bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How well do nurses know their patients? Agreement between patients' degree‐of‐worry and nurses' estimation of patients' degree‐of‐worry—An observational study
Authors: Gamst‐Jensen Hejdi , Trondarson Tordis , Kallemose Thomas , Poulsen Ingrid
Published: January 2023

Aim

To assess the agreement between patients' self‐reported degree‐of‐worry (DOW) and nurses' evaluation of patients' DOW.

Design

An observational cohort study with patients and their primary nurses.

Methods

Between 22 February and 27 March 2021, data collection among patients and their nurses in an emergency department was carried out. Patients ≥18 years, cognitively intact and Danish or English speaking were eligible to participate. Nurses regardless of seniority and gender were eligible for participation. The single‐item degree‐of‐worry measure, ‘how worried are you about the condition you are here today on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is minimally worried and 10 is maximum worried’ as well as information on gender, age, co‐morbidity, triage level and medical reason for encounter was collected from patients. The corresponding nurses were asked; ‘how worried do you think your patient is about the condition he/she is there today on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is minimally worried and 10 is maximum worried?’ Nurses also supplied data on gender, age, seniority as a Registered Nurse and in the ED. Agreement between patients' self‐reported degree‐of‐worry and nurses' evaluation of patients' degree‐of‐worry was assessed with weighted Cohen's Kappa.

Results

A total of 194 patient–nurse pairs were included for analysis. The agreement between patients' DOW and nurses' evaluation of patients' DOW categorised as DOWlow, DOWmiddle and DOWhigh was in total agreement in n = 85 pairs (43.8%) of the ratings, which corresponds to a weighted Cohen's Kappa of 0.19 (0.08–0.30; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Nurses estimate of their patients' DOW was in very poor agreement. This indicates that nurses are not able to assess the patient's DOW to a satisfactory level. This result is troubling as it may have serious consequences for patient care as it indicates that the nurses do not know their patients' perspectives.
Technological socialities: The impact of information and communication technologies on belonging among deaf and hard‐of‐hearing people
Authors: Ahlin Tanja , Hiddinga Anja
Published: January 2023

This review article examines how different types of communication technologies, from the specialized medical to generic social devices, influence belonging and sociality among deaf and hard‐of‐hearing (DHH) people. The emphasis is on DHH adolescents and young adults who may be impacted differently across countries, given state‐specific policies regarding the status of sign language and deaf education, and based on different availability, affordability, and accessibility of communication technologies. We introduce different perspectives on deafness, ranging from pathological to cultural, a heuristic on which we build to explore DHH socialities as complex and evolving. We then analytically review ethnographic research on how cochlear implants impact DHH people's belonging to the “deaf world” and/or the “hearing world,” and how they navigate between these worlds. Then we move on to technologies such as text messages and social media, which enable DHH people to extend their socialities beyond local communities. Belonging is a fluid phenomenon, and technologies which are in a constant process of innovation and development may influence it in complex ways. We argue that to explore questions of belonging, identity, and sociality among DHH people, and how they are shaped by technologies, (visual) ethnographic methods are particularly productive.
The coordinated regulation of early meiotic stages is dominated by non‐coding RNAs and stage‐specific transcription in wheat
Authors: Jiang Yunfei , N'Diaye Amidou , Koh Chu Shin , Quilichini Teagen D. , Shunmugam Arun S. K. , Kirzinger Morgan W. , Konkin David , Bekkaoui Yasmina , Sari Ehsan , Pasha Asher , Esteban Eddi , Provart Nicholas J. , Higgins James D. , Rozwadowski Kevin , Sharpe Andrew G. , Pozniak Curtis J. , Kagale Sateesh
Published: January 2023

Reproductive success hinges on precisely coordinated meiosis, yet our understanding of how structural rearrangements of chromatin and phase transitions during meiosis are transcriptionally regulated is limited. In crop plants, detailed analysis of the meiotic transcriptome could identify regulatory genes and epigenetic regulators that can be targeted to increase recombination rates and broaden genetic variation, as well as provide a resource for comparison among eukaryotes of different taxa to answer outstanding questions about meiosis. We conducted a meiotic stage‐specific analysis of messenger RNA (mRNA), small non‐coding RNA (sncRNA), and long intervening/intergenic non‐coding RNA (lincRNA) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and revealed novel mechanisms of meiotic transcriptional regulation and meiosis‐specific transcripts. Amidst general repression of mRNA expression, significant enrichment of ncRNAs was identified during prophase I relative to vegetative cells. The core meiotic transcriptome was comprised of 9309 meiosis‐specific transcripts, 48 134 previously unannotated meiotic transcripts, and many known and novel ncRNAs differentially expressed at specific stages. The abundant meiotic sncRNAs controlled the reprogramming of central metabolic pathways by targeting genes involved in photosynthesis, glycolysis, hormone biosynthesis, and cellular homeostasis, and lincRNAs enhanced the expression of nearby genes. Alternative splicing was not evident in this polyploid species, but isoforms were switched at phase transitions. The novel, stage‐specific regulatory controls uncovered here challenge the conventional understanding of this crucial biological process and provide a new resource of requisite knowledge for those aiming to directly modulate meiosis to improve crop plants. The wheat meiosis transcriptome dataset can be queried for genes of interest using an eFP browser located at https://bar.utoronto.ca/efp_wheat/cgi-bin/efpWeb.cgi?dataSource=Wheat_Meiosis.
Physical Testing Campaign Facilitating Validation of Welded Steel Structures by Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Eriksson Martin , Nyberg Magnus , Andersen Michael , Nielsen Jørgen , Tychsen Jesper
Published: January 2023

Non-linear finite element (FE) analysis is a powerful tool for determination of ultimate capacities of steel components. To produce reliable predictions of structural strength, it is of fundamental importance that non-linear finite element analyses are based on a validated methodology. This paper focuses on physical test campaigns, which are designed with the purpose of providing an experimental foundation for calibrated and validated non-linear finite element assessments of plated components, which form part of typical offshore structures. The experimental work discussed in the current paper is a continuation of the experiments of tubular members and joints, which were carried out by Maersk Oil in the late nineties. The objective is that the two-test campaigns together shall allow for development of a non-linear finite element methodology with calibrated failure criteria providing either characteristic or mean level of capacity/response for the main details in typical offshore structures. This paper particularly focuses on the testing campaign completed in 2017 which forms the basis for the calibration of the failure criteria covering plated sections.
Heat Transfer and Entropy Generation Analysis of a Curved Solar Air Heater With a Sinusoidal Absorber Plate
Authors: Katoch Harsh , Rathore Sushil Kumar , Mund Chinmaya
Published: January 2023

Recently, many studies have reported that a curved solar air heater (CSAH) performs better than a conventional flat SAH without using any extra material. It only requires geometrical modification. The present investigation is a two-dimensional numerical study of flow, heat transfer, and entropy generation characteristics of a CSAH having a sinusoidal profile absorber plate. Reynolds number (Re) and relative roughness pitch (λ/a) have been varied from 3800 to 18,000 and 7.143 to 17.857, respectively, while keeping the value of relative roughness height (a/Dh) at 0.042. The finite volume method (FVM) and SST k–ω model have been used to solve the governing equations. The average Nusselt number and average friction factor have been calculated to find the thermo-hydraulic performance parameter (THPP), which further helped determine the optimal arrangement of the number of sinusoidal waves in the absorber plate of the SAH. The maximum value of THPP developed with the proposed setup was found to be 5.9778. Turbulent flow features have been represented in the form of contours. Correlations have also been developed for Nuavg_r and favg_r as a function of Re and λ/a. Entropy generation per unit length due to heat transfer and fluid friction has been graphically represented.
Rapid Computation of Resonant Frequencies for Nonproportionally Damped Systems Using Dual Oscillators
Authors: Sanders John W. , Inman Daniel J.
Published: January 2023

Many oscillatory systems of engineering and scientific interest (e.g., mechanical metastructures) exhibit nonproportional damping, wherein the mass-normalized damping and stiffness matrices do not commute. A new modal analysis technique for nonproportionally damped systems, referred to as the “dual-oscillator approach to complex-stiffness damping,” was recently proposed as an alternative to the current standard method originally developed by Foss and Traill-Nash. This article presents a critical comparison of the two approaches, with particular emphasis on the time required to compute the resonant frequencies of nonproportionally damped linear systems. It is shown that, for degrees-of-freedom greater than or equal to nine, the dual-oscillator approach is significantly faster (on average) than the conventional approach, and that the relative computation speed actually improves with the system’s degree-of-freedom. With 145 degrees-of-freedom, for example, the dual-oscillator approach is about 25% faster than the traditional approach. The difference between the two approaches is statistically significant, with attained significance levels less than machine precision. This suggests that the dual-oscillator approach is the faster of the two algorithms for computing resonant frequencies of nonproportionally damped discrete linear systems with large degrees-of-freedom, at least within the limits of the present study. The approach is illustrated by application to a model system representative of a mechanical metastructure.
The Effect of Part and Whole Practice on Learning Lay-Up Shot Skill in Young and Adolescent Male Students
Authors: Moradi Jalil , Maleki Mohammad , Moradi Hadi
Published: January 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effect of part and whole practice on learning basketball lay-up shot skill in young and adolescent male students. Participants were randomly divided into four groups of part and whole practice, namely, part practice-young, whole practice-young, part practice-adolescent, and whole practice-adolescent. After a pretest in basketball lay-up shot test, the training protocol was held for 5 weeks (three sessions per week). After the last training session, the posttest was taken, and 1 week after the posttest, a retention test was performed. The results in the acquisition stage showed a significant difference between the four groups (p = .03). The post hoc test results showed that there was no significant difference between the part and whole practice groups. Also, in the retention phase, there was no significant difference between the groups. However, the part practice-young group performed better than the whole practice-young group, while the whole practice-adolescent group performed better than the part practice-adolescent. According to the research findings, it can be concluded that age is probably not an effective factor in the effectiveness of part and whole practice in learning basketball lay-up shot. However, more research with more practice trials is needed in this regard.
A Staphylococcal Glucosaminidase Drives Inflammatory Responses by Processing Peptidoglycan Chains to Physiological Lengths
Authors: Resko Zachary J. , Anderson Caleb M. , Federle Michael J. , Alonzo Francis
Published: January 2023

The peptidoglycan of
Staphylococcus aureus
is a critical cell envelope constituent and virulence factor that subverts host immune defenses and provides protection against environmental stressors. Peptidoglycan chains of the
S. aureus
cell wall are processed to characteristically short lengths by the glucosaminidase SagB.
Synchronized Swarmers and Sticky Stalks: Caulobacter crescentus as a Model for Bacterial Cell Biology
Authors: Barrows Jordan M. , Goley Erin D.
Published: January 2023

First isolated and classified in the 1960s,
Caulobacter crescentus
has been instrumental in the study of bacterial cell biology and differentiation.
C. crescentus
is a Gram-negative alphaproteobacterium that exhibits a dimorphic life cycle composed of two distinct cell types: a motile swarmer cell and a nonmotile, division-competent stalked cell. Progression through the cell cycle is accentuated by tightly controlled biogenesis of appendages, morphological transitions, and distinct localization of developmental regulators.
Leptotrichia
Bacteremia: 10-Year Retrospective Clinical Analysis and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Profiles
Authors: Ranganath Nischal , Shirley Joshua D. , Challener Douglas W. , Stevens Ryan W. , Kind Dalton R. , Comba Isin Y. , Patel Robin , Schuetz Audrey N. , Shah Aditya S.
Published: January 2023

Leptotrichia
species are anaerobic, Gram-negative bacilli increasingly recognized as pathogens capable of causing invasive infections such as bloodstream infection (BSI), particularly among immunocompromised patients. However, there is a paucity of data regarding epidemiology, antimicrobial susceptibility, optimal treatment, and clinical outcomes among patients with
Leptotrichia
bacteremia.
Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Determination of Systemic MIC Breakpoints for Intermittent, Extended, and Continuous Infusion Dosage Regimens of Mecillinam
Authors: Koumaki Vasiliki , Dokoumetzidis Aristides , Angelerou Maria Galini Faidra , Baka Stavroula , Balakrishnan Indran , Tsakris Athanasios
Published: January 2023

Previous studies have shown that intravenous mecillinam might be suitable for treatment of urosepsis. Since multidrug-resistant
Enterobacterales
are common pathogens in such infections, an effort was made to delineate intermittent, extended, and continuous infusion regimens that could cover pathogens exhibiting relatively higher mecillinam MICs than the wild-type strains.
Development and Application of a Short Tandem Repeat Multiplex Typing Assay for Candida tropicalis
Authors: Spruijtenburg Bram , van Haren Merlijn H. I. , Chowdhary Anuradha , Meis Jacques F. , de Groot Theun
Published: January 2023

Candida tropicalis
frequently causes candidemia in immunocompromised patients.
C. tropicalis
infections have a high mortality rate, and the yeast is able to cause outbreaks in health care facilities. Further, antifungal resistant isolates are on the rise.
Anomalous Picosecond Optical Transmittance Dynamics in Au-Bi:YIG Hybrid Metasurface
Authors: Kiryanov M. A. , Ostanin G. S. , Dolgova T. V. , Inoue M. , Fedyanin A. A.
Published: January 2023

The sub- and picosecond optical response dynamics of the metal–dielectric metasurface based on gold nanospheres placed in a layer of bismuth-substituted yttrium iron garnet has been studied via the pump–probe femtosecond spectroscopy with time resolution. It is shown that the plasmon modes of the metasurface demonstrate bulk gold dynamics, while the observed relaxation of the polariton mode is slowed down by several picoseconds. The difference arise because of the detection of different processes at the wavelengths of the plasmon and polariton modes by the probe beam.
Descriptive epidemiology of the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe 2018–2019: role of multi-sectorial approach in cholera epidemic control
Authors: Mashe Tapfumanei , Chaibva Blessmore V , Nair Parvati , Sani Khalil A , Jallow Musa , Tarupiwa Andrew , Goredema Alexander , Munyanyi Manes , Chimusoro Anderson , Mpala Nkosilathi , Masunda Kudzai P E , Duri Clemence , Chonzi Prosper , Phiri Isaac
Published: January 2023

Objectives

This study was conducted to explore the epidemiology and microbiological pattern of the cholera outbreaks that occurred in Zimbabwe from 2018 to 2019.

Study setting and design

This descriptive study used secondary data of 9971 out of 10 730 suspected cases from the Zimbabwean National Diseases Surveillance system and microbiology data of 241 out of 371 patients from the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory in Harare, for the period 5 September 2018 and 3 January 2019. Descriptive analysis was performed to describe the characteristics of the outbreak in terms of person, place and time.

Results

A cumulative total of 10 730 suspected, 371 laboratory-confirmed cholera cases and 68 deaths were reported in Zimbabwe through the situation analysis report (sitrep). The attack rate during the outbreak was 174.6 per 100 000 with a case fatality rate of 0.63%. Most cases seen were among adults from Harare province. Antimicrobial sensitivity testing results showed that a multidrug resistant strain ofVibrio choleraeO1, Ogawa serotype was responsible for the outbreak. The treatment of cases was changed from the standard recommended medicine ciprofloxacin to azithromycin as confirmed by the antimicrobial sensitivity test results. Strategies employed to contain the outbreak included mass oral cholera vaccination in the hotspot areas of Harare, provision of improved and appropriate sanitation measures, provision of safe and adequate water, chlorination of water and improved waste management practice.

Conclusions

The recurrence of a cholera outbreak is a global concern, especially with the emergence of multi-drug resistant strains of the causal organism. Improving water, sanitation, hygiene infrastructure, health system strengthening measures and inter-sectoral collaboration in responding to the cholera outbreak was key to controlling the outbreak.
Interventions facilitating the involvement of relatives of patients with acquired brain injury or malignant brain tumour through the course of disease: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Guldager Rikke , Nordentoft Sara , Aadal Lena , Loft Mia Ingerslev , Vilhelmsen Maria Amalie , Poulsen Ingrid
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Research identifying the needs of relatives of patients with an acquired brain injury or malignant brain tumours is emerging, and the importance of relative involvement is widely acknowledged. However, the intention of involvement does not seem to be present in current practice and healthcare professionals’ routines. The complexity of involvement of relatives is comprehensive, and there is a lack of overview of interventions facilitating and enhancing involvement of relatives. This scoping review aims to identify and map the available evidence on interventions facilitating involvement of relatives of patients with acquired brain injury or malignant brain tumour throughout the disease trajectory.

Methods and analysis

The proposed scoping review will be performed following the Joanna Briggs Institute’s methodology for scoping reviews. Published and unpublished literature in English, Scandinavian and German from January 2010 to August 2022 will be considered. The searches will be conducted using electronic bibliographic databases. This scoping review will consider studies describing interventions provided by multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. The key aspects of the interventions could, for example, be educational, informational, emotional, social or physical support aiming towards involvement of the relatives. This scoping review will consider all study designs, except for literature reviews of all types and designs. The data will be extracted using a data extraction tool developed to record specific data, including details of authors, year of publication, country, setting, study population, study design and key aspects of the intervention (mode, duration, intensity, provider) and type of primary and secondary outcomes applied to measure the interventions. The results will be presented in tabular form, accompanied by a descriptive summary related to the objective of the present scoping review.

Ethics and dissemination

This scoping review is conducted as part of a larger postdoc project, which has been approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency (ID P-2020–547). The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal and presented at local, national and international conferences on brain injuries and brain cancer.
Association between preoperative autonomic nervous system function and post-induction hypotension in elderly patients: a protocol for a cohort study
Authors: Cui Quexuan , Che Lu , Zang Han , Yu Jiawen , Xu Li , Huang Yuguang
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Post-induction hypotension (PIH), which is prevalent among elderly patients, is associated with adverse perioperative outcomes. As a critical part of blood pressure regulation, baroreflex control is believed to be closely related to intraoperative blood pressure fluctuations. Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity and heart rate variability measurement can aid evaluation of patients’ autonomic function. This study aims to determine the association between preoperative decreased baroreflex function and PIH in elderly patients.

Methods and analysis

This prospective cohort study will enrol patients who are 65 years old and above, scheduled for elective non-cardiac surgery under general anaesthesia, and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I–III (n=180). Baseline assessment will include routine preoperative evaluations as well as symptoms and anamneses associated with baroreflex failure. Preoperative autonomic function monitoring will be performed through 20 min of continuous beat-to-beat heart rate and blood pressure monitoring using LiDCO rapid (Masimo Corporation, USA). The primary outcome will be PIH. Detailed use of anaesthetic agents during induction and maintenance will be documented for adjustment in multivariable analyses.

Ethics and dissemination

The Research Ethics Committee of Peking Union Medical College Hospital approved the study protocol (I-22PJ008). We aim to publish and disseminate our findings in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT05425147.
Technical note on the exploration of COVID-19 in autopsy material
Authors: Humphries Matthew Phillip , Bingham Victoria , Abdullah Sidi Fatima , Craig Stephanie , Lara Beatrize , El-daly Hesham , O'Doherty Nicole , Maxwell Perry , Lewis Claire , McQuaid Stephen , Lyness James , James Jacqueline , Snead David R J , Salto-Tellez Manuel
Published: January 2023

Interrogation of immune response in autopsy material from patients with SARS-CoV-2 is potentially significant. We aim to describe a validated protocol for the exploration of the molecular physiopathology of SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary disease using multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF).

The application of validated assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues, originally developed in our laboratory in the context of oncology, was used to map the topography and complexity of the adaptive immune response at protein and mRNA levels.

SARS-CoV-2 is detectable in situ by protein or mRNA, with a sensitivity that could be in part related to disease stage. In formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded pneumonia material, multiplex immunofluorescent panels are robust, reliable and quantifiable and can detect topographic variations in inflammation related to pathological processes.

Clinical autopsies have relevance in understanding diseases of unknown/complex pathophysiology. In particular, autopsy materials are suitable for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and for the topographic description of the complex tissue-based immune response using mIF.
Byssinosis and lung health among cotton textile workers: baseline findings of the MultiTex trial in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Nafees Asaad Ahmed , Muneer Muhammad Zia , Irfan Muhammad , Kadir Muhammad Masood , Semple Sean , De Matteis Sara , Burney Peter , Cullinan Paul
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To assess the association of exposure in cotton mills in Karachi with different definitions of byssinosis and lung health.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey took place between June 2019 and October 2020 among 2031 workers across 38 spinning and weaving mills in Karachi. Data collection involved questionnaire-based interviews, spirometry and measurements of personal exposure to inhalable dust. Byssinosis was defined using both WHO symptoms-based (work-related chest tightness), and Schilling’s criteria (symptoms with decreased forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). Values of FEV1/forced vital capacity ratio below the lower limit of normality on postbronchodilator test were considered as ‘chronic airflow obstruction’ (CAO).

Results

56% of participants had at least one respiratory symptom, while 43% had shortness of breath (grade 1). Prevalence of byssinosis according to WHO criteria was 3%, it was 4% according to Schilling’s criteria, and likewise for CAO. We found low inhalable dust exposures (geometric mean: 610 µg/m3). Cigarette smoking (≥3.5 pack-years), increasing duration of employment in the textile industry and work in the spinning section were important factors found to be associated with several respiratory outcomes.

Conclusion

We found a high prevalence of respiratory symptoms but a low prevalence of byssinosis. Most respiratory outcomes were associated with duration of employment in textile industry. We have discussed the challenges faced in using current, standard guidelines for identifying byssinosis.
What are the hot topics in Japanese rheumatology? Go above and beyond
Authors: Tanaka Yoshiya
Published: January 2023

Japanese rheumatology and immunology have contributed to progress in the field and advancement of rheumatology, including postmarketing surveillance, development of IL-6-targeting therapy and concept of drug tapering, have accelerated in the 21st century. The 67th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japan College of Rheumatology, held on Fukuoka on 24 April 2023–26 April 2023, will go ahead and beyond such an advancement. Profound discussion on future perspectives such as precision medicine, the elucidation of pathology and genome-based drug discovery by multilayered integration with various types of omics information, information on metabolome and proteome of blood metabolites, and database of target proteins and compounds for drug discovery will be discussed.
Female-biased association of NOS2-c.1823C>T (rs2297518) with co-susceptibility to metabolic syndrome and asthma
Authors: Aftabi Younes , Gilani Neda , Ansarin Atefeh , Amiri-Sadeghan Amir , Bakhtiyari Nasim , Seyyedi Maryam , Faramarzi Elnaz , Sharifi Akbar , Ansarin Khalil , Seyedrezazadeh Ensiyeh
Published: January 2023

The nitric oxide (NO) pathway contributes to the pathogeneses of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and asthma. NOS2 encodes inducible-NO synthase, which is an important enzyme of the pathway, and its variations could affect the risk of asthma and MetS and thereby co-susceptibility to them. This study aims to estimate the association of NOS2-c.1823C>T with risk of asthma, MetS, and asthma with MetS condition (ASMetS), and with asthma stages: intermittent, mild, moderate, and severe asthma. The study included asthmatics ( n = 555), MetS ( n = 334), and ASMetS cases ( n = 232) and 351 controls, which were genotyped by the PCR-RFLP method. The T allele was significantly associated with an increased risk of asthma and MetS in the sample population and females. CT genotype and CT+TT model were significantly associated with increased risk of ASMetS in females. A significant association between CT genotype and increased risk of ASMetS in the sample population and females was found in ASMetS versus MetS. In the sample population and among females, the T allele was significantly associated with severe asthma. The rs2297518 single nucleotide polymorphism of NOS2 contributes to the risk of MetS, asthma, and co-susceptibility to them, and this contribution may be stronger in females compared to males.
The resonances in the $$^{22}$$Ne+$$\alpha $$ fusion reactions
Authors: Wiescher M. , deBoer R. J. , Görres J.
Published: January 2023

The interplay and correlation between the $$^{22}$$

22

Ne$$(\alpha ,\gamma )^{26}$$

(
α
,
γ
)

26

Mg and the competing $$^{22}$$

22

Ne$$(\alpha ,n)^{25}$$

(
α
,
n
)

25

Mg reaction plays an important role for the interpretation of the $$^{22}$$

22

Ne$$(\alpha ,n)^{25}$$

(
α
,
n
)

25

Mg reaction as a neutron source in the s- and n-processes. This paper provides a summary and new data on the $$\alpha $$
α
-cluster and single-particle structure of the compound nucleus $$^{26}$$

26

Mg and the impact on the reaction rate of these two competing processes in stellar helium burning environments.
The LARES 2 satellite, general relativity and fundamental physics
Authors: Ciufolini Ignazio , Paolozzi Antonio , Pavlis Erricos C. , Ries John C. , Matzner Richard , Paris Claudio , Ortore Emiliano , Gurzadyan Vahe , Penrose Roger
Published: January 2023

LARES 2, successfully launched on July 13, 2022, is a new generation laser-ranged satellite. LARES is an acronym for LAser RElativity Satellite. The first LARES satellite was successfully launched on February 13, 2012 with the ESA-ASI-AVIO launch vehicle VEGA. LARES 2 was injected with extremely high precision onto a high-altitude orbit at about 5900 km altitude with the new ESA-ASI-AVIO launch vehicle VEGA C. Laser-ranged satellites have many applications, including to test Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The main general relativistic phenomenon that LARES 2 will test with high accuracy is the dragging of inertial frames, or frame-dragging. It will also test other aspects and principles of fundamental physics and general relativity, such as the weak equivalence principle at the foundation of viable gravitational theories. Frame-dragging is the name Einstein himself gave in 1913 to an intriguing phenomenon of general relativity which implies that a current of mass-energy, such as the rotation of a body, will generate spacetime curvature. Frame-dragging has a key role in high energy astrophysics, e.g., in the generation of gravitational waves by the collision of two black holes to form a rotating black hole. Frame-dragging by the rotating Earth was measured to a few percent accuracy by combining the data of the satellites LARES, LAGEOS and LAGEOS 2 (Ciufolini et al. in Eur Phys J C 79:872, 2019). LARES 2, thanks to its extremely high injection precision, is projected to improve the test of frame-dragging by at least an order of magnitude. LARES 2 has also relevant applications in space geodesy and geodynamics, e.g., in the study of the shape of the Earth and in the determination of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) by improving the determination of the Earth center of mass and by contributing to a better determination of its rotation axis.
Regularized stable Kerr black hole: cosmic censorships, shadow and quasi-normal modes
Authors: Ghosh Rajes , Rahman Mostafizur , Mishra Akash K.
Published: January 2023

Black hole solutions in general relativity come with pathologies such as singularity and mass inflation instability, which are believed to be cured by a yet-to-be-found quantum theory of gravity. Without such consistent description, one may model theory-agnostic phenomenological black holes that bypass the aforesaid issues. These so-called regular black holes are extensively studied in the literature using parameterized modifications over the black hole solutions of general relativity. However, since there exist several ways to model such black holes, it is important to study the consistency and viability of these solutions from both theoretical and observational perspectives. In this work, we consider a recently proposed model of regularized stable rotating black holes having two extra parameters in addition to the mass and spin of a Kerr solution. We start by computing their quasi-normal modes under scalar perturbation and investigate the impact of those additional parameters on black hole stability. In the second part, we study shadows of the central compact objects in $$M87^*$$

M

87
∗

and $$Sgr\, A^*$$

S
g
r

A
∗

modelled by these regularized black holes and obtain stringent bounds on the parameter space requiring consistency with Event Horizon Telescope observations.
Multiwave, rogue wave, periodic wave, periodic cross-lump wave, periodic cross-kink wave, lump soliton, breather lump, homoclinic breather, periodic cross-kink, M-shaped rational solutions and their interactions for the Degasperis–Procesi equation
Authors: Seaway Aly R. , Rizvi Syed T. R. , Ahmad Ahtsham , Ahmed Sarfaraz
Published: January 2023

We examine multiwave (MW), rogue wave (RW), periodic wave (PW), homoclinic breather (HB), breather lump wave (BLW), [Formula: see text]-shaped rational solutions, lump soliton, kink cross-rational (KCR), periodic cross-kink rational (PCKR), periodic cross-rational (PCR) solutions for the Degasperis–Procesi (DP) equation in shallow water waves through appropriate polynomial function scheme. We also compute some interactions for stated model including interaction of [Formula: see text]-shaped soliton with one kink, interactional solution with two kinks also lump soliton with kink one and kink two solutions. Furthermore, we made suitable 3D, 2D and contour profiles via appropriate parameters.
Obvious difference between protons and electrons irradiation on the performance of graphene devices
Authors: Cui Naiyuan , Liu Yuming , Jiang Haifu , Guo Jiali
Published: January 2023

The effects of energetic electron and proton irradiation on graphene-based devices were investigated. The focus of the study was on the electrical properties of graphene devices exposed to electron and proton beams. Field-effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated using graphene and then irradiated by high-energy electrons and protons of 40 keV that are comparable to the aerospace radiation environment. The deterioration of electric properties, especially the output and transfer characteristics, can be explained by the change of graphene lattice. The Raman spectra confirm the slight lattice deformation after electron irradiation and the structural damage after proton irradiation. Through comparison, it is also found that the proton irradiation will induce more severe influence on the devices than electron irradiation, due to the larger effective interaction radius of the proton.
Machine Learning and Regression Analysis Approaches for Investigation of Mechanical Properties of FDM Manufactured Re-Entrant Auxetic Structures Under Flexural Loading
Authors: Vyavahare Swapnil , Teraiya Soham , Kumar Shailendra
Published: January 2023

This paper describes an experimental study on re-entrant auxetic structures manufactured by fused deposition modeling (FDM). The feedstock materials of NPR structures are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and poly-lactic acid (PLA). Experimental study is performed to examine the effect of design factors (angle, width, and length of arm) of unit cell of auxetic structures on three responses namely strength, stiffness, and specific energy absorption (SEA) under flexural loading. From the experimental results, it is found that flexural strength improves with increase in all three design factors of ABS structures; while it improves with increase in angle and reduction in width and length of arm for PLA structures. Furthermore, based on experimental study, regression models of responses are developed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Also, machine learning (ML) models using neural networks are developed to predict all three responses. Results of regression models are compared with NN models to assess accuracy of prediction. Finally, optimal configuration of auxetic structure is determined using gray relational analysis (GRA) to improve the responses; and reduce weight and fabrication time.
Redox properties of bis-cobalt(III) complex of 3,3′-linked N-confused porphyrin dimer with axial pyridine ligands
Authors: Iwanaga Osamu , Yoshida Naoya , Miyazaki Takaaki , Tani Fumito , Mori Shigeki , Shimizu Soji , Ishida Masatoshi , Furuta Hiroyuki
Published: January 2023

Novel cobalt(III) complexes of N-confused porphyrin (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(penta-fluorophenyl)-2-aza-21-carbaporphyrin) and its 3,3[Formula: see text]-linked dimer, Co1 and Co2, were synthesized and their structures were elucidated by X-ray crystallographic analysis and NMR spectroscopy. The redox properties of the complexes were examined by electrochemical approaches, and the corresponding oxidized/reduced species were analyzed by spectroelectrochemistry and DFT calculations. Notably, due to the facile redox feature of the N-confused porphyrins, ligand-centered oxidative/reductive processes were assumed for Co1 and Co2 presumably as inferred from the spectral analyses. These results indicate the unique multi-electron reservoir capability of the metal complexes of the N-confused porphyrin dimer.
Interface chemistry and displacement of porphyrin macrocycles on semiconductor quantum dot surface
Authors: Zenkevich Eduard I. , Sheinin Vladimir B. , Kulikova Olga M. , Koifman Oscar I.
Published: January 2023

Here, we present comparative experimental data and results of quantum chemical calculations (method MM+) describing electrostatic interactions of positively charged 5,10,15,20-(tetra-N-methyl-4-pyridyl)porphyrin molecules with negatively charged glutathione stabilized core/shell semiconductor quantum dots (QD) AgInS/ZnS leading to the formation of stable QD-porphyrin nanoassemblies in water (pH 7.5) at ambient temperature. Based on steady-state absorption/ photoluminescence, time-resolved experiments (TCSPC), and Raman spectroscopy, interface phenomena and changes in spectral properties for interacting subunits in nanoassemblies are analyzed. Using an elaborated size-consistent quantum chemical atomistic 3D model for glutathione stabilized AgInS/ZnS QD, we propose a detailed physico-chemical mechanism for the interaction of the porphyrin molecule with the QD surface. It includes electrostatic interactions of the positively charged porphyrin free base molecule with negatively charged capping ligand (glutathione), followed by a very fast metalation of porphyrin free base (formation of ligated Zn-porphyrin complex) which is directly fixed on the QD surface. These results highlight the complexity of interface processes in “QDs – porphyrin” nanoassemblies and provide valuable strategies for the detailed analysis of the excitation energy relaxation in the systems under study.
Syntheses and characterization of dithienyl-blocked hexapyrrin and its mononuclear complexes
Authors: Huang Yanping , Fu Yating , Zhu Bin , Baryshnikov Glib , Sun Hao-Ling , Sha Feng , Li Chengjie , Wu Xin-Yan , Ågren Hans , Li Qizhao , Xie Yongshu
Published: January 2023

With the purpose to develop long chain-conjugated oligopyrrin-like compounds and their metal complexes, and thus achieve tunable near-infrared absorption, a dithienyl-blocked hexapyrrane [Formula: see text] was synthesized by acid-catalyzed [2+4+2] condensation, followed by oxidation with DDQ to afford dithiaoctapyrrin 1, and its mononuclear metal complexes 1-Cu and 1-Zn were synthesized by treating 1 with Cu(II) and Zn(II) acetates. All the compounds were systematically characterized by NMR/EPR, and HRMS. The crystal structures revealed that 1 adopts a double hook-like conformation. Whereas, both complexes 1-Cu and 1-Zn adopt spiral-hook hybrid conformations, showing smaller interplanar angles between the rings within the spiral part, compared with those in the hook-like counterpart of molecule 1, which is favorable for red-shifting the absorption. As expected, the absorption band edges for complexes 1-Cu and 1-Zn are red-shifted to ca. 1560 nm, compared with that of 1260 nm observed for 1.
A porphyrin-based ion pair receptor constructed through click chemistry
Authors: Dong Xiaoyan , Lin Wei , Wang Shuping , Zhang Haotian , Zhang Zibin , Xie Chunsong , Li Shijun
Published: January 2023

A novel heteroditopic porphyrin-based ion pair receptor with four ureas and four triazoles on the same side of the porphyrin ring was synthesized through click chemistry. This receptor showed high affinity to complex with the ion pairs KCl, NaCl and NH4Cl in 1:1 binding stoichiometries with association constants of 2.48 (± 0.43) × 104, 1.06 (± 0.02) × 105, and 1.97 (± 0.04) × 105M[Formula: see text], respectively. After complexation with the ion pairs, fluorescence quenching of the porphyrin was observed, which enables its potential applications in ion detection.
An Efficient and Robust Semantic Hashing Framework for Similar Text Search
Authors: He Liyang , Huang Zhenya , Chen Enhong , Liu Qi , Tong Shiwei , Wang Hao , Lian Defu , Wang Shijin
Published: January 2023

Similar text search aims to find texts relevant to a given query from a database, which is fundamental in many information retrieval applications, such as question search and exercise search. Since millions of texts always exist behind practical search engine systems, a well-developed text search system usually consists of recall and ranking stages. Specifically, the recall stage serves as the basis in the system, where the main purpose is to find a small set of relevant candidates accurately and efficiently. Towards this goal, deep semantic hashing, which projects original texts into compact hash codes, can support good search performance. However, learning desired textual hash codes is extremely difficult due to the following problems. First, compact hash codes (with short length) can improve retrieval efficiency, but the demand for learning compact hash codes cannot guarantee accuracy due to severe information loss. Second, existing methods always learn the unevenly distributed codes in the space from a local perspective, leading to unsatisfactory code-balance results. Third, a large fraction of textual data contains various types of noise in real-world applications, which causes the deviation of semantics in hash codes. To this end, in this paper, we first propose a general unsupervised encoder-decoder semantic hashing framework, namely MASH (short for Memory-bAsed Semantic Hashing), to learn the balanced and compact hash codes for similar text search. Specifically, with a target of retaining semantic information as much as possible, the encoder introduces a novel relevance constraint among informative high-dimensional representations to guide the compact hash code learning. Then, we design an external memory where the hashing learning can be optimized in the global space to ensure the code balance of the learning results, which can promote search efficiency. Besides, to alleviate the performance degradation problem of the model caused by text noise, we propose an improved SMASH (short for denoiSing Memory-bAsed Semantic Hashing) model by incorporating a noise-aware encoder-decoder framework. This framework considers the noise degree for each text from the semantic deviation aspect, ensuring the robustness of hash codes. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments in three real-world datasets. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of MASH and SMASH in generating balanced and compact hash codes, as well as the superior denoising ability of SMASH.
A Survey on Soft Computing Techniques for Federated Learning- Applications, Challenges and Future Directions
Authors: Supriya Y. , Gadekallu Thippa Reddy
Published: January 2023

Federated Learning is a distributed, privacy-preserving machine learning model that is gaining more attention these days. Federated Learning has a vast number of applications in different fields. While being more popular, it also suffers some drawbacks like high communication costs, privacy concerns, and data management issues. In this survey, we define federated learning systems and analyse the system to ensure a smooth flow and to guide future research with the help of soft computing techniques. We undertake a complete review of aggregating federated learning systems with soft computing techniques. We also investigate the impacts of collaborating various nature-inspired techniques with federated learning to alleviate its flaws. Finally, this paper discusses the possible future developments of integrating federated learning and soft computing techniques.
Experimental Evaluation of Covariates Effects on Periocular Biometrics: A Robust Security Assessment Framework
Authors: Kumar Gautam , Bakshi Sambit , Sangaiah Arun Kumar , Sa Pankaj Kumar
Published: January 2023

The growing integration of technology into our lives has resulted in unprecedented amounts of data that are being exchanged among devices in an Internet of Things (IoT) environment. Authentication, identification, and device heterogeneities are major security and privacy concerns in IoT. One of the most effective solutions to avoid unauthorized access to sensitive information is biometrics. Deep learning-based biometric systems have been proven to outperform traditional image processing and machine learning techniques. However, the image quality covariates associated with blur, resolution, illumination, and noise predominantly affect recognition performance. Therefore, assessing the robustness of the developed solution is another important concern that still needs to be investigated. This article proposes a periocular region-based biometric system and explores the effect of image quality covariates (artifacts) on the performance of periocular recognition. To simulate the real-time scenarios and understand the consequences of blur, resolution, and bit-depth of images on the recognition accuracy of periocular biometrics, we modeled out-of-focus blur, camera shake blur, low-resolution, and low bit-depth image acquisition using Gaussian function, linear motion, interpolation, and bit plan slicing, respectively. All the images of the UBIRIS.v1 database are degraded by varying strength of image quality covariates to obtain degraded versions of the database. Afterward, deep models are trained with each degraded version of the database. The performance of the model is evaluated by measuring statistical parameters calculated from a confusion matrix. Experimental results show that among all types of covariates, camera shake blur has less effect on the recognition performance, while out-of-focus blur significantly impacts it. Irrespective of image quality, the convolutional neural network produces excellent results, which proves the robustness of the developed model.