bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Personality development goals at work: A new frontier in personality assessment in organizations
Authors: Dupré Sofie , Wille Bart
Published: June 2024

There is a long and successful history of personality research in organizational contexts and personality assessments are now widely used in a variety of human resources or talent management interventions. In this tradition, assessment typically involves describing (future) employees' personality profiles, and then using this information to select or adapt work roles to optimally meet employees' traits. Although useful, one limitation of this approach is that it overlooks employees' motivations and abilities to develop themselves in their pursuit of greater person‐environment fit. This paper therefore argues for a new type of personality assessment that goes beyond the current descriptive approach. Specifically, we propose assessing employees' Personality Development Goals (PDGs) at work to complement the traditional assessment of “who are you?” with information about “who do you want to be?”. We first briefly summarize the current approach to personality assessment and highlight its limitations. Then, we take stock of the research on PDGs in clinical and personality literatures, and outline the reasons for translating this into organizational applications. We end by describing the key principles that should inform the implementation of PDGs at work and propose a number of future research directions to support and advance this practice.
Nurturing a positive research culture within your organization
Authors: Liston Adrian , Fitzgerald Denise C
Published: June 2024

Positive research cultures provide the environment for scientists to explore ideas, grow as individuals, develop team science and create a positive impact on those around them. While positive research cultures need to grow from the kindness and integrity of team members, organization policy can either help or hinder this organic positive behavior. A focus on policies to enhance positive research culture can benefit even high‐functioning organizations, by expanding and extending the benefits. Here we focus on key actionable areas to create and reinforce a positive research culture in your organization. We discuss the role of aligning staff recognition to the organization's missions, the influence of the organization unit and career structure on the research culture, the pyramid of building respectful interactions, the value of openness and transparency and the overarching goal of equality, diversity and inclusivity within the organization.
A three‐dimensional multiple containers loading approach considering weak heterogeneous containers for multiple customers
Authors: Yang Hongbing , Hu Yue , Zhou Wei , Gao Yue , Wang Junwei
Published: June 2024

The container loading plan significantly affects the transportation cost of manufacturing companies. However, the traditional approaches for three‐dimensional single container loading problems cannot be directly applied to three‐dimensional multiple containers loading problems (3D‐MCLP) due to the different basic features between the two problems; in addition, the existing solution algorithms for a 3D‐MCLP have limited efficiency and quality when dealing with nonidentical boxes corresponding to multiple customers. Considering a general 3D‐MCLP with weak heterogeneous containers, this paper establishes a general mathematical model and proposes an integrated greedy algorithm, multilayer tree search, and large neighborhood search algorithm to maximize the average filling rate of containers. An integrated greedy heuristic multilayer tree search algorithm is proposed to obtain the initial solution of a 3D‐MCLP. Then, a large neighborhood search algorithm containing five removal operators and two repair operators is further designed to improve the results. Numerical experiments with 2014/2015 ESICUP challenge datasets and real‐world case studies validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Improved piezoelectric properties in Bi(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3‐modified BiFeO3–BaTiO3 lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics
Authors: Qin Hailan , Zhao Jianwei , Chen Xiaoxin , Li Hongtian , Wang Shenghao , Du Yuxiao , Mohamad Ahmad Azmin , Zhou Huanfu , Wang Dawei
Published: June 2024

The investigation of lead‐free ceramics with exceptional piezoelectric properties holds great importance in the substitution of lead‐based materials, hence promoting the development of green technology and fostering an environmentally sustainable society. This study successfully synthesized two series of Bi(Mg2/3Nb1/3)O3 (BMN)‐modified BiFeO3–BaTiO3 (BF–BT) lead‐free piezoelectric ceramics using the conventional solid‐state reaction approach. The phase structure, microstructure, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of these ceramics were comprehensively investigated. A typical perovskite structure is observed in all probed compositions, and the associated phase structure undergoes a gradual transition from a rhombohedral‐cubic phase mixture to a cubic‐dominant phase structure as increases the content of BMN and BT. All compositions exhibit obvious core–shell microstructures with inhomogeneous element distributions. Most importantly, the BF–0.30BT–0.005BMN and BF–0.34BT–0.03BMN piezoelectric ceramics presented remarkable values for the piezoelectric coefficient (225 pC/N) and converse piezoelectric coefficient (396 pm/V), respectively. These findings highlight the potential of BMN‐modified BF–BT ceramics for use in high‐performance piezoelectric applications.
Phase equilibrium investigations of the Al2O3–Ta2O5 system: New experiments and thermodynamic modeling
Authors: Feng Yi , Zhao Dan , Pi Zhipeng , Huang Dandan , Zhang Fan
Published: June 2024

Phase equilibria in the Al2O3–Ta2O5 system have been studied by means of CO2 laser heater, high‐speed pyrometer, X‐ray powder diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The liquidus and invariant reaction temperatures in the whole composition region were measured by cooling trace tests. The monotectic reaction of Liquid 1→Liquid 2 + Al2O3 was determined to be at about 1547°C, but the typical microstructures for the miscibility gap were not directly observed in our experiments. The tetragonal AlTaO4 phases formed from as‐cast samples were found to congruently melt at 1669°C, and they could maintain stability during the cooling process but would gradually transform into orthorhombic and monoclinic polymorphs after heat treatment. Two eutectic reactions of Liquid → Al2O3 + T‐AlTaO4 and Liquid → T‐AlTaO4 + β‐Ta2O5 were measured to be at 1447°C and 36.7 mol%Ta2O5 and 1513°C and 63.5 mol% Ta2O5, respectively. Due to the undercooling effect, the invariant reaction temperatures determined by this work might be preliminary and need to be verified by more accurate methods. Our experiments confirmed that doping Al2O3 in Ta2O5 phases could improve phase stability of β‐Ta2O5. Finally, thermodynamic optimization of the Al2O3–Ta2O5 system was performed based on the obtained experimental data by means of the CALPHAD method. The self‐consistent thermodynamic parameters are helpful in further efforts for construction of Al2O3–Ta2O5‐based multicomponent thermodynamic database and the development of alumina–tantala‐based materials.
Composition‐tunable SnSe(1−x)Sx (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) single crystals toward efficient bandgap engineering and optical/thermal properties
Authors: Li Jue , Gong Xiangnan , Liu Jie , Yang Chuanyao , Zou Hanjun , Zhou Yang , Wang Guiwen , Wu Hong
Published: June 2024

Bulk tin‐based monochalcogenides are composed of earth‐abundant, low‐cost, and non‐toxic chemical elements, which possess high thermoelectric properties making them candidate for waste heat recovery applications. Bandgap engineering offers opportunity to customize the characteristics of semiconductors as desired applications in microelectronic, thermoelectric, and so on. The bandgap of tin‐based monochalcogenides is systematically regulated by the solid‐solution method. The thermal and optical properties of SnSe(1–x)Sx (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) single crystals, synthesized successfully by a home‐modified Bridgman method, have been systematically investigated. A variety of characterizations, including x‐ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, absorbance spectroscopy, and thermal analyzer, are employed to confirm the precise tuning of the component. As the S compositions increased from 0 to 1, the unit cell parameter, interplanar spacing, and optical phonon frequency exhibited a linear change, aligning with the expected bandgap shifts and calculated results. Our work will promote the advancement of the SnSe and SnS materials in areas including thermoelectricity and photovoltaics.
Unsupervised estimation of the age at sea departure of Atlantic salmon using magnesium, manganese, and zinc otolith chemistry
Authors: Fontaine Anthony , Vignon Matthias , Tabouret Hélène , Pécheyran Christophe , Bareille Gilles
Published: June 2024

Investigating the age at sea departure of returning Atlantic salmon is critical to better understand the role of emigration timing in survival. Among the methods available, the use of otolith chemistry can be challenging in anadromous fish, as the elements frequently used (i.e., magnesium, manganese, and zinc) can jointly reflect individual metabolism and environmental conditions. Here, we present a new unsupervised and robust method for successfully estimating the outmigration age of Atlantic salmon in the Bay of Biscay, based on otolith zinc concentrations.
Maize ZmSRO1e promotes mesocotyl elongation and deep sowing tolerance by inhibiting the activity of ZmbZIP61
Authors: Qin Lumin , Kong Fangfang , Wei Lin , Cui Minghan , Li Jianhang , Zhu Chen , Liu Yue , Xia Guangmin , Liu Shuwei
Published: June 2024

Deep sowing is a traditional method for drought resistance in maize production, and mesocotyl elongation is strongly associated with the ability of maize to germinate from deep soil. However, little is known about the functional genes and mechanisms regulating maize mesocotyl elongation. In the present study, we identified a plant‐specific SIMILAR TO RCD‐ONE (SRO) protein family member, ZmSRO1e, involved in maize mesocotyl elongation. The expression of ZmSRO1e is strongly inhibited upon transfer from dark to white light. The loss‐of‐function zmsro1e mutant exhibited a dramatically shorter mesocotyl than the wild‐type in both constant light and darkness, while overexpression of ZmSRO1e significantly promoted mesocotyl elongation, indicating that ZmSRO1e positively regulates mesocotyl elongation. We showed that ZmSRO1e physically interacted with ZmbZIP61, an ortholog of Arabidopsis ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) and showed a function similar to that of HY5 in regulating photomorphogenesis. We found that ZmSRO1e repressed the transcriptional activity of ZmbZIP61 toward target genes involved in the regulation of cell expansion, such as ZmEXPB4 and ZmEXPB6, by interfering with the binding of ZmbZIP61 to the promoters of target genes. Our results provide a new understanding of the mechanism by which SRO regulates photomorphogenesis and highlight its potential application in deep sowing‐resistant breeding.
The effect of virtual reality versus standard‐of‐care treatment on pain perception during paediatric vaccination: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Sánchez‐López María Inmaculada , Lluesma‐Vidal Marta , Ruiz‐Zaldibar Cayetana , Tomás‐Saura Inmaculada , Martínez‐Fleta María Isabel , Gutiérrez‐Alonso Gema , García‐Garcés Laura
Published: June 2024

Aims and Objectives

To determine the effect of immersive virtual reality (VR) on perceived pain and fear in children during vaccination and parental satisfaction with the procedure.

Background

Virtual reality can reduce the perception of pain by children but only three studies have analysed its use during vaccination to date; these had small sample sizes and imperfect methodological designs.

Design

A randomised controlled clinical trial.

Methods

One hundred and sixty participants from the Tres Forques Health Center were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG) (n = 82) in which distraction with immersive VR was used during the vaccination, while standard distraction techniques were used for the control group (n = 80). The primary outcome was pain (Wong–Baker FACES). Secondary outcomes included (Children's Fear Scale) and parental satisfaction with the vaccination procedure. Chi‐squared tests were used for qualitative variables, relationships between quantitative variables were tested with Spearman correlations, and Mann–Whitney U‐ or Student t‐tests were employed to assess the relationship between quantitative and qualitative variables.

Results

Compared to the controls, the children in the IG reported significantly less pain and fear, while parental satisfaction was significantly higher. Reported pain and fear did not differ according to the sex of the patient. Child age was not linked to fear but was related to pain: the younger the patient, the greater the pain they described.

Conclusions

Immersive VR effectively controlled pain and fear in children during vaccination and increased parent satisfaction with the vaccination process. Patient sex did not influence the level of pain and fear but age did.

Relevance to clinical practice

Improving vaccination experiences can reduce perceived pain and fear in children and increase parent satisfaction, thereby enhancing vaccination schedule adherence and improving group immunity.

Reporting Method

The CONSORT Statement for non‐pharmacological randomised clinical trials were followed.
Prevalence of temporomandibular disorders and their associated factors in Confucian heritage cultures: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yap Adrian Ujin , Lai Ye Choung , Ho Henry Chee Wai
Published: June 2024

Background

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) may be an ‘idiom’ of psychological distress in Confucian heritage cultures (CHCs).

Objectives

This systematic review/meta‐analysis estimated the prevalence of TMDs in CHCs and compared the differences in TMD occurrence between time periods and age groups. Additionally, the associated biopsychosocial risk factors were also examined.

Methods

The study protocol was developed a priori following the PRISMA guidelines and Joanna Briggs Institute systematic review methodology (CRD42021245526). Electronic searches of seven databases were conducted from January 2002 to Dec 2021. Reference lists of identified studies were hand‐searched for additional articles. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were done. Meta‐analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.4 software.

Results

Forty‐eight articles were included in the systematic review. Overall prevalences were: TMDs‐15% (95% CI: 15–16%); TMD pain‐8% (95% CI: 7–9%); TMJ sounds‐24% (95% CI: 21–27%); and TMJ locking‐7% (95% CI: 1–13%). While TMD prevalence appeared to have declined from 2002 to 2011 to 2012–2021, the occurrence of TMD pain, TMJ sounds, and locking increased marginally or remained constant. TMD prevalence in children/adolescents was 18% (95% CI: 14–22%) and 17% (95% CI: 16–18%) among adults. Significant associations between TMDs and bruxism/psychological distress/education levels were specified by 73%/90%/88% of the relevant studies.

Conclusions

TMDs are prevalent in CHCs and a slight increase in TMD pain (2%) and TMJ sounds (8%) were discerned over the past two decades. TMDs are related to a myriad of biopsychosocial variables, particularly psychological distress, and these factors must be addressed within the cultural context of patients.
Exercise therapy in postoperative patients with temporomandibular joint internal derangement: A systematic review
Authors: Zhu Yongkang , Xu Jiaqi , Zhang Jing , Wan Yifan , He Yang , Lei Jie , Zhang Yi , Yang Chengfengyi , Yang Yue
Published: June 2024

Objective

Postoperative patients with temporomandibular joint internal derangement (ID) often have problems such as limited mouth opening and pain. Exercise therapy can be advantageous for improving the recovery of patients following surgery. However, there is continuing discussion on the precise aspects of the exercise program, including the optimal timing, length, intensity, and use of assistive equipment. Hence, this study aimed to incorporate pre‐existing exercise treatment regimens and investigate their impact.

Methods

Publications that detailed the clinical treatment of patients with temporomandibular joint ID who received postoperative exercise therapy interventions were included. Nine databases were searched until October 1st, 2023. The JBI critical appraisal tools were used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

Five studies were finally included for subsequent analysis; two were randomised controlled studies, and three were quasi‐experimental. Exercises suitable for such patients encompass vertical, transverse, and horizontal stretching, among which vertical stretch can be divided into active and passive movements. The start time ranged from the first to the fifth week after surgery, with a duration of 1–6 months. Although the data in the studies could not be integrated and further analysed, preliminary results showed that maximum mouth opening and pain in patients improved significantly. The therapeutic effect of combining three exercise methods was best and was related to patient compliance.

Conclusion

Exercise therapy positively affects postoperative rehabilitation in patients with temporomandibular joint ID. It is proposed that targeted, comprehensive studies be conducted to provide a basis for designing more sophisticated exercise therapy regimens and further confirm its curative effect.
Four‐year assessment of masticatory function in mandibular overdenture wearers: A randomised clinical trial comparing two to four implants to retain the prosthesis
Authors: Gonçalves Thais Marques Simek Vega , Bezerra Adriana Pinto , Reginaldo Isabela , Wanghon Zuila Maria Lobato , Drummond Liliane Bonatto , Feldmann Alexandra , Philippi Analucia Gebler , Mezzomo Luis André Mendonça
Published: June 2024

Background

Limited data exist on the mid‐ to long‐term masticatory capacity of mandibular overdenture (IOD) wearers, particularly regarding the use of posterior implants to retention.

Objectives

To periodically evaluate mastication of IOD wearers, comparing the effectiveness of two to four implants to retain the prosthesis.

Methods

In a randomised controlled clinical trial, 20 complete edentulous patients (14 women), aged 51–84 years (mean age 69.1 ± 9.6), received new bimaxillary complete dentures (CD). After adaptation, baseline measurements of masticatory performance (X50) and swallowing threshold were conducted using the sieving method. Patients were then randomly assigned to groups: control (two intra‐foraminal regular implants) and experimental (two intra‐foraminal regular implants and two extra‐short posterior implants) (n = 10 each). After 4 months, implants were splinted, and a new mandibular IOD was fabricated with bar/clip retention. Mastication was reassessed after 6, 12, and 48 months, and data analysed with repeated measures ANOVA and Sidak's post hoc (α = 0.05).

Results

Despite a loss of two patients per group, masticatory performance significantly improved after mandibular IOD installation (p = .031) in both groups (p = .670). A second improvement was observed after 6 months (p = .027), with no subsequent changes (p > .05). Swallowing threshold improvements were noted with IOD, and no discernible differences between groups were observed (p > .05).

Conclusion

Masticatory function significantly improved after mandibular IOD installation, with the number of implants demonstrating minimal influence.

Clinical Trial Registration

The present study was not registered in a public database, as mandated. It is important to note that the recommendation for registration was initiated in 2017 by the Committee of Medical Journal Editors, while patient inclusion in the research took place in 2016. Given that the data presented in this manuscript cover a follow‐up period of up to 4 years post‐surgical intervention, delayed registration was not feasible.
Early topical mitomycin‐C prevents stricture formation in children with caustic ingestion
Authors: Sawires Happy , Aeskander Ayman , El‐Sayed Manal , Marei Mohamed , Tarek Sara
Published: June 2024

Aim

Stricture formation is the most common remote complication of caustic ingestion. The aim of this study was evaluation of the efficacy of early topical endoscopic application of mitomycin C (MMC) in prevention of stricture formation after corrosive ingestion in children.

Methods

We enrolled 78 children with a history of caustic ingestion within 48 h in a prospective, randomised‐controlled study. Only 61 children completed the study and were classified into two groups: group A and B. After initial stabilisation, patients in group A (n = 30) received topical application of MMC within the initial 48 h while patients in group B (n = 31) only received conventional management. Follow‐up endoscopic dilatation was done every 2 weeks to patients in either group until no need for further dilatation.

Results

The barium study, which was done on the third week, revealed that all the patients (100%) on conservative management (group B) had strictures while only nine patients (30%) in group A had strictures (P < 0.001). The median number of dilatations required for patients in group B was 26 (min. = 23 and max. = 32) while in group A, it was 0 (min. = 0 and max. = 7) (P < 0.001). The success of early MMC application was complete response in 26 patients (86.7%), partial response in 3 patients (10%) and no response in 1 patient (3.3%). On the other side, conventional therapy with endoscopic dilatation achieved complete response in 11 patients (35.5%).

Conclusion

Early topical MMC application proved its efficacy and safety in prevention of scar and stricture formation in children following caustic ingestion.
Trends in hypnotic drug use in depression 2007–2017: A Swedish population‐based study
Authors: Nygren Adam , Brenner P. , Brandt L. , Karlsson P. , Eloranta S. , Reutfors J.
Published: June 2024

Insomnia is a common feature of depression; however, depression treatment guidelines provide limited recommendations regarding hypnotic drugs. Few studies have thoroughly investigated the use of hypnotic drugs in depression. In this cohort study using national Swedish registers, we included all patients ≥18 years with incident unipolar depression during 2007–2017. Patients were followed for 3 years, noting the annual and quarterly prevalence of hypnotic drug use from prescription fills. Prevalence ratios (PR) comparing 2017 to 2007 were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 222,077 patients with depression were included (mean age 41 years, 59% women). In the year following diagnosis, 44.1% used any hypnotic drug in 2017, compared with 46.7% in 2007 (PR 0.94, 95% CI 0.92–0.97). The most commonly used drugs were Z‐drugs (zopiclone, zolpidem, and zaleplon) with a prevalence of 27.6% in 2017 and 35.6% in 2007 (PR 0.78, 95% CI 0.75–0.80). Melatonin use increased sharply to 12.0% in 2017 from 0.4% in 2007 (PR 28.9, 95% CI 23.5–35.7). Hypnotic drug use was most prevalent in the first two quarters after diagnosis; however, after 3 years, the quarterly prevalence was still 19.2%. Hypnotics were more common among women, older patients, those with somatic comorbidities, more severe depression, or a history of suicide attempt. Evidence from this large register‐based study demonstrates that hypnotics were used to a large extent in depression in Sweden 2007–2017. Z‐drugs use declined and melatonin use increased dramatically. Hypnotic drug use remained high even 3 years after diagnosis.
Post‐Legitimate Society
Authors: Charles Will , Gunderson Ryan
Published: June 2024

We explore the role of moral, cognitive, and pragmatic legitimacy in reproducing the organization of two on‐demand labor platforms for couriers. Labor platforms are ideal cases to explore questions of legitimacy and institutional reproduction because they aspire towards automaticity. Since the 1970s, with the emergence of new production technologies and organizational forms, labor and work scholars have predicted a shift from the use of direct, coercive controls as a method to coordinate activity to more indirect, hegemonic, and normative methods of control. However, we find that in the case of the gig economy, platform firms are refuting the predictions of Post‐Fordist labor scholars, relying upon new forms of direct technological control as well as coercive, indirect market control, as opposed to shared norms and obligations, as methods for coordinating activity. We explore the implications of ‘post‐legitimate’ institutions, as well as the latent moral economy of gig workers as revealed through their critiques of the platform economy.
Gene flow throughout the evolutionary history of a colour polymorphic and generalist clownfish
Authors: Schmid Sarah , Bachmann Salvy Marianne , Garcia Jimenez Alberto , Bertrand Joris A. M. , Cortesi Fabio , Heim Sara , Huyghe Filip , Litsios Glenn , Marcionetti Anna , O'Donnell James L. , Riginos Cynthia , Tettamanti Valerio , Salamin Nicolas
Published: June 2024

Even seemingly homogeneous on the surface, the oceans display high environmental heterogeneity across space and time. Indeed, different soft barriers structure the marine environment, which offers an appealing opportunity to study various evolutionary processes such as population differentiation and speciation. Here, we focus on Amphiprion clarkii (Actinopterygii; Perciformes), the most widespread of clownfishes that exhibits the highest colour polymorphism. Clownfishes can only disperse during a short pelagic larval phase before their sedentary adult lifestyle, which might limit connectivity among populations, thus facilitating speciation events. Consequently, the taxonomic status of A. clarkii has been under debate. We used whole‐genome resequencing data of 67 A. clarkii specimens spread across the Indian and Pacific Oceans to characterize the species' population structure, demographic history and colour polymorphism. We found that A. clarkii spread from the Indo‐Pacific Ocean to the Pacific and Indian Oceans following a stepping‐stone dispersal and that gene flow was pervasive throughout its demographic history. Interestingly, colour patterns differed noticeably among the Indonesian populations and the two populations at the extreme of the sampling distribution (i.e. Maldives and New Caledonia), which exhibited more comparable colour patterns despite their geographic and genetic distances. Our study emphasizes how whole‐genome studies can uncover the intricate evolutionary past of wide‐ranging species with diverse phenotypes, shedding light on the complex nature of the species concept paradigm.
Influence of egg density on larval development and adult body size of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis)
Authors: Zellner Piper N. , Brown Lisa D.
Published: June 2024

Fleas (Siphonaptera) are holometabolous insects with larval and adult stages that exhibit vastly different ecologies from each other. Adult fleas are parasitic and feed exclusively on the blood of a vertebrate host, whereas flea larvae do not live on hosts and consume dried faecal blood from adult fleas. Because flea larvae rely on adult flea faeces for food, excrement and eggs must fall in the same location; thus, larval density is likely high in these restricted habitats. However, the influence of larval density on the subsequent adult stage has not been examined. In the present study, we utilized egg density to investigate density‐dependent effects on larval development and adult body size in the cat flea (Ctenocephalides felis Bouché) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). Specifically, eggs were collected to create three different larval densities (n = 50, 100 and 150 per 56.7 cm2), and hatched larvae from all groups were fed an excess amount of adult faecal pellets. Larval development was measured by recording the proportion of eggs that developed to the pupal stage and the proportion of eggs that reached adulthood (eclosion). The body size of eclosed adults was quantified for both sexes using head length and length of the total body. We found that the number of eggs had no effect on the proportion of larvae that pupated or the proportion of larvae that eclosed; however, higher egg densities resulted in larger body sizes for both sexes. Overall, these data yield significant insight into how the ecology of larval fleas impacts the biology of the resultant adults.
A patient with neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease developed encephalitis‐like symptoms after cerebral angiography
Authors: Koide Shin , Tsuboguchi Shintaro , Koide Shingo , Ninomiya Itaru , Saito Taiki , Ishiguro Takanobu , Saji Etsuji , Higuchi Yo , Ikeuchi Takeshi , Oishi Makoto , Kanazawa Masato , Onodera Osamu
Published: June 2024

Patients with neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) can present with encephalitis‐like symptoms such as recurrent paroxysmal fever and unconsciousness. To date, no specific triggers for these symptoms have been reported. In our case, an 78‐year‐old woman became unconscious and developed fever after cerebral angiography. The patient had experienced four episodes of unconsciousness and fever in the past 7 years. Postangiography, she immediately became unconscious and developed fever. No vascular abnormalities were found and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed expanding white matter lesions and hyperintense lesions along the corticomedullary junction. Genetic analysis revealed an abnormal GGC repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC. Thus, we diagnosed the patient with NIID. We suggest that cerebral angiography is a possible trigger for encephalitis‐like symptoms in NIID.
Perceived threat, compassion, and public evaluations toward refugees
Authors: Erisen Cengiz , Uysal Duygu Merve
Published: June 2024

Scholarly research on emotions tackles various domains, among which opposition to immigration ranks as socially and politically critical. While earlier literature captures distinct aspects of this domain, certain emotions are less studied than others, primarily compassion. By focusing on the unique role of compassion in comparison with anger and anxiety, we tackle how and under which conditions compassion changes social distancing and political preferences regarding refugees. Drawing on representative data collected in Turkey—the country with the highest number of Syrian refugees—we test whether feelings of compassion toward refugees can hold back the escalation in opposition to immigration as a result of heightened threat. Our results show that compassion functions as the key to lowering the negative effects of perceived threat in shaping refugees' social and political integration.
Deferral of blood donors who have ever stayed in a Trypanosoma cruzi endemic area: An international survey
Authors: Lewin Antoine , Tonnetti Laura , Renaud Christian , Drews Steven J. , Bloch Evan M. , O'Brien Sheila F. ,   the Parasite and Surveillance Risk Assessment and Policy Subgroups of the ISBT Working Party on Transfusion‐Transmitted Infectious Diseases
Published: June 2024

Background and Objectives

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease (CD), an anthropozoonosis from the American continent that progresses from an acute phase to an indeterminate phase, followed by a chronic symptomatic phase in around 30% of patients. In countries where T. cruzi is not endemic, many blood transfusion services test blood donors who have stayed in an endemic country (‘at‐risk stay’)—even if they do not present with other risk factors. However, the efficiency of this approach has been questioned.

Materials and Methods

On 18 September 2023, a worldwide survey was distributed among employees of blood transfusion services. The questions mainly pertained to CD's endemicity in the blood services' region, the current testing policy for T. cruzi and the number of confirmed positive results among donors with a prior at‐risk stay alone (i.e., without other risk factors for T. cruzi infection).

Results

Twenty‐six recipients completed the survey. Of the 22 (84.6%) blood services that operated in a non‐endemic region, 9 (42.9%) tested donors for T. cruzi, including 8 (88.9%) that considered the travel history or the duration of the stay (alone) in their testing algorithm (‘study blood services’). Over 93 years of observation among all study blood services, 2 donations from donors with an at‐risk stay alone and 299 from those with other risk factors were confirmed positive for T. cruzi.

Conclusion

The study findings question the utility of testing blood donors who have stayed in an endemic country without other risk factors.
A Robotic System With a Bendable Catheter for Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery
Authors: Hu Zhenxuan , Li Jinhua , Liu Xingchi , Wang Shuxin
Published: June 2024

Robotic laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS) is emerging as a hot research topic with the advancement of robotics. However, the movement of the rigid catheter inserted through a fixed incision into the patient's body cavity is constrained to a conical workspace, and the surgical instruments introduced through channels in the catheter can hardly perform necessary operations when the target tissue is close to the boundary of this workspace. In this paper, we present a novel robotic system for LESS with a bendable catheter. The diameter of the bendable catheter is 30 mm and the length is 22 mm. The bendable portion of the catheter provides two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) within the body cavity and can be bent up to 45 deg. The system consists of two continuum instruments with 6DOF and a three-dimensional endoscope with 5DOF. System design, kinematic analysis, and teleoperation algorithm are introduced in detail. The simulation shows that the catheter centerline can be oriented toward the target tissue over a large area, thus providing a better initial position for the surgical instruments and enlarging the workspace of the instruments. Preliminary experiments are performed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system. The results prove the applicability of the system in LESS.
Intriguing Brownian Diffusivity Characteristics of Complex Nanoparticles
Authors: Bhattacharya Sukalyan , Fossi Paula C.
Published: June 2024

This article reveals how apparently similar looking nanoparticles with same size, shape, and mass may exhibit widely varying Brownian diffusivity due to inherent features of nanoscale dynamics. Such variabilities may, in certain cases, reach order of magnitude fluctuations depending on the interfacial and bulk properties of the Brownian body. Accordingly, the theory explains several unanswered questions in connection to submicron systems including anomalous thermal properties of nanofluids and strangely varying transmittivities of biologically originated particulate droplets.
Hydrogen Powered Rail Traction Technology Review - The Pathways to Reduce the Rail Environmental Footprint
Authors: Barbosa Fábio C.
Published: June 2024

The rail sector, despite still having one of the lowest carbon footprints in the transport segment, is strongly committed with the world Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction efforts. To do so, there are multiple pathways, with one of the most effective option being the use of renewable hydrogen fuel for propulsion.

Following the rapid and intensive development of alternative traction and fuel technologies in other transport modes, mainly within the heavy duty road sector and the associated technological spillover, the hydrogen fueled internal combustion engines (H2ICE) and the hydrogen fuel cell (H2FC) systems have been set as important technologies to reduce the rail sector environmental footprint.

The H2ICE technology relies on the already mature and commercially available heavy duty internal combustion engine technological platform, which thermochemically converts the fuel energy into thermal energy for power generation. The H2 ICE have no carbon emissions, with just nitrogen oxides (NOx), emitted due to high-temperature hydrogen combustion with air and trace amounts of hydrocarbons (from the lubricating oil). The H2FC technology, in its turn, relies on an electrochemical reaction, in which the molecular hydrogen reacts with oxygen, producing electric energy, as well as water and heat as byproducts.

The main advantages of the H2ICE drivetrains are the reliance on the well proven and mature ICE technology, the great tolerance to fuel impurities and the low use of scarce materials, which ultimately might set them as a carbon-neutral bridging solution towards zero carbon rail powertrains. The H2FC powertrain, on the other hand, besides being an infant technology, also requires minimum levels of hydrogen purity, as well as the use of rare materials (such as the platinum for catalyst). Moreover, it also has inferior durability, compared to the ICE.

Besides the powertrain related topics, both technologies face the hydrogen production and onboard storage challenges, which might be properly addressed to make feasible the transition from fossil (diesel) fuel to hydrogen fueled rail powertrains.

This work, presents a review of the hydrogen fueled rail traction technologies, based on the public available data from technical papers and journals, showing the technology’s current status, as well as the technological required improvement pathways.
Simulation-Based Framework to Evaluate the Accident Performance of Novel Railroad Tank Cars
Authors: Gharzouzi Paul , Kirkpatrick Steven W. , Iannacone Leandro , Gardoni Paolo , Lin Chen-Yu , Treichel Todd , Barkan Chris P. L.
Published: June 2024

Designing safe tank cars carrying hazardous materials is necessary for effective and reliable operations of freight railroad transportation. Despite the increasing research efforts over the past 15 years to achieve such an objective, there are still many questions and challenges. This paper focuses on the assessment of the safety of novel railroad tank cars under general impact conditions in train accidents. This paper presents a simulation-based analytical framework to evaluate the accident performance of railroad tank cars under various rolling stock and operating environment features. The framework is based on a high-fidelity finite element (FE) model that captures the essential accident characteristics of trains in a derailment. The FE model includes key input parameters that can affect the derailment behavior of railcars, such as ground friction, embankment grade, and braking time. The model is validated with actual train derailments to ensure its accuracy and practicality. In addition, the framework leverages data collected from the physical testing of tank cars and insights obtained from statistical analyses of historical train derailments. As such, the framework enables a more accurate evaluation of the risk and performance of tank cars during derailments. Whether for existing or new trains, metrics such as the expected number of cars derailed, the conditional probability of tank car release, and the peak impact force during train derailments can be obtained using this framework. As an illustration, the proposed simulation-based framework is used to evaluate the three real-case train derailments.
Why CBTC at Metro?: A Technical Case Study
Authors: Hofbauer John , Sundaram Narayana
Published: June 2024

The Next-Generation Signaling (NextGen) Program will replace the existing Metrorail train control system with a state-of-the-art Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) system and potentially introduce Platform Screen Doors (PSDs). NextGen is a transformative program, bringing CBTC improvements to the entire future fleet of railcars, PSDs to platform edges, and upgrades in the Metro Integrated Command & Communications Center (MICC).

The NextGen program is aimed at achieving several of Metro’s goals outlined in the agency’s Strategic Transformation Plan (STP) targeted at improving service excellence, creating regional partnerships and sustainability. The program’s goals are to provide the operations team and our customers with improved reliability, safety, capacity, and reduce long term maintenance costs associated with the train control system. The challenges of the current ATC system are: track circuit failures due to dissimilar rail, traction power return system, failing and obsolete components, cabling etc. CBTC will introduce concepts of new engineering solutions which are modular and provide design redundancy. This evolving technology can provide improved maintenance functionality that reports degraded communications, centralized architecture, improved performance under low adhesion conditions, and reduced trip times using granular speed control. The paper will compare the current ATC speed control system mapped to the existing physical characteristics of the Right Of Way in parallel with the improved functionality provided by CBTC.
Healthy and Defective Tapered Roller Bearing Temperature Metrics
Authors: Tarawneh Constantine , Martinez America , Adame Mia , Garcia Samantha , Pams Jeffery , Pena Curtis
Published: June 2024

The condition monitoring of bearings and wheels is pivotal in ensuring the safe and efficient transport of freight within the railway industry. Bearing seizures remains an issue that can lead to catastrophic train derailments, affirming the importance of effective monitoring practices. Existing wayside detection devices, such as Hot Bearing Detectors (HBDs) and Trackside Acoustic Detection Systems (TADS™), track, respectively, the operating temperature and acoustic emissions of bearings at discrete intervals as trains pass by these systems. However, these systems have demonstrated inaccuracies in fault detection causing unnecessary and costly train stoppages and delays. Furthermore, bearing operating temperatures have exhibited random trending events associated with roller misalignments in the absence of defects. This work aims to provide the rail industry and stakeholders with comprehensive bearing operating temperatures for healthy and defective bearings at typical rail service operating conditions. The data presents two decades worth of laboratory experiments performed on AAR Class F and K railroad bearings and includes bearings with defective cup (outer ring) and cone (inner ring) raceways of varying severity. Interestingly, the data shows that bearings with relatively small defects operate at temperatures indistinguishable from healthy bearings. This raises concerns regarding the ability of HBDs to identify and detect faulty bearings with sufficient time to perform preventative maintenance. Nevertheless, the data presented provides the railroads with insight into healthy and defective bearing temperature metrics.
Feature Extraction From Vibration Signature Required From Railroad Bearing Onboard Condition Monitoring Sensor Modules
Authors: Quaye Kevin , Xu Ping , Dera Dimah , Foltz Heinrich , Tarawneh Constantine , Diaz Alberto
Published: June 2024

From 2013 to 2022, 1671 derailments have been reported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), 8.2% of which were due to journal bearing defects. The University Transportation Center for Railway Safety (UTCRS) designed an onboard monitoring system that tracks vibration waveforms over time to assess bearing health through three analysis levels. However, the speed of the bearing, a fundamental parameter for these analyses, is often acquired from Global Positioning System (GPS) data, which is typically not available at the sensor location. To solve this issue, this paper proposes to employ Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to extract the speed and other essential features from existing vibration data, eliminating the need for additional speed sensors. Specifically, the proposed method tries to extract the speed information from the signatures that are embedded in the Power Spectral Density (PSD) plot, which enables rapid real-time analysis of bearings while the train is in motion. The rapid extraction of data could be sent to a cloud accessible by train dispatchers and railcar owners for assessment of bearings and scheduling of replacements before defects reach a dangerous size. Eventually, the developed algorithm will reduce derailments and unplanned field replacements and afford rail stakeholders more cost-effective preventive maintenance.
Hybrid magnon-phonon localization enhances function near ferroic glassy states
Authors: Manley Michael E. , Stonaha Paul J. , Bruno Nickolaus M. , Karaman Ibrahim , Arroyave Raymundo , Chi Songxue , Abernathy Douglas L. , Stone Matthew B. , Chumlyakov Yuri I. , Lynn Jeffrey W.
Published: June 2024

Ferroic materials on the verge of forming ferroic glasses exhibit heightened functionality that is often attributed to competing long- and short-range correlations. However, the physics underlying these enhancements is not well understood. The Ni
45
Co
5
Mn
36.6
In
13.4
Heusler alloy is on the edge of forming both spin and strain glasses and exhibits magnetic field–induced shape memory and large magnetocaloric effects, making it a candidate for multicaloric cooling applications. We show using neutron scattering that localized magnon-phonon hybrid modes, which are inherently spread across reciprocal space, act as a bridge between phonons and magnons and result in substantial magnetic field–induced shifts in the phonons, triple the caloric response, and alter phase stability. We attribute these modes to the localization of phonons and magnons by antiphase boundaries coupled to magnetic domains. Because the interplay between short- and long-range correlations is common near ferroic glassy states, our work provides general insights on how glassiness enhances function.
A firm-push-to-open and light-push-to-lock strategy for a general chemical platform to develop activatable dual-modality NIR-II probes
Authors: Shen Lili , Li Jian , Wen Chenglong , Wang Hao , Liu Nian , Su Xinhui , Chen Jianzhong , Li Xin
Published: June 2024

Activatable near-infrared (NIR) imaging in the NIR-II range is crucial for deep tissue bioanalyte tracking. However, designing such probes remains challenging due to the limited availability of general chemical strategies. Here, we introduced a foundational platform for activatable probes, using analyte-triggered smart modulation of the π-conjugation system of a NIR-II–emitting rhodamine hybrid. By tuning the nucleophilicity of the ortho-carboxy moiety, we achieved an electronic effect termed “firm-push-to-open and light-push-to-lock,” which enables complete spirocyclization of the probe before sensing and allows for efficient zwitterion formation when the light-pushing aniline carbamate trigger is transformed into a firm-pushing aniline. This platform produces dual-modality NIR-II imaging probes with ~50-fold fluorogenic and activatable photoacoustic signals in live mice, surpassing reported probes with generally below 10-fold activatable signals. Demonstrating generality, we successfully designed probes for hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) and hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S). We envision a widespread adoption of the chemical platform for designing activatable NIR-II probes across diverse applications.
Frank-Kasper–like network phase from self-assembly of high-χ star-block copolymers
Authors: Chang Cheng-Yen , Manesi Gkreti-Maria , Wang Wei-En , Hung Yu-Chueh , Avgeropoulos Apostolos , Ho Rong-Ming
Published: June 2024

By taking advantage of the effects of solvent selectivity and topology on high-χ block copolymer (BCP) for self-assembly, network phases with high packing frustration can be formed in self-assembled polystyrene-
b
-polydimethylsiloxane (PS-
b
-PDMS). Apart from gyroid with trigonal structure and diamond with tetrahedral structure, a peculiar network phase with space group of

Pm

3
¯

n

(Frank-Kasper structure) can be found in six-arm star-block PS-
b
-PDMS as evidenced by small-angle x-ray scattering. Electron tomography results reveal the network phase with alternating connection of three and four struts. The observed phase behaviors suggest that the network formation is built from the bisectors of dispersive spheres in the Frank-Kasper phase, instead of building connections among them, and thus decipher the origins of complex phase formation due to the adaptive character of malleable mesoatoms.