bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Appraising the quality standard of clinical practice guidelines related to central venous catheter-related thrombosis prevention: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wu Yongya , Zhang Shuai , Yao Wenmo , Bu Faqian , Wang Aoxue , Hu Xiuying , Wang Guan
Published: March 2024

Objective

To evaluate the quality and analyse the content of clinical practice guidelines regarding central venous catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) to provide evidence for formulating an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk assessment scale to prevent it.

Design

Scoring and analysis of the guidelines using the AGREE II and AGREE REX scales.

Data sources

Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature, and the relevant websites of the guideline, were searched from 1 January 2017 to 26 March 2022.

Eligibility criteria

Guidelines covering CRT treatment, prevention, or management were included from 1 January 2017 to 26 March 2022.

Data extraction and synthesis

Three independent reviewers systematically trained in using the AGREE II and AGREE REX scales were selected to evaluate these guidelines.

Results

Nine guidelines were included, and the quality grade results showed that three were at A-level and six were at B-level. The included guidelines mainly recommended the prevention measure of central venous CRT from three aspects: risk screening, prevention strategies, and knowledge training, with a total of 22 suggestions being recommended.

Conclusion

The overall quality of the guidelines is high, but there are few preventive measures for central venous CRT involved in the guidelines. All preventive measures have yet to be systematically integrated and evaluated, and no risk assessment scale dedicated to this field has been recommended. Therefore, developing an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk assessment scale to prevent it is urgent.
Association between expedited review designations and the US or global burden of disease for drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, 2010–2019: a cross-sectional analysis
Authors: Jackson Matthew J , Vaughan Gregory , Ledley Fred D
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Pharmaceutical innovation can contribute to reducing the burden of disease in human populations. This research asks whether products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 2010 to 2019 and expedited review programmes incentivising development of products for serious disease were aligned with the US or global burden of disease.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Outcome measures

Association of FDA product approvals (2010–2019), first approved indications, designations for expedited review with the burden of disease (disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)), years of life lost (YLL) and years of life lived with disability (YLD) for 122 WHO Global Health Estimates (GHE) conditions in US and global (ex-US) populations.

Results

The FDA approved 387 drugs in 2010–2019 with lead indications associated with 59/122 GHE conditions. Conditions with at least one new drug had greater US DALYs (p=0.001), US YLL (p<0.001), global DALYs (p=0.030) and global YLL (p=0.004) but not US YLD (p=0.158) or global YLD (p=0.676). Most approvals were for conditions in the top quartile of US DALYs or YLL, but <27% were for conditions in the top quartile of global DALYs or YLL. The likelihood of a drug having one or more designations for expedited review programmes was negatively associated (OR<1) with US DALYs, US YLD and global YLD. There was a weak negative association with global DALYs and a weak positive association (OR>1) with US and global YLL.

Conclusions

FDA drug approvals from 2010 to 2019 were more strongly aligned with US than global disease burden. Designations for expedited review were not aligned with either the US or global burdens of disease and may inadvertently disincentivise development of products addressing global disease burdens. These results may inform policies to better align pharmaceutical innovation with the burdens of disease.
Violence against physicians working in public tertiary care hospital of Bangladesh: a facility-based cross-sectional study
Authors: Hasan Mohammad Jahid , Sarkar Tanzeema Younus , Ahmed Mostak , Banik Aporna , Islam Salwa , Zaman Mir Susmita , Mahmud Faiza , Paul Ashish , Sakib Md Nazmus , Dev Anamica , Hossain Md Jakaria , Fardous Jannatul , Nishat Nahida Hannan , Rahman Monjur
Published: March 2024

Background

Violence against physicians in the workplace is a prevalent global issue, and Bangladesh is no exception. Such violence significantly disrupts healthcare delivery and the attainment of universal health coverage. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prevalence, nature and associated risk factors of workplace violence (WPV) against physicians in Bangladesh.

Methods

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a public tertiary care hospital involving 441 physicians with a minimum tenure of 6 months. Data were gathered through a structured self-reported questionnaire, and statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS V.25.

Results

Out of the surveyed physicians, 67.3% (n=297) reported experiencing violence, categorised as 84.5% psychological, 13.5% physical and 2% sexual in nature. Predominant forms of psychological violence included bullying (48.8%) and threats (40.1%). The mean age of exposed physicians was 32.5±4.3 (SD) years. Those working in the emergency unit (45.8%), surgery and allied departments (54.2%), engaging in rotating shift work (70%), morning shifts (59.6%) and postgraduate trainees (68%) were frequently subjected to violence. Factors significantly associated with WPV included placement in surgery and allied departments (p<0.001), working rotating shifts (p<0.001), marital status (p=0.011) and being a male physician (p=0.010). Perpetrators were primarily identified as relatives of patients (66%). Working in rotating shifts (adjusted OR(AOR):2.6, 95% CI:1.2 to 5.4) and surgery and allied departments (AOR:5.7, 95% CI:3.4 to 9.8) emerged as significant risk factors of violence against physicians.

Conclusion

A higher proportion of physicians at the early to mid-level stages of their careers, especially those in rotating shifts and surgery-related departments, reported incidence of WPV. Urgent intervention from policy-makers and healthcare entities is imperative to implement preventive measures. Strengthening security measures, establishing antiviolence policies and providing comprehensive training programmes are crucial steps towards ensuring a safer work environment for healthcare professionals.
Worker and workplace determinants of employment exit: a register study
Authors: Rydland Håvard Thorsen , Islam Kamrul , Kjerstad Egil
Published: March 2024

Background

Workers with chronic illness are in higher risk of unemployment. This article investigated the worker and workplace characteristics associated with labour market inclusion for workers with a diagnosed chronic illness.

Methods

Linked employer-employee register data covering all Norwegian employers and employees each month from February 2015 to December 2019 were merged with patient data from specialist healthcare (136 196 observations (job spells); 70 923 individual workers). Survival analysis was used to estimate the risk of employment exit, with age, gender, chronic illness, full-time/part-time employment, skill level, marital status, children in household, branch, share of chronically ill workers, firm size and unemployment rate as covariates.

Results

85% of the study population was employed in December 2019; 58% remain employed throughout the follow-up period. Mental illness, male gender, young age, part-time employment and lower skill levels were the worker-level predictors of labour market exit. Employments in secondary industries, in firms with high shares of chronically ill workers and, to some extent, in larger firms were the significant workplace-level determinants.

Conclusion

Only a minority of our sample of workers with chronic illness experienced labour market exclusion. Targeted measures should be considered towards workers with poor mental health and/or low formal skills. Chronically ill workers within public administration have the best labour market prospects, while workplaces within the education branch have an unfulfilled potential.
Nephrologists’ perspectives on communication and decision-making regarding technique survival in peritoneal dialysis: an international qualitative interview study
Authors: Yudianto Benedicta , Jaure Allison , Shen Jenny , Cho Yeoungjee , Brown Edwina , Dong Jie , Dunning Tony , Mehrotra Rajnish , Naicker Saraladevi , Pecoits-Filho Roberto , Perl Jeffrey , Wang Angela Yee-Moon , Wilkie Martin , Guha Chandana , Scholes-Robertson Nicole , Craig Jonathan , Johnson David , Manera Karine
Published: March 2024

Objectives

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) allows patients increased autonomy and flexibility; however, both infectious and non-infectious complications may lead to technique failure, which shortens treatment longevity. Maintaining patients on PD remains a major challenge for nephrologists. This study aims to describe nephrologists’ perspectives on technique survival in PD.

Design

Qualitative semistructured interview study. Transcripts were thematically analysed.

Setting and participants

30 nephrologists across 11 countries including Australia, the USA, the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Colombia and Uruguay were interviewed from April 2017 to November 2019.

Results

We identified four themes: defining patient suitability (confidence in capacity for self-management, ensuring clinical stability and expected resilience), building endurance (facilitating access to practical support, improving mental well-being, optimising quality of care and training to reduce risk of complications), establishing rapport through effective communications (managing expectations to enhance trust, individualising care and harnessing a multidisciplinary approach) and confronting fear and acknowledging barriers to haemodialysis (preventing crash landing to haemodialysis, facing concerns of losing independence and positive framing of haemodialysis).

Conclusion

Nephrologists reported that technique survival in PD is influenced by patients’ medical circumstances, psychological motivation and positively influenced by the education and support provided by treating clinicians and families. Strategies to enhance patients’ knowledge on PD and communication with patients about technique survival in PD are needed to build trust, set patient expectations of treatment and improve the process of transition off PD.
Protocol for the development of a tool (INSPECT-SR) to identify problematic randomised controlled trials in systematic reviews of health interventions
Authors: Wilkinson Jack , Heal Calvin , Antoniou George A , Flemyng Ella , Alfirevic Zarko , Avenell Alison , Barbour Ginny , Brown Nicholas J L , Carlisle John , Clarke Mike , Dicker Patrick , Dumville Jo C , Grey Andrew , Grohmann Steph , Gurrin Lyle , Hayden Jill Alison , Heathers James , Hunter Kylie Elizabeth , Lasserson Toby , Lam Emily , Lensen Sarah , Li Tianjing , Li Wentao , Loder Elizabeth , Lundh Andreas , Meyerowitz-Katz Gideon , Mol Ben W , O'Connell Neil E , Parker Lisa , Redman Barbara K , Seidler Lene , Sheldrick Kyle A , Sydenham Emma , Torgerson David , van Wely Madelon , Wang Rui , Bero Lisa , Kirkham Jamie J
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) inform healthcare decisions. It is now apparent that some published RCTs contain false data and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesise all RCTs that have been conducted on a given topic. While it is usual to assess methodological features of the RCTs in the process of undertaking a systematic review, it is not usual to consider whether the RCTs contain false data. Studies containing false data therefore go unnoticed and contribute to systematic review conclusions. The INveStigating ProblEmatic Clinical Trials in Systematic Reviews (INSPECT-SR) project will develop a tool to assess the trustworthiness of RCTs in systematic reviews of healthcare-related interventions.

Methods and analysis

The INSPECT-SR tool will be developed using expert consensus in combination with empirical evidence, over five stages: (1) a survey of experts to assemble a comprehensive list of checks for detecting problematic RCTs, (2) an evaluation of the feasibility and impact of applying the checks to systematic reviews, (3) a Delphi survey to determine which of the checks are supported by expert consensus, culminating in, (4) a consensus meeting to select checks to be included in a draft tool and to determine its format and (5) prospective testing of the draft tool in the production of new health systematic reviews, to allow refinement based on user feedback. We anticipate that the INSPECT-SR tool will help researchers to identify problematic studies and will help patients by protecting them from the influence of false data on their healthcare.

Ethics and dissemination

The University of Manchester ethics decision tool was used, and this returned the result that ethical approval was not required for this project (30 September 2022), which incorporates secondary research and surveys of professionals about subjects relating to their expertise. Informed consent will be obtained from all survey participants. All results will be published as open-access articles. The final tool will be made freely available.
Peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thinning, perfusion changes and optic neuropathy in carriers of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy-associated mitochondrial variants
Authors: Quigley Clare , Stephenson Kirk A J , Kenna Paul F , Cassidy Lorraine
Published: March 2024

Background

We investigated Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) families for variation in peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer thickness and perfusion, and associated optic nerve dysfunction.

Method

A group of LHON-affected patients (n=12) and their asymptomatic maternal relatives (n=16) underwent examination including visual acuity (VA), visual-evoked-potential and optic nerve imaging including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography of the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL). A control sample was also examined (n=10). The software imageJ was used to measure perfusion by assessing vessel density (VD), and statistical software ‘R’ was used to analyse data.

Results

The LHON-affected group (n=12) had significantly reduced peripapillary VD (median 7.9%, p=0.046). Overall, the LHON asymptomatic relatives (n=16) had no significant change in peripapillary VD (p=0.166), though three eyes had VD which fell below the derived normal range at 6% each, with variable VA from normal to blindness; LogMAR median 0, range 0–2.4. In contrast, RNFL thickness was significantly reduced in the LHON-affected group (median 51 µm, p=0.003), and in asymptomatic relatives (median 90 µm, p=0.01), compared with controls (median 101 µm). RNFL thinning had greater specificity compared with reduced perfusion for optic nerve dysfunction in asymptomatic carriers (92% vs 66%).

Conclusion

Overall, reduced peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer perfusion was observed in those affected by LHON but was not reduced in their asymptomatic relatives, unlike RNFL thinning which was significantly reduced in both groups versus controls. The presence of RNFL changes was associated with signs of optic neuropathy in asymptomatic relatives.
European Society of Cardiology 0/1-hour algorithm (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T) performance across distinct age groups
Authors: Millard Marissa J , Ashburn Nicklaus P , Snavely Anna C , Hashemian Tara , Supples Michael , Allen Brandon , Christenson Robert , Madsen Troy , McCord James , Mumma Bryn , Stopyra Jason , Wilkerson Richard Gentry , Mahler Simon A
Published: March 2024

Background

To determine if the European Society of Cardiology 0/1-hour (ESC 0/1-h) algorithm with high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) meets the ≥99% negative predictive value (NPV) safety threshold for 30-day cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI) in older, middle-aged and young subgroups.

Methods

We conducted a subgroup analysis of adult emergency department patients with chest pain prospectively enrolled from eight US sites (January 2017 to September 2018). Patients were stratified into rule-out, observation and rule-in zones using the hs-cTnT ESC 0/1-h algorithm and classified as older (≥65 years), middle aged (46–64 years) or young (21–45 years). Patients had 0-hour and 1-hour hs-cTnT measures (Roche Diagnostics) and a History, ECG, Age, Risk factor and Troponin (HEART) score. Fisher’s exact tests compared rule-out and 30-day cardiac death or MI rates between ages. NPVs with 95% CIs were calculated for the ESC 0/1-h algorithm with and without the HEART score.

Results

Of 1430 participants, 26.9% (385/1430) were older, 57.4% (821/1430) middle aged and 15.7% (224/1430) young. Cardiac death or MI at 30 days occurred in 12.8% (183/1430). ESC 0/1-h algorithm ruled out 35.6% (137/385) of older, 62.1% (510/821) of middle-aged and 79.9% of (179/224) young patients (p<0.001). NPV for 30-day cardiac death or MI was 97.1% (95% CI 92.7% to 99.2%) among older patients, 98.4% (95% CI 96.9% to 99.3%) in middle-aged patients and 99.4% (95% CI 96.9% to 100%) among young patients. Adding a HEART score increased NPV to 100% (95% CI 87.7% to 100%) for older, 99.2% (95% CI 97.2% to 99.9%) for middle-aged and 99.4% (95% CI 96.6% to 100%) for young patients.

Conclusions

In older and middle-aged adults, the hs-cTnT ESC 0/1-h algorithm was unable to reach a 99% NPV for 30-day cardiac death or MI unless combined with a HEART score.

Trial registration number

NCT02984436.
Impact of NOTCH1 expression in primary breast adenoid cystic carcinoma
Authors: Salem Alireza , Wu Yun , Ding Qingqing , Middleton Lavinia P
Published: March 2024

Aims

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) originates from salivary-type like glands in the head and neck, lung, and breast. AdCC shows chromosomal translocation, resulting inMYB::NFIBfusion and overexpression of MYB. Recently, NOTCH1 pathway alteration has been recognised in a subset of patients with salivary gland AdCC and has been shown to be associated with poor survival. In this study, we investigated the correlation of NOTCH1 pathway alteration with the clinical outcome of patients with primary breast AdCC by examining NOTCH1 immunoreactivity in attempts to better predict clinical outcomes.

Methods

We identified 25 cases of breast AdCC, reviewed the clinical outcome and performed immunohistochemical (IHC) staining for NOTCH1 on FFPE sections.

Results

IHC evaluation of NOTCH1 expression in 25 cases of primary breast AdCCs revealed a positive correlation between NOTCH1 expression and primary tumour size. All cases with NOTCH1 expression were greater than 15 mm in size at presentation but only 50% of NOTCH1 negative tumours were greater than 15 mm. We demonstrated a positive correlation between NOTCH1 positive AdCCs and recurrence/metastases. 63.6% of NOTCH1 positive AdCCs had either metastases or recurrence. On the contrary, only 21.5% of NOTCH1 negative AdCCs had recurrence or metastases. AdCCs with NOTCH1 positivity correlated with inferior relapse free survival (median 33 vs 129 months).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that in patients with breast AdCC, overexpression of NOTCH1 ≥20% is associated with larger tumour size and aggressive clinical outcomes. Importantly, NOTCH1 inhibitors may have potential therapeutic effect in patients with breast AdCC.
Flow failure assessment for dams and embankments
Authors: Stark Timothy D. , Jung Hyunil , Lin Jiale
Published: March 2024

A procedure is proposed to assess whether a liquefied strength should be applied to a zone of non-plastic silt, silty sand, and (or) clean sand in a static or seismic stability analysis to assess the flow failure potential of dams and slopes. The procedure consists of the following five main steps to assess flow failure potential: (1) assess static liquefaction potential of segments along a potential failure surface; (2) assess seismic liquefaction potential by calculating the factor of safety against liquefaction (FoSLiquefaction) for any amplitude of shaking in each segment; (3) if liquefaction is not triggered in any of these segments, assess the magnitude of shear-induced pore-water pressures due to seismic or vibratory events of any amplitude; (4) assign a liquefied strength to segment(s) that experience seismic liquefaction, i.e., FoSLiquefaction < 1 or significant pore-water pressure generation, i.e., total pore-water pressure ratio ≥ 0.7; and (5) conduct a post-triggering stability analysis to assess flow failure potential. This procedure is illustrated using the 1971 seismic permanent deformations of Upper San Fernando Dam and 2015 Fundão tailings dam failure.
Evaluation of deformation for two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) braced excavation in clays with centrifuge modelling and numerical analysis
Authors: Ma Xianfeng , Cao Mingyang
Published: March 2024

This study presents an improved in-flight strutting system for centrifuge modelling. Based on the centrifuge model test data, the mobilizable strength design (MSD) method was revised. The modified MSD method extends to the prediction of three-dimensional (3D) deformations in retaining walls due to excavation activities. Initially, an improved in-flight excavation tool used in centrifuge tests was employed to investigate the impacts of staged excavation on the characteristics of wall displacement and ground settlement in two-dimensional (2D) braced excavation. Subsequently, 2D and 3D finite element analyses, calibrated against the centrifuge test data and considering the small strain effect, were conducted to assess the performance of wall displacement, ground settlement, and movement of the underground soil induced by the braced excavation. Moreover, this research proposes a straightforward predictive model based on the modified MSD, specifically for calculating the deformation along the length of retaining walls in 3D braced excavations. The insights and the modified MSD method given in this study may facilitate the design of foundation pit projects, especially when the 3D effects are an essential detail to be considered in these projects.
Identification of Canadian barley varieties by high-throughput SNP genotyping
Authors: Lee Sung-Jong , Eckhardt Maria , Dusabenyagasani Mathieu , Izydorczyk Marta , Demeke Tigst , Perry Daniel , Walkowiak Sean
Published: March 2024

Barley is a major grain crop in Canada and is used for generating malt, in addition to being used as human food and animal feed. Differentiating barley varieties is important for malt quality assurance and grain handling. Here, we present a DNA-based testing method for the identification of Canadian barley varieties. The method uses 24 custom TaqMan genotyping assays, which are analyzed using the high-throughput SmartChip system (Takara Bio Inc.). Using this method, we are able to distinguish 124 barley varieties commonly grown in Canada.
Malicious UAV detection using various modalities
Authors: Dafrallah Safaa , Akhloufi Moulay
Published: March 2024

Unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, have seen increasing interest in recent years. This surge of interest is based on technological advancements, enhanced performance, affordability, and their large array of applications. Despite their utility in various applications, drones could also be used for malicious intent. The increasing concern regarding malicious drones triggers the use of various technologies and countermeasures, including drone detection and counter-drone systems. In this paper, we raise concerns about the malicious use of drone systems by providing a brief description of the major security threats. We also present the architecture of unmanned aerial systems, drone types, and their communication methods. We provide an in-depth overview of various drone detection techniques including vision-based, radio-frequency-based, and audio-based techniques, and discuss recent studies that address this issue using machine learning and deep learning models. We highlight the importance of using a hybrid approach for more accurate results.
CP violation in B decays: recent developments and future perspectives
Authors: Fleischer Robert
Published: March 2024

CP violation in B decays provides a powerful tool to probe physics from beyond the Standard Model. A theoretical overview of recent developments of benchmark channels is given, ranging from non-leptonic to rare leptonic and semileptonic modes, opening up exciting perspectives for the future high-precision era of flavour physics and the pursuit of New Physics.
Nuclear isomers in medicine
Authors: Jensen Mikael
Published: March 2024

Only a small handful of nuclear isomers plays an important role in modern medicine. However, one single isomer (Tc-99m) is in terms of quantitative use almost the foundation of the medical application of radioactive compounds. This single isomer has driven the development of modern nuclear medicine over half a century. It is used for diagnostic imaging every day and all over the world. The nuclear and atomic physics basis for this is explained. The main areas of nuclear medicine (diagnostic single photon imaging, diagnostic positron emitter imaging and therapeutic use) are explained, and the few important isomers used in each category are exposed. Although nuclear medicine is evolving rapidly and making important gains in the management of oncological, cardiological and neurological diseases, new radionuclides and new isomers are rarely introduced. The medical use is confined to a narrow set of radionuclides close to the line of stability, and here, of course, the nuclear properties in general and the characteristics of the isomeric states are well known, and possible medical usage has been considered repeatedly. The nuclear isomers will probably keep their role, but from basic physics point of view, just as useful but trivial example of applied nuclear physics.
d0 ferromagnetic display of zirconia nanocrystallites and the impact of gold doping on their structural, optical, and magnetic properties
Authors: Ud Din Latief Mohi , Kumar Vijay
Published: March 2024

[Formula: see text] ferromagnetism is currently under extensive investigation as an alternative to transition metal-doped dilute magnetic semiconductors in the continuously evolving field of spintronics and optoelectronic applications. The literature contains numerous conflicting sources regarding its origin, specifically in materials such as oxides, making it a subject of ongoing controversy. This work mainly centers on the interplay among gold doping, oxygen concentration, and resulting changes in the structural, optical, and magnetic characteristics, with a specific focus on [Formula: see text] ferromagnetism and room temperature ferromagnetism in sol–gel synthesized zirconia nanocrystals. The powder samples crystallized in a mixed monoclinic-tetragonal phase. The weak absorbance band around 280[Formula: see text]nm and the O-1s peak in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provide insights into the metastable tetragonal phase’s stability, attributed to oxygen vacancies. The bandgap slightly increases from 4.6[Formula: see text]eV to 5.0[Formula: see text]eV due to the transformation from a tetragonal to a monoclinic phase. Magnetic studies reveal room-temperature ferromagnetism induced by oxygen vacancies in undoped zirconia, while a shift from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic behavior occurs in gold-infused zirconia samples.
Analysis of entropy generation and activation energy on a convective MHD Carreau–Yasuda nanofluid flow over a sheet
Authors: Vinodkumar Reddy M. , Vajravelu K. , Ajithkumar M. , Sucharitha G. , Lakshminarayana P.
Published: March 2024

In recent days, entropy generation has attracted the attention of several researchers due to its applications in manufacturing electronic devices, heat exchangers, conservation of energy, and generation of power. Further, activation energy is an essential requirement in automobile and chemical industries, nuclear reactors, and so on. This paper investigation aims to examine the entropy generation and the mass and energy transfer in the magneto-hydro dynamic movement of convective Carreau-Yasuda nano liquid past a porous stretching sheet with the consequences of activation energy, energy source, and binary chemical reaction. Also, the analysis of the impact of viscous and Joule dissipation in the presence of suction/injection into the Buongiorno model is an essential objective of this study. By introducing a similarity variable, the partial differential equations are altered into a system of ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions to the modified equations are determined by utilizing a BVP5C MATLAB package. The findings are presented visually for several relevant flow characteristics and explained carefully. The thermophoresis parameter and activation energy parameter optimize the concentration of nanoparticles. These outcomes further indicate that as the larger Brinkmann and permeability parameters the entropy generation is broadened. It is discovered that an augmentation in thermal and solutal Grashof numbers is associated with greater velocity distribution.
Scalable quantum neural networks by few quantum resources
Authors: Pastorello Davide , Blanzieri Enrico
Published: March 2024

This paper focuses on the construction of a general parametric model that can be implemented executing multiple swap tests over few qubits and applying a suitable measurement protocol. The model turns out to be equivalent to a two-layer feedforward neural network which can be realized combining small quantum modules. The advantages and the perspectives of the proposed quantum method are discussed.
Multimodal Dialogue Systems via Capturing Context-aware Dependencies and Ordinal Information of Semantic Elements
Authors: He Weidong , Li Zhi , Wang Hao , Xu Tong , Wang Zhefeng , Huai Baoxing , Yuan Nicholas Jing , Chen Enhong
Published: March 2024

The topic of multimodal conversation systems has recently garnered significant attention across various industries, including travel and retail, among others. While pioneering works in this field have shown promising performance, they often focus solely on context information at the utterance level, overlooking the context-aware dependencies of multimodal semantic elements like words and images. Furthermore, the ordinal information of images, which indicates the relevance between visual context and users’ demands, remains underutilized during the integration of visual content. Additionally, the exploration of how to effectively utilize corresponding attributes provided by users when searching for desired products is still largely unexplored. To address these challenges, we propose PMATE, a
P
osition-aware
M
ultimodal di
A
logue system with seman
T
ic
E
lements. Specifically, to obtain semantic representations at the element level, we first unfold the multimodal historical utterances and devise a position-aware multimodal element-level encoder. This component considers all images that may be relevant to the current turn and introduces a novel position-aware image selector to choose related images before fusing the information from the two modalities. Finally, we present a knowledge-aware two-stage decoder and an attribute-enhanced image searcher for the tasks of generating textual responses and selecting image responses, respectively. We extensively evaluate our model on two large-scale multimodal dialogue datasets, and the results of our experiments demonstrate that our approach outperforms several baseline methods.
A "Perspectival" Mirror of the Elephant
Authors: Luo Queenie , Puett Michael J. , Smith Michael D.
Published: March 2024

Many people turn to Internet-based, software platforms such as Google, YouTube, Wikipedia, and more recently ChatGPT to find the answers to their questions. Most people tend to trust Google Search when it states that its mission is to deliver information from "many angles so you can form your own understanding of the world." Yet, our work finds that queries involving complex topics yield results focused on a narrow set of culturally dominant views, and these views are correlated with the language used in the search phrase. We call this phenomenon language bias, and this article shows how it occurs using the example of two complex topics: Buddhism and liberalism. Language bias sets a strong yet invisible cultural barrier online with serious socio-political implications for how these platforms hinder efforts to reach across societal divides.
Museum-Inspired Video Games as a Symbolic Transitional Justice Policy: Overview, Concepts, and Research Directions
Authors: Stamou Stefania , Apostolakis Konstantinos C. , Ntoa Stavroula , Margetis George , Stephanidis Constantine
Published: March 2024

Video games are maturing as a medium to tell stories inspired by historical struggles and real-life experiences. In this regard, they could work as a mechanism in Transitional Justice pursuit. In this article, we argue that games can become agents for promoting education, reconciliation, and healing. We hence identify means by which museums and video games create empathy, reported in recent literature, and draw inceptive parallels between museum space design philosophies and design choices in modern video game experiences. Finally, we identify in the literature that there is a lack of a framework bringing together experts in memory and heritage studies with game developers, to derive guidelines for developing empathy-inducing games around sensitive topics. Thus, we propose a methodological approach to the creation of such a framework. This framework would instrument a collaborative effort to apply domain adaptation of the strategies and design philosophies for memory and Transitional Justice museum exhibitions to video game storytelling frameworks and mechanics.
A Comprehensive Review and New Taxonomy on Superpixel Segmentation
Authors: Barcelos Isabela Borlido , Belém Felipe De Castro , João Leonardo De Melo , Patrocínio Zenilton K. G. Do , Falcão Alexandre Xavier , Guimarães Silvio Jamil Ferzoli
Published: March 2024

Superpixel segmentation consists of partitioning images into regions composed of similar and connected pixels. Its methods have been widely used in many computer vision applications, since it allows for reducing the workload, removing redundant information, and preserving regions with meaningful features. Due to the rapid progress in this area, the literature fails to catch up on more recent works among the compared ones and to categorize the methods according to all existing strategies. This work fills this gap by presenting a comprehensive review with a new taxonomy for superpixel segmentation, in which methods are classified according to their processing steps and processing levels of image features. We revisit the recent and popular literature according to our taxonomy and evaluate 23 strategies and a grid segmentation baseline based on nine criteria: connectivity, compactness, delineation, control over the number of superpixels, color homogeneity, robustness, running time, stability, and visual quality. Our experiments show the trends of each approach in superpixel segmentation and discuss individual trade-offs. Finally, we provide a new benchmark for superpixel assessment, available at
https://github.com/IMScience-PPGINF-PucMinas/superpixel-benchmark
.
Validation of a Model for Predicting Magnesium Concentration in Women with Preeclampsia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Holmström Thalme Erik , Frödin-Bolling Magnus
Published: March 2024

Objective. To validate a model for predicting magnesium concentration in magnesium sulfate treatment in preeclampsia. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. Three secondary care hospitals, one accepting neonates from gestational week 28+0. Population. Women with preeclampsia undergoing magnesium sulfate treatment. Subjects initially received Zuspan treatment (4 g bolus and 1 g/h maintenance dose), commonly increased by individual titration. Main Outcome Measures. Difference in mean between measured and predicted magnesium concentration. Proportion of women reaching target concentration (>2 mM) in 25 h. Results. 56 women were included, with 356 magnesium measurements available. Mean magnesium concentration was 1.82 mM. The prediction model overestimated magnesium concentration by 0.10 mM (CI 0.04–0.16) but exhibited no bias for weight, creatinine, or treatment duration. Weighted mean infusion rate was 1.22 g/h during 30 hours. Overall success rate in reaching target concentration was 54%, decreasing to 40% in women>95 kg. Overall success rate at 8 hours was 11%. No toxic concentrations were found. Conclusions. Zuspan regimen is very safe, but slow to reach therapeutic concentrations—despite efforts of individual titration. Success rate is lower in heavy women, which is of particular importance considering their predisposition to develop preeclampsia. The validated pharmacokinetic model performs well and may be used to individually tailor treatment from the outset.
1 nm Tin Oxide Cluster for the Electrochemical Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Formate at Low Overpotential
Authors: Kim Hyungrae , Lee Kanghyuk , Lee Chan Woo
Published: March 2024

Due to its cost‐effectiveness and high product selectivity, tin oxide has been regarded as a promising catalyst for the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formate. However, formate production is hindered by the high overpotential; there is a need to reduce the overpotential to enhance energy efficiency and lower electricity cost for the implementation of carbon utilization technology. Here, we report a facile synthesis method for 1 nm‐sized SnO2 cluster catalysts, which can be used for CO2‐to‐formate conversion. SnO2 clusters were prepared through impregnation of porous carbon with a tin precursor solution. The SnO2 clusters showed a low overpotential, generating a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at a potential of ‐0.34 V vs. RHE in 1 M KOH. They also achieved high Faradaic efficiencies of 90.5% and 81.5% at 200 and 300 mA cm−2, respectively. Their electrocatalytic performance was strongly dependent on the annealing conditions, which affected the particle size, electrochemical active surface area, and metal oxidation state. This paper presents a versatile method for synthesizing metal oxide cluster catalysts, apart from providing insights into the catalytic activity for the electrochemical conversion of CO2 to formate.
Identification Uncertainties of Bending Modes of an Onshore Wind Turbine for Vibration‐Based Monitoring
Authors: Jonscher Clemens , Möller Sören , Liesecke Leon , Schuster Daniel , Hofmeister Benedikt , Grießmann Tanja , Rolfes Raimund
Published: March 2024

This study considers the identification uncertainties of closely spaced bending modes of an operating onshore concrete‐steel hybrid wind turbine tower. The knowledge gained contributes to making mode shapes applicable to wind turbine tower monitoring rather than just mode tracking. One reason is that closely spaced modes make it difficult to determine reliable mode shapes for them. For example, the well‐known covariance‐driven stochastic subspace identification (SSI‐COV) yields complex mode shapes with multiple mean phases in the complex plane, which does not allow error‐free transformation to the real space. In contrast, the Bayesian Operational Modal Analysis (BAYOMA) allows the determination of real mode shapes. The application of BAYOMA presents a further challenge when quantifying the associated uncertainties, as the typical assumption of a linear, time‐invariant system is violated. Therefore, validity is not self‐evident and a comprehensive investigation and comparison of results is required. It has already been shown in a previous study that the significant part of the uncertainty in the mode shapes corresponds to their orientation in the mode subspace (MSS). Despite all the challenges mentioned, there is still a great need to develop reliable monitoring parameters (MPs) for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). This study contributes to this by analysing metrics for comparing mode shapes. In addition to the well‐known Modal Assurance Criteria (MAC), the Second‐Order MAC (S2MAC) is also used to eliminate the alignment uncertainty by comparing the mode shape with a MSS. In addition, the mode shape identification uncertainties of BAYOMA are also considered. Including uncertainties is also essential for the typically used natural frequencies and damping ratios, which can be more appropriately used if the identification uncertainty is known.
Enhancing Heat Transfer of Photovoltaic Panels with Fins
Authors: Wang Fang , Li Zhenfei , Pang Dongqing , Li Zhiqiang , Zhao Xinke , Cheng Xiaoqian , Liu Mengwei , Zhang Yichi , Guo Wenliang
Published: March 2024

Photovoltaic power generation can directly convert solar energy into electricity, but most of the solar energy absorbed by the photovoltaic panel is converted into heat, which significantly increases the operating temperature leading to a reduction in the power generation efficiency of the panels. To reduce the working temperature of photovoltaic panels and improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency, this paper installs aluminum fins and air channels at the traditional photovoltaic cell back sheets and cools them with forced‐circulation cooling through fans. The relationships between fin spacing, fin height, air channel inlet wind speed and panel temperature, power generation, and electrical efficiency were investigated. The results show that the temperature of the photovoltaic panel decreases and then increases with the decrease of the fin spacing during natural convection and gradually decreases with the increase of the fin height. The use of forced‐circulation cooling technology can effectively reduce the PV panel temperature and increase the net power generation. When the solar radiation intensity is 1000 W/m2, the ambient temperature is 35°C, the fin spacing is 6 mm, the height is 80 mm, the inlet wind speed is 1 m/s, the net generating power reaches the maximum value, and the net generating power and the electrical efficiency are increased by 14.6% and 2.25%, respectively.
Raman Spectra of PbTe- and GeTe-Based Monocrystalline Epitaxial Layers
Authors: Romcevic N. , Hadzic B. , Dziawa P. , Story T. , Dobrowolski W. D. , Romcevic M.
Published: March 2024

Lead telluride and germanium telluride are well-known IV-VI semiconductors, which is now the focus of research due to the perspective of application as thermoelectrics for midrange temperatures. Solid solutions and heterostructures on this basis, obtained by molecular beam epitaxy, are a promising direction for the development of these materials. In this paper, we have focused on the Raman spectra excited by the 514.5 nm laser line (out of resonance) of PbTe, GeTe, (Pb, Ge)Te, and (Pb, Ge, Eu)Te layers grown on BaF2 (111) monocrystalline substrates. The obtained phonon properties are related to the properties of the corresponding bulk materials or can be explained by a model that takes into account the difference in the masses of the constituent elements only, as is the case with the local mode of Ge in PbTe (registered at about 181 cm−1). Multiphonon processes registered for this phonon are a consequence of the change in the electronic structure of PbTe and electron-phonon interaction. An improvement in the quality of thin films due to doping with Eu ions was also registered.
Estimating Left Ventricular Mass from the Electrocardiogram across the Spectrum of LV Mass from Normal to Increased LV Mass in an Older Age Group
Authors: Rabkin Simon W. , Zhou Jeremy C. J.
Published: March 2024

Objectives. To examine the relationship of QRS voltages and left ventricular (LV) mass across the spectrum of individuals with different LV mass. Methods. Twenty QRS voltage measurements or combinations were determined in a consecutive series of 159 adults with an ECG and echocardiogram without previous myocardial infarction, left or right bundle branch block, pre-excitation, or electronic pacemaker. Results. The four strongest and significant correlations between QRS and LV mass were S in V4, deepest S wave in any precordial lead plus S in V4, S in V3, and S in V3 plus R in AVL times QRS duration. For men, the strength of the relationships were S in V3 (F = 33.8), deepest S wave in any precordial lead plus S V4 (F = 33.7), S in V3 plus R aVL (F = 29.9), S in V4 (F = 29.79), and deepest S in precordial leads (F = 17.9). The R wave in AVL alone did not correlate with LV mass. Criteria using the R wave in lateral precordial leads did not correlate as strongly with LV mass. For women, only S in V4 significantly correlated with LV mass. Overall, the R wave voltage in limb leads (AVL I or II) did not correlate with precordial S wave amplitudes. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that some but not all QRS voltages correlated with each other. In multivariate analysis, using only single variables and not combination of QRS variables, the only significant relationship between QRS voltage and left ventricular mass was for men the S in V3 (p=0.04) and for women S in V4 (p=0.016) and R in V6 (p=0.04). Conclusion. The S wave in V3 and V4 correlate most strongly with LV mass while the R wave in limb leads, including AVL, do not correlate.
Artificial Intelligence in the Eyes of Society: Assessing Social Risk and Social Value Perception in a Novel Classification
Authors: Alessandro Gabbiadini , Federica Durante , Cristina Baldissarri , Luca Andrighetto
Published: March 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing technology that has the potential to create previously unimaginable chances for our societies. Still, the public’s opinion of AI remains mixed. Since AI has been integrated into many facets of daily life, it is critical to understand how people perceive these systems. The present work investigated the perceived social risk and social value of AI. In a preliminary study, AI’s social risk and social value were first operationalized and explored by adopting a correlational approach. Results highlighted that perceived social value and social risk represent two significant and antagonistic dimensions driving the perception of AI: the higher the perceived risk, the lower the social value attributed to AI. The main study considered pretested AI applications in different domains to develop a classification of AI applications based on perceived social risk and social value. A cluster analysis revealed that in the two-dimensional social risk × social value space, the considered AI technologies grouped into six clusters, with the AI applications related to medical care (e.g., assisted surgery) unexpectedly perceived as the riskiest ones. Understanding people’s perceptions of AI can guide researchers, developers, and policymakers in adopting an anthropocentric approach when designing future AI technologies to prioritize human well-being and ensure AI’s responsible and ethical development in the years to come.