bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deep learning-based method for analyzing the optically trapped sperm rotation
Authors: Zhao Jiangcheng , Bai Chuanbiao , Zhang Zhiguo , Zhang Qingchuan
Published: August 2023

Optical tweezers exert a strong trapping force on cells, making it crucial to analyze the movement of trapped cells. The rotation of cells plays a significant role in their swimming patterns, such as in sperm cells. We proposed a fast deep-learning-based method that can automatically determine the projection orientation of ellipsoidal-like cells without additional optical design. This method was utilized for analyzing the planar rotation of trapped sperm cells using an optical tweezer, demonstrating its feasibility in extracting the rotation of the cell head. Furthermore, we employed this method to investigate sperm cell activity by examining variations in sperm rotation rates under different conditions, including temperature and laser output power. Our findings provide evidence for the effectiveness of this method and the rotation analysis method developed may have clinical potential for sperm quality evaluation.
Functional status analysis of RNH1 in bladder cancer for predicting immunotherapy response
Authors: Chen Sen , Ran Jun , Fan Zhouqian , Liu Mingyou , Wu Liang , Li Qiude , Peng Jian , Hu Zuquan
Published: August 2023

Bladder cancer (BLCA) typically has a poor prognosis due to high rates of relapse and metastasis. Although the emergence of immunotherapy brings hope for patients with BLCA, not all patients will benefit from it. Identifying some markers to predict treatment response is particularly important. Here, we aimed to determine the clinical value of the ribonuclease/angiogenin inhibitor 1 (RNH1) in BLCA therapy based on functional status analysis. First, we found that RNH1 is aberrantly expressed in multiple cancers but is associated with prognosis in only a few types of cancer. Next, we determined that low RNH1 expression was significantly associated with enhanced invasion and metastasis of BLCA by assessing the relationship between RNH1 and 17 functional states. Moreover, we identified 95 hub genes associated with invasion and metastasis among RNH1-related genes. Enrichment analysis revealed that these hub genes were also significantly linked with immune activation. Consistently, BLCA can be divided into two molecular subtypes based on these hub genes, and the differentially expressed genes between the two subtypes are also significantly enriched in immune-related pathways. This indicates that the expression of RNH1 is also related to the tumour immune response. Subsequently, we confirmed that RNH1 shapes an inflammatory tumour microenvironment (TME), promotes activation of the immune response cycle steps, and has the potential to predict the immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment response. Finally, we demonstrated that high RNH1 expression was significantly associated with multiple therapeutic signalling pathways and drug targets in BLCA. In conclusion, our study revealed that RNH1 could provide new insights into the invasion of BLCA and predict the immunotherapy response in patients with BLCA.
Classification of mild Parkinson’s disease: data augmentation of time-series gait data obtained via inertial measurement units
Authors: Uchitomi Hirotaka , Ming Xianwen , Zhao Changyu , Ogata Taiki , Miyake Yoshihiro
Published: August 2023

Data-augmentation methods have emerged as a viable approach for improving the state-of-the-art performances for classifying mild Parkinson’s disease using deep learning with time-series data from an inertial measurement unit, considering the limited amount of training datasets available in the medical field. This study investigated effective data-augmentation methods to classify mild Parkinson’s disease and healthy participants with deep learning using a time-series gait dataset recorded via a shank-worn inertial measurement unit. Four magnitude-domain-transformation and three time-domain-transformation data-augmentation methods, and four methods involving mixtures of the aforementioned methods were applied to a representative convolutional neural network for the classification, and their performances were compared. In terms of data-augmentation, compared with baseline classification accuracy without data-augmentation, the magnitude-domain transformation performed better than the time-domain transformation and mixed-data augmentation. In the magnitude-domain transformation, the rotation method significantly contributed to the best performance improvement, yielding accuracy and F1-score improvements of 5.5 and 5.9%, respectively. The augmented data could be varied while maintaining the features of the time-series data obtained via the sensor for detecting mild Parkinson’s in gait; this data attribute may have caused the aforementioned trend. Notably, the selection of appropriate data extensions will help improve the classification performance for mild Parkinson’s disease.
Comparison of the dried properties of Ganoderma lucidum produced by the convective dryer and infrared dryer
Authors: Naseri Maryam , Movagharnejad Kamyar , Nanvakenari Sara
Published: August 2023

Ganoderma lucidum is a promising medicine with a high amount of antioxidants and calcium. The selection of appropriate drying process methods in food science has a chief role to reach the best final characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effects of air velocity and temperature in the convective dryer, sample distance, and infrared power in infrared dryers on the drying kinetics and quality of Ganoderma lucidum slices. In addition, Response Surface Methodology based on central composition design was used to optimize and analyze drying conditions. The ranges of temperature and air velocity were 40–60 °C and 0.5–1.5 m/s, respectively in the convective drying process while the range of distance and infrared power was 4–16 cm and 500–1500 W, respectively in the infrared drying process. It is worth mentioning that antioxidant and calcium contents were greatly enhanced during the drying procedures. Moreover, the values of the total color difference ranged between 8.21 and 19.66 for the convective dryer and 8.14 and 28.85 for the infrared dryer. A kinetic study indicated that dried samples by the infrared dryer could rapidly reach equilibrium moisture content due to exposure to IR radiation. Consequently, the results indicated that the infrared dryer has better performance than the convective dryer regarding drying time, energy consumption, and amount of calcium and antioxidant.
A modified electrode based on a 3D reduced graphene oxide and MoS2 composite for simultaneous detection of sunset yellow and tartrazine
Authors: Cheng Shiqi , Lin Zhongwei , Qin Shangying , Huang Li , Yang Jin , Wang Yilin
Published: August 2023

A 3D reduced graphene oxide (3DrGO) composite loaded with cauliflower-like MoS2 was prepared.
Visible-light-excitable aqueous afterglow exhibiting long emission wavelength and ultralong afterglow lifetime of 7.64 s
Authors: Zhai Xiangxiang , Zeng Ying , Deng Xinjian , Lou Qianqian , Cao Aizhi , Ji Limin , Yan Qianqian , Wang Biaobing , Zhang Kaka
Published: August 2023

Aqueous afterglow dispersions with long phosphorescence lifetime were constructedviaemulsion polymerization, and the long-wavelength afterglow was producedviaexcited state energy transfer, showing promising biomedical applications.
Revealing light-induced structural shifts in G-quadruplex-porphyrin complexes: a pulsed dipolar EPR study
Authors: Sannikova Natalya E. , Kolokolov Mikhail I. , Khlynova Tamara A. , Chubarov Alexey S. , Polienko Yuliya F. , Fedin Matvey V. , Krumkacheva Olesya A.
Published: August 2023

Pulsed EPR spectroscopy effectively monitors light-induced structural alterations in complexes of G-quadruplexes with photosensitizers, revealing G-quadruplex unfolding and the formation of dimeric structures.
Reactivity and stability synergism directed by the electron transfer between polyoxometalates and metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Lu Xinlin , Cheng Ting , Geletii Yurii V. , Bacsa John , Hill Craig L.
Published: August 2023

Multiple, fast electron transfers between phosphovanadomolybdates and Cu nodes in HKUST-1 lead to synergism in both activity and stability.
Theoretical study of reductive CO2 functionalization with amines and phenylsilanes: what kind of solvents can be used as catalysts?
Authors: Du Pan , Liu Xinyue , Dong Xinyi , Li Nianyang , Liu Rui , Li Li , Zhao Jiyang
Published: August 2023

The generic structures of solvents that can effectively promote the reduction of CO2 with phenylsilane were obtained in this work.
Observation of reactive intermediates in the initial stage during ethene conversion over acidic zeolites
Authors: Niu Jing , Miao Yu-Ting , Wang Wei David , Ruan Meng-Tong , Wang Zhi-Peng , Xue Hua-Dong , Yu Si-Min , Liu Chong , Wu Jian-Feng , Wang Wei
Published: August 2023

The surface ethoxy species were identified as key intermediates to equilibrate with ethene and contribute to the formation of the initial C–C bond during the ethene conversion on acidic zeolites.
Regulating nonmetallic species beyond the first coordination shell of single-atom catalysts for high-performance electrocatalysis
Authors: Ni Wenpeng , Chen Houjun , Zeng Junfeng , Zhang Yan , Younus Hussein A. , Zeng Zhouliangzi , Dai Minyang , Zhang Wei , Zhang Shiguo
Published: August 2023

Nonmetallic functional species beyond the first coordination shell can affect or even dictate the electrocatalytic performance of single-atom catalysts via indirect, long-range interaction with the metal atoms.
Evening primrose oil: a comprehensive review of its bioactives, extraction, analysis, oil quality, therapeutic merits, and safety
Authors: Farag Mohamed A. , Reda Ali , Nabil Mohamed , Elimam Diaaeldin M. , Zayed Ahmed
Published: August 2023

Evening primrose oil has attracted considerable interest worldwide because of its bioactive constituents and numerous functions in foods and health.
Construction of a g-C3N4/PANI/α-MnO2 direct Z-scheme heterojunction with oxygen-rich vacancies for enhancing photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under visible light
Authors: Chopan Nisar Ahmad , Chishti Hamida-Tun-Nisa
Published: August 2023

g-C3N4/PANI/α-MnO2 is fabricated by hydrothermal and in situ chemical oxidation polymerization, and displays outstanding photocatalytic degradation performance towards antibiotics under visible light irradiation.
Synthesis and spectral characterization of 4-methylthiazole derivatives: DFT approach and biological activities
Authors: Sivakumar Pakkirisamy , Bharanidharan Sarangapani , Rajamohan Rajaram , Anandhan Balasubramaniyan , Sumathi Thangavelu , Kamatchi Subramaniyan
Published: August 2023

The design of organic molecules as drug molecules holds tremendous promise for success in both the present and future.
Light-driven MOF-based micromotors with self-floating characteristics for water sterilization
Authors: Huang Hai , Zhao Yu , Yang Haowei , Li Jie , Ying Yulong , Li Jinhua , Wang Sheng
Published: August 2023

Efficient antibacterial performances (up to 98.89% against S. aureus) are achieved with light-driven MOFtors (PPy/ZIF-8) due to the boosted Zn2+ release by vigorous stirring motion and physical entrapment by the upward motion under light irradiation.
Achieving photostability in dye-sensitized upconverting nanoparticles and their use in Fenton type photocatalysis
Authors: Kaur Mannu , Maurizio Steven L. , Mandl Gabrielle A. , Capobianco John A.
Published: August 2023

The poor photostability of dye-sensitized upconverting nanoparticles limits their applicability. By covalently encapsulating modified IR820 in a silica shell, the accessibility of oxygen to interact and cause degradation is completely avoided.
CPA-catalyzed asymmetric domino thia-Michael/aldol reactions for simultaneous chiral center and axial chirality formation
Authors: Wang Xilong , Luo Yu , Zhao Jiaji , Luo Shuang
Published: August 2023

An efficient CPA-catalyzed enantio- and diastereo-selective domino thia-Michael/aldol reaction was developed, leading to a bridged biaryl adduct with multiple stereogenic centers and a thermodynamically controlled stereogenic axis.
ABA block copolymers comprising a water soluble poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) B block form self-assemblies of varied morphologies in an aqueous environment
Authors: Almehmady Alshaimaa , Cavanagh Robert , Mantovani Giuseppe , Stolnik Snow
Published: August 2023

ABA block copolymers synthesized by a combination of SET-LRP and photoinduced LRP techniques form self-assemblies of varied morphologies in an aqueous environment and show low cell toxicity.
Chiral active matter in external potentials
Authors: Caprini Lorenzo , Löwen Hartmut , Marini Bettolo Marconi Umberto
Published: August 2023

We investigate the interplay between chirality and confinement induced by the presence of an external potential.
Amorphous/crystalline heterostructure design enables highly efficient adsorption–diffusion–conversion of polysulfides for lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Wu Xiangpeng , Shen Zewei , Cai Daoping , Fei Ban , Zhao Mincai , Fu Junjie , Chen Qidi , Zhan Hongbing
Published: August 2023

A crystalline Bi2Se3 and amorphous BiOx heterostructure has been synthesized as a separator modifier for lithium–sulfur batteries, which can synergistically realize the highly efficient adsorption–diffusion–conversion process of polysulfides.
Synthesis, nanostructuring and in silico studies of a new imine bond containing a macroheterocycle as a promising PBP-2a non-β-lactam inhibitor
Authors: Huseynzada Alakbar , Aghayev Mirjavid , Hajiyeva Sarvinaz , Israyilova Aygun , Sayin Koray , Gasimov Eldar , Rzayev Fuad , Hasanova Ulviyya , Eyvazova Goncha , Abbasov Vagif , Gakhramanova Zarema , Huseynova Sanam , Huseynova Parvana , Huseynova Lala , Salimova Nigar
Published: August 2023

This study describes the synthesis of a 40-membered macroheterocycle, promising PBP-2a non-β-lactam. The MIC of MHC3@Fe3O4 towards S. aureus is ≤0.5 μg mL−1 and in silico studies showed the high affinity of MHC3 to the allosteric site of PBP-2a.
Proteomics as a tool to study the osteoimmunomodulatory role of metallic ions in a sol–gel coating
Authors: García-Arnáez Iñaki , Romero-Gavilán Francisco , Cerqueira Andreia , Azkargorta Mikel , Elortza Félix , Suay Julio , Goñi Isabel , Gurruchaga Mariló
Published: August 2023

The success of bone implants depends on the osteoimmunomodulatory (OIM) activity of the biomaterials in the interactions with the periimplantary tissues.
High-resolution Tb3+-doped Gd-based oxyfluoride glass scintillators for X-ray imaging
Authors: Li LianJie , Chen JunYu , Peng XiuSha , Jiang TingMing , Lei Lei , Guo Hai
Published: August 2023

SiBNaBaGd–5.0Tb glass scintillators with a high spatial resolution of 20 lp mm−1 and high XEL intensity are reported.
Solution-processed PSS:MoOx composite thin film with triple function (passivation, antireflection, and hole-selective transport) for application in IBC solar cells
Authors: Ge Kunpeng , Zhang Wenqian , Zhou Xin , Yang Linlin , Guo Jianxin , Li Feng , Xu Ying , Yang Xueliang
Published: August 2023

A novel solution-processed organic–inorganic composite material of poly(4-styrene sulfonic acid) (PSS) and molybdenum oxide (MoOx) nanoparticles is reported for use at the front of interdigitated back contact (IBC) solar cells as a triple-function layer.
Yellow phosphor based on zero-dimensional antimony halide for white light-emitting diodes
Authors: Lv Longyun , Yang Hao , Cheng Xiaohua , Lin Yufan , Chang Xuerui , Cheng Teng , Xie Yipeng , Han Ying , Li Juan , Yin Jun , Cui Bin-Bin
Published: August 2023

The (NII)2SbCl5 single crystal is a novel zero-dimensional Sb-based organic–inorganic metal halide, which shows a broadband yellow emission peaking at 610 nm with a photoluminescence quantum yield of over ∼88%.
A flexible piezoresistive pressure sensor comprising a microstructure printed with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) copolymers@graphene hybrid ink
Authors: Yao Haoyang , Yu Zhiheng , Huang Fengli , Pan Taiyao , Tang Chengli , Zhang Hui
Published: August 2023

The sensitivity of a sensor prepared by printing with the ink of PEDOT:PSS regulated by adding graphene is improved tremendously. Furthermore, human signals can be monitored effectively.
Antiferromagnetic ordering and signatures of enhanced spin-frustration in honeycomb-layered tellurates with Ag bilayers
Authors: Komori Sachio , Tada Kohei , Taguchi Noboru , Taniyama Tomoyasu , Masese Titus
Published: August 2023

We report the magnetic and spin frustration properties of Ag-based honeycomb layered tellurates with magnetic honeycomb slabs separated by Ag bilayers.
A photo-switchable rectifier based on the MAPbBr3–MAPbCl3 halide perovskite heterostructure for dual-wavelength optical communications
Authors: Zhao Yun-Peng , Zhang Zhi-Hong , Yan Shan-Shan , Qiao Bao-Shi , Lian Zhen-Dong , Wei Zhi-Peng , Ling Francis Chi-Chung , Chen Hong-Yu , Su Shi-Chen , Ng Kar Wei , Wang Shuang-Peng
Published: August 2023

A MAPbBr3–MAPbCl3 halide perovskite heterostructure enables photo-switchable rectification.
Weekly Treatment for Childhood Apraxia of Speech With Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment: A Single-Case Experimental Design Study
Authors: Thomas Donna , Murray Elizabeth , Williamson Eliza , McCabe Patricia
Published: August 2023

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to pilot the efficacy of rapid syllable transition (ReST) treatment when provided once per week for a 50-min treatment session for 12 weeks with five children with childhood apraxia of speech. Of central importance was the children's retention and generalization of gains from treatment as indicators of speech motor learning.

Method:

A multiple-baseline across-participant design was employed to investigate (a) treatment effect on the 20 treated pseudowords, (b) generalization to 40 untreated real words and 10 untreated polysyllabic word sentences, and (c) maintenance of any treatment and generalization goals to up to 4 months posttreatment. To investigate any difference between in-session performance and retention, a comparison was made between data collected during treatment and probe sessions.

Results:

Treatment data collected during therapy showed all children improving across their 12 treatment sessions. Three of the five children showed a treatment effect on treated pseudowords in the probe sessions, but only one child showed generalization to untreated real words, and no children showed generalization to sentences.

Conclusions:

ReST treatment delivered at a dose frequency of once per week was efficacious for only one of the five children. In-session treatment data were not a reliable indicator of children's learning. One session per week of ReST therapy is therefore not recommended.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.23751018
What the Evidence Does (and Does Not) Show for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Child Development Milestones: An Illustrative Example Using Expressive Vocabulary
Authors: Roberts Megan Y. , Sone Bailey J. , Jones Maranda K. , Standley Murielle , Conner Tracy , Lee E. Debbie , Norton Elizabeth S. , Roman Judith , Speights Marisha , Young Rylie , Weisleder Adriana
Published: August 2023

Purpose:

Child development milestones are a critical tool for pediatricians and caregivers to use for developmental surveillance. Following review and selection by a panel of subject matter experts, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a revised list of milestones across multiple domains of development. Using expressive vocabulary, a key indicator of language development, as an illustrative example, the purpose of this brief review is to evaluate the evidence used to establish the CDC developmental milestones and determine whether the samples used to establish these milestones are representative of U.S. children.

Method:

Authors reviewed the methods and evidence cited to determine the CDC milestones. First, authors identified each language/communication milestone that measured expressive vocabulary as number of words, followed by review of the sources cited in support of each extracted milestone. Then, data related to both milestones and sample characteristics were extracted and compiled as well as compared with data from a validated parent report measure of expressive vocabulary, the MacArthur–Bates Communication Development Inventories.

Results:

Results indicated that evidence was conflicting, misaligned, or missing for the selected CDC expressive vocabulary milestones. This review also indicated that the samples used to determine the selected CDC expressive vocabulary milestones are not representative of U.S. children.

Conclusion:

The striking paucity of evidence supporting the new CDC milestones for expressive vocabulary illustrates the critical need for future research in this area to establish more accurate milestones for U.S. children, with a focus on culturally inclusive large-scale data.
Strong lensing selection effects
Authors: Sonnenfeld Alessandro , Li Shun-Sheng , Despali Giulia , Gavazzi Raphael , Shajib Anowar J. , Taylor Edward N.
Published: August 2023

Contact. Strong lenses are a biased subset of the general population of galaxies.

Aims. The goal of this work is to quantify how lens galaxies and lensed sources differ from their parent distribution, namely the strong lensing bias.

Methods. We first studied how the strong lensing cross-section varies as a function of lens and source properties. Then, we simulated strong lensing surveys with data similar to that expected for Euclid and measured the strong lensing bias in different scenarios. We focused particularly on two quantities: the stellar population synthesis mismatch parameter, αsps, defined as the ratio between the true stellar mass of a galaxy and the stellar mass obtained from photometry, and the central dark matter mass at fixed stellar mass and size.

Results. Strong lens galaxies are biased towards higher stellar masses, smaller half-mass radii, and higher dark matter masses. The amplitude of the bias depends on the intrinsic scatter in the mass-related parameters of the galaxy population and on the completeness in Einstein radius of the lens sample. For values of the scatter that are consistent with observed scaling relations and a minimum detectable Einstein radius of 0.5″, the strong lensing bias in αsps is 10%, while that in the central dark matter mass is 5%. The bias has little dependence on the properties of the source population: samples of galaxy-galaxy lenses and galaxy-quasar lenses that probe the same Einstein radius distribution are biased in a very similar way.

Conclusions. Given current uncertainties, strong lensing observations can be used directly to improve our current knowledge of the inner structure of galaxies, without the need to correct for selection effects. Time-delay measurements of H0 from lensed quasars can take advantage of prior information obtained from galaxy-galaxy lenses with similar Einstein radii.
Augenheilkunde profitiert von Künstlicher Intelligenz
Authors: Muthorst Stella
Published: August 2023

Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) zur Bildauswertung des Augenhintergrundes kann den Praxisalltag von Augenärztinnen und -ärzten erleichtern. Befundungen sind effizienter und die Behandlung kann schneller beginnen. Allerdings gibt es in der praktischen Umsetzung oft noch kleine Stolpersteine: So ist zum einen weiterhin die Expertise des ärztlichen Personals gefragt, da KI etwa bei Augentrübungen, die die Bildqualität einschränken, noch häufig Fehlbefunde liefert. Zum anderen ist die bislang fehlende Abrechnungsmöglichkeit durch die Krankenkassen eine praktische Hürde zur Entlastung im Praxisalltag.
Robotics in Gender Affirming Surgery: Current Applications and Future Directions
Authors: Robinson Isabel S. , Zhao Lee C. , Bluebond-Langner Rachel
Published: August 2023

Genital surgery for the treatment of gender dysphoria has undergone significant evolution since its inception in the first half of the 20th century. Robotic approaches to the pelvis allow for improved visualization and reduced abdominal wall morbidity, making the robotic surgical system a very useful tool in the gender affirming genital surgeon's armamentarium. In penile inversion vaginoplasty, robotically harvested peritoneal flaps can be used to augment the vaginal canal, thereby leading to improved vaginal depth, as well as improve operative efficiency by facilitating a two-surgeon approach. In transgender men, the robotic approach to vaginectomy assists with visualization to confirm complete obliteration of the vaginal canal. Robotic surgery will play a central role in the continued evolution of the field of gender affirming surgery.
Changes in the Etiologies of Liver Cancer in Upper Egypt over a Decade from 2010 to 2020: A Single Tertiary Care Center Study
Authors: Fouad Yasser , Gaber Yasmine , Alem Shereen Abdel , Abdallah Mohamed , Abd-Elsalam Sherief M. , Nafady Shaymaa , Attia Dina , Eslam Mohamed
Published: August 2023

The profile of liver diseases in Egypt is changing dramatically and viral hepatitis is declining, while the fatty liver disease is increasing dramatically. However, the impact of these changes on the profile of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain. Therefore, we determined the temporal trends in the etiologies of HCC in Egypt over a decade. We retrospectively analyzed data from consecutive patients who were diagnosed with HCC over 10 years (2010–2020) in a large center in Upper Egypt. Standard tests were utilized to diagnose hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus. In the absence of other liver disorders, the presence of obesity, or diabetes in the absence of other risk factors, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) was diagnosed. A total of 1,368 HCC patients were included, in which 985 (72%) had HCV, 58 (4%) had hepatitis B virus, and 143 (10.5%) had MAFLD, 1 patient had hemochromatosis, 1 had autoimmune liver disease, and 180 (13%) patients were with unknown cause. The annual proportions of MAFLD-related HCC were increased significantly between 8.3% in 2010 and 20.6% in 2020 (p = 0.001), while HCV-related HCC declined from 84.8 to 66.7% (p = 0.001). Throughout the study period, there were significant increases in the age at diagnosis of HCC, the proportion of female patients, obesity, diabetes, and less severe liver dysfunction at diagnosis (p < 0.05 for all). With the decline of HCV, MAFLD is becoming a major cause of HCC in Egypt, which has increased substantially over the past 10 years. This study urges the creation of comprehensive action strategies to address this growing burden.
A New Dynamic Abduction and Extension Splint
Authors: Chandra Ramesh , Pandey S. D. , Bhatnagar S. K. , Bhattacharya S.
Published: August 2023

A new ingenious innovation to maintain abduction of the Ist web space in adduction contractures of the thumb and to maintain extension and abduction of the fingers in treating flexion contractures and syndactylies has been developed at the Postgraduate Department of Plastic Surgery, King George's Medical College, Lucknow. Their ability to prevent adduction contractures of the thumb and flexion contractures of the fingers respectively has been evaluated. These are noninvasive and fairly inexpensive devices which can be easily fabricated and have been found to be perfectly acceptable.
Omnidirectional strain sensing using single flexible acoustic wave device with machine-learning algorithm
Authors: Ji Zhangbin , Zhou Jian , Guo Yihao , He Yahui , Duan Huigao , Fu Yongqing
Published: August 2023

Strain sensors are crucial for development of smart systems, providing valuable feedback on the conditions of structures and mechanical components. However, there is a huge challenge for highly accurate detection of both strain intensity and direction (i.e., omnidirectional strain) using one single strain sensor, mainly because only one signal feature is commonly obtained from a single device. To overcome this limitation, we proposed a strategy to achieve omnidirectional strain detection by applying a single flexible surface acoustic wave (SAW) strain sensor, empowered by a machine learning algorithm to analyze multiple signals derived from the same device, simultaneously. Using AlN/flexible glass based SAW devices, we performed omnidirectional strain predictions using eight different machine learning models, and the data were compared with the experimental measurement results. The results showed that the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model showed the highest prediction ability and the best accuracy (i.e., with its coefficient of determination larger than 0.98 and root mean square error less than 0.1) for both strain intensity and direction. This work provides an effective solution for omnidirectional strain sensing using a single device.
Entropy of different phases formed by soft rods
Authors: Chattopadhyay Jayeeta , Lin Shiang-Tai , Maiti Prabal K.
Published: August 2023

The computation of entropy in liquids and liquid crystal (LC) phases is a big challenge in statistical physics. In this work, we extend the two-phase thermodynamic model (2PT) to shape anisotropic soft repulsive spherocylinders (SRSs) and report the absolute values of entropy for different LC phases for a range of aspect ratios L/D = 2 − 5. We calculate the density of states for different LC phases and decompose it into contributions arising from translational and rotational degrees of freedom. The translational and rotational modes are further partitioned into diffusive, gas-like, and non-diffusive, solid-like components using a fluidicity factor. In the dilute limit, the entropy values obtained from the 2PT method match exactly those of an ideal rigid rotor. We find that, for a given packing fraction, the magnitude of the total entropy is roughly equal regardless of the different LC phases associated with different aspect ratios. We also compute the excess entropy (for L/D = 5) and compare those with the values obtained using the standard integration approach of MD or Monte Carlo equation of state of SRS. The values obtained using both approaches match very well. The rotational and translational fluidicity factors are further used to determine the phase boundaries of different LC phases.
Floquet-engineered chiral-induced spin selectivity
Authors: Phuc Nguyen Thanh
Published: August 2023

The control of electron spin, crucial to the stability of matter, offers new possibilities for manipulating the properties of molecules and materials with potential applications in spintronics and chemical reactions. Recent experiments have demonstrated that electron transmission through chiral molecules depends on the electron spin orientation, a phenomenon known as chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS). In this study, we show that CISS can be observed in achiral systems driven by an external circularly polarized laser field in the framework of Floquet engineering. By using the Floquet theory for a time-periodically driven system to investigate spin-dependent electron transport in a two-terminal setup, we demonstrate that the spin polarization can approach unity if the light intensity is sufficiently strong, the rate of dephasing is sufficiently low, and the average chemical potential of the two leads is within an appropriate range of values, which is narrow because of the high frequency of the laser field. To obtain a broader range of energies for large spin polarization, a combination of chiral molecules and light–matter interactions is considered, and the spin polarization of electrons transported through a helical molecule driven by a laser field is evaluated.
Corrigendum to: Healthcare practitioner use of real-time prescription monitoring tools: an online survey
Authors: Hoppe Dimi , Liu Chaojie (George) , Khalil Hanan
Published: August 2023

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate how healthcare practitioners use real-time prescription monitoring tools in clinical practice. MethodsAn online survey was distributed to Australian prescribers and pharmacists who use a real-time prescription monitoring tool. Data were analysed and descriptive statistics summarised participant characteristics and responses. A Chi-squared test was conducted to test the difference between prescribers and pharmacists. ResultsThe majority of participants agreed that real-time prescription monitoring (RTPM) information is useful (92.2%) and the tool is valuable for informing clinical decisions (90.2%); however, just over half reported that they had changed their prescribing or dispensing practices as a result of RTPM information (51.0%), and they employed evidence-based clinical interventions to varying degrees. No statistically significant differences were detected between pharmacists and prescribers and perceptions on tool use. ConclusionsThis is the first known study to investigate practitioner use of RTPM tools in Australia, and is a starting point for further research. What constitutes ‘success’ in the clinical application of RTPM tools is yet to be realised.
Salicylic acid-functionalised chitosan nanoparticles restore impaired sucrose metabolism in the developing anther of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) under heat stress
Authors: Savani Khyati R. , Gajera H. P. , Hirpara Darshna G. , Savaliya Disha D. , Kandoliya U. K.
Published: August 2023

Nanotechnology provides tremendous potential in agriculture, mitigating climate change impact and improving abiotic stress management strategy. Chitosan nanoparticles (NCS) were synthesised using the ion gelation method and characterised for size (75.5 nm in particle size analyser), shape (spherical under scanning electron microscopy) and stability (132.2 mV zeta potential). Further, salicylic acid was incorporated into NCS to craft salicylic acid-functionalised chitosan nanoparticles (SA-NCS) and illustrated for size (517 nm), shape (spherical) and stability (197.1 mV). The influence of the exogenous application of SA-NCS (0.08%) was studied at the reproductive stage of three genotypes of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum): (1) heat-tolerant Solar-651 BGII; (2) moderately heat-tolerant Solar-701 BGII; and (3) heat-susceptible Solar-805 BGII, exposed to different temperature regimes: (1) H1 (optimal), 32/20 ± 2°C; (2) H2 (sub-optimal), 38/24 ± 2°C; H3 (supra-optimal), 45/30 ± 2°C. Heat stress significantly reduces carbon-fixing Rubisco, enzymes related to sucrose metabolism and pollen tube length. Considering three genotypes and reproductive stages (sepal and anther tissues), activities of Rubisco (sepals), invertase (sepals), sucrose phosphate synthase (anthers), sucrose content (sepals) and pollen tube length were elevated under high-temperature regimes, signifying better source to sink transposition of sucrose influenced by SA-NCS. The study provides new insights into SA-NCS to improve source–sink imbalance and restore sucrose metabolism for better growth of reproductive structure under heat stress in cotton.
Perspectives of a peer-driven approach to improve pre-exposure prophylaxis and HIV prevention among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men
Authors: Tao Jun , Sosnowy Collette , Arnold Trisha , Kapadia Jhanavi , Parent Hannah , Rogers Brooke G. , Almonte Alexi , Chan Philip A.
Published: August 2023

Background Black/African American (B/AA) and Hispanic/Latino (H/L) men who have sex with men (MSM) are significantly less likely than white MSM to initiate pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). A peer-driven intervention (PDI) may be an effective approach to addressing this disparity. In this study, we explored community member perspectives of a PDI to promote PrEP uptake among B/AA and H/L MSM. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with B/AA and H/L HIV-negative MSM between August 2018 and October 2019 in Rhode Island, USA. Participants reported their perspectives and recommendations for a PDI. Data from participant responses were thematically analysed. Results Of 15 MSM, the median age was 25 years (interquartile range: 22, 33). The majority identified as B/AA (53.3%), H/L (66.7%), and having a college education or above (53.3%). Most participants viewed a PDI positively and were willing to learn and promote PrEP among their peers. Participants identified and supported several potential intervention components, such as education about the benefit of PrEP, emphasising prevention-effective dosing, and clarifying no prevention effect towards other sexually transmitted infections. They preferred in-person meetings to electronic communication. Preferred characteristics of peer educators included compassion, good communication skills, and enthusiasm about PrEP. Conclusions This in-depth qualitative interview suggested that a PDI approach is promising in promoting PrEP uptake, as it could deliver culturally appropriate education and encourage PrEP uptake via peer influence among B/AA and H/L MSM.
Higher-order exceptional points using lossfree negative-index materials
Authors: Zhang Xin-Zhe , Wu Li-Ting , Luo Ru-Zhi , Chen Jing
Published: August 2023

Negative-index materials (NIMs) support optical anti-parity-time (anti-

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) symmetry even when they are lossless. Here we prove the feasibility in achieving higher-order exceptional points (EPs) in lossfree waveguide arrays by utilizing the anti-

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symmetry induced by NIM. Numerical simulation about a third-order EP fits well with the coupled-mode theory. A scheme of achieving fourth-order EPs is also discussed. This work highlights the great potential of NIM in overcoming the obstacles of ordinary non-Hermitian optics, and the possibilities of combining anti-

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,

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, and Hermitian couplings for various purposes.
Turnout Failure Diagnosis System Based on Group Decision Making Strategy
Authors: Ma Yuanchen
Published: August 2023

The turnout system emerges as the most critical component in railway infrastructure that possesses the function of controlling tracks where its faulty operations should be carefully concerned. The traditional turnout failure diagnosis is conducted manually, field staffs need to monitor thousands of turnout current curves based on expert experience per day, resulting in unstable diagnosis results. Thus, this paper utilized artificial intelligence and the group decision concept to propose a voting algorithm that considered the failure diagnosis results of three machine learning models, aiming to provide a feasible intelligent turnout failure diagnosis system with high accuracy. The training samples were filtered based on an experience-based method and fully cleansed for achieving more stable and reliable classification results. For evaluating the diagnosis performance, Recall and Precision were applied. As a result, the group decision failure diagnosis system indeed revealed high accuracy with low failure case omission.
Leveraging Inverse Probability Weighting Method to Missing Not at Random Problem
Authors: Lyu Zihan , Zhang Yutian , Zhang Siyuan , Yang Yuewen , Cao Xijia
Published: August 2023

In nowadays recommender system field. The selection bias is ubiquitous to most of the data. Most real-world rating data is sparse and missing not at random (MNAR). MNAR data make it difficult to accurately estimate the performance of prediction model as well as learn an optimal prediction model. Investigation on overcoming the MNAR is becoming the mainstream in recommendation field. Plenty of approaches has been proposed to solve this problem. And many of them make the use of the propensity of observing each user-item event. Many of the approaches are suffering from the variance of the propensity. This paper proposes two approaches, summary of inversed propensity (SIP) and clip to make the propensity calculated by logistic regression more effective. And real-world-dataset based experiment will show the performance of these two approaches.
Urban sprawl and health: a review of the scientific literature
Authors: Genovese Dario , Candiloro Stefania , D’Anna Antonio , Dettori Marco , Restivo Vincenzo , Amodio Emanuele , Casuccio Alessandra
Published: August 2023

Urban sprawl is the development of sparse suburban areas with low population density, limited land use diversity, and poor street connectivity. Numerous studies demonstrated that urban form settings influence indoor and outdoor environments and, consequently, public health in diverse ways. This review aims to assess the association between sprawl and each health outcome evaluated in the literature to better define urban sprawl and its effects on human health. Using the PRISMA statement, this narrative review evaluates the associations between urban sprawl and any health outcome analyzed by researchers seeking to assess a possible relationship. A total of 826 records were identified via PubMed/MEDLINE (227) and Scopus (599) and 36 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion: 21/36 studies (58%) focused on obesity as the primary health outcome, 4/36 (11%) on life expectancy and/or mortality, 7/36 (19%) on accidents or emergency medical service response, and 4/36 (11%) on the self-reported psychological distress and/or physical health conditions associated with urban sprawl. In most studies, there is a general lack of uniformity and urban sprawl is loosely defined, with urban sprawl definitions frequently corresponding to different combinations of items within sprawl indexes. Nonetheless, urban sprawl appeared to be a determinant of health in many of the examined outcomes; therefore, it is necessary to promote alternatives to sprawling patterns when developing urban settings.
First record of parasitoids Megastigmus sp. and Quadrastichus mendeli as potential biological control agents of eucalyptus gall inducers in Tanzania
Authors: Lazaro J , Pudjianto  , Harahap I S
Published: August 2023

Leptocybe invasa and Ophelimus maskelli (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are serious pests causing damage to eucalypt plantations in Tanzania. Biological control is considered the best alternative to other control methods, both ecologically and economically. Thus far, no parasitoid of the eucalyptus gall wasps documented or reported. Likewise, the number of parasitoid species and their parasitic capacities are unknown. Therefore, the study investigated the parasitoids of the eucalypt gall inducer from October 2021 to April 2022. Galls were collected from E. tereticornis and E. grandis x E. camaldulensis clones and reared until wasps emerged. The emerged wasps were sorted and identified at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania, and the Insect Biosystematics Laboratory at IPB University, Indonesia. Two species of parasitoids of eucalyptus gall-inducers in Tanzania were first collected and identified as Megastigmus sp. (Torymidae) and Quadrastichus mendeli (Eulophidae). In Korogwe, North Ruvu, and Morogoro plantation areas, the percentages of parasitization for the two parasitoids combined were 29.7%, 64%, and 33.3%, respectively. A higher parasitization rate was observed from L. invasa galls in the E. grandis x E. camaldulensis clones. These parasitoids can be potential biological control agent candidates to control the pest. However, future monitoring is needed to determine their distribution, host specificity, interactions, and efficacy.
Herpetofauna trade via e-commerce in Indonesia
Authors: Mutiaradita N A , Kusrini M D , Mardiastuti A
Published: August 2023

Sales of wildlife on a commercial scale using various online platform has been occurring for some time however, research related to online wildlife trade in Indonesia, especially herpetofauna, is still limited. This study aims to examine the herpetofauna trade on a popular e-commerce platforms in Indonesia, namely: Tokopedia, Shopee, Lazada, and Bukalapak, using a web scraping application data retrieval method. Web scraping is a technique to get information from the website automatically without having to copy it manually. The results recorded 117 species of the herpetofauna from 38 families, comprising 106 species of reptiles (90.6%) and 11 species of amphibians (9.4%). Eublepharis macularius (leopard gecko) was the most offered species in each e-commerce, whereas Trachemys scripta (red-eared slider) was the most sold species. Six species were included under the protected animals list according to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry No. 106 from 2018, which were Crocodylus porosus (saltwater crocodile), Morelia viridis (green tree python), Python bivittatus (Burmese python), Orlitia borneensis (Malaysian giant turtle), Varanus nebulosus (clouded monitor) and Varanus panoptes (argus monitor). Based on the province, the highest trade occurs in West Java, followed by Jakarta. The total economic value during the period of 2017 to 2022 is IDR 3,355,750,470.
The effect of various doses of biofertilizers on the growth response of medang (Dehaasia firma Blume) seedling
Authors: Prameswari D , Octavia D , Andadari L
Published: August 2023

The increasing demand of wood whilst log production from natural forest decreasing is answered by a forest planting program in unproductive lands. The Medang (Dehaasia firma Blume) tree of Lauraceae family is one of the recommended species for plantation forests due to its its wide distribution areas in Indonesia and its wood’s multi-functionality. To increase its growth, application of biofertilizer could supply organic matter and improve the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of biofertilizer doses on the growth of medang. The research was conducted in the Silvicultural nursery of the Forest Research and Development Center in Bogor. A Completely Randomize Design (CRD) comprising one factor with three replications was employed as the research method. The dosage of bionature as a treatment factor consists of control (without fertilizer), bionature-25, bionature-50, and bionature-100. The measured growth parameters were height, diameter, shoot ratio, and seedling quality index. The results showed that the dose of bionature-50 generated the best growth of medang seedlings for height and diameter; bionature-25 generated the best growth for root shoot ratio while bionature-100 generated the best growth for total dry weight and Seedling Quality Index.
Diversity of hymenoptera parasitoid wasp in oil palm with the presence and absence of non crop vegetation
Authors: Aldinas D , Prabowo RA , Buchori D , Sahari B
Published: August 2023

The diversity of hymenopteran parasitoid wasps is influenced by the presence of the host, the number and type of flowering vegetation as a food source for adult parasitoids. This study aims to determine the effect of reducing non-crop vegetation by cattle grazing disturbances on the impact of beneficial ecosystem services, especially parasitoids wasp in oil palm plantations. This disturbance phenomenon is important to study, so that it can see the response of each parasitoid wasp due to reduced vegetation and become the basis for strategies for habitat enrichment in oil palm plantations. Sampling was carried out in six blocks, including six oil palm blocks consisting of three blocks with non-plant vegetation disturbance and three blocks without disturbance. Insect collection uses yellow pot traps, malaise traps, and sweeping nets. In total, 4273 individuals belonging to 185 morphospecies, 24 families, and 9 superfamilies were collected from all sampling methods. The diversity and abundance of Hymenopteran parasitoids wasp are strongly influenced by the presence or absence of non-plant vegetation, especially flowering herbs. The reduced non-crop vegetation was followed by a decrease in the population of several Hymenopteran parasitoid wasps both in terms of abundance and richness.