bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resistance profile ofEscherichia coliisolated from stool, feed, and compost sources to antibiotics in Sukabumi
Authors: Paramitadevi Yudith Vega , Priadi Cindy Rianti , Rahmatika Iftita , Rukmana Andriansjah , Moersidik Setyo Sarwanto
Published: February 2024

Antibiotic-resistantE. coliis a growing concern in various settings, but environmental studies are rare compared to clinical research on human and animal health. This study aimed to identify the prevalence ofE. colibacteria resistant to different antibiotics in the environment by examiningE. coliresistant to cefotaxime isolated from ruminant stool, feed, and compost. The phenotyping test was conducted through antibiotic susceptibility test using Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method, followed by the One-Way variance (ANOVA) analysis of the antibiotic susceptibility test results. Of the 12 isolates exposed to cefotaxime, six showed resistance to this antibiotic, and all isolates, including those resistant to cefotaxime, were resistant to eight out of ten types of antibiotics. All isolates had resistance to at least two to five types of antibiotics. The phenotypic pattern between fecal isolates and non-fecal isolates did not differ significantly, except for the antibiotics amoxicillin (p≤0.05) and ampicillin (p≤0.05). The overlapping resistance patterns observed in animal feed, animal stool, and compost suggest a potential link between their microbiological compositions.
Characteristics of air exposure in welding workshop workers
Authors: Ahmad Eka Fitriani , Yulizar Yoki , Lestari Puji , Oginawati Khatarina , Santoso Muhayatun
Published: February 2024

Welding activities contribute to Indoor Air Pollution (IAP), and without proper control measures, they can pose health risks to workers. The goal of this research is to analyze indoor air quality, including CO, CO2, humidity, temperature, Total Suspended Particulate (TSP), and heavy metal composition, during 8 hours of welding activities. This study employed an experimental method using personal dust monitoring equipment worn by workers during 8 hour welding shifts. Environmental parameters such as CO2, CO, temperature, and humidity were measured using Si-AQ Pro. The results indicated that CO2, CO, temperature, and humidity concentrations in location 1 were higher than in location 2 but remained below the permissible exposure limits based on occupational health and safety regulations (Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Regulation No. 13/Year/x/2011) for carbon monoxide. The dominant heavy metal exposures during welding were Fe and Zn, with other heavy metals including Al, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb. These nine heavy metals remained below the ACGIH threshold limits. In conclusion, preventive measures such as improved ventilation can effectively reduce indoor air pollutant concentrations.
Clarifying the origin of second-harmonic generation from an epsilon-near-zero flim-coupled plasmonic nanoparticle-on-mirror system by size-dependence properties
Authors: Zhang Yunfei , Gao Fuhua , Yang Fan
Published: February 2024

We conduct a comprehensive numerical investigation on the size-dependence properties of second harmonic generation (SHG) from an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) film-coupled plasmonic nanoparticle on-mirror (NPoM) system. The distinct size dependence of gold and indium-tin-oxide (ITO) leads to the existence of a critical point where the SHGs from these two materials are balanced. This study offers valuable guidance in the design of plasmonic systems containing ENZ materials for enhancing SHG.
Dynamic analysis of an internal combustion engine made in downsizing technology
Authors: Liss Michał , Martynyuk Valeriy , Martinod Ronald
Published: February 2024

Decisions made today in the automotive industry clearly indicate the inevitable end of the last resort for combustion engines, which were small-capacity engines made in line with the idea of downsizing. Certainly, one of the characteristic features of these engines will be maintaining the same power and torque with fewer cylinders, the best proof of which is the Twin Air technology engine proposed by Fiat. The consequence of this action was incomparably greater vibrations compared to classic, four-cylinder combustion engines. This article presents an analysis of various dynamic states of a small-capacity engine made using downsizing technology.
Simultaneous mandibular advancement, maxilla-mandibular all-on-four and immediate loading: a case report
Authors: Pham Ba Lam , Pascual Dimitri
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Full arch reconstruction with dental implants is considered as a reference for dental rehabilitation. However, there are some limitations with patient affected by severe maxilla, mandible atrophy and dento-skeletal-disharmony. These defaults can be corrected with orthognathic surgery and several bone grafts. Observations: A partially edentulous 65-year-old female patient with a skeletal class II by mandibular retrognathia was treated with mandibular advancement osteotomy and simultaneous insertion of four fully guided implants with immediate screwed zirconia prostheses loading in just one session. Conclusion: Simultaneous bilateral sagittal split osteotomy with a full arch rehabilitation by implant with immediate loading by zirconia prosthesis seems to be a reliable and predictable approach to treat skeletal class II patient with a fixed solution. Virtual planning was compulsory to be able to perform this surgery with accuracy.
Systematisches Rehaprogramm für Handballtorhüter mit chronischen Ellenbogenproblemen
Authors: van Maanen-Coppens Linda
Published: February 2024

Handballtorhüter haben oft Probleme mit dem Ellenbogen. Linda van Maanen-Coppens hat untersucht, wie man diesen Beschwerden vorbeugen kann.
Return to Sport nach Handgelenkverletzungen
Authors: Oberhofer Ralf
Published: February 2024

Nach einer Sportverletzung am Handgelenk ist ein frühzeitiges und gezieltes therapeutisches Handeln gefragt. Propriozeptive und sportspezifische Trainingsformen sowie ein progressiver Belastungsaufbau unterstützen den Rehabilitationsverlauf. Das Ziel ist eine erfolgreiche Rückkehr zum Sport bis hin zur Wettkampfbelastung.
Ferroptosis: A Frontier in Osteoporosis
Authors: Maheshwari Shubhrat , Singh Aditya , Verma Amita
Published: February 2024

Reduced bone mass and degeneration of the microarchitecture of bone tissue are
the hallmarks of osteoporosis, a bone metabolic disease that increases skeletal
fragility and fracture susceptibility. Osteoporosis is primarily caused by
unbalanced bone remodeling, in which bone synthesis is outpaced by bone
resorption caused by osteoclasts. Along with the bone-building vitamins calcium
and vitamin D, typical medications for treating osteoporosis include
bisphosphonates and calcitonin. The present therapies effectively stop
osteoclast activation that is too high, however they come with varying degrees
of negative effects. Numerous factors can contribute to osteoporosis, which is
characterized by a loss of bone mass and density due to the deterioration of the
bone’s microstructure, which makes the bone more fragile. As a result,
it is a systemic bone condition that makes patients more likely to fracture.
Interest in the function of ferroptosis in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis
is developing. In this review, we go through the shape of the cell, the
fundamental mechanisms of ferroptosis, the relationship between osteoclasts and
osteoblasts, the association between ferroptosis and diabetic osteoporosis,
steroid-induced osteoporosis, and the relationship between ferroptosis and
postmenopausal osteoporosis. The functions of ferroptosis and osteoporosis in
cellular function, signaling cascades, pharmacological inhibition, and gene
silencing have been better understood thanks to recent advances in biomedical
research.
Die Intelligenz der Pflanzen
Authors: Dorstewitz Hartmut
Published: February 2024

Einige Pflanzenstoffe wirken ähnlich wie Antibiotika. Diese sogenannten Phytobiotika können Bakterien und – im Gegensatz zu Antibiotika – auch Viren unschädlich machen. Neben antibakteriellen und antiviralen Eigenschaften haben die verschiedenen Heilpflanzen noch weitere Effekte. So wirkt Salbei zum Beispiel adstringierend, Kamille antiphlogistisch, wundheilungsfördernd und analgetisch, Thymian oder Primel schleimhautregenerierend und Efeu spasmolytisch bzw. antiobstruktiv. Heilpflanzen kommen unter anderem bei grippalen Infekten, Atemwegserkrankungen, Ohrentzündungen und Magen-Darm-Infekten zum Einsatz.
Periostin Promotes the Proliferation, Differentiation and
Mineralization of Osteoblasts from Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Yan Jun , Wang Zidong , Xian Li , Wang Dawei , Chen Yunzhen , Bai Jie , Liu Hai-juan
Published: February 2024

Perimenopausal period causes a significant amount of bone loss, which results in
primary osteoporosis (OP). The Periostin (Postn) may play important roles in the
pathogenesis of OP after ovariectomized (OVX) rats. To identify the roles of
Postn in the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell derived osteoblasts (BMSC-OB) in
OVX rats, we investigated the expression of Wnt/β-catenin
signaling pathways in BMSC-OB and the effects of Postn on bone formation by
development of BMSC-OB cultures. Twenty-four female Sprague–Dawley rats
at 6 months were randomized into 3 groups: sham-operated (SHAM) group, OVX group
and OVX+Postn group. The rats were killed after 3 months, and their
bilateral femora and tibiae were collected for BMSC-OB culture, Micro-CT
Analysis, Bone Histomorphometric Measurement, Transmission Electron Microscopy
and Immunohistochemistry Staining. The dose/time-dependent effects of
Postn on the proliferation, differentiation and mineralization of BMSC-OB and
the expression of osteoblastic markers were measured in in vitro experiments. We
found increased Postn increased bone mass, promoted bone formation of
trabeculae, Wnt signaling and the osteogenic activity in osteoblasts in
sublesional femur. Postn have the function to enhance cell proliferation,
differentiation and mineralization at a proper concentration and incubation
time. Interestingly, in BMSC-OB from OVX rats treated with the different dose of
Postn, the osteoblastic markers expression and Wnt/β-catenin
signaling pathways were significantly promoted. The direct effect of Postn may
lead to inhibit excessive bone resorption and increase bone formation through
the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways after OVX. Postn may play a
very important role in the pathogenesis of OP after OVX.
Assessment of Microhardness of Bulk-Fill Class II Resin Composite Restorations Performed by Preclinical Students: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Hassan Ali Abdel-Halim Abdel-Azim , Sindi Abdulelah Sameer , Atout Abeer Mohamed , Morsy Mohamed SM , Mattoo Khurshid A. , Obulareddy Vishnu Teja , Mathur Ankita , Mehta Vini
Published: February 2024

Objectives A comparable performance between bulk-fill composites (BFCs) and progressively inserted conventional resin composite (CRC) has been observed in previous studies. However, a significant number of dental institutions in India continue to employ incremental techniques for RC restorations during preclinical studies. But as BFCs are gaining popularity, they may soon be a part of the curriculum for dental students. The aim of this study was to assess the microhardness and the polymerization efficiency of bulk-fill composites versus CRC in class II slot preparations restored by second-year dental students on ivorine mandibular first molar teeth with high-intensity (HI) and low-intensity (LI) light-curing units using the standard mesial slot preparation technique.

Material and Methods Fifty preclinical dental students of second year of a dental college were recruited for the study on a voluntary basis. During their preclinical instructions, all participants were taught and made to practice the handling and curing techniques for two-surface RC restorations for 4 months. Each student was asked to perform four RC restorations: CRC-HI, CRC-LI, BFC-HI, and BFC LI. Assessment of microhardness was done using the Vickers microhardness (VMH) test.

Statistical analysis One-way and multivariate analysis of variance and Bonferroni 's post hoc test tests were used for data analysis.

Results The results showed a significant decrease in the VMH readings in the horizontal axis, progressing from the uppermost to the lowermost positions (p > 0.05). In all the examined groups, the VMH values at the deepest reading locations were found to be higher than 80% of the values observed at the occlusal surface reading locations. Statistically significant associations were seen between the RC type and the light source used in the VMH readings conducted (p > 0.05). However, no significant correlation was identified between the type of light source and the vertical VMH readings (p > 0.05).

Conclusion Instructing dental students to place RC restorations using CRC or BFC materials together with both HI and LI light-curing protocols is safe and can be considered for preclinical studies.
Developing 3D-Printed Wrist Splints for Distal Radius and Scaphoid Fractures
Authors: Tobler-Ammann Bernadette , Schuind Frédéric , Voillat Loïc , Gentilhomme Théophile , Vögelin Esther , Murith Noé , Masserey Bernard
Published: February 2024

Background The purpose of this study is to optimize conservative treatment of distal radius and scaphoid fracture, in terms of comfort, fracture stabilization, and prevention of cast complications.

Description of Technique Advances in additive manufacturing have allowed the development of patient-specific anatomical braces (PSABs) which have the potential to fulfill this purpose. Our specific aims were to develop a model of PSAB, adapted to fracture care, to evaluate if this brace would be well tolerated by healthy volunteers and to determine its mechanical properties as compared with conventional methods of wrist immobilization.

Materials and Methods Several three-dimensional-printed splint prototypes were designed by mechanical engineers based on surgeons' and hand therapists' clinical expertise. These experimental braces underwent testing in a preclinical study involving 10 healthy volunteers, assessing comfort, satisfaction, and activities. The final prototype was mechanically compared with a conventional cast and a prefabricated splint, testing different closing systems. A mathematical algorithm was created to automatically adapt the final PSAB model to the patient's anatomy.

Results The final prototype achieved an overall satisfaction score of 79%, weighing less than 90 g, made from polyamide, and fixed using hook and loop straps. The PSAB stiffness varied between 0.64 and 0.99 Nm/degree, surpassing the performance of both conventional plaster casts and prefabricated splints.

Conclusion The final wrist PSAB model, adapted for fracture treatment, is lightweight, comfortable, and provides anatomical contention. It is currently being tested for the treatment of stable distal radius and scaphoid fractures in comparison to conventional plaster cast.
Concurrent Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia and Deep Vein Thrombosis of a Limb in Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report
Authors: Kartamihardja Achmad Hafiedz Azis , Pranata Raymond , Suriyanto Margareta Ginanti Ratna Indraswari , Tiksnadi Badai Bhatara , Hidayat Syarief
Published: February 2024

Concurrent thrombus formation in both the arterial and venous systems is rare and present as a diagnostic challenge in these cases; therefore, we must explore various possible etiologies and mechanisms. Herein, we report a case of concurrent chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of a limb in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and chronic heart failure who underwent laboratory examinations and multimodality imaging. A 37-year-old male presented with a complaint of pain and swelling of the lower left extremity since 21 days before admission. Echocardiography showed dilated all chambers with ejection fraction, moderate-to-severe pericardial effusion, and no intracardiac shunt. Doppler ultrasound of the lower extremities showed DVT at the left mid-femoral and popliteal vein, severe stenosis at the left dorsalis pedis artery, moderate stenosis of the left popliteal, anterior, and posterior tibial arteries, and soft tissue swelling in the tibial region. Computed tomography angiography showed significant stenosis of the left popliteal, anterior, and posterior tibial arteries. The patient was diagnosed with CLTI and DVT of the left inferior extremity, heart failure, SLE, and tuberculous meningitis on antituberculosis medication. Primary amputation was performed, and the patient was discharged uneventfully.

Concurrent CLTI and DVT in the same limb caused by SLE and heart failure is a rare condition. In this case, the probable causes were hypercoagulable state and vasculitis. Despite exhaustive attempts, the exact mechanism was not fully elucidated in this patient. However, we excluded other possible causes that require specific intervention, such as intracardiac shunt or phlegmasia cerulea dolens.
Formative Ideas of the National University: A Thematic Analysis of Texts from the Long 19th Century
Authors: Bengson Nex
Published: February 2024

For the most part, the concept of the “national university” possess significant overlaps with the public/state, civic, and flagship university. Toward enriching the conceptual toolkit of higher education, this study explores what has been meant by a 'national university' and how could we identify such an organization empirically. Through a thematic analysis of a digital corpus in English, the study identifies four substantive themes that characterize the national university as it was articulated during the formative period of the nation-state. The core themes of such a concept include functioning as a tool for state development in terms of human capital, cultural identity, and social networks; serving as a nation’s most advanced learning institution; providing meritocratic higher education without discrimination and in consideration of subnational divisions; and possessing a definite link with the central government. Comparing these findings with closely related organizational models in higher education, a key difference of the national university is in its role in articulating a national identity through providing advanced education that is particularly inclusive of subnational divisions. The paper further forwards two contrasting empirical approaches to the national university: a historical–legal de jure approach and a sociocultural de facto approach.
A recent gibbon ape leukemia virus germline integration in a rodent from New Guinea
Authors: Mottaghinia Saba , Stenzel Saskia , Tsangaras Kyriakos , Nikolaidis Nikolas , Laue Michael , Müller Karin , Hölscher Henriette , Löber Ulrike , McEwen Gayle K. , Donnellan Stephen C. , Rowe Kevin C. , Aplin Ken P. , Goffinet Christine , Greenwood Alex D.
Published: February 2024

Germline colonization by retroviruses results in the formation of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs). Most colonization’s occurred millions of years ago. However, in the Australo-Papuan region (Australia and New Guinea), several recent germline colonization events have been discovered
.
The Wallace Line separates much of Southeast Asia from the Australo-Papuan region restricting faunal and pathogen dispersion. West of the Wallace Line, gibbon ape leukemia viruses (GALVs) have been isolated from captive gibbons. Two microbat species from China appear to have been infected naturally. East of Wallace’s Line, the woolly monkey virus (a GALV) and the closely related koala retrovirus (KoRV) have been detected in eutherians and marsupials in the Australo-Papuan region, often vertically transmitted. The detected vertically transmitted GALV-like viruses in Australo-Papuan fauna compared to sporadic horizontal transmission in Southeast Asia and China suggest the GALV-KoRV clade originates in the former region and further models of early-stage genome colonization may be found. We screened 278 samples, seven bat and one rodent family endemic to the Australo-Papuan region and bat and rodent species found on both sides of the Wallace Line. We identified two rodents (
Melomys
) from Australia and Papua New Guinea and no bat species harboring GALV-like retroviruses.
Melomys leucogaster
from New Guinea harbored a genomically complete replication-competent retrovirus with a shared integration site among individuals. The integration was only present in some individuals of the species indicating this retrovirus is at the earliest stages of germline colonization of the
Melomys
genome, providing a new small wild mammal model of early-stage genome colonization.
Geometric approach for determining stationary phase points in radar imaging
Authors: Luomei Yixiang , Yin Tiantian , Tan Kai , Chen Xudong
Published: February 2024

This paper proposes a geometric approach to find out the stationary phase points in radar imaging, namely the coordinates of the transmitting and the receiving antennas that have the greatest contribution to a specified point in the wavenumber spectrum of the scattered field. The foundation of the proposed approach is that, the Green’s function can be approximated by a locally plane wave when the distance between the individual antennas and the object is much larger than the wavelength. In this way, the stationary phase points can be easily found through geometric calculations, much more convenient than the prevailing algebraic approach of letting the first derivative of the phase term to be zero. Six examples for different propagation backgrounds and antenna setups are provided in this paper. It is demonstrated that, the proposed method is beneficial in eliminating extraneous roots of the stationary phase points, which could be generated by letting the first derivative of the phase term to be zero in the stationary phase method.
Metamaterial control of the surface acoustic wave streaming jet
Authors: Pouya C , Nash G R
Published: February 2024

The phenomenon of surface acoustic wave (SAW) streaming, where a streaming jet is created, occurs when an SAW propagating on the surface of a solid interacts with water, and underpins the increasingly important area of SAW microfluidics. A key characteristic of the streaming jet is the Rayleigh angle, i.e. the angle at which the jet is formed relative to the surface normal of the solid, which is determined by the ratio of the velocity of the acoustic wave in the fluid and in the solid. Although the ability to dynamically tune this angle would offer a novel tool for microfluidic control, the SAW velocity is normally fixed by the characteristics of the solid and liquid material properties. In this paper we show, using finite element method modelling, that changing the SAW Rayleigh wave phase velocity by patterning a metamaterial array, consisting of square annular holes, onto the surface of an SAW device can change the acoustic streaming Rayleigh angle by approximately a factor of two, in good agreement with calculations based on the change in velocity.
Experimental study on the life and performance of an improved DC arc plasma torch
Authors: Hu Ya-Hao , Sun Su-Rong , Meng Xian , Huang He-Ji , Wang Hai-Xing
Published: February 2024

A novel DC arc plasma torch is designed in this paper in order to reduce the electrode erosion, and a series of experiments are carried out to investigate how to improve the lifetime and performance of the nitrogen DC arc plasma torch. The analysis of voltage characteristics of the plasma torch indicates that the interelectrode insert can increase the average arc voltage and the sudden expansion structure can reduce the voltage fluctuation, which is helpful to improve the working stability to some extent. The spectrum characteristics at the plasma torch outlet and the cold flow simulations show that the dual shielding gas mainly act near the anode and can effectively cover the entire anode wall. Combining the shielding gas distribution with anode heat transfer processes in argon and nitrogen plasma torch, it is inferred that argon shielding gas plays an important role on reducing the anode heat transfer processes in nitrogen plasma torch, which can effectively suppress the anode erosion. The life testing experimental results find that there is no significant erosion of the cathode, anode, and interelectrode insert after cumulative working time exceeding 20 h. The maximum nitrogen plasma jet length can reach ∼35 mm with the outlet jet temperature of about 20 000 K at the current of 100 A and nitrogen gas flow rate of 10 slm. The maximum average specific enthalpy and thermal efficiency are respectively about 14 MJ kg−1 and 75% in the nitrogen plasma torch. Therefore, this newly designed DC arc plasma torch not only can suppress the electrode erosion but also has good working performance, which is expected to have excellent application prospects.
Exploring thermal properties of PbSnTeSe and PbSnTeS high entropy alloys with machine-learned potentials
Authors: Chang Chun-Ming
Published: February 2024

Lattice thermal conductivity plays an important role in material science, especially significant in thermoelectric materials. Recent research has unveiled the potential of high entropy alloys (HEAs) as good candidates for thermoelectric materials due to their notably low lattice thermal conductivity. This study investigates the lattice thermal conductivities of two specific HEAs, namely PbSnTeSe and PbSnTeS, through the application of molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) with machine-learned potentials. The findings not only demonstrate substantial agreement with experimental results for PbSnTeSe but also highlight the precision and efficiency of machine-learned potentials as a powerful tool in material research. The combination of machine-learned potentials with classical MDS offers an effective solution for simulating the thermodynamic properties of complicated systems like HEAs, with accuracy comparable to first-principle calculations. Furthermore, the investigation reveals that the lattice thermal conductivities of PbSnTeS are lower than those of PbSnTeSe, indicating its potential as a promising candidate for thermoelectric materials.
Multiparametric MR-based radiomics fusion combined with quantitative stratified ADC-defined tumor habitats for differentiating TNBC versus non-TNBC
Authors: Zhang Wanli , Liang Fangrong , Zhao Yue , Li Jiamin , He Chutong , Zhao Yandong , Lai Shengsheng , Xu Yongzhou , Ding Wenshuang , Wei Xinhua , Jiang Xinqing , Yang Ruimeng , Zhen Xin
Published: February 2024

Objective. To investigate the incremental value of quantitative stratified apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) defined tumor habitats for differentiating triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) from non-TNBC on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) based feature-fusion radiomics (RFF) model. Approach. 466 breast cancer patients (54 TNBC, 412 non-TNBC) who underwent routine breast MRIs in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from whole tumor on T2WI, diffusion-weighted imaging, ADC maps and the 2nd phase of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Four models including the RFF model (fused features from all MRI sequences), RADC model (ADC radiomics feature), StratifiedADC model (tumor habitas defined on stratified ADC parameters) and combinational RFF-StratifiedADC model were constructed to distinguish TNBC versus non-TNBC. All cases were randomly divided into a training (n = 337) and test set (n = 129). The four competing models were validated using the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Main results. Both the RFF and StratifiedADC models demonstrated good performance in distinguishing TNBC from non-TNBC, with best AUCs of 0.818 and 0.773 in the training and test sets. StratifiedADC model revealed significant different tumor habitats (necrosis/cysts habitat, chaotic habitat or proliferative tumor core) between TNBC and non-TNBC with its top three discriminative parameters (p < 0.05). The integrated RFF-StratifiedADC model demonstrated superior accuracy over the other three models, with higher AUCs of 0.832 and 0.784 in the training and test set, respectively (p < 0.05). Significance. The RFF-StratifiedADC model through integrating various tumor habitats’ information from whole-tumor ADC maps-based StratifiedADC model and radiomics information from mpMRI-based RFF model, exhibits tremendous promise for identifying TNBC.
TdDS-UNet: top-down deeply supervised U-Net for the delineation of 3D colorectal cancer
Authors: Chen Shuchao , Xie Fei , Chen Shenghuan , Liu Shanshan , Li Haojiang , Gong Qiong , Ruan Guangying , Liu Lizhi , Chen Hongbo
Published: February 2024

Automatically delineating colorectal cancers with fuzzy boundaries from 3D images is a challenging task, but the problem of fuzzy boundary delineation in existing deep learning-based methods have not been investigated in depth. Here, an encoder–decoder-based U-shaped network (U-Net) based on top-down deep supervision (TdDS) was designed to accurately and automatically delineate the fuzzy boundaries of colorectal cancer. TdDS refines the semantic targets of the upper and lower stages by mapping ground truths that are more consistent with the stage properties than upsampling deep supervision. This stage-specific approach can guide the model to learn a coarse-to-fine delineation process and improve the delineation accuracy of fuzzy boundaries by gradually shrinking the boundaries. Experimental results showed that TdDS is more customizable and plays a role similar to the attentional mechanism, and it can further improve the capability of the model to delineate colorectal cancer contours. A total of 103, 12, and 29 3D pelvic magnetic resonance imaging volumes were used for training, validation, and testing, respectively. The comparative results indicate that the proposed method exhibits the best comprehensive performance, with a dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.805 ± 0.053 and a hausdorff distance (HD) of 9.28 ± 5.14 voxels. In the delineation performance analysis section also showed that 44.49% of the delineation results are satisfactory and do not require revisions. This study can provide new technical support for the delineation of 3D colorectal cancer. Our method is open source, and the code is available at https://github.com/odindis/TdDS/tree/main.
Utilization of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) in children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases: a systematic review
Authors: Santiago Leandro Narciso , Martins Priscila Custódio , Silva Diego Augusto Santos
Published: February 2024

Introduction. Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) emerges as a technique that utilizes raw parameters of bioelectrical impedance analysis and assumes the use of a reference population for information analysis. Objective. To summarize the reference values, main studies objectives, approaches, pre-test recommendations and technical characteristics of the devices employed in studies utilizing BIVA among children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases. Methods. A systematic search was conducted in nine electronic databases (CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, SciELO, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Science Direct, MEDLINE, and Web of Science). Studies with different designs which allowed extracting information regarding reference values of BIVA in children and adolescents without diagnosed diseases, aged 19 years or younger, were included. The systematic review followed PRISMA procedures and was registered in PROSPERO (registration: CRD42023391069). Results. After applying the eligibility criteria, 36 studies were included. Twenty studies (55.6%) analyzed body composition using BIVA, thirteen studies (36.1%) aimed to establish reference values for BIVA, and three studies (8.3%) investigated the association of physical performance with BIVA. There was heterogeneity regarding the reference populations employed by the studies. Fifteen studies used their own sample as a reference (41.6%), four studies used the adult population as a reference (11.1%), and five studies used reference values from athletes (13.9%). Conclusion. Nutricional status and body composition were the main studies objectives. References values were not always adequate or specific for the sample and population. Furthermore, there was no pattern of pre-test recommendations among the studies.
Improved light extraction efficiency of AlGaN DUV light emitting diodes using Al/MgF2-based highly reflective film
Authors: Li Peishan , Huang Xiaoyue , Yang Yuqing , Xia Zhenghao , Wang Qiao , Chen Hang , Wang Xingfu
Published: February 2024

AlGaN DUV light emitting diodes (DUV-LEDs) (275 nm emission) are safe, eco-friendly and smart alternatives for inactivating viruses and bacteria. However, DUV-LEDs suffer from the main bottleneck of low external quantum efficiencies, which are strongly associated with the low light extraction efficiency caused by the strong optical polarisation of Al-rich AlGaN. Optical simulation results show that the luminous intensity of DUV-LEDs was increased by 10% owing to the synergistic effect of the sidewalls and substrates. The optical power of DUV-LEDs was increased to 16.8%, the far-field pattern was expanded to 130 degrees and the emission intensity was more focused on the central region, proving that the highly reflective sidewalls and substrates could re-direct the sideways-travelling photons for extraction. Moreover, we also investigated the reflective mechanism of Al/MgF2 layers. Optimizing the refractive index distribution of Al/MgF2 layers could change the electric field intensity and improve the reflectivity. At the same time, the temperature of the sample after coating was significantly reduced by 6.83%. Thermal radiation benefits and the high stability of bonding interfaces are the main reasons to reduce the temperature of DUV-LEDs after Al/MgF2 coating. The present strategy is proposed from the point of view of chip fabrication, which is cost-effective and able to be manufactured at a large scale.
Aeroelastic metastructure for simultaneously suppressing wind-induced vibration and energy harvesting under wind flows and base excitations
Authors: Chen Shun , Xu Che , Zhao Liya
Published: February 2024

This paper proposes an innovative dual-functional aeroelastic metastructure that effectively suppresses wind-induced structural vibrations under either pure aerodynamic galloping or concurrent galloping and base excitations, while simultaneously harnessing the vibratory energy to potentially allow for self-powered onboard low-power sensing applications. Two configurations are theoretically and experimentally analysed and compared, one consisting of simply regular locally resonating masses subjected to no external forces, while the other comprising locally resonating bluff bodies which experience additional aerodynamic galloping forces. Numerical investigation is conducted based on an established aero-electro-mechanically coupled model. Wind tunnel wind tunnel and base vibration experiments are carried out using a fabricated aeroelastic metastructure prototype to characterize the energy transfer mechanisms and validate the numerical results. The mutual effects of key system parameters, including the frequency ratio, mass ratio, load resistance and electromechanical coupling strength, on the dual-functional capabilities are examined, providing a comprehensive design guideline for efficiently enhancing the energy transfer and conversion. Experimentally, the galloping displacement of the primary structure is attenuated by 78% with a measured power output of 2.63 mW from a single auxiliary oscillator at a wind speed of 8 m s−1. This research opens new possibilities for designing novel metastructures in practical scenarios where both wind-induced vibration suppression and energy harvesting are crucial.
Hybrid synchronisation method based on inverse generalised and inverse projected high dimensional discrete chaotic systems
Authors: Xing Ya’nan , Zeng Jian , Dong Wenjie , Zhang Jing , Guo Pengteng , Ding Qun
Published: February 2024

High-dimensional discrete chaotic systems have a wide range of engineering applications, while the chaotic synchronization method is the key to confidential communication applications. Based on the proposed discriminant theorem for high-order polynomial chaotic mapping, in this paper, a hybrid inverse generalization and inverse projection synchronization method for high-dimensional discrete chaotic systems is constructed. The method increases the flexibility of synchronization control by designing to enable the coexistence of inverse projection synchronization and inverse generalized synchronization in chaotic systems, by specifically using an invertible and adjustable constant diagonal matrix to extend the control capability of the error system. Meanwhile, this paper proposed the validity of this hybrid synchronization scheme based on the multi-stationary chaotic system for the first time, through comparison, it is certified that the multi-stationary discrete chaotic synchronization system introduced in this paper not only has complex dynamics behavior but also has a faster synchronization speed. Meanwhile, this paper proposed the validity of this hybrid synchronization scheme based on the multi-stationary chaotic system for the first time, through comparison, it is certified that the multi-stationary discrete chaotic synchronization system introduced in this paper not only has complex dynamics behavior but also has a faster synchronization speed. Finally, in this paper, the hybrid synchronization-based encryption system is also constructed, in which the transmitter switches the chaotic system between different attractors by changing the initial conditions, and then uses different chaotic attractors to mask the plaintext information. The experimental results show that the system has higher security and larger key space.
The noncommutative Dirac oscillator with a permanent electric dipole moment in the presence of an electromagnetic field
Authors: de Sousa Oliveira Rubens Raimundo , Alencar Geová , Landim Ricardo Renan
Published: February 2024

In this work, we investigate the noncommutative Dirac oscillator (NCDO) with a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM) in the presence of an electromagnetic field. We consider a radial magnetic field generated by anti-Helmholtz coils and the uniform electric field of the Stark effect. Next, we determine the exact solutions of the system, given by the Dirac spinor and by the relativistic energy spectrum. We note that such a spinor is written in terms of the generalized Laguerre polynomials, and such a spectrum is a linear function on the potential energy U and depends on the quantum numbers n and m, spin parameter s, and of four angular frequencies: ω,

ω

¯

, ω

θ
, and ω

η
, where ω is the frequency of the DO,

ω

¯

is a type of ‘cyclotron frequency’, and ω

θ
and ω

η
are the NC frequencies of position and momentum. We graphically analyze the behavior of the spectrum as a function of these frequencies for three different values of n, with and without the influence of U. Besides, as an interesting result, another interpretation can be given for the origin of the nonminimal coupling of the DO, which would be through a neutral fermion with EDM in a radial magnetic field. Finally, we also analyze the nonrelativistic limit of our results, and comparing our problem with other works, we verified that our results generalize some particular cases in the literature.
Thermal transport and thermoelectric properties of transition metal dichalcogenides MoX
2 from first-principles calculation
Authors: Wisesa Radityo , Azhar Anugrah , Suprayoga Edi
Published: February 2024

The properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials have been extensively studied and applied in various applications. Our interest is to theoretically investigate the thermal transport and thermoelectric properties of the 2D transition metal dichalcogenides MoX
2 (X=S, Se, Te). We employ density functional theory and Boltzmann transport theory with relaxation-time approximation to calculate the electronic and transport properties. We also implemented the kinetic-collective model to improve the calculation of lattice thermal conductivity. Our calculations indicate that MoTe2 has the highest ZT of 2.77 among the other MoX
2 at 550 K due to its low thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity. Consequently, we suggest that MoX
2 monolayers hold promise as materials for energy conversion devices due to their relatively high ZT. Moreover, these results could be beneficial to design 2D material-based high-performance thermoelectric devices.
Tunable energy bandgap of Fe-doped (Bi, Li) co-substituted barium titanate
Authors: Ali Othman , Alkathy Mahmoud S , Suresh E K , Ghosh Avijit , Raju K C James
Published: February 2024

In this work, a polycrystalline Ba0.96(½ Bi, ½ Li)0.04Ti(1-x) FexO3; (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.08) ceramics have been synthesised using a solid-state reaction method. The prepared systems were explored to detect the impact of Fe substitution on the energy bandgap of the ceramics. XRD patterns confirmed that there is a structural phase transition from tetragonal (P4 mm) to hexagonal (P63/mmc) phase as the concentration of Fe increases. Rietveld refinement was performed to obtain the lattice information. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopic analysis confirmed the structural information obtained from XRD study. The average bond length variations, strain evolutions, crystallite size, and theoretical density have been calculated from the structural analysis. It is found that the lower Fe concentration with the tetragonal phase showed a strong Jahn-Teller effect. Meanwhile, the higher concentration of Fe led to phase transition to hexagonal phase with fewer structural distortions. The optical band gap species were investigated through UV-Vis. Following the onset of defects induced by acceptor ions, an exciting band gap reduction up to 2.09 eV for the sample with x = 0.08 was attained. ESR and PL spectroscopies analyses showed that in the hexagonal phase region more defects are formed giving rise to promoting band gap narrowing. Furthermore, the ac conductivity analysis indicates the appearance of defect levels due to the formation of oxygen vacancies. This study demonstrates that the right choice of Fe content in the host material can tune the energy band gap significantly in the BLBTF system and may be exploited in photovoltaics in the visible region.
Bistability and chaotic behaviors in a 4D cancer oncolytic Virotherapy mathematical model: Pspice and FPGA implementations
Authors: P Deivasundari , Kabong Nono M , Megam Ngouonkadi E B , Fotsin H B , Karthikeyan Anitha
Published: February 2024

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) exploit characteristics of mass cells and tumor-related reaction of the body to the presence of antigen, to lyse malignant cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment. However, the effective clinical utilization of these powerful treatment modules necessitates their logical control, especially in order to prevent solid and metastatic outgrowths. Hence, it is imperative to develop methods to protect a virus from the annihilating surroundings from the bloodstream when traveling to tumor locations. Our article reports on bistability and chaotic behavior in a 4D cancer virotherapy model. We find that unstable, stable and chaotic behaviors can appear in the model when tuning some of its parameters. With the help of the chart of dynamic behaviors in parameter spaces, numerical investigations of the system’s characteristics are analyzed followed by a discussion of the obtained results. It appears that the local transition change from an invariant one-torus (IT1) to its two-torus (IT2) counterpart can be found in the system and this undergoes a Neimark-Saker (NS) change of direction. As the increasing rate of immune effector enhance, the immune cells amount increases and as a consequence, the virotherapy dynamics becomes chaotic with a pronounced Lyapunov exponent. This can result to the failure of the virotherapy due to the interference of the immune cells with viruses. We also focus our study on the deign of ad-hoc electronic and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) implementations of the cancer virotherapy’s model, to illustrate the obtained results.
Re-expansion modeling to understand the electrostatic interaction between charged core–shell structured particles
Authors: Feng Yue , Zhou Zilong , Wang Ruiguo , Shen Xing-Feng , Yang Zhaoxu , Xiong Ying
Published: February 2024

Accurately calculating the electrostatic force is an important step in understanding the interaction between charged core–shell structured particles that have been widely observed in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering. In this paper, the authors develop a general analytical model to solve for the electrostatic interaction between charged core–shell structured particles that involves a dielectric or conducting core coated with a polarizable dielectric shell. The re-expansion was used method to re-expand the spatial potential in a Legendre polynomial series under interfacial conditions. The electrostatic force was represented as a series based on Maxwell’s stress tensor, and was governed by such characteristic parameters as the thickness of the shell, its dielectric constant, and the surface-to-surface separation even at the point of contact. Both unlike-charge and like-charge interactions were considered, and revealed that the polarization of the dielectric shell enhanced attraction but diminished repulsion. Counterintuitively, the electrostatic force was found to rely on the total number of free charges rather than the charge density. A limiting case was provided in which the proposed coated particle–particle model could describe the electrostatic force between a coated particle and a coated plane if the radius of either particle was sufficiently large. The force obtained by the theoretical solution was in exact agreement with that obtained by finite element analysis. The appropriate number of terms required for convergence was also investigated. The model developed here lays the foundation for a general theory of electrostatic interactions between charged particles with multi-shell layers.
Examining reachability of fractional dynamical systems with delays in control utilizing ψ-Hilfer pseudo-fractional derivative
Authors: Panneer Selvam Anjapuli , Govindaraj Venkatesan
Published: February 2024

This research focuses on the reachability criteria of fractional dynamical systems with delays in control of order ϑ ∈ (0, 1) and type ϱ ∈ [0, 1] in the context of control theory. The study introduces the utilization of the ψ-Hilfer pseudo fractional derivative to describe the dynamics of systems with delays in control. We obtained the necessary and sufficient conditions for the reachability criteria of fractional order linear dynamical systems by employing the positive definiteness of Gramian matrices. We arrived the sufficient conditions for the reachability criteria of fractional order nonlinear dynamical systems using Banach’s fixed point theorem. A few numerical examples are made available for a better understanding of the theoretical conclusions.