bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Haptic stimulation during the viewing of a film: an EEG-based study
Authors: Cerdán-Martínez Víctor , García-López Álvaro , Revuelta-Sanz Pablo , Ortiz Tomás , Vergaz Ricardo
Published: January 2024

Recent psychology and neuroscience studies have used tactile stimuli in patients, concluding after their experiments that touch is a sense tightly linked to emotions. In parallel, a new way of seeing films, 4D cinema, has added new stimuli to the traditional audiovisual via, including the tactile vibration. In this work, we have studied the brain activity of audience while viewing a scene filmed and directed by us and with an emotional content, under two different conditions: 1) image + sound, 2) image + sound + vibro-tactile stimulation. We have designed a glove where pulse trains are generated in coin motors at specific moments and recorded 35 viewers’ electroencephalograms (EEGs) to evaluate the impact of the vibro-tactile stimulation during the film projection. Hotelling’s T-squared results show higher brain intensity if the tactile stimulus is received during the viewing than if no tactile stimulus is injected. Condition 1 participants showed activation in left and right orbitofrontal areas, whereas Condition 2 they also showed activities in right superior frontal and right-medial frontal areas. We conclude that the addition of vibrotactile stimulus increases the brain activity in areas linked with attentional processes, while producing a higher intensity in those related to emotional processes.
A rolling bearing fault diagnosis technique based on fined-grained multi-scale symbolic entropy and whale optimization algorithm-MSVM
Authors: wang Bing , qiu Wentao , Hu Xiong , Wang Wei
Published: January 2024

As a critical and fragile rotary supporting component in mechanical equipment, fault diagnosis of rolling bearing has been a hot issue. A rolling bearing fault diagnosis technique based on fined-grained multi-scale symbolic entropy and whale optimization algorithm-multiclass support vector machine (abbreviated as FGMSE-WOA-MSVM) is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the vibration signals are decomposed with fine-grained multi-scale decomposition, and the symbolic entropy of the sub-signals at different analysis scales are extracted and constructed as the multi-dimension fault feature vector. In order to address the problem of sensitive parameters for MSVM model, whale optimization algorithm (abbreviated as WOA) is introduced to optimize the penalty factor and kernel function parameters to construct the optimal WOA-MSVM model. Finally, Instance analysis is carried out with bearing fault dataset from Jiangnan University to verify the parameters influence and the effectiveness on the unbalanced sample set. The results show that compared with different feature vector inputs and learning models such as k-Nearest Neighbor (abbreviated as KNN), Decision Tree (abbreviated as DT), Random Forest (RF), etc., the proposed technique can achieve an accuracy rate of 99.33%, besides, the computation speed is fast and the diagnosis efficiency is high which means its potential value for engineering application.
Optical quantum conformable normalized and recursional model in Minkowski space
Authors: Körpinar Talat , Körpinar Zeliha , Özdemir Hatice
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we construct electromagnetic conformable timelike particles with Bishop model in Minkowski space. Also, we obtain conformable derivatives of $$\Gamma \left( {\textbf{t}}\right) $$

Γ

t

, $$\Gamma \left( {\textbf{m}}_{1}\right) $$

Γ

m
1

, $$\Gamma \left( {\textbf{m}}_{2}\right) $$

Γ

m
2

Lorentz forces. Then, we compute normalizing and recursion operators of magnetic vector fields according to Bishop model. Finally, we determine F–W conformable derivatives for normalizing and recursional operators.
Highly sensitive temperature sensor based on nematic liquid crystal channel waveguide on silicon
Authors: Abd-Elkader Ahmed El-Sayed , Hameed Mohamed Farhat O. , Obayya Salah S. A. , Younis B. M.
Published: January 2024

This paper presents a highly sensitive hybrid plasmonic liquid crystal channel-based temperature sensor. The proposed structure has V-groove waveguide channel infiltrated with nematic liquid crystal (NLC) material of type E7 and coated by a gold (Au) layer to excite the surface plasmon resonance at the metal/dielectric interface. The NLC refractive indices depend on the temperature which affects the resonance wavelength where coupling occurs between the core and surface plasmon modes. The full vectorial finite element method is employed to evaluate the sensing performance of the reported sensor. The numerical results show that the suggested sensor can achieve an average temperature sensitivity of 24.5 nm/°C over a temperature range from 15 to 40 °C. The obtained wavelength sensitivity is higher than those of most similar temperature sensors based on silica-silicon or silicon-on-insulator technology in literature. In addition, the average amplitude sensitivity and figure of merit of the presented sensor are 0.135 °C− 1 and 0.43 °C− 1, respectively. Moreover, the introduced structure is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor compatible with simple design and good fabrication tolerance of ± 5% where the temperature sensitivity is better than 23 nm/°C.
Spectroscopic, Hartree–Fock and DFT study of the molecular structure and electronic properties of functionalized chitosan and chitosan-graphene oxide for electronic applications
Authors: Elhaes Hanan , Ezzat Hend A. , Ibrahim Asmaa , Samir Mona , Refaat Ahmed , Ibrahim Medhat A.
Published: January 2024

Chitosan is a natural biopolymer that is classified among the most important biodegradable polysaccharides widely used in different environmental and industrial applications, such as tissue engineering, biomedical devices, electronics and supercapacitors, water filtration, and food packaging. Theoretical infrared spectra of chitosan were computed using both Hartree–Fock (HF) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods, with different basis sets, including 3-21g, 6-31g, 6-311g, LANL2DZ, and LANL2MB, to identify the ideal basis set that is closest to the experimental results. DFT:B3LYP/3-21g** was the best model for chitosan and was used to investigate its functionalization with various functional groups such as (OH, NH2, COOH, CH3, CHO, CN, SH) and graphene oxide (GO). Molecular electrostatic potential, total dipole moment, and HOMO–LUMO band gap (∆E) calculations indicated that Chitosan-GO is the most reactive and stable structure, with a ∆E of 0.3023 eV. Consequently, Chitosan–GO composite was prepared and analyzed using ATR–FTIR spectroscopy. The spectra revealed a new band at 1620 cm−1, which was attributed to the COOH group of GO and was red-shifted owing to the hydrogen bonding between the GO and NH2 of chitosan, confirming the synthesis of Chitosan–GO composite. The significant improvement in the electronic properties of Chitosan-GO based on the obtained results promotes it to be used in electronic applications such as the development of electrodes for supercapacitors.
Optical and physical characteristics of chitosan/silver vanadate nanocomposites
Authors: Ibrahim Hagar H. , Abdelghany A. M. , Gaber Mohamed H. , Ali Said A.
Published: January 2024

Chitosan/AgVO3 nanocomposite thin films were synthesized via solution casting method using water as solvent. Silver vanadate (AgVO3) nanoparticles were prepared separately using a chemical precipitation technique. The structure and properties of the nanocomposite films were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), swelling ratio tests, and antimicrobial assays. FTIR analysis confirmed the interaction between the amide I group of chitosan and AgVO3 nanoparticles. Increasing AgVO3 content resulted in decreased optical bandgap of the nanocomposite films. XRD patterns showed the amorphous nature of the nanocomposites. SEM images revealed evenly distributed AgVO3 nanoparticles within the chitosan matrix. The swelling ratio decreased with higher AgVO3 loading, suggesting improved hydrolytic stability. The nanocomposite films demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as Candida fungus. The tunable optical properties, swelling behavior, and antibacterial effects spotlight the potential of chitosan/AgVO3 nanocomposites for versatile biomedical applications.
Exact solutions of Shynaray-IIA equation (S-IIAE) using the improved modified Sardar sub-equation method
Authors: Khan Muhammad Ishfaq , Marwat Dil Nawaz Khan , Sabi’u Jamilu , Inc Mustafa
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we present an innovative approach to acquire the exact solutions of the Shynaray-IIA equations (S-IIAE), by using the improved modified Sardar sub-equation method (IMSSEM). The S-IIAE are nonlinear and coupled partial differential equations that arise in various fields of physics and engineering such as optical fibers and ferromagnetic materials. The IMSSEM is applied to S-IIAE; we successfully derived exact solutions that accurately described the wave propagation behavior of the system under consideration. The obtained solutions include rational, trigonometric, and trigonometric hyperbolic function solutions. The obtained solutions are concise and offer a deeper insight into the dynamics and characteristics of the S-IIAE. Moreover, some of the new solutions to S-IIAE are plotted in different dimensions through which bright, anti-kink and bright solitary wave structures are established. The results of the study also indicated that the proposed method is a valuable approach for achieving analytical solutions to a wide range of nonlinear partial differential equations.
A new SOI sensor design for detecting cancer using hybrid waveguide with higher sensitivity than both strip and slot waveguides
Authors: Shawky Sherine , El-Malek Ahmed H. Abd , Allam Ahmed , Shalaby Hossam M. H.
Published: January 2024

A new highly accurate optical biomedical sensor is proposed for cancer detection characterized by high sensitivity, small footprint, low cost, and low limit of detection. The sensor is based on double-ring resonators made of silicon on insulator. The type of the waveguide is critical in determining the sensor performance. To compromise the advantages and disadvantages of strip and slot waveguides, a mixed design of both has been introduced in literature at the expense of increased footprint compared to traditional sensors. Indeed, almost 27-fold footprint increase is required to improve the sensitivity by only one third of that of slot waveguide’s sensitivity. In this paper, we introduce a new design that keeps the same footprint of traditional sensors, while achieving high sensitivity. This sensitivity depends on the resonance wavelength shift due to different refractive indices of the biosample. It has the value 109.8 nm/RIU compared to 55.57  nm/RIU and 129.621 nm/RIU for strip and slot waveguides, respectively. The hybrid waveguide quality factor is 537.7 while the quality factors of the strip and the slot waveguides are 627.99 and 380.76, respectively. In addition, the new design achieves the minimum limit of detection (0.0255) when compared to that of traditional designs. Furthermore, a new method of detection is proposed with the same design, providing a higher sensitivity over both traditional waveguide types with a value of 15.3, compared to 13.2 and 11.5 for strip and slot waveguides, respectively. In this method, the sensitivity relies on various values of output transmitted light at the same wavelength due to altering the biocell refractive index. The biosensor output equation is developed. In addition, the relationship between the supermodes and the sensitivity is determined at variance conditions. It is found that there is an inverse relation between them.
Optical wave propagation phase for mKdV spherical electric flux density in sphere space
Authors: Körpinar Talat , Şevgİn Fatih , Körpinar Zeliha
Published: January 2024

In this article, we illustrate surface flow $$alfa-$$

a
l
f
a
-

microfluidical mKdV spherical electromotive phase in sphere space. Also, we obtain antiferromagnetic axially electrical $$alfa-$$

a
l
f
a
-

microfluidical mKdV electric flux path circuit. We have electrical $$alfa-$$

a
l
f
a
-

microfluidical geometrical mKdV free surface flow density in sphere space. Finally, we design antiferromagnetic wave propagation for $$alfa-$$

a
l
f
a
-

microfluidical geometric mKdV surface flux density.
Investigation of the structural and optical properties of Sb2S3/PVA/PVP nanocomposites blended sheets for optoelectronic applications
Authors: Farrage N. M. , Teleb Nahed H. , Abd El-Ghany W. A.
Published: January 2024

Sb2S3 chalcogenide Nanopowder was prepared at low temperatures using the chemical co-precipitation method. PVA/PVP polymeric sheets have been prepared with a constant ratio of 2:1 as a host matrix to incorporate Sb2S3 NPS with a ratio of 0, 1, 3, and 5 wt% via solution casting technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern revealed that the prepared Sb2S3 powder belongs to an orthorhombic crystalline structure as a major phase, with a crystal size of 24 nm. The microstructure of the powder as well as 5 wt% Sb2S3/PVA/PVP was investigated using the transmission electron microscope. The Fourier transform infrared spectra of the prepared sheets revealed the success of the interaction between the filler Sb2S3 material with the PVA/PVP as a polymer host matrix. The transmission and reflection spectra of the polymeric Sb2S3 /PVA/PVP sheets measured in the wavelength range 200–2500 nm have been used to calculate the optical band gap energy and refractive index as a function in the Sb2S3 wt%. The Tauc model and the absorption spectrum fitting model were employed to accurately determine the variation of the optical band gap value with Sb2S3 filler percent. Wemple-DiDomenico single-oscillator and Spitzer-Fan, models were applied to analyze the refractive index as a function of the Sb2S3 filling wt%, whereby the dispersion parameters, $${E}_{d},{E}_{o}$$

E
d

,

E
o

as well as the optical high-frequency dielectric constant, $${\varepsilon }_{L}$$

ε
L

carrier concentration to the effective mass ratio, $$N/{m}^{*}$$

N
/

m

∗

were evaluated. A graphical representation of the optical conductivity was also present. The obtained data indicate the possibility of using the prepared Sb2S3/PVA/PVP nanocomposite sheets for optoelectronic applications and optical devices.
Encapsulated phenolic compounds: clinical efficacy of a novel delivery method
Authors: Ozkan Gulay , Ceyhan Tuğçe , Çatalkaya Gizem , Rajan Logesh , Ullah Hammad , Daglia Maria , Capanoglu Esra
Published: January 2024

Encapsulation is a drug or food ingredient loaded-delivery system that entraps active components, protecting them from decomposition/degradation throughout the processing and storage stages and facilitates their delivery to the target tissue/organ, improving their bioactivities. The application of this technology is expanding gradually from pharmaceuticals to the food industry, since dietary bioactive ingredients, including polyphenols, are susceptible to environmental and/or gastrointestinal conditions. Polyphenols are the largest group of plants' secondary metabolites, with a wide range of biological effects. Literature data have indicated their potential in the prevention of several disorders and pathologies, ranging from simpler allergic conditions to more complex metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the promising health effects in preclinical studies, the clinical use of dietary polyphenols is still very limited due to their low bioaccessibility and/or bioavailability. Encapsulation can be successfully employed in the development of polyphenol-based functional foods, which may improve their bioaccessibility and/or bioavailability. Moreover, encapsulation can also aid in the targeted delivery of polyphenols and may prevent any possible adverse events. For the encapsulation of bioactive ingredients, several techniques are applied such as emulsion phase separation, emulsification/internal gelation, film formation, spray drying, spray-bed-drying, fluid-bed coating, spray-chilling, spray-cooling, and melt injection. The present review aims to throw light on the existing literature highlighting the possibility and clinical benefits of encapsulated polyphenols in health and disease. However, the clinical data is still very scarce and randomized clinical trials are needed before any conclusion is drawn.

Graphical abstract
Top–down disaggregation of life expectancy up to municipal areas, using linear self-regressive spatial models
Authors: Basile Vincenzo , Cervellera Stefano , Cusatelli Carlo , Giacalone Massimiliano
Published: January 2024

The paper aims to analyse a statistical procedure for the definition of territorial indicators, such as the biometric function of life expectancy of citizens of a territory e0, applying a methodology of Top–Down spatial disaggregation, using census data from 2011 in Italy. Through spatial regressions with the methodology proposed in 1971 by Chow and Lin with the use of ISTAT elaborations of annual mortality tables, which are structured from the national level to the regional level, up to the smallest details of the main level, as a dependent variable and predictors a number k of census variables plus accidents in regression models, life expectancy can also be defined at municipal levels (not elaborated by ISTAT) and even at sub-municipal levels (Census Area). The structure of the 2011 census was characterized by 152 variables, collected with CAPI and universal CAWI survey on all the survey units, throughout the national territory, divided into administrative areas of competence and 402,677 more granular areas in census sections. This structure represents a very relevant and useful information asset for applying a spatial disaggregation of indicators, based on three fundamental assumptions:

Structural similarity, whereby the aggregate model and the disaggregate model are structurally similar, i.e., the relationships between the variables are valid both at the aggregate (Top) and at the disaggregate (Down) level, with the consequence that the regression parameters are the same in the two models.

Error similarity: for spatially correlated errors they present the same structure at both aggregate (Top) and disaggregate (Down) levels, significantly testing for zero spatial correlation;

Reliable indicators: the variables in the regression models are efficient predictors at both aggregates (Top) and disaggregate (Down) levels, estimable from model efficiency tests.

As we see in the following, compared to others, the best predictors of the census and income variables show us a good interaction in terms of active regressors on the estimation variable.
Biogeography of Beringian fishes after the molecular revolution and into the post-genomics era
Authors: Campbell Matthew A. , Brown Randy J. , Fraley Kevin M. , Politov Dmitry V. , López J. Andrés , Robards Martin D.
Published: January 2024

Significant progress in our knowledge of Beringian biodiversity and in the technologies available for biodiversity research has been made in the several decades since a comprehensive biogeographic synthesis of Beringian freshwater fishes was compiled and published in 1986. Further, the fish fauna of Beringia and, more broadly, of high latitude freshwater systems of the northern hemisphere face some of the most intense well documented effects of global climate change. Here we synthesize current understanding of how the dynamic spatial and ecological landscapes of Pleistocene glaciations have shaped the distribution of taxonomic and genetic diversity in fish faunas of Beringia. Through a more complete integration of knowledge obtained in studies of fishes in Russian drainages, we aimed to identify promising strategies to test alternative biogeographic hypotheses on the roles played by the Bering land bridge, paleorivers and glacial history in intercontinental faunal movement. We focus on freshwater fishes of the Bering Strait region, which live in an environment that is premised on extreme instability and profound changes in long-term connectivity for fishes and offers opportunities to assess long-term evolutionary trends in both speciation and life history variation. Such information is critical for both our scientific understanding of evolutionary processes in fishes and valuable for those tasked with the challenges of management and conservation of natural resources in this expansive, dynamic and remote region. We provide an overview of Beringian freshwater ichthyofauna and examine genetic differentiation among population units within these lineages. We also examine evidence for how long population units have been separated based on historic glacially-related separations and the more recent marine barrier of the Bering Strait that constrains freshwater or diadromous species based on their ability to disperse in salt water. Our review concludes on how Arctic and sub-Arctic fishes may adapt and persist in their dynamic environment considering low genetic diversity, the role of adaptive introgression, and epigenetic variation. We find that Beringian fishes may poorly fit traditional taxonomic categories and the designation of conservation units below the species level may be of great practical application. Furthermore, as hybridization is documented to increase in the Arctic, the use of this process for ecological monitoring may also be of high utility with Beringian fishes.
Makerspaces: Building Confidence in STEM for Primary Preservice Teachers
Authors: Halliburton Peta , Georgiou Helen , Nielsen Wendy
Published: January 2024

‘Design and Technology’ has been propelled into the spotlight with the popularity of the idea of ‘STEM’. So much so that it is now common for primary schools to have ‘STEM classrooms’ or makerspaces. Whilst there has been an increasing exploration of the use of makerspaces, there has been limited research on the impacts, particularly with pre-service teachers (PST), who are known to lack confidence in STEM-related subjects. Therefore, in this research, we explore how different aspects of makerspaces may influence PST confidence. Participating PST worked in small groups in the Uni Makerspace to design a product as part of a formal university assessment in a primary education Science subject. The case study design includes four groups of PST and data from interviews, observations and artefacts. Results outline confidence development amongst PST with several key Makerspace influences identified, including the importance of learning to use sophisticated equipment and the key role played by the Makerspace facilitators. Implications for Makerspaces and STEM education are discussed, including the potential to leverage the ‘novelty effect’ of Makerspaces, and the need to offer extensive support, particularly in the early stages of engagement.
Effective treatment of sarcoptic mange in an alpaca (Vicugna pacos) using fluralaner: a case report
Authors: Sala Giulia , Gazzonis Alessia Libera , Pravettoni Davide , Cafiso Alessandra , Grilli Guido , Ferrulli Vincenzo , Boccardo Antonio , Di Cesare Federica , Pavesi Laura Filippone , Zanzani Sergio
Published: January 2024

South American Camelids, including alpacas, have gained popularity in Europe as pets and prized wool sources. Skin health concerns, particularly mite infestations, have emerged as a notable problem in these animals. Sarcoptic mange can lead to severe itching, papules, and chronic symptoms such as alopecia, crusts, and emaciation if left untreated. This case report documents a 2-year-old female alpaca suffering from sarcoptic mange. Despite initial treatment with ivermectin, its condition worsened, leading to severe weight loss, abortion, and a continued presence of mites. Considering the lack of effective treatments for sarcoptic mange in alpacas and the unavailability of registered drugs for this species in Italy, fluralaner, a drug previously used in other animal species, has been administered orally at a dosage of 5 mg/kg. Within a week after the treatment with fluralaner, the patient exhibited significant improvement, including the resolution of itching, healing of skin lesions, and an increase in appetite. Follow-up skin scrapings confirmed the absence of mites, and the patient’s condition continued to improve. Fluralaner demonstrated to be a highly effective and fast-acting treatment for sarcoptic mange in alpacas, offering potential economic benefits attributed to its single-dose administration.
Modelling, Simulation, and Performance Analysis of Intra-Vehicular Heterogeneous Networks
Authors: Funes Guillermo , Siller Mario , Horta Jorge
Published: January 2024

Vehicles today use a variety of network segments operated by different technologies and protocols within the car (CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, MOST, FlexRay, etc.) to exchange data between different control modules, sensors, and actuators. The exchange of information between other network domains (heterogeneous networks) is enabled through various interconnection points called gateways/bridges. The resulting performance depends on its interconnection structure, network segment traffic aggregation scheme, and medium access technique. Although protocols such as CAN, LIN, FlexRay, and Ethernet have been used in network design for some time, performance modeling and analysis are still needed given the variety of traffic types and sources, new application limitations, and especially the lack of formal verification of network performance for different network scenarios and configurations. This paper presents an end-to-end throughput and delay performance analysis for a reference intra-vehicular network scenario. These models have been validated through simulations in which high correlation values were obtained from 98.7400 to 99.9999, with a low mean square error. The validation cases show that for different LIN, CAN, and Ethernet network configurations, the performance threshold values defined for most current vehicle applications are preserved. However, if the network configuration is modified, the proposed analytical models can be used to formally verify the corresponding performance and delay changes and thus validate whether or not the application requirements are met.
Determination of pollutants, antibiotics, and drugs in surface water in Italy as required by the third EU Water Framework Directive Watch List: method development, validation, and assessment
Authors: Colzani Luisa , Forni Carola , Clerici Laura , Barreca Salvatore , Dellavedova Pierluisa
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we report a study concerning the quantification of new emerging pollutants in water as a request from the third European Watch List mechanism. The EU Watch List compound was investigated by an internal method that was validated in terms of detection limits, linearities, accuracy, and precision in accordance with quality assurance criteria, and it was used to monitor several rivers from 11 Italian regions. The methodology developed was satisfactorily validated from 5 to 500 ng L−1 for the emerging pollutants studied, and it was applied to different river waters sampled in Italy, revealing the presence of drugs and antibiotics. Rivers were monitored for 2 years by two different campaigns conducted in 2021 and 2022. A total of 19 emerging pollutants were investigated on 45 samples. The most detected analytes were O-desmethylvenlafaxine and venlafaxine. About azole compounds, sulfamethoxazole, fluconazole, and Miconazole were found. About antibiotics, ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin were found in three and one samples, respectively. Moreover, statistical analyses have found a significant correlation between O-desmethylvenlafaxine with venlafaxine, sulfamethoxazole with venlafaxine, and fluconazole with venlafaxine.
Valorization of plant by-products in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles with antimicrobial and catalytic properties
Authors: Rocha Verónica , Ferreira-Santos Pedro , Aguiar Cristina , Neves Isabel C. , Tavares Teresa
Published: January 2024

Biosynthesis based on natural compounds has emerged as a sustainable approach for the production of metallic nanoparticles (MNP). The main objective of this study was to biosynthesize stable and multifunctional silver nanoparticles (AgNP) using different plant by-products as reducers and capping agents. Extracts obtained from Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus pinaster, Citrus sinensis, Cedrus atlantica and Camellia sinensis by-products, were evaluated. From all plant by-products tested, aqueous extract of eucalyptus leaves (EL), green tea (GT) and black tea (BT) were selected due to their higher antioxidant phenolic content and were individually employed as reducers and capping agents to biosynthesize AgNP. The green AgNP showed zeta potential values of -31.8 to -36.3 mV, with a wide range of particle sizes (40.6 to 86.4 nm), depending on the plant extract used. Green AgNP exhibited an inhibitory effect against various pathogenic bacteria, including Gram-negative (P. putida, E. coli, Vibrio spp.) and Gram-positive (B. megaterium, S. aureus, S. equisimilis) bacteria with EL-AgNP being the nanostructure with the greatest antimicrobial action. EL-AgNP showed an excellent photodegradation of indigo carmine (IC) dye under direct sunlight, with a removal percentage of up to 100% after 75 min. A complete cost analysis revealed a competitive total cost range of 8.0–9.0 €/g for the biosynthesis of AgNP.

Graphical Abstract
Attribution of Global Warming Potential impacts in a multifunctional metals industry system using different system expansion and allocation methodologies
Authors: Fernandez Marta Cruz , Grund Sabina , Phillips Chris , Fradet Jeanne , Hage Johannes , Silk Nick , Zeilstra Christiaan , Barnes Chris , Hodgson Pete , McKechnie Jon
Published: January 2024

Purpose

In order to reach a more circular economy, materials previously classified as waste can be upgraded and turned into valuable co-products, with associated environmental benefits. The generation of co-products raises many questions around the multifunctionality issue from a life cycle perspective. This article explores the attribution of Global Warming Potential (GWP) impacts for an ironmaking process, HIsarna, which additionally produces two co-products: zinc-rich process dust and slag, suitable for the zinc and cement sectors, respectively.

Methods

A wide range of LCA allocation methodologies are applied to attribute impacts between the main product, hot metal, and the two co-products. These include system expansion, physical allocation, economic allocation and zero burden allocation. Each method attributes a different GWP to each co-product. Additionally, different perspectives are explored to consider the most suitable methods according to the co-product user and the co-product producer. For instance, it might be in the co-product user’s interest that the co-product GWP was minimised, and lower than other material inputs performing a similar function. Conversely, the co-product producer may be incentivised to lower its primary product’s GWP by attributing the greatest possible burden to the co-products.

Results and discussion

The GWP impacts for zinc-rich process dust range from 0 to 3.71 kg CO2 eq. per kg. At the higher end, the GWP of zinc-rich dust would be higher than that of primary zinc concentrate. A similarly wide range is applicable for slag, 0 to 1.27 kg CO2 eq. per kg. This impacts the final GWP applied to HIsarna hot metal, which has an initial GWP of 1.72 kg CO2 eq. per kg but could decrease to 1.17 kg CO2 eq. per kg depending on the allocation methods employed. This would be a substantial reduction of over 30%, larger than many decarbonisation options that are predicted to provide. This scenario would also heavily burden the co-products and could be in conflict with interests of a co-product user seeking to utilise low emissions feedstocks as part of a decarbonisation strategy.

Conclusions

The reduction in GWP impact attributed to hot metal with the different approaches highlights the relevance of harmonizing the allocation methods used for co-products. The appropriateness of each of the approaches for attributing GWP impacts has been explored, offering insights as to how the benefits of such systems could be assessed and attributed in the future as circularity strategies and valuable co-products become more prevalent.
Obstructive sleep apnea detection during wakefulness: a comprehensive methodological review
Authors: Alqudah Ali Mohammad , Elwali Ahmed , Kupiak Brendan , Hajipour Farahnaz , Jacobson Natasha , Moussavi Zahra
Published: January 2024

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition affecting up to 1 billion people, globally. Despite this spread, OSA is still thought to be underdiagnosed. Lack of diagnosis is largely attributed to the high cost, resource-intensive, and time-consuming nature of existing diagnostic technologies during sleep. As individuals with OSA do not show many symptoms other than daytime sleepiness, predicting OSA while the individual is awake (wakefulness) is quite challenging. However, research especially in the last decade has shown promising results for quick and accurate methodologies to predict OSA during wakefulness. Furthermore, advances in machine learning algorithms offer new ways to analyze the measured data with more precision. With a widening research outlook, the present review compares methodologies for OSA screening during wakefulness, and recommendations are made for avenues of future research and study designs.

Graphical abstract
Diagnosis of skull-base invasion by nasopharyngeal tumors on CT with a deep-learning approach
Authors: Nakagawa Junichi , Fujima Noriyuki , Hirata Kenji , Harada Taisuke , Wakabayashi Naoto , Takano Yuki , Homma Akihiro , Kano Satoshi , Minowa Kazuyuki , Kudo Kohsuke
Published: January 2024

Purpose

To develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to diagnose skull-base invasion by nasopharyngeal malignancies in CT images and evaluate the model’s diagnostic performance.

Materials and methods

We divided 100 malignant nasopharyngeal tumor lesions into a training (n = 70) and a test (n = 30) dataset. Two head/neck radiologists reviewed CT and MRI images and determined the positive/negative skull-base invasion status of each case (training dataset: 29 invasion-positive and 41 invasion-negative; test dataset: 13 invasion-positive and 17 invasion-negative). Preprocessing involved extracting continuous slices of the nasopharynx and clivus. The preprocessed training dataset was used for transfer learning with Residual Neural Networks 50 to create a diagnostic CNN model, which was then tested on the preprocessed test dataset to determine the invasion status and model performance. Original CT images from the test dataset were reviewed by a radiologist with extensive head/neck imaging experience (senior reader: SR) and another less-experienced radiologist (junior reader: JR). Gradient-weighted class activation maps (Grad-CAMs) were created to visualize the explainability of the invasion status classification.

Results

The CNN model’s diagnostic accuracy was 0.973, significantly higher than those of the two radiologists (SR: 0.838; JR: 0.595). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis gave an area under the curve of 0.953 for the CNN model (versus 0.832 and 0.617 for SR and JR; both p < 0.05). The Grad-CAMs suggested that the invasion-negative cases were present predominantly in bone marrow, while the invasion-positive cases exhibited osteosclerosis and nasopharyngeal masses.

Conclusions

This CNN technique would be useful for CT-based diagnosis of skull-base invasion by nasopharyngeal malignancies.
Conception and prospective multicentric validation of a Robotic Surgery Training Curriculum (RoSTraC) for surgical residents: from simulation via laboratory training to integration into the operation room
Authors: Thomaschewski Michael , Kist Markus , Zimmermann Markus , Benecke Claudia , Kalff Jörg C. , Krüger Colin M. , Mann Benno , Türler Andreas , Keck Tobias , Hummel Richard
Published: January 2024

There is a lack of training curricula and educational concepts for robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). It remains unclear how surgical residents can be trained in this new technology and how robotics can be integrated into surgical residency training. The conception of a training curriculum for RAS addressing surgical residents resulted in a three-step training curriculum including multimodal learning contents: basics and simulation training of RAS (step 1), laboratory training on the institutional robotic system (step 2) and structured on-patient training in the operating room (step 3). For all three steps, learning content and video tutorials are provided via cloud-based access to allow self-contained training of the trainees. A prospective multicentric validation study was conducted including seven surgical residents. Transferability of acquired skills to a RAS procedure were analyzed using the GEARS score. All participants successfully completed RoSTraC within 1 year. Transferability of acquired RAS skills could be demonstrated using a RAS gastroenterostomy on a synthetic biological organ model. GEARS scores concerning this procedure improved significantly after completion of RoSTraC (17.1 (±5.8) vs. 23.1 (±4.9), p < 0.001). In step 3 of RoSTraC, all participants performed a median of 12 (range 5–21) RAS procedures on the console in the operation room. RoSTraC provides a highly standardized and comprehensive training curriculum for RAS for surgical residents. We could demonstrate that participating surgical residents acquired fundamental and advanced RAS skills. Finally, we could confirm that all surgical residents were successfully and safely embedded into the local RAS team.
What do nurses experience in communication when assisting in robotic surgery: an integrative literature review
Authors: Lee Lian , Greenway Kathleen , Schutz Sue
Published: January 2024

Background

Communication in surgery is integral to the fundamentals of perioperative nursing practice and
patient safety. Research exploring team communication in robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) is evident in the literature
but little attention has been focused on how the experiences of operating room nurses' communication affect safety,
practice and patient care outcomes.

Objective

To synthesise current evidence regarding communication during robotic-assisted surgery as
experienced by registered nurses.

Design

An integrative literature review informed by Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) methodology was used to
conduct a rigorous analysis and synthesis of evidence.

Methods

A comprehensive database search was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. CINAHL, Pubmed,
PsychINFO and British Nursing Web of Science databases were searched using a Boolean strategy.

Results

Twenty-five relevant papers were included in this literature review. Thematic analysis revealed two main
themes with four related subthemes. The two main themes are: ‘Adaptive operating room nursing in RAS’ and ‘RAS
alters team dynamics’. The four subthemes are: ‘Navigating disruptions in RAS’, ‘RAS heightens interdependence
on team working’, ‘Augmented communicative workflow in RAS’, and ‘Professional empowerment to speak up’.

Conclusions

This integrative review identifies how current research largely focuses on communication in the
wider OR team. However, current evidence lacks the input of nurses. Therefore, further evidence is needed to
explore nurses' experiences to highlight their perspectives.

Clinical Relevance

Robotics significantly benefit patients, and this review identifies different challenges that
robotic-assisted surgery nurses encounter. A better understanding of the communication from the perspective of
nurses is needed to guide future research, practice education, policy development and leadership/management.
Associations Between Personality and Mental Health Among Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets
Authors: Andrews Katie L. , Jamshidi Laleh , Nisbet Jolan , Afifi Tracie O. , Sauer-Zavala Shannon , Kratzig Gregory P. , Teckchandani Taylor A. , Neary J. Patrick , Carleton R. Nicholas
Published: January 2024

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) report frequent exposures to diverse potentially psychological traumatic events (PPTEs) that can lead to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders. Personality traits may partially inform the substantial mental health challenges reported by serving RCMP. The current study examines associations between HEXACO personality factor and facet-level dimensions and mental health disorders of RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP). RCMP cadets (n = 772) starting the CTP self-reported sociodemographics, personality, and mental health disorder symptoms. Emotionality was associated with MDD, GAD, and SAD (AORs ranged from 6.23 to 10.22). Extraversion and Agreeableness were inversely associated with MDD, GAD, and SAD (AORs ranged from 0.0159 to 0.43), whereas Openness to Experience was inversely associated with SAD (AOR = 0.36). Several facet-level personality dimensions were associated with mental health disorders. Inconsistent differences were observed between men and women for relationships between personality factors, facets, and positive screenings for mental disorders. The relationship patterns allude to possible risk and resilience factors associated with personality factors and facets. Early training, interventions, and resources tailored to cadet personality factors and facets might reduce risk and bolster mental health resilience.
Circular RNA-Mediated Regulation of Oral Tissue-Derived Stem Cell Differentiation: Implications for Oral Medicine and Orthodontic Applications
Authors: Suciu Tudor-Sergiu , Feștilă Dana , Berindan-Neagoe Ioana , Nutu Andreea , Armencea Gabriel , Aghiorghiesei Alexandra Iulia , Vulcan Talida , Băciuț Mihaela
Published: January 2024

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of endogenous non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) which unlike linear RNAs, have a covalently closed continuous loop structure. circRNAs are found abundantly in human cells and their biology is complex. They feature unique expression to different types of cells, tissues, and developmental stages. To the present, the functional roles of circular RNAs are not fully understood. They reportedly act as microRNA (miRNA) sponges, therefore having key regulatory functions in diverse physiological and pathological processes. As for dentistry field, lines of evidence indicate that circRNAs play vital roles in the odontogenic and osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). Abnormal expression of circRNAs have been found in other areas of pathology frequently reflected also in the oral environment, such as inflammation or bone and soft tissue loss. Therefore, circRNAs could be of significant importance in various fields in dentistry, especially in bone and soft tissue engineering and regeneration. Understanding the molecular mechanisms occurring during the regulation of oral biological and tissue remodeling processes could augment the discovery of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies that will improve orthodontic and other oral therapeutic protocols.

Graphical Abstract
Spatial Transcriptomics in a Case of Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma Reveals Clone-Specific Dysregulation of Genes Regulating Extracellular Matrix in the Invading Front
Authors: Condello Vincenzo , Paulsson Johan O. , Zedenius Jan , Näsman Anders , Juhlin C. Christofer
Published: January 2024

Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is recognized by its ability to invade the tumor capsule and blood vessels, although the exact molecular signals orchestrating this phenotype remain elusive. In this study, the spatial transcriptional landscape of an FTC is detailed with comparisons between the invasive front and histologically indolent central core tumor areas. The Visium spatial gene expression platform allowed us to interrogate and visualize the whole transcriptome in 2D across formalin-fixated paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. Four different 6 × 6 mm areas of an FTC were scrutinized, including regions with capsular and vascular invasion, capsule-near area without invasion, and a central core area of the tumor. Following successful capturing and sequencing, several expressional clusters were identified with regional variation. Most notably, invasive tumor cell clusters were significantly over-expressing genes associated with pathways interacting with the extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Subsets of these genes (POSTN and DPYSL3) were additionally validated using immunohistochemistry in an independent cohort of follicular thyroid tumors showing a clear gradient pattern from the core to the periphery of the tumor. Moreover, the reconstruction of the evolutionary tree identified the invasive clones as late events in follicular thyroid tumorigenesis. To our knowledge, this is one of the first 2D global transcriptional mappings of FTC using this platform to date. Invasive FTC clones develop in a stepwise fashion and display significant dysregulation of genes associated with the ECM and EMT — thus highlighting important molecular crosstalk for further investigations.
Beyond the Big Five factors: using facets and nuances for enhanced prediction in life outcomes
Authors: Nielsen Maiken Due , Kajonius Petri
Published: January 2024

Research on personality traits predicting life outcomes has typically been investigated using the Big Five factors and only occasionally their facets. However, recent research suggests that the use of items (reflecting personality nuances) can account for more predictive variance. The aim of the present study was to examine the predictive validity for various life outcomes comparing the hierarchical levels (factors, facets, and nuances) of the personality trait structure. These were measured using one of the publicly available instruments, IPIP-NEO-120, in a Swedish sample (N = 440). Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were performed to confirm the structures of the Big Five levels, and we used Elastic Net Regressions (ENR; with 10-fold cross-validation and shrinkage parameter), trained and applied for prediction in two separate samples. The results showed that nuances (item-level models) on average provided greater explained variance (34%) than facets (22.5%) and factors (12%) for all six life outcome predictions. Findings suggest that there may be psychometric value to using the lowest item-level of personality trait measurements. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.