bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of storage time on the mechanical and microstructural properties of bigels based on xanthan gum and castor oil
Authors: Pérez‐Salas J. L. , Moreno‐Jiménez M. R. , Rocha‐Guzmán N. E. , Rosas‐Flores W. , González‐Laredo R. F. , Medina‐Torres L. , Gallegos‐Infante J. A.
Published: May 2023

As biphasic systems bigels are formed by hydrogels and organogels. Given their characteristics, they have been studied in food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications for bioactives delivery. The rheological characteristics and amount used of the individual structured systems influence the final properties; thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the proportion of castor oil organogel, the concentration of organogelator, and the storage time in the mechanical and microstructural properties of bigeles. Bigels were prepared from structured castor oil organogels with monoacylglycerides at concentrations of 6% (MOG) and 6.5% (HOG) wt/wt, and hydrogels with 2% wt/wt xanthan gum (HG) at three organogel/hydrogel ratios 15 of 85, 30 of 70, and 45 of 55. Bigels were characterized by optical microscopy with polarized light filter, centrifugal stability, texture, and rheology for 60 days. The increase in the proportion of organogel favors the mechanical response (k, G0, and firmness) of bigels. The high viscosity of castor oil slows down the structuring of organogel droplets, showing an improvement in its mechanical properties after 15 days of its preparation. The increase in the organogelator concentration is significant in the bigels with 30% and 45% proportions of organogel in the rheological tests. By using HOG in the formation of bigels, higher values for G0 and k were obtained, as well as higher centrifugal stability compared with bigels formed from MOG. The rheological and microstructural behavior of bigels can be modified according to their application by varying the proportions of organogel/hydrogel and the concentration of the organogelator.
Differential sense and antisense expression profiles of Syrista parreyssi (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) mitochondrial transcripts
Authors: Aydemir Habeş Bilal , Aydemir Merve Nur , Korkmaz Ertan Mahir
Published: May 2023

The transcription of the mitogenome shows a unique pattern that is both similar to and different from the nuclear and bacterial patterns. Mitochondrial transcription generates five polycistronic units from three promoters in Drosophila melanogaster, and different expression levels of genes were observed in both different and, interestingly, the same polycistronic units in D. melanogaster. This study was conducted to test this phenomenon in the mitogenome of Syrista parreyssi (Hymenoptera: Cephidae). RNA isolation and DNase digestion were performed using only one whole individual, and real‐time polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed with complementary DNAs of 11 gene regions using gene‐specific primers. It was found that the expression level of each gene exhibited differences from each other, and some genes (e.g., cox genes, and rrnS) were interestingly expressed at significant levels in the corresponding antisense chain. Additionally, the mitogenome of S. parreyssi was found to have the capacity to encode 169 additional peptides from 13 known protein‐coding genes, most of which were encoded in antisense transcript units. One of the unique findings was a potential open reading frame sequence that was potentially encoded in the antisense rrnL gene and included a conserved cox3 domain.
Synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazole‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole hybrids as novel α‐glucosidase inhibitors by in situ azidation/click assembly
Authors: Kumar Hariom , Dhameja Manoj , Kurella Sirisha , Uma Adepally , Gupta Preeti
Published: May 2023

α‐Glucosidase inhibition is widely used in the oral management of diabetes mellitus (DM), a disease characterized by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) and abnormal carbohydrate metabolism. In this respect, a series of 1,2,3‐triazole‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole hybrids 7a–j were synthesized, inspired by a copper‐catalyzed one‐pot azidation/click assembly approach. All the synthesized hybrids were screened for inhibition of the α‐glucosidase enzyme, displaying IC50 values ranging from 63.35 ± 0.72 to 613.57 ± 1.98 μM, as compared to acarbose (reference) with IC50 of 844.81 ± 0.53 μM. The hybrids 7h and 7e with 3‐nitro and 4‐methoxy substituents at the phenyl ring of the thiadiazole moiety were the best active hybrids of this series with IC50 values of 63.35 ± 0.72 μM, and 67.61 ± 0.64 μM, respectively. Enzyme kinetics analysis of these compounds revealed a mixed mode of inhibition. Moreover, molecular docking studies were also performed to gain insights into the structure–activity‐relationships of the potent compounds and their corresponding analogs.
Comprehensive geophysical prospection of the Roman and late antique city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca, Spain)
Authors: Cau‐Ontiveros Miguel A. , Mas‐Florit Catalina , Chávez‐Álvarez Esther , Sala Roger , Meyer Cornelius , Ortiz‐Quintana Helena , Rodríguez‐Simón Pedro
Published: May 2023

An extensive magnetic survey has been carried out on a large part of the Roman and late antique city of Pollentia (Alcúdia, Mallorca, Spain), combined with ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electric resistivity imaging (ER Imaging) to obtain data for a better understanding of the ancient city.

For magnetic measurements, the 7‐probe fluxgate gradiometer array was used. The GPR data were collected by means of a system equipped with two dual‐frequency antenna boxes of 200 and 600 MHz, respectively.

The geophysical data provide some new insights into the layout of the city, with the identification of numerous structures in areas that are still unexplored by archaeological investigation. The results fill the gap of previous partial geophysical surveys and show an interesting, unseen image of ancient Pollentia.
Parameter identification of fractional‐order Wiener system based on FF‐ESG and GI algorithms
Authors: Li Junhong , Zhang Hongrui , Gu Juping , Hua Liang
Published: May 2023

Fractional‐order calculus has broad application scenarios in engineering and physics. Unlike integer‐order calculus, fractional‐order calculus has the ability to analyze nonclassical phenomena in science and engineering. For industrial processes with strong nonlinear characteristics, nonlinear models such as the Wiener model have become research hotspots. This paper studies the parameter identification of the fractional‐order Wiener system. In this paper, the forgetting factor extended stochastic gradient (FF‐ESG) algorithm and the gradient iterative (GI) algorithm are proposed to identify the parameters of the fractional‐order Wiener system. Then, the convergence of the FF‐ESG algorithm for the fractional‐order Wiener system is analyzed. Both proposed algorithms can obtain exact parameter estimates, which are verified by a numerical example and a case study of a fluid control valve.
Cerebral embolic protection during transcatheter aortic valve replacement: Insights from a consecutive series with the Sentinel cerebral protection device
Authors: Wolfrum Mathias , Moccetti Federico , Loretz Lucca , Bossard Matthias , Attiger Adrian , Cuculi Florim , Toggweiler Stefan
Published: May 2023

Background

Growing interest in neuroprotection in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has catalyzed the development of cerebral protection systems (CPS).

Objectives

Report insights from consecutive real‐world patients undergoing TAVR with the Sentinel‐CPS.

Methods

Patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR from April 2019 to May 2022 were enrolled in a prospective registry. The reason for unsuccessful Sentinel‐CPS deployment and the amount of debris captured by the filters were prospectively recorded.

Results

The Sentinal CPS was successfully deployed in 330 patients (85%, Group 1). Deployment was not attempted, unsuccessful or only partially successful in 59 patients (15%, Group 2), caused by anatomical factors such as tortuosity, heavy calcification or small dimensions of radial or brachial artery in 46, technical aspects such as puncture failure or dissection in 5 or use of right radial access for the pigtail in 6. Debris was captured in 98% of patients in Group 1. In 40%, the amount of debris was graded moderate or extensive. Predictors for moderate/extensive debris were moderate/severe aortic calcification (OR 1.50, CI 1.05–2.15, p = 0.03), pre‐ and postdilatation (OR 1.97, CI 1.02–3.79, p = 0.04 and OR 1.71, CI 1.01–2.89, p = 0.048). The risk of stroke was numerically lower in patients who underwent TAVR with the Sentinel CPS (2.1 vs. 5.1%, respectively, p = 0.15). There was no stroke during CPS deployment, but one patient had a stroke immediately after device retrieval.

Conclusions

The Sentinel‐CPS was successfully deployed in 85% of patients. Predictors for moderate/extensive debris captured were moderate/severe aortic calcification, pre‐ and postdilatation.
Selective Hydroxylation of C(sp3)−H Bonds in Steroids
Authors: Abas Hossay , Blencowe Peter , Brookfield Joanna L. , Harwood Lucy A.
Published: May 2023

Steroids are highly prevalent structures in small‐molecule therapeutics, with the level of oxidation being key to their biological activity and physicochemical properties. These C(sp3)‐rich tetracycles contain many stereocentres, which are important for creating specific vectors and protein binding orientations. Therefore, the ability to hydroxylate steroids with a high degree of regio‐, chemo‐ and stereoselectivity is essential for researchers working in this field. This review will cover three main methods for the hydroxylation of steroidal C(sp3)−H bonds: biocatalysis, metal‐catalysed C−H hydroxylation and organic oxidants, such as dioxiranes and oxaziridines.
Bis[1]benzothieno[1,4]thiaborins as a Platform for BODIPY Singlet Oxygen Photosensitizers
Authors: Marek‐Urban Paulina H. , Urbanowicz Karolina A. , Wrochna Karolina , Pander Piotr , Blacha‐Grzechnik Agata , Hauer Simone T. , Berens Henning R. V. , Woźniak Krzysztof , Müller Thomas J. J. , Durka Krzysztof
Published: May 2023

Invited for the cover of this issue are Krzysztof Durka and co‐workers at Warsaw University of Technology, University of Warsaw, Silesian University of Technology and Heinrich‐Heine‐Universität. The image depicts the generation of singlet oxygen by the BODIPY photosensitizer. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.202300680.
Non‐trauma uses of viscoelastic hemostatic assays in critical care: A narrative review and primer for pharmacists
Authors: Smith Susan E. , Barlow Brooke , Ha Liana , Park SeongEun Emily , Branan Trisha N.
Published: May 2023

Thromboelastography (TEG) and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) are point‐of‐care viscoelastic tests of whole blood that provide real‐time analyses of coagulation. TEG and ROTEM are often used to guide blood product administration in the trauma and surgical settings. These tests are increasingly being explored for their use in other disease states encountered in critically ill patients and in the management of antithrombotic medications. As the medication experts, pharmacists should be familiar with how to interpret and apply viscoelastic tests to disease state and medication management. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide a primer for pharmacists on viscoelastic tests and their interpretation and to explore non‐trauma indications for viscoelastic testing in critical care. Literature evaluating the use of TEG and ROTEM for patients with acute and chronic liver disease, ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, coronavirus disease 2019, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation are described. Current applications of viscoelastic tests by pharmacists and potential future roles of critical care pharmacists in expanding the use of viscoelastic tests are summarized.
A compact quad‐band circular cavity backed substrate integrated waveguide antenna for millimeter wave applications
Authors: Tewari Nidhi , Joshi Neetu , Srivastava Shweta
Published: May 2023

In this letter, a compact circular cavity‐backed, circularly polarized substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) multiband antenna is proposed. In the outer circular cavity, an array of two periodic metal slots, tilted at an angle, resonate at 25.32, 26.44, and 28.83 GHz, and the inner circular cavity's periodic slots radiate at 28.01 GHz. Two concentric SIW cavities are structured in such a distinct manner that no loss due to leakage takes place thus, achieving a maximum isolation of −43.8 dB at 28.83 GHz. The miniaturized antenna has dimensions of 2.2λo × 2.2λo × 0.1λo where λo is the operating wavelength. It achieves a maximum gain of 9.1 dBi at 26.44 GHz, and VSWR < 2 is achieved at all frequency bands. The antenna is circularly polarized at 26.44 and 28.01 GHz as well. The design results are plotted in the Ansys high‐frequency structure simulator version EM19.2 tool. The proposed antenna is fabricated and tested using an Anritsu Vector Network Analyzer version v4.0 with an anechoic chamber setup.
A finite volume scheme preserving the invariant region property for a class of semilinear parabolic equations on distorted meshes
Authors: Zhou Huifang , Liu Yuanyuan , Sheng Zhiqiang
Published: May 2023

In this article, we present a finite volume scheme preserving invariant‐region‐property (IRP) for a class of semilinear parabolic equations with anisotropic diffusion coefficient on distorted meshes. The diffusion term is discretized by the finite volume scheme preserving the discrete maximum principle, and the time derivative is discretized by the backward Euler scheme. For the nonlinear system, a specially designed iteration is proposed to preserve the IRP. The IRPs are proved for both, the finite volume scheme and the nonlinear iteration. Numerical examples are presented to verify the accuracy and IRP of our scheme.
Anti‐Warburg effect via generation of ROS and inhibition of PKM2/β‐catenin mediates apoptosis of lambertianic acid in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Pak Ji‐Na , Lee Hyo‐Jung , Sim Deok Yong , Park Ji Eon , Ahn Chi‐Hoon , Park Su‐Yeon , Khil Jae‐Ho , Shim Bumsang , Kim Bonglee , Kim Sung‐Hoon
Published: May 2023

To elucidate the underlying antitumor mechanism of lambertianic acid (LA) derived from Pinus koraiensis, the role of cancer metabolism related molecules was investigated in the apoptotic effect of LA in DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells. MTT assay for cytotoxicity, RNA interference, cell cycle analysis for sub G1 population, nuclear and cytoplasmic extraction, lactate, Glucose and ATP assay by ELISA, Measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, Western blotting, and immunoprecipitation assay were conducted in DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells. Herein LA exerted cytotoxicity, increased sub G1 population and attenuated the expression of pro‐Caspase3 and pro‐poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (pro‐PARP) in DU145 and PC3 cells. Also, LA reduced the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), glycolytic enzymes such as hexokinase 2 and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) with reduced production of lactate in DU145 and PC3 cells. Notably, LA decreased phosphorylation of PKM2 on Tyr105 and inhibited the expression of p‐STAT3, cyclin D1, C‐Myc, β‐catenin, and p‐GSK3β with the decrease of nuclear translocation of p‐PKM2. Furthermore, LA disturbed the binding of p‐PKM2 and β‐catenin in DU145 cells, which was supported by Spearman coefficient (0.0463) of cBioportal database. Furthermore, LA generated ROS in DU145 and PC3 cells, while ROS scavenger NAC (N‐acetyl L‐cysteine) blocked the ability of LA to reduce p‐PKM2, PKM2, β‐catenin, LDHA, and pro‐caspase3 in DU145 cells. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that LA induces apoptosis via ROS generation and inhibition of PKM2/β‐catenin signaling in prostate cancer cells.
Research on unmanned electric shovel autonomous driving path tracking control based on improved pure tracking and fuzzy control
Authors: Wu Guohua , Wang Guoqiang , Bi Qiushi , Wang Yongpeng , Fang Yi , Guo Guangyong , Qu Wentao
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes a path tracking control method combining pure tracking algorithms and self‐adaptive fuzzy control for autonomous driving of an unmanned electric shovel. An improved pure tracking controller was designed based on the kinematic model of heavy crawler taking both the value of deviation and its variation as inputs with the crawler speed on each side as output. The proposed controller and MPC algorithm were simulated using MATLAB for comparison. The results show that the proposed controller has more anthropomorphic characteristics than the MPC method. To verify the actual control effect of the controller, experiments were carried out using a prototype electric shovel for different working conditions. The experimental results proved that the controller is able to meet the control requirements for unmanned electric shovel path tracking.
An Extended Variational Mode Decomposition Algorithm Developed Speech Emotion Recognition Performance
Authors: Hason Rudd David , Huo Huan , Xu Guandong
Published: May 2023

Emotion recognition (ER) from speech signals is a robust approach since it cannot be imitated like facial expression or text based sentiment analysis. Valuable information underlying the emotions are significant for human-computer interactions enabling intelligent machines to interact with sensitivity in the real world. Previous ER studies through speech signal processing have focused exclusively on associations between different signal mode decomposition methods and hidden informative features. However, improper decomposition parameter selections lead to informative signal component losses due to mode duplicating and mixing. In contrast, the current study proposes VGG-optiVMD, an empowered variational mode decomposition algorithm, to distinguish meaningful speech features and automatically select the number of decomposed modes and optimum balancing parameter for the data fidelity constraint by assessing their effects on the VGG16 flattening output layer. Various feature vectors were employed to train the VGG16 network on different databases and assess VGG-optiVMD reproducibility and reliability. One, two, and three-dimensional feature vectors were constructed by concatenating Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, Chromagram, Mel spectrograms, Tonnetz diagrams, and spectral centroids. Results confirmed a synergistic relationship between the fine-tuning of the signal sample rate and decomposition parameters with classification accuracy, achieving state-of-the-art 96.09% accuracy in predicting seven emotions on the Berlin EMO-DB database.
New Solutions to the Tetrahedron Equation Associated with Quantized Six-Vertex Models
Authors: Kuniba Atsuo , Matsuike Shuichiro , Yoneyama Akihito
Published: May 2023

We present a family of new solutions to the tetrahedron equation of the form $$RLLL=LLLR$$

R
L
L
L
=
L
L
L
R

, where L operator may be regarded as a quantized six-vertex model whose Boltzmann weights are specific representations of the q-oscillator or q-Weyl algebras. When the three L’s are associated with the q-oscillator algebra, R coincides with the known intertwiner of the quantized coordinate ring $$A_q(sl_3)$$

A
q

(
s

l
3

)

. On the other hand, L’s based on the q-Weyl algebra lead to new R’s whose elements are either factorized or expressed as a terminating q-hypergeometric type series.
An estimator for the recombination rate from a continuously observed diffusion of haplotype frequencies
Authors: Griffiths Robert C. , Jenkins Paul A.
Published: May 2023

Recombination is a fundamental evolutionary force, but it is difficult to quantify because the effect of a recombination event on patterns of variation in a sample of genetic data can be hard to discern. Estimators for the recombination rate, which are usually based on the idea of integrating over the unobserved possible evolutionary histories of a sample, can therefore be noisy. Here we consider a related question: how would an estimator behave if the evolutionary history actually was observed? This would offer an upper bound on the performance of estimators used in practice. In this paper we derive an expression for the maximum likelihood estimator for the recombination rate based on a continuously observed, multi-locus, Wright–Fisher diffusion of haplotype frequencies, complementing existing work for an estimator of selection. We show that, contrary to selection, the estimator has unusual properties because the observed information matrix can explode in finite time whereupon the recombination parameter is learned without error. We also show that the recombination estimator is robust to the presence of selection in the sense that incorporating selection into the model leaves the estimator unchanged. We study the properties of the estimator by simulation and show that its distribution can be quite sensitive to the underlying mutation rates.
The distribution pattern of pelvic lymph nodal metastases in cervical cancer
Authors: Xie Shangdan , Zhao Jing , Wang Xintao , Hu Yan , Feng Guannan , Zhu Haiyan , Wang Chao
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Depiction of pelvic lymph node metastasis (LNM) sites among patients with cervical cancer facilitates accurate determination of the extent of dissection and radiotherapy regimens.

Methods

A retrospective study of 1182 cervical cancer patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection between 2008 and 2018 was performed. The number of removed pelvic lymph nodes and metastasis status in different anatomical regions was analyzed. The prognostic difference of patients with lymph node involvement stratified by various factors was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

The median number of pelvic lymph nodes detected was 22, mainly from obturator (29.54%) and inguinal (21.14%) sites. Metastatic pelvic lymph nodes were found in 192 patients, with obturator accounting for the highest percentage (42.86%). The patients with lymph node involvement in single site had better prognosis that those in multiple sites. The overall- (P = 0.021) (OS) and progression-free (P < 0.001) survival (PFS) curves of patients with inguinal lymph node metastases were worse compared to those with obturator site. There was no difference in the OS and PFS among patients with 2 and more than 2 lymph nodes involvement.

Conclusion

An explicit map of LNM in patients with cervical cancer was presented in this study. Obturator lymph nodes tended to be involved. The prognosis of patients with inguinal lymph node involvement was poor in contrast to that with obturator LNM. In patients with inguinal lymph node metastases, clinical staging needs to be reconsidered and extended radiotherapy to the inguinal region needs to be strengthened.
Distribution, hosts and long-term decline in abundance of the Patagonian lamprey inferred from diet assessment of albatrosses
Authors: Phillips Richard A. , Waluda Claire M. , Miller Allison K.
Published: May 2023

Knowledge of lampreys during their marine phase is limited, and for the southern hemisphere species was gleaned from their predators (albatrosses) in the 1970s. Taking advantage of new methodologies and long-term data on predator diet and distributions, we infer diverse aspects of lamprey distribution and ecology. DNA analyses indicated that albatrosses at South Georgia prey on Patagonian lamprey Geotria macrostoma, originating from Argentina. Their core pelagic distribution when free swimming appears to be the Antarctic Polar Frontal zone (APFZ), and not South Georgia waters as assumed previously. If so, the APFZ would be the first known hotspot in abundance of an anadromous lamprey in oceanic waters. We could not identify a teleost fish that would be a likely host. Instead, we infer that the lamprey may prey on baleen whales, based on comparison of stable isotope ratios in lamprey with candidate host species, timing of appearance in albatross diets coincident with whale migrations, and circumstantial evidence (unexplained scarring recorded during the whaling era). We suggest that the lamprey do not tolerate cold Antarctic waters, and detach from southerly-migrating whales at the thermal boundary of the APFZ, where they become accessible to albatrosses in surface waters. Given strong evidence that relative importance of prey in seabird diets reflects availability in foraging areas, the steep decrease in the annual consumption of lamprey by albatrosses at South Georgia from > 550 tonnes in 1975–1976 and 1986, to very low levels in most years since 2012, is likely to indicate a major population decrease. Despite our unconventional means of assessing the population trend, there is a compelling case for listing of Patagonian lamprey at least as Near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and an urgent need to better understand anthropogenic threats in Argentina.
Magnetic Field Modeling and Visualization of the Europa Clipper Spacecraft
Authors: Cochrane Corey J. , Murphy Neil , Raymond Carol A. , Biersteker John B. , Dang Katherine , Jia Xianzhe , Korth Haje , Narvaez Pablo , Ream Jodie B. , Weiss Benjamin P.
Published: May 2023

The goal of NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission is to investigate the habitability of the subsurface ocean within the Jovian moon Europa using a suite of ten investigations. The Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM) and Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS) investigations will be used in unison to characterize the thickness and electrical conductivity of Europa’s subsurface ocean and the thickness of the ice shell by sensing the induced magnetic field, driven by the strong time-varying magnetic field of the Jovian environment. However, these measurements will be obscured by the magnetic field originating from the Europa Clipper spacecraft. In this work, a magnetic field model of the Europa Clipper spacecraft is presented, characterized with over 260 individual magnetic sources comprising various ferromagnetic and soft-magnetic materials, compensation magnets, solenoids, and dynamic electrical currents flowing within the spacecraft. This model is used to evaluate the magnetic field at arbitrary points around the spacecraft, notably at the locations of the three fluxgate magnetometer sensors and four Faraday cups which make up ECM and PIMS, respectively. The model is also used to evaluate the magnetic field uncertainty at these locations via a Monte Carlo approach. Furthermore, both linear and non-linear gradiometry fitting methods are presented to demonstrate the ability to reliably disentangle the spacecraft field from the ambient using an array of three fluxgate magnetometer sensors mounted along an 8.5-meter (m) long boom. The method is also shown to be useful for optimizing the locations of the magnetometer sensors along the boom. Finally, we illustrate how the model can be used to visualize the magnetic field lines of the spacecraft, thus providing very insightful information for each investigation.
A comparison of zero- and minimal-intelligence agendas in majority-rule voting models
Authors: Brewer Paul , Juybari Jeremy , Moberly Raymond
Published: May 2023

Emergent behavior in repeated collective decisions of minimally intelligent agents—who at each step in time invoke majority rule to choose between a status quo and a random challenge—can manifest through the long-term stationary probability distributions of a Markov chain. We use this known technique to compare two kinds of voting agendas: a zero-intelligence agenda that chooses the challenger uniformly at random and a minimally intelligent agenda that chooses the challenger from the union of the status quo and the set of winning challengers. We use Google Co-Lab’s GPU accelerated computing environment to compute stationary distributions for some simple examples from spatial-voting and budget-allocation scenarios. We find that the voting model using the zero-intelligence agenda converges more slowly, but in some cases to better outcomes.
Developing Organizational Diversity Statements Through Dialogical Clinical Ethics Support: The Role of the Clinical Ethicist
Authors: Kröger Charlotte , Molewijk Albert C. , Metselaar Suzanne
Published: May 2023

In pluralist societies, stakeholders in healthcare may have different experiences of and moral perspectives on health, well-being, and good care. Increasing cultural, religious, sexual, and gender diversity among both patients and healthcare professionals requires healthcare organizations to address these differences. Addressing diversity, however, comes with inherent moral challenges; for example, regarding how to deal with healthcare disparities between minoritized and majoritized patients or how to accommodate different healthcare needs and values. Diversity statements are an important strategy for healthcare organizations to define their normative ideas with respect to diversity and to establish a point of departure for concrete diversity approaches. We argue that healthcare organizations ought to develop diversity statements in a participatory and inclusive way in order to promote social justice. Furthermore, we maintain that clinical ethicists can support healthcare organizations in developing diversity statements in a more participatory way by fostering reflective dialogues through clinical ethics support. We will use a case example from our own practice to explore what such a developmental process may look like. We will critically reflect on the procedural strengths and challenges as well as on the role of the clinical ethicist in this example.
Masturbation Among Malaysian Young Adults: Associated Sexual and Psychological Well-Being Outcomes
Authors: Phuah Li Ann , Teng Jaclyn Hui Jie , Goh Pei Hwa
Published: May 2023

Despite being a common sexual practice, not much is known about masturbation within the Malaysian context. The current study examined the masturbation practices of a convenience sample of Malaysian young adults, and how one’s reported experience of masturbating and frequency of masturbation is associated with sexual and psychological well-being. Satisfaction with sex life, satisfaction with life, depression, anxiety, and stress were measured as outcome variables. Responses from 621 participants (M = 22.1 years, SD = 2.4 years) that were collected through an online questionnaire were analyzed. Results revealed that most participants (77.7%) had masturbated at least once in their life. Sexual satisfaction and psychological well-being did not differ between those who reported masturbating before and those who did not. Among those with masturbation experience, higher frequency of masturbation was associated with less sexual satisfaction and more symptoms of anxiety and stress. Masturbation frequency was not associated with life satisfaction or reports of depressive symptoms. Gender, frequency of partnered sex, availability of a sexual partner, and religiosity did not moderate the relationships between masturbation frequency with sexual satisfaction and psychological well-being. Although the limitations of the current study impede generalizability, masturbation was found to be a common behavior among the current sample. Causal inferences cannot be drawn from the significant associations found in the current study, as the findings indicate such relationships may be bidirectional.
A broadband integrated microwave photonic mixer based on balanced photodetection
Authors: Xu Zhenzhu , Mei Li , Chong Yuhua , Gao Xudong , Han Shoubao , Yang Chengkun , Li Lin
Published: May 2023

An integrated microwave photonic mixer based on silicon photonic platforms is proposed, which consist of a dual-drive Mach–Zehnder modulator and a balanced photodetector. The modulated optical signals from microwave photonic links can be directly demodulated and down-converted to intermediate frequency (IF) signals by the photonic mixer. The converted signal is obtained by conducting off-chip subtraction of the outputs from the balanced photodetector, and subsequent filtering of the high frequency items by an electrical low-pass filter. Benefiting from balanced detection, the conversion gain of the IF signal is improved by 6 dB, and radio frequency leakage and common-mode noise are suppressed significantly. System-level simulations show that the frequency mixing system has a spurious-free dynamic range of 89 dB·Hz2/3, even with deteriorated linearity caused by the two cascaded modulators. The spur suppression ratio of the photonic mixer remains higher than 40 dB when the IF varies from 0.5 to 4 GHz. The electrical-electrical 3 dB bandwidth of frequency conversion is 11 GHz. The integrated frequency mixing approach is quite simple, requiring no extra optical filters or electrical 90° hybrid coupler, which makes the system more stable and with broader bandwidth so that it can meet the potential demand in practical applications.

Graphical Abstract
Horizontal and Straight Triangulation on Heisenberg Groups
Authors: Canarecci Giovanni
Published: May 2023

This paper aims to show that there exists a triangulation of the Heisenberg group $$\mathbb {H}^n$$

H

n

into singular simplexes with regularity properties on both the low-dimensional and high-dimensional layers. For low dimensions, we request our simplexes to be horizontal while, for high dimensions, we define a notion of straight simplexes using exponential and logarithmic maps, and we require our simplexes to have high-dimensional straight layers. A triangulation with such simplexes is first constructed on a general polyhedral structure and then extended to the whole Heisenberg group. In this paper, we also provide some explicit examples of grid and triangulations.
Development of a Standardised System to Classify Injury-Inciting Circumstances in Football: the Football Injury Inciting Circumstances Classification System (FIICCS)
Authors: Aiello Francesco , McCall Alan , Brown Susan J. , Serner Andreas , Fortington Lauren V. , Huurman Suzanne Afra Elisabeth , Lewin Colin , Nagao Masashi , O’Brien James , Panossian Anastasia , Pruna Ricard , Ramos Guilherme Passos , Whalan Matthew , Impellizzeri Franco M.
Published: May 2023

Background

A comprehensive examination of the sport-specific activities and circumstances being performed at the time of injury is important to hypothesise mechanisms, develop prevention strategies and inform future investigations. Results reported in the literature are inconsistent because inciting activities are reported using different classifications. Hence the aim was to develop a standardised system for the reporting of inciting circumstances.

Methods

The system was developed using a modified Nominal Group Technique. The initial panel included 12 sports practitioners and researchers from four continents with respectively ≥ 5 years of experience working in professional football and/or conducting injury research. The process consisted of six phases: idea generation, two surveys, one online meeting and two confirmations. For answers to the closed questions, consensus was deemed achieved if ≥ 70% of respondents agreed. Open-ended answers were qualitatively analysed and then introduced in subsequent phases.

Results

Ten panellists completed the study. The risk of attrition bias was low. The developed system includes a comprehensive range of inciting circumstances across five domains: contact type, ball situation, physical activity, session details, contextual information. The system also distinguishes between a core set (essential reporting) and an optional set. The panel deemed all the domains to be important and easy to use both in football and in research environments.

Conclusion

A system to classify inciting circumstances in football was developed. Given the extent of reporting inconsistency of inciting circumstances in the available literature, this can be used while further studies evaluate its reliability.
Preventing varicella zoster infection in immunocompromised adults with varicella zoster–specific immunoglobulins
Authors: Gelman Daniel , Zektser Miri , Nesher Lior
Published: May 2023

Background:

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) exposure seriously threatens immunocompromised hosts. Postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) using immune globulins is considered the standard of care; however, the available literature is mainly based on its use in pediatric patients. Here, we describe a widespread VZV exposure among immunocompromised adults treated with VZV-specific immunoglobulins (VZVSIG), and we discuss management and outcomes.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective study to describe the exposure of immunocompromised patients to a single healthcare worker with primary VZV in 2019. Patients were grouped by their overall risk for infection, and those at risk received a single intramuscular dose of 625 IU of VZVSIG and were followed for 1 year.

Results:

In total, 83 patients received PEP at <96 hours of exposure: 14 were hospitalized, 68 were outpatients, and 1 was an immunocompromised staff member. The median age was 69 years (range, 21–92), and 49.4% were male. In addition, 30% of the patients were deemed high risk, 42% were intermediate risk, and 28% were considered low risk, although they were given PEP. Varicella infection was not diagnosed in any patient in the first weeks of follow-up. However, during the year of follow-up, 4 patients developed symptoms suspicious of VZV, all >3 months after exposure, thus were probably unrelated to the event. Adverse events related to VZVSIG (pyrexia) were reported in 2 patients (2.4%).

Conclusions:

Our findings demonstrate the utility of VZVSIG as PEP in one of the largest cohorts of immunocompromised adults to date. No early varicella infection was found following exposure, supporting the current recommendations of the VZVSIG administration.
Design and multi-objective optimization of a novel 5-DOF parallel mechanism with two double-driven chains
Authors: Wang Xuhao , Lin Yufei , Cao Yiran , Wu Mengli , Sun Shuo
Published: May 2023

This paper focuses on the design, analysis, and multi-objective optimization of a novel 5-degrees of freedom (DOF) double-driven parallel mechanism. A novel 5-DOF parallel mechanism with two double-driven branch chains is proposed, which can serve as a machine tool. By installing two actuators on one branch chain, the proposed parallel mechanism can achieve 5-DOF of the moving platform with only three branch chains. Afterwards, analytical solution for inverse kinematics is derived. The 5
$\times$
5 homogeneous Jacobian matrix is obtained by transforming actuator velocities into linear velocities at three points on the moving platform. Meanwhile, the workspace, dexterity, and volume are analyzed based on the kinematic model. Ultimately, a stage-by-stage Pareto optimization method is proposed to solve the multi-objective optimization problem of this parallel mechanism. The optimization results show that the workspace, compactness, and dexterity of this mechanism can be improved efficiently.
Plant defence traits among discrete vegetation assemblages in a mesic savanna landscape in Kenya
Authors: Kimeu John Mbaluka , Mwachala Geoffrey , Hattas Dawood , Reichgelt Tammo , Muasya A. Muthama
Published: May 2023

A trade-off between structural and chemical defences against herbivory in woody plants is alleged to depend on edaphic factors in African savannas. We studied anti-herbivory traits, in an edaphic mosaic of fertile and infertile soils within a savanna landscape in East Africa, towards elucidating herbivory defence traits expressions in woody plants of African savannas. We used data of 81 plants for 8 species from 8 sites — four sites from fertile soils (42 plants) and another four sites from infertile soils (39 plants). We did not find a general divide between structural and chemical strategies in our data. Instead, we found a range of defence traits combinations. Our results highlight that in woody plants of African savannas, chemical and structural defences can augment each other, and not necessarily trade-off. The diversity of herbivores, ranging from insects to mesobrowsers, may have driven the evolution of multiple defence strategies within the African savannas.
Language balance rather than age of acquisition: A study on the cross-linguistic gender congruency effect in Portuguese–German bilinguals
Authors: Sá-Leite Ana Rita , Flores Cristina , Eira Carina , Haro Juan , Comesaña Montserrat
Published: May 2023

The cross-linguistic gender congruency effect (GCE; a facilitation on gender retrieval for translations of the same gender) is a robust phenomenon analysed almost exclusively with late bilinguals. However, it is important to ascertain whether it is modulated by age of acquisition (AoA) and language proficiency. We asked 64 early and late bilinguals of European Portuguese and German to do a forward and backward translation task. A measure of language balance was calculated through the DIALANG test. Analyses included this factor along with the gender congruency between translations, the target language, and the AoA of both languages, among others. Results showed a GCE for European Portuguese that was independent of the AoA and greater the higher the language imbalance. We propose that changes in proficiency in any of the languages create situations of dependency between them which allow cross-linguistic gender interaction to occur and effects to emerge depending on gender transparency.
Hunting Hurricanes
Authors: Tripathy-Lang Alka
Published: May 2023

NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters risk their lives each time they fly into the eye of a storm to collect crucial data for forecasting, hurricane modeling, and research.
Boron nitride-enabled printing of a highly sensitive and flexible iontronic pressure sensing system for spatial mapping
Authors: Yang Zekun , Duan Qikai , Zang Junbin , Zhao Yunlong , Zheng Weihao , Xiao Ran , Zhang Zhidong , Hu Liangwei , Wu Guirong , Nan Xueli , Zhang Zengxing , Xue Chenyang , Gao Libo
Published: May 2023

Recently, flexible iontronic pressure sensors (FIPSs) with higher sensitivities and wider sensing ranges than conventional capacitive sensors have been widely investigated. Due to the difficulty of fabricating the nanostructures that are commonly used on electrodes and ionic layers by screen printing techniques, strategies for fabricating such devices using these techniques to drive their mass production have rarely been reported. Herein, for the first time, we employed a 2-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as both an additive and an ionic liquid reservoir in an ionic film, making the sensor printable and significantly improving its sensitivity and sensing range through screen printing. The engineered sensor exhibited high sensitivity (Smin> 261.4 kPa−1) and a broad sensing range (0.05–450 kPa), and it was capable of stable operation at a high pressure (400 kPa) for more than 5000 cycles. In addition, the integrated sensor array system allowed accurate monitoring of wrist pressure and showed great potential for health care systems. We believe that using h-BN as an additive in an ionic material for screen-printed FIPS could greatly inspire research on 2D materials for similar systems and other types of sensors.
Reversible interconversion of pharmaceutical salt polymorphs facilitated by mechanical methods
Authors: Ma Liulei , Zheng Qixuan , Unruh Daniel K. , Hutchins Kristin M.
Published: May 2023

Fully reversible interconversion of pharmaceutical salt polymorphs is facilitated by a combination of mechanical force and solvent contact.
Utilization of DNA and 2D metal oxide interaction for an optical biosensor
Authors: Kumbhakar Partha , Das Jana Indrani , Basu Subhadip , Mandal Sandip , Banerjee Saptarshi , Roy Subhanita , Gowda Chinmayee Chowde , Chakraborty Anyesha , Pramanik Ashim , Lahiri Pooja , Lahiri Basudev , Chandra Amreesh , Kumbhakar Pathik , Mondal Arindam , Maiti Prabal K , Tiwary Chandra Sekhar
Published: May 2023

We investigated the efficacy of a novel 2D metal oxide-based optical biosensor related to ss-DNA. This study opens the door to the creation of quick, affordable, and highly sensitive diagnostic biosensors to identify a range of pathogenic diseases.
A comprehensive diffusion-induced stress coupled multiscale modeling and analysis in hard-carbon electrodes of Li-ion batteries
Authors: Kumar P. Pavan , Agrawal Asutosh , Nayak Debasis , Biswas Koushik , Ghosh Sudipto , Kundu Tarun Kumar
Published: May 2023

Particle fracture due to diffusion-induced stress (DIS) in electrodes is a key factor for lithium-ion battery (LIB) failure.
Photochemical aerobic upcycling of polystyrene plastics to commodity chemicals using anthraquinone as the photocatalyst
Authors: Nikitas Nikolaos F. , Skolia Elpida , Gkizis Petros L. , Triandafillidi Ierasia , Kokotos Christoforos G.
Published: May 2023

Aerobic photochemical upcycling of polystyrene plastics into benzoic acid and pharmaceuticals using anthraquinone as the photocatalyst.
Correction: Fluorescence resonance energy transfer enhanced photothermal and photodynamic antibacterial therapy post a single injection
Authors: Xue Lei , Shen Qing , Zhang Tian , Fan Yibin , Xu Xiaogang , Shao Jinjun , Yang Dongliang , Zhao Wenli , Dong Xiaochen , Mou Xiaozhou
Published: May 2023

Correction for ‘Fluorescence resonance energy transfer enhanced photothermal and photodynamic antibacterial therapy post a single injection’ by Lei Xue et al., Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 6061–6070, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1QM00631B.
Parametric model of young infants’ eardrum and ear canal impedances supporting immittance measurement results. Part II: Prediction of eardrum and ear canal impedances for frequent pathological middle ear conditions
Authors: Sankowsky-Rothe Tobias , van de Par Steven , Blau Matthias
Published: May 2023

In order to gain a better understanding of wideband acoustic immitance (WAI) measurements, in this second part of a two-part paper, the parametric electro-acoustic model of the ear canal and the middle ear of young infants proposed in the first part is extended. The extension allows predictions of the influence of the pathological middle ear conditions middle ear effusion and negative static air pressure difference between the middle ear and the ear canal. Comparisons of the acoustic input impedance of the ear predicted by the model with real ear measurements in young infants’ ears with middle ear effusion show that the effects due to the pathology can be predicted well. For the negative static air pressure, a modeling approach was proposed but could not be confirmed yet, due to a lack of available measurement data. Furthermore, comparisons between different middle ear states (healthy, middle ear effusion and static air pressure difference) predicted by the model showed characteristic differences in all relevant WAI measures. However, it is also shown that WAI measures requiring an estimate of the cross-sectional area at the measurement position, i.e., absorbance and reflectance, are highly sensitive to this estimate.