bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overcoming current leaks in CNT/PDMS triboelectric composites by wrapping CNTs with TiO2 insulation layer
Authors: Liu Zhanqi , Wang Kai , Jiang Xiao , Javed Muhammad Sufyan , Han Weihua
Published: September 2022

The output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is fatally determined by the capacitive capability of triboelectric electrodes. One promising solution is embedding conductive fillers in triboelectric polymers, typically carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Each CNT will serve as a capacitor in the PDMS matrix to store electric energy through polarization. However, the CNTs are easily cross-linked with each other, which makes the triboelectric materials conductive or semi-conductive. The output voltage will be limited due to current leaks through conducting or tunneling, and thus, suppress the energy harvesting efficiency of TENGs. Here, we propose to use an insulation layer to wrap CNTs to avoid direct-contact between CNTs and improve the overall performance of TENGs. Our results show that the leakage current has been significantly suppressed and the output performance of TENGs has been dramatically improved. This work provides a material design idea, which is expected to become a universal method to improve the output performance of TENGs.
Hydrogen separation with a graphenylene monolayer: Diffusion Monte Carlo study
Authors: Lee Gwangyoung , Hong Iuegyun , Ahn Jeonghwan , Shin Hyeondeok , Benali Anouar , Kwon Yongkyung
Published: September 2022

We performed fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) calculations to investigate structural and energetic properties of graphenylene (GPNL), a two-dimensional network of sp2-bonded carbon atoms with large near-circular pores, and its H2 separation performance for gas mixtures. We have found that the energetic stability of a GPNL monolayer is comparable to that of γ-graphyne, as evidenced by its large cohesive energy of 6.755(3) eV/atom. Diffusion barriers of several gas molecules, including hydrogen, through a GPNL membrane were determined from the analysis of their adsorption energies depending on the adsorption distance, which led to our estimation for hydrogen selectivity with respect to other target molecules. DMC hydrogen selectivity of a GPNL monolayer was found to be exceptionally high at 300 K, as high as 1010–1011 against CO and N2 gases. This, along with high hydrogen permeance due to its generic pore structure, leads us to conclude that GPNL is a promising membrane to be used as a high-performance hydrogen separator from gas mixtures. We find that when compared to our DMC results, DFT calculations tend to overestimate H2 selectivity, which is mostly due to their inaccurate description of short-range repulsive interactions.
Strong methane point sources contribute a disproportionate fraction of total emissions across multiple basins in the United States
Authors: Cusworth Daniel H. , Thorpe Andrew K. , Ayasse Alana K. , Stepp David , Heckler Joseph , Asner Gregory P. , Miller Charles E. , Yadav Vineet , Chapman John W. , Eastwood Michael L. , Green Robert O. , Hmiel Benjamin , Lyon David R. , Duren Riley M.
Published: September 2022

Understanding, prioritizing, and mitigating methane (CH4) emissions requires quantifying CH4budgets from facility scales to regional scales with the ability to differentiate between source sectors. We deployed a tiered observing system for multiple basins in the United States (San Joaquin Valley, Uinta, Denver-Julesburg, Permian, Marcellus). We quantify strong point source emissions (>10 kg CH4h−1) using airborne imaging spectrometers, attribute them to sectors, and assess their intermittency with multiple revisits. We compare these point source emissions to total basin CH4fluxes derived from inversion of Sentinel-5p satellite CH4observations. Across basins, point sources make up on average 40% of the regional flux. We sampled some basins several times across multiple months and years and find a distinct bimodal structure to emission timescales: the total point source budget is split nearly in half by short-lasting and long-lasting emission events. With the increasing airborne and satellite observing capabilities planned for the near future, tiered observing systems will more fully quantify and attribute CH4emissions from facility to regional scales, which is needed to effectively and efficiently reduce methane emissions.
How useful? How important? How difficult?
Authors: Dorer Brita
Published: September 2022

English ‘gradation’ expressions—the interrogative adverb how followed by an adjective or an adverb—are frequent in questionnaires and they are not straightforward to translate into French. A good translation approach is needed, and there are mainly two options: The recommended approach involves the French adverbs à quel point or dans quelle mesure. The second approach uses a direct question, and the gradation occurs by choosing one of several options in the pre-established answer scale. Could there be a link between questionnaire translators’ expertise and the way they handle these translations, both the product and the process? This exploratory project studied six professional questionnaire translators, whose performance was recorded with concurrent think-aloud and keylogging techniques, and then triangulated. Correlations were analysed qualitatively. The results revealed a link between the questionnaire translators’ expertise and their translations. This confirms the importance of relying on expert translators and further briefing and training them to become good questionnaire translators.
Induction of natural IgE by glucocorticoids
Authors: Lim Jaechul , Lin Erica V. , Hong Jun Young , Vaidyanathan Bharat , Erickson Steven A. , Annicelli Charles , Medzhitov Ruslan
Published: September 2022

IgE mediates allergic responses by coating mast cell or basophil surfaces and inducing degranulation upon binding a specific allergen. IgE can also be spontaneously produced in the absence of foreign allergens; yet the origin, regulation, and functions of such “natural” IgE still remain largely unknown. Here, we find that glucocorticoids enhance the production of IgE in B cells both in vivo and ex vivo without antigenic challenge. Such IgE production is promoted by B cell–intrinsic glucocorticoid receptor signaling that reinforces CD40 signaling and synergizes with the IL-4/STAT6 pathway. In addition, we found that rare B cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes are responsible for the production of glucocorticoid-inducible IgE. Furthermore, locally produced glucocorticoids in the gut may induce natural IgE during perturbations of gut homeostasis, such as dysbiosis. Notably, mice preemptively treated with glucocorticoids were protected from subsequent pathogenic anaphylaxis. Together, our results suggest that glucocorticoids, classically considered to be broadly immunosuppressive, have a selective immunostimulatory role in B cells.
Revealing the influence of carbon on shear-coupled grain boundary migrationin α-iron via molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Wang Chang , Wang Yi , Yu Zheteng , Yin Jian , Lai Wensheng
Published: September 2022

Shear-coupled grain boundary (GB) migration is of importance theoretically on the mechanisms of GB behaviors and application oriented on the development of novel processing methods by plastic deformation. We demonstrate via molecular dynamics simulations that the interstitial species carbon may affect the shear-coupled migration in α-iron strongly. The impact of carbon selectively takes effect depending on the variety of grain boundaries. Specifically, the coupling factor of the Σ9(221) GB is increased in the presence of carbon. While the carbon effect is inactive for the Σ17(223) GB. The influence of carbon is revealed to be connected with the disconnection modes of grain boundaries. The results of the work implicate correlations between the carbon enrichment and the final microstructure after severe plastic deformation.
Spectral estimation for Hamiltonians: a comparison between classical imaginary-time evolution and quantum real-time evolution
Authors: Stroeks M E , Helsen J , Terhal B M
Published: September 2022

We consider the task of spectral estimation of local quantum Hamiltonians. The spectral estimation is performed by estimating the oscillation frequencies or decay rates of signals representing the time evolution of states. We present a classical Monte Carlo (MC) scheme which efficiently estimates an imaginary-time, decaying signal for stoquastic (i.e. sign-problem-free) local Hamiltonians. The decay rates in this signal correspond to Hamiltonian eigenvalues (with associated eigenstates present in an input state) and can be extracted using a classical signal processing method like ESPRIT. We compare the efficiency of this MC scheme to its quantum counterpart in which one extracts eigenvalues of a general local Hamiltonian from a real-time, oscillatory signal obtained through quantum phase estimation circuits, again using the ESPRIT method. We prove that the ESPRIT method can resolve S = poly(n) eigenvalues, assuming a 1/poly(n) gap between them, with poly(n) quantum and classical effort through the quantum phase estimation (QPE) circuits, assuming efficient preparation of the input state. We prove that our MC scheme plus the ESPRIT method can resolve S = O(1) eigenvalues, assuming a 1/poly(n) gap between them, with poly(n) purely classical effort for stoquastic Hamiltonians, requiring some access structure to the input state. However, we also show that under these assumptions, i.e. S = O(1) eigenvalues, assuming a 1/poly(n) gap between them and some access structure to the input state, one can achieve this with poly(n) purely classical effort for general local Hamiltonians. These results thus quantify some opportunities and limitations of MC methods for spectral estimation of Hamiltonians. We numerically compare the MC eigenvalue estimation scheme (for stoquastic Hamiltonians) and the quantum-phase-estimation-based eigenvalue estimation scheme by implementing them for an archetypal stoquastic Hamiltonian system: the transverse field Ising chain.
Human Violence Detection Using Deep Learning Techniques
Authors: Arun Akash S A , Sri Skandha Moorthy R , Esha K , Nathiya N
Published: September 2022

The world’s average annual fatality rate from human violence is 7.9 per 10,000 people. Most of this human violence takes place in an isolated area or of sudden. The information delay here is a major impediment in stopping these acts. To thrive on this issue, the detection technique is used in this study. Detecting moving objects from CCTV is one of the most effective computer vision algorithms. CCTV cameras are now in every streets which are extremely helpful in solving cases. Some techniques of deep learning are used as computer vision to predict and detect the action, properties from video. In real-time police reach violent destinations and start checking CCTV cameras, and investigate to proceed further. This study is deliberately designed to detect violent acts from CCTV cameras. The Inception – v3 and Yolo – v5 models detect the violent act, the number of persons involved, and also the weapons used in the situation. The study consists of these deep learning models, which are used to form a video detection system. This model can be used in real-time as an application programming interface (API) or software. The study results showed the proposed model achieves an accuracy of 74%.
Exoskeleton Device For Left Hemiplegia Patients With Electromyograph
Authors: Nithyaa A N , Premkumar R , Gokul M , Iswarya C , Lakshmi Priya S
Published: September 2022

Loss of motion is a condition in which muscle activity in a part of the body is lost; it is also known as paralysis. Loss of motion is most commonly caused by a severe stroke, in which the blood supply to a portion of the cerebrum is cut off. Hemiplegia is a sort of loss of motion which influences half of the body, i.e., one arm and one leg of same side of the body will not be functioning. Normally, left hemiplegia is a severe disease caused by a lack of blood supply to the cerebrum’s right hemisphere. Fixed frameworks, such as Lokomat, are used in rehabilitation centres to assist patients in resuming their normal activities. However, the results provided by those frameworks are extremely time-consuming and will only benefit patients who can walk on a treadmill. However, these frameworks are not portable and cannot be used for home or day-to-day exercises. To overcome these disadvantages, this paper presents the ergonomic framework, which includes an exoskeleton that guides and assists in the development process of the left upper arm. The entire framework is powered by a compatible and miniaturized motor via a microcontroller, which aids in the development of patient flexion and augmentation. Meanwhile, EMG acquisition would be done by putting flexible pre-gelled electrodes to know the recuperation of physiological neuro-muscular activities of the subject.
GPU based epileptic seizure detection using deep autoencoder with particle swarm optimization
Authors: Sinha Dipali , Sasirekha K. , Thangavel K.
Published: September 2022

Epilepsy is a long-term neurodegenerative disorder that impacts the brain and causes at least two gratuitous convulsions. It is frequently diagnosed using electroencephalograms (EEG). Existing models were unable to accurately predict the seizure due to the signal’s non-stationary nature. Deep learning techniques have recently gotten a lot of attention from researchers working on a variety of signal processing problems. A deep learning approach was used in this analysis to retrieve relevant features from a raw form EEG signal. Furthermore, the metaheuristic swarm-based algorithm to optimize the deep autoencoder’s hyperparameters. Experiments are carried out on Bonn dataset with the CUDA-enabled GPU version P100. To assess the efficacy of the constructed model, the computational results are compared to other benchmark classifiers and obtained the accuracy of 93.6%.
Voice controlled home automation, security system and virtual joystick-controlled robot for patients in home quarantines
Authors: Vighnesh M , John Andrew , Shibu Merin , Jagannath M
Published: September 2022

The threat of COVID-19 is increasing by the day, while those who are infected must quarantine immediately. Since the disease is lethal and spreads by direct or indirect human contact, it is critical to disinfect all contact surfaces on a regular basis. Since continual direct exposure to chemicals promotes antibiotic resistance, it is less likely to be considered as a long-term solution. As COVID-19 had such a negative impact on people’s health, even regular commuting inside the house became a difficult and time-consuming activity for a variety of reasons, including the fact that the person is isolated alone and has a strong inclination to leave things neglected. This paper consists of a quarantine home automation system that allows the user to remotely turn on and off the appliances in the room as well as monitor the temperature in the rooms. The proposed system has incorporated an intruder alarm system, which sends notifications to the user’s mobile phone whenever some unexpected movement is detected near the entrance. The entire system is voice-enabled, which means that instead of completing the work manually, the user may give Alexa the directions. The quarantine home automation system also includes a robot that can be operated by the user virtually using the joystick present in the common user interface.
Design of an automated oxygen flow control system for hypoxemic patients
Authors: Krishnakumar S , Sabarivani A , Grace Kanmani Prince P , Robinson Sheryl , Kumar Aishwarya Mohan , Janney JB , Lumen Christy V
Published: September 2022

Hypoxemia is a condition for which there is a lack of sufficient oxygen in the blood. Which might range from minor issues like dizziness and shortness of breath to more severe problems like interfering with heart and brain functions. The amount of oxygen in a person’s blood indicates how efficiently the body transports oxygen from the lungs to the cells. The present research aims to design continuously monitor the blood oxygen level and to regulate the opening and closing of the oxygen flow meter valve using a servo motor. If the blood oxygen level is normal, the valve remains closed. If the blood oxygen level falls below the normal range, the valve is opened. The system employs a SpO2 sensor for monitoring the heart rate and oxygen saturation. The output of the sensor is sent to the microcontroller that comes up with an in-built analog to digital converter. Servo motor is utilized to control the flow meter valve to deliver the required oxygen to the patient during abnormal detection of blood oxygen saturation level. When the blood oxygen level falls below 94%, the oxygen valve is opened to allowing for oxygen flow. The blood oxygen level detected as normal that is 97% and hence the oxygen flow is at off state. The output is sent to an LCD unit, which keeps track of the SpO2 level. This microcontroller-based oxygen supply control device can prevent the adverse effects of hypoxemia. The present research reduces the time and a caretaker requirement to oxygenate the patient by providing controlled delivery system.
Prosthetic Arm with Functional Fingers and Wireless Recharge on Walk Function
Authors: Bharathan Abhijeet , Premkumar J. , Sudhakar T , Bethanney Janney J , Sindu
Published: September 2022

The efficiency, tactile features, and weight of prosthetic limbs have all improved over time, but the long charging period that comes with these benefits reduces their overall appeal. The purpose of this study is to incorporate a portable power source into the prosthetic arm in order to decrease downtime and increase reliability. The use of special footwear that serves as a regenerative power source for the prosthetic arm’s battery, a piezoelectric generator that generates energy while walking, and a charging station that transfers power directly to the prosthetic arm while on the move. The complete device allows the user to comfortably use the prosthetic arm for longer periods of time.
Design of transfemoral prosthesis for above the knee amputees
Authors: Kesavapuram Sreya Reddy , Dhanalakshmi M
Published: September 2022

Transfemoral amputation is a condition where the person above the knee area is amputated due to some infection, cancer or trauma. Due to this their mobility is eminently compromised, their lifestyle gets affected and also the individual’s self-confidence is distraught. The only way to aid this condition is to provide a prosthetic to provide support and mitigate easy movement. Usually, prosthetics are not selected due to high cost. In India there are around two lakh thirty thousand amputees in need of prosthetic care but are hesitant to opt for one, for the reason that they are expensive. Most of them go for cosmesis due to this demographic. In this work, we focus on developing a mechanical knee joint prosthesis where the pylon or the shank is replaced by a shock absorber in order to reduce the transient mechanical force acting on the artificial leg. By replacing the basic design with the shock absorber, it also enables the subject to perform other activities such as jumping and jogging with ease as the force is dispersed evenly on the prosthesis. In this we also perform von mises analysis, strain analysis and displacement analysis and carry through a comparative analysis between two commonly used materials in making the prosthetic against carbon fibre and prove the efficacy of carbon fibre.
Detection of Anaemia using Image Processing Techniques from microscopy blood smear images
Authors: Nithya R , Nirmala K
Published: September 2022

The human blood includes Red blood Corpuscles (RBC), White Blood Corpuscles (WBC), platelets and plasma. The status of one’s health is determined by a complete blood count, therefore segmentation and identification of blood cells are critical. A Complete Blood Count (CBC) is a test that counts all of the cells in the body to assess a person’s health. The RBC and WBC count are vital in diagnosing disorders such as anaemia, leukaemia, tissue damage, and so forth. This paper focuses mainly on RBC counting and the detection of abnormality, anaemia based on the count of RBCs from a peripheral blood smear using digital image processing techniques. Anemia is an indicator, and the most important one at that, for many other diseases. Therefore, basic screening of anemia is very important, especially in regions prone to poverty. Malnutrition due to poverty is the major cause for anemia. The paper presents an algorithm to automatically count the RBCs present in the blood of a person. The count of RBC, in 1 microlitre if blood is considered and it is observed how the count varies in normal blood smears and the anemic blood smears. In remote places, where a lot of people are to be screened, using cell counters and hemocytometer is not feasible. A faster method of counting is one of major demand. Therefore, to reduce the computation time, an algorithm in digital image processing is developed to compute the number of red blood cells. Although anemia is a vast subject and there are various different characteristics to consider, this is a humble approach to automate the counting of the RBCs which would be useful for future research purposes.
Fully printed ZnO-based valency-change memories for flexible and transparent applications
Authors: Delfag Mohamed , Rachovitis Georgios , González Yoandris , Jehn Johannes , Youssef Azza Hadj , Schindler Christina , Ruediger Andreas
Published: September 2022

Printable and flexible memory devices have attracted a great deal of attention in several emerging technological applications for the development of flexible electronics, such as interconnections/wearables/smart devices for the internet of things (IoT). In this work, we report on the fabrication of flexible, transparent, and fully inkjet-printed resistive random access memory (ReRAM) cells using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS)/ZnO/PEDOT:PSS structures. The electrical characteristics were studied, including the determination of space charge limited conduction (SCLC) as the dominant charge transport mechanism. In addition, the bending performance and the transparency of the devices was tested in order to confirm the reliable operation and reproducibility of the cells. The switching for the printed structures of PEDOT:PSS/ZnO/PEDOT:PSS was led through the formation and dissolution of a stable oxygen vacancy filament, as confirmed by conductive atomic force microscopy. While the conduction mechanism for the high resistance state (HRS) was attributed to the SCLC mechanism. The switching of the memory cells, their endurance and retention properties were analysed and indicated the stability of the HRS and low resistance state for more than 104 cycles and 105 s comparable to ZnO-based ReRAM produced by clean-room techniques. The study of the mechanical flexibility of the cells shows that up to 700 bending cycles can be reached without significantly changing the switching characteristics.
P-type conductivity in Sn-doped Sb2Se3
Authors: Hobson Theodore D C , Shiel Huw , Savory Christopher N , Swallow Jack E N , Jones Leanne A H , Featherstone Thomas J , Smiles Matthew J , Thakur Pardeep K , Lee Tien-Lin , Das Bhaskar , Leighton Chris , Zoppi Guillaume , Dhanak Vin R , Scanlon David O , Veal Tim D , Durose Ken , Major Jonathan D
Published: September 2022

Antimony selenide (Sb2Se3) is a promising absorber material for thin-film photovoltaics. However, certain areas of fundamental understanding of this material remain incomplete and this presents a barrier to further efficiency gains. In particular, recent studies have highlighted the role of majority carrier type and extrinsic doping in drastically changing the performance of high efficiency devices (Hobson et al 2020 Chem. Mater.
32 2621–30). Herein, Sn-doped Sb2Se3 bulk crystals are shown to exhibit p-type conductivity using Hall effect and hot-probe measurements. The measured conductivities are higher than those achieved through native defects alone, but with a carrier density (up to 7.4 × 1014 cm−3) several orders of magnitude smaller than the quantity of Sn included in the source material. Additionally, a combination of ultraviolet, x-ray and hard x-ray photoemission spectroscopies are employed to obtain a non-destructive depth profile of the valence band maximum, confirming p-type conductivity and indicating a majority carrier type inversion layer at the surface. Finally, these results are supported by density functional theory calculations of the defect formation energies in Sn-doped Sb2Se3, showing a possible limit on the carrier concentration achievable with Sn as a dopant. This study sheds light on the effectiveness of Sn as a p-type dopant in Sb2Se3 and highlights avenues for further optimisation of doped Sb2Se3 for solar energy devices.
Locomotor adaptations: paradigms, principles and perspectives
Authors: Severini Giacomo , Zych Magdalena
Published: September 2022

The term ‘locomotor adaptations’ (LMA) indicates the alteration in motor commands that is automatically or volitionally generated in response to a perturbation continuously altering the task demands of locomotion. LMAs have been widely studied, using a variety of experimental paradigms and analysis techniques. The perturbation can be expected or unexpected and constituted by a change in the movement environment, by forces actively pushing the person’s body segments, by a modification in the sensory feedback associated with the task or by explicit task instructions. The study of LMAs has been key in widening our understanding of the principles regulating bipedal locomotion, from the overall strategies driving the short-term adjustments of motor commands, down to the different neural circuits involved in the different aspects of locomotion. In this paper we will provide an in-depth review of the research field of LMAs. We will start with an analysis of the principles driving the evolution of bipedal locomotion in humans. Then we will review the different experimental paradigms that have been used to trigger LMAs. We will analyze the evidence on the neurophysiological correlates of adaptation and the behavioral reasons behind it. We will then discuss the characteristics of LMA such as transfer, generalization, and savings. This will be followed by a critical analysis of how different studies point to different task-goal related drivers of adaptation. Finally, we will conclude with a perspective on the research field of LMAs and on its ramifications in neuroscience and rehabilitation.
Exciton dynamics in 2D organic semiconductors
Authors: Sharma Ankur , Hasan Md Mehedi , Lu Yuerui
Published: September 2022

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting materials have been studied extensively for their interesting excitonic and optoelectronic properties arising from strong many-body interactions and quantum confinement at 2D limit. Most of these materials have been inorganic, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, phosphorene, etc. Organic semiconductor materials, on the other hand been investigated for their excellent electrical conductivity and low dielectric coefficients for similar applications in the thin film or bulk material phase. The lack of crystallinity in the thin film and bulk phases has led to ambiguity over the excitonic and electronic/optical band gap characteristics. The recent emergence of 2D organic materials has opened a new domain of high crystallinity and controlled morphology, allowing for the study of low-lying excitonic states and optoelectronic properties. They have been demonstrated to have different excitonic properties compared with the Wannier–Mott excitons in inorganic 2D materials. Here we present our recent experimental observations and analysis of 2D organic semiconductor materials. We discuss the role of high-crystalline and morphology-controlled growth of single-crystalline materials and their optoelectronic properties. The report explains the Frenkel (FR) and charge-transfer (CT) excitons and subsequent light emission and absorption properties in organic materials. The true nature of low-lying excitonic states, which arises from the interaction between CT and FR excitons, is experimentally studied and discussed to reveal the electronic band structure. We then discuss the pure FR behaviour we observed in J–type aggregated organic materials leading to coherent superradiant excitonic emissions. The supertransport of excitons within the organic materials, facilitated by their pure FR nature, and the delocalization of excitons over a large number of molecules are also demonstrated. Finally, we discuss the applications and our vision for these organic 2D materials in fast organic light-emitting diodes, high-speed excitonic circuits, quantum computing devices, and other optoelectronic devices.
Distinguishing Gastrointestinal Leiomyomas From Muscularis Propria in Biopsy Specimens by Differential Expression of S100 Immunohistochemical Stain
Authors: Dong Zachary , Barraza Gonzalo , Affolter Kajsa E , Witt Benjamin L , Jedrzkiewicz Jolanta
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Interpreting small biopsy specimens or fine-needle aspirations of gastrointestinal tract (GI) smooth muscle lesions may be challenging when the differential diagnosis includes leiomyoma vs muscularis propria (MP). We evaluated the utility of S100 staining in distinguishing GI leiomyomas from MP.

Methods

A search was conducted in our laboratory information system for cases of leiomyomas arising within the GI tract (2004-2021). Site-matched controls containing MP were selected (2018-2020). Five high-power fields (hpf) were counted on S100 immunohistochemical stains by two pathologists in the resections and by three different blinded pathologists in the biopsy specimens and analyzed.

Results

The median S100 count was 2.5/5 hpf in leiomyoma resection cases (n = 38), which was significantly lower than the median count of 548/5 hpf in MP (n = 19) with a P value of <.0001. The median S100 count in biopsy specimens (n = 16) was 1.2/5 hpf and within the expected range of 1 to 104/5 hpf (minimum-maximum value) established by the leiomyoma resections. S100 counts in the normal MP were significantly higher than those observed in leiomyomas (P < .001).

Conclusions

S100 staining can aid in distinguishing a leiomyoma from MP in the GI tract, which is especially helpful when evaluating cases with limited sampling.
A UPLC- MS/MS Method to Quantify β-Sitosterol and Ferulic Acid of Pygeum Africanum Extract in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Preparation
Authors: Samir Hanan , Mahgoub Sebaey , Badr Jihan M , El-Gendy Alaa , Hadad Ghada M , Ibrahim Elsayed A
Published: September 2022

This study uses a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry method to determine β-Sitosterol and Ferulic acid in Pygeum africanum extract. Chromatographic separation of the two analytes was performed on an ACQUITY UPLC H-Class system coupled with Xevo TQD mass spectrometer and HSS T3 C18 column (2.1 X 50 mm, 1.8 μm). Mobile phase A consisted of an aqueous solution of 0.1% formic acid (v/v), and mobile phase B was 0.1% formic acid (v/v) in methanol pumped through a gradient elution mode. Mass spectrometer parameters were optimized using an electrospray ionization source in the positive and negative ionization modes. The quantification of the two analytes was performed using multiple reaction monitoring transitions. The method was fully validated per (FDA) guidelines regarding linearity, accuracy, precision, carryover and selectivity. The proposed method was applied successfully to determine the two investigated compounds in commercially available pharmaceutical products.
Incidentally Diagnosed Asymptomatic Crohn’s Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Long-Term Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Grinman Ana , Ungar Bella , Lahat Adi , Kopylov Uri , Eliakim Rami , Ben-Horin Shomron
Published: September 2022

Background

Crohn’s disease (CD) is occasionally diagnosed in asymptomatic patients who have undergone colonoscopy or imaging for other reasons. The clinical outcome and optimal management of these patients remain poorly defined.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of asymptomatic patients with incidental diagnosis of CD from the electronic patient registry of the IBD Unit of Sheba Medical Center in Israel. The primary outcome was defined as the occurrence of a clinical flare.

Results

Of the 2700 CD patients in Sheba IBD registry, 60 asymptomatic patients with incidental diagnosis of CD were identified (31/60 males, median age 50.5, 25%–75% interquartile range [IQR] 43.5–57.25 years, median follow-up 4.5 years, 25–75% IQR 2.5–6.75, range 1–15 years). Most of the patients did not receive any treatment after diagnosis (53/60—88.33%). Of these, 5 patients (9.43%) experienced a flare during follow-up (median 4.5 years, IQR 2.5–6.75, range 1–15 years). Patients with subsequent flare had numerically higher CRP at diagnosis than patients who did not flare (2.2, IQR 2.0–3.0 vs 1.04, IQR 1.0–2.2, P = .09). When comparing the group of patients who received treatment immediately after diagnosis (n = 7) with the group who did not receive treatment (n = 53), there was no difference with respect to the survival time without a flare (P = .3). For other secondary outcomes, 3/40 progressed from B1 phenotype to B2, and 3/53 (6%) patients underwent surgery during the follow-up.

Conclusions

The majority of patients with an incidental diagnosis of asymptomatic CD can probably be followed-up without immediate treatment. Although most remain asymptomatic and without complications during follow-up, close monitoring for disease progression is prudent.
Cognitive Improvement Following Physical Exercise and Cognitive Training Intervention for Older Adults With MCI
Authors: Campbell Elizabeth B , Delgadillo Mia , Lazzeroni Laura C , Louras Peter N , Myers Jonathan , Yesavage Jerome , Fairchild J Kaci
Published: September 2022

Background

The diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) presents a critical period for intervention. Although exercise and cognitive training (CT) interventions have reported independent success in improving cognition, some meta-analyses have suggested that combined interventions provide maximal benefits. Much previous research has studied land-based as opposed to water-based exercise, which places potential barriers on older adults. The purpose of the current study was to examine the impact of combined exercise (water- or land-based) and CT treatment on cognition for older adults with MCI.

Methods

Participants were 67 adults ages 54–86 years classified with MCI who engaged in 6 months of land or aquatic-based exercise with subsequent CT over 4 weeks. Primary outcome variables were performance measures of several cognitive domains across 3-time points (baseline, following exercise intervention, and following CT intervention). Linear mixed effects modeling examined exercise group differences across time periods in an intention-to-treat analysis.

Results

Both aquatic- and land-based exercise with CT interventions resulted in significant improvement in learning and memory outcomes, though improvement in executive functioning, processing speed, language, and visuospatial abilities was limited to water-based and CT treatment groups. Differences in linear growth patterns between groups were nonsignificant.

Conclusion

Results suggest that for older adults with MCI to obtain global cognitive benefits (ie, learning and memory, executive functioning, processing speed, language, and visuospatial abilities) using combined exercise and CT interventions, they must be able to fully engage in exercise, and aquatic-based activities should be further considered.
3-D pre-stack diffraction separation by extending the PWD method with parametrized local slope
Authors: Li Chuangjian , Peng Suping , Cui Xiaoqin , Du Wenfeng
Published: September 2022

Diffractions comprise the seismic response of subsurface geological discontinuities and thus can provide detailed geological information during 3-D seismic exploration. The separation of weak diffractions from specular reflections is challenging, especially when the diffractions and reflections have similar kinematical characteristics in the 3-D pre-stack case. Conventional separation methods often estimate the local slope based on optimization or the Hilbert transform, which directly depends on the distribution behaviour of seismic events and may lead to the aliasing effects of the hyperbolic reflected and diffracted slopes in the shot domain. In this study, a different method is employed: local slopes are parametrized and constrained to the normal moveout velocity and ray parameter, which can distinguish reflections and diffractions in the shot domain and enhance the stability and accuracy of local slopes. Interestingly, when the receiver line and the geological edge are coplanar, the corresponding edge diffractions and reflections exhibit extremely similar behaviour, rendering them indistinguishable. Considering this phenomenon, a 3-D pre-stack diffraction separation strategy is proposed based on the estimation of the local slopes in two orthogonal directions. Thus, the accurate local slope can be used for plane-wave destruction when separating diffractions in the 3-D pre-stack domain. Synthetic and field data applications demonstrate that the proposed separation strategy is effective and can obtain high-quality diffraction wavefields for detecting the subsurface discontinuous structure.
Early appropriate diagnostics and treatment of MDR Gram-negative infections
Authors: Bassetti Matteo , Kanj Souha S , Kiratisin Pattarachai , Rodrigues Camilla , Van Duin David , Villegas María Virginia , Yu Yunsong
Published: September 2022

The term difficult-to-treat resistance has been recently coined to identify Gram-negative bacteria exhibiting resistance to all fluoroquinolones and all β-lactam categories, including carbapenems. Such bacteria are posing serious challenges to clinicians trying to identify the best therapeutic option for any given patient. Delayed appropriate therapy has been associated with worse outcomes including increase in length of stay, increase in total in-hospital costs and ∼20% increase in the risk of in-hospital mortality. In addition, time to appropriate antibiotic therapy has been shown to be an independent predictor of 30 day mortality in patients with resistant organisms. Improving and anticipating aetiological diagnosis through optimizing not only the identification of phenotypic resistance to antibiotic classes/agents, but also the identification of specific resistance mechanisms, would have a major impact on reducing the frequency and duration of inappropriate early antibiotic therapy. In light of these considerations, the present paper reviews the increasing need for rapid diagnosis of bacterial infections and efficient laboratory workflows to confirm diagnoses and facilitate prompt de-escalation to targeted therapy, in line with antimicrobial stewardship principles. Rapid diagnostic tests currently available and future perspectives for their use are discussed. Early appropriate diagnostics and treatment of MDR Gram-negative infections require a multidisciplinary approach that includes multiple different diagnostic methods and further consensus of algorithms, protocols and guidelines to select the optimal antibiotic therapy.
Using ensembles and distillation to optimize the deployment of deep learning models for the classification of electronic cancer pathology reports
Authors: De Angeli Kevin , Gao Shang , Blanchard Andrew , Durbin Eric B , Wu Xiao-Cheng , Stroup Antoinette , Doherty Jennifer , Schwartz Stephen M , Wiggins Charles , Coyle Linda , Penberthy Lynne , Tourassi Georgia , Yoon Hong-Jun
Published: September 2022

Lay Summary

One of the goals of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program is to estimate incidence, prevalence, and mortality of all cancers. To that end, cancer registries across the country maintain a massive database of cancer pathology reports which contain rich information to understand cancer trends. However, these reports are stored in the form of unstructured text, and human annotators are required to read and extract relevant information. In this article, we show that existing deep learning models for automating information extraction from cancer pathology reports can be significantly improved by using ensemble model distillation. We found that by training multiple predictive models and transferring their knowledge to a single, low-resource model, we can reduce the number of highly confident wrong predictions. Our results show that our implemented methods could save 1000s of manual annotation hours.
Can PEth be Detected with a Cutoff of 20 ng/mL after Single Alcohol Consumption?
Authors: Stöth Frederike , Kotzerke Ephraim , Thierauf-Emberger Annette , Weinmann Wolfgang , Schuldis Dominik
Published: September 2022

Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) can be determined in capillary blood collected as dried blood spots (DBS) and is a promising direct alcohol biomarker for the determination of drinking habits. Its use for abstinence monitoring needs to be evaluated. Studies with patients undergoing alcohol withdrawal have shown that the elimination of PEth can take up to 2 months. For the determination of PEth 16:0/18:1, a cutoff of 20 ng/mL has been agreed upon in the major US laboratories. However, it is not yet clear what minimum blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) have to be achieved by a single drinking episode to result in PEth concentrations above this cutoff after previous long-term abstinence. To determine whether low drinking amounts can result in a positive PEth concentration above 20 ng/mL, we recruited 12 participants (‘social’ drinkers). After 4 weeks of abstinence, alcohol was consumed at two separate drinking events with target BACs of 0.5 and 0.3 g/kg, resulting in maximum BACs in the ranges of 0.30–0.63 g/kg and 0.10–0.28 g/kg, respectively. Capillary blood was collected at different time points of the drinking experiment, and PEth was extracted from DBS and analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Despite drinking doses up to 0.58 g ethanol per kg body weight and reaching BACs of up to 0.63 g/kg, PEth 16:0/18:1 and PEth 16:0/18:2 could not be detected at or above the 20 ng/mL cutoff in any participant at any time after the drinking events. We conclude that after long-term abstinence the cutoff of 20 ng/mL for single alcohol consumption leading to BACs up to 0.63 g/kg is not exceeded.
Addressing constrained engineering problems and feature selection with a time-based leadership salp-based algorithm with competitive learning
Authors: Qaraad Mohammed , Amjad Souad , Hussein Nazar K , Elhosseini Mostafa A
Published: September 2022

Like most metaheuristic algorithms, salp swarm algorithm (SSA) suffers from slow convergence and stagnation in the local optima. The study develops a novel Time-Based Leadership Salp-Based Competitive Learning (TBLSBCL) to address the SSA’s flaws. The TBLSBCL presents a novel search technique to address population diversity, an imbalance between exploitation and exploration, and the SSA algorithm’s premature convergence. Hybridization consists of two stages: First, a time-varying dynamic structure represents the SSA hierarchy of leaders and followers. This approach increases the number of leaders while decreasing the number of salp’s followers linearly. Utilizing the effective exploitation of the SSA, the position of the population’s leader is updated. Second, the competitive learning strategy is used to update the status of the followers by teaching them from the leaders. The goal of adjusting the salp swarm optimizer algorithm is to help the basic approach avoid premature convergence and quickly steer the search to the most promising likely search space. The proposed TBLSBCL method is tested using the CEC 2017 benchmark, feature selection problems for 19 datasets (including three high-dimensional datasets). The TBLSBCL was then evaluated using a benchmark set of seven well-known constrained design challenges in diverse engineering fields defined in the benchmark set of real-world problems presented at the CEC 2020 conference (CEC 2020). In each experiment, TBLSBCL is compared with seven other state-of-the-art metaheuristics and other advanced algorithms that include seven variants of the salp swarm. Friedman and Wilcoxon rank-sum statistical tests are also used to examine the results. According to the experimental data and statistical tests, the TBLSBCL algorithm is very competitive and often superior to the algorithms employed in the studies. The implementation code of the proposed algorithm is available at: https://github.com/MohammedQaraad/TBLSBCL-Optimizer.
Patterns of Palliation: A Review of Casualties That Received Pain Management Before Reaching Role 2 in Afghanistan
Authors: Hudson Ian L , Staudt Amanda M , Burgess Matthew , Hinojosa-Laborde Carmen , Schauer Steven G , Newberry Ryan K , Ryan Kathy L , VanFosson Christopher A
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Battlefield pain management changed markedly during the first 20 years of the Global War on Terror. Morphine, long the mainstay of combat analgesia, diminished in favor of fentanyl and ketamine for military pain control, but the options are not hemodynamically or psychologically equivalent. Understanding patterns of prehospital analgesia may reveal further opportunities for combat casualty care improvement.

Materials and Methods

Using Department of Defense Trauma Registry data for the Afghanistan conflict from 2005 to 2018, we examined 2,402 records of prehospital analgesia administration to assess temporal trends in medication choice and proportions receiving analgesia, including subanalysis of a cohort screened for an indication with minimal contraindication for analgesia. We further employed frequency matching to explore the presence of disparities in analgesia by casualty affiliation.

Results

Proportions of documented analgesia increased throughout the study period, from 0% in 2005 to 70.6% in 2018. Afghan casualties had the highest proportion of documented analgesia (53.0%), versus U.S. military (31.9%), civilian/other (23.3%), and non-U.S. military (19.3%). Fentanyl surpassed morphine in the frequency of administration in 2012. The median age of those receiving ketamine was higher (30 years) than those receiving fentanyl (26 years) or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (23 years). Among the frequency-matched subanalysis, the odds ratio for ketamine administration with Afghan casualties was 1.84 (95% CI, 1.30-2.61).

Conclusions

We observed heterogeneity of prehospital patient care across patient affiliation groups, suggesting possible opportunities for improvement toward an overall best practice system. General increase in documented prehospital pain management likely reflects efforts toward complete documentation, as well as improved options for analgesia. Current combat casualty care documentation does not include any standardized pain scale.