bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying feminist translation strategies in audio description
Authors: Iturregui-Gallardo Gonzalo , Hermosa-Ramírez Irene
Published: December 2023

Intersectional feminist translation provides visibility to the historically hidden or marginalized characters and
narratives. This article interrogates the strategies we can apply to translate images into words, that is, to audio describe
non-normative identities while adhering to the particularities of audiovisual productions. It poses the question of how to provide
a feminist audio description that aligns with the creators’ intent. The objective of this study is to analyse the strategies
applied to create a gender-conscious AD of a documentary on lesbophobia where ten women share their experiences as non-normative
persons. They are defined by a series of intrinsic features such as race, gender expression or age and present a myriad of
differences that have irremediably influenced their experience of lesbophobia and how society reads and identifies them. The
visual contents in this documentary provide essential information that complements the understanding of the problem by people with
visual impairment. This action research study analyses the challenges emerged during the AD production. It aims to emphasize the
mediating power of AD professionals and how they influence the understanding of blind audiences.
Margarete Heck (1959–2023): Cell biologist, geneticist, and incandescent social spark
Authors: Cobbe Neville , Di Cara Francesca , Spradling Allan C. , Vass Sharron
Published: December 2023

Margarete M.S. Heck, professor of cell biology and genetics, University of Edinburgh, died peacefully at home amid her loving family under a blue moon on August 30, 2023, after a long journey with ovarian cancer.
CO2 capture and storage by metal and non-metal decorated silicon carbide nanotubes: a DFT study
Authors: Itas Yahaya Saadu , Razali Razif , Alamri Sultan , Osman Hamid , Khandaker Mayeen Uddin
Published: December 2023

This study addressed the nano-mechanism of CO2 capture by Al-doped, B-doped and N-doped single-walled silicon carbide nanotubes (SWSiCNTs) using the prominent density functional theory. The results showed absolute interactions between CO2 and B- and N- impurity atoms of the SWSiCNT surface with the highest adsorption energy of −1.85 eV and −1.83 eV respectively. Analysis of the binding energy of CO2 to Al-doped SWSiCNT revealed that chemisorption between them is stronger than B-doped and N-doped SWSiCNTs. Results from optical adsorption spectra revealed that both B-and N-doped systems adsorb CO2 in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum while B-doped SiCNT shows the highest adsorption. This study recommends B- and N-doped SiCNTs as candidates for CO2 capture and storage with higher efficiency by B-doped SiCNT, while the performance of the Al-doped system was underscored.
Correlation Study on the Effect of Sintering Mechanism with the Properties of Geopolymer-Based Ceramic
Authors: Bahijah M Nur , Romisuhani A , Bakri A Mohd Mustafa Al , Mastura W I Wan
Published: December 2023

Nepheline geopolymer-based ceramics are emerging as a promising alternative to traditional ceramics due to their eco-friendly production and sustainable nature. Therefore, this study aims to comprehensively investigate the relationship between mechanical behaviour and sintering mechanisms in the production of kaolin geopolymer-based nepheline ceramics. Sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate were mixed to act as the alkaline activator to facilitate the geopolymerization process. The experimental analysis involved varying the sintering temperature within the range of 200°C to 1200°C. The findings from the correlation study highlight that the flexural strength and densification process is in linear relation with R2 of 0.9369, whilst the water absorption and volumetric shrinkage exhibited an inversely linear relationship with the R2 value of 0.8733. The maximum flexural strength of 78.92 MPa and density of 2.56 g/cm3 were achieved when sintered at 1200°C. Meanwhile, the water absorption decreases with the increase of volumetric shrinkage, which might relate to the densification process of the geopolymer-based nepheline ceramic. The outcome of this research contributes a deeper understanding of the interplay between mechanical behaviour and sintering mechanism, enabling the design of superior sintered materials.
An Innovative Approach for Natural Gas Liquefaction Using a Mixed-Multi-Component-Refrigerant
Authors: Ismail N H , Omar M N , Ishak M S A , Yahaya N Z , Khalid K A A , Ab Halim M F M
Published: December 2023

The natural gas liquefaction is the most expensive and energy-intensive phase in the natural gas-to-liquefied natural gas-to-natural gas chain. In addition, this region has the biggest development potential. As a result, numerous LNG production methods have been developed and are deployed at export facilities around the world. The goal of this study is to describe and assess an innovative approach for mixed-refrigerant (MR) LNG method. The authors have dubbed this technique the MR-X approach. The MR-X process was developed based on the globally proven liquefaction technology C3MR and its large-scale successor AP-X™ (which offers many benefits and flexibility), but with a novel precooling phase construct. In pre-cooling and liquefaction phases, the refrigerant is a combination of methane, nitrogen, propane, ethane, butane, and isobutane. The paper investigates the creation of the MR-X technology, as well as its modelling, energy, and exergy investigations.
Resource allocation and OFDM system transmission for 5G cellular communications
Authors: Zhao Zhongyu
Published: December 2023

Cellular communication technology has been developed for over a hundred years and has reached its fifth generation in mobile. 5G, as a new generation of communication technology, has comprehensively changed the mobile network application model with its ability of high-speed transmission, low network latency, and large-scale connectivity. It has brought a new impetus to the development of various industries. Cellular communication uses cellular wireless networking to connect terminals and network devices through wireless channels so that users can communicate with each other during their activities, with the main feature being the mobility of the terminals and the automatic roaming process across local networks. The use of OFDM in 5G communications can significantly improve the efficiency and capacity of wireless signal transmission. This paper provides a detailed introduction to the use of OFDM in cellular communications through frequency division multiplexing and OFDM.
Recent progress in trajectory smoothing of mobile robots
Authors: Zhang Xinlin
Published: December 2023

The mobile robotics is growing rapidly and is being used in a variety of applications, greatly improving productivity. Path planning is a central part of autonomous navigation for mobile robots. However, most paths generated by these methods have sharp turns, which are unacceptable for mobile robots due to their own motion limitations or specific task scenarios. Smoother paths are therefore needed to improve the reliability and efficiency of the robot while adapting to realistic scenarios. This paper summarizes the classical curve smoothing algorithms and relate new research results presented in recent years, and divide them into six categories: polynomial interpolation, non-uniformly interpolated curves, Beizer curves, B spline curves, Reeds-Shepp curves, geometric algorithms, etc. Besides, a brief mathematical description is given along with the algorithms, and some of the algorithms are also given as examples for reference. In the future, better curve smoothing algorithms to satisfy the kinematic laws of different vehicles (robots/ships/UAVs) in multiple environments and non-simple interpolation smoothing algorithms will be proposed.
Temperature control in electric furnaces: Methods, applications, and challenges
Authors: Chen Xinxi
Published: December 2023

Temperature control of electric heating furnaces, a common piece of equipment in industrial production, is essential for assuring product quality and enhancing production effectiveness. In order to better understand the similarities and differences in temperature management between various types of electric heating furnaces, this paper first discusses the fundamental concepts and classifications of electric heating furnaces. Following that, it systematically describes the applications of the various temperature control techniques now used for electric heating furnaces, such as PID control, fuzzy logic control, genetic algorithm control, and model predictive control. This paper further analyzes the difficulties in controlling the temperature of electric heating furnaces and identifies potential future development trends in light of the issues that currently used control methods must deal with in practical applications, such as insufficient control accuracy, slow response speed, and poor stability. Finally, it summarizes the information in the entire paper and considers the direction of temperature control research for electric heating furnaces. This research will focus on new control theories and algorithms, furnace body design optimization, control system integration, and intelligent adaptive temperature control. In order to advance the development and advancement of technology in this area, the goal of this article is to provide a thorough theoretical reference and practical advice for the temperature management of electric heating furnaces.
Comparison of four different methods for massive MIMO detection and VLSI design
Authors: Likan Liu
Published: December 2023

The use of Multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technology has proven to be successful. To make MIMO more accessible, it is necessary to simplify the processor operation. This paper proposes four approaches for achieving this goal: symmetric successive overrelaxation (SSOR), Gauss-Seidel (GS), approximate matrix inversion based on Neumann series, and Conjugate Gradients. The performance and VLSI of these methods are compared to determine their effectiveness.
Flash storage technology status and development research
Authors: Xu Luoshengya
Published: December 2023

Data storage devices are an important component of computer systems. Solid-state Drives, which use NAND Flash technology, are widely used in various fields due to their unique advantages such as high read-write speed, low power consumption, shock resistance, and small size compared to traditional mechanical hard drives. This paper first discusses the basic structure and principles of Flash memory, including floating gate transistors for storing and reading charges. Based on the current state of NAND Flash-based solid-state hard drives, this paper discusses key technologies and characteristics such as flash memory types, wear leveling, garbage collection, etc. It explores their features, advantages and limitations, and finally reasonably deduces the future development trend of Flash devices.
Research on hydraulic braking energy recovery system of heavy vehicles
Authors: Di Jiayu , Guo Jian , Yang Yuxiang
Published: December 2023

The carbon emission of a heavy-duty diesel vehicle is almost equal to the sum of 100 small cars. In the global environment where energy conservation and emission reduction are advocated, the pollution caused by heavy vehicles is non-negligible. A hydraulic brake energy recovery and regeneration system can store the braking energy, convert the energy into kinetic energy and output it to the vehicle transmission system when starting or accelerating, thereby reducing energy consumption and achieving the role of energy conservation and emission reduction. Firstly, this paper mainly summarizes several vehicle energy recovery technology schemes and determines the hydraulic braking energy recovery scheme after a comprehensive comparison. Secondly, the overall structure of the hydraulic brake energy recovery and regeneration system is designed, and the working mode is analyzed. Finally, according to the working characteristics of the main components in the system, the mathematical model is established, the key parameters are simulated and studied, and the appropriate selection and matching scheme is provided.
Investigation of improved Differential Y-source inverter
Authors: Wang Xinyi
Published: December 2023

Y-typed networking with three winding-coupled inverter is a brand-new DC-DC and DC-AC inverter. The inverter has a simple topology structure. However, it owns powerful functions. The inverter, with two Y-shaped structures, has not adopted two independent circuits, which are replaced by some new topology parts, such as the switches, adding up to control the current. Obviously, it has now become a single-stage inverter. The improved inverter has also been called DYSI, the Differential Y-source Inverter, for it combines the Differential Boost Inverter with the Y-source Inverter. The improved inverter would produce high AC output voltage, solving the problems caused by the low output voltage in photovoltaic inverters while increasing voltages to connect with the national grid. The modulation of the improved inverter is the half-sine wave, which drives one coupled and two switches in the branch to conduct at high times. The improved inverter also has some defects. The inverter would produce abrupt energy leakage because of the incomplete coupling of inductances. Similar to other inverters, the process during which the switches turn on and turn off would inevitably generate power loss, leading to a much lower output than the ideal design. In contrast, the deficiency could be decreased by adding two diodes without loss to the circuit topology.
Traffic flow prediction based on transformer
Authors: Zhang Yiyi
Published: December 2023

Nowadays, it is an obvious fact that with the double blessing of economic growth and the diversity of human’s life, travel has become an indispensable activity during the leisure time. Meanwhile, due to the convenience, timesaving and accessibility, private cars gradually play a vital role on the road. However, it is conceivable that the increase in vehicles means that there will be inevitable congestion, especially during the peak hours of the day. In order to reverse the situation that private cars are from “convenience” to “inconvenience”, this paper decides to explore how to accurately predict the change of traffic flow over time, perceive the upcoming peak period in advance to provide reliable traffic information for publishing and allocate traffic resources reasonably. To capture the time features in traffic flow data, extract their internal laws and process them more accurately, this research applies a combined model of convolutional neural network (CNN) and transformer, that is, CNN is used for the feature extraction, and the extracted features are passed to the transformer model for further predictive analysis. The experimental dataset in the research comes from the official website of Highway England. The result displays that the iteration speed of this model is rapid, the prediction error is able to be minimized and it can be applied in the case of a huge dataset.
Design of an integrated circuit with blanking technique for neural signal recording based on CMOS
Authors: Zhu Jiayu , Mo Xiaorui , Liu Xu
Published: December 2023

Neural signals play a crucial role in unraveling the mysteries of the nervous system. However, due to their minute amplitudes in the range of microamperes and microvolts, recording these signals poses significant challenges, largely stemming from their vulnerability to noise interference. Thus, the development of neural signal acquisition circuits holds paramount importance. This paper presents a successful endeavor in designing an integrated circuit using 0.18um CMOS technology, which exhibits exceptional accuracy in recording neural signals. The circuit employs a combination of amplifiers and filters, while incorporating the innovative blanking technology to effectively eliminate unwanted noise. Remarkably, this design accomplishes an impressive gain of 88.437dB. Consequently, the circuit enables the accurate capture of nerve signals, thereby positioning itself as an ideal candidate for implantable neural signal detection devices. With its ability to overcome the hurdles associated with signal sensitivity and noise interference, this integrated circuit represents a significant advancement in the field of neural signal acquisition, holding immense potential for further exploration and application in neuroscientific research and medical interventions.
Waste management in the context of digitalization and the circular economy development
Authors: Trofymenko O O , Koba N V , Koba M O , Lazarenko I S , Kuzminska N L
Published: December 2023

The study focuses on the analysis of existing approaches to waste management in different countries, taking account of digitalization and the circular economy development. The authors’ main objective was to define strategic guidelines for ensuring the formation of a waste management system by means of determining the level of achieving the waste management goals by various countries and studying their best practices in this field. The authors applied a clustering method to group the chosen countries based on the level of their indicators in waste management, digitalization, economic growth and achieving sustainable goals. In addition, cluster analysis was used while conducting the research. The study resulted in separating four clusters of the countries depending on their level of the selected indicators in 2022. The results of the research suggest that infrastructure and support of the state are essential factors in successful waste management. The authors offered some recommendations to facilitate the development of smart waste management by the states based on circularization, digitalization, interaction and regulatory support.
Generalized Korn’s inequalities for piecewise 𝐻¹ and 𝐻² vector fields
Authors: Williams David , Hong Qingguo
Published: December 2023

The purpose of this paper is to construct a new class of discrete generalized Korn’s inequalities for piecewise

H
1

H^1

vector fields and piecewise

H
2

H^2

vector fields in three-dimensional space. The resulting Korn’s inequalities are different from the standard Korn’s inequalities, as they involve the trace-free symmetric gradient operator, in place of the usual symmetric gradient operator. It is anticipated that the new generalized Korn’s inequalities will be useful for the analysis of a broad range of finite element methods, including mixed finite element methods and discontinuous Galerkin methods.
Topological aspects of the ideal theory in rings of integer-valued polynomials
Authors: Finocchiaro Carmelo , Loper K.
Published: December 2023

Let

D
D

be a Dedekind domain with finite residue fields. We provide topological insights into certain classes of ideals of

I
n
t
(
D
)

Int(D)

lying over a given maximal ideal

m

\mathfrak m

of

D
D

. We completely determine invertible/divisorial ideals in terms of topological properties of subsets of the

m

\mathfrak m

-adic completion of

D
D

. Moreover, these results are naturally extended to overrings of

I
n
t
(
D
)

Int(D)

. As an application we provide explicit constructions of divisorial ideals of

I
n
t
(
D
)

Int(D)

which are not finitely generated.
Characterization of the extracellular domain of sensor histidine kinase NagS from Paenibacillus sp. str. FPU-7: nagS interacts with oligosaccharide binding protein NagB1 in complexes with N, N′-diacetylchitobiose
Authors: Itoh Takafumi , Ogawa Tomoki , Hibi Takao , Kimoto Hisashi
Published: December 2023

We have previously isolated the Gram-positive chitin-degrading bacterium Paenibacillus sp. str. FPU-7. This bacterium traps chitin disaccharide (GlcNAc)2 on its cell surface using two homologous solute-binding proteins, NagB1 and NagB2. Bacteria use histidine kinase (HK) of the two-component regulatory system as an extracellular environment sensor. In this study, we found that nagS, which encodes a HK, is located next to the nagB1 gene. Biochemical experiments revealed that the NagS sensor domain (NagS30-294) interacts with the NagB1–(GlcNAc)2 complex. However, proof of NagS30-294 interacting with NagB1 without (GlcNAc)2 is currently unavailable. In contrast to NagB1, no complex formation was observed between NagS30-294 and NagB2, even in the presence of (GlcNAc)2. The NagS30-294 crystal structure at 1.8 Å resolution suggested that the canonical tandem-Per-Arnt-Sim fold recognizes the NagB1–(GlcNAc)2 complex. This study provides insight into the recognition of chitin oligosaccharides by bacteria.
Similarity-based multimodal regression
Authors: Chen Andrew A , Weinstein Sarah M , Adebimpe Azeez , Gur Ruben C , Gur Raquel E , Merikangas Kathleen R , Satterthwaite Theodore D , Shinohara Russell T , Shou Haochang
Published: December 2023

To better understand complex human phenotypes, large-scale studies have increasingly collected multiple data modalities across domains such as imaging, mobile health, and physical activity. The properties of each data type often differ substantially and require either separate analyses or extensive processing to obtain comparable features for a combined analysis. Multimodal data fusion enables certain analyses on matrix-valued and vector-valued data, but it generally cannot integrate modalities of different dimensions and data structures. For a single data modality, multivariate distance matrix regression provides a distance-based framework for regression accommodating a wide range of data types. However, no distance-based method exists to handle multiple complementary types of data. We propose a novel distance-based regression model, which we refer to as Similarity-based Multimodal Regression (SiMMR), that enables simultaneous regression of multiple modalities through their distance profiles. We demonstrate through simulation, imaging studies, and longitudinal mobile health analyses that our proposed method can detect associations between clinical variables and multimodal data of differing properties and dimensionalities, even with modest sample sizes. We perform experiments to evaluate several different test statistics and provide recommendations for applying our method across a broad range of scenarios.
Atopic dermatitis, cognitive function and psychiatric comorbidities across early childhood and adolescence in a population-based UK birth cohort
Authors: Sockler Patrick G , Hooper Stephen R , Abuabara Katrina , Ma Emily Z , Radtke Sarah , Bao Aaron , Kim Elle , Musci Rashelle J , Kartawira Karin , Wan Joy
Published: December 2023

Background

Atopic dermatitis (AD) may affect cognitive function, but studies are limited and inconsistent. The effect of AD severity on cognition remains underexplored and few previous studies have examined clinically validated or repeated measures of cognition throughout childhood.

Objectives

To evaluate the relationship of AD activity and severity with validated measures of general cognition in a longitudinal birth cohort.

Methods

We conducted cross-sectional analyses using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a UK cohort of 14 975 individuals followed prospectively since their birth in 1991–92. AD was assessed 11 times between the age of 6 and 166 months. Mothers were asked if their child had an ‘itchy, dry skin rash in the joints and creases’, and AD status was time-updated accordingly as ‘never’, ‘maybe’, ‘inactive’, ‘active/mild’ or ‘active/moderate–severe’. General cognition [i.e. intelligence quotient (IQ)] was measured at 18, 49, 103 and 186 months of age using the Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI), respectively. Multivariable linear regression was used to compare IQ with respect to nearest time-updated AD status. Secondary analyses were stratified by the presence or absence of psychiatric or learning disorders. An exploratory longitudinal analysis of IQ across all four outcome assessments was conducted using generalized estimating equations.

Results

No significant associations between AD status and full-scale IQ scores on the GMDS, WPPSI, WISC and WASI were observed after adjustment for sociodemographic factors, atopic comorbidities and sleep characteristics. However, at 8 years of age, WISC Performance IQ was slightly, although statistically significantly, lower among children with active/moderate–severe AD [β coefficient –2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) –4.12 to –0.19] and Verbal IQ was slightly, but statistically significantly, higher among those with inactive AD (β coefficient 1.31, 95% CI 0.28–2.34) compared with those without AD. Analyses stratified by psychiatric or learning disorders, and exploratory longitudinal analyses of cognition revealed similar findings.

Conclusions

We did not find any clinically meaningful associations between AD activity and severity and general cognitive function during early childhood and adolescence. Future studies should incorporate objective measures of AD severity and investigate outcomes beyond IQ.
Excellence in Antibiotic Stewardship: A Mixed-Methods Study Comparing High-, Medium-, and Low-Performing Hospitals
Authors: Vaughn Valerie M , Krein Sarah L , Hersh Adam L , Buckel Whitney R , White Andrea T , Horowitz Jennifer K , Patel Payal K , Gandhi Tejal N , Petty Lindsay A , Spivak Emily S , Bernstein Steven J , Malani Anurag N , Johnson Leonard B , Neetz Robert A , Flanders Scott A , Galyean Patrick , Kimball Elisabeth , Bloomquist Kennedi , Zickmund Tobias , Zickmund Susan L , Szymczak Julia E
Published: December 2023

Background

Despite antibiotic stewardship programs existing in most acute care hospitals, there continues to be variation in appropriate antibiotic use. While existing research examines individual prescriber behavior, contextual reasons for variation are poorly understood.

Methods

We conducted an explanatory, sequential mixed-methods study of a purposeful sample of 7 hospitals with varying discharge antibiotic overuse. For each hospital, we conducted surveys, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews with antibiotic stewardship and clinical stakeholders. Data were analyzed separately and mixed during the interpretation phase, where each hospital was examined as a case, with findings organized across cases using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats framework to identify factors accounting for differences in antibiotic overuse across hospitals.

Results

Surveys included 85 respondents. Interviews included 90 respondents (31 hospitalists, 33 clinical pharmacists, 14 stewardship leaders, 12 hospital leaders). On surveys, clinical pharmacists at hospitals with lower antibiotic overuse were more likely to report feeling: respected by hospitalist colleagues (P = .001), considered valuable team members (P = .001), and comfortable recommending antibiotic changes (P = .02). Based on mixed-methods analysis, hospitals with low antibiotic overuse had 4 distinguishing characteristics: (1) robust knowledge of and access to antibiotic stewardship guidance; (2) high-quality clinical pharmacist–physician relationships; (3) tools and infrastructure to support stewardship; and (4) highly engaged infectious diseases physicians who advocated stewardship principles.

Conclusions

This mixed-methods study demonstrates the importance of organizational context for high performance in stewardship and suggests that improving antimicrobial stewardship requires attention to knowledge, interactions, and relationships between clinical teams and infrastructure that supports stewardship and team interactions.
Potential Impact of Higher-Valency Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines Among Adults in Different Localities in Germany
Authors: Ellingson Mallory K , Weinberger Daniel M , van der Linden Mark , Perniciaro Stephanie
Published: December 2023

Next-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have been approved for use. The serotype distribution of pneumococcal isolates can vary between regions. To understand the potential impacts of new PCVs, we evaluated trends in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among adults in Germany at a local level using Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression. There was little spatial variation in IPD cases caused by 13-valent PCV serotypes, which dropped from 60% of IPD cases in 2006 to 30% in 2018. More than half of IPD cases in 2018 were attributable to serotypes covered by new PCVs (15-valent and 20-valent PCVs), which suggests they could further reduce the burden of IPD.
Revealing chronic disease progression patterns using Gaussian process for stage inference
Authors: Wang Yanfei , Zhao Weiling , Ross Angela , You Lei , Wang Hongyu , Zhou Xiaobo
Published: December 2023

Objective

The early stages of chronic disease typically progress slowly, so symptoms are usually only noticed until the disease is advanced. Slow progression and heterogeneous manifestations make it challenging to model the transition from normal to disease status. As patient conditions are only observed at discrete timestamps with varying intervals, an incomplete understanding of disease progression and heterogeneity affects clinical practice and drug development.

Materials and Methods

We developed the Gaussian Process for Stage Inference (GPSI) approach to uncover chronic disease progression patterns and assess the dynamic contribution of clinical features. We tested the ability of the GPSI to reliably stratify synthetic and real-world data for osteoarthritis (OA) in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), bipolar disorder (BP) in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the UTHealth and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Results

First, GPSI identified two subgroups of OA based on image features, where these subgroups corresponded to different genotypes, indicating the bone-remodeling and overweight-related pathways. Second, GPSI differentiated BP into two distinct developmental patterns and defined the contribution of specific brain region atrophy from early to advanced disease stages, demonstrating the ability of the GPSI to identify diagnostic subgroups. Third, HCC progression patterns were well reproduced in the two independent UTHealth and TCGA datasets.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that an unsupervised approach can disentangle temporal and phenotypic heterogeneity and identify population subgroups with common patterns of disease progression. Based on the differences in these features across stages, physicians can better tailor treatment plans and medications to individual patients.
Risks of depression, anxiety, and suicide in partners of men with prostate cancer: a national cohort study
Authors: Crump Casey , Stattin Pär , Brooks James D , Sundquist Jan , Edwards Alexis C , Sundquist Kristina , Sieh Weiva
Published: December 2023

Background

A diagnosis of prostate cancer (PC) may cause psychosocial distress not only in a man but also in his intimate partner. However, long-term risks of depression, anxiety, or suicide in partners of men with PC are largely unknown.

Methods

A national cohort study was conducted of 121 530 partners of men diagnosed with PC during 1998-2017 and 1 093 304 population-based controls in Sweden. Major depression, anxiety disorder, and suicide death were ascertained through 2018. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) while adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Results

Partners of men with high-risk PC had increased risks of major depression (adjusted HR = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.30 to 1.39) and anxiety disorder (adjusted HR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.20 to 1.30), which remained elevated 10 or more years later. Suicide death was increased in partners of men with distant metastases (adjusted HR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.08 to 5.22) but not other high-risk PC (adjusted HR =1.14, 95% CI = 0.70 to 1.88). Among partners of men with high-risk PC, risks of major depression and anxiety disorder were highest among those 80 years of age or older (adjusted HR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.53 to 1.96; adjusted HR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.47 to 1.96, respectively), whereas suicide death was highest among those younger than 60 years of age (adjusted HR = 7.55, 95% CI = 2.20 to 25.89). In contrast, partners of men with low- or intermediate-risk PC had modestly or no increased risks of these outcomes.

Conclusions

In this large cohort, partners of men with high-risk PC had increased risks of major depression and anxiety disorder, which persisted for 10 or more years. Suicide death was increased 2-fold in partners of men with distant metastases. Partners as well as men with PC need psychosocial support and close follow-up for psychosocial distress.
UV to near-IR observations of the DART-Dimorphos collision
Authors: Ofek Eran O , Kushnir Doron , Polishook David , Waxman Eli , Tohuvavohu Aaron , Ben-Ami Sagi , Katz Boaz , Gnat Orly , Strotjohann Nora L , Segre Enrico , Blumenzweig Arie , Sofer-Rimalt Yahel , Yaron Ofer , Gal-Yam Avishay , Shvartzvald Yossi , Engel Michael , Cenko S Bradley , Hershko Ofir
Published: December 2023

The impact of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft with Dimorphos allows us to study asteroid collision physics, including momentum transfer, the ejecta properties, and the visibility of such events in the Solar system. We report observations of the DART impact in the ultraviolet (UV), visible light, and near-infrared (IR) wavelengths. The observations support the existence of at least two separate components of the ejecta: a fast and a slow component. The fast-ejecta component is composed of a gaseous phase, moving at about 1.6 km s−1 with a mass of ≲104 kg. The fast ejecta is detected in the UV and visible light, but not in the near-IR z-band observations. Fitting a simplified optical thickness model to these observations allows us to constrain some of the properties of the fast ejecta, including its scattering efficiency and the opacity of the gas. The slow ejecta component is moving at typical velocities of up to about 10 m s−1. It is composed of micrometer-size particles, that have a scattering efficiency, at the direction of the observer, of the order of 10−3 and a total mass of ∼106 kg. The larger particles in the slow ejecta, whose size is bound to be in the range between ∼1 mm and ∼1 m, likely have a scattering efficiency larger than that of the pre-impact Didymos system.
Electrostatic solitary waves in a bi-ion plasma with two suprathermal electron populations – application to Saturn’s magnetosphere
Authors: Varghese Steffy Sara , Singh Kuldeep , Kourakis Ioannis
Published: December 2023

Non-thermal particle distributions characterized by a high-energy tail are ubiquitous in space plasmas. They are usually described by a kappa distribution function, that has been shown to be an excellent fit in most real circumstances. Among other space missions, Cassini and Voyager have both recorded evidence of a coexistence of non-thermal electron populations (with different characteristics) in Saturn’s magnetosphere, and subsequent studies showed that these are well-described by using different tailor-fit realizations of the (parametrized) kappa distribution. Motivated by these observations we have formulated a multifluid plasma model incorporating two types of (positive) ions and two distinct kappa-distributed electron populations, in order to study electrostatic solitary waves (ESWs) in Saturn’s magnetosphere from first principles. Our analysis reveals that the spectral index (in fact, the κ parameter value related to the cold electron population mainly) is vital in explaining the difference among different types of non-linear structures. A comparison with spacecraft observations suggests that our theoretical model provides an efficient framework for the interpretation of ESW observations in Saturn’s magnetosphere. Our qualitative predictions may also apply to other planetary magnetospheres, where a similar multispecies plasma composition may be present.
CN and CCH azirine derivatives, possible precursors of prebiotic molecules: formation and spectroscopic parameters
Authors: Redondo Pilar , Sanz-Novo Miguel , Barrientos Carmen
Published: December 2023

N-heterocycles are of special relevance in astrobiology but at present no nitrogen-containing heterocycles have been detected in the interstellar medium (ISM). Thus far, the simplest N-heterocyclic compound, 2H-Azirine (c-C2H3N), has not been conclusively identified, despite being searched for. Recently, several cyano and ethynyl derivatives of unsaturated hydrocarbons have been discovered in the cold prestellar core Taurus Molecular Cloud 1 (TMC-1). The purpose of this work is to assess the feasibility of the possible formation of cyano and ethynyl derivatives of azirine (c-C2H2N-CN, c-C2H2N-CCH) under interstellar conditions and provide high-level theoretical spectroscopic parameters of the most relevant cyano- and ethynyl-azirine isomers to facilitate their experimental identification. Six isomers are located for each, cyano- and ethynyl-azirine derivatives, and their interconversion processes are studied. The reactions of 2H-azirine with the CN or CCH radicals in the gas phase are explored as possible formation routes of cyano and ethynyl azirine. We found that the formation processes of the most stable isomers, namely 3-cyano-2H-azirine, 2-cyano-2H-azirine, 3-ethynyl-2H-azirine, and 2-ethynyl-2H-azirine, are exothermic and barrier free. Thus, these compounds stand out as potential targets to be searched for in space. Based on the newly determined rotational spectroscopic parameters, which also account for 14N hyperfine splittings, we compile a line catalogue for each system up to 50 GHz as a preliminary and required step to characterize these molecules experimentally, whether in the laboratory or directly in the ISM.
The 40 pc sample of white dwarfs from Gaia
Authors: O’Brien Mairi W , Tremblay P-E , Klein B L , Koester D , Melis C , Bédard A , Cukanovaite E , Cunningham T , Doyle A E , Gänsicke B T , Gentile Fusillo N P , Hollands M A , McCleery J , Pelisoli I , Toonen S , Weinberger A J , Zuckerman B
Published: December 2023

We present a comprehensive overview of a volume-complete sample of white dwarfs located within 40 pc of the Sun, a significant proportion of which were detected in Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). Our DR3 sample contains 1076 spectroscopically confirmed white dwarfs, with just five candidates within the volume remaining unconfirmed (> 99 per cent spectroscopic completeness). Additionally, 28 white dwarfs were not in our initial selection from Gaia DR3, most of which are in unresolved binaries. We use Gaia DR3 photometry and astrometry to determine a uniform set of white dwarf parameters, including mass, effective temperature, and cooling age. We assess the demographics of the 40 pc sample, specifically magnetic fields, binarity, space density, and mass distributions.
Human placental vascular and perivascular cell heterogeneity differs between first trimester and term, and in pregnancies affected by foetal growth restriction
Authors: Boss Anna L , Chamley Lawrence W , Brooks Anna E S , James Joanna L
Published: December 2023

Growth-restricted placentae have a reduced vascular network, impairing exchange of nutrients and oxygen. However, little is known about the differentiation events and cell types that underpin normal/abnormal placental vascular formation and function. Here, we used 23-colour flow cytometry to characterize placental vascular/perivascular populations between first trimester and term, and in foetal growth restriction (FGR). First-trimester endothelial cells had an immature phenotype (CD144+/lowCD36−CD146low), while term endothelial cells expressed mature endothelial markers (CD36+CD146+). At term, a distinct population of CD31low endothelial cells co-expressed mesenchymal markers (CD90, CD26), indicating a capacity for endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). In FGR, compared with normal pregnancies, endothelial cells constituted 3-fold fewer villous core cells (P < 0.05), contributing to an increased perivascular: endothelial cell ratio (2.6-fold, P < 0.05). This suggests that abnormal EndMT may play a role in FGR. First-trimester endothelial cells underwent EndMT in culture, losing endothelial (CD31, CD34, CD144) and gaining mesenchymal (CD90, CD26) marker expression. Together this highlights how differences in villous core cell heterogeneity and phenotype may contribute to FGR pathophysiology across gestation.
JMnorm: a novel joint multi-feature normalization method for integrative and comparative epigenomics
Authors: Xiang Guanjue , Guo Yuchun , Bumcrot David , Sigova Alla
Published: December 2023

Combinatorial patterns of epigenetic features reflect transcriptional states and functions of genomic regions. While many epigenetic features have correlated relationships, most existing data normalization approaches analyze each feature independently. Such strategies may distort relationships between functionally correlated epigenetic features and hinder biological interpretation. We present a novel approach named JMnorm that simultaneously normalizes multiple epigenetic features across cell types, species, and experimental conditions by leveraging information from partially correlated epigenetic features. We demonstrate that JMnorm-normalized data can better preserve cross-epigenetic-feature correlations across different cell types and enhance consistency between biological replicates than data normalized by other methods. Additionally, we show that JMnorm-normalized data can consistently improve the performance of various downstream analyses, which include candidate cis-regulatory element clustering, cross-cell-type gene expression prediction, detection of transcription factor binding and changes upon perturbations. These findings suggest that JMnorm effectively minimizes technical noise while preserving true biologically significant relationships between epigenetic datasets. We anticipate that JMnorm will enhance integrative and comparative epigenomics.
Plumbing System Architecture and Differentiation Processes of the Nyiragongo Volcano, DR Congo
Authors: Molendijk Sander M , Namur Olivier , Kamate Kaleghetso Ephrem , Mason Paul R D , Smets Benoît , Vander Auwera Jacqueline , Neave David A
Published: December 2023

The Nyiragongo volcano is one of the most alkali-rich volcanic centres on the planet (Na2O + K2O generally >10 wt.%, agpaitic index up to 1.34), characterized by a semi-permanently active lava lake which hosts silica-undersaturated (SiO2 < 40 wt.%), low viscosity lavas. To improve our understanding of this unique magmatic system, we present a set of 291 samples, acquired during new field excursions between 2017 and 2021. The major and trace element composition of all samples was measured, revealing a lithological range extending from primitive picrites (Mg# 82) erupted from parasitic cones to a variety of highly evolved nephelinites, leucitites, and melilitites erupted from the main edifice as recently as 2002, 2016, and 2021.

We measured major and trace element compositions from the full spectrum of minerals present in all sampled lithologies. From these we calculated that the main magma reservoirs feeding Nyiragongo are at approximately 9–15 and 21–33 km depth, in agreement with recent seismic observations. Fractional crystallization modelling using observed mineral compositions and proportions was performed to quantitatively link the lithologies to specific residual liquid fractions assuming evolution from an olivine-melilite parental melt.

Our modelling indicates that fractionation and cumulate formation in deep chambers reduces the remaining melt fraction to ~60%, after which melts are injected into upper, liquid dominated magma chambers where fractionation and accumulation of clinopyroxene, melilite, and feldspathoids dominates.

Characterisation of mineral textures and geochemistry reveals high crystal mobility in a repeatedly recharging plumbing system split between liquid-dominated, evolved magma chambers and more solid-dominated, primitive mushes, decreasing in liquid fraction with depth.
A Phasalist Approach to Coincidence Puzzles
Authors: Mooney Justin
Published: December 2023

The phasalist solution to the classic puzzle of the statue and the piece of clay only works for some coincidence puzzles and not others. To address this limitation of phasalism, I develop a novel approach to coincidence puzzles that permits different kinds of coincidence puzzles to be solved in different ways, provided that each solution satisfies certain constraints inspired by the phasalist solution to the statue puzzle. I apply my approach to four different kinds of coincidence puzzles, and I argue that it is no less plausible than rival approaches in the literature.
Social determinants of health and clinical outcomes among patients with atrial fibrillation: evidence from a global federated health research network
Authors: Simoni A H , Bucci T , Romiti G F , Frydenlund J , Johnsen S P , Abdul-Rahim A H , Lip G Y H
Published: December 2023

Background

Few studies have investigated the role of social determinants of health (SDoH) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Aim

To investigate the relationship between SDoH and adverse events in a large multinational AF cohort.

Design

Retrospective study utilizing a global federated health research network (TriNetX).

Methods

Patients with AF were categorized as socially deprived defined according to ICD codes based on three SDoHs: (i) extreme poverty; (ii) unemployment; and/or (iii) problems related with living alone. The outcomes were the 5-year risk of a composite outcomes of all-cause death, hospitalization, ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, heart failure (HF) or severe ventricular arrhythmias. Cox regression was used to compute hazard rate ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) following 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

The study included 24 631 socially deprived (68.8 ± 16.0 years; females 51.8%) and 2 462 092 non-deprived AF patients (75.5 ± 13.1 years; females 43.8%). Before PSM, socially deprived patients had a higher risk of the composite outcome (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.87–1.93), all-cause death (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.28–1.39), hospitalization (HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.98–2.04), IHD (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.64–1.70), stroke (HR 2.60, 95% CI 2.51–2.64), HF (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.86–1.96) and severe ventricular arrhythmias (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.76–1.90) compared to non-deprived AF patients. The PSM-based hazard ratios for the primary composite outcome were 1.54 (95% CI 1.49–1.60) for the unemployed AF patients; 1.39 (95% CI 1.31–1.47) for patients with extreme poverty or with low income; and 1.42 (95% CI 1.37–1.47) for those with problems related with living alone.

Conclusions

In patients with AF, social deprivation is associated with an increased risk of death and adverse cardiac events. The presence of possible unmeasured bias associated with the retrospective design requires confirmation in future prospective studies.
Blueprints for Connection: A Meta-Organizational Framework for Layering Theory, Philosophy, and Praxis Within Continuing Education in the Health Professions
Authors: Chan Teresa M. , Sherbino Jonathan , Sockalingam Sanjeev
Published: December 2023

As a field, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) lies at the intersection of many disciplines. Tensions can occur as scholars from fields ranging from education to quality improvement seek to advance the practices and workplaces of health care professionals. Owing to the diversity of people working to affect change within the field of CPD, it remains a very challenging space to collaborate and understand the various philosophies, epistemologies, and practice of all those within the field.

In this article, the authors have proposed a meta-organizational framework for how we might re-examine theory, application, and practice within the field of CPD. It is their belief that this proposal might inspire others to reflect on how we can cultivate and invite diverse scientists and scholars using a range of theories to add to the fabric of the field of CPD.