bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Lightweight Mobile Robot for Climbing Steel Structures With an Extending and Bending Tape Spring Limb
Authors: Quan Justin , Zhu Mingzhang , Hong Dennis
Published: November 2023

This paper details the design and preliminary demonstrations for a compact climbing robot named EEWOC (Extended-reach Enhanced Wheeled Orb for Climbing). This novel platform utilizes the EEMMMa limb (Elastic Extending Mechanism for Mobility and Manipulation), detailed in previous work. This highly extendable and bendable robotic limb utilizes a unique tape spring structure for long reach in a small, lightweight package. EEWOC combines this limb with additional degrees of freedom and two magnetic grippers to allow it to ascend vertical metal surfaces by consecutively extending and gripping. It is also equipped with wheels for horizontal mobility. A key advantage of this system is EEWOC’s ability to bend to place its grippers around obstacles or corners and above ledges. The prototype is small and lightweight, with a profile of 25 × 30 × 30 cm and weight of 1.8 kg, while able to extend its limb up to 1.2 m away. With versatile movement options, EEWOC has the potential to fully traverse large metal structures such as ships or buildings for use in inspection tasks. This paper presents a detailed view of the overall system and mechanism design, and successful climbing demonstrations are shown on steel structures. The paper concludes by detailing EEWOC’s future capabilities and additional tests and theories needed to refine its maneuvers and control.
Formation-Keeping and Cooperative Control of AUVs Based on the Udwadia-Kalaba Equation
Authors: Lins De Oliveira Éverton , Maia Matarazzo Orsino Renato , Crisol Donha Décio
Published: November 2023

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) represent an efficient alternative for performing complex tasks such as ocean monitoring, inspection of underwater structures, pipelines and vessels, and transportation of objects. The use of multiple AUVs acting cooperatively can increase the performance in these tasks, at the cost of making the overall operation more challenging. In this paper, a novel reference filter for the Formation Keeping (FK) of multiple AUVs is proposed. Basically, the FK objectives are treated as servo-constraints. Thus, the reference values for the motion control can be directly computed using Udwadia-Kalaba equation, which was originally proposed for finding explicit expressions for constraint forces in multibody systems. After obtaining these reference inputs, in order to test the proposed strategy, the formation control algorithm is designed individually for each agent (AUV) based on its own mathematical model. The proposed coordination framework is tested in numerical simulations considering external disturbances due to ocean currents and realistic models for the sensors. A low-level Model Predictive Control (MPC) is assumed to be embedded to each agent. The existing limitations in their communication are also considered. Results highlight the good performance of the proposed scheme in terms of trajectory tracking and disturbance rejection, with low constraint violations.
The Potential for Incentive Structures to Prevent Significant Engineering Failures
Authors: Li Wanru , Hazelrigg George
Published: November 2023

All complex designs emerge as the result of the decisions made by the design engineers. It can be shown that the designs are best when the preferences guiding the engineering decisions align with the overall system or corporate preference. But we know that all people make decisions based on their own personal preferences, which are unlikely to align well with the corporate preference. This research addresses the question, what mechanisms can be used to better align engineers’ decisions to the system or corporate preference, but particularly such that major catastrophes might be prevented? Inspiration for this work comes from a number of very substantial losses that likely would have been prevented by the systems engineers had they the incentive to come forth with knowledge they certainly had. Examples include Boeing’s experience with the 737MAX, which appears to be costing Boeing more than $100 billion, and Volkswagen’s experience with the falsified emission testing of their diesel-engine vehicles, which resulted in over 31 billion euros in fines, penalties and other direct costs. We believe that incentive mechanisms could have been in place that would have prevented these very significant losses. Thus, we believe that there exist potential mechanisms that would benefit both the corporation and the engineers. We further believe that these mechanisms would not only improve corporate profitability but they have the potential to save many lives as well.
Towards a Theoretical Framework for Using “Context” in Engineering Design Processes for Global Health Applications
Authors: Burleson Grace , Toyama Kentaro , Sienko Kathleen
Published: November 2023

Many scholars and practitioners claim that engineered solutions must be contextually appropriate, particularly when designing for global health applications. Although neglecting to understand context has been cited as a common cause of project failure in global health work, engineering designers and researchers have a limited number of available tools, methods, and frameworks to support the collection and application of contextual information to design decisions. This paper presents findings from multiple studies and proposes an advancement to the definition of context and a preliminary framework for using contextual factors in engineering design. The framework includes definitions for two primary concepts: (1) classifications, i.e., defined categories of context called “contextual factors”, and (2) applications, i.e., specific strategies and methods for incorporating contextual factors into various design stages. We provide examples of the framework’s potential use in design practice and research, such as improving reporting in design literature and assessing the transferability of solutions from one context to another. Ultimately this work advances our understanding and definition of “context” in engineering design processes for global health applications. We aim for these findings to advance the fields of mechanical engineering and design science and seed subsequent scholarship aimed at evolving the theoretical constructs associated with gathering, synthesizing, and applying contextual information within engineering design work.
Comparing Derivatives of Neural Networks for Regression
Authors: Najmon Joel C. , Tovar Andres
Published: November 2023

In the past decades, neural networks have rapidly grown in popularity as a way to model complex non-linear relationships. The computational efficiently and flexibility of neural networks has made them popular for machine learning-based optimization methods. As such the derivative of a neural network’s output is required for gradient-based optimization algorithms. Recently, there have been several works towards improving derivatives of neural network targets, however there is yet to be done a comparative study on the different derivation methods for the derivative of a neural network’s targets with respect to its input features. Consequently, this paper’s objective is to implement and compare common methods for obtaining or approximating the derivative of neural network targets with respect to their inputs. The methods studied include analytical derivatives, finite differences, complex step approximation, and automatic differentiation. The methods are tested by training deep multilayer perceptrons for regression with several analytical functions. The derivatives of the neural network-derived methods are evaluated against the exact derivative of the test functions. Results show that all of the derivation methods provide the same derivative approximation to near working precision of the computer. Implementation of the study is done using the TensorFlow library in a provided Python code.
Metastable states in a 1D quantum system
Authors: Goff John Eric , Colladay Don C.
Published: November 2023

One-dimensional (1D) systems in which metastable states exist are physically important, but they are usually not discussed quantitatively in textbooks. This paper presents a relatively simple 1D system involving a piecewise-constant potential for which metastable states can be easily calculated using a computer algebraic system. The metastable-state wave functions are computed and plotted for various particle energies. The Breit–Wigner approximation is used to fit the resulting resonant structure in the transmission coefficient. Connections are made between the initial analysis and poles of the scattering matrix that corresponds to the potential.
Pendulum waves: A model of Thomae's function
Authors: Feng Xiangdong , Lu Changhong , Schulte Jurgen , Shan Zengxu , Liu Gentong
Published: November 2023

The pendulum wave apparatus exhibits cyclic pendulum patterns, including wave-like motion and pendulums alignments. This work presents a complete analytical solution to the times and numbers of pendulum alignment, which is shown to be a subset of Thomae's function. Based on the properties of this function and basic number theory, a comprehensive analysis of pendulum patterns is presented.
Thermal physics in the data age—Students judge the applicability of the equipartition theorem
Authors: Martin J. D. D.
Published: November 2023

Providing students of introductory thermal physics with a plot of the heat capacities of many low density gases as a function of temperature allows them to look for systematic trends. Specifically, large amounts of heat capacity data not only allow students to discover the equipartition theorem but also point to its limited applicability. Computer code to download and plot the temperature-dependent heat capacity data is provided.
Expectation-maximization vector approximate message passing-based frequency-domain turbo equalization for underwater acoustic communications
Authors: Zhang Xinrui , Tao Jun , Li Dong , Wu Yanbo , Chen Wenxuan
Published: November 2023

Channel equalization plays a crucial role in single-carrier underwater acoustic (UWA) communications. Recently, a frequency-domain turbo equalization (FDTE) scheme enabled by the vector approximate message passing (VAMP) algorithm, was proposed, and it outperformed classic linear minimum mean square error FDTE at acceptable complexity cost. The operation of the VAMP-FDTE requires knowledge of noise power, which is predetermined before the equalization starts. In practice, however, it is difficult to obtain prior knowledge of noise power due to factors of unknown channel estimation errors and dynamic underwater environments. Motivated by this fact, we propose an enhanced VAMP-FDTE scheme, which learns the noise power knowledge during the equalization process via the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm. The EM-based noise power estimation makes use of intermediate results of the VAMP-FDTE and, thus, only incurs a small extra computational overhead. The improved VAMP-FDTE, named EM-VAMP-FDTE, was tested by experimental data collected in shallow-sea horizontal UWA communication trials with MIMO configuration. It showed better performance than the existing VAMP-FDTE scheme, attributed to the online noise power learning.
Born approximation of trapping forces by acoustical Bessel and vortex fields
Authors: Fan Xudong , Zhang Likun
Published: November 2023

Acoustic radiation forces have been used to trap various objects for fundamental studies and practical applications. Born approximation method, originally introduced to solve quantum scattering problems, is herein extended to analyze trapping forces exerted by two- and three-dimensional acoustic Bessel and vortex fields on spherical and nonspherical objects of arbitrary size. The results are compared with the conventional models like the partial wave expansion and Gorkov force potential. It is shown that for weakly scattering objects (such as common soft biological particles surrounded by fluids), the Born approximation can make predictions for the trapping forces on objects whose characteristic lengths are even up to multiple wavelengths of the sound beams. With the aid of the approximation, the Gorkov force potential is applied to analyze and gain insights into trapping forces on large objects far beyond the original Rayleigh scattering regime. The effects caused by the beam parameters, object shape, and orientation on the trapping behaviors are revealed. This work is useful for the further study of acoustic radiation forces and will guide the experiment of simplified acoustic tweezers on arbitrary-shaped particles.
Target strength measurements of individual sub-Arctic krill have frequency-dependent differences from scattering model predictions
Authors: Lucca Brandyn M. , Ressler Patrick H. , Warren Joseph D.
Published: November 2023

Target strength (TS) is commonly used to convert acoustic backscatter from marine organisms to numerical abundance estimates. Shipboard, tank-based TS measurements were made on four sub-Arctic krill species (Euphausia pacifica, Thysanoessa spinifera, Thysanoessa inermis, and Thysanoessa raschii) from the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska at discrete frequencies between 42 and 455 kHz. These measurements were compared to scattering model predictions parameterized with data from the same (when possible) individual krill. Statistically significant differences between modeled and experimental estimates at 42, 45, 120, and 131 kHz exceeded 2 dB on average. Variability in the signal-to-noise ratio, animal length, and measurements from two separate narrowband and broadband transducer pairs (at those frequencies) did not account for these differences. Scattering predictions at 120 and 131 kHz were consistent with the expected transition from Rayleigh-to-geometric scattering where models become increasingly sensitive to orientation and body shape variability. Disagreement between modeled and measured TS may be due to using scattering models developed for, and validated on, larger krill (i.e., Euphausia superba) rather than smaller species of krill. Acoustic surveys of smaller (15–30 mm) krill may require further validation of both the generalizability and parameterization of applied scattering models.
The Psychometric Properties of Two Brief Measures of Teamwork in Sport
Authors: McEwan Desmond , Shah Eesha J. , Crawford Kaitlin L. , Jackman Patricia C. , Hoffmann Matt D. , Cardinal Ethan , Bruner Mark W. , McLaren Colin D. , Benson Alex J.
Published: November 2023

In the current study, the structural and external validity of data derived from two shorter versions of the Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport (MATS) were examined using multilevel analyses. Evidence of model–data fit was shown for both a 5-factor model comprising 19 items (with subscales assessing teamwork preparation, execution, evaluation, adjustments, and management of team maintenance) and a single-factor model comprising five items (providing a global estimate of teamwork). In general, data from both versions were positively and significantly correlated with (and distinct from) athletes’ perceptions of team cohesion, collective efficacy, performance satisfaction, enjoyment in their sport, and commitment to their team and their coaches’ transformational leadership. The measures appear well suited to detect between-teams differences, as evidenced by intraclass correlation coefficients and acceptable reliability estimates of team-level scores. In summary, the 19-item Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport-Short and five-item Multidimensional Assessment of Teamwork in Sport-Global provide conceptually and psychometrically sound questionnaires to briefly measure teamwork in sport.
Plant MDL proteins synergize with the cytokine MIF at CXCR2 and CXCR4 receptors in human cells
Authors: Spiller Lukas , Manjula Ramu , Leissing Franz , Basquin Jerome , Bourilhon Priscila , Sinitski Dzmitry , Brandhofer Markus , Levecque Sophie , Gerra Simona , Sabelleck Björn , Zhang Lin , Feederle Regina , Flatley Andrew , Hoffmann Adrian , Panstruga Ralph , Bernhagen Jürgen , Lolis Elias
Published: November 2023

Mammalian macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its paralog, D-dopachrome tautomerase, are multifunctional inflammatory cytokines. Plants have orthologous MIF and D-dopachrome tautomerase–like (MDL) proteins that mimic some of the effects of MIF on immune cells in vitro. We explored the structural and functional similarities between the three
Arabidopsis thaliana
MDLs and MIF. X-ray crystallography of the MDLs revealed high structural similarity between MDL and MIF homotrimers and suggested a potential explanation for the lack of tautomerase activity in the MDLs. MDL1 and MDL2 interacted with each other and with MIF in vitro, in yeast, and in plant leaves and formed hetero-oligomeric complexes with MIF in vitro. The MDLs stimulated signaling through the MIF receptors CXCR2 or CXCR4 and enhanced the responses to MIF in a yeast reporter system, in human neutrophils, and in human lung epithelial cells. Pharmacological inhibitors that disrupted MIF activity or prevented the formation of MIF-MDL hetero-oligomers blocked the observed synergism. These findings demonstrate that MDLs can enhance cellular responses to MIF, which may have functional implications in tissues exposed to MDLs from the diet or environment.
Metal-Free Reductive C–C-Coupling between Arylboronic Acids and 2-(5-Iodo-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenols
Authors: Gevondian A. G. , Kotovshchikov Y. N. , Latyshev G. V. , Lukashev N. V. , Beletskaya I. P.
Published: November 2023

A new method has been developed for the synthesis of 2-(1-arylalkyl)-1,3-benzoxazoles by coupling of arylboronic acids with 2-(5-iodo-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)phenols. The proposed cascade process involves intermediate formation of 2-(1-diazoalkyl)-1,3-benzoxazoles and their reductive C–C coupling with arylboronic acids. The procedure requires no transition metal catalysis and provides up to 67% yield of the target products.
Postpartum pubic symphysis diastasis resulting in a prepubic abscess and osteomyelitis
Authors: de Groot Marianne Antoinette , Brunner Eva Lisanne , Kolk Arjen , Duindam Mireille
Published: November 2023

Postpartum pubic symphysis diastasis (PSD) refers to an abnormal widening of the pubic symphysis after delivery. It is a rare and underdiagnosed condition that causes severe pain and can be complicated by osteomyelitis and abscess formation. This article reports a case of a para 4 woman in her 30s with postpartum PSD after vaginal delivery who presented with a prepubic abscess. Multimodal treatment consisted of incision and drainage, physiotherapy and prolonged antibiotic treatment.
Genomics enabling personalised glaucoma care
Authors: Stuart Kelsey V , Khawaja Anthony P
Published: November 2023

Glaucoma is a leading cause of visual impairment and a significant public health concern, but despite ongoing advances in our understanding of the disease, several important clinical challenges remain. With the number of affected people projected to increase substantially over coming decades, novel approaches to screening, risk stratification, therapy and glaucoma research are essential to deal with this expanding burden in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Genomics may hold the key to unlocking further biological insights and enabling precision medicine, in which glaucoma care is tailored to the individual patient, based on their unique profile for disease. Here, we provide an overview of how genomics may enable cost-effective targeted population screening and personalised predictions of risk, response to treatment and effective lifestyle advice. Given rapid advances in genetic testing technology and a move towards population-level genotyping, these early results have several important implications that promise to revolutionise the way in which glaucoma is detected and managed in years to come.
Family functioning and patients’ depressive symptoms: comparison in perceived family function between patients who had an acute ischaemic stroke and their primary family caregivers – a cross-sectional study
Authors: Li Juan , Kong Xiangjing , Wang Jing , Zhu Huanzhi , Zhong Jiaqi , Cao Yanpei , Wu Bei
Published: November 2023

Objectives

This study aims to compare perceived family functioning between Chinese patients who had an acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) and family caregivers, and explore the association between family functioning and patients’ depressive symptoms.

Design

This is a cross-sectional study design.

Setting

Stroke centres of two tertiary hospitals in Nanjing, China.

Participants

One hundred and sixty-nine dyads of patients who had an AIS and family caregivers.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Family functioning of patients who had an AIS and their primary family caregivers was assessed by the Family Assessment Device (FAD, Chinese version). Depressive symptoms of patients who had an AIS was assessed by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. We test the agreement and differences in family functioning. Multivariate linear regression models were used to test the association of differences of family functioning within dyads with patients’ depressive symptoms.

Results

AIS families demonstrated unhealthy family functioning. A total of 115 patients (76.9%) and 124 caregivers (73.4%) had a score of 2 or higher in FAD-general functioning (GF), indicating unhealthy family functioning. The intraclass correlation coefficient of FAD subdomain between patients who had an AIS and caregivers ranged from 0.15 to 0.55, which indicating the agreement of family functioning within dyads was poor to moderate. There was a significant difference between the FAD-GF scores of the patients and those of their caregivers (Z=−2.631, p=0.009), with caregivers reporting poorer general family functioning. Poor family functioning and greater difference of perceived family functioning within dyads were related to higher level of patients’ depressive symptoms (β=5.163, p<0.001, β=5.534, p<0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

These findings indicate that healthcare professionals should assess family functioning in both patients who had a stroke and caregivers. Improvement of family function and decreasing discrepancies within dyads may be helpful for relieving patients’ depressive symptoms.
A qualitative evaluation of the impact of a medical student school outreach project on both medical students and school pupils
Authors: Brown Megan E L , Ahuja Neha , Sivam Vanessa , Khanna Alisha , Parekh Ravi
Published: November 2023

Objective

To explore medical student and school pupil experiences of an outreach school teaching project.

Setting

Community engagement is increasingly commonplace within medical school. Secondary schools offer ample opportunities for community engagement as medical students teach and engage in service learning. There is a lack of research regarding the impact of school community engagement projects and the impact on pupils, as critical stakeholders in the service medical students provide. In this qualitative study, we explore the perspectives of medical students and school pupils involved in a school teaching project.

Participants

Ten medical students participated in individual interviews, and 17 school pupils across three schools participated in group interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and the concept of service learning.

Results

For medical students, the project fostered communication and teaching skills, but a lack of reflection hampered further benefit. For school pupils, experiences varied – learning about careers in medicine could be inspiring, but content pitched at the incorrect level disengaged some pupils. The conflict between session timing and medical students’ exams negatively influenced engagement.

Conclusions

To shift the focus of community engagement projects that promote service-learning towards mutual benefit, designing in partnership with relevant community stakeholders and integrating opportunities to reflect on these experiences are critical.
Organisation and delivery of supportive services for patients with prostate cancer in the National Health Service in England and Wales: a national cross-sectional hospital survey and latent class analysis
Authors: Dodkins Joanna , Cook Adrian , Morris Melanie , Nossiter Julie , Prust Steve , Waller Steve , van der Meulen Jan , Aggarwal Ajay , Clarke Noel , Payne Heather Ann
Published: November 2023

Objectives

We assessed how often National Health Service (NHS) hospitals reported that they had specific supportive services for patients with prostate cancer available onsite, including nursing support, sexual function and urinary continence services, psychological and genetic counselling, and oncogeriatric services. We identified groups of hospitals with similar patterns of supportive services.

Design/setting

We conducted an organisational survey in 2021 of all NHS hospitals providing prostate cancer services in England and Wales. Latent class analysis grouped hospitals with similar patterns of supportive services.

Results

In 138 hospitals, an advanced prostate cancer nurse was available in 125 hospitals (90.6%), 107 (77.5%) had a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) attending all clinics, 103 (75.7%) had sexual function services, 111 (81.6%) had continence services and 93 (69.4%) psychological counselling. The availability of genetic counselling (41 hospitals, 30.6%) and oncogeriatric services (15 hospitals, 11.0%) was lower. The hospitals could be divided into three groups. The first and largest group of 85 hospitals provided the most comprehensive supportive services onsite: all hospitals had a CNS attending all clinics, 84 (98.8%) sexual function services and 73 (85.9%) continence services. A key characteristic of the second group of 31 hospitals was that none had a CNS attending all clinics. A key characteristic of the third group of 22 hospitals was that none had sexual function services available. The hospitals in the largest group were more likely to run joint clinics (p<0.001) and host the regional specialist multidisciplinary team (p=0.002).

Conclusions

There is considerable variation in supportive services for prostate cancer available onsite in NHS hospitals in England and Wales. Availability of genetic counselling and oncogeriatric services is low. The different patterns of supportive services among hospitals demonstrate that initiatives to improve the availability of the entire range of supportive services to all patients should be carefully targeted.
Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-related home confinement on the refractive error of school-aged children in Germany: a cross-sectional study based on data from 414 eye care professional centres
Authors: Sanz Diez Pablo , Ohlendorf Arne , Barraza-Bernal Maria Jose , Kratzer Timo , Wahl Siegfried
Published: November 2023

Objective

This study aimed at evaluating refractive changes in German school-aged children before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

414 eye care professional centres from Germany.

Participants

Refractive data from 59 926 German children aged 6–15 years were examined over a 7-year period (2015–2021).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Spherical equivalent refraction was assessed as a function of year, age and gender. The refractive values concerning 2020 and 2021 were compared with those assigned to prior years (2015–2019).

Results

The refractive data associated with 2020 and 2021 showed a myopic refractive shift of approximately −0.20D compared with the 2015–2019 range. The refractive change was statistically considerable in the 6 to 11-year range (p<0.05), while from 12 to 15 years was negligible (p≥0.10). Percentage of myopes was also impacted in 2021 (p=0.002), but not in 2020 (p=0.25). From 6 to 11 years, the percentage of myopes in 2021 increased significantly by 6.02% compared with the 2015–2019 range (p≤0.04). The highest percentage increase occurred at 8 and 10 years of age, showing a rise of 7.42% (p=0.002) and 6.62% (p=0.005), respectively. From 12 to 15 years, there was no significant increase in the percentage of myopes in 2021 (p≥0.09). Percentage of myopes in 2020 was not influenced at any age (p≥0.06).

Conclusion

Disruption of normal lifestyle due to pandemic-related home confinement appears to lead to a myopic refractive shift in children aged 6–11 years in Germany. The greater effect observed at younger ages seems to emphasise the importance of refractive development in this age group.
Safety and feasibility of a real-time electronic heart team decision-making approach in patients with complex coronary artery disease: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial (EHEART trial)
Authors: Su Xiaoting , Ma Hanping , Lin Shen , Dou Kefei , Zheng Zhe
Published: November 2023

Introduction

The implementation of a heart team still faces many challenges which may be facilitated with advanced communication technology. There is a knowledge gap to support the use of an electronic real-time heart team decision-making approach based on communication technology in the real clinical practice and evaluate its safety and feasibility in patients with complex coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods and analysis

The EHEART (Electronic HEArt team with Real-Time decision-making) trial is a prospective, multicentre, two-arm, randomised controlled trial that will randomise 490 patients with complex CAD to either an electronic real-time heart team group or conventional heart team group. For patients allocated to the real-time electronic group, heart team meetings will be initiated during the coronary angiography and guided by a supporting system based on communication technology to help with information synchronisation, real-time communication between specialists, meeting process recording and assistance and joint decision-making with patients’ families. The primary and safety endpoint is a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularisation or re-angina hospital admission at 1 year. The primary secondary outcome is the time interval from the coronary angiography to the final treatment, which is the major indicator of feasibility. We will also compare the practical feasibility from the specialist’s and patient’s perspectives (for example, specialist’s workload and patient’s decision results) between the two groups.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Fuwai Hospital (no. 2022-1749). Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The results of this trial will be disseminated through manuscript publication and national/international conferences, and reported in the trial registry entry.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05514210).
Effectiveness of various treatment modalities in children with vesicoureteral reflux grades II–IV: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Chang Chia-Lun , Yang Stephen Shei-Dei , Hsu Chun-Kai , Chen Chun-Hua , Chang Shang-Jen
Published: November 2023

Background

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is one of the most common risk factors of urinary tract infection (UTI) among children. Various treatment modalities including antibiotic prophylaxis, surgical or endoscopic corrections and conservative treatment were used depending on the severity of VUR. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of these treatment modalities in children with VUR grades II–IV by conducting a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Methods

A systematic search from different databases was performed from their earliest records to December 2022 without any language restriction. Only randomised controlled trials were included in this study. Effectiveness of treatment modalities was mainly compared by UTI. Other outcomes for renal scarring and resolution by renal units were also measured between treatments.

Results

A total of 11 studies with 1447 children were included in this study. While comparing with antibiotic prophylaxis in network meta-analysis for UTI recurrence, surgical treatment probably lowers the rate of UTI recurrence (Log OR −0.26, 95% CI −0.54 to 0.02, high quality). However, endoscopic treatment (Log OR 0.2, 95% CI −1.41 to 1.81, high quality) and conservative treatment (Log OR 0.15, 95% CI −0.45 to 0.75, high quality) revealed probably inferior to antibiotic treatment.

Conclusion

Both pairwise and network meta-analytic results probably showed no difference between the treatments in terms of their impact on UTI recurrence, progression of previous renal scars, or formation of new renal scars in children with VUR grades II–IV. These findings may offer a better understanding of each treatment and evidence-based suggestions for the choice of treatment, which should be individualised and based on the patient’s risk factors.
Staging of operative link on gastritis assessment and operative link on gastric intestinal metaplasia systems for risk assessment of early gastric cancer: a case–control study
Authors: Huang Yu , Chen Jinnan , Guo Yixian , Ding Zhaohui , Liang Xiao , Zhang Wei , Xue Hanbing , Zhao Yunjia , Li Xiaobo , Lu Hong
Published: November 2023

Aims

Operative link on gastritis assessment (OLGA) and operative link on gastric intestinal metaplasia assessment (OLGIM) systems are histological staging systems of gastritis for gastric cancer (GC) risk estimation. Intermediate OLGA/OLGIM stages are of concern in a region with high incidence of GC. This study aimed to validate OLGA and OLGIM staging systems for early GC (EGC) in Chinese population.

Methods

This single-centre, case–control study included 196 patients with EGC and 196 age-matched and sex-matched health screening control subjects. OLGA and OLGIM systems, and other clinical parameters were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

Results

OLGA and OLGIM stages II/III/IV were more prevalent in patients with EGC than in the control subjects. Multivariable analysis revealed family history of GC, previousHelicobacter pylori(H. pylori) infection, OLGA stages II and III-IV, OLGIM stages II and III-IV as independent risk factors for EGC (ORs, 4.04, 1.87, 2.52, 6.79, 4.11 and 10.78, respectively). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve on EGC risk estimation was improved for OLGIM compared with OLGA (0.78 vs 0.71, p<0.001). Autoantibody seropositivity of gastric mucosa was not associated with EGC risk stratified byH. pyloristatus.

Conclusions

Surveillance of intermediate-risk patients (OLGA/OLGIM II) should be emphasised in our region. The OLGIM may be preferred over the OLGA for EGC risk estimation.
Effect of nicotine corrective messaging on nicotine-related beliefs in US adults: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Villanti Andrea C , Peasley-Miklus Catherine , Mercincavage Melissa , Mays Darren , Donny Eric C , Cappella Joseph N , Strasser Andrew A
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Widespread misperceptions of the health risks of nicotine could undermine the public health benefits of the Food and Drug Administration’s actions, including modified risk tobacco product authorisations and a reduced nicotine product standard for cigarettes.

Methods

794 US adults (aged 18+) in NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel participated in a randomised controlled trial in Spring 2021 to test the effect of three exposures to eight nicotine corrective messages (NCM) on beliefs about nicotine, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), e-cigarettes and reduced nicotine content (RNC) cigarettes at 3-month follow-up. Analyses conducted in 2022 examined the effect of study condition (NCM (n=393) vs no message control (n=401)) on nicotine beliefs, use intentions and use of nicotine and tobacco products.

Results

Exposure to three NCM doses reduced nicotine (b=−0.33; 95% CI −0.60, –0.07), NRT (b=−0.49; 95% CI −0.85, –0.14), e-cigarette (b=−0.32; 95% CI −0.59, –0.05) and RNC cigarette false beliefs (b=−0.64; 95% CI −1.26, –0.02) compared with the control, controlling for baseline beliefs. Baseline tobacco use and concern about nicotine addiction attenuated intervention effects on false beliefs about RNC cigarettes. There were few intervention effects on intention or use of nicotine and tobacco products.

Conclusions

Repeated exposure to NCM was necessary to reduce false beliefs about nicotine and tobacco products. Future studies will improve understanding of the dose and duration of nicotine education needed to shift intentions and behaviour, as well as tailored content for tobacco product users to achieve similar reductions in false beliefs as non-users.

Trial registration number

NCT04805515.
Note on the electromagnetic radius of proton
Authors: Ridwan M. , Mart T.
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we have analyzed the proton form factor data by using a number of phenomenological parametrizations (models) and extracting the proton electric and magnetic radii. To this end, we performed a global fit to all available form factor data, with the virtual photon momentum squared [Formula: see text] from [Formula: see text] to nearly 10[Formula: see text]GeV2 for electric form factor and from [Formula: see text] to 31[Formula: see text]GeV2 for magnetic one. Special attention was given to the small structure shown by the form factor data near [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GeV2. It was found that different models yield different structures with different numbers of minimum at this kinematics. Since the slope of form factor in the limit of [Formula: see text] is influenced by this structure, the extracted proton radii are consequently different for different models. Our finding recommends that future experiments should focus on this kinematics instead of low [Formula: see text]. Experimental data with accuracies comparable to those of the latest data at low [Formula: see text] would clearly help to clarify the effect of this structure on the proton charge radius. Interestingly, most of the extracted proton charge radii were found to be closer to the value obtained from the muonic hydrogen atom spectroscopy.
HIGH INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE-INDUCED RETINAL ISCHEMIA AND LIGHT-INDUCED RETINOPATHY IN RAT MODELS
Authors: Chan Sze-Min , Lin Chung-Tien
Published: November 2023

Glaucoma and retinal degenerations are two important ocular diseases that often cause massive impacts to vision in both humans and animals. Rat models are commonly used to explore the complex pathophysiology and potential treatments of these diseases. The models of high intraocular pressure (HIOP)-induced retinal ischemia-reperfusion imply the ischemic outcome weight on the inner retina layers (including the nerve fiber layer, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer, inner plexiform layer (IPL), and inner retinal layer (INL)) that eventually progressed to the outer retinal layers. Depending on the duration (cycles) of ischemic treatment, more glaucoma pathological change signs may be exhibited more obviously with time. The model requires a short ischemic treatment and anticipates an adequately long period of disease manifestation. To investigate photoreceptor-led retinal degeneration, rat models for light-induced retinopathy are commonly used and it is predominantly attributed to the photoreceptor cells damage of ONL and OPL loss by high intensity of light exposure. This model unraveled the pathophysiological impairment of phototransduction as well as disease mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammatory process of the outer retinal layer. With the knowledge gained from the research using these animal models, better understanding of the disease mechanisms in terms of its pathophysiology and molecular changes can be achieved. Besides, the rat models can serve as the key basis for further investigation into the therapeutic or preventive perspectives of these retinopathies.
Exploring the impact of fracture interaction on connectivity and flow channelling using grown fracture networks
Authors: Libby Simon , Hartley Lee , Turnbull Robert , Cottrell Mark , Bym Tomas , Josephson Neal , Munier Raymond , Selroos Jan-Olof , Mas Ivars Diego
Published: November 2023

Quantitative assessment of the flow properties and mechanical stability of naturally fractured rock is frequently practised across the mining, petroleum, geothermal, geological disposal, construction and environmental remediation industries. These fluid and mechanical behaviours are strongly influenced by the connectivity of the fracture system and the size of the intact rock blocks. However, these are amongst the more difficult fracture system properties to characterize and honour in numerical simulations. Nonetheless, they are still the product of interactions between fractures that can be conceptualized as a series of deformation events following geomechanical principles. Generating numerical models of fracture networks by simulating this deformation with a coupled and evolving rock mass and stress field is a significant undertaking. Instead, large-scale fracture network models can be ‘grown’ dynamically according to rules that mimic the underlying mechanical processes and deformation history. This paper explores a computationally efficient rules-based method to generate fracture networks, demonstrates how different types of fracture patterns can be simulated, and illustrates how inclusion of fracture interactions can affect flow and mechanical properties. Relative to methods without fracture interaction and in contrast to some other rules-based approaches, the method described here regularizes and increases fracture connectivity and decreases flow channelling.
Recent Applications of Dynamical Mean-Field Methods
Authors: Cugliandolo Leticia F.
Published: November 2023

Rich out-of-equilibrium collective dynamics of strongly interacting large assemblies emerge in many areas of science. Some intriguing and not fully understood examples are the glassy arrest in atomic, molecular, or colloidal systems; flocking in natural or artificial active matter; and the organization and subsistence of ecosystems. The learning process, and ensuing amazing performance, of deep neural networks bears resemblance with some of the before-mentioned examples. Quantum mechanical extensions are also of interest. In exact or approximate manner, the evolution of these systems can be expressed in terms of a dynamical mean-field theory that not only captures many of their peculiar effects but also has predictive power. This short review presents a summary of recent developments of this approach with emphasis on applications on the examples mentioned above.
Anodic Dissolution Behavior of Al Alloys Containing Al6Fe or β-AlFeSi in EmImCl–AlCl3 Electrolyte During Electrorefining
Authors: Nunomura Junji , Matsushima Hisayoshi , Kyo Yoshihiko , Kojima Yoichi , Ueda Mikito
Published: November 2023

To produce over 99.9% of high-purity Al from Al alloys containing Al6Fe or β-AlFeSi through electrorefining, their anodic dissolution and cathodic electrodeposition characteristics should be clarified. In this study, the anodic dissolution and cathodic electrodeposition behavior of Al–Fe binary and Al–Fe–Si ternary alloys were investigated in an EmImCl–AlCl3 ionic liquid electrolyte at 323 K. Anodic polarization measurements, constant potential electrolysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field-emission SEM (FE-SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to study the anode and electrodeposits on the cathode. Constant potential electrolysis showed that Fe dissolved from Al6Fe in the Al–Fe anode at 0.7 V vs Al/Al(III) and from β-AlFeSi in the Al–Fe–Si anode at 1.4 V and was co-deposited with Al on the cathode. Notably, Si did not dissolve from β-AlFeSi at either potential. A combination of controlled anodic dissolution potential and the use of the Al alloy containing β-AlFeSi further suppressed the dissolution and cathodic co-deposition of Fe, affording high-purity Al on the cathode. This suggests that Al alloys with intermetallic compounds that are less likely to dissolve Fe at the anode are optimal for obtaining over 99.9% of high-purity Al from Al alloys containing Fe in the electrorefining method.
Understanding the Knee Point of Aged Lithium-Ion Batteries: A Physics-Based Modeling of Electrolyte Dry-Out and Gas Bubble Entrapment
Authors: Ryu Seong-Taek , Kim Hong-Keun , Lee Kyu-Jin
Published: November 2023

This research addresses the performance and degradation characteristics of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), focusing on the implications of electrolyte depletion and gas bubble entrapment within the cell. Using a comprehensive electrochemical-thermal model, this study provides simulation results of electrolyte depletion and gas bubble entrapment and their influence on the lifespan of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Th study notably explores the battery life beyond the critical “knee-point” - a transition point marking the shift from linear to accelerated capacity decline. An intricate exploration of the relationship between electrolyte saturation levels and various battery parameters, including performance, thermal behavior, and transport properties, is carried out through a detailed mathematical model. The findings highlight the critical impact of electrolyte levels on LIB performance and thermal behavior. It also shows that electrolyte depletion can facilitate lithium plating. Providing insights into electrolyte depletion and gas production processes paves the way for strategies to enhance battery life, safety, and performance, ultimately fostering a deeper understanding of LIB degradation mechanisms.
Highly-Efficient Ni@CuS/SGCN Nanocomposite with Superior Bifunctional Electrocatalytic Activity for Water Splitting
Authors: Mehrose  , Javed Mohsin , Qamar Muhammad Azam , Shariq Mohammad , Ahmed Inas A. , Alziyadi Khadijah B. , Almutib Eman , Alaghaz Abdel-Nasser M. A. , Azooz R. E. , Ali Syed Kashif
Published: November 2023

The contemporary world faces significant challenges with the depletion of non-renewable energy sources and the escalation of global temperatures. Using H2 as an energy source is a sustainable, renewable, and environmentally friendly alternative. Electrochemical water splitting using an efficient electrocatalyst is an optimistic approach for hydrogen production. The primary concern is the development of a durable, cost-effective, and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst to enhance electrochemical water splitting. The present investigation employs CuS as the electrocatalyst, followed by the implementation of two techniques, doping and composite material synthesis, to enhance its electrocatalytic characteristics. CuS samples doped with varying weight percentages of Ni (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 wt.%) and a composite material of 6% Ni@CuS with SGCN were synthesized using the co-precipitation method. The electrocatalysts were studied by characterization techniques such as SEM, EDX, FTIR, and XRD. Doping and composite material synthesis enhance the electrochemical water-splitting activity, as LSV, CV, EIS, and Chronopotentiometry analyses demonstrated. The electrochemical water splitting process exhibits maximum performance when utilizing Ni@CuS/SGCN, resulting in a low overpotential of 380 mV for OER and 178 mV for HER, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The findings indicate that composite Ni@CuS/SGCN can potentially serve as an electrocatalyst for water splitting.