bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different phenotypes of hypertension and associated cardiovascular and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tewari Jay , Qidwai Khalid Ahmad , Roy Shubhajeet , Saxena Mehul , Rana Anadika , Tewari Ajoy , Tewari Vineeta , Maheshwari Anuj
Published: December 2024

Background

Hypertension is a leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity. Recent guidelines advocate for out-of-office blood pressure monitoring, including ambulatory and home BP monitoring, to better identify hypertension phenotypes like masked hypertension, white coat hypertension, and sustained hypertension. However, clinical inertia persists due to a lack of robust evidence on the effectiveness of screening these phenotypes and their association with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the relationship between various hypertension phenotypes and future cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality to support the broader implementation of out-of-office BP monitoring.

Main body

Following PRISMA, Cochrane, and MOOSE guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search in Pubmed, OvidSP, and Cochrane Central databases up to October 17, 2023. Eligible studies reported associations between hypertension phenotypes and cardiovascular or all-cause mortality, with normotension as the reference group. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using random-effects models. Eight studies with 15,327 participants were included. Masked hypertension was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality (pooled HR 2.05, 95% CI 1.69–2.48). Sustained hypertension also showed a higher risk (pooled HR 2.42, 95% CI 2.12–2.76). WCH did not significantly increase cardiovascular mortality risk (pooled HR 1.18, 95% CI 0.98–1.42). For all-cause mortality, neither masked hypertension (pooled HR 2.10, 95% CI 0.91–4.88) nor white coat hypertension (pooled HR 1.96, 95% CI 0.71–5.42) showed significant increases.

Conclusion

Masked hypertension and sustained hypertension are linked to higher cardiovascular mortality compared to normotension, highlighting the importance of out-of-office BP monitoring to identify and manage high-risk phenotypes effectively. Further high-quality studies are needed to generalize these findings and support policy changes.
Filling the Gap: Enhancing Borehole Imaging with Tensor Neural Network
Authors: Liu Dawei , Wang Qingfang , You Nan , Sacchi Mauricio D. , Chen Wenchao
Published: December 2024

Borehole imaging is crucial in geological research as it offers insights into subsurface formations and supports reservoir assessment, mineral exploration, and hydrocarbon extraction. However, the effectiveness of borehole imaging is limited by the incompleteness of data due to the design constraints of borehole imaging tools. Missing areas in borehole images pose challenges to geologists. While existing methods, such as pattern filling and CNN-based techniques, show some efficacy, they often require a large amount of complete images for training. In recent years, unsupervised deep learning and tensor-based methods have gained attention for their ability to reconstruct missing or degraded geological images by leveraging the structural characteristics of images. In particular, tensor representations based on Tucker decomposition have shown strong capabilities in data completion. Inspired by this, we propose a novel self-supervised Tensor Neural Network (TNN) utilizing Tucker decomposition as our backbone. Since borehole images are wraped to 2D data, converting them into tensor representations is a critical step in leveraging the proposed tensor representation. To achieve this, we introduce the Adaptive Boundary-Detection Cropping with Augmentation algorithm, which adapts 2D images into 3D tensors. After interpolating the tensors using the proposed tensor network, we employ Adaptive Slice Concatenation with Replacement to restore the complete images from the enhanced tensors, ensuring that the tensor representation of 3D data is accurately depicted in the 2D images. The proposed TNN can be further enhanced by incorporating a structural regularizer. Actual data experiments demonstrate that our method effectively fills gaps in borehole images with higher clarity and detail. The completed images retain crucial geological features and textures, surpassing some of the existing self-supervised learning methods.
Lost and found: dynamics of relationship and employment status over time in people with affective and psychotic spectrum disorders
Authors: Senner Fanny , Kerkhoff Lisa , Adorjan Kristina , Lauseker Michael , Budde Monika , Heilbronner Maria , Kalman Janos L. , Kohshour Mojtaba Oraki , Papiol Sergi , Reich-Erkelenz Daniela , Schaupp Sabrina K. , Schulte Eva C. , Vogl Thomas , Anghelescu Ion-George , Arolt Volker , Baune Bernhardt T. , Dannlowski Udo , Dalkner Nina , Dietrich Detlef E. , Fallgatter Andreas J. , Figge Christian , Konrad Carsten , Lang Fabian U. , Reimer Jens , Reinighaus Eva Z. , Schmauß Max , Schmitt Andrea , Senner Simon , Spitzer Carsten , Zimmermann Jörg , Hasan Alkomiet , Falkai Peter , Schulze Thomas G. , Heilbronner Urs , Greiner Sophie-Kathrin
Published: December 2024

Background

Employment and relationship are crucial for social integration. However, individuals with major psychiatric disorders often face challenges in these domains.

Aims

We investigated employment and relationship status changes among patients across the affective and psychotic spectrum – in comparison with healthy controls, examining whether diagnostic groups or functional levels influence these transitions.

Method

The sample from the longitudinal multicentric PsyCourse Study comprised 1260 patients with affective and psychotic spectrum disorders and 441 controls (mean age ± s.d., 39.91 ± 12.65 years; 48.9% female). Multistate models (Markov) were used to analyse transitions in employment and relationship status, focusing on transition intensities. Analyses contained multiple multistate models adjusted for age, gender, job or partner, diagnostic group and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) in different combinations to analyse the impact of the covariates on the hazard ratio of changing employment or relationship status.

Results

The clinical group had a higher hazard ratio of losing partner (hazard ratio 1.46, P < 0.001) and job (hazard ratio 4.18, P < 0.001) than the control group (corrected for age/gender). Compared with controls, clinical groups had a higher hazard of losing partner (affective group, hazard ratio 2.69, P = 0.003; psychotic group, hazard ratio 3.06, P = 0.001) and job (affective group, hazard ratio 3.43, P < 0.001; psychotic group, hazard ratio 4.11, P < 0.001). Adjusting for GAF, the hazard ratio of losing partner and job decreased in both clinical groups compared with controls.

Conclusion

Patients face an increased hazard of job loss and relationship dissolution compared with healthy controls, and this is partially conditioned by the diagnosis and functional level. These findings underscore a high demand for destigmatisation and support for individuals in managing their functional limitations.
RESOURCE POTENTIAL OF AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF EFFECTIVE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Dozorova Tat'yana , Tarasova Elena , Sevast'yanova Venera , Bogapova Myar'yam
Published: December 2024

The resource potential of agricultural organizations is a complex system that combines natural, land, material, technical, and labor resources in an optimal ratio in order to increase the efficiency of agricultural production, which determines the competitive advantages of organizations in the agro-food market. The assessment of the competitive capabilities of agricultural organizations in Ulyanovsk region depending on the availability of resources was carried out on the basis of calculations of interrelated indicators for two blocks: operational (characterizes the components of the resource potential) and investment (reflects the conditions for the formation and use of the resource potential). The analysis of the calculated data on the sum of places using the visualization tool “box-and-whisker plot” allows us to note the increase in the importance of the operating unit in 2022 compared to 2017. The highest financial results were achieved by agricultural organizations, which are characterized by a more uniform formation of revenue from commodity resources of crop and livestock production, are better provided with fixed and working capital, which gives them competitive advantages in the food market. Cluster analysis by visualizing the obtained results obtained using self-organizing Kohonen maps on the analytical platform Deductor made it possible to identify four clusters based on a set of indicators characterizing the composition and efficiency of using resource potential. An integrated approach to characterizing the resource potential makes it possible to justify the priority directions of its balanced development, taking into account the existing competitive advantages.
ASSESSMENT OF THE SHOCK RESISTANCE OF THE ECONOMY OF AGRICULTURAL REGIONS TO EXTERNAL ECONOMIC TURBULENCE
Authors: Safiullin Marat , Burganov Rafis , Mingulov Almaz
Published: December 2024

The increasing sanctions attacks, the transformation of foreign economic supply chains, and restrictions on access to global financial markets have a significant impact on the parameters of sustainable development of the national economy and its regions. At the same time, these processes, which belong to the category of macroeconomic external shocks, manifest themselves very heterogeneously in the context of the regional economic systems of the Russian Federation, which have different potential for resistance and adaptation to new conditions. Of particular interest is the potential for shock resistance (resilience) of regions with agricultural specialization, which form the potential for food security of the country and determine the key frontiers of the quality of life of the population. The novelty of the study is the proposed three-dimensional model, which assumes the need to study the processes under study through the prism of the manifestation of three key components (indicators). The first one characterizes the readiness of the research object for systemic transformations (Res_eff), and the two following ones (export dependence and import dependence) (Res_uyazv), combined into a single, aggregated indicator, form the potential for assessing the vulnerability of regions in the context of the transformation of foreign economic relations. The ratio of these indicators to each other determines the value of the integral indicator of the shock resistance of the region. Based on the developed methodological tools, as well as relying on descriptive data analysis methods to identify regions of Volga Federal District with an increased level of agro-industrial specialization, two regional groups with similar characteristics of aggregated resistance were identified. The first group, with a moderate level of shock resistance, included the Republic of Bashkortostan and the Republic of Tatarstan. These entities are characterized by an increased risk of sustainable development in the context of sanctions attacks. The second group with a high level of resistance (Res ≥2) included Saratov, Penza and Orenburg regions, forming the framework of agricultural subjects of Volga Federal District with the highest level of shock resistance.
SUNFLOWER AND SUNFLOWER OIL PRODUCTION IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: TRENDS AND FORECASTS
Authors: Churilova El'vira
Published: December 2024

Currently, countries in the world are facing an acute problem of providing the population with food. Oil crops are of strategic importance for the Russian Federation to ensure food security of the country. Among oil crops, the main one is sunflower. Sunflower oil occupies an important place in the domestic consumption of the country, accounting for 75% of the total consumption of vegetable oil. Increasing the export of sunflower oil is an important economic task. The production of sunflower and sunflower oil have stable linear trends over time. Trend models with dummy variables characterizing weather conditions yielded the following forecast values: gross sunflower harvest in 2024 is forecast to be within the range of 13 011 to 17 445 thousand tons, in 2025 – from 13 497 to 17 932 thousand tons; yield in 2024 – from 15.5 to 19.2 c/ha, in 2025 – from 15.8 to 19.6 c/ha; sunflower oil production in 2024 – from 5.96 to 6.56 million tons, in 2025 – from 6.2 to 6.8 million tons; sunflower oil exports in 2024 – from 2.9 to 3.94 million tons, from 3.06 to 4.1 million tons. Analysis of the dynamics of the sunflower production structure by federal districts based on the Gatev coefficient, the Salai and V.M.Ryabtsev indices showed that the production structures of 2020, 2021 and 2022 do not have statistically significant differences compared to the structure of 2015, i.e. the territorial distribution of production capacities for the period under study is relatively stable in dynamics.
ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF ROOT CARBON NUTRITION TO THE FORMATION OF PLANT BIOMASS IN A MODEL EXPERIMENT
Authors: Shogenov Yuriy , Dudarov Zalim , Zanilov Amiran
Published: December 2024

The study of mechanisms of carbon dioxide transformation in agroecosystems from the position of ideas about CO2 absorption exclusively by chlorophyll-containing parts of vegetative plants does not allow to objectively evaluate the ecosystem role of each component. To evaluate the contribution of root carbon nutrition to the formation of plant biomass, a model experiment was laid down using the author’s device, which allows isolating the root and leaf parts of the plant from each other and recording the CO2 values to calculate its balance. A paulownia seedling (Paulownia tomentosa (Thuns.) Steud., 1841) with a known initial mass, vegetating under a 12-hour light regime, was used as an experimental plant. The contribution of root carbon nutrition to biomass formation was calculated from the difference in C-CO2 in the leaf chamber atmosphere and the content of elemental carbon in the plant at the end of the experiment. The carbon content in plant parts was determined on a MultiEA 200CS carbon analyzer at a temperature of 1100 °C. As a result of 30 days of observations, it was found that the mass of C-CO2, which was present throughout the experiment (6960 ppm) in the atmosphere of the leaf chamber with a volume of 0.06 m3, corresponded to 210 mg of carbon. At the same time, the carbon content in the incremented mass of the seedling (690 mg) in absolutely dry form contained 274.9 mg of elemental carbon, which indicates the presence of another alternative source of carbon supply. According to the authors, 64.9 mg of elemental carbon (23.6 % of the total mass), which went to the formation of the incremented biomass of the experimental plant, came through the root system. The obtained results allow us to explain cases when forest areas can form a balance shifted towards the CO2 flow. An idea of the mechanism of root carbon of plants and its potential allows us to more accurately create models of CO2 transformation in soil-plant systems.
Introducción al número monográfico. Mujeres, escrituras y medios de comunicación ante la esfera pública.
Authors: Broullon Lozano Manuel A.
Published: December 2024

El monográfico «Escrituras, mujeres y medios de comunicación ante la
esfera pública» propone un acercamiento interdisciplinario a toda clase de textos —
literarios, epistolares, pedagógicos, mediáticos…— de España y Latinoamérica en los siglos
XX y XXI, desde la intersección entre cuatro ámbitos delimitados: el escritural, el género, los
medios de comunicación de masas y el plano social. A través de esta aproximación,
proponemos una reflexión sobre cómo se construyen y se transmiten los archivos, y cómo
estos generan estrategias de autoría y canonización en el campo cultural
«¡Andar sin cansarme, andar el mundo!». Los textos radiofónicos de 1947 de Carmen Conde. Análisis y valoración.
Authors: Martín González María Victoria
Published: December 2024

Carmen Conde es una figura clave en la historiografía sobre la radio en
España. Su archivo personal, conservado en el Patronato Carmen Conde-Antonio Oliver, de
Cartagena, permite conocer su intensa labor escrita expresamente para el medio
radiofónico, con contenidos dedicados especialmente a la infancia, la mujer, la literatura y
la poesía. El presente trabajo se centra en los guiones de radio infantiles de 1947. A partir
del análisis de su contenido temático y estructural, valoraremos su indiscutible escritura
vivencial y testimonial, de expresa intencionalidad docente y literaria. Para este estudio se
han utilizado, además del corpus de guiones de los años 1946 y 1947, otros documentos
personales de primer orden como: correspondencia epistolar, agendas y fotografías del
archivo de la escritora. Estos «egodocumentos» adquieren una destacada función
referencial al explicar, por un lado, el contenido personal de muchos textos radiofónicos;
por otro, muestran que 1947 es un año clave en su vida, pues su seudónimo Florentina del
Mar, con el que habla y escribe para la infancia, camina en paralelo con Carmen Conde, la
voz lírica más reveladora del panorama lírico nacional que publica Mujer sin edén, su obra
cumbre.
Escuela Serena. Formas artísticas y pedagógicas de movilizar afectos y reflexión entre la escuela, el archivo y la práctica curatorial.
Authors: Fernanda Pinta María
Published: December 2024

En el presente trabajo analizaremos la trayectoria intelectual y
pedagógica de Olga y Leticia Cossettini, así como su legado en el presente. Se trata, en
primer lugar, de reflexionar acerca del carácter excepcional del lugar ocupado por estas
mujeres, en tanto maestras de una escuela primaria de la provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina,
entre los años 30 y 50 del siglo pasado en el marco de un campo intelectual ocupado
mayormente por los hombres de las metrópolis. En segundo lugar, estudiaremos su
proyecto pedagógico innovador, la Escuela Serena. Proyecto fuertemente intermedial,
avant la lettre, se destaca tanto el uso de distintos medios expresivos y de comunicación
como la perspectiva y metodología didáctica a la hora de articular y transmitir los
contenidos disciplinares. Asimismo, se considera particularmente pertinente dar cuenta del
archivo que hoy resguarda el legado de las hermanas Cossettini, no sólo por tratarse del
acervo del que se nutre la presente investigación, sino porque el volumen y la
heterogeneidad de sus materiales documentales dan cuenta de un proyecto que pensaba ya
desde el comienzo en el valor del archivo a la hora de difundir el trabajo llevado a cabo
como de su potencial significado para el porvenir. Finalmente, nos interesa comentar la
actividad curatorial que tuvimos oportunidad de realizar en relación con el Archivo
Cossettini en el marco de una exhibición que llevamos a cabo en el Centro de Artes de la
Universidad Nacional de La Plata en 2019. Allí buscamos retomar los postulados
pedagógicos, así como sus perspectivas intermediales con el fin de promover una reflexión
sobre su actualidad. Creemos que el legado de las hermanas Cossettini nos invita a pensar,
al mismo tiempo, tanto en nuestros (así llamados) objetos de investigación, como en
nuestras propias formas de pensar y de hacer investigación y creación en el contexto de
nuestros espacios académicos a la luz de un paradigma trans e intermedial que pueda
integrar pensamiento e imaginación, teoría y acción, ciencias y artes. La pregunta inicial
que guio aquella exhibición y el presente artículo podría formularse así: ¿De qué modo unas humanidades abiertas a una epistemología y una sensibilidad intermediales podrían
contribuir a generar reinvenciones y agenciamientos a la vez estéticos y políticos de
nuestros entornos sensibles y de nuestros espacios sociales, culturales, investigativos y
educativos?
El dormitorio en Lessing y Matute: el lugar de la libertad imaginativa y de la identidad. Una lectura didáctica y pedagógica.
Authors: Pereira Almerinda , Alexandra Couto Paula
Published: December 2024

Neste artigo faremos o cotejo entre os contos de duas escritoras de
nacionalidades diferentes, a britânica Doris Lessing e a espanhola Ana María Matute, a
partir da visão que as autoras apresentam do quarto como espaço ambivalente entre o lugar
da liberdade criativa e o da reclusão imposta pelo olhar opressor do outro. Tratar-se-á de
uma abordagem paralela de duas narrativas, cada uma com a sua proposta de aproximação
didática e pedagógica.
And No One Gets the Short End of the Stick: A Blockchain-Based Approach to Solving the Two-Sided Opportunism Problem in Interorganizational Information Sharing
Authors: Bossler Lukas Florian , Buchwald Arne , Spohrer Kai
Published: December 2024

In interorganizational information sharing, opportunism has two sides: information poaching by the information recipient and information manipulation by the information provider. The threat of such opportunism can entirely preclude business relationships. Prior countermeasures either failed to reliably prevent opportunistic behavior or addressed only one of the two sides. To overcome these shortcomings, we develop three design principles of an information system that facilitates reliable interorganizational information sharing without revealing the underlying data. We instantiate the design in a blockchain system for wear-based leasing contracts for machine tools. We demonstrate and evaluate the efficacy and utility of our design through in-depth interviews with business and technology experts and a survey of 85 machine tool users and 77 lessors in the manufacturing industry. Our study conceptualizes information poaching and information manipulation as two sides of the same problem and shows empirically that opportunities for beneficial business relationships arise when both are addressed together. Our design principles provide a blueprint for a shared information system that prevents both information poaching and information manipulation, thereby enabling new interorganizational information sharing relationships based on data that would otherwise be considered too sensitive to share or too untrustworthy to rely on.
Effects of weekend-focused exercise on obesity-related hormones and metabolic syndrome markers in male high school students
Authors: Shi Haoyu , Sim Young-Je
Published: December 2024

To examine the changes in obesity-related hormones and metabolic syndrome markers in male high school students with obesity following a weekend-focused moderate- or high-intensity exercise program at the recommended weekly physical activity level, or a program of regular exercise 3 times a week at moderate intensity, over a 10-week period. Forty-eight male high school students who were obese with a body fat percentage of ≥ 25% were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a regular moderate-intensity exercise group (n= 17) that freely selected and performed moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance training exercises, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, for a total of 150–300 min/wk; a weekend-focused moderate-intensity exercise group (n= 15) that freely selected and performed aerobic and resistance training exercises every Saturday for 150–300 min; and a weekend-focused high-intensity exercise group (n= 16) that freely selected and performed aerobic and resistance training exercises every Sunday for 75–150 min. Insulin and leptin levels significantly decreased in all the groups, with the greatest reduction in the regular exercise group. Abdominal circumference and triglyceride levels significantly decreased in all the groups. Fasting glucose decreased only in the regular exercise group. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly increased in both the regular and weekend-focused moderate-intensity exercise groups. No significant differences in adiponectin levels, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed between the groups. A weekend-focused exercise program has health effects similar to those of regular exercise, highlighting the importance of meeting the recommended weekly physical activity levels.
Ancient Printing Method Informs Development of Low-Cost Soil Sensor
Authors: Ford Jason
Published: December 2024

Project hopes to boost agricultural productivity with sensors measuring soil nutrients
Super Charged
Authors: Wade Andrew
Published: December 2024

Cambridge firm Superdielectrics recently launched a new storage technology that it believes could play a major role in the energy transition.
NLP and Deep Learning to be Applied in Chemical Space
Authors: McCann Ellie
Published: December 2024

Disciplines combine to solve challenges in chemistry
Golden Jubilee Celebrations
Authors: Ford Jason
Published: December 2024

A two-page picture spread gave readers an overview of engineering highlights from the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Large screen size transparent display using spectrum expanded light field holograms
Authors: Wang Wenqi , Liu Sen , Zhang Zhiheng , Liu Yuanlin , Wang Jiayi , He Qing , Tong Guodong , Wu Zhihai , Dong Chengkun , Chang Chenliang , Wu Jun , Qiu Tong , Qiao Wen , Xia Jun
Published: December 2024

Holographic displays have the potential to reconstruct natural light field information, making them highly promising for applications in augmented reality (AR), head-up displays (HUD), and new types of transparent three-dimensional (3D) displays. However, current spatial light modulators (SLMs) are constrained by pixel size and resolution, limiting display size. Additionally, existing holographic displays have narrow viewing angles due to device diffraction limits, algorithms, and optical configurations. To overcome these obstacles, we propose a transparent large-size light-field holographic display system. This system utilizes a spectrum-expanded light-field holography algorithm that decomposes the light field in the spectrum domain according to each viewing angle. The spectrum is expanded by a factor of 3. The proposed algorithm widens the viewing angle of the holographic display and utilizes the full spectrum of the display device to support smooth motion parallax as well as the natural depth of field of the light field. Furthermore, we further enlarge the display size by introducing waveguides, and optimize the far-field display performance of the waveguide. The display size is enlarged to 100 mm compared to the general method. The extended spectrum enhances the diffraction angle on the waveguide’s grating, resolving content discontinuity in far-field views. The proposed method allows for a more vivid perception of light fields with motion parallax and depth effects on a large transparent screen.
Expanding field-of-view of near-to-eye display by hybrid angular and wavelength multiplexing
Authors: Liu Pengyu , Luo Chuan , Lee Ted L. , Nero Gregory , Zhang Tianyao , Pei Yexin , Deng Xianyue , Takashima Yuzuru
Published: December 2024

Field-of-view (FOV) and resolution are two critical performance metrics of a near-to-eye display (NED) and are primarily limited by the refractive index (RI) of the waveguide combiner and the number of available pixel counts of the micro display. A high RI material (n = 2.0) is required to transfer an image exceeding a 60 degree full FOV using traditional techniques. We decouple FOV from resolution by wavelength-multiplexing multiple high-resolution FOVs followed by de-multiplexing those FOVs by volume holographic gratings. This approach increases the entire effective FOV beyond the RI-limited FOV while maintaining resolution. Using our new approach we experimentally demonstrate the transfer of images across a 60 degree full FOV through a waveguide with a RI-limited FOV of 30 degrees, which is a common limit for n = 1.5 material. Additional polarization multiplexing enables transferring a 90 degree FOV image over the n = 1.5 waveguide combiner.
Investigation of the corner rounding effect near the diffraction limit in advanced projection lithography with a rigorous imaging model
Authors: Ren Zhiwei , Zhu Jinhao , Li Ying , Wu Qiang , Liu Xianhe , Li Yanli , Wang Qi
Published: December 2024

The corner rounding effect in lithography refers to the phenomenon where the corners or angles of a pattern created by lithography are rounded off, rather than remaining square and sharp. This occurs mainly due to the diffraction of light. In addition, mask pattern design, numerical aperture, and the limited resolution of the lithographic process also influence it. The rounding of corners can severely degrade the performance and reliability of microelectronic devices due to incomplete pattern transfer. Therefore, minimizing the corner radius in mask correction is crucial for enhancing pattern fidelity. We propose a methodology that relates the corner radius to the diffraction-limited spot width. By employing aerial image simulation, we delve into the factors that significantly impact the corner radius in projection lithography. By combining a rigorous computational imaging model with the optimization of lithography parameters, the limit of the corner radius is determined in immersion lithography. Our comprehensive investigation reveals the nature of the corner rounding effect, analyzes the contributing factors for corner rounding, and ultimately leads to improvements in imaging quality in photolithography.
All-fiber magnetic field sensor based on narrow-bandwidth laser internal cavity modulation with coated magnetic fluid
Authors: Li Xujin , Liu Haodong , Yang Yiguang , Yuan Yibo , Cao Xuan , Zhang Weihong , Hu Haofeng , Xu Degang , Liu Tiegen , Liu Yan , Yao Jianquan
Published: December 2024

In this paper we present a magnetic probe structure based on magneto-fluidic and laser internal cavity modulation. We used a single-mode-no-core-single-mode fiber structure coated by a magnetic fluid as a sensing element, and inserted the sensing element in the inner cavity of a laser. Highly sensitive, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), narrow half-height width (FWHM) sensing signals have been obtained using intra-laser cavity modulation. The magnetic detection sensitivity of the sensor was improved, and a sensing system with a magnetic detection sensitivity of 1.76 × 10−3 mw/Oe and a linearity of 99.709% was achieved. The temperature sensitivity is 0.035 μW/°C. The limit error of the magnetic field sensor is ±0.006035%. Meanwhile, output signal index of the sensing system is FWHM<40pm.
Deciphering regulatory architectures of bacterial promoters from synthetic expression patterns
Authors: Pan Rosalind Wenshan , Röschinger Tom , Faizi Kian , Garcia Hernan G. , Phillips Rob
Published: December 2024

For the vast majority of genes in sequenced genomes, there is limited understanding of how they are regulated. Without such knowledge, it is not possible to perform a quantitative theory-experiment dialogue on how such genes give rise to physiological and evolutionary adaptation. One category of high-throughput experiments used to understand the sequence-phenotype relationship of the transcriptome is massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs). However, to improve the versatility and scalability of MPRAs, we need a “theory of the experiment” to help us better understand the impact of various biological and experimental parameters on the interpretation of experimental data. These parameters include binding site copy number, where a large number of specific binding sites may titrate away transcription factors, as well as the presence of overlapping binding sites, which may affect analysis of the degree of mutual dependence between mutations in the regulatory region and expression levels. To that end, in this paper we create tens of thousands of synthetic gene expression outputs for bacterial promoters using both equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium models. These models make it possible to imitate the summary statistics (information footprints and expression shift matrices) used to characterize the output of MPRAs and thus to infer the underlying regulatory architecture. Specifically, we use a more refined implementation of the so-called thermodynamic models in which the binding energies of each sequence variant are derived from energy matrices. Our simulations reveal important effects of the parameters on MPRA data and we demonstrate our ability to optimize MPRA experimental designs with the goal of generating thermodynamic models of the transcriptome with base-pair specificity. Further, this approach makes it possible to carefully examine the mapping between mutations in binding sites and their corresponding expression profiles, a tool useful not only for developing a theory of transcription, but also for exploring regulatory evolution.
Cancer molecular subtyping using limited multi-omics data with missingness
Authors: Bu Yongqi , Liang Jiaxuan , Li Zhen , Wang Jianbo , Wang Jun , Yu Guoxian
Published: December 2024

Diagnosing cancer subtypes is a prerequisite for precise treatment. Existing multi-omics data fusion-based diagnostic solutions build on the requisite of sufficient samples with complete multi-omics data, which is challenging to obtain in clinical applications. To address the bottleneck of collecting sufficient samples with complete data in clinical applications, we proposed a flexible integrative model (CancerSD) to diagnose cancer subtype using limited samples with incomplete multi-omics data. CancerSD designs contrastive learning tasks and masking-and-reconstruction tasks to reliably impute missing omics, and fuses available omics data with the imputed ones to accurately diagnose cancer subtypes. To address the issue of limited clinical samples, it introduces a category-level contrastive loss to extend the meta-learning framework, effectively transferring knowledge from external datasets to pretrain the diagnostic model. Experiments on benchmark datasets show that CancerSD not only gives accurate diagnosis, but also maintains a high authenticity and good interpretability. In addition, CancerSD identifies important molecular characteristics associated with cancer subtypes, and it defines the Integrated CancerSD Score that can serve as an independent predictive factor for patient prognosis.
Multicenter comparative analysis of local and aggregated data training strategies in COVID-19 outcome prediction with Machine learning
Authors: Savalli Carine , Wichmann Roberta Moreira , Filho Fabiano Barcellos , Fernandes Fernando Timoteo , Filho Alexandre Dias Porto Chiavegatto ,   on behalf of IACOV-BR Network
Published: December 2024

Machine learning (ML) is a promising tool in assisting clinical decision-making for improving diagnosis and prognosis, especially in developing regions. It is often used with large samples, aggregating data from different regions and hospitals. However, it is unclear how this affects predictions in local centers. This study aims to compare data aggregation strategies of several hospitals in Brazil with a local training strategy in each hospital to predict two COVID-19 outcomes: Intensive Care Unit admission (ICU) and mechanical ventilation use (MV). The study included 6,046 patients from 14 hospitals, with local sample sizes ranging from 47 to 1500 patients. Machine learning models were trained using extreme gradient boosting, lightGBM, and catboost for structured data. Seven data aggregation strategies based on hospital geographic regions were compared with local training, and the best strategy was determined by analyzing the area under the ROC curve (AUROC). SHAP (Shapley Additive exPlanations) values were used to assess the contribution of variables to predictions. Additionally, a metafeatures analysis examined how hospital characteristics influence the selection of the best strategy. The study found that the local training strategy was the most effective approach, in the case of ICU outcomes, for 11 of the 14 hospitals (79%), and, in the case of MV, for 10 hospitals (71%). Metafeatures analysis suggested that hospitals with smaller sample sizes generally performed better using an aggregated data strategy compared to local training. Our study brings to light an important concern about the impact of grouping data from different hospitals in predictive machine learning models. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate about the trade-off between increasing sample size and bringing together heterogeneous scenarios.
Elastic–plastic fracture analysis of pressure pipelines with axial cracks based on the interaction integral method
Authors: Song Qi , Peng Huifen , Yao Junyu , Luo Min
Published: December 2024

The proposed work aims to demonstrate the significance of the plastic zone at the tip of an axial crack in a pipeline for managing Stress IntensityFactors(SIF). The three-dimensional finite element model of pressure pipeline with axial cracks was built by utilizing the Ramberg-Osgood X80 material model of pipeline. according to Von Mises yield criterion, the size of plastic zone at crack tip was determined, and the fracture parameters were calculated based on interaction integral method, the plastic stress deformation law, determination of elastic-plastic limit load and plastic correction of SIF at crack tip of pressure pipeline with axial crack were discussed. Consequently, it is observed that the elastic-plastic limit load diminishes as the initial crack length increases under specified pipe geometry and material conditions. the plastic zone dimensions at the crack tip of the pipeline expand proportionally with the relative crack length (δ). Moreover, the relative error between the Stress Intensity Factors (SIF) before and after plastic correction exhibits nonlinear growth in response to increasing internal pressure within the pipeline. Notably, when assessing coefficients prior to plasticity corrections, it becomes evident that the maximum error may exceed 20% as the internal pressure rises. Importantly, the empirical verification data substantially aligns with the previously mentioned theoretical analysis results in a noteworthy concurrence.
Challenges and strategies in the soluble expression of CTA1-(S14P5)4-DD and CTA1-(S21P2)4-DD fusion proteins as candidates for COVID-19 intranasal vaccines
Authors: Tarigan Simson , Sekarmila Gita , Apas  , Sumarningsih  , Tarigan Ronald , Putri Riyandini , Setyawati Damai Ria
Published: December 2024

Developing intranasal vaccines against pandemics and devastating airborne infectious diseases is imperative. The superiority of intranasal vaccines over injectable systemic vaccines is evident, but developing effective intranasal vaccines presents significant challenges. Fusing a protein antigen with the catalytic domain of cholera toxin (CTA1) and the two-domain D of staphylococcal protein A (DD) has significant potential for intranasal vaccines. In this study, we constructed two fusion proteins containing CTA1, tandem repeat linear epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S14P5 or S21P2), and DD. Structural predictions indicated that each component of the fusion proteins was compatible with its origin. In silico analyses predicted high solubility for both fusion proteins when overexpressed in Escherichia coli. However, contrary to these predictions, the constructs exhibited limited solubility. Lowering the cultivation temperature from 37°C to 18°C did not improve solubility. Inducing expression with IPTG at the early log phase significantly increased soluble CTA1-(S21P2)4-DD but not CTA1-(S14P5)4-DD. Adding non-denaturing detergents (Nonidet P40, Triton X100, or Tween 20) to the extraction buffer significantly enhanced solubility. Despite this, purification experiments yielded low amounts, only 1–2 mg/L of culture, due to substantial losses during the purification stages. These findings highlight the challenges and potential strategies for optimizing soluble expression of CTA1-DD fusion proteins for intranasal vaccines.
Orienting attention to auditory and visual working memory in older adults with cochlear implants
Authors: Ojha Amisha , Dimitrijevic Andrew , Alain Claude
Published: December 2024

Cochlear implantation is a well-established method for restoring hearing sensation in individuals with severe to profound hearing loss. It significantly improves verbal communication for many users, despite substantial variability in patients’ reports and performance on speech perception tests and quality-of-life outcome measures. Such variability in outcome measures remains several years after implantation and could reflect difficulties in attentional regulation. The current study assessed the ability to use a cue to guide attention internally toward visual or auditory working memory (i.e., reflective attention) in cochlear implant (CI) users. Participants completed a cognitive task called the delayed match-to-sample task in which a visual gradient was presented on a computer screen and a piano tone was presented through speakers simultaneously. A visual cue (i.e., letter A or V) instructed participants to focus attention on the item held in auditory or visual working memory. After a delay following the cue presentation, participants were presented with a probe item and indicated by pressing a button whether it matched the cued item in working memory. CI users and age-matched normal hearing adults showed comparable benefit from having an informative cue relative to an uninformative cue (i.e., letter X). Although CI users have had a history of severe deafness and experience coarse sound information, they were able to retrospectively orient their attention to an item in auditory or visual working memory. These findings suggest that CI users with at least one year of CI experience can successfully regulate attention to a level that is comparable to that of normal hearing individuals.
Comparison of qPCR protocols for quantification of “Candidatus Saccharibacteria”, belonging to the Candidate Phyla Radiation, suggests that 23S rRNA is a better target than 16S rRNA
Authors: Papaleo Stella , Nodari Riccardo , Sterzi Lodovico , D’Auria Enza , Cattaneo Camilla , Bettoni Giorgia , Bonaiti Clara , Pagliarini Ella , Zuccotti Gianvincenzo , Panelli Simona , Comandatore Francesco
Published: December 2024

Background

Candidate Phyla Radiation (CPR) is a large monophyletic group encompassing about 25% of bacterial diversity. Among CPR, “Candidatus Saccharibacteria” is one of the most clinically relevant phyla. Indeed, it is enriched in the oral microbiota of subjects suffering from immune-mediated disorders and it has been found to have immunomodulatory activities. For these reasons, it is crucial to have reliable methods to detect and quantify this bacterial lineage in human samples, including saliva.

Methods and results

Four qPCR protocols for quantifying “Ca. Saccharibacteria” (one targeting the 23S rRNA gene and three the 16S) were tested and compared. The efficiency and coverage of these four protocols were evaluated in silico on large genomic datasets, and in vitro on salivary DNA samples, already characterized by amplicon sequencing on the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA. In silico PCR analyses showed that all qPCR primers lose part of the “Ca. Saccharibacteria” genetic variability, even if the 23S qPCR primers matched more lineages than the 16S qPCR primers. In vitro qPCR experiments confirmed that all 16S-based protocols strongly underestimated “Ca. Saccharibacteria” in salivary DNA, while the 23S qPCR protocol gave quantifications more comparable to 16S amplicon sequencing.

Conclusion

Overall, our results show that the 23S-based qPCR protocol is more precise than the 16S-based ones in quantifying “Ca. Saccharibacteria”, although all protocols probably underestimate specific lineages. These results underline the current limits in quantifying “Ca. Saccharibacteria”, highlighting the needs for novel experimental strategies or methods. Indeed, the underestimation of “Ca. Saccharibacteria” in clinical samples could hide its role in human health and in the development of immune-mediated diseases.
Survey of attitudes in a Danish public towards reuse of health data
Authors: Skovgaard Lea , Ekstrøm Claus Thorn , Svendsen Mette N. , Hoeyer Klaus
Published: December 2024

Everyday clinical care generates vast amounts of digital data. A broad range of actors are interested in reusing these data for various purposes. Such reuse of health data could support medical research, healthcare planning, technological innovation, and lead to increased financial revenue. Yet, reuse also raises questions about what data subjects think about the use of health data for various different purposes. Based on a survey with 1071 respondents conducted in 2021 in Denmark, this article explores attitudes to health data reuse. Denmark is renowned for its advanced integration of data infrastructures, facilitating data reuse. This is therefore a relevant setting from which to explore public attitudes to reuse, both as authorities around the globe are currently working to facilitate data reuse opportunities, and in the light of the recent agreement on the establishment in 2024 of the European Health Data Space (EHDS) within the European Union (EU). Our study suggests that there are certain forms of health data reuse—namely transnational data sharing, commercial involvement, and use of data as national economic assets—which risk undermining public support for health data reuse. However, some of the purposes that the EHDS is supposed to facilitate are these three controversial purposes. Failure to address these public concerns could well challenge the long-term legitimacy and sustainability of the data infrastructures currently under construction.
Comparative bioacoustics of multiple eastern versus western songbird pairs in North America reveals a gradient of song divergence
Authors: Phung Lan-Nhi , Toews David P. L.
Published: December 2024

Vocalizations are one of the key premating reproductive barriers that could affect species formation. In song-learning birds, vocal traits are sometimes overlooked in species delimitation, as compared to morphological or plumage-based differences. In this study, we assessed geographic variation in songs of eight pairs of oscines on two scales: (1) comparing primary songs of species/subspecies pairs whose breeding grounds are eastern and western counterparts of each other in the continental North America, and (2) for each counterpart, identifying and comparing possible variation among their populations. We found that there were strong differences in the songs between eastern and western taxa, though the magnitude of that difference was not correlated to a mitochondrial DNA-based estimates of divergence. Additionally, we found that within-taxa geographic variation was not common in our focal taxa, beyond a single species (Townsend’s warbler, Setophaga townsendi). The result of this study provides a standardized, quantitative comparison of eastern and western songbirds, and serves as the foundation to explore the possible effectiveness of vocalizations as a reproductive barrier at this geographic scale.