bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homoepitaxy Growth of High‐Quality AlN Film on MOCVD AlN Template by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
Authors: Li Chunpeng , Gao Xiaodong , Wang Xiaodan , Dong Xiaoming , Zeng Xionghui , Chen Jiafan , Wang Chuang , Wang Luhua , Chen Jingjing , Wei Sida , Xu Ke
Published: February 2023

Herein, AlN film grown on metal‐organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) AlN template by high‐temperature hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) is characterized. High‐resolution X‐ray diffraction results show that the crystal quality of the film is improved compared with that of the template. Atomic force microscopy shows that the root mean square roughness value also decreases. Cathodoluminescence spectra show that the main impurities in the epitaxial layer and template are oxygen atoms. Raman spectroscopy and geometric phase analysis show that HVPE AlN samples maintain a compressive stress internally, which is the key to inhibit film cracking. Transmission electron microscope characterization reveals that most of the dislocations at the interface inherit from MOCVD AlN template, incline in the subsequent growth, react with each other, and finally annihilate. The dislocation bending and reduction mechanism are demonstrated.
A Phenolic Schiff Based AIE‐Active Quinoxaline‐Based Receptor for Selective Sensing of Fluoride Ions
Authors: Zalmi Geeta A. , Jadhav Sandeep E. , Mirgane Harshad A. , Madje Balaji R. , Bhosale Sheshanath V.
Published: February 2023

Anions play very important role in various physiological, biological process and essential in various medical diagnosis. Amongst, anionic species fluoride is considered an essential component, however, the excess amount of fluoride may cause issues with various organs of the body such as kidney and nervous system. Herein we developed a new fluorescent chemosensor based on quinoxaline receptor 1 for rapid sensitive detection of fluoride ion. The receptor contains the free hydroxy proton which easily undergoes deprotonation occurs the OH− to give phenoxide ion via hydrogen bond interaction with fluoride ions. The deprotonation reaction on the aromatic system. The receptor 1 showed good selectivity towards F− ion in presence over another anion. The absorption and emission studies, naked eye detection and test strip application was performed for fluoride ion detection. The binding constant for the receptor was calculated by Benesi Hildebrand method and was found to be 8.76×104 M−1. While the limit of detection was observed to be 3.1 μM which much lower than the permissible limit of 270 μM given by United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thus, we believe this new derivative may be used in future for real world application for fluoride ion detection.
Efficient Conversion of Biomass‐Derived Furfural to Tetrahydrofurfuryl Alcohol over Co3O4−C Nanocomposite Catalyst at Mild Conditions
Authors: Van Nguyen Chi , Le Giau M. , Nguyen Tung T. , Van Tran Thuan , Vu Thanh Dien To , Nguyen Phuong‐Tung , Ngoc Tran Quyen , Phan Nam T. S.
Published: February 2023

Due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources, catalytic conversion of biomass into liquid fuels and valuable compounds has become an attractive field of research. Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (THFAL) is an important platform molecule in both industrial and pharmacological fields, and catalytic hydrogenation of furfural (FA) to THFAL is a sustainable process. However, an active and stable catalyst for the direct hydrogenation of FA to THFAL under milder conditions is still a challenge. Accordingly, herein, we investigated a high‐valence metal catalyst (Co3O4−C) for the hydrogenation of FA to THFAL using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as the H source. Under optimal reaction conditions (that is, 0.05 g Co3O4−C‐700 in an aqueous solution, 5 mmol NaBH4, 60 °C, and 3 h), 88.5 % THFAL was produced over Co3O4−C‐700. The kinetic study revealed that furfuryl alcohol was generated as an intermediate during the hydrogenation of FA. Additionally, the reaction followed pseudo‐first order kinetics, and the reaction rate constant (k) values were .80, 3.41, 3.45, and 5.55 h−1 at 30, 40, 45, 50, and 60 °C, respectively. From the slopes of the Arrhenius plot, the activation energy was determined to be 22.02 kJ mol−1, indicating high activity of the catalyst for the reaction. Moreover, Co3+ and smaller sizes of Co3O4 nanoparticles contributed to the activity of Co3O4−C‐700. We believe that the metal oxide catalyst developed herein can be used for various biomass conversions.
Cobalt Ferrite Incorporated Ocimum sanctum Nanocomposite Matrix as an Interface for Adsorption of Organic Dyes: A Sustainable Alternative
Authors: Sharma Atul , Rasheed Shoaib , Mangla Divyanshi , Choudhry Arshi , Shukla Sneha , Chaudhry Saif Ali
Published: February 2023

The preparation of Cobalt ferrite‐Ocimum sanctum nanocomposite, referred to as CoFe2O4/OS, has been reported along with its application for the treatment of water containing hazardous organic contaminants. A simple co‐precipitation approach was applied for synthesis of magnetic nanocomposite, and a thorough analysis for its characterization was conducted using several spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The characterization results showed that the magnetic nanocomposite exhibited substantial functional groups of Ocimum sanctum powder and magnetic ferrite part. The adsorption investigation of nanocomposite for removal of two cationic dyes was carried out with varying parameters, such as pH, contact time, temperature, concentration, and composite dosage. The sorption process was proved feasible and exothermic at the tested temperatures (303–323 K). The sorption data followed Freundlich and Temkin isotherms which recommended the physisorption progression. The kinetic study revealed a pseudo‐second order rate of sorption process for both dye molecules. The facile preparation, economical cost, significant magnetic character, and high sorption capacity will surely construct the water treatment system more competent with the use of CoFe2O4/OS.
4‐Hydroxy Enigmol, a 1‐Deoxyphytosphingolipid that Exhibit Good Activity against Prostate and Colon Cancer
Authors: Kaur Parleen , Sharma Sonia , Goel Akshita , Sharma Purshotam , Agnihotri Navneet , Kaur Ramandeep , Singh Vasundhara
Published: February 2023

In the present work, 4‐hydroxy enigmol (1), an analogue of enigmol which is a known orally bioavailable 1‐deoxysphingolipid, effective against multiple cancer cell lines, has been synthesized with an additional hydroxy group for improved anti‐cancer activity. The additional group in compound (1) is likely to show enhanced activity due to improved cell permeability and hydrophilicity. The key steps involved are stereoselective cross metathesis reaction and OsO4/NMO mediated dihydroxylation. Further, analogues of 4‐hydroxy enigmol (1) with varying chain lengths (2, 3) have also been synthesized using the same synthetic strategy for varying hydrophobicity as an additional structural feature. To support the genesis in the design of compound (1–3), the pharmacokinetic studies and docking analysis has been done for calculating the polar surface area, binding affinity and hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity. The preliminary in‐vitro cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines displayed promising activity against the PC‐3 cell lines and HCT‐116 cell lines.
3D/2D Core/Shell Perovskite Nanocrystals for High‐Performance Solar Cells
Authors: Fu Jie , Liu Jun , Yuan Lin , Pan Qi , Chen Shuhua , Hu Yiqi , Chen Jinxing , Ma Wanli , Zhang Qiao , Liu Zeke , Cao Muhan
Published: February 2023

All‐inorganic lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) emerge as a rising star in photovoltaic fields on account of their excellent optoelectronic properties. However, it still remains challenging to further promote photovoltaic efficiency due to the susceptible surface and inevitable vacancies. Here, this work reports a 3D/2D core/shell perovskite heterojunction based on CsPbI3 NCs and its performance in solar cells. The guanidinium (GA+) rich 2D nanoshells can significantly passivate surface trap states and lower the capping ligand density, resulting in improved photoelectric properties and carrier transport and diminished nonradiative recombination centers via the hydrogen bonds from amino groups in GA+ ions. Consequently, an outstanding power conversion efficiency (PCE) of up to 15.53% is realized, substantially higher than the control device (13.77%). This work highlights the importance of surface chemistry and offers a feasible avenue to achieve high‐performance perovskite NCs‐based optoelectronic devices.
Manganese Local Environment Modulation via SiO4 Substitution to Boost Sodium Storage Performance of Na4MnCr(PO4)3
Authors: Hou Yan , Liu Qiong , Yang Lin , Hu Jing , Wang Zhenyu , Zhang Xinmiao , Pan Jialiang , Bai Zhengyu , Wang Haijiang , Lu Zhouguang
Published: February 2023

Manganese‐based Na superionic conductors (NASICONs) Na4MnCr(PO4)3 with three‐electron reaction are attractive cathode materials for sodium‐ion batteries. However, the irreversible distortion of Mn local structure leads to sluggish electrode kinetics, voltage hysteresis, and poor cycling stability. Here, SiO4 is introduced to substitute PO4 to modulate the local environment of Mn to activate the redox activity and stabilize the reversibility of Na4MnCr(PO4)2.9(SiO4)0.1 (NMCP‐Si). A combined experimental and theoretical investigation have been undertaken to reveal the evolution of electronic structures and Na storage properties associated with SiO4 substitution. The NMCP‐Si exhibits much‐enhanced rate capability and cycling stability, being attributed to the unique Jahn‐Teller distortion (Mn3+) that facilitates sodium de/insertion kinetics by optimizing the Na ion diffusion channels. This work addresses the challenge of stabilizing the structure of Mn‐based NASICONs and represents a breakthrough in understanding how to improve the Na+ conductivity by regulating local structure.
Energy Loss Analysis of Two‐Terminal Tandem PV Systems under Realistic Operating Conditions—Revealing the Importance of Fill Factor Gains
Authors: Blom Youri , Vogt Malte Ruben , Ruiz Tobon Carlos M. , Santbergen Rudi , Zeman Miro , Isabella Olindo
Published: February 2023

The tandem PV technology can potentially increase the efficiency of PV modules over 30%. To design efficient modules, a quantification of the different losses is important. Herein, a model for quantifying the energy loss mechanisms in PV systems under real‐world operating conditions with a level of detail back to the components and their fundamental properties is presented. Totally, 17 losses are defined and divided into four categories (fundamental, optical, electrical, and system losses). As example, a system based on a > 29% two‐terminal perovskite/silicon tandem cell is considered. The loss distribution at standard test conditions is compared to four geographical locations. The results show that the thermalization, reflection, and inverter losses increase by 1.2%, 1.1%, and 1.4%, respectively, when operating outdoors. Additionally, it is quantified how fill factor gains partly compensate the current mismatch losses. For example, a mismatch of 7.0% in photocurrent leads to a power mismatch of 1.2%. Therefore, the power mismatch should be used as indicator for mismatch losses instead of a current mismatch. Finally, herein, it is shown that solar tracking increases not only the in‐plane irradiance but also the efficiency of the tandem module.
Multiscale analysis on the mechanical behavior and failure mechanism of high strength concrete
Authors: Mei Qiquan , Wu Zhangyu , Yu Hongfa , Zhang Jinhua , Ma Haiyan
Published: February 2023

High strength concrete (HSC) with superior strength advantage has been gaining widespread attention and engineering endorsement in recent years. For a better understanding of the mechanical responses and failure mechanisms of HSC, a novel three‐dimensional (3D) mesoscale model considering the meso‐structural features of concrete was proposed in this paper. First, a series of uniaxial compressive tests were conducted to investigate the compressive properties of HSC specimens with a strength of 80–90 MPa. After that, a 3D three‐phase mesoscale model consisting of mortar, coarse aggregate, and the interfacial transitional zone (ITZ) between them, was developed to perform the mesoscopic simulations of HSC. Then, systematic analysis and discussions on the compressive properties of HSC were presented in terms of the stress–strain curves, compressive strengths/toughness, failure patterns, cracking process, etc. Results indicate that HSC exhibited obvious brittle failure characteristics, and its strength was significantly related to the water‐to‐cement ratio and mineral admixture. At meso‐level, the cracking behaviors of mortar and ITZ phases were well modeled using the developed mesoscale model. Additionally, it was found that the cracking behavior of HSC was significantly associated with the ITZ characteristics. The developed mesoscale modeling approach has been proven to simulate and investigate concrete's compressive properties in a reliable manner, and can be applied further to the property analysis of concrete materials and structures.
Image‐guided diagnosis and treatment of glioblastoma
Authors: Bian Yongning , Wang Yaling , Chen Xueqian , Zhang Yong , Xiong Shaoqing , Su Dongdong
Published: February 2023

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor with poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. The presence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) prevents diagnostic and therapeutic drugs from penetrating and working in GBM. In traditional surgical treatment, it is difficult to completely distinguish the boundary between tumor and surrounding normal tissue, resulting in incomplete resection of tumor. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of GBM are very challenging. Several molecular probes and nanoprobes have been reported to successfully penetrate the BBB, selectively target and accumulate in GBM to achieve in situ imaging of brain tumors, thus achieving accurate diagnosis and treatment of orthotopic or non‐orthotopic GBM. This paper reviews the advances of molecular probes and nanoprobes in image‐guided diagnosis and treatment of GBM. The design principle, application, and advantages of each probe are enumerated in detail. Finally, the prospects and potential challenges of probes in the diagnosis and treatment of GBM are discussed with a view to further promote the study and application of novel imaging probes in GBM.
Linac-based stereotactic salvage reirradiation for intraprostatic prostate cancer recurrence: toxicity and outcomes
Authors: Cozzi Salvatore , Finocchi Ghersi Sebastiano , Bardoscia Lilia , Najafi Masoumeh , Blandino Gladys , Alì Emanuele , Augugliaro Matteo , Vigo Federica , Ruggieri Maria Paola , Cardano Raffaele , Giaccherini Lucia , Iori Federico , Botti Andrea , Trojani Valeria , Ciammella Patrizia , Iotti Cinzia
Published: February 2023

Background

The rates of local failure after curative radiotherapy for prostate cancer (PC) remain high despite more accurate locoregional treatments available, with one third of patients experiencing biochemical failure and clinical relapse occurring in 30–47% of cases. Today, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the treatment of choice in this setting, but with not negligible toxicity and low effects on local disease. Therefore, the treatment of intraprostatic PC recurrence represents a challenge for radiation oncologists. Prostate reirradiation (Re-I) might be a therapeutic possibility. We present our series of patients treated with salvage stereotactic Re‑I for intraprostatic recurrence of PC after radical radiotherapy, with the aim of evaluating feasibility and safety of linac-based prostate Re‑I.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively evaluated toxicities and outcomes of patients who underwent salvage reirradiation using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for intraprostatic PC recurrence. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years, histologically proven diagnosis of PC, salvage Re‑I for intraprostatic recurrence after primary radiotherapy for PC with curative intent, concurrent/adjuvant ADT with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) allowed, performance status ECOG 0–2, restaging choline/PSMA-PET/TC and prostate MRI after biochemical recurrence, and signed informed consent.

Results

From January 2019 to April 2022, 20 patients were recruited. Median follow-up was 26.7 months (range 7–50). After SBRT, no patients were lost at follow-up and all are still alive. One- and 2‑year progression free survival (PFS) was 100% and 81.5%, respectively, while 2‑year biochemical progression-free survival (bFFS) was 88.9%. Four patients (20%) experienced locoregional lymph node progression and were treated with a further course of SBRT. Prostate reirradiation allowed the ADT start to be postponed for 12–39 months. Re‑I was well tolerated by all patients and none discontinued the treatment. No cases of ≥ G3 genitourinary (GU) or gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity were reported. Seven (35%) and 2 (10%) patients experienced acute G1 and G2 GU toxicity, respectively. Late GU toxicity was recorded in 10 (50%) patients, including 8 (40%) G1 and 2 (10%) G2. ADT-related side effects were found in 7 patients (hot flashes and asthenia).

Conclusion

Linac-based SBRT is a safe technique for performing Re‑I for intraprostatic recurrence after primary curative radiotherapy for PC. Future prospective, randomized studies are desirable to better understand the effectiveness of reirradiation and the still open questions in this field.
Immediate extubation after single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction for subglottic stenosis in children
Authors: Tang XinYe , Yang Yang , Zhang ZhiHai , Sun Rong
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility and clarify the appropriate indications for extubation immediately after single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (SS-LTR) in pediatric subglottic stenosis (SGS).

Methods

A retrospective study was performed from July 2017 to July 2022. All patients underwent SS-LTR with anterior costal cartilage graft. Information such as demographics, comorbidities, history of intubation or tracheostomy, Classification and grading of airway stenosis, the operation-specific decannulation rate and overall decannulation rate were analyzed.

Results

Twenty-two patients with simple SGS were identified. The median age at SS-LTR was 19 months (IQR = 18.5 months). Fourteen patients (63.6%) were intubated prior to the presentation of symptoms. Fourteen patients (63.6%) required preoperative tracheostomy to maintain a secure airway. Eight patients (36.4%) had congenital SGS, 10 patients (45.5%) had acquired SGS, and 4 patients (18.2%) had mixed SGS. Three patients had Grade II stenosis. Nineteen patients had Grade III stenosis. Comorbidities were found in 10 patients (45.5%). Major comorbidities were pneumonia. Congenital airway anomalies were found in 6 patients (27.3%). After anesthesia, all 22 patients were successfully extubated and returned to the general ward. Twenty patients had a satisfactory airway after SS-LTR. Two patients required reintubation or tracheostomy after operation. Operation-specific decannulation rate was 90.9%. The overall decannulation rate is 100%.

Conclusion

SS-LTR with anterior costal cartilage graft is an effective method to treat simple SGS ranging from Grades I to III in children. Extubation immediately after surgery is safe and feasible.
Local drug delivery in the treatment of furcation defects in periodontitis: a systematic review
Authors: Chatzopoulos Georgios S. , Koidou Vasiliki P. , Tsalikis Lazaros
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of subgingival administration of various antimicrobials and host-modulating agents in furcation defects as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) compared to SRP alone or combined with placebo.

Methods

A systematic review was carried out using MEDLINE-PubMed, Embase, and Scopus for articles up to October 2022 in addition to hand searches. All longitudinal studies that evaluated the effect of subgingival application of antimicrobial and host-modulating agents in furcation defects as adjuncts to SRP compared to SRP alone or SRP + placebo with at least 3 months of follow-up were eligible for inclusion.

Results

A total of eight studies were included. Superior clinical treatment outcomes were shown when alendronate, rosuvastatin, boric acid, simvastatin, and tetracycline (only at 3 months) were utilized in furcation defects in conjunction with SRP alone or SRP + placebo. Significant improvement was reported in radiographic bone defect depth and defect depth reduction when SRP was supplemented with alendronate, rosuvastatin, boric acid, and simvastatin.

Conclusions

Within the limitations of this review, the adjunctive subgingival administration of medications and host-modulating agents in furcation defects may confer additional clinical and radiographic benefits than non-surgical periodontal treatment alone. Future investigations are needed to confirm their long-term effectiveness.

Clinical relevance

Local host modulators and antimicrobials may be used supplementary to enhance the clinical and radiographic treatment outcomes of conventional periodontal therapy in furcation defects.
Clinical significance of concomitant bacteriuria in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
Authors: Papadimitriou-Olivgeris Matthaios , Jacot Damien , Senn Laurence , Guery Benoit
Published: February 2023

This retrospective study, conducted at Lausanne University Hospital (2015–2021), compared Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SABA) patients with or without concomitant bacteriuria (SABU). Among 448 included bacteraemic patients, 62 (13.8%) had S. aureus concurrently isolated from urine. In multivariate analysis, there was a significant difference in the odds of community-onset bacteraemia (P 0.030), malignancy (P 0.002), > 1 pair of positive blood cultures (P 0.037), and persistent bacteraemia for at least 48 h (P 0.045) in patients with concurrent SABU. No difference concerning mortality was found. On the other hand, SABU was associated with higher rates of SABA recurrence after antibiotic cessation.
Induced earthquakes and house prices: the role of spatiotemporal and global effects
Authors: Durán Nicolás , Elhorst J. Paul
Published: February 2023

This paper contributes to the existing literature on the explanation of housing prices. First, our proposed methodology accounts for cross-sectional dependence, both locally and globally, using individual data of more than 200,000 transactions in the three most northern provinces of the Netherlands over the period 1993–2014. Second, the selection of houses within each focal house’s sub-market is not only based on distance and time, but also on their degree of similarity. Third, global cross-sectional dependence is not modeled by time-fixed effects, as in previous studies, but by cross-sectional price averages. Fourth, we accumulate the strength and frequency with which earthquakes affect each focal house before it was sold into one single measure using a seismological model and then subdivide it into different bins to account for nonlinear effects and to determine a threshold below which earthquakes have no effect. This way we are able to investigate the propagation of the detrimental impact of earthquakes on housing prices over space and time without the need to select a reference area in advance, which potentially might also have been affected by earthquakes.
caSPiTa: mining statistically significant paths in time series data from an unknown network
Authors: Tonon Andrea , Vandin Fabio
Published: February 2023

The mining of time series data has applications in several domains, and in many cases the data are generated by networks, with time series representing paths on such networks. In this work, we consider the scenario in which the dataset, i.e., a collection of time series, is generated by an unknown underlying network, and we study the problem of mining statistically significant paths, which are paths whose number of observed occurrences in the dataset is unexpected given the distribution defined by some features of the underlying network. A major challenge in such a problem is that the underlying network is unknown, and, thus, one cannot directly identify such paths. We then propose caSPiTa, an algorithm to mine statistically significant paths in time series data generated by an unknown and underlying network that considers a generative null model based on meaningful characteristics of the observed dataset, while providing guarantees in terms of false discoveries. Our extensive evaluation on pseudo-artificial and real data shows that caSPiTa is able to efficiently mine large sets of significant paths, while providing guarantees on the false positives.
Do students’ personality traits change during medical training? A longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Abbiati Milena , Cerutti Bernard
Published: February 2023

Many medical schools incorporate assessments of personal characteristics, including personality traits, in their selection process. However, little is known about whether changes in personality traits during medical training affect the predictive validity of personality assessments. The present study addressed this issue by examining the stability of personality traits and their predictive validity over a 6-year medical training course. Participants were two cohorts of Swiss medical students (N = 272, 72% of students admitted to Year 2) from whom we collected demographic data, Swiss medical studies aptitude test (EMS) scores, Big Five personality traits scores measured at three times and scores on the multiple-choice and objective structured clinical examination parts of the final medical examination. Our findings indicated that personality traits had medium-to-high rank-order stability (r > .60 over 3 years and r > .50 over 6 years). Mean-level changes were moderate for agreeableness (d = + 0.72) and small for neuroticism and conscientiousness (d = -0.29, d = -0.25, respectively). Individual reliable change indices ranged from 4.5% for openness to 23.8% for neuroticism. The predictive validity was similar to that of the first three years of follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate changes in personality across undergraduate curriculum. Medical students’ personality traits were mostly stable across medical school and retain their predictive validity. Consequently, this study supports the use of tools measuring constructs underlying personality traits in selection. In addition, this study confirms that examination formats could favor students with certain personality traits.
Colloidal silver against macrophage infections and biofilms of atypical mycobacteria
Authors: Feizi Sholeh , Cooksley Clare M. , Ramezanpour Mahnaz , Nepal Roshan , Psaltis Alkis J. , Wormald Peter-John , Vreugde Sarah
Published: February 2023

Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) caused by atypical mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare complex (MAIC) have increased in recent years. Current therapeutic options are limited, and hence new and better therapies are urgently required. Colloidal Silver (CS) has been identified for its widespread antibacterial properties and silver-impregnated dressings have been used for SSTIs caused by various pathogens. The efficacy of Green Synthesized Colloidal Silver (GSCS) was investigated for bacterial growth inhibition (BGI) using a microdilution method and minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) using resazurin assay and confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) of M. abscessus (n = 5) and MAIC (n = 5). The antibacterial effect of GSCS against M. abscessus infected macrophages was also evaluated. The in vitro cytotoxicity of GSCS on a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and neonatal foreskin fibroblasts was analyzed by the crystal violet proliferation assay. Average BGI and MBEC of GSCS varied between 0.7 and 22 ppm for M. abscessus and MAIC. The concentration of 3 ppm reduced M. abscessus-infection in macrophages significantly. GSCS was not cytotoxic to HaCaT and neonatal foreskin fibroblast cells at concentrations < 3 ppm up to 2 h exposure time. GSCS therefore, has the potential for topical application against atypical mycobacterial SSTI.
Implications of strategic position choices by candidates
Authors: Robinette Robbie
Published: February 2023

I examine the implications of strategic position choices by candidates under two different voting rules: Instant Runoff and Condorcet-Minimax. A neural net forecasts the chances of winning at different ideologies and candidates alter their ideology to maximize their expected utility. This results in different candidate behavior and outcomes than in the non-strategic scenario. Further, the maximal utility strategy differs significantly between the two voting rules being examined. I propose a refinement to the social utility efficiency metric to account for the different utility of the candidate’s chosen positions and use this metric to contrast the outcomes. Finally, this divergence in strategy calls into question the practice of using data (ballots, or survey data) gathered under one voting rule to analyze a different voting rule.
The Long-Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Writing: a Follow-up Replication Study
Authors: Skar Gustaf B. , Graham Steve , Huebner Alan
Published: February 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic and the move by governments worldwide to cancel in-class instruction and move to emergency remote instruction in March and April of 2020 created an unprecedented disruption in children’s education. As the COVID-19 pandemic took form and continued to impact education in the following 2020/2021 academic year, multiple concerns were raised about possible negative effects on students’ learning. The current longitudinal replication study examined this proposition for second-grade students in Norway. In a previous investigation (Skar et al. Journal of Educational Psychology 114:1553–1566, 2022), we found that scores for quality of writing, handwriting fluency, and attitude toward writing of first-grade children tested immediately after emergency remote instruction ended in the Spring of 2020 (During COVID-19 cohort) were lower than the scores of first-grade students from the same schools tested a year earlier before the start of the pandemic (Before COVID-19 cohort). In the present study, we compared the scores for the During COVID-19 cohort (333 girls, 308 boys) on these same writing measures 1 year later at the end of second grade to a During COVID-19 cohort of second-graders (888 girls, 780 boys) from the same schools tested 2 years earlier before the start of the pandemic. The initial negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on first-grade students’ writing observed by Skar et al. (Journal of Educational Psychology 114:1553–1566, 2022) was no longer evident 1 year later at the end of second grade in the current study.
Thalidomide as an Effective Treatment in Sideroblastic Anemia, Immunodeficiency, Periodic Fevers, and Developmental Delay (SIFD)
Authors: Li Yan , Deng Mengyue , Han Tongxin , Mo Wenxiu , Mao Huawei
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Sideroblastic anemia, immunodeficiency, periodic fevers, and developmental delay (SIFD) is an autosomal recessive syndrome caused by biallelic loss-of-function variant of tRNA nucleotidyl transferase 1 (TRNT1). Efficacious methods to treat SIFD are lacking. We identified two novel mutations in TRNT1 and an efficacious and novel therapy for SIFD.

Methods

We retrospectively summarized the clinical records of two patients with SIFD from different families and reviewed all published cases of SIFD.

Results

Both patients had periodic fever, developmental delay, rash, microcytic anemia, and B cell lymphopenia with infections. Whole-exome sequencing of patient 1 identified a previously unreported homozygous mutation of TRNT1 (c.706G > A/p.Glu236Lys). He received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement and antibiotics, but died at 1 year of age. Gene testing in patient 2 revealed compound heterozygous mutations (c.907C > G/p.Gln303Glu and c.88A > G/p.Met30Val) in TRNT1, the former of which is a novel mutation. Periodic fever was controlled in the first month after adalimumab therapy and IVIG replacement, but recurred in the second month. Adalimumab was discontinued and replaced with thalidomide, which controlled the periodic fever and normalized inflammatory markers effectively. A retrospective analysis of reported cases revealed 69 patients with SIFD carrying 46 mutations. The male: female ratio was 1: 1, and the mean age of onset was 3.0 months. The most common clinical manifestations in patients with SIFD were microcytic anemia (82.6%), hypogammaglobulinemia/B cell lymphopenia (75.4%), periodic fever (66.7%), and developmental delay (60.0%). In addition to the typical tetralogy, SIFD features several heterogeneous symptoms involving multiple systems. Corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and anakinra have low efficacy, whereas etanercept suppressed fever and improved anemia in reports. Bone-marrow transplantation can be used to treat severe SIFD, but carries a high risk. In total, 28.2% (20/71) of reported patients died, mainly because of multi-organ failure. Biallelic mutations located in exon1-intron5 lead to more severe phenotypes and higher mortality. Furthermore, 15.5% (11/71) patients survived to adulthood. The symptoms could be resolved spontaneously in five patients.

Conclusions

Thalidomide can control the inflammation of SIFD and represents a new treatment for SIFD.
Usability of a mHealth Solution using Speech Recognition for Point-of-care Diagnostic Management
Authors: Kerwagen Fabian , Fuchs Konrad F. , Ullrich Melanie , Schulze Andres , Straka Samantha , Krop Philipp , Latoschik Marc E. , Gilbert Fabian , Kunz Andreas , Fette Georg , Störk Stefan , Ertl Maximilian
Published: February 2023

The administrative burden for physicians in the hospital can affect the quality of patient care. The Service Center Medical Informatics (SMI) of the University Hospital Würzburg developed and implemented the smartphone-based mobile application (MA) ukw.mobile1 that uses speech recognition for the point-of-care ordering of radiological examinations. The aim of this study was to examine the usability of the MA workflow for the point-of-care ordering of radiological examinations. All physicians at the Department of Trauma and Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital Würzburg, Germany, were asked to participate in a survey including the short version of the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ-S) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). For the analysis of the different domains of user experience (overall attractiveness, pragmatic quality and hedonic quality), we used a two-sided dependent sample t-test. For the determinants of the acceptance model, we employed regression analysis. Twenty-one of 30 physicians (mean age 34 ± 8 years, 62% male) completed the questionnaire. Compared to the conventional desktop application (DA) workflow, the new MA workflow showed superior overall attractiveness (mean difference 2.15 ± 1.33), pragmatic quality (mean difference 1.90 ± 1.16), and hedonic quality (mean difference 2.41 ± 1.62; all p < .001). The user acceptance measured by the UTAUT (mean 4.49 ± 0.41; min. 1, max. 5) was also high. Performance expectancy (beta = 0.57, p = .02) and effort expectancy (beta = 0.36, p = .04) were identified as predictors of acceptance, the full predictive model explained 65.4% of its variance. Point-of-care mHealth solutions using innovative technology such as speech-recognition seem to address the users’ needs and to offer higher usability in comparison to conventional technology. Implementation of user-centered mHealth innovations might therefore help to facilitate physicians’ daily work.
Synthesizing explainable counterfactual policies for algorithmic recourse with program synthesis
Authors: De Toni Giovanni , Lepri Bruno , Passerini Andrea
Published: February 2023

Being able to provide counterfactual interventions—sequences of actions we would have had to take for a desirable outcome to happen—is essential to explain how to change an unfavourable decision by a black-box machine learning model (e.g., being denied a loan request). Existing solutions have mainly focused on generating feasible interventions without providing explanations of their rationale. Moreover, they need to solve a separate optimization problem for each user. In this paper, we take a different approach and learn a program that outputs a sequence of explainable counterfactual actions given a user description and a causal graph. We leverage program synthesis techniques, reinforcement learning coupled with Monte Carlo Tree Search for efficient exploration, and rule learning to extract explanations for each recommended action. An experimental evaluation on synthetic and real-world datasets shows how our approach, FARE (eFficient counterfActual REcourse), generates effective interventions by making orders of magnitude fewer queries to the black-box classifier with respect to existing solutions, with the additional benefit of complementing them with interpretable explanations.
The uptake of selenium by perennial ryegrass in soils of different organic matter contents receiving sheep excreta
Authors: Kao Pei-Tzu , Buss Heather L. , McGrath Steve P. , Darch Tegan , Warren Helen E. , Lee Michael R. F.
Published: February 2023

Background and aims

The intake of selenium, an essential element for animals and humans, in ruminants is largely determined by selenium concentration in ingested forages, which take up selenium mainly from soil. Ruminant excreta is a common source of organic fertilizer, which provides both nutrients and organic matter. This study aims to unentangle the unclear effect of applying different types of ruminant excreta in soils of different organic matter contents on selenium uptake by forage.

Methods

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) was grown in soils of different organic matter contents. Urine and/or feces collected from sheep fed with organic or inorganic mineral supplements, including selenium, were applied to the soils. The selenium in the collected samples were analyzed using ICP-MS. The associated biogeochemical reactions were scrutinized by wet chemistry.

Results

The application of urine and/or feces resulted in either the same or lower selenium concentrations in perennial ryegrass. The excreta type did not affect total selenium accumulation in grass grown in low organic matter soil, whereas in high organic matter soil, feces resulted in significantly lower total selenium accumulation than urine, which was attributed to a possible interaction of selenium sorption in soil and microbial reduction of Se.

Conclusion

This one-time excreta application did not increase, but further decrease in some treatments, selenium concentration and accumulation in the perennial ryegrass. Consequently, to increase ruminant selenium intake, supplementing selenium directly to animals is more recommended than applying animal manure to soil, which might drive selenium reduction and decrease selenium uptake by grass.
Extragalactic Science with the Orbiting Astronomical Satellite Investigating Stellar Systems (OASIS) Observatory
Authors: Aalto Susanne , Battersby Cara , Chin Gordon , Hunt Leslie K. , Rigopoulou Dimitra , Stark Antony A. , Viti Serena , Walker Christopher K.
Published: February 2023

The Orbiting Astronomical Satellite for Investigating Stellar Systems (OASIS), a proposed Astrophysics MIDEX-class mission concept, has an innovative 14-meter diameter inflatable primary mirror that will provide the sensitivity to study far-infrared continuum and line emission from galaxies at all redshifts with high spectral resolution heterodyne receivers. OASIS will have the sensitivity to follow the water trail from galaxies to the comets that create oceans. It will bring an understanding of the role of water in galaxy evolution and its part of the oxygen budget, by measuring water emission from local to intermediate redshift galaxies, observations that have not been possible from the ground. Observation of the ground-state HD line will accurately measure gas mass in a wide variety of astrophysical objects. Thanks to its exquisite spatial resolution and sensitivity, OASIS will, during its one-year baseline mission, detect water in galaxies with unprecedented statistical significance. This paper reviews the extragalactic science achievable and planned with OASIS.
Time series analysis acceleration with advanced vectorization extensions
Authors: Quislant Ricardo , Fernandez Ivan , Gutierrez Eladio , Plata Oscar
Published: February 2023

Time series analysis is an important research topic and a key step in monitoring and predicting events in many fields. Recently, the Matrix Profile method, and particularly two of its Euclidean-distance-based implementations—SCRIMP and SCAMP—have become the state-of-the-art approaches in this field. Those algorithms bring the possibility of obtaining exact motifs and discords from a time series, which can be used to infer events, predict outcomes, detect anomalies and more. While matrix profile is embarrassingly parallelizable, we find that auto-vectorization techniques fail to fully exploit the SIMD capabilities of modern CPU architectures. In this paper, we develop custom-vectorized SCRIMP and SCAMP implementations based on AVX2 and AVX-512 extensions, which we combine with multithreading techniques aimed at exploiting the potential of the underneath architectures. Our experimental evaluation, conducted using real data, shows a performance improvement of more than 4$$\times$$
×
with respect to the auto-vectorization.
How good is an explanation?
Authors: Glass David H.
Published: February 2023

How good is an explanation and when is one explanation better than another? In this paper, I address these questions by exploring probabilistic measures of explanatory power in order to defend a particular Bayesian account of explanatory goodness. Critical to this discussion is a distinction between weak and strong measures of explanatory power due to Good (Br J Philos Sci 19:123–143, 1968). In particular, I argue that if one is interested in the overall goodness of an explanation, an appropriate balance needs to be struck between the weak explanatory power and the complexity of a hypothesis. In light of this, I provide a new defence of a strong measure proposed by Good by providing new derivations of it, comparing it with other measures and exploring its connection with information, confirmation and explanatory virtues. Furthermore, Good really presented a family of strong measures, whereas I draw on a complexity criterion that favours a specific measure and hence provides a more precise way to quantify explanatory goodness.
RNA virus discoveries in the electric ant, Wasmannia auropunctata
Authors: Valles Steven M. , Zhao Chaoyang , Rivers Adam R. , Iwata Ryo L. , Oi David H. , Cha Dong H. , Collignon R. Max , Cox Nastassja A. , Morton Gary J. , Calcaterra Luis A.
Published: February 2023

Despite being one of the most destructive invasive species of ants, only two natural enemies are known currently for Wasmannia auropunctata, commonly known as the electric ant or little fire ant. Because viruses can be effective biological control agents against many insect pests, including ants, a metagenomics/next-generation sequencing approach was used to facilitate discovery of virus sequences from the transcriptomes of W. auropunctata. Five new and complete positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus genomes, and one new negative sense, single-stranded RNA virus genome were identified, sequenced, and characterized from W. auropunctata collected in Argentina by this approach, including a dicistrovirus (Electric ant dicistrovirus), two polycipiviruses (Electric ant polycipivirus 1; Electric ant polycipivirus 2), a solinvivirus (Electric ant solinvivirus), a divergent genome with similarity to an unclassified group in the Picornavirales (Electric ant virus 1), and a rhabdovirus (Electric ant rhabdovirus). An additional virus genome was detected that is likely Solenopsis invicta virus 10 (MH727527). The virus genome sequences were absent from the transcriptomes of W. auropunctata collected in the USA (Hawaii and Florida). Additional limited field surveys corroborated the absence of these viruses in regions where the electric ant is invasive (the USA and Australia). The replicative genome strand of four of the viruses (Electric ant polycipivirus 2, Electric ant solinvivirus, Electric ant virus 1, and Solenopsis invicta virus 10 (in the electric ant) was detected in Argentinean-collected W. auropunctata indicating that the ant is a host for these viruses. These are the first virus discoveries to be made from W. auropunctata.
Climate Change in the Mediterranean Basin (Part II): A Review of Challenges and Uncertainties in Climate Change Modeling and Impact Analyses
Authors: Noto L. V. , Cipolla G. , Pumo D. , Francipane A.
Published: February 2023

The Mediterranean basin is particularly prone to climate change and vulnerable to its impacts. One of the most relevant consequences of climate change, especially for the southern Mediterranean regions, is certainly water scarcity as result of a reduction of surface runoff and groundwater levels. Despite the progress achieved in recent years in the field of climate change and its impact on water resources, results and outcomes should be treated with due caution since any future climate projection and derived implications are inevitably affected by a certain degree of uncertainty arising from each different stage of the entire modeling chain. This work offers a comprehensive overview of recent works on climate change in the Mediterranean basin, mainly focusing on the last ten years of research. Past and future trends on different components of the hydrological balance are discussed in a companion paper (Noto et al. 2022), while the present paper focuses on the problem of water availability and water scarcity. In addition, the work aims to discuss the most relevant sources of uncertainty related to climate change with the aim to gain awareness of climate change impact studies interpretation and reliability.
Evaluation of the correlation between multiple organ calcification on CT and disease severity in patients with TAFRO syndrome
Authors: Kano Rui , Igarashi Takao , Kikuchi Ryo , Ojiri Hiroya , Katsube Atsushi , Yano Shingo
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of multiple organ calcification and the correlation between multiple organ calcification and clinical severity in patients with thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever, reticulin fibrosis, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly (TAFRO) syndrome.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 13 patients with TAFRO syndrome who were treated at our hospital between February 2019 and March 2021. Computed tomography (CT) images of TAFRO patients, which were acquired at admission and one month after admission, were evaluated. Additionally, clinical and laboratory data related to organ calcification and severity classification of TAFRO syndrome were investigated. The correlation between the presence of organ calcification on CT and TAFRO syndrome-severity classification was evaluated.

Results

One month after admission, calcification of the myocardium, adrenal glands, gallbladder wall, pancreas, kidney, skeletal muscle, and skin were observed in 38%, 46%, 15%, 15%, 15%, 23%, and 15% of the thirteen patients, respectively. The occurrence rate of calcifications in the myocardium, adrenal glands, and skeletal muscle was significantly higher in patients with a grade 4 or higher clinical severity than in those with a level up to grade 3 (p = 0.001, p = 0.005, and p = 0.035, respectively).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the higher the clinical severity in patients with TAFRO syndrome, the higher is the frequency of calcification in the myocardium, adrenal glands, and skeletal muscle; therefore, the assessment of these organ calcifications on CT images may be useful in predicting the severity of TAFRO syndrome.