bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LinRace: cell division history reconstruction of single cells using paired lineage barcode and gene expression data
Authors: Pan Xinhai , Li Hechen , Putta Pranav , Zhang Xiuwei
Published: December 2023

Lineage tracing technology using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing has enabled simultaneous readouts of gene expressions and lineage barcodes in single cells, which allows for inference of cell lineage and cell types at the whole organism level. While most state-of-the-art methods for lineage reconstruction utilize only the lineage barcode data, methods that incorporate gene expressions are emerging. Effectively incorporating the gene expression data requires a reasonable model of how gene expression data changes along generations of divisions. Here, we present LinRace (Lineage Reconstruction with asymmetric cell division model), which integrates lineage barcode and gene expression data using asymmetric cell division model and infers cell lineages and ancestral cell states using Neighbor-Joining and maximum-likelihood heuristics. On both simulated and real data, LinRace outputs more accurate cell division trees than existing methods. With inferred ancestral states, LinRace can also show how a progenitor cell generates a large population of cells with various functionalities.
Single-model uncertainty quantification in neural network potentials does not consistently outperform model ensembles
Authors: Tan Aik Rui , Urata Shingo , Goldman Samuel , Dietschreit Johannes C. B. , Gómez-Bombarelli Rafael
Published: December 2023

Neural networks (NNs) often assign high confidence to their predictions, even for points far out of distribution, making uncertainty quantification (UQ) a challenge. When they are employed to model interatomic potentials in materials systems, this problem leads to unphysical structures that disrupt simulations, or to biased statistics and dynamics that do not reflect the true physics. Differentiable UQ techniques can find new informative data and drive active learning loops for robust potentials. However, a variety of UQ techniques, including newly developed ones, exist for atomistic simulations and there are no clear guidelines for which are most effective or suitable for a given case. In this work, we examine multiple UQ schemes for improving the robustness of NN interatomic potentials (NNIPs) through active learning. In particular, we compare incumbent ensemble-based methods against strategies that use single, deterministic NNs: mean-variance estimation (MVE), deep evidential regression, and Gaussian mixture models (GMM). We explore three datasets ranging from in-domain interpolative learning to more extrapolative out-of-domain generalization challenges: rMD17, ammonia inversion, and bulk silica glass. Performance is measured across multiple metrics relating model error to uncertainty. Our experiments show that none of the methods consistently outperformed each other across the various metrics. Ensembling remained better at generalization and for NNIP robustness; MVE only proved effective for in-domain interpolation, while GMM was better out-of-domain; and evidential regression, despite its promise, was not the preferable alternative in any of the cases. More broadly, cost-effective, single deterministic models cannot yet consistently match or outperform ensembling for uncertainty quantification in NNIPs.
The innate interfacial elastic strain field of a transformable B2 precipitate embedded in an amorphous matrix
Authors: Fu Xiaoling , Lin Yujun , Zhu Mixun , Wang Kai , Wu Jiaqing , Tong Xing , Song Wenli , Tan Ming Jen , Yang Yuanzheng , Shen Jun , Wang Gang , Shek Chan Hung , Ritchie Robert O.
Published: December 2023

When a transformable B2 precipitate is embedded in an amorphous matrix, it is often experimentally observed that the crystalline-amorphous interface not only serves as an initiation site for the martensitic transformation due to local stress concentrations, but also as an inhibitor to stabilize the transformation, the latter being attributed to the “confinement effect” exerted by the amorphous matrix, according to the Eshelby solution. These two seemingly incongruous factors are examined in this study using molecular dynamics simulations from an atomic interaction perspective. An innate strain gradient in the vicinity of the crystalline-amorphous interface is identified. The actual interface, the compressive/dilatative transition, and the interfacial maximum strain are investigated to differentiate from the conventional “interface” located within a distance of a few nanometers. Our innate interfacial elastic strain field model is applicable for the design of materials with a higher degree of martensitic transformation and controllable stress concentration, even in cryogenic environments.
Approximating outcome probabilities of linear optical circuits
Authors: Lim Youngrong , Oh Changhun
Published: December 2023

Quasiprobability representations are important tools for analyzing a quantum system, such as a quantum state or a quantum circuit. In this work, we propose classical algorithms specialized for approximating outcome probabilities of a linear optical circuit using quasiprobability distributions. Notably, we can reduce the negativity bound of a circuit from exponential to at most polynomial for specific cases by modulating the shapes of quasiprobability distributions thanks to the symmetry of the linear optical transformation in the phase space. Consequently, our scheme provides an efficient estimation of outcome probabilities within an additive-error whose precision depends on the classicality of the input state. When the classicality is high enough, we reach a polynomial-time estimation algorithm of a probability within a multiplicative-error by an efficient sampling from a log-concave function. By choosing appropriate input states and measurements, our results provide plenty of quantum-inspired classical algorithms for approximating various matrix functions beating best-known results. Moreover, we give sufficient conditions for the classical simulability of Gaussian Boson sampling using our approximating algorithm for any (marginal) outcome probability under the poly-sparse condition.
Seeking the neural representation of statistical properties in print during implicit processing of visual words
Authors: Liu Jianyi , Fan Tengwen , Chen Yan , Zhao Jingjing
Published: December 2023

Statistical learning (SL) plays a key role in literacy acquisition. Studies have increasingly revealed the influence of distributional statistical properties of words on visual word processing, including the effects of word frequency (lexical level) and mappings between orthography, phonology, and semantics (sub-lexical level). However, there has been scant evidence to directly confirm that the statistical properties contained in print can be directly characterized by neural activities. Using time-resolved representational similarity analysis (RSA), the present study examined neural representations of different types of statistical properties in visual word processing. From the perspective of predictive coding, an equal probability sequence with low built-in prediction precision and three oddball sequences with high built-in prediction precision were designed with consistent and three types of inconsistent (orthographically inconsistent, orthography-to-phonology inconsistent, and orthography-to-semantics inconsistent) Chinese characters as visual stimuli. In the three oddball sequences, consistent characters were set as the standard stimuli (probability of occurrence p = 0.75) and three types of inconsistent characters were set as deviant stimuli (p = 0.25), respectively. In the equal probability sequence, the same consistent and inconsistent characters were presented randomly with identical occurrence probability (p = 0.25). Significant neural representation activities of word frequency were observed in the equal probability sequence. By contrast, neural representations of sub-lexical statistics only emerged in oddball sequences where short-term predictions were shaped. These findings reveal that the statistical properties learned from long-term print environment continues to play a role in current word processing mechanisms and these mechanisms can be modulated by short-term predictions.
Gap-free 16-year (2005–2020) sub-diurnal surface meteorological observations across Florida
Authors: Peeling Julie A. , Judge Jasmeet , Misra Vasubandhu , Jayasankar C. B. , Lusher William R.
Published: December 2023

The sub-tropical, flat, peninsular region of Florida is subject to a unique climate with extreme weather events that impact agriculture, public health, and management of natural resources. Meteorological data at high temporal resolutions especially in tropical latitudes are essential to understand diurnal and semi-diurnal variations of climate, which are considered as the fundamental modes of climate variations of our Earth system. However, many meteorological datasets contain gaps that limit their use for validation of models and further detailed observational analysis. The objective of this paper is to apply a set of data gap filling strategies to develop a gap-free dataset with 15-minute observations for the sub-tropical region of Florida. Using data from the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN), methods of linear interpolation, trend continuation, reference to external sources, and nearest station substitution were applied to fill the data gaps depending on the extent of the gap. The outcome of this study provides continuous, publicly accessible surface meteorological observations for 30 FAWN stations at 15-minute intervals for years 2005–2020.
Analysis and mitigation of PQ disturbances in grid connected system using fuzzy logic based IUPQC
Authors: Ravi TatiReddy , Kumar K. Sathish , Dhanamjayulu C. , Khan Baseem , Rajalakshmi K
Published: December 2023

Renewable energy integration introduces grid instability due to variable and intermittent sources like solar and wind, impacting reliability. This paper provides a thorough discussion of recent advancements and emerging trends in grid-integrated wind energy systems (GIWES) and grid-integrated solar energy systems (GISES). More than 70 research articles have been rigorously assessed and listed the technological and economic challenges. The increase in installations of grid-Integrating systems gives rise to challenges like as grid strain, peak shaving impacts, unpredictability of renewable energy sources (RES), and power quality disturbances. A variety of custom power devices, such as dynamic voltage restorers (DVR), static synchronous compensators (STATCOM), active power filters (APF), and unified power quality conditioners (UPQC), have gained popularity in response to these challenges. Among the various challenges, power quality disturbances, including voltage sag, swell, current and harmonics pose significant issues. To address these disturbances this work present a novel approach utilizing fuzzy logic (FL) to develop multi-feeder interline unified power-quality conditioners (MF-IUPQCs). The MF-IUPQC has three legs and three levels, each of which has four diode-clamped inverters. Switching is carried out through the use of space vector pulse width/duration modulation (SVPWM). Total harmonic distortion (THD) induced by nonlinear loads is reduced by the FLC-based MF-IUPQC, which also improves dynamic performance and offers a smooth DC-link voltage. The proposed control mechanism is implemented using MATLAB/Simulink. The fuzzy-based controller is compared to the industry-standard proportional-integral (PI) controller to determine its efficacy. Among them, the MF-IUPQC based on FLC delivers the smoothest voltage profile and the lowest THD.
Design and analysis of a flexible Ruddlesden–Popper 2D perovskite metastructure based on symmetry-protected THz-bound states in the continuum
Authors: Saadatmand Seyedeh Bita , Shokouhi Samad , Ahmadi Vahid , Hamidi Seyedeh Mehri
Published: December 2023

A Ruddlesden–Popper 2D perovskite PEA2PbX4 (X = I, Br, and Cl) is proposed for metasurface applications. Density functional theory is used to analyze the optical, electrical, mechanical properties, moisture and thermodynamic stability of PEA2PbX4. The refractive index of PEA2PbX4 varies with the halides, resulting in 2.131, 1.901, and 1.842 for X = I, Br, and Cl, respectively. Mechanical properties with Voigt-Reuss-Hill approximations indicate that all three materials are flexible and ductile. Based on the calculations of formation energy and adsorption of water molecules, PEA2PbI4 has superior thermodynamic and moisture stability. We present a novel metasurface based on 2D-PEA2PbI4 and analyze symmetry protected-bound states in the continuum (sp-BIC) excitation. The proposed structure can excite multiple Fano quasi-BICs (q-BICs) with exceptionally high Q-factors. We verify the group theoretical analysis and explore the near-field distribution and far-field scattering of q-BICs. The findings indicate that x-polarized incident waves can excite magnetic toroidal dipole-electromagnetic-induced transparency-BIC and magnetic quadrupole-BIC, while y-polarized incident waves can excite electric toroidal dipole-BIC and electric quadrupole-BIC. The influence of meta-atom and substrate losses, array size limitations, and fabrication tolerances are also discussed. The proposed structure can be employed for applications in the THz region, such as polarization-dependent filters, bidirectional optical switches, and wearable photonic devices.
Mediators and moderators of the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on parent–child conflict in children in tertiary mental health care
Authors: Robaey Philippe , Erbach Madison , Watanabe Lori K. , Carreiro Elizabeth R. , Maisonneuve Alexander R.
Published: December 2023

This study focused on children treated for mental health problems during the pandemic. The present study examined how parent’s difficulties in managing COVID-19 restrictions increased children's behavioral problems (internalizing and externalizing) and parent–child conflict through parental mental health and parental stress. Family functioning, particularly problem-solving ability, was tested as a resilience factor. were collected using online surveys from 337 parents with a child between the ages of 4 and 18 years who was receiving active outpatient mental health treatment at a pediatric tertiary care center. Parents who reported a greater impact of COVID-19 reported more behavioral difficulties in their children. This relationship was significantly mediated by parental mental health (general stress, anxiety, and depression) and parental stress. Similar indirect pathways were observed when examining internalizing and externalizing problems in children, where the most significant pathway had parental stress as the sole mediator. Furthermore, the effect of COVID-19 impact on parent–child conflict through parental stress was significantly moderated by problem-solving skills within the family. Parenting stress mediates the impact of COVID-19 on parent–child conflict. Interventions improving within family problem solving-skills may decrease the effect of parental stress on parent–child conflict.
Mass spectrometry in cerebrospinal fluid uncovers association of glycolysis biomarkers with Alzheimer’s disease in a large clinical sample
Authors: de Geus Matthijs B. , Leslie Shannon N. , Lam TuKiet , Wang Weiwei , Roux-Dalvai Florence , Droit Arnaud , Kivisakk Pia , Nairn Angus C. , Arnold Steven E. , Carlyle Becky C.
Published: December 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex and heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder with contributions from multiple pathophysiological pathways. One of the long-recognized and important features of AD is disrupted cerebral glucose metabolism, but the underlying molecular basis remains unclear. In this study, unbiased mass spectrometry was used to survey CSF from a large clinical cohort, comparing patients who are either cognitively unimpaired (CU; n = 68), suffering from mild-cognitive impairment or dementia from AD (MCI-AD, n = 95; DEM-AD, n = 72), or other causes (MCI-other, n = 77; DEM-other, n = 23), or Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH, n = 57). The results revealed changes related to altered glucose metabolism. In particular, two glycolytic enzymes, pyruvate kinase (PKM) and aldolase A (ALDOA), were found to be upregulated in CSF from patients with AD compared to those with other neurological conditions. Increases in full-length PKM and ALDOA levels in CSF were confirmed with immunoblotting. Levels of these enzymes furthermore correlated negatively with CSF glucose in matching CSF samples. PKM levels were also found to be increased in AD in publicly available brain-tissue data. These results indicate that ALDOA and PKM may act as technically-robust potential biomarkers of glucose metabolism dysregulation in AD.
The use of dual mobility acetabular cups in total hip replacement reduces dislocation rates in hip dysplasia patients
Authors: Kim Jung Shin , Moon Nam Hoon , Do Min Uk , Jung Sung Won , Suh Kuen Tak , Shin Won Chul
Published: December 2023

Total hip replacement arthroplasty (THA) in hip dysplasia patients has a higher dislocation rate than in patients with simple hip osteoarthritis due to anatomical deformation. Therefore, to reduce postoperative THA dislocation is the challenge for arthroplasty surgeons. From 2015 to 2020, 1525 patients underwent THA performed by two surgeons at a single institution. A total of 152 patients involving 172 THAs were included. The patients were classified into dual-mobility (DM) and fixed-bearing (FB) acetabular cup groups. The occurrence of postoperative dislocation and functional evaluation of the hip joint, was analyzed before and after surgery using the modified Harris hip score(mHHS). There was no difference in the preoperative demographics and radiographic parameters between the groups. The incidence of postoperative hip dislocation was significantly lower in the DM group (DM 0% vs. FB 9.0%) (P value = 0.003). The mHHS showed no difference before surgery and after surgery (DM 91.80 vs FB 92.03). Treating hip dysplasia patients with THA using a dual-mobility acetabular cup can reduce postoperative dislocations, and could be used for the better management of these patients.
Comparison of the accuracy of Japanese synonym identifications using word embeddings in the radiological technology field
Authors: Yagahara Ayako , Yokohama Noriya
Published: December 2023

The terminology in radiological technology is crucial, encompassing a broad range of principles from radiation to medical imaging, and involving various specialists. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of automatic synonym detection considering the characteristics of the Japanese language by Word2vec and fastText in the radiological technology field for the terminology elaboration. We collected around 340 thousand abstracts in Japanese. First, preprocessing of the abstract data was performed. Then, training models were created with Word2vec and fastText with different architectures: continuous bag-of-words (CBOW) and skip-gram, and vector sizes. Baseline synonym sets were curated by two experts, utilizing terminology resources specific to radiological technology. A term in the dataset input into the generated models, and the top-10 synonym candidates which had high cosine similarities were obtained. Subsequently, precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy for each model were calculated. The fastText model with CBOW at 300 dimensions was most precise in synonym detection, excelling in cases with shared n-grams. Conversely, fastText with skip-gram and Word2vec were favored for synonyms without common n-grams. In radiological technology, where n-grams are prevalent, fastText with CBOW proved advantageous, while in informatics, characterized by abbreviations and transliterations, Word2vec with CBOW was more effective.
Evidence of an intracellular creatine-sensing mechanism that modulates creatine biosynthesis via AGAT expression in human HAP1 cells
Authors: Tropak Michael B. , Tkachyova Ilona , Gu Ray , Lee Alex , Schulze Andreas
Published: December 2023

Cellular homeostasis of creatine (CT), integral part of the energy buffering and transducing system connecting intracellular sites of ATP production and utilization, comprises of mechanisms that increase CT, i.e., biosynthesis and cellular uptake, and CT-lowering processes, such as export and non-enzymatic conversion to creatinine. The biosynthesis of CT is controlled by negative feedback loop via suppression of the rate-limiting enzyme arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT). Although the regulatory mechanism involved is not well understood, AGAT suppression is successfully used in patients with guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency to reduce the neurotoxic accumulation of the AGAT-mediated guanidinoacetate production by supplementing patients with CT. Utilizing the CT-dependent feedback loop for the upregulation of AGAT expression may well represent a therapeutic target for an additional CT deficiency syndrome, the CT transporter (CrT) defect, for which no effective treatment option is available so far. We have used CRISPR to tag the C-terminus of AGAT with a nanoluc luciferase (NLuc) reporter in HAP1 cells. A biphasic decay of AGAT-NLuc in response to increasing extracellular CT was observed, whereas the decrease in AGAT-NLuc expression was directly proportional to the rise in intracellular CT levels with an approximate IC50 of 1–2 mM. CRISPR generated HAP1 CrT null cells and HAP1 CrT null cells stably expressing a CrT-GFP fusion protein further demonstrated that the biphasic response to extracellular CT is mediated by a high-affinity (Km 9–10 µM) CrT dependent, saturable mechanism and a CrT independent, unsaturable uptake process. The direct response to intracellular CT suggests the existence of an intracellular CT sensing system enabling a dynamic cell response to changing CT concentration that is relevant for cellular CT homeostasis.
Research space telescope deployable mechanism variable diameter internal drive device elastic collision contact characteristics in the inter-stage transition
Authors: Guan Yingjun , Huang Weiqi , Wang Hao , Lu Huanquan , Yang Huisheng
Published: December 2023

To address the problem of elastic contact discrepancies between a variable-diameter internal drive device and a non-continuous surface during the transition, caused by the vibrations resulting from elastic collision impact when the motion speed of the elastic body increases, the following steps were taken. First, we established models for elastic collision, impact, and vibration during the inter-stage transition to analyze how motion speed and preload affect the elastic contact characteristics between the two components. Subsequently, we employed the finite element method to further analyze the elastic contact state, using identical loads but varying motion speeds and radial preloads as boundary conditions. Finally, an experimental prototype was developed to validate the elastic contact state of the elastic body during the inter-stage transition. The results indicated that the amplitude of elastic body vibration increased with higher motion speed, while it decreased with higher radial preload. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust radial preload at different times to ensure effective elastic contact between the elastic body and the non-continuous surface during the inter-stage transition. This approach not only enhances deployment speed but also guarantees the stability of the inter-stage transition.
A chain mediation model of inclusive leadership and voice behavior among university teachers: evidence from China
Authors: Liu Chunlei , Wu Min , Chen Xiaoqin
Published: December 2023

As a vital mode in which teachers can participate in university management, voice behavior is an important way of enhancing the efficiency of organizational decision-making, promoting democratic management, and facilitating sustainable development in universities. Although previous studies have confirmed the positive impact of inclusive leadership on employees' voice behavior, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. Therefore, based on the cognitive-affective system theory of personality, this study aims to examine the mediating effects of psychological empowerment and organizational identification on the relationship between inclusive leadership and voice behavior among university teachers. A total of 517 valid questionnaires were administered to university teachers in mainland China using a convenience sampling approach. Structural equation modeling and bootstrap testing were used to analyze the data, and the results reveal that inclusive leadership is positively related to teachers’ promotive and prohibitive voice behavior. This relationship is mediated by psychological empowerment and organizational identification, in which context a partial mediating effect is observed in the relationship between inclusive leadership and promotive voice and a full mediating effect is observed in the relationship between inclusive leadership and prohibitive voice. These findings can enrich the extant research on the impact of inclusive leadership in the field of higher education to a certain extent. Moreover, they provide a new perspective that can support an in-depth analysis of the mechanism underlying the effect of inclusive leadership and generate valuable practical insights into ways of stimulating voice behavior among university teachers.
Prediction of very early subclinical rejection with machine learning in kidney transplantation
Authors: Jo Sung Jun , Park Jae Berm , Lee Kyo Won
Published: December 2023

Protocol biopsy is a reliable method for assessing allografts status after kidney transplantation (KT). However, due to the risk of complications, it is necessary to establish indications and selectively perform protocol biopsies by classifying the high-risk group for early subclinical rejection (SCR). Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the incidence and risk factors of early SCR (within 2 weeks) and develop a prediction model using machine learning. Patients who underwent KT at Samsung Medical Center from January 2005 to December 2020 were investigated. The incidence of SCR was investigated and risk factors were analyzed. For the development of prediction model, machine learning methods (random forest, elastic net, extreme gradient boosting [XGB]) and logistic regression were used and the performance between the models was evaluated. The cohorts of 987 patients were reviewed and analyzed. The incidence of SCR was 14.6%. Borderline cellular rejection (BCR) was the most common type of rejection, accounting for 61.8% of cases. In the analysis of risk factors, recipient age (OR 0.98, p = 0.03), donor BMI (OR 1.07, p = 0.02), ABO incompatibility (OR 0.15, p < 0.001), HLA II mismatch (two [OR 6.44, p < 0.001]), and ATG induction (OR 0.41, p < 0.001) were associated with SCR in the multivariate analysis. The logistic regression prediction model (average AUC = 0.717) and the elastic net model (average AUC = 0.712) demonstrated good performance. HLA II mismatch and induction type were consistently identified as important variables in all models. The odds ratio analysis of the logistic prediction model revealed that HLA II mismatch (OR 6.77) was a risk factor for SCR, while ATG induction (OR 0.37) was a favorable factor. Early SCR was associated with HLA II mismatches and induction agent and prediction model using machine learning demonstrates the potential to predict SCR.
Cationic indium catalysis as a powerful tool for generating α-alkyl propargyl cations for SN1 reactions
Authors: Yoshimatsu Mitsuhiro , Goto Hiroki , Saito Rintaro , Iguchi Kodai , Kikuchi Manoka , Wasada Hiroaki , Sawada Yoshiharu
Published: December 2023

Dehydration is an abundant and promising process in chemical, biochemical, and industrial fields. Dehydration methods can contribute to building a modern and sustainable society with minimal environmental impact. Breakthrough advances in the dehydrative SN1 reaction can be achieved through the discovery of new cationic indium catalysts. Here we show that the breakthrough advances in the dehydrative SN1 reaction can be achieved using the cationic indium catalysts. The dehydrative carbon–carbon bond formation of α-alkyl propargyl alcohols afforded a wide variety of α-aryl- and heteroaryl-propargyl compounds. Mechanistic investigations into this process revealed that the InCl3/AgClO4/Bu4NPF6/1,1’-binaphthol catalytic system generated a powerful cationic indium catalyst that could promote the dehydration of alcohols. Labile α-alkyl propargyl cations were found to self-condense, and the catalyst system efficiently regenerated propargyl cations for reaction with nucleophiles. This propargylation reaction directly proceeded from the corresponding alcohols under mild and open-air conditions and tolerated a broad scope of functional groups. Furthermore, a wide variety of nucleophiles, including aromatic and heteroaromatic compounds, phenols, alcohols, and sulfonamides, reacted with the corresponding cations to afford the propargyl compounds in good to high yields. Finally, the synthetic utility of this reaction was demonstrated by the synthesis of colchicine and allocolchicine analogues. The dehydration process could help create new compounds that were previously impossible to synthesize and is more eco-friendly and efficient than conventional methods.
Transition metals anchored on nitrogen-doped graphdiyne for an efficient oxygen reduction reaction: a DFT study
Authors: Wang Ning , Gan Siyu , Mao Yunfeng , Xiao Junping , Xu Chunming , Zhou Tianhang
Published: December 2023

Our work sheds light on the relationship between nitrogen-doped GDY and transition metal sites, thus contributing to the development of more efficient catalysts for the ORR.
The effect of nanoparticle surface charge on freshwater algae growth, reproduction, and lipid production
Authors: McKeel Emma , Kim Hye-In , Jeon Su-Ji , Giraldo Juan Pablo , Klaper Rebecca
Published: December 2023

Using functionalized carbon dots as models, positively charged nanoparticles were found to cause growth inhibition and aggregation in microalgae. Negative and near-neutral negative particles were associated with morphological changes.
A visible-near-infrared transparent miniaturized frequency-selective metasurface with a microwave transmission window
Authors: Zhang Yilei , Zhang Bowen , Lu Zhengang , Wang Heyan , Han Lin , Tan Jiubin
Published: December 2023

A meshed miniaturized frequency-selective metasurface is proposed, which has high transparency in the visible-near-infrared band as well as a microwave transmission window with a low passband loss and an insensitive incidence microwave angle.
The use of a sulfonium-based photoacid generator in thiol–ene photopolymers for the controlled activation of transesterification through chemical amplification
Authors: Alabiso Walter , Li Yang , Brancart Joost , Van Assche Guy , Rossegger Elisabeth , Schlögl Sandra
Published: December 2023

Herein, we exploit chemical amplification to release –OH groups in dynamic covalent photopolymers on-demand. Via a single photon event, a cascade of reactions occurs, which allows the polymers to flow through thermo-activated transesterification.
Optimisation of deep neural network model using Reptile meta learning approach
Authors: Kulkarni Uday , S M Meena , Hallyal Raghavendra , Sulibhavi Prasanna , G Sunil V. , Guggari Shankru , Shanbhag Akshay R.
Published: December 2023

The artificial intelligence (AI) within the last decade has experienced a rapid development and has attained power to simulate human‐thinking in various situations. When the deep neural networks (DNNs) are trained with huge dataset and high computational resources it can bring out great outcomes. But the learning process of DNN is very much complicated and time‐consuming. In various circumstances, where there is a data‐scarcity, the algorithms are not capable of learning tasks at a faster rate and perform nearer to that of human intelligence. With advancements in deep meta‐learning in several research studies, this problem has been dealt. Meta‐learning has outspread range of applications where the meta‐data (data about data) of the either tasks, data or the models which were previously trained can be employed to optimise the learning. So in order to get an insight of all existing meta‐learning approaches for DNN model optimisation, the authors performed survey introducing different meta‐learning techniques and also the current optimisation‐based approaches, their merits and open challenges. In this research, the Reptile meta‐learning algorithm was chosen for the experiment. As Reptile uses first‐order derivatives during optimisation process, hence making it feasible to solve optimisation problems. The authors achieved a 5% increase in accuracy with the proposed version of Reptile meta‐learning algorithm.
Motion vector‐domain video steganalysis exploiting skipped macroblocks
Authors: Li Jun , Zhang Minqing , Niu Ke , Zhang Yingnan , Yang Xiaoyuan
Published: December 2023

Video steganography has the potential to be used to convey illegal information, and video steganalysis is a vital tool to detect the presence of this illicit act. Currently, all the motion vector (MV)‐based video steganalysis algorithms extract feature sets directly from the MVs, but ignoring the embedding operation may perturb the statistical distribution of other video encoding elements, such as the skipped macroblocks (no direct MVs). This paper proposes a novel 11‐dimensional feature set to detect MV‐based video steganography based on the above observation. The proposed feature is extracted based on the skipped macroblocks by recompression calibration. Specifically, the feature consists of two components. The first is the probability distribution of motion vector prediction (MVP) difference, and the second is the probability distribution of partition state transfer. Extensive experiments on different conditions demonstrate that the proposed feature set achieves good detection accuracy, especially in lower embedding capacities. In addition, the loss of detection performance caused by recompression calibration using mismatched quantization parameters (QP) is within the acceptable range, so the proposed method can be used in practical scenarios.
Charakteristika und Outcomedaten von Neugeborenen mit
pränatal nicht diagnostizierter angeborener
Zwerchfellhernie
Authors: Bo Bartolomeo B.L. , Lemloh Lotte , Hale Lennart , Heydweiller Andreas , Strizek Brigitte , Bendixen Charlotte , Schroeder Lukas , Mueller Andreas , Kipfmueller Florian
Published: December 2023

Einleitung Die angeborene Zwerchfellhernie (CDH) gehört mit einer
Mortalität von 20–35% zu den schwerwiegendsten
neonatalen Fehlbildungen. Aktuell liegt die Rate der pränatal erkannten
CDH’s bei 60–80%. Untersucht wurden Charakteristika und
Outcomedaten von Kindern mit pränatal nicht erkannter CDH.

Methodik Eingeschlossen wurden postnatal diagnostizierte CDH-Neugeborene,
die zwischen 2012 und 2021 am Universitätsklinikum Bonn behandelt
wurden. Verglichen wurden Behandlungs- und Outcomedaten in Abhängigkeit
zur Art der Entbindungsklinik, sowie gemäß der Apgar-Werte.
Ebenso erfolgte der Vergleich von Behandlungs- und Outcomedaten zwischen
pränatal und postnatal diagnostizierter CDH.

Ergebnisse Von 244 CDH-Neugeborenen wurden 22 eingeschlossen. Der
Vergleich bei Geburt in einer Einrichtung mit und ohne pädiatrische
Versorgung ergab für Mortalität: 9% vs. 27%,
p=0,478; ECMO-Rate: 9% vs. 36%, p=0,300; Alter
bei Diagnosestellung: 84 vs. 129 Min, p=0,049; Zeit zwischen Intubation
und Diagnosestellung: 20 vs. 86 Min, p=0,019. Neugeborenen in der
zweiten Gruppe zeigten signifikant schlechtere Werter für pH und pCO2.
Weiterhin zeigte sich eine tendenziell höhere Mortalität und
ECMO-Rate bei Kindern mit einem Apgar-Wert<7 vs.≥7. Kindern mit
postnataler Diagnose hatten signifikant häufiger eine moderate oder
schwere PH, sowie tendenziell häufiger eine kardialer Dysfunktion als
pränatal Diagnostizierte.

Diskussion In unserer Kohorte wurde ca. jedes 10. Neugeborene mit CDH
postnatal diagnostiziert. Die Geburt in einer Einrichtung ohne
pädiatrische Versorgung ist mit einer späteren Diagnosestellung
assoziiert, was eine Hyperkapnie bzw. Azidose mit nachfolgend schwererer
pulmonaler Hypertonie begünstigen kann.
Stereodivergent 1,5-Conjugate Addition with Iminoesters via Pd/Cu Dual Catalysis
Authors: He Zhi-Tao , Yang Zi-Jiang
Published: December 2023

The first stereodivergent umpolung 1,5-conjugate addition reaction via synergistic Pd/Cu catalysts is reported. By dictating the absolute configuration of each chiral ligand ligated to corresponding metals, all four stereoisomers of the products are easily achieved. A series of amino acid moieties are introduced to the γ-position of the conjugated esters in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities and enantioselectivities. The downstream transformations highlight the synthetic value of the method.
Surgical Approaches for Minimally Invasive Interlocking Nail Osteosynthesis in Dogs
Authors: de Lucena Dayvid Vianêis Farias , Minto Bruno Watanabe , Neto José Aloizio Gonçalves , Ferreira Danyelle Rayssa Cintra , Dias Luís Gustavo Gosuen Gonçalves
Published: December 2023

Objective The aim of this article was to describe, in detail, the safe portals and surgical approaches for minimally invasive interlocking nail osteosynthesis.

Methods Fifteen dog cadavers weighing between 30 and 40 kg were used, 10 for an anatomical study and 5 for creation of the minimally invasive interlocking nail osteosynthesis portals. Anatomical dissections were used to establish landmarks and precise anatomical interrelationships of the surgical approaches for the minimally invasive use of interlocking nails in the tibia, femur, and humerus. Subsequent dissection was made to evaluate potential iatrogenic lesions.

Results The reference points for, and anatomical interrelationships of, the minimally invasive surgical approaches to the tibial, femur, and humerus diaphyses were detailed. No damage to any important neurovascular structures was observed in any cadaver.

Conclusion Safe portals for approaching the humerus, femur, and tibia were described in detail to allow safe application of interlocking nails in a minimally invasive fashion.
Central Nonenhancement Sign in Carotid Body Tumor on CT Angiography
Authors: Mishra Dewansh , Kesavadas Chandrasekharan , Thomas Bejoy , Pujari Vishnu Shivshankar , Ignatius Amalan
Published: December 2023

Carotid body tumors are rare benign tumors that arise in the carotid space of neck typically presenting as soft to firm, painless swelling in the neck. While specific imaging characteristics have been previously described for carotid body tumors, we report a new imaging sign in three cases of carotid body tumors on computed tomography angiography.
A Case of Sinonasal Low-Grade Nonintestinal Adenocarcinoma That Was Difficult to Diagnose Preoperatively
Authors: Mizoguchi Yoshie , Tanaka Sunao , Kikuchi Shigeru
Published: December 2023

We report a case of sinonasal low-grade, nonintestinal adenocarcinoma (LG non-ITAC). The patient, a 56-year-old woman, was referred to our university hospital for a left nasal tumor with nasal obstruction, epistaxis, and nasal discharge. Nasal endoscopy revealed a nasal polypoid tumor with a smooth margin occupying the left nasal cavity. The sinonasal tumor was diagnosed as an exophytic papilloma by histopathology. Sinonasal contrast computed tomography (CT) confirmed homogeneous opacification of the left frontal, maxillary, and ethmoidal sinuses. There was no evidence of a potential bone defect. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a relatively uniform high signal intensity area in the left maxillary and frontal sinuses. An area of high signal intensity was also found in a part of the left ethmoid sinus. Left transnasal endoscopic ethmoidectomy was performed under general anesthesia. The tumor in the nasal cavity was prone to bleeding. We defined the site of tumor attachment as the suprabullar cell. The anterior ethmoidal artery was exposed, and the tumor was carefully dissected and removed. Based on the findings of these radiological and histological examinations, the sinonasal tumor was diagnosed as a LG non-ITAC. Sinonasal non-ITAC is an adenocarcinoma without the histopathological characteristics of salivary or intestinal-type adenocarcinoma. Non-ITAC is additionally classified into the high-grade and LG types. LG non-ITAC is very uncommon. Thus far, there is only one published report in the literature on the clinical and therapeutic characteristics of LG non-ITAC in Japan. Non-ITAC has a good prognosis, with a low risk of metastasis. Therefore, it is imperative to suspect and distinguish non-ITAC from other sinonasal tumors with similar symptoms preoperatively.
The Matthew Effect: Prevalence of Doctor and Physician Parents among Ophthalmology Applicants
Authors: Khair Diana , Blanchard Cody C. , Wang Kevin K. , Moore Daniel B.
Published: December 2023

Objective This article determines the prevalence of physician parents among ophthalmology residency applications.

Design Retrospective, single-center cohort study.

Subjects All applicants to the University of Kentucky Ophthalmology Residency between 2018 and 2023.

Methods Residency applications were reviewed, with data collection including applicant gender, self-identified Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM) status, United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 score, USMLE Step 2 score, and whether the application identified a doctor or physician as a parent. Doctor was defined as a profession requiring a doctorate degree, and similarly, physician as a profession requiring a medical degree.

Results A total of 2,057 applications were reviewed, representing 54% of all match participants during the study period. Fourteen percent (296) of applications indicated a parent was a doctor and 12% (253) a parent was a physician. There were no differences between gender, URiM, USMLE Step 1, and Step 2 scores between applicants indicating a doctor or physician as a parent and those that did not (p all > 0.4 and Cohen's d all < 0.02). Of the type of doctors, 85% (253) were physicians, 6% (17) optometrists, 6% (17) Doctors of Philosophy, 3% (8) dentists, 1% (1) pharmacist, and 1% (1) veterinarian. Eighty-six percent (217) of applications with a physician parent provided the type of physician, with ophthalmologist the most common (93, 43%). Ninety-eight percent (249) of applications with a physician parent provided the gender of the parent, with father (168, 68%) more common than mother (42, 17%) or both parents (39, 16%).

Conclusion Physician parents are substantially overrepresented in ophthalmology residency applicants. This raises concerns regarding diversity and inclusion efforts for recruitment in medicine.
Culturomics in Unraveling the Upper Female Reproductive Tract Microbiota
Authors: Vanstokstraeten Robin , Demuyser Thomas , Piérard Denis , Wybo Ingrid , Blockeel Christophe , Mackens Shari
Published: December 2023

In recent years, the study of the human microbiome has surged, shedding light on potential connections between microbiome composition and various diseases. One specific area of intense interest within this research is the female reproductive tract, as it holds the potential to influence the process of embryo implantation. Advanced sequencing technologies have delivered unprecedented insights into the microbial communities, also known as microbiota, residing in the female reproductive tract. However, their efficacy encounters significant challenges when analyzing low-biomass microbiota, such as those present in the endometrium. These molecular techniques are susceptible to contamination from laboratory reagents and extraction kits, leading to sequencing bias that can significantly alter the perceived taxonomy of a sample. Consequently, investigating the microbiota of the upper female reproductive tract necessitates the exploration of alternative methods. In this context, the current review delves into the application of culturomics in unraveling the upper female reproductive tract microbiota. While culturomics holds value in research, its transition to routine clinical practice appears remote, at least in the foreseeable future.
What is the tertiary norm of belief?
Authors: Dykstra Jorren
Published: December 2023

Timothy Williamson (in ‘Justifications, excuses, and sceptical scenarios’) distinguishes three kinds of norm for belief, which he calls ‘primary’, ‘secondary’ and ‘tertiary’. He argues that a belief is justified if it satisfies the primary norm and excused if it satisfies only the tertiary norm. The argument turns on cases of intuitively unjustified belief in which the tertiary norm is satisfied, on Williamson’s rough-and-ready statement of that norm. I argue that, once we state the tertiary norm more carefully, it is clear that it is not satisfied in these cases. So we need some other reason to think that the tertiary norm is not justifying.
Multivariate base rates of potentially problematic scores on the NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery
Authors: Ingram Eric O , Karr Justin E
Published: December 2023

Objective

To examine the normal frequency of obtaining one or more scores considered potentially problematic based on normative comparisons when completing the NIH Toolbox Emotion Battery (NIHTB-EB).

Method

Participants (N = 753; ages 18–85, 62.4% women, 66.4% non-Hispanic White) from the NIHTB norming study completed 17 scales of emotional functioning fitting into three subdomains (i.e., Negative Affect, Psychological Well-being, Social Satisfaction). Scores were considered potentially problematic if they were 1 SD above/below the mean, depending on the orientation of the scale, and cutoffs for 1.5 and 2 SD were also included for reference. Multivariate base rates quantified the rate at which participants obtained one or more potentially problematic scale or subdomain scores.

Results

The portion of participants obtaining one or more potentially problematic scores on the NIHTB-EB scales and subdomains was 61.2 and 23.2%, respectively. Participants who were younger (i.e., 18–49) or had less education had higher rates of potentially problematic scores within specific subdomains. There were no significant differences by sex or race/ethnicity.

Conclusions

Elevated scores on the NIHTB-EB were common in the normative sample and related to education/age. The multivariate base rates provided indicate obtaining one or more potentially problematic scores on the NIHTB-EB is broadly normal among adults, which may guard against overinterpreting a single score as clinically significant. These base rates should be considered in the context of other assessment findings, such as interviews, medical history or informant reports, to ensure that true emotional problems are not dismissed, and normal variation in emotional functioning is not pathologized.
MSIpixel: a fully automated pipeline for compound annotation and quantitation in mass spectrometry imaging experiments
Authors: Morosi Lavinia , Miotto Matteo , Timo Sara , Carloni Sara , Bruno Eleonora , Meroni Marina , Menna Elisabetta , Lodato Simona , Rescigno Maria , Martano Giuseppe
Published: December 2023

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is commonly used to map the spatial distribution of small molecules within complex biological matrices. One of the major challenges in imaging MS-based spatial metabolomics is molecular identification and metabolite annotation, to address this limitation, annotation is often complemented with parallel bulk LC-MS2-based metabolomics to confirm and validate identifications. Here we applied MSI method, utilizing data-dependent acquisition, to visualize and identify unknown molecules in a single instrument run. To reach this aim we developed MSIpixel, a fully automated pipeline for compound annotation and quantitation in MSI experiments. It overcomes challenges in molecular identification, and improving reliability and comprehensiveness in MSI-based spatial metabolomics.