bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calibration method of strapdown inertial measurement unit based on two-axis turntable
Authors: Liu Yulin , Gao Tongyue , Zhan Haozhe , Wu Guangyuan , You Yunteng
Published: July 2024

This paper analyzes the causes and effects of error in the Strapdown Micro-Electro-Mechanical System Inertial Measurement Unit (MEMS-IMU), utilizing a sensor calibration method based on a two-axis turntable. By considering deterministic errors such as sensor bias, scale factor, and non-orthogonality of the sensitive axis, an error model was established to assess their impact on measurement accuracy. An expression was provided to represent the relationship between sensor data collection and external input stimuli, storing the error parameters of the accelerometer and the gyroscope separately in parameter matrices. The error parameter matrix between input and output quantities was fitted using the least squares method, and error compensation was completed in conjunction with the error model. By comparing the original data with the error-compensated data, the calibration results were obtained. This improved the consistency of the measurements from the sensitive axes to the stimulus source, reduced the zero bias error of each sensitive axis, and enhanced the positioning accuracy of the Strapdown MEMS-IMU.
Research on partial discharge signal denoising based on Kalman-WPT
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Hou Dingshuo , Qin Yulei , Song Feiyang , Yang Guixiang , Xu Mingjian
Published: July 2024

Oil-immersed insulating paper will produce partial discharge under high-frequency pulse voltage conditions, so suppressing or reducing the generation of partial discharge signals is an important method for stabilizing the operation of power equipment. However, it has been found in experiments that various interference signals can affect the generation, capture, and measurement of partial discharge signals during various analyses. Therefore, how to capture partial discharge signals effectively and accurately through denoising algorithms has become the focus of this series of experiments. Kalman filtering and wavelet packet transform are the most basic and commonly used methods for denoising at this stage. By analyzing and comparing the basic principles and characteristics of the two methods, the author proposes a Kalman-WPT joint denoising method and conducts simulation analysis using MATLAB 2022b. Multiple controlled experiments have shown that the signal-to-noise ratio of selected discharge signals has increased from 1.3052 for Kalman filtering and 8.9553 for wavelet packet transform to 10.3702, which is sufficient to prove that this method enhances the denoising effect on the original partial discharge signal, reduces waveform distortion, and greatly improves signal detection accuracy.
Short-term wind power forecasting method based on spatial-temporal graph neural network
Authors: Luo Dezhi , Ye Zhengdeng , Tu Zhekai , Chen Jing , Yan Qibo , Wu Peng
Published: July 2024

In order to solve the problem that the weather factor is neglected in the current short-term wind power forecasting process, which leads to a big difference between the power forecasting result and the actual power, a short-term wind power forecasting method based on the spatial-temporal graph neural network is proposed. According to the operating power data, the short-term wind power forecasting sequence is calculated, and the wind farm is regarded as a graph. The dependence of space and time series is captured by a graph neural network, and the spatial-temporal graph neural network model is constructed. Combined with the wavelet decomposition process, short-term wind power forecasting is realized. The experimental results show that the average absolute error and average relative error of this method are less than 10%, and the wind power prediction results at different times are all on the actual wind power curve, which shows that this method can accurately predict short-term wind power.
Towards a RAG-based summarization for the Electron Ion Collider
Authors: Suresh Karthik , Kackar Neeltje , Schleck Luke , Fanelli Cristiano
Published: July 2024

The complexity and sheer volume of information — encompassing documents, papers, data, and other resources — from large-scale experiments demand significant time and effort to navigate, making the task of accessing and utilizing these varied forms of information daunting, particularly for new collaborators and early-career scientists.
To tackle this issue, a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)-based Summarization AI for EIC (RAGS4EIC) is under development. This AI-Agent not only condenses information but also effectively references relevant responses, offering substantial advantages for collaborators. Our project involves a two-step approach: first, querying a comprehensive vector database containing all pertinent experiment information; second, utilizing a Large Language Model (LLM) to generate concise summaries enriched with citations based on user queries and retrieved data. We describe the evaluation methods that use RAG assessments (RAGAs) scoring mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of responses. Furthermore, we describe the concept of prompt template based instruction-tuning which provides flexibility and accuracy in summarization. Importantly, the implementation relies on LangChain [1], which serves as the foundation of our entire workflow. This integration ensures efficiency and scalability, facilitating smooth deployment and accessibility for various user groups within the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) community. This innovative AI-driven framework not only simplifies the understanding of vast datasets but also encourages collaborative participation, thereby empowering researchers. As a demonstration, a web application has been developed to explain each stage of the RAG Agent development in detail. The application can be accessed at https://rags4eic-ai4eic.streamlit.app.[A tagged version of the source code can be found in https://github.com/ai4eic/EIC-RAG-Project/releases/tag/AI4EIC2023_PROCEEDING.]
Diamond based neutron detector in high temperature environments of 200 °C
Authors: Melbinger Julian , Weiss Christina , Griesmayer Erich , Jericha Erwin , Hainz Dieter
Published: July 2024

The stability of the neutron response function and the
detection efficiency of a sCVD diamond detector in the temperature
range up to 200 °C are demonstrated in this paper. A CIVIDEC
neutron detector was simultaneously heated with an AmBe neutron
source. This enabled the measurement of the spectrum of the
deposited energy in the diamond sensor, i.e. the neutron response
function of the detector and the detection rate, which in
combination represents the neutron flux as a function of
temperature. The measured temperature stability of the neutron
response function of the detector and detection rate demonstrates
the suitability of sCVD diamond detectors for harsh environments,
such as encountered in geodetic applications and nuclear fusion
research.
Micro gas chromatography column using ionic liquid modified metal-organic framework as stationary phase for rapid breath analysis of gastric cancer
Authors: Hu Guoqiang , Wang Zihao , Yan Feifei , Wang Hairong , Hua Xinyuan , Zhang Kangning , Gao Jialing , Dong Pengyu , Li Shengbin , Cheng Cheng
Published: July 2024

The micro gas chromatography columns (μGCs) were
prepared for rapid breath analysis of gastric cancer. The
synergistic effect of the specific surface area and the action of
pore diameter on the separation capacity was investigated. The
μGC-IL/UIO-66 was prepared using [P66614][Cl]/UIO-66 as the
stationary phase. For comparison, the μGC-IL and the
μGC-UIO-66 were prepared using [P66614][Cl] and UIO-66 as
stationary phase, respectively. [P66614][Cl]/UIO-66 had a high
specific surface area with a pore diameter distribution of
0.49 nm. The high specific surface area of [P66614][Cl]/UIO-66
improved the efficiency of adsorption and desorption, while the
porous structure with an appropriate pore diameter acted as an
efficient molecular sieve, synergistically enhancing separation
efficiency. So compared to the μGC-IL and the
μGC-UIO-66, the HETP of μGC-IL/UIO-66 was reduced by
68.2% and 22.6%, respectively. In the analysis of volatile
biomarkers (acetone, benzene, n-hexane and toluene) for gastric
cancer, the resolutions between adjacent peaks were 1.96, 2.13 and
3.67, which met the requirements for quantitative analysis
(R > 1.5). The retention times of acetone, benzene, n-hexane and
toluene were 0.72 min, 0.96 min, 1.33 min and 1.67 min, which
enables rapid analysis. All may suggest that the μGC-IL/UIO-66
has a promising application in rapid breath analysis of gastric
cancer.
Development of vertical test stand for SRF cavities at PAPS
Authors: Ye Lingxi , Sha Peng , Mi Zhenghui , Wang Qunyao , He Feisi , Ge Rui , Pan Weimin
Published: July 2024

The vertical test stand (VTS) plays a crucial role in
evaluating the performance of superconducting radio-frequency (SRF)
cavities. The VTS at the Platform of Advanced Photon Source
Technology R&D (PAPS) has been developed by the Institute of High
Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IHEP). In this paper,
the digitalization (based on Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA)
and integration functionalities of VTS was carried out, which
simplified the vertical test and improved efficiency
greatly. Several vertical tests have been conducted at this upgraded
VTS successfully, which adopted digital self-excited loop (SEL) and
Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS).
Electronic analogue of Fourier optics with massless Dirac fermions scattered by quantum dot lattice
Authors: Banerjee Partha Sarathi , Marathe Rahul , Ghosh Sankalpa
Published: July 2024

The field of electron optics exploits the analogy between the movement of electrons or charged quasiparticles, primarily in two-dimensional materials subjected to electric and magnetic (EM) fields and the propagation of electromagnetic waves in a dielectric medium with varied refractive index. We significantly extend this analogy by introducing an electronic analogue of Fourier optics dubbed as Fourier electron optics (FEO) with massless Dirac fermions (MDF), namely the charge carriers of single-layer graphene under ambient conditions, by considering their scattering from a two-dimensional quantum dot lattice (TDQDL) treated within Lippmann–Schwinger formalism. By considering the scattering of MDF from TDQDL with a defect region, as well as the moiré pattern of twisted TDQDLs, we establish an electronic analogue of Babinet’s principle in optics. Exploiting the similarity of the resulting differential scattering cross-section with the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern, we construct a dictionary for such FEO. Subsequently, we evaluate the resistivity of such scattered MDF using the Boltzmann approach as a function of the angle made between the direction of propagation of these charge-carriers and the symmetry axis of the dot-lattice, and Fourier analyze them to show that the spatial frequency associated with the angle-resolved resistivity gets filtered according to the structural changes in the dot lattice, indicating wider applicability of FEO of MDF.
Development and mechanical characterization of horse hair with titanium dioxide nanoparticles reinforced polyester composite
Authors: Ali Huma , Dixit Savita , Mansour Lamjed
Published: July 2024

This study aims to examine the effects of waste material more especially horse hair as fiber on mechanical and physical properties. Tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness properties of horse hair fiber and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) polyester composite were investigated to determine whether the latter might be used as a new material in various engineering applications for a longer life. To improve the impact resistance of the composite, horse hair fiber is mixed in different ratios with titanium dioxide and polyester as filler. Tensile, flexural, and impact mechanical properties were assessed using the Universal Testing Machine, the Rockwell Hardness Testing Machine, and the Izod Impact Test. Specimens were hand-put up using various fiber weight ratios. The results of this study showed that Specimen 5 showed a tremendous increase in flexural strength (98.87 MPa), tensile strength (91.46 MPa), hardness (115 HV), impact strength (15.98 J m−1), and water uptake (10.18%) as compared to the neat and also with the other Specimens. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate the fracture surface in more detail in order to search for failure mechanisms and the dispersion of nanoparticles. SEM micrographs verified the uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles. Results suggest that these composites can be used as a material for a variety of applications, including biological claims that they are a practical, durable, and environmentally friendly choice.
Comparing the impact of various sterilization methods on the cyclic fatigue resistance, bending strength, and torsional fatigue properties of NiTi rotary files
Authors: Almnea Raid Abdullah
Published: July 2024

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of various sterilization techniques on the cyclic fatigue resistance, bending strength, and torsional fatigue resistance of Tornado Blue and Race Evo rotary endodontic file systems. Both the file systems underwent a series of 15 cycles of sterilization according to the following study groups: control group (G1; i.e., without treatment), chemical sterilization with 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (G2), dry heat sterilization (G3), glass beads sterilization (G4), and steam autoclaving (G5). Each group consisted of 8 samples (n = 8/group). Statistical analysis was performed using a two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s tests (p ≤ 0.05). Mean values for the number of cycles between both files were 1291 ± 52.79 rpm and 2095 ± 52.91 rpm for Tornado Blue and Race Evo, respectively. The torsional fatigue resistance was 8.00 ± 0.85 NCF and 10.70 ± 0.85 NCF and the bending strength was 486.94 ± 20.97 gf and 564.17  ± 20.97 gf for Tornado Blue and Race Evo, respectively. The results showed no significant difference in the mechanical properties followed by different sterilization protocols. However, a significant difference was observed in tested properties between the two file systems (p ≤ 0.05). The outcome is reassuring for clinicians that the essential process of routine sterilization at clinics seems safe with regards to mechanical integrity of the endodontic files.
Analysis of strength characteristics and microstructure of alkali-activated slag cement fluidized solidified soil
Authors: Liu Lin , Chen Sanshan , Chen Feng , He Liang , Shen Shilin
Published: July 2024

In order to solve such as difficulties in backfilling narrow foundation trenches in engineering, it was proposed to use alkali-activated slag cement (AASC) instead of traditional Portland cement to solidify silt and form AASC fluidized solidified soil. The effect of the content of AASC and the curing period on fluidized solidified soil has been studied by unconfined compression strength test, SEM and EDS. Moreover, the root cause for the improvement of the strength by the microstructure was explored. The results showed that: The fluidity increased first and then decreased with the increase of the content of AASC; 40% was the optimal content; in the same curing period, the unconfined compression strength increased with the increase of the content; 40% was the optimal content; the soil with different contents could reach the most of the 28d strength on Day 7; AASC generated a lot of low-Ca/Si C-S-H gel that consolidated soil particles into a denser structure. These results provide a theoretical basis for the application of AASC in fluidized solidified soil engineering.
Combining unsupervised constraints on weakly supervised semantic segmentation of skin cancer
Authors: Yan Hao , Wang Pingping , Jia Yetong , Si Xingyong , Wei Benzheng
Published: July 2024

Precise segmentation for skin cancer lesions at different stages is conducive to early detection and further treatment. Considering the huge cost of obtaining pixel-perfect annotations for this task, segmentation using less expensive image-level labels has become a research direction. Most image-level label weakly supervised segmentation uses class activation mapping (CAM) methods. A common consequence of this method is incomplete foreground segmentation, insufficient segmentation, or false negatives. At the same time, when performing weakly supervised segmentation of skin cancer lesions, ulcers, redness, and swelling may appear near the segmented areas of individual disease categories. This co-occurrence problem affects the model's accuracy in segmenting class-related tissue boundaries to a certain extent. The above two issues are determined by the loosely constrained nature of image-level labels that penalize the entire image space. Therefore, providing pixel-level constraints for weak supervision of image-level labels is the key to improving performance. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a joint unsupervised constraint-assisted weakly supervised segmentation model (UCA-WSS). The weakly supervised part of the model adopts a dual-branch adversarial erasure mechanism to generate higher-quality CAM. The unsupervised part uses contrastive learning and clustering algorithms to generate foreground labels and fine boundary labels to assist segmentation and solve common co-occurrence problems in weakly supervised skin cancer lesion segmentation through unsupervised constraints. The model proposed in the article is evaluated comparatively with other related models on some public dermatology data sets. Experimental results show that our model performs better on the skin cancer segmentation task than other weakly supervised segmentation models, showing the potential of combining unsupervised constraint methods on weakly supervised segmentation.
Coordinating the pore size of paper substrates and aspect ratio of silver nanowires to improve printed electronics
Authors: Renaud Lauren J , Mechael Sara S , Carmichael Tricia Breen
Published: July 2024

The internet of things is advancing toward a world of ubiquitous electronic devices, composed in large part of low-cost printed electronics (PE) such as sensors. PE typically use plastic substrates, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but these materials are not biodegradable. The proliferation of PE devices and their degradation to form micro- and nanoplastics pose significant environmental hazards. Paper is a promising substrate to replace PET for greener PE due to its recyclability, affordability, and compatibility with many printing processes. However, the porous cellulosic structure of paper can be an obstacle when trying to print active inks due to wicking of the ink into the paper pores, which disperses the functional ink and negatively impacts electronic performance. Filling the pores of paper with a polymer to planarize the surface is a commonly used remedy, although this approach can compromise recyclability. Here, we present an approach to manage the dispersion of silver nanowires, a widely used and printable 1D nanomaterial ink, in paper substrates. We deposit solutions of short (20–30 μms) and long (100–200 μms) silver nanowires onto various graded filter papers that differ in pore size and examine the trends in wicking distance, wicking speed, and electrical properties. We show that with careful selection of AgNW length and the pore size of the paper, it is possible to control the lateral spreading of the ink and minimize the concentration of the AgNWs needed to achieve a specific electrical performance.
Coincident learning for unsupervised anomaly detection of scientific instruments
Authors: Humble Ryan , Zhang Zhe , O’Shea Finn , Darve Eric , Ratner Daniel
Published: July 2024

Anomaly detection is an important task for complex scientific experiments and other complex systems (e.g. industrial facilities, manufacturing), where failures in a sub-system can lead to lost data, poor performance, or even damage to components. While scientific facilities generate a wealth of data, labeled anomalies may be rare (or even nonexistent), and expensive to acquire. Unsupervised approaches are therefore common and typically search for anomalies either by distance or density of examples in the input feature space (or some associated low-dimensional representation). This paper presents a novel approach called coincident learning for anomaly detection (CoAD), which is specifically designed for multi-modal tasks and identifies anomalies based on coincident behavior across two different slices of the feature space. We define an unsupervised metric,

F
^

β

, out of analogy to the supervised classification F

β
statistic. CoAD uses

F
^

β

to train an anomaly detection algorithm on unlabeled data, based on the expectation that anomalous behavior in one feature slice is coincident with anomalous behavior in the other. The method is illustrated using a synthetic outlier data set and a MNIST-based image data set, and is compared to prior state-of-the-art on two real-world tasks: a metal milling data set and our motivating task of identifying RF station anomalies in a particle accelerator.
Tailoring esophageal tumor spheroids on a chip with inverse opal scaffolds for drug screening
Authors: Shi Ruolin , Wu Xiangyi , Zhao Yuanjin , Gao Shegan , Liang Gaofeng
Published: July 2024

Esophageal cancer (EC) is characterized by high morbidity and mortality, and chemotherapy has become an indispensable means for comprehensive treatment. However, due to the limitation of the effective in vitro disease model, the development of chemotherapeutic agents still faces great challenges. In this paper, we present a novel tumor spheroid on a chip platform based on inverse opal hydrogel scaffolds to screen chemotherapeutic agents for EC treatment. With the microfluidic emulsion approach, the inverse opal hydrogel scaffolds were generated with tunable and organized pores, which could provide spatial confinement for cell growth. Thus, the suspended KYSE-70 cells could successfully form uniform cell spheroids on the inverse opal hydrogel scaffolds. It was demonstrated that the tumor cell spheroids could recapitulate 3D growth patterns in vivo and exhibited higher sensitivity to the chemotherapy agents compared with monolayer cells. Besides, by employing the scaffolds into a microfluidics to construct esophageal tumor on a chip, the device could realize high-throughput tumor cell spheroids generation and drug screening, indicating its promising role in chemotherapy drug development.
The Law and Politics of International Human Rights Courts
Authors: Stone Sweet Alec , Sandholtz Wayne
Published: July 2024

The Law and Politics of International Human Rights Courts addresses three key topics. First, the book provides an account of the origins and evolution of six regional human rights courts. In each, judges sought to overcome political forces and legal obstacles that threatened to neutralize the regime and render it irrelevant to the daily lives of the people. Second, it analyzes the emergence of a common “jurisprudence of effectiveness,” the express purpose of which has been to raise standards of rights protection within nascent, multi-level “transnational systems of justice.” A transnational system of justice is comprised of three components: a charter of rights, a court tasked with enforcing the charter, and the right of individuals to petition the court with a claim that their rights have been violated. The book analyzes the case law on diverse topics, covering both absolute rights (the right to life and prohibitions of torture and slavery) and selected qualified rights (self-determination, abortion and privacy, family law, and indigenous rights to property). Third, the book examines how state officials respond to the development of systems of transnational justice (STJs), in particular, the extent to which the prospect of more effective rights protection is embraced by state officials. In each of the cases, the activities of the STJ have generated significant political “backlash,” leading some states to seek to curb the court’s authority or to exit the regime. The book describes and evaluates these attempts, the results of which have been mixed, with most court-curbing exercises failing.
The European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Stone Sweet Alec , Sandholtz Wayne
Published: July 2024

This chapter traces the evolution of the European system of rights protection. At its origin, states rejected giving the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) compulsory jurisdiction over individual complaints. The acceptance of compulsory jurisdiction became a requirement of regime membership only four decades later, with Protocol no. 11 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The Court’s caseload exploded after 1998, engendering a crisis that would threaten the system itself. The ECtHR has sought to manage this crisis by gradually fashioning itself as a type of transnational “constitutional” court. Protocol no. 11 also provided the foundations for complex forms of constitutional pluralism: national judges have asserted their own competence when enforcing the ECHR in domestic legal orders, while the ECtHR has demanded their fidelity to the principles underlying its own major precedents. In the 2000s, some member states sought to curb the Court’s authority, but ultimately failed.
The Inter-American System of Human Rights
Authors: Stone Sweet Alec , Sandholtz Wayne
Published: July 2024

Since the 1990s, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has built a rich and innovative body of case law and established itself as the core of an authentically regional system of rights and justice. It adopted key principles that had emerged at the European Court of Human Rights, including evolutive interpretation of rights and the erga omnes effects of its judgments. The docket of the Court was, for many years, dominated by violations of absolute rights, including torture, disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. However, it has also issued judgments in new domains, such as LGBTQ rights and the rights of indigenous communities. It has produced doctrinal innovations, including the pro persona principle and conventionality control. The principle of conventionality control is particularly far-reaching, holding that national courts must apply rights set out in the American Convention on Human Rights, taking into account the Inter-American Court’s interpretation of those rights.
Associations of Coping Strategies With Glycemic and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Experiencing Diabetes Distress
Authors: Straton Emma , Anifowoshe Kashope , Moore Hailey , Streisand Randi , Jaser Sarah S
Published: July 2024

Background

Many adolescents with type 1 diabetes experience diabetes distress which is associated with suboptimal glycemic and psychosocial outcomes. The ways in which adolescents respond to diabetes distress may serve as a risk or protective factor for these outcomes, but few studies have examined the coping strategies adolescents use to manage diabetes distress.

Purpose

To examine the association of coping strategies with glycemic and psychosocial outcomes among adolescents experiencing diabetes distress.

Methods

Participants included 198 adolescents with elevated diabetes distress who completed baseline data for a randomized controlled trial (Mage = 15.3 ± 1.4, 58% female, 58% non-Hispanic White, MA1c = 9.1 ± 2.1%). Adolescents reported on their use of coping strategies related to diabetes stressors, including primary control engagement coping (e.g., problem-solving), secondary control engagement coping (e.g., positive thinking), and disengagement coping (e.g., avoidance). Adolescents also completed measures of diabetes distress, quality of life, and resilience. HbA1c data were extracted from electronic medical records and at-home kits.

Results

Higher use of primary control engagement coping was associated with better glycemic and psychosocial outcomes. Secondary control engagement coping was associated with better psychosocial outcomes but not glycemic outcomes. Greater use of disengagement coping strategies was associated with poorer glycemic and psychosocial outcomes. All associations were significant after adjusting for adolescent sex, age, race/ethnicity, and continuous glucose monitor use.

Conclusions

These results build on prior findings by including a more diverse sample of adolescents and highlight the value of promoting engagement coping strategies and discouraging the use of disengagement coping strategies among adolescents experiencing diabetes distress.

Clinical Trial information

NCT03845465.
Analytical and operational considerations of measuring glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity using a fully automated assay
Authors: Zilka Sarah , Wei Ruhan , Payto Drew , Doyle Kelly , Hockings Jennifer , Colón-Franco Jessica M
Published: July 2024

Objectives

This study determined the performance characteristics of a quantitative glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) assay with automated lysis and evaluated the robustness of the operational workflow following implementation in a hospital laboratory.

Methods

The G6PD activity was measured in whole blood using an enzymatic quantitative test on a Roche cobas c501 analyzer with onboard lysis configuration and normalized to hemoglobin (Hb). The performance characteristics of the method and stability of G6PD in whole blood collected in EDTA-containing tubes were evaluated, and the reference interval was established on a population of healthy individuals (n = 279). The robustness of this automated workflow for sample lysis was evaluated during validation and after implementation for routine clinical use for 18 months and in 2,181 patients.

Results

The G6PD assay was linear from 0.7 to 16.5 U/g Hb. Inter- and intra-assay precision using control and patient samples was below 12%. The G6PD results correlated well with a reference laboratory method (r = 0.96, y = 0.9615x – 1.222). The reference interval in our population was 9.8 to 15.5 U/g Hb. There were no interferences by lipemia and icteria, although grossly hemolyzed specimens may be affected. The testing workflow requires analyzing samples within minutes from mixing and loading into the instrument to avoid sample sedimentation. Measures to repeat samples with Hb 8.0 g/dL or less identified sedimented samples. In our patient population, 10.6% and 5.8% of the total males and females tested were G6PD deficient, respectively.

Conclusions

The G6PD assay with automated lysis is acceptable for patient testing. Several measures ensured the robustness of this workflow in a hospital laboratory.
Insights into COVID-19 epidemiology and control from temporal changes in serial interval distributions in Hong Kong
Authors: Ali Sheikh Taslim , Chen Dongxuan , Lau Yiu-Chung , Lim Wey Wen , Yeung Amy , Adam Dillon C , Lau Eric H Y , Wong Jessica Y , Xiao Jingyi , Ho Faith , Gao Huizhi , Wang Lin , Xu Xiao-Ke , Du Zhanwei , Wu Peng , Leung Gabriel M , Cowling Benjamin J
Published: July 2024

The serial interval (SI) distribution of an epidemic is used to approximate the generation time distribution, an essential parameter for inferring the transmissibility (${R}_t$) of an infectious disease. However, SI distributions may change as an epidemic progresses. We examined detailed contact tracing data on laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, China, during the 5 COVID-19 waves from January 2020 to July 2022. We reconstructed the transmission pairs and estimated time-varying effective SI distributions and factors associated with longer or shorter intervals. Finally, we assessed the biases in estimating transmissibility using constant SI distributions. We found clear temporal changes in mean SI estimates within each epidemic wave studied and across waves, with mean SIs ranging from 5.5 days (95% credible interval, 4.4-6.6) to 2.7 days (95% credible interval, 2.2-3.2). The mean SIs shortened or lengthened over time, which was found to be closely associated with the temporal variation in COVID-19 case profiles and public health and social measures and could lead to biases in predicting ${R}_t$. Accounting for the impact of these factors, the time-varying quantification of SI distributions could lead to improved estimation of ${R}_t$, and could provide additional insights into the impact of public health measures on transmission.
Prognostic Value of Mild Asymptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis in Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Zhang Jin , Tang Xiaofeng , Qian Yuesheng , Ma Jing , Wang Qin , Ling Huawei , Chen Kemin , Li Yan , Gao Pingjin , Wang Yan , Zhu Dingliang
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

Mild asymptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (aICAS) is common in Chinese patients with hypertension. However, there are no data on its prognostic value in this population. The aim of the present study was to clarify the prevalence and associated cardiovascular risk factors of mild aICAS and determine its prognostic value for overall and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension.

METHODS

In total, 1,813 participants were evaluated for aICAS using computed tomographic angiography. The predictive effect of mild to severe aICAS on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

The prevalence rate of mild aICAS was 35.7%. Poorly controlled hypertension, in combination with diabetes and dyslipidemia, was associated with aICAS. Patients with aICAS had an independently significant increase in the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular death, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for mild to severe stenosis ranging from 1.56 to 3.30 for all-cause death and from 2.48 to 6.38 for cardiovascular death. Among the patients with mild aICAS, only those with more than two stenoses had increased mortality after adjustment, with an HR of 2.44 (95% CI: 1.42–4.18) for total death and 4.49 (95% CI: 1.82–11.05) for cardiovascular death.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant association between mild aICAS and mortality in stroke-free patients with hypertension was revealed. The results indicate that mild aICAS might be an imaging marker for cerebrovascular lesions in patients with hypertension and poor control of blood pressure and lipids in this population requires further research.
EVALPAX: Evaluation of a pharmacist-driven protocol for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescribing in a community hospital system
Authors: Bomkamp John P , Isom Caleb , Wells Makayla L
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacist prescribing of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir to ensure this method of increasing access to treatment is safe and effective.

Methods

This multicenter, retrospective observational study included patients receiving a prescription for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir by a physician, nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), or pharmacist at an Indiana University (IU) Health West Central Region site over a 3-month period. Patients were divided into two groups: those who received nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescribed by a pharmacist (the pharmacist prescribed group) and those who received nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescribed by other providers (the physician/NP/PA prescribed group). Electronic health record (EHR) reviews were performed to assess the appropriateness of prescriptions based on the presence of risk factors and symptoms, day of symptom onset, and dosing. The primary endpoint was the overall appropriateness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescriptions in the two study groups based on emergency use authorization inclusion and exclusion requirements. Secondary endpoints included appropriateness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir dosing and medically attended visits or mortality within 30 days. Statistical analysis of the endpoints occurred post hoc utilizing the Fisher’s exact test.

Results

A total of 259 patients were included in the pharmacist prescribed group and 265 patients in the physician/NP/PA prescribed group. Overall appropriate nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescribing occurred in 258 patients (99.6%) and 232 patients (87.5%) in the pharmacist and physician/NP/PA prescribed groups, respectively (P < 0.0001). Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir dosing was appropriate in 256 patients (98.8%) and 240 patients (90.6%) in the pharmacist and physician/NP/PA prescribed groups, respectively (P < 0.0001). The 30-day rates of medically attended visits were similar between groups. No patients died within 30 days of treatment in either group.

Conclusion

Pharmacist prescribing of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir may result in a higher likelihood of prescriptions meeting overall appropriateness criteria. Pharmacists represent an important healthcare professional resource to improve nirmatrelvir/ritonavir prescribing and utilization.
Occupational exposure to chrysotile in an asbestos cement factory in Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Kurzhunbaeva Zhyldyz , Spinazzè Andrea , Campagnolo Davide , Rovelli Sabrina , Fanti Giacomo , Kasymov Omor , Cattaneo Andrea , Colosio Claudio , Cavallo Domenico M
Published: July 2024

Objectives

An increasing number of countries are banning the production and use of asbestos, in compliance with the ratification of the C162 Asbestos Convention and the Basel Convention, and in response to the call for its elimination in the ILO resolution and WHO reports on the health risks associated with asbestos. Nevertheless, several countries, including Kyrgyzstan, are still miners and/or manufacturers of asbestos. The main objective of the study is to assess the occupational exposure to chrysotile of workers engaged in a production facility of asbestos-cement products in Kyrgyzstan.

Methods

Monitored workers (n = 16, for a total of n = 18 samples) were divided into 3 “Similar Exposure Groups” (SEGs; SEG-1: asbestos loading; SEG-2; asbestos-cement mixing; SEG-3: cutting of asbestos-cement sheets) according to EN 689 standard. Samples were collected through personal sampling and subsequently examined by means of scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer for the compositional analysis of each fibre. The numerical concentration of airborne asbestos fibres was henceforward determined by dividing the number of fibres and the volume of sampled air (expressed in the number of fibres per millilitre of air: ff/ml).

Results

Investigated workers resulted to be exposed to chrysotile fibres. Results (GM ± GSD) outlined extremely high exposure levels for SEG-1 (2.2 ± 2.1 ff/ml) and SEG-3 (4.7 ± 1.6 ff/ml) workers and lower—but still relevant—exposure values for SEG-2 (0.91 ± 2.6 ff/ml) workers.

Conclusions

The results obtained in this case study can help to document potentially critical situations of occupational exposure to asbestos that can still occur nowadays in low and middle-income countries where asbestos is still mined and processed.
Closing the Loop on Revision: The Impact of Emotional Well-being on Elective Revision After Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Zhang Casey , Wang Vivian L , Sarrami Shayan , Reddy Pooja D , De La Cruz Carolyn
Published: July 2024

Background

A diagnosis of breast cancer has a significant impact on a patient's physical and emotional health. Breast reconstruction improves quality of life and self-esteem following mastectomy. However, many patients undergo additional elective revision procedures after reconstruction.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between perioperative emotional well-being and elective revisions in breast reconstruction.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent breast reconstruction with a single surgeon between January 2007 and December 2017. Revision procedures were defined as additional operations that fall outside the index reconstructive plan. Medical records were reviewed for a history of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and/or major depressive disorder. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with revision.

Results

A total of 775 patients undergoing breast reconstruction were included, of whom 121 (15.6%) underwent elective revision. Overall, a history of any psychiatric history (P < .001), depression alone (P = .001%), and GAD and depression together (P = .003) were significantly associated with revision surgery. On multivariate logistic regression controlling for comorbidities and reconstruction modality, depression alone, and GAD and depression together were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of revision surgery (odds ratio, 3.20, P < .001; odds ratio, 2.63, P < .001).

Conclusions

Perioperative emotional well-being and reconstruction modality impact the rate of secondary revision surgery. An understanding of the surgical and patient-related risk factors for revision can provide more informed patient-decision making and improve surgical planning.

Level of Evidence: 3
Haxe as a Swiss knife for bioinformatic applications: the SeqPHASE case story
Authors: Spöri Yann , Flot Jean-François
Published: July 2024

Haxe is a general purpose, object-oriented programming language supporting syntactic macros. The Haxe compiler is well known for its ability to translate the source code of Haxe programs into the source code of a variety of other programming languages including Java, C++, JavaScript, and Python. Although Haxe is more and more used for a variety of purposes, including games, it has not yet attracted much attention from bioinformaticians. This is surprising, as Haxe allows generating different versions of the same program (e.g. a graphical user interface version in JavaScript running in a web browser for beginners and a command-line version in C++ or Python for increased performance) while maintaining a single code, a feature that should be of interest for many bioinformatic applications. To demonstrate the usefulness of Haxe in bioinformatics, we present here the case story of the program SeqPHASE, written originally in Perl (with a CGI version running on a server) and published in 2010. As Perl+CGI is not desirable anymore for security purposes, we decided to rewrite the SeqPHASE program in Haxe and to host it at Github Pages (https://eeg-ebe.github.io/SeqPHASE), thereby alleviating the need to configure and maintain a dedicated server. Using SeqPHASE as an example, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Haxe’s source code conversion functionality when it comes to implementing bioinformatic software.
A robust covariate-balancing method for learning optimal individualized treatment regimes
Authors: Li Canhui , Zeng Donglin , Zhu Wensheng
Published: July 2024

One of the most important problems in precision medicine is to find the optimal individualized treatment rule, which is designed to recommend treatment decisions and maximize overall clinical benefit to patients based on their individual characteristics. Typically, the expected clinical outcome is required to be estimated first, for which an outcome regression model or a propensity score model usually needs to be assumed with most existing statistical methods. However, if either model assumption is invalid, the estimated treatment regime will not be reliable. In this article, we first define a contrast value function, which forms the basis for the study of individualized treatment regimes. Then we construct a hybrid estimator of the contrast value function by combining two types of estimation methods. We further propose a robust covariate-balancing estimator of the contrast value function by combining the inverse probability weighted method and matching method, which is based on the covariate balancing propensity score proposed by Imai & Ratkovic (2014). Theoretical results show that the proposed estimator is doubly robust, ie, it is consistent if either the propensity score model or the matching is correct. Based on a large number of simulation studies, we demonstrate that the proposed estimator outperforms existing methods. Application of the proposed method is illustrated through analysis of the SUPPORT study.
High prevalence of undiagnosed and undertreated psoriasis in a UK urban population: results from the observational COPPACA study
Authors: Harrison Stephanie R , Campbell Fiona , Bennett Hannah , De Marco Gabriele , Helliwell Philip S , Golenya Rebecca , McGonagle Dennis G , Pardoe Cleone , Sambi Pavan , Shams Kave , Wright David , Marzo-Ortega Helena , Laws Philip M
Published: July 2024

Community Psoriasis: Phenotype and Comorbidity Assessment (COPPACA) was a study of the point prevalence and burden of untreated psoriasis in the Leeds urban area. There were high rates of undiagnosed psoriasis (41.1% of patients were newly diagnosed by the study team), and all patients (newly diagnosed or otherwise) reported significant psychosocial comorbidity [median Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) = 3 (interquartile range 1.7–6.8), PASI > 5 = 34%, mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) = 8.45, DLQI ≥ 10 = 34.8%]. This highlights a significant unmet need for improved access to, and communication between, primary and secondary care dermatology in our area to improve patients’ physical and mental wellbeing.
A rare instance of latent systematic error in volumetric-modulated arc therapy with field-extended multi-isocentre irradiation leading to a serious dose-delivery accident
Authors: Hanada Takashi , Fukada Junichi , Shiraishi Yutaka , Yoshida Kayo , Sakanoue Naoya , Oguma Kohei , Ohashi Toshio , Shigematsu Naoyuki
Published: July 2024

Volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with field-extended multi-isocentre irradiation (VMAT-FEMII) is an effective irradiation technique, particularly for large planning target volumes in the craniocaudal direction. A variety of treatment planning techniques have been reported to reduce the dosimetric impact. However, there is no guarantee that unexpected latent systematic errors would not occur. Herein, we report the experience with a rare case that could have led to a serious VMAT-FEMII-related accident. A patient with uterine cervical carcinoma was scheduled for VMAT-FEMII to the whole pelvis and the para-aortic lymph node region. A combination of the two sets of field groups with different isocentres was planned: one to cover the para-aortic lymph nodes and the other to cover the whole pelvis. Measurements based on the pretreatment dose delivery quality assurance (QA) revealed an unexpected overdose of >20% in the field overlap region. This overdose phenomenon is not reflected in the calculated dose distribution in the radiotherapy treatment planning system. Therefore, the plan was altered; a homogeneous dose distribution inside the dose junction was achieved. Several analyses were performed to elucidate the overdosing phenomenon. However, no conclusive answer was found to why non-reflection at the calculated dose distribution was found. The limitations to VMAT-FEMII are primarily related to systematic errors in the positional setup from patient-derived and/or mechanical sources. However, this report highlights a rare case of overdosing caused by inverse optimization and dose calculation. We recommend checking the aperture status of the jaw and multi-leaf collimator at each control point of the treatment plan and using a high-resolution image measurement system on a VMAT-FEMII QA to confirm the dose junction status.