bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
All-BN distributed Bragg reflectors fabricated in a single MOCVD process
Authors: Ciesielski Arkadiusz , Iwański Jakub , Wróbel Piotr , Bożek Rafał , Kret Sławomir , Turczyński Jakub , Binder Johannes , Korona Krzysztof P , Stępniewski Roman , Wysmołek Andrzej
Published: October 2023

Distributed Bragg Reflectors (DBR) are well-established photonic structures that are used in many photonic applications. However, most of the DBRs are based on different materials or require post-process etching which can hinder integration with other components in the final photonic structure. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of DBR structures consisting only of undoped boron nitride (BN) layers with high refractive index contrast by using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). This has been achieved in a single process, without the need for any post-process etching. The difference in the refractive index of the component BN layers stems from different degrees of porosity of the individual BN layers, which is a direct result of a different growth temperature. The fabricated DBR structures consist of 15.5 pairs of BN layers and exhibit a reflectance of 87 ± 1% at the maximum. The wavelength of maximum reflectance can be tuned from 500 nm up to the infrared region (IR), by simply adjusting the growth periods of subsequent BN layers. We also demonstrate that the fabricated structures can be used to create an optical microcavity. The fabricated DBRs are very promising candidates for future applications, for example in combination with single-photon emitters in h-BN, which could allow the building of a cavity-based all-BN single-photon source.
Eco-friendly alkali lignin-assisted water-based graphene oxide ink and its application as a resistive temperature sensor
Authors: Khan Junaid , Mariatti M , Zubir Syazana A , Rusli Arjulizan , Manaf Asrulnizam Abd , Khirotdin Rd Khairilhijra
Published: October 2023

Inkjet-printable ink formulated with graphene oxide (GO) offers several advantages, including aqueous dispersion, low cost, and environmentally friendly production. However, water-based GO ink encounters challenges such as high surface tension, low wetting properties, and reduced ink stability over prolonged storage time. Alkali lignin, a natural surfactant, is promising in improving GO ink’s stability, wettability, and printing characteristics. The concentration of surfactant additives is a key factor in fine-tuning GO ink’s stability and printing properties. The current study aims to explore the detailed effects of alkali lignin concentration and optimize the overall properties of graphene oxide (GO) ink for drop-on-demand thermal inkjet printing. A meander-shaped temperature sensor electrode was printed using the optimized GO ink to demonstrate its practical applicability for commercial purposes. The sensing properties are evaluated using a simple experimental setup across a range of temperatures. The findings demonstrate a significant increase in zeta potential by 25% and maximum absorption by 84.3%, indicating enhanced stability during prolonged storage with an optimized alkali lignin concentration compared to the pure GO dispersions. The temperature sensor exhibits a remarkable thermal coefficient of resistance of 1.21 within the temperature range of 25 °C–52 °C, indicative of excellent sensitivity, response, and recovery time. These results highlight the potential of alkali lignin as a natural surfactant for improving the performance and applicability of inkjet-printable GO inks in various technological applications.
Insights on grain boundary effects on crack formation and propagation in Nb3Sn coatings at low temperature and high strain rates: a molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Zhu Benhao , Xiao Gesheng , Yang Lin , Liu Li , Qiao Li
Published: October 2023

Mechanical behavior of Nb3Sn coatings is inherently correlated with the anti-interference ability of the superconducting cavity system and the amplitude and phase stability of the cavity field. We report on atomic-scale simulation and analysis of grain boundary effects on the crack formation and propagation in Nb3Sn coatings at low temperature and high strain rates. For tensile-deformed single crystal Nb3Sn, accompanied by the occurrence of slips, micro voids propagate along the (

2
‾

10

) and (210) planes (stretching the crystal along the [100] direction), and subsequently coalesce, leading to the cracks formation. For tensile-deformed single-crystal Nb3Sn coating on Nb substrate, it fails by crack propagation in the coating before showing significant yielding plateaus. In the Nb3Sn coating, the slip bands on the (201) and (

2
‾

10

) planes meet and merge, inducing the breaking of atomic bonds and the formation of voids at the slip band intersections, and the subsequent micro-crack initiation. The misfit dislocations of Nb3Sn/Nb heterostructure interface and the dislocations nucleated on slip systems control the plastic deformation of the Nb substrate, causing the BCC-to-FCC and FCC-to-HCP phase transformation in the substrate, for which, ductile fracture occurs after necking. For polycrystalline Nb3Sn coating on Nb substrate, the simulations demonstrate that cracks propagate entirely along grain boundaries, exhibiting the intergranular fracture characteristics. The composite exhibits a significant strain rate effect. At high strain rates, crack propagation across grain boundaries in Nb3Sn is hindered, dislocations are emitted into the both adjacent grains from the grain boundary facets, they glide across the grain, and voids are nucleated at the intersections of dislocations inside the grains, which leads to the formation of voids and ultimately the occurrence of trans-crystalline fracture. The findings provide important information about the crack evolution in Nb3Sn coatings, which are critical to the fabrication and performance analysis of Nb3Sn superconducting radio frequency cavities.
Structural, Magnetic, and Mössbauer Investigation of Mg-Ni-Co ferrites doped by Sm3+ sions
Authors: Matar M , Rabaa M , Moussa Ramy M , Hassan R Sayed , Yaacoub N , Awad R
Published: October 2023

Samarium-doped magnesium-nickel-cobalt nanoferrites (Mg1/3 Ni1/3Co1/3)Fe2−xSmxO4, with x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, and 0.08, were synthesized by the coprecipitation method. X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive x-ray (EDX), x-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic measurement techniques were used, to study the structure, microstructure, and magnetic properties of the samples. The formation of the cubic spinel structure was confirmed by Rietveld analysis of the XRD data and by the appearance of the two absorption bands close to 400 cm−1 and 600 cm−1 from the FTIR spectrum. Raman spectroscopy verified the formation of the spinel phase in the samples. The elemental composition, valency, and cationic distribution were examined using x-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. Experimental findings revealed that doping with Sm3+ ions had a significant effect on the magnetic properties of nanoparticles. The saturation magnetization (M

s
) and coercivity field (H

c
) values fluctuate depending on the crystallite size (DXRD) of the samples from XRD analysis as the Sm3+ content increases. The magnetization dependence on the applied field was investigated at different ranges of applied fields based on the output of the statistical parameters for the curve fitted using four different forms of the law of approach to saturation. The statistical parameters and physically significant fitted parameters give information on the dependence of magnetization over various applied field regions. A thorough investigation of the output parameters from fitting into various equations reveals that the composition of Mg-Ni-Co ferrites exhibits a dependence of magnetization on the applied field. Room-temperature Mössbauer spectra displayed a mix of the magnetic sextet and central quadrupole doublet, with improvement in the magnetic sextet in the Sm-doped samples. Moreover, Mössbauer spectra at 77 K showed the demise of the quadrupole doublet in all samples and showed two sextets (tetrahedral and octahedral sites). Sm-doping reduced the values of the hyperfine magnetic field of both sextets. All Fe ions can be found in the Fe3+ state, according to the isomer shift values and there is a migration of Fe3+ ions from octahedral to tetrahedral sites upon Sm doping, which was confirmed by XPS measurements.
Optical dipole potential energy of a two-level atom interacting with a tightly focused truncated optical Bessel beam
Authors: Alquraishi M , Lembessis V E , Lyras A , Aldossary O M
Published: October 2023

Truncated optical Bessel (TOB) beams are an orthonormal set of optical vortex beams that possess orbital angular momentum (OAM). It is characterized by a significant longitudinal electric field component at the sub-wavelength scales. The photons of a circularly polarized TOB beam also carry spin angular momentum (SAM) and can interact with a two-level atom, in the far-off resonance regime, giving rise to an optical dipole potential energy that involves a spin–orbit term that stems from the inclusion of the longitudinal field component. When a two-level atom is simultaneously irradiated by two TOB beams, the optical dipole potential energy, in some special cases, is entirely dependent on the OAM–SAM coupling. We explore the cold-atom trapping options enabled by the use of TOB beams, either single ones or combinations thereof. We put emphasis on case in which the OAM–SAM coupling is the dominant contribution. The similarities and differences between the results obtained for the TOB beams and those for the Laguerre–Gaussian beams are also discussed.
Solution Processed Light Emitting Diode Based on InP Quantum Dots with Hybrid Emissive Layer
Authors: Nasrud Din , Fawad Saeed , Sajid Hussain , Premkumar sellan , Qasim Khan , Wei Lei , Li Qing , Zhu Ying
Published: October 2023

Solution-processable Cadmium-based Quantum dots light emitting diodes (QLEDs) are regarded as a good candidate for good performance display devices due to excellent color purity and inexpensive production. However, the toxicity still poses a severe risk. Although the most effective cadmium-free substance is thought to be InP for producing efficient QLEDs, its efficiency falls far short of its cadmium-based counterparts. We made a homogeneous thin film by mixing the organic compound 4, 4-bis (N-carbazyle)-1, 1-biphenyl (CBP) with InP/ZnSe quantum dots (QDs). Then, in our QLED design, we utilized this film as an emissive layer. The new QDs-based device showed a higher luminance of 14600 cd/m2 and having higher external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 11.6%. We discovered that the mixed QDs without any phase separation had a consistent distribution of CBP, which facilitated transfer of energy to QDs and injection of holes into the emissive layer. The blended QD was also shown to restrict injection of electrons into the hole transport/injection layers, protecting the device’s structural integrity. Developing a balanced charge in stable optoelectronic devices densities has a high potential when a homogeneous QD layer is combined with an effective charge transport material.
High-performance CH3NH3PbBr3 Polycrystalline Wafer Prepared by Hot-pressing Method
Authors: Ding Yijing , Liu Shilin , Liang Xingchen , Li Qing
Published: October 2023

Considering the drawbacks of the common methods for CH3NH3PbBr3 single crystal growth, such as the complicated and uncontrollable process, a simple hot-pressing (HP) method was introduced to fabricate CH3NH3PbBr3 polycrystalline wafers. The effect of hot-pressing temperature on the crystalline quality and corresponding optical and electrical properties of the CH3NH3PbBr3 polycrystalline wafers was investigated. The hot-pressing temperature for CH3NH3PbBr3 was optimized at 150°C, and the optimized CH3NH3PbBr3 wafer exhibited a low defect density (1.55×1010 cm−3), long carrier lifetime (1734 ns), and high carrier mobility (51.24 cm2V−1s−1) as a photoconductive detector. Furthermore, the detector showed a highly sensitive weak light response under 525 nm LED illumination with an optical power density of 84 nWcm−2, exhibiting a high responsivity of 63 AW−1, EQE of 1.5×104 %, and detectivity of 2.33×1013 Jones, and a fast response speed with a rise time of 17.7 μs and a fall time of 57.4 μs has been achieved.
A research on MoTe2-based memristor and switching stability improvement
Authors: Yu Tianqi , Zhao Zhiwei
Published: October 2023

Electronic synapse based on two-dimensional material are equivalent to synapses because of their excellent properties, which is very pivotal for constructing neuromorphic computing to break through the traditional Von Neumann architecture. In the study, a vertical double-ended memristor is prepared by using the dispersion of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets. Memristors based on MoTe2 structure show stable bipolar nonvolatile resistive behavior. Based on this, we introduce carbon dots layer into the original device structure, and improve the device performance by using carbon atoms to form new conductive filaments driven by electric field. This research provides a reliable solution for the next generation of neuromorphic computing.
Research on the Co-simulation System of Subway Control Circuits
Authors: Lu Yinfeng , Zhang Wenchuan , Qian Xuejun , Luo Jiacheng
Published: October 2023

In order to solve the problems of complex control logic and the difficulty of simulating function modules due to the high coupling degree of subway control circuits, a subway control circuit co-simulation system is designed in this paper. By analysing the components data and connection relationship in the subway control circuit schematic diagrams, the network topologies are automatically generated, and the mathematical relationships between nodes, branches and components states are established, so as to build a complete logical control model. The depth-first search (DFS) algorithm is adopted to search the effective path across the topology, the event management unit is added to solve the linkage control of the relay, and the logic function simulation of the function module is realized by embedded script. Finally, the feasibility of the simulation system is verified through the simulation test of the subway door control circuits and the analysis of the simulation results. The system is conducive to the functional test and algorithm verification at the subway design stage, and has a good application prospect in the field of subway driver training.
A 42 GHz low phase noise Colpitts VCO in 180-nm SiGe BiCMOS
Authors: Zhou Meixin , Cheng Guoxiao , Chen Yiming , Wu Wen
Published: October 2023

This paper describes a 39.1 to 42.5 GHz low phase noise Colpitts voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using 180-nm SiGe BiCMOS technology. In order to achieve better phase noise, an optimization method related to capacitance ratio is analyzed. Meanwhile, the linearization method is used to achieve a linearized KVCO which is robust to varactor bias variations. The simulated VCO features a tuning range of 8%, low phase noise of –95.3 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, voltage supply of 3.3 V and power consumption of 40 mW, which results in a FOM
T
of –170 dBc/Hz.
Dead-Zone Free, Static Phase Offset Improvement Phase Detector for High Resolution and Low Jitter Delay-Locked Loop
Authors: Wu Ruihuang , Huang Yuxuan , Sun Haoning , Sun Kangkang , Liu Jia , Lin Yuqi , Pang Xueting , Liu Jingjing , Zhan Wen
Published: October 2023

This work presents a phase detector (PD) having dead-zone free and static phase offset improvement performance. The proposed phase detector inherits the low power consumption advantage of the conventional phase detector using two true-single-phase clocking (TSPC) DFFs. It also effectively reduces the static phase offset, even in the presence of inevitable charge pump current mismatch. And the dead-zone problem of conventional TSPC PD is overcome by using a falling edge delay inverter. The PD is implemented using a standard 180nm CMOS technology. The dimension of the PD’s layout is 11μm×16μm. Post-layout simulation shows that the power consumption is 53.8μW at 250MHz and 160μW at 800MHz. It achieves tiny static phase offset even if the charge pump has a 3.8% current mismatch.
Smoke simulation and emergency evacuation simulation under indoor fire scenario
Authors: Jia Shilong , Zhao Lei , Yang Dong , Sun Lei , Liang Bo
Published: October 2023

According to relevant data, when a fire occurs in a large public building, human life and property will be greatly threatened. In order to solve the problem of personnel evacuation under fire conditions, this paper starts with ant colony algorithm and introduces heuristic function, node selection strategy, and pheromone update to improve ant colony algorithm, so as to provide a scientific basis for personnel evacuation after fire. Based on BIM technology, smoke simulation technology, and evacuation simulation technology, this paper studies the evacuation of people in fire scenarios. Simulation of fire smoke and personnel evacuation is carried out on the BIM model of the shopping mall. Using Pyrosim software to simulate the spread of smoke in the shopping mall after the fire, the smoke temperature, fire visibility and CO concentration of each node are obtained.
Dynamic change of forest ecological carrying rate in Yunnan province
Authors: Hu Yuexiang , Fu Wei , Chen Jiancheng
Published: October 2023

Based on the concept of green development, with Yunnan Province as the research object and forest ecological carrying rate as the target layer, two sub-systems of forest ecological carrying capacity and environmental pollution pressure were constructed. The TOPSIS method was used to calculate the forest ecological carrying capacity and environmental pollution pressure index of Yunnan Province from 2011 to 2020, so as to obtain the forest ecological carrying rate. The results showed that: (1) the forest ecological carrying capacity index in Yunnan Province increased first, then decreased and then increased in the past 10 years. (2) The environmental pollution pressure index of Yunnan Province showed an overall rising trend in the past 10 years. (3) The forest ecological carrying rate in Yunnan Province is still in overload state. Therefore, to improve the level of forest ecological carrying capacity in Yunnan Province, it is necessary to formulate relevant policies from two aspects: forest ecological carrying capacity and environmental pollution.
Application of Kalman filter in wharf surface displacement of Beidou automatic monitoring
Authors: Fang Xinyu , Yao Xiaowei , Xie Jing , Liu Dun
Published: October 2023

To meet the requirements for real-time dynamic monitoring of wharf surface displacement, an automatic monitoring system based on Beidou satellite navigation was constructed, and it was applied to monitor the surface displacement of a wharf in Tianjin Port. Next, the sensible system noise of the Kalman filter state equation was determined by the simulation experiment. Finally, the monitoring data were processed and analyzed by Kalman filter. The results show that the accuracy of the monitoring data can be improved by more than 30% by Kalman filtering, particularly the elevation direction accuracy can reach more than 40%. The plane and elevation accuracy can be less than 1.5mm, after the Beidou automatic monitoring data has been processed by Kalman filtering, and this meets the needs for most engineering deformation monitoring. In a word, the Beidou automatic monitoring system is characterized by continuity, real-time and high precision, and can be applied to most engineering deformation monitoring requirements.
Simulation study of total ionizing dose effect of gamma radiation on 15 nm bulk FinFET
Authors: Fan J.Q. , Hou T.H. , Zhao Q. , Zhang F. , Li K. , Fang J. , Hao J.H. , Dong Z.W.
Published: October 2023

FinFET is a new mainstream semiconductor device that is
widely used in space applications. This paper studies the effects of
radiation damage typically encountered in space applications by
simulating the effects of total ionizing dose (TID) from 0 to
1 Mrad on a 15 nm n-type bulk FinFET. In particular we have
simulated the effects of radiation damage on the transfer
characteristic curve, threshold voltage and subthreshold swing of
the FinFET. We have also varied some device process parameters such
as gate length, fin width and fin height in order to assess their
impact on the device susceptibility to radiation damage and our
results show that the device structure with longer gate length,
wider fin width and taller fin height have better performance. In
addition, the higher channel doping concentration, the use of
SiO2 in the gate, and the low device operating temperature can
also effectively reduce the TID effects.
Systematic investigations on ion dynamics with noises in Paul trap
Authors: Wang Ying-Xiang , Liu Sheng-Chen , Cheng Lin , Peng Liang-You
Published: October 2023

Ions confined in a Paul trap serve as crucial platforms in various research fields, including quantum computing and precision spectroscopy. However, the ion dynamics is inevitably influenced by different types of noise, which require accurate computations and general analytical analysis to facilitate diverse applications based on trapped ions with white or colored noise. In the present work, we investigate the motion of ions in a Paul trap via the Langevin equation using both analytical and numerical methods, systematically studying three different types of noise: the white noise, the colored noise via the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and the Wiener process. For the white noise of the case, we provide a recursion method to calculate ion motion for a wide range of parameters. Furthermore, we present an analytical solution to the more realistic stochastic process associated with the colored noise, verified by the Monte Carlo simulation. By comparing the results of the colored noise with those of the white noise, and additionally considering another limit of noise parameters corresponding to the Wiener process, we summarize the effects of different noise types on the ion dynamics.
Effect of pulse frequency on the surface properties and corrosion resistance of a plasma-nitrided Ti-6Al-4V alloy
Authors: Kaewnisai Suninad , Chingsungnoen Artit , Poolcharounsin Phitsanu , Jongwannasiri Chavin , Manaspon Chawan , Udomsom Suruk , Ohgoe Yasuharu
Published: October 2023

In this work, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, commonly used as implant material in biomedical applications, was treated by plasma nitriding. The nitriding process was carried out using an N2-H2 plasma (1000:500 sccm) at an operating pressure of about 866 Pa. The current regulation was about 1.8 A, the negative voltage was about 480–500 V, and the power was 840–940 W. The nitriding temperature was maintained at 650 ± 5 °C, and the nitriding time was 240 min. Bipolar pulse frequencies were varied at 25, 50, 100, 150, and 200 kHz. Analysis by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction spectrometer (GI-XRD) revealed the presence of δ-TiN and ε-Ti2N phases in all nitrided samples. The hardness depth profile was measured with a penetration depth of about 5 nm using the enhanced stiffness procedure (ESP). The results showed that all the nitrided samples had a surface hardness approximately three times that of the unnitrided sample. This result is consistent with that from glow discharge emission spectroscopy (GD-OES), which confirmed the diffusion distance of nitrogen atoms from the surface of about 5 μm. After plasma nitriding, the surface roughness tended to increase, resulting in an increase in the water contact angle (WCA) and a decrease in the work of adhesion. The specific wear rate (ball-on-disk) of all nitrided samples decreased and was significantly lower at a bipolar pulse frequency of 50 kHz. This result is consistent with the stability of the coefficient of friction (COF) after 6000 sliding cycles. Moreover, the nitrided sample at 50 kHz exhibited the lowest corrosion current density in artificial saliva based on the Tafel potential polarization method.
The uncertain Malthusian model on time scales
Authors: Bohner Martin , Girejko Ewa , Malinowska Agnieszka B. , Truong Tri
Published: October 2023

This work offers a real-world application for the study of fuzzy dynamic equations. First, we propose the novel concept of granular delta differentiability for fuzzy-valued functions defined on time scales with the help of the relative distance measure fuzzy arithmetic and horizontal membership functions. Then, fundamental foundations of fuzzy calculus on time scales are provided. Discussion on the Malthusian model defined on particular time scales to illustrate the proposed approach is presented.
Multiscale stability of an intertidal kelp (Postelsia palmaeformis) near its northern range edge through a period of prolonged heatwaves
Authors: Csordas Matthew , Starko Samuel , Neufeld Christopher J , Thompson Sarah Ann , Baum Julia K
Published: October 2023

Background and Aims

Climate change, including gradual changes and extreme weather events, is driving widespread species losses and range shifts. These climatic changes are felt acutely in intertidal ecosystems, where many organisms live close to their thermal limits and experience the extremes of both marine and terrestrial environments. A recent series of multiyear heatwaves in the northeast Pacific Ocean might have impacted species even towards their cooler, northern range edges. Among them, the high intertidal kelp Postelsia palmaeformis has traits that could make it particularly vulnerable to climate change, but it is critically understudied.

Methods

In 2021 and 2022, we replicated in situ and aerial P. palmaeformis surveys that were conducted originally in 2006 and 2007, in order to assess the state of northern populations following recent heatwaves. Changes in P. palmaeformis distribution, extent, density and morphometrics were assessed between these two time points over three spatial scales, ranging from 250 m grid cells across the entire 167 km study region, to within grid cells and the individual patch.

Key Results

We found evidence consistent with population stability at all three scales: P. palmaeformis remained present in all 250 m grid cells in the study region where it was previously found, and neither the extent within cells nor the patch density changed significantly between time points. However, there was evidence of slight distributional expansion, increased blade lengths and a shift to earlier reproductive timing.

Conclusions

We suggest that apparent long-term stability of P. palmaeformis might be attributable to thermal buffering near its northern range edge and from the wave-exposed coastlines it inhabits, which may have decreased the impacts of heatwaves. Our results highlight the importance of multiscale assessments when examining changes within species and populations, in addition to the importance of dispersal capability and local conditions in regulating the responses of species to climate change.
A method for measurement of human asparagine synthetase (ASNS) activity and application to ASNS protein variants associated with ASNS deficiency
Authors: Chang Mario C , Staklinski Stephen J , Merritt Matthew E , Kilberg Michael S
Published: October 2023

Human asparagine synthetase (ASNS) catalyzes the conversion of aspartate to asparagine in an ATP-dependent reaction that utilizes glutamine as a nitrogen source while generating glutamate, AMP, and pyrophosphate as additional products. Asparagine Synthetase Deficiency (ASNSD) is an inborn error of metabolism in which children present with homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the ASNS gene. These mutations result in ASNS variant protein expression. It is believed that these variant ASNS proteins have reduced enzymatic activity or stability resulting in a lack of sufficient asparagine production for cell function. Reduced asparagine production by ASNS appears to severely hinder fetal brain development. Although a variety of approaches for assaying ASNS activity have been reported, we present here a straightforward method for the in vitro enzymatic analysis by detection of AMP production. Our method overcomes limitations in technical feasibility, signal detection, and reproducibility experienced by prior methods like high-performance liquid chromatography, ninhydrin staining, and radioactive tracing. After purification of FLAG-tagged R49Q, G289A, and T337I ASNS variants from stably expressing HEK 293T cells, this method revealed a reduction in activity of 90, 36, and 96%, respectively. Thus, ASNS protein expression and purification, followed by enzymatic activity analysis, has provided a relatively simple protocol to evaluate structure–function relationships for ASNS variants reported for ASNSD patients.
Long-term patient-reported back and shoulder function after delayed breast reconstruction with a latissimus dorsi flap: case–control cohort study
Authors: Löfstrand Jonas , Paganini Anna , Grimby-Ekman Anna , Lidén Mattias , Hansson Emma
Published: October 2023

Background

Sacrifice of the latissimus dorsi (LD) muscle might entail donor site morbidity when used in delayed breast reconstruction. Previous studies are small, have short follow-up, and demonstrate diverging results. The aims of this study were to evaluate long-term patient-reported effects on shoulder and back function following LD flap harvest, and to investigate predictors for a worse outcome.

Method

This is a retrospective observational case–control cohort study. Cases were all patients who had undergone an LD flap reconstruction during the years 2007–2017. Controls were patients reconstructed with a deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap during the same time period. Participants completed two validated questionnaires; the BREAST-Q reconstruction LD domains and the Western Ontario Shoulder Osteoarthritis Index (WOOS).

Results

A total of 135 cases (75 per cent) and 118 controls (60 per cent) responded to the questionnaires. The mean follow-up time was 7 years. Patients reconstructed with a LD flap were significantly less satisfied with their back and shoulder function when compared to the DIEP controls, as measured with BREAST-Q and WOOS. Predictors for a poor patient-reported back and shoulder function included axillary surgery and axillary radiotherapy, especially when combined, as well as higher age at reconstruction.

Conclusion

Patients who have undergone LD flap for delayed breast reconstruction had a lower satisfaction with back and shoulder function, when compared to patients who had undergone a DIEP reconstruction. Delayed LD reconstruction should be used with care, especially in patients who have undergone axillary surgery and axillary radiotherapy.
Pathophysiological Responses to Bloodstream Infection in Critically Ill Transplant Recipients Compared With Non-Transplant Recipients
Authors: Qiu Jiaxing , Zimmet Alex N , Bell Taison D , Gadrey Shrirang , Brandberg Jackson , Maldonado Samuel , Zimmet Amanda M , Ratcliffe Sarah , Chernyavskiy Pavel , Moorman J Randall , Clermont Gilles , Henry Teague R , Nguyen N Rich , Moore Christopher C
Published: October 2023

Background

Identification of bloodstream infection (BSI) in transplant recipients may be difficult due to immunosuppression. Accordingly, we aimed to compare responses to BSI in critically ill transplant and non-transplant recipients and to modify systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria for transplant recipients.

Methods

We analyzed univariate risks and developed multivariable models of BSI with 27 clinical variables from adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients at the University of Virginia (UVA) and at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). We used Bayesian inference to adjust SIRS criteria for transplant recipients.

Results

We analyzed 38.7 million hourly measurements from 41 725 patients at UVA, including 1897 transplant recipients with 193 episodes of BSI and 53 608 patients at Pitt, including 1614 transplant recipients with 768 episodes of BSI. The univariate responses to BSI were comparable in transplant and non-transplant recipients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], .80–.83) for the model using all UVA patient data and 0.80 (95% CI, .76–.83) when using only transplant recipient data. The UVA all-patient model had an AUC of 0.77 (95% CI, .76–.79) in non-transplant recipients and 0.75 (95% CI, .71–.79) in transplant recipients at Pitt. The relative importance of the 27 predictors was similar in transplant and non-transplant models. An upper temperature of 37.5°C in SIRS criteria improved reclassification performance in transplant recipients.

Conclusions

Critically ill transplant and non-transplant recipients had similar responses to BSI. An upper temperature of 37.5°C in SIRS criteria improved BSI screening in transplant recipients.
Suitability of the shrub-steppe habitat of Eastern Washington for Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: Hepler James R , Mills Nicholas J , Smytheman Peter , Beers Elizabeth H
Published: October 2023

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), has spread throughout most of Washington (WA) State since its detection in 2012. While it has emerged as a major agricultural and nuisance pest in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) west of the Cascade Mountains, pest pressure in the major tree fruit-growing areas in semi-arid northern and central WA State remains low. The reasons for this are unclear, although both biotic and abiotic conditions may be contributing factors. We evaluated the suitability of a common shrub-steppe/riparian corridor plant assemblage for supporting H. halys development from egg to adult in summer and fall through controlled feeding studies. Nymphs successfully completed development on this diet of PNW native plants, though it generally resulted in lower survivorship and adult weight and longer developmental times than a modified colony diet or a diet of known hosts from the eastern United States. These developmental data were used to parameterize stage-structured matrix models to predict the impact of diet and extreme heat events on H. halys population growth. The predicted net reproductive rate (R0) of H. halys was consistently and substantially reduced by a diet of PNW native plants, and heat shock imposed further severe reductions in R0. Our results suggest that the combined population effects of suboptimal plant host quality and regional heat waves may explain the lack of landscape-level H. halys pest pressure in semi-arid regions of the PNW.
Training needs assessment tools for the public health workforce at an institutional and individual level: a review
Authors: Czabanowska Katarzyna , Rodriguez Feria Pablo
Published: October 2023

Background

The public health workforce (PHW) needs to have the necessary capacities to provide healthcare services and public health services. Training needs assessments (TNA) is necessary to assess and understand PHW and their capacities to provide services. This review attempts to identify and describe published studies on tools and methodologies for TNA of the workforce used in public health and health-related fields.

Methods

A systematized review of literature was carried out in February 2022. Cochrane Handbook for systematic review version 5.2.0 and PRISMA 2020 statement were used to guide reporting. This review includes original research, reports and grey literature from the websites of public health organizations in English.

Results

This review included 38 documents for evidence synthesis. Twenty-seven documents were indexed literature (71%) and 11 were grey documents (29%). TNA documents were published between 1999 and 2022. TNA was performed in many countries around the world. The organizations used either a validated questionnaire or created their own tools to perform organizational and individual self-assessments. The TNA tools were developed using different methods such as expert panels, literature reviews, stakeholder interviews and quantitative surveys.

Conclusion

TNA is useful for defining and characterizing the public health workforce in every organization. Workforces consist of individuals who have their own training needs to fulfill their tasks. Therefore, individual and organizational TNA should be combined to study the public health workforce and their capacities.
Unveiling mitophagy-mediated molecular heterogeneity and development of a risk signature model for colorectal cancer by integrated scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq analysis
Authors: Gao Han , Zou Qi , Ma Linyun , Cai Keyu , Sun Yi , Lu Li , Ren Donglin , Hu Bang
Published: October 2023

Background

Accumulating researchers have recognized mitophagy as a key player in tumors, but few studies have investigated its role in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Advances in the technology of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) have allowed unveiling the concealed features of the TME at cellular resolution. This study aimed to elucidate the role of mitophagy within the TME of colorectal cancer (CRC) and to establish a mitophagy-mediated risk model.

Methods

We assessed mitophagy-related pathway activities at both single-cell and tissue levels. Subsequently, an unsupervised clustering algorithm was employed to identify mitophagy-mediated subtypes. Furthermore, we developed a mitophagy-mediated risk signature (MMRS) using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox analysis and constructed a MMRS model incorporating the risk score and clinical variables. Subsequently, we used quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis to verify the expression of the screened genes.

Results

We retrieved and annotated a total of 14,719 cells from eight samples in the scRNA-seq GSE132465 data set. The activities of mitophagy-related pathways were uniformly upregulated in cancer cells. Integrating with bulk RNA-seq data, we identified two mitophagy-mediated clusters (C1 and C2) with distinct characteristics and prognoses. C2 was identified as a mitophagy-high cluster. Then, we developed a five-gene MMRS via LASSO Cox analysis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. We utilized the GSE39582 cohort to validate the efficacy of our model. The expression of CX3CL1 and INHBB was upregulated in CRC tissues.

Conclusions

The present study identified two mitophagy-mediated CRC subtypes with distinct features. Our MMRS may provide potential therapeutic strategies for CRC. The findings of our work offer novel insights into the involvement of mitophagy in CRC.
Major shift in the copepod functional community of the southern North Sea and potential environmental drivers
Authors: Deschamps M M , Boersma M , Meunier C L , Kirstein I V , Wiltshire K H , Di Pane J
Published: October 2023

Copepods form the bulk of secondary production in marine ecosystems and are a major resource for higher trophic levels. Copepods are highly sensitive to environmental changes as they are ectotherms with a short life span whose metabolism and development depend on abiotic conditions. In turn, changes in their functional structure (i.e. functional trait composition) can have impacts on ecosystems. We examined changes in the copepod functional community in the North Sea over the past five decades, using a trait-based approach. We observed a shift around 1986–1988: the copepod community was initially dominated by larger herbivores, with a long development time, diapause ability, and highest abundances in summer. This community changed abruptly after 1986–1988, to a dominance of smaller carnivore taxa, with shorter development times, less ability to enter diapause, and that display higher abundances in autumn. This rapid reorganization could be driven by higher water temperatures, lower dinoflagellate abundances, and lower nutrient concentrations. These changes could impact adjacent trophic levels, such as phytoplankton on which several species graze or fish larvae, leading to a mismatch situation with consequences for fish recruitment. Our results emphasize the impact that global and regional changes could have on coastal ecosystems through the role played by copepods.
The positional probability and true host star identification of TESS exoplanet candidates
Authors: Hadjigeorghiou Andreas , Armstrong David J
Published: October 2023

We present a method for deriving a probabilistic estimate of the true source of a detected TESS transiting event. Our method relies on comparing the observed photometric centroid offset for the target star with models of the offset that would occur if the event was either on the target or any of the Gaia identified nearby sources. The comparison is done probabilistically, allowing us to incorporate the uncertainties of the observed and modelled offsets in our result. The method was developed for TESS Full Frame Image light curves produced from the TESS Science Processing Operations Center (SPOC) pipeline, but could be easily adapted to light curves from other sources. We applied the method on 3226 TESS Objects of Interest (TOIs), with a released light curve from SPOC. The method correctly identified 96.5 per cent of 655 known exoplanet hosts as the most likely source of the eclipse. For 142 confirmed Nearby Eclipsing Binaries (NEBs) and Nearby Planet Candidates (NPCs), a nearby source was found to be the most likely in 96.5 per cent of the cases. For 40 NEBs and NPCs where the true source is known, it was correctly designated as the most likely in 38 of those. Finally, for 2365 active planet candidates, the method suggests that 2072 are most likely on-target and 293 on a nearby source. The method forms a part of an in-development vetting and validation pipeline, called RAVEN, and is released as a standalone tool.
Magnetic support, wind-driven accretion, coronal heating, and fast outflows in a thin magnetically arrested disc
Authors: Scepi Nicolas , Begelman Mitchell C , Dexter Jason
Published: October 2023

Accretion discs properties should deviate from standard theory when magnetic pressure exceeds the thermal pressure. To quantify these deviations, we present a systematic study of the dynamical properties of magnetically arrested discs (MADs), the most magnetized type of accretion disc. Using an artificial cooling function to regulate the gas temperature, we study MADs of three different thermal thicknesses, hth/r = 0.3, 0.1, and 0.03. We find that the radial structure of the disc is never mostly supported by the magnetic field. In fact, thin MADs are very near Keplerian. However, as discs gets colder, they become more magnetized and the largest deviations from standard theory appear in our thinnest disc with hth/r = 0.03. In this case, the disc is much more extended vertically and much less dense than in standard theory because of vertical support from the turbulent magnetic pressure and wind-driven angular momentum transport that enhances the inflow speed. The thin disc also dissipates a lot of thermal energy outside of z/r = ±0.03 and a significant fraction of this dissipation happens in mildly relativistic winds. The enhanced dissipation in low-density regions could possibly feed coronae in X-ray binaries (XRBs) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Wind-driven accretion will also impact the dynamical evolution of accretion discs and could provide a mechanism to explain the rapid evolution of changing-look AGN and the secular evolution of XRBs. Finally, our MAD winds have terminal velocities and mass-loss rates in good agreement with the properties of ultrafast outflows observed in AGN.
Associations of Sexual Orientation-Related Minority and Military Stressors With Past-Year Cigarette Use Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Veterans
Authors: Ruiz Raymond A , Lehavot Keren , Heffner Jaimee L , Kava Christine M , Ornelas India J
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals and Veterans are more likely to report current smoking than the general adult population in the United States. The Minority Stress Model may explain the high prevalence of cigarette smoking among LGB individuals, who experience unique interpersonal (e.g., discrimination) and intrapersonal (e.g., identity concealment) stressors related to their minoritized sexual orientation.

Aims and Methods

This study assessed whether three types of stressors (interpersonal, intrapersonal, and LGB-specific military) were associated with past-year smoking among LGB Veterans. Veterans were recruited online for a prospective cohort study. We conducted secondary data analysis of baseline surveys collected from 2019 to 2020. The study sample included cisgender, LGB Veterans (n = 463). Adjusted nested multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association of each stressor with past-year cigarette smoking.

Results

Participants were mostly male (54.0%), non-Hispanic white (82.1%), and at least a college graduate (58.5%). LGB Veterans who were younger, had lower levels of education, income, and healthcare coverage, higher general stressors, and post-traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms were more likely to smoke in the past year (n = 98, 21.2%). The adjusted odds of past-year smoking were higher among those who reported higher levels of harassment (aOR = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01 to 1.26), victimization (aOR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.43), and family rejection (aOR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.36).

Conclusions

Multiple interpersonal stressors were associated with past-year smoking, highlighting the need to intervene on these stressors. Future interventions should aim to address policies that reduce prejudice against LGB Veterans, while helping those who smoke identify and develop positive coping skills that support cessation.

Implications

Our findings contribute to the growing body of literature on tobacco use disparities among LGB individuals, particularly LGB Veterans. Results of this analysis provide some evidence for the Minority Stress Model as a conceptual model for understanding and intervening in disparities in smoking prevalence among LGB Veterans.