], p = 0.008). Considering a composite prognostic outcome including ICU mortality and/or the need of invasive ventilation and/or a length of stay superior to the median length of stay of patients without invasive ventilation, there was also a significantly difference for NEWS, HRV and EWSO2.
Conclusion
For spontaneously breathing patients attending the ICU, NEWS, EWSO2 and HRV were significantly different in between ICU and hospital survivors and non-survivors. These parameters also enabled an early detection of subsequent additional respiratory assistance (e.g high flow oxygen, noninvasive ventilation) but not the requirement for endotracheal intubation.
Improved Gated Recurrent Units together with Fusion for Semantic Segmentation of Remote Sensing Images based on Parallel Hybrid Network
Authors: Zhou Tongchi , He Hongyu , Wang Yanzhao , Liao Yuan
Published: October 2023

Transformer together with convolutional neural network (CNN) has achieved better performance than the pure module-based methods. However, the advantages of both coding styles are not well considered, and the designed fusion modules have not achieved good effect in the aspect of remote sensing image (RSI) semantic segmentation. In this paper, to exploit local and global pixel dependencies, improved Gated Recurrent Units combined with fusion, are proposed to harness the complementary advantages of Parallel Hybrid Network for semantic segmentation of RSIs. The proposed network core is feature selection and fusion module (FSFM), which is composed by both feature selection units (FSU) and feature fusion units (FFU), named FSFM-PHN. Concretely, to precisely incorporate local and global representations, the improved reset and update gates of ConvGRU are treated as FSU and is realized the feature selection of the advantageous segmentation task. To merge the outputs from ResNet, Swin Transformer and FSU, feature fusion units (FFU) based on stack and sequential convolutional block operations is constructed. On the public Vaihingen, Potsdam and BLU datasets, the experimental results show that FSFM is effective, which outperforms state-of-the-art methods in some famous remote image semantic segmentation tasks.
Exogenous input autoregressive model based on mixed variables for offline prediction thermal errors of CNC Swiss lathes.
Authors: Wu Shan , Kong Lingfei , Wang Aokun , Lu Qianhai , Feng Xiaoyang
Published: October 2023

Accurate prediction models of thermal errors are very useful for improving the machining accuracy of machine tools; it is also the core of thermal error compensation technology. Often, it is preferable to predict thermal deformation using a dynamic model, as opposed to computational inaccuracy and non-robustness existing in the static model. Autoregressive models are one of the most commonly used dynamic models. However, the autoregressive model needs to measure the thermal error online, which can be intrusive to the production process and reduce production efficiency. This paper presents a new exogenous input autoregressive modeling approach based on mixed variables (MV-ARX) in CNC Swiss lathes. In addition, offline prediction is achieved by replacing online measurements with estimates of thermal errors. The effects of factors on thermal error, such as ambient temperature and spindle speed, are analyzed through thermal characteristic experiments. The K-means clustering method was used to select the thermal critical point, and the exogenous input autoregressive prediction model was optimized by combining the selected temperature variables with the spindle speed to improve the accuracy and robustness of offline prediction. Compared with the model based on temperature-variable autoregression (TV-ARX) and multivariate linear regression (MLR), the proposed model shows better prediction performance. The offline prediction of thermal errors also showed good performance under non-training conditions, with an offline prediction accuracy of up to 83.52%. The modeling method proposed in this work may pave the way for improving the prediction of other errors with similar nonlinear hysteresis dynamical systems.
The Taxonomy of Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) as a Teaching Strategy and Thinking Process of Chemistry Stakeholders
Authors: Mirabueno Dolores
Published: October 2023

Predict-observe-explain (POE) is a strategy being used during scientific investigations and experiments. However, POE-related studies mainly focused on its validity and reliability as a teaching strategy in classrooms. Thus, this paper extends the context of POE strategy as science process skills, as cognitive thinking skills in performing experiments, and answering scientific inquiries among chemistry stakeholders: students, teachers, and chemists. The study sees POE as a way to develop critical thinking and builds the skills needed for further academic and professional endeavors in the different fields of science. Through a constructivist grounded theory methodology using focus group discussions for students and in-depth interviews with the teachers and chemists, the study: described how students, teachers, and chemists exemplified POE strategy in terms of its process, and identified mutual patterns of POE process from the chemistry stakeholders. The study revealed that: student POE taxonomy is focused on basic processes and structures of POE; teacher POE taxonomy is a guide in their lesson planning; and chemist POE taxonomy is based on local and international compliance during experimentation. Therefore, POE is a science process skill for chemistry stakeholders where the POE taxonomy used by the chemistry stakeholders are different based on experiences, needs, and context.
Perceptions of uncertainty in medical care among non-medical citizens and nurses in Japan: A cross- sectional internet-based survey
Authors: Akiyama Naomi , Kajiwara Shihoko , Uozumi Ryuji , Akiyama Tomoya , Hayashida Kenshi , Sim Jasmine , Morikawa Mie
Published: October 2023

Background
Patient safety impacts not only patients and their relatives but also patients’ health outcomes and lives. While medical care providers make efforts to prevent medical accidents, medical care is inherently characterized by uncertainty in its processes and outcomes. This study aimed to compare tolerance of uncertainty in medical care between non-medical citizens and nurses.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional internet-based survey. Participants included 2,100 individuals (600 nurses and 1,500 non-medical citizens) from different parts of Japan, aged 20 years and above. Of these, we excluded 70 participants who were classified as non-medical citizens but were registered nurses. Finally, we analyzed data from 2,030 participants (600 nurses and 1,430 non-medical citizens). Three registered nurses and nursing researchers developed an original questionnaire on tolerance of uncertainty in medical care. Data regarding participants’ characteristics (age, sex, education level, marital status, having children, population size of the residential area, medical care usage, and occupation) were obtained. We conducted a one-way analysis of variance to compare data from non-medical citizens and nurses and used a multiple regression model to investigate the factors related to the scores of tolerance of uncertainty in medical care.
Results
A high percentage of participants were aged 40−50 years (n = 745, 36.7%); the sample mostly consisted of female participants (n = 1,210, 59.6%) and had a higher percentage of medical care users (n = 1,309, 64.5%). Non-medical citizens were found to be less tolerant of uncertainty than nurses, and uncertainty scores were associated with medical care usage, occupation, and population size of the residential area.
Conclusions
Our results indicated differences in the perceptions of uncertainty in medical care between non-medical citizens and medical care providers. To reduce conflicts related to medical issues, medical care providers need to improve citizen education regarding perceptions of uncertainty in medical care.
Real-world behavioral practices of cancer patients: time to shift from health related-QoL to real-life-QoL
Authors: Shachar Eliya , Peleg-Hasson Shira , Vorobiof Daniel , Moisa Noy , Waller Emanuel , Safra Tamar , Wolf Ido
Published: October 2023

Background
Health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) is an assessments tool commonly used as an endpoint in clinical trials. While it evaluates the presence of various symptoms, it does not measure patients’ ability to maintain normal daily activities during cancer therapy. We designed a real-life quality of life (RL-QoL) tool, validated among a cohort of actively treated cancer patients at a single cancer center prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using this tool we discovered that most patients reported compromised daily activities. In this study we aimed to examine RL-QoL in an international cohort of patients.
Methods
A locally validated questionnaire was distributed internationally using the Belong.life digital health platform. We examined real-world patient reported practices, provided by patients voluntarily and anonymously. The survey consisted of demographic, clinical, behavioral parameters and sources guiding and supporting patient practices. Independent clinical and demographic variables were analyzed, and a multivariate logistic regression was performed identifying factors predicting restrictive behavior.
Results
The study comprised 1,395 patient reported outcomes. Most respondents were from the United Stated (1142, 78.43%), 225 (15.45%) from Israel, and a minority (89, 6.11%) from other countries. The majority of participants (1,005, 72.88%) reported at least one adopted limitation in daily activities, and 305 (21.86%) maintained more than half of these constraints. Daily life restrictions included avoiding sun exposure (779, 57.83%), international travel (417, 33.33%), indoor public places (431, 33.13%), hair dyeing (271, 22.72%), domestic tourism (284, 21.93%), contact with friends and family (231, 17.69%), children and grandchildren (202, 16.33%), outdoor public spaces (190, 14.62%), and contact with pets (135, 10.41%). Multiple sources were implicated by patients guiding their behavior, including health-care professionals (951, 65.95%), non-medical authorities including the internet, patient forums, partners, friends, and family (171, 11.86%), and both non-medical authorities and the health-care team (320, 22.19%).
There was no association between country of origin (p=0.118), and education level (p=0.3591) across patients who maintained strict (≥50% of the limitations) and less strict restrictions (<50% of the limitations). A significant association was noted between younger age (p=0.0014), female sex (p=0.0141) and primary cancer site (p<0.0001), and the adoption of strict restrictions.
Conclusion
The majority of patients globally reported compromised daily activities, which are likely attributed to misconceptions about therapy and disease. These findings call for the assessment of an overlooked measure, RL-QoL, as an additional endpoint of clinical trials, aiming to achieve the ultimate benefit for our patients, a measure of a full and meaningful life.
Electrolyte Disorders Induced by Multikinase Inhibitors Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma：A Large-Scale Pharmacovigilance Analysis
Authors: She Xianhua , Wang Shuyun , Yin Donghong , Wang Xuyan
Published: October 2023

Objective
To provide evidence for optimization of multi-kinase inhibitors (MKIs) use in the clinic, we use the public database to describe and evaluate electrolyte disorders related to various MKIs treated for renal cell carcinoma.
Methods
We analyzed spontaneous reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) in an observational and retrospective manner. Selecting electrolyte disorders' adverse events to multikinase inhibitors (axitinib, cabozantinib, lenvatinib, pazopanib, sunitinib, and sorafenib). We used Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and multi-item gamma Poisson shrinker (MGPS) algorithms to analyze suspected adverse reactions of electrolyte disorders induced by MKIs (which were treated for renal cell carcinoma) between January 2004 and December 2022.
Results
As of December 2022, 2772 MKIs (which were treated for renal cell carcinoma) ICSRs were related to electrolyte disorders AEs. In general, there were more ADR cases in males, except lenvatinib and 71.8% of the cases were submitted from North America. ICSRs in this study, the age group most frequently affected by electrolyte disorders AEs was individuals aged 45–64 years for axitinib, cabozantinib, pazopanib, and sunitinib, whereas electrolyte disorders AEs were more common in older patients (65–74 years) for sorafenib and lenvatinib. For all EDs documented in ICSRs (excluding missing data), the most common adverse outcome was hospitalization(1429/2674, 53.4%), and the most serious outcome was death/life-threat(281/2674, 10.5%). The prevalence of mortality was highest for sunitinib-related EDs (145/616, 23.5%), excluding missing data (n = 68), followed by cabozantinib-related EDs (20/237, 8.4%), excluding missing data (n = 1). The distribution of time-to-onset of Each drug-related ICSRs was not all the same, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). With the criteria of ROR, the six MKIs were all significantly associated with electrolyte disorders AEs, the strongest association was the association between cabozantinib and hypermagnesaemia.
Conclusions
MKIs have been reported to have significant electrolyte disorders side effects. Patients and physicians need to recognize and monitor these potentially fatal adverse events.
Application of the fractional-rational functions for quantitative description of the basic principal components in voltammetric analysis of different apple juices by “electronic tongue".
Authors: Sidelnikov Artem , Nigmatullin Raoul , Budnikov Herman , Saburova Yulia , Mustafin Akhat , Bizhanova Guliya
Published: October 2023

For the purposes of a food chemistry, it is important to differentiate of complex liquids (as gels, emulsions, juices etc.) from each other. This paper presents for the first time a temporal approach to the study of the voltammetric behavior of multicomponent mixtures with implicit peaks of oxidation/reduction of electroactive components in the initial voltammetric data. It is shown that it is possible to structure voltammograms to obtain characteristic analytical signals due to the peculiarity of the evolution of the electrochemical electrode/solution system with their multiple functioning. Electrochemical analysis of the voltammograms and their subsequent processing with the help of principal component analysis (PCA) gives only qualitative picture. This method helps to differentiate the different components and separate them identifying different correlations. For the food industry it is very desirable to receive a set of quantitative parameters (not exceeding 20) in the significance/feature space that would separate one complex fluid from another one. The careful analysis helps to propose the class of fractional-rational functions allowing to solve this separation problem quantitavely.
Isolation and Characterization of Salt and Temperature Tolerant Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria for Enhancing Tomato Plant Growth in Saline Environments
Authors: . SATYAM , Head A. M. Navale , Kolase S.V
Published: October 2023

The present study was focused on isolation, selection and characterization of salt and temperature tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from rhizosphere soil of tomato. A total of 46 isolates were developed on Ashby's Mannitol agar media out of 138 rhizobacteria. The medium was supplied with various NaCl concentrations, MgCl2 concentrations, and pH levels to examine the tolerance to salt and temperature. All the forty six isolates showed promising salt tolerance. Out of forty six isolates, nine isolates were extremely salt tolerant (more than 5.4% salt tolerance limit). Two isolate were tolerant to NaCl concentration (2.10–3.6% salt). Nine isolates were moderately tolerant to NaCl concentration (0.09–1.50% salt). Twenty six isolates were moderately sensitive to NaCl concentration (0.15–0.60% salt). On the basis of the salt tolerance limit, rhizobacteria that promote plant growth in salt and temperature-tolerant environments were categorized. Out of forty six isolates, eight isolates showed growth at MgCl2 concentration of 4.0%, two isolates showed growth at 3.0% MgCl2 concentration, thirteen isolates showed growth at 2.0% MgCl2, fifteen isolates showed growth at 1.0% MgCl2 and eight isolates showed growth on 0.5% MgCl2 concentration. Out of the 46 isolates, eight showed growth at pH of 9.0, whereas the other 38 showed development at pH of 7.0. The plant growth promoting activity test was positive for four isolates (Pseudomonas furukawaii STT-A8, Achromobacter sp. STTA-12, Agrobacterium pusense STT-A24, and Agrobacterium pusense STT-A39) out of the forty six total isolates. Pseudomonas furukawaii STT-A8, Achromobacter sp. STT-A12 Shown temperature tolerance limit at 600c and Agrobacterium pusense STT-A24 and Agrobacterium pusense STT-A39 shown temperature tolerance limit at 500c. The experiment was done in order to isolate, pick out, and characterize salt and temperature tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria that would be a crucial inoculum to enhance tomato plant growth and development in a salty environment. There is currently need to develop highly salt and temperature tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacterial consortium.
Experimental Investigation of Microparticle Focusing in SiO2 Nanofluids Inside Curvilinear Microchannels
Authors: Nikdoost Arsalan , Rezai Pouya
Published: October 2023

Curvilinear microchannels have enabled high throughput sized-based separation and manipulation of microparticles. Real life applications usually deal with fluid’s non-Newtonian behavior, where particles dynamics are altered compared to Newtonian mediums. Despite multiple reports on particle manipulation in shear-thinning fluids, no fundamental experimental investigation has been reported on microparticle focusing behavior inside shear-thickening fluids such as metallic oxide nanofluids in water (e.g., SiO2-water). These nanofluids pose unique thermal characteristics and exhibit a drastic increase in viscosity as the shear rate rises in the microchannel. Here, we investigate the particle focusing behavior of co-flows of SiO2 nanofluids inside curved microchannels with various channel widths and radii of curvature. We also report on the effect of nanofluid concentration, fluid axial velocity, and the particle size on particle migration. We observed a behavioral change in particle migration in SiO2 nanofluids, where the shear-dependent effect could enhance the particle focusing at lower flow rates. Moreover, the dominance of Dean drag at higher axial velocities would dominate the particle migration and transfer them towards two focusing peaks close to the sidewalls. A thorough investigation of particle behavior in nanofluids inside curved microchannels could enable future applications in heat exchangers, solar energy collectors, and nanoplastic detection.
Economic Policy Uncertainty and Enterprise Export Resilience in China: Dose the Digital Economy Matter?
Authors: Zhu Xiugang , Ye Yunxin
Published: October 2023

Global economic uncertainty is increasing, and the new round of industrial revolution is developing. With the development of the digital economy, it is crucial to clarify the relationship between economic policy uncertainty and the export resilience of enterprises to build a new development pattern. Based on existing theories, this paper empirically analyzes the weakening effect of economic policy uncertainty on firms' export resilience. The study finds that economic policy uncertainty caused by external shocks significantly weakens the export resilience of firms by increasing export transaction costs. It also explores the impact of the development of the digital economy on this weakening effect with Chinese micro-level data. The results show that the development of the digital economy mitigates this weakening effect, and this mitigation effect is more obvious for high-efficiency firms. The findings provide some policy references for understanding the impact of the digital economy on export resilience and promoting the digital economy to achieve high-quality development.
Cost-effective massive computational speedups in simulations of high dimensional dynamical systems
Authors: Biswas Dhrubajyoti , Gupta Sayan
Published: October 2023

High dimensional dynamical systems involve a large number of coupled, generally nonlinear, differential equations that are computationally intensive to simulate, thus requiring expensive computational resources. This paper presents a novel strategy for numerically integrating such systems by utilizing cheaper gaming GPUs and mixed-precision computations. This is facilitated by exploiting the higher single-precision floating-point throughput of gaming GPUs and their relatively cheaper costs which enable packing multiple gaming GPUs into a single compute node. Appropriately parallelizing the algorithm and using mixed-precision computation enables massive computational speedup without severely compromising on accuracy. The potential of these developments is illustrated through a representative high dimensional dynamical system which shows a massive speedup over serial execution, even exceeding 1000-fold for larger-scale systems. These developments have the potential to make a substantial impact on the simulation and exploration of dynamical systems at massive scales without the need for expensive hardware resources.
Contact-electro-catalytic CO2 reduction from ambient air
Authors: Li Zibiao , Wang Nannan , Jiang Wenbin , Yang Jing , Wang Sheng , Li Bofan , Heng Jerry Zhi Xiong , Ong Wai Chung , Tan Hui Ru , Zhang Yong-Wei , Wang Daoai , Ye Enyi
Published: October 2023

Traditional catalytic techniques often encounter obstacles in the search for sustainable solutions for converting CO2 into value-added products because of their high energy consumption and expensive catalysts. Here, we introduce a novel contact-electro- catalysis approach for CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), achieving an exceptional CO Faradaic efficiency of 96.24%. The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is made up of electrospun PVDF loaded with single Cu atoms-anchored polymeric carbon nitride (Cu-PCN) catalysts and quaternized cellulose nanofibers (CNF) with strong CO2 adsorption capabilities, allowing CO2RR even at extremely low CO2 concentrations in the ambient air. In compared to the state-of-the-art air-based CO2RR technologies, the contact-electro-catalysis induced CO production attains a record-breaking yield of 33 μmolg-1h-1. Mechanistic investigation shows that chemical adsorption between quaternized CNF and CO2 occurs, allowing for effective CO2 capture in low-concentration conditions. More intriguingly, the single-atom copper in Cu-PCN loaded on PVDF fibers can effectively enrich electrons in triboelectrification, promoting CO2RR. This ground-breaking technique provides a game-changing solution for significantly reducing airborne CO2 emissions while advancing chemical sustainability strategy.
Memristor Crossbar Scaling Limits and the Implementation of Large Neural Networks
Authors: Hasan Raqibul
Published: October 2023

Memristor crossbar-based neural networks perform parallel operation in the analog domain. Ex-situ training approach needs to program the predetermined resistance values to the memristor crossbar. Because of the stochasticity of the memristor devices, programming a memristor needs to read the device resistance value iteratively. Reading a single memristor in a crossbar (without isolation transistor) is challenging due to the sneak path current. Programming a memristor in a crossbar to either RON or ROFF state is relatively straightforward. A neural network implemented using higher precision weights provides higher classification accuracy compared to a Ternary Neural Network (TNN). This paper demonstrates the implementation of memristor-based neural networks using only the two resistance values (RON, ROFF). We have considered the crossbar scaling limits and proposed a novel technique to implement a large neural network using multiple smaller crossbar arrays. We have proposed novel neuron circuits to achieve higher weight precision. Our experimental result shows that the proposed higher precision synapses are easy to program and provide better classification accuracy compared to a TNN. Proposed technique of implementing a large neural network on memristor crossbar circuits has a slight loss in the classification accuracy compared to the software implementation. But the memristor-based implementation uses only 51.7% of the synapses used in the software implementation.
Your language drives me nuts! Fostering Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles
Authors: Tapia Jose L. , Sánchez-Borda David , Iniesta Carmen , Badea Francisco , Duñabeitia Jon Andoni
Published: October 2023

The societal integration of autonomous vehicles (AVs) hinges significantly on public acceptance, intricately tied to individuals' emotional responses and perceptions. This study delves into the emotional components influencing AV acceptance among the Spanish population, employing a three-pronged methodological approach: lexical selection tasks, a virtual simulation of AV experience, and a questionnaire. This multi-faceted approach enables exploration beyond conventional attitude measures, tapping into the subtle emotional reactions and lexical choices individuals exhibit in response to AVs. We evaluated participants' acceptance across three domains: knowledge about AVs, perception of autonomous driving, and perceived safety during driving, with a particular focus on lexical-emotional analysis post-simulation exposure. Our findings underscore significant gender disparities in AV acceptance, with women exhibiting less knowledge and comfort towards AV technology. The simulation exposure notably enhanced participants' understanding and elicited more positive lexical-emotional responses post-experience. This study highlights the potential of lexical selection tasks in unearthing the emotional nuances influencing AV perception and acceptance, advocating for a broader approach in studying public acceptance of emerging technologies. The insights from this study provide guidance for devising targeted awareness campaigns and immersive experiences to foster a more favorable public disposition towards AVs, considering demographic variances. Future research should apply this methodological framework to diverse populations to further explore the emotional lexicon and its impact on AV acceptance.
Evaluating Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation Services Among Injured Workers Treated in a Canadian Workers’ Compensation System: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Brehon Katelyn , Nagra Gagan , Miciak Maxi , Niemeläinen Riikka , Gross Douglas P.
Published: October 2023

Purpose
To evaluate the effectiveness of telerehabilitation for promoting return-to-work (RTW) among injured workers.
Methods
We conducted a pragmatic, quasi-experimental study comparing telerehabilitation, in-person, or hybrid services. Descriptive statistics analyzed demographics, occupational factors, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). ANOVAs and Kruskal-Wallis tests investigated differences between mode of delivery and changes in PROM scores. Logistic and Cox proportional hazard regression examined associations between mode of delivery and RTW status or days receiving wage replacement benefits in the first year post-discharge, respectively, while controlling for potential confounders.
Results
A slight majority of 3,708 worker sample were male (52.8%). Mean (standard deviation (SD)) age across all delivery formats was 45.5 (12.5) years. Edmonton zone had the highest amount of telerehabilitation delivery (53.5%). The majority of workers had their program delivered in a hybrid format (54.1%) and returned to work (74.4%) at discharge. All PROMs showed improvement although differences across delivery formats were not clinically meaningful. Delivery via telerehabilitation had significantly lower odds of RTW at discharge (Odds Ratio: 0.82, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.70–0.97) and a significantly lower risk of experiencing suspension of wage replacement benefits in the first year following discharge (Hazard Ratio: 0.92, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.84–0.99). Associations were no longer significant when confounders were controlled for.
Conclusion
RTW outcomes were not statistically different across delivery formats, suggesting that telerehabilitation is a novel strategy that may improve equitable access and earlier engagement in occupational rehabilitation. Factors such as gender and geographic location should be considered when deciding on service delivery format.