bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The difficulty with measuring the largest melanoma tumour diameter in sentinel lymph nodes
Authors: Laeijendecker Annelien E , El Sharouni Mary-Ann , Stathonikos Nikolaos , Spoto Clothaire P E , van de Wiel Bart A , Eijken Erik J E , Mulder Marijne , Mooyaart Antien L , Szumera-Cieckiewicz Anna , Mihic-Probst Daniela , Massi Daniela , Cook Martin , Koljenovic Senada , Alos Llucia , van Diest Paul J , van Akkooi Alexander C J , Blokx Willeke
Published: February 2024

Identification of sentinel node (SN) metastases can set the adjuvant systemic therapy indication for stage III melanoma patients. For stage IIIA patients, a 1.0 mm threshold for the largest SN tumour diameter is used. Therefore, uniform reproducible measurement of its size is crucial. At present, the number of deposits or their microanatomical sites are not part of the inclusion criteria for adjuvant treatment. The goal of the current study was to show examples of the difficulty of measuring SN melanoma tumour diameter and teach how it should be measured. Histopathological slides of SN-positive melanoma patients were retrieved using the Dutch Pathology Registry (PALGA). Fourteen samples with the largest SN metastasis around 1.0 mm were uploaded via tele-pathology and digitally measured by 12 pathologists to reflect current practice of measurements in challenging cases. Recommendations as educational examples were provided. Microanatomical location of melanoma metastases was 1 subcapsular, 2 parenchymal and 11 combined. The smallest and largest difference in measurements were 0.24 mm and 4.81 mm, respectively. 11/14 cases (78.6%) showed no agreement regarding the 1.0 mm cut-off. The median discrepancy for cases ≤5 deposits was 0.5 mm (range 0.24–0.60, n=3) and 2.51 mm (range 0.71–4.81, n=11) for cases with ≥6 deposits. Disconcordance in measuring SN tumour burden is correlated with the number of deposits. Awareness of this discordance in challenging cases, for example, cases with multiple small deposits, is important for clinical management. Illustrating cases to reduce differences in size measurement are provided.
Notification of hand eczema as an occupational disease among Danish hairdressers: a national survey on patients’ perception
Authors: Kursawe Larsen Christoffer , Havmose Martin S , Johansen Jeanne Duus
Published: February 2024

Objectives

Self-reported hand eczema was previously found under-reported as an occupational disease to the authorities among Danish hairdressers graduating from 1985 to 2007. This study investigates whether self-reported hand eczema among Danish hairdressers graduating from 2008 to 2018 is under-reported as an occupational disease to the authorities.

Methods

A cross-sectional study on all Danish hairdressers graduating from 2008 to 2018 was conducted. The participants were identified using information from the Danish Hairdressers’ and Beauticians’ Union. In May 2020, a self-administered survey on hand eczema was sent to all hairdressers.

Results

A response rate of 30.7% (1485/4830) was obtained. The lifetime prevalence of self-reported hand eczema was 40.1%, and 84.1% of hairdressers with hand eczema believed it to be occupational of whom 27.0% answered it was reported as an occupational disease to the authorities. Of hairdressers believing their hand eczema was occupational, consulting a doctor and answering it was reported as an occupational disease, 94.4% had consulted a dermatologist. The main reason for not reporting was ‘I would probably not gain anything from it anyway’ (40.0%).

Conclusions

Based on hairdressers’ perception, occupational hand eczema still seems to be an under-reported disease which may lead to underestimation of the problem and impair prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
How can youth involvement in public health conferences promote a tobacco-free generation? Lessons from the ECToH 2023’s Youth Committee
Authors: Tsagkaris Christos , Arranz Beatriz , Yared Wendy , Medeiros Rui , Martín-Moreno José María
Published: February 2024

Young health advocates have the legitimate aspiration to be masters of their future and are increasingly contributing to public health research and practice worldwide, yet their potential to contribute to the documentation and communication of outputs from public health conferences has not been fully realised. This short communication highlights the Youth Committee of the 2023 European Conference on Tobacco or Health as an example of youth involvement in a major public health conference focused on tobacco control. The authors explore the benefits, practicalities and challenges of incorporating young professionals into conference workflow, including creativity, networking and engagement with broader public health challenges within their communities. This article emphasises the active participation of Youth Committees in public health fora as a model for future conferences and underscores a commitment to achieving a tobacco-free generation.
Mucus clears from the trachea in a helix: a new twist to understanding airway diseases
Authors: Abelson David , Di Michiel James , Frater Clayton , Pearson Mark , Russo Robert , Wechselberger Martin , Cottee Alice , Morgan Lucy
Published: February 2024

Background

Mucociliary clearance (MCC) is critical to lung health and is impaired in many diseases. The path of MCC may have an important impact on clearance but has never been rigorously studied. The objective of this study is to assess the three-dimensional path of human tracheal MCC in disease and health.

Methods

Tracheal MCC was imaged in 12 ex-smokers, 3 non-smokers (1 opportunistically imaged during acute influenza and repeated after recovery) and 5 individuals with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Radiolabelled macroaggregated albumin droplets were injected into the trachea via the cricothyroid membrane. Droplet movement was tracked via scintigraphy, the path of movement mapped and helical and axial models of tracheal MCC were compared.

Measurements and main results

In 5/5 participants with PCD and 1 healthy participant with acute influenza, radiolabelled albumin coated the trachea and did not move. In all others (15/15), mucus coalesced into globules. Globule movement was negligible in 3 ex-smokers, but in all others (12/15) ascended the trachea in a helical path. Median cephalad tracheal MCC was 2.7 mm/min ex-smokers vs 8.4 mm/min non-smokers (p=0.02) and correlated strongly to helical angle (r=0.92 (p=0.00002); median 18oex-smokers, 47onon-smokers (p=0.036)), but not to actual speed on helical path (r=0.26 (p=0.46); median 13.6 mm/min ex-smokers vs 13.9 mm/min non-smokers (p=1.0)).

Conclusion

For the first time, we show that human tracheal MCC is helical, and impairment in ex-smokers is often caused by flattened helical transit, not slower movement. Our methodology provides a simple method to map tracheal MCC and speed in vivo.
Structure-based design of small molecule inhibitors of the cagT4SS ATPase Cagα of Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Morin Claire , Verma Vijay Tailor , Arya Tarun , Casu Bastien , Jolicoeur Eric , Ruel Réjean , Marinier Anne , Sygusch Jurgen , Baron Christian
Published: February 2024

We here describe the structure-based design of small molecule inhibitors of the type IV secretion system of Helicobacter pylori. The secretion system is encoded by the  cag pathogenicity island, and we chose Cagα, a hexameric ATPase and member of the family of VirB11-like proteins, as target for inhibitor design. We first solved the crystal structure of Cagα in a complex with the previously identified small molecule inhibitor 1G2. The molecule binds at the interface between two Cagα subunits and mutagenesis of the binding site identified Cagα residues F39 and R73 as critical for 1G2 binding. Based on the inhibitor binding site we synthesized 98 small molecule derivates of 1G2 to improve binding of the inhibitor. We used the production of interleukin-8 of gastric cancer cells during H. pylori infection to screen the potency of inhibitors and we identified five molecules (1G2_1313, 1G2_1338, 1G2_2886, 1G2_2889, and 1G2_2902) that have similar or higher potency than 1G2. Differential scanning fluorimetry suggested that these five molecules bind Cagα, and enzyme assays demonstrated that some are more potent ATPase inhibitors than 1G2. Finally, scanning electron microscopy revealed that 1G2 and its derivatives inhibit the assembly of T4SS-determined extracellular pili suggesting a mechanism for their anti-virulence effect.
Cardioprotective effects of losartan and diminazene against the ischemia/reperfusion injury in hyperthyroidism rats
Authors: Pashaei Mosayeb , Hesari Mahvash , Shackebaei Dareuosh , Godini Aliashraf
Published: February 2024

Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland produces high levels of thyroid hormone. Heart diseases are one of the main complications of hyperthyroidism. Several studies have shown that losartan (LOS) and diminazene aceturate (DIZE) possess cardioprotection effects against cardiac hypertrophy, ischemic heart disease, and heart failure. The research aimed to investigate the cardioprotection of LOS, DIZE, and their combination in the case of levothyroxine (LT4)-induced cardiomyopathy in rats. Hyperthyroidism was induced by LT4 in drinking water (12 mg/L) for 28 days. LOS (10 mg/kg, orally) and/or DIZE (15 mg/kg, subcutaneously) were administrated in rats with hyperthyroidism for 28 days. Decreased serum creatine kinase myoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase levels and cardiac hypertrophy by DIZE and combination therapy in hyperthyroidism rats have been reported. Cardiac hemodynamic findings showed that DIZE and its combination with LOS decreased the LT4-mediated left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), rate pressure product (RPP), and RPP recovery percentage. Elevated cardiac oxidative stress and inflammation were confirmed by decreasing cardiac superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and increasing the total oxidative stress and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. SOD activity and TNF-α level were reversed by LOS and DIZE administration, respectively. Generally, DIZE and combination therapy with LOS improved cardiac dysfunction caused by hyperthyroidism in rats, whereas LOS alone has not been able to effectively respond to this dysfunction.
Summary Augmenter: A Text Augmentation Framework to Improve Summarization Quality
Authors: Falaki Ala Alam , Gras Robin
Published: February 2024

Data augmentation in Natural Language Processing (NLP) faces various challenges that hinder its widespread adoption, unlike its ever-present usage in the field of vision. It is even more the case for the text summarization task where one should focus on both article and summary. In this paper, we review the effect of back translation augmentation, present the diverse beam search decoding strategy, and masking as a method to generate synthetic data for text summarization. The approaches will be evaluated by ROUGE score, novelty, summary length, and GPT-4 to analyze their effectiveness. Our proposed framework presents multiple combinations of back translation and masking for articles, along with diverse augmentation for summaries. Although applicable to networks of any size, we decided to use BART-large, a relatively smaller model, in order to conduct a larger number of experiments. The experiments demonstrated superior performance across all specified metrics when compared to fine-tuning BART-large on the CNN/Dailymail dataset. Specifically, we showed a significant improvement in novelty; 158% and 56% increase rate for bigrams and unigrams, respectively. It could eliminate some copyright concerns around generating content similar to human writing. Additionally, the GPT-4 assessment indicates that models trained using the augmentation technique tend to capture important information more effectively than the baseline model.
Integrity 2024: Integrity in Social Networks and Media
Authors: Garcia-Pueyo Lluís
Published: February 2024

Integrity 2024 is the fifth edition of the Workshop on Integrity in Social Networks and Media, held in conjunction with the ACM Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM) since the 2020 edition. The goal of the workshop is to bring together academic and industry researchers working on integrity, fairness, trust and safety in social networks to discuss the most pressing risks and cutting-edge technologies to reliably measure and mitigate them. The event consists of invited talks from academic experts and industry leaders as well as peer-reviewed papers and posters through an open call-for-papers. The workshop will take place on March 8th, 2024, in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. Call for papers and further information can be found in http://integrity-workshop.org.
ProtoMGAE: Prototype-Aware Masked Graph Auto-Encoder for Graph Representation Learning
Authors: Zheng Yimei , Jia Caiyan
Published: February 2024

Graph self-supervised representation learning has gained considerable attention and demonstrated remarkable efficacy in extracting meaningful representations from graphs, particularly in the absence of labeled data. Two representative methods in this domain are graph auto-encoding and graph contrastive learning. However, the former methods primarily focus on global structures, potentially overlooking some fine-grained information during reconstruction. The latter methods emphasize node similarity across correlated views in the embedding space, potentially neglecting the inherent global graph information in the original input space. Moreover, handling incomplete graphs in real-world scenarios, where original features are unavailable for certain nodes, poses challenges for both types of methods. To alleviate these limitations, we integrate masked graph auto-encoding and prototype-aware graph contrastive learning into a unified model to learn node representations in graphs. In our method, we begin by masking a portion of node features and utilize a specific decoding strategy to reconstruct the masked information. This process facilitates the recovery of graphs from a global or macro level and enables handling incomplete graphs easily. Moreover, we treat the masked graph and the original one as a pair of contrasting views, enforcing the alignment and uniformity between their corresponding node representations at a local or micro level. Last, to capture cluster structures from a meso level and learn more discriminative representations, we introduce a prototype-aware clustering consistency loss that is jointly optimized with the preceding two complementary objectives. Extensive experiments conducted on several datasets demonstrate that the proposed method achieves significantly better or competitive performance on downstream tasks, especially for graph clustering, compared with the state-of-the-art methods, showcasing its superiority in enhancing graph representation learning.
The October 2023 Issue
Authors: Uhlig Steve
Published: February 2024

This October 2023 issue contains three editorial notes.

The observing reader of CCR will have noticed that there is no July 2023 issue. There are three main factors at play here. Given the timing of our SIGCOMM conferences, summer is a low period for submissions to CCR. Then, as CCR is selective and its scope limited to timely works relevant to our community, few technical papers make it above our bar. Finally, I have witnessed a healthy shift away from technical papers towards more thought-provoking editorials over the last few years. We have enough conference and journals for technical papers to find an appropriate venue. On the other hand, our conferences and journals, due to their selective nature and the overly critical nature of the reviewing process, do not lend themselves to welcome thought-provoking and contentious contributions. Let CCR be their home.
The I/O Driven Server: From SmartNICs to Data Movement Controllers
Authors: Sherry Justine
Published: February 2024

Many researchers are turning to SmartNIC offloads to improve the performance of high-performance networked systems. In this editorial, I discuss why SmartNICs are an especially powerful form factor for improving I/O intensive applications, and how their position in the dataplane enables them to take on central role in managing I/O. Rather than focusing on the benefits of individual offloads, this paper aims to explore the position of SmartNICs in the overall system integration of datacenter servers at the hardware and software level. I argue that SmartNICs should be viewed as 'data movement controllers' (NIC-DMCs) which are responsible for tasks involved in moving data between network, CPU, accelerators, and other endpoints: multiplexing/steering, interfacing between protocols, and enforcing I/O policies. I then enumerate open questions in how the hardware and software systems of the future will evolve to accommodate a dedicated NIC-DMC which is independent of the CPU complex.
A novel interaction between aquaporin 1 and caspase-3 in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells
Authors: Niedermeyer Shannon , Yun Xin , Trujillo Marielena , Jiang Haiyang , Andrade Manuella R. , Kolb Todd M. , Suresh Karthik , Damarla Mahendra , Shimoda Larissa A.
Published: February 2024

Pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) are integral to pulmonary vascular remodeling, a characteristic of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PASMCs isolated from robust animal models of disease demonstrate enhanced proliferation and migration, pathological functions associated with increased abundance of the membrane protein aquaporin 1 (AQP1). We present evidence of a novel interaction between the proteolytic enzyme caspase-3 and AQP1, which may control AQP1 abundance. These data suggest a potential new target for novel PAH therapies.
Developmental changes in lung function of mice are independent of sex as a biological variable
Authors: Bärnthaler Thomas , Ramachandra Abhay B. , Ebanks Sadè , Guerrera Nicole , Sharma Lokesh , Dela Cruz Charles S. , Humphrey Jay D. , Manning Edward P.
Published: February 2024

This study provides reference values for changes in mouse lung biomechanics from 2 to 23 wk of age. There are rapid developmental changes in lung structure and function of male and female mice between the ages of 3 and 8 wk. Male mice become noticeably heavier than female mice at or about 5 wk of age. We identified that differences in normal lung function measurements are likely weight-based, not sex-based.
Anti-inflammatory roles of type I interferon signaling in the lung
Authors: Feng Jingjing , Liu Yi , Kim Jooyoung , Ahangari Farida , Kaminski Naftali , Bain William G. , Jie Zhijun , Dela Cruz Charles S. , Sharma Lokesh
Published: February 2024

Type I interferons are known for their antiviral activities. In this study, we demonstrate a conserved anti-inflammatory role of type I interferon signaling against diverse stimuli in the lung. We show that exacerbated inflammatory response in the absence of type I interferon signaling has both acute and chronic consequences in the lung including structural changes.
Inclusion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii RC009 and Pediococcus pentosaceus RC007 as a Probiotic Additive in Pigs’ Postweaning Diets and Its Effect on Meat Composition, Carcass Characteristics, and Fatty Acids Profile after Slaughter
Authors: Parada J. , Magnoli A. , Alonso V. , Diaz Vergara L. , Corti Isgro M. , Posse J. J. T. , Montenegro M. A. , Cavaglieri L.
Published: February 2024

The postweaning is recognized as one of the most challenging stages of pig growth that can affect their lifetime productivity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the inclusion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii RC009 and Pediococcus pentosaceus RC007 as a probiotic additive in pigs’ postweaning diets and its effect on meat composition, carcass characteristics, and fatty acids profile after slaughter. The following three treatments (550 animals each) were included: T1: control balanced diet (CD), T2: CD with S. boulardii RC009 (1 × 109 CFU/kg feed), and T3: CD with P. pentosaceus RC007 (1 × 109 CFU/kg feed). The additive was administered throughout the postweaning phase (49 d), and then the pigs were moved to a fattening house where they no longer received probiotics in the feed. At 115 ± 5 kg, the animals were transferred to the slaughterhouse. Analyses of carcass composition, muscle depth, protein content, total fat and ash, drip and cooking water loss, and fatty acids were performed. Pigs consuming the probiotic additives had improvements in some of the production parameters. According to our results, we could observe that some modifications in meat composition after slaughter were observed in the group of pigs that consumed the probiotic additives during the postweaning, which could be considered as an improvement in meat quality. Pigs consuming probiotics had higher percentages of essential omega‐3 fatty acids such as linolenic acid, and pigs consuming S. cerevisiae var. boulardii RC009 increased lean percentage and reduced the eicosanoic contents in meat. Also, an improvement in water retention capacity was observed in both groups treated with probiotics. While these results are promising, further studies are needed to evaluate the possible effect of these additives closer to slaughter, as well as their combined use.
Serological Evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 Exposure in Domestic Dogs and Cats, Thailand: Detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron Variant in Dogs Living in COVID‐19‐Positive Households
Authors: Chaiyawong Supassama , Charoenkul Kamonpan , Jairak Waleemas , Udom Kitikhun , Chamsai Ekkapat , Techakriengkrai Navapon , Suwannakarn Kamol , Amonsin Alongkorn
Published: February 2024

SARS‐CoV‐2 causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Cross‐species transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 from humans to domestic animals has been reported. In this study, we conducted a serological survey and molecular investigation of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in domestic dogs and cats in Bangkok and the vicinities from January 2021 to August 2022. A total of 2,664 serum samples were examined for antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 using nucleocapsid protein‐based ELISA (NP‐ELISA). Our result showed 2.28% (33/1,446) seropositivity in dogs and 1.81% (22/1,218) in cats. The positive NP‐ELISA serum samples were confirmed using a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Of 55 seropositive samples by NP‐ELISA, two dogs and 19 cats were confirmed seropositive by sVNT. Our result supported the serological evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 exposure in domestic dogs and cats. We also investigated SARS‐CoV‐2 infection by real‐time RT–PCR in 156 domestic dogs and cats in COVID‐19‐positive households. Our result showed active SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in a dog living with COVID‐19 positive owner. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the SARS‐CoV‐2 from the dog and its owner confirmed the SARS‐CoV‐2 variant Omicron BA.2. It is the first report of SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron variant in pet living in COVID‐19‐positive household in Thailand.
Bladder Stone Formation due to Intravesical Migration of the Intrauterine Device: A Report of 2 Cases
Authors: Şam Emre , Atar Muhittin , Alemdar Enes , Turan Abdullah , Karabulut İbrahim
Published: February 2024

Introduction: Approximately 5% of bladder stones occur in women and are usually associated with foreign bodies or urinary stasis. Spontaneous migration of the intrauterine device (IUD) into the bladder is a rare complication. In this report, we present 2 cases of migrated IUD who had undergone surgery at our clinic due to bladder stones. Case Presentations: We detected migrated IUDs into the bladder in 2 female patients, aged 37 and 56 years, who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary tract infection. In the first case, endoscopic cystolithotripsy was performed, and the IUD was removed without complications. In the second case, the IUD could not be removed endoscopically since it had fractionally invaded the bladder wall, and the IUD was removed without complications by performing an open cystolithotomy. Conclusion: A comprehensive gynecological history should be taken from every female patient presenting with recurrent urinary tract infections and lower urinary tract symptoms. If these patients have a history of IUD placement, the possibility of the intravesical migration of this device should be kept in mind.
Machine Learning and Bias in Medical Imaging: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Vrudhula Amey , Kwan Alan C. , Ouyang David , Cheng Susan
Published: February 2024

Bias in health care has been well documented and results in disparate and worsened outcomes for at-risk groups. Medical imaging plays a critical role in facilitating patient diagnoses but involves multiple sources of bias including factors related to access to imaging modalities, acquisition of images, and assessment (ie, interpretation) of imaging data. Machine learning (ML) applied to diagnostic imaging has demonstrated the potential to improve the quality of imaging-based diagnosis and the precision of measuring imaging-based traits. Algorithms can leverage subtle information not visible to the human eye to detect underdiagnosed conditions or derive new disease phenotypes by linking imaging features with clinical outcomes, all while mitigating cognitive bias in interpretation. Importantly, however, the application of ML to diagnostic imaging has the potential to either reduce or propagate bias. Understanding the potential gain as well as the potential risks requires an understanding of how and what ML models learn. Common risks of propagating bias can arise from unbalanced training, suboptimal architecture design or selection, and uneven application of models. Notwithstanding these risks, ML may yet be applied to improve gain from imaging across all 3A’s (access, acquisition, and assessment) for all patients. In this review, we present a framework for understanding the balance of opportunities and challenges for minimizing bias in medical imaging, how ML may improve current approaches to imaging, and what specific design considerations should be made as part of efforts to maximize the quality of health care for all.
The Long Term Results of Hyaluronic Acid/Dextranomer Injection Laryngoplasty in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis
Authors: Alaskarov Elvin , Batıoğlu-Karaaltın Ayşegül , Erdur Zülküf Burak , Gülmez Züleyha Dilek , İnan Hakkı Caner , Öztürk Özcan
Published: February 2024

Objective:

This study was conducted to present the long-term functional outcomes of injection laryngoplasty (IL) with hyaluronic acid/dextranomer (HA/D) in unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Methods:

A total of 40 patients who underwent HA/D injection for UVFP were enrolled. The acoustic analysis of the voice was evaluated with jitter percentage, shimmer percentage, maximum phonation time, harmonics-to-noise ratio, and fundamental frequency. The psychosocial effect of the voice was determined using the Voice Handicap Index-10. Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing was performed and 2 scales were used for quantification: a modified penetration-aspiration scale and a dysphagia score. All measurements were performed at preoperative day and postoperative months 1, 6, and 24.

Results:

A statistically significant improvement was observed for all of the evaluated parameters except the maximum phonation time for postoperative months 1, 6, and 24 ( P < .05). In the evaluation of the maximum phonation time, although there was a significant improvement for the postoperative months 1 and 6, no significant difference was observed between the postoperative 24th month and the preoperative value.

Conclusions:

HA/D injection laryngoplasty is an effective method both in the short- and long-term to improve voice and swallowing functions in patients with UVFP.
LEGO Blocks as “Standard” Samples for Evaluation of Fluorescence Avoidance and Mitigation in Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Crocombe Richard A. , Kammrath Brooke W. , Leary Pauline E. , Tague Thomas J. , Costa William D. P.
Published: February 2024

Fluorescence interference in Raman spectroscopy is a well-known problem and is especially significant in portable instruments where the availability of a variety of exciting wavelengths is unlikely. Several fluorescence avoidance and mitigation schemes are described in the literature, and implemented by Raman spectrometer manufacturers, but there is no standard method for evaluating the accuracy and repeatability of these schemes. Some test samples shown in instrument descriptions, such as “dark rum” and “sesame seed oil” are not reproducible. Therefore, we propose a set of colored LEGO blocks as “standard” samples for this purpose; they have the attractive properties of being very low cost, rugged, non-toxic, easy to transport and store, and appear to be manufactured using a standard process. This paper shows the Raman spectra of a set of these blocks at different excitation wavelengths, acquired on laboratory instruments, along with their visible–near-infrared spectra. The goal is to qualitatively understand the origins of the observed fluorescence and lay the groundwork for exploring the effectiveness of methods currently implemented on handheld Raman instruments.
Breaking barriers to adoption: A multi-stakeholder platform approach to promoting improved common bean varieties among farmers in Malawi
Authors: Rambiki Ivy Kadakoma , Phiri Alexander , Magreta Ruth , Birachi Eliud , Larochelle Catherine , Mutua Mercy , Rubyogo Jean Claude , Nkhata Wilson
Published: February 2024

Farmers’ low adoption rate of improved common bean varieties is the root cause of other challenges that stakeholders in Malawi's common bean value chain face in marketing, seed production, processing, and consumption. As a result, it is ideal to address the issue of low uptake by encouraging farmers to adopt improved varieties to make more significant contributions to the common bean value chain. The study's main objective was to assess the impact of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) and farmers’ attitudes on the uptake of improved common bean varieties. According to the findings of the KAP survey, there is a correlation between farmers’ knowledge, attitude, and uptake of improved common bean varieties. Using a probit model, the paper discovered that farmers in the project area's intervention site had a 25% higher probability of uptake than farmers in the counterfactual site. Farmer households that were members of MSPs were more likely to participate than farmer households that were not members of any MSP. Meanwhile, farmers who were negative or neutral about the accessibility and affordability of improved common bean varieties were less likely to uptake them than those who were positive. According to the findings, farmers with a neutral attitude toward the yield potential of the improved common bean varieties had a lower probability of uptake than farmers with a positive attitude. Therefore, the study recommends MSP-based initiatives as one way to promote the uptake of improved common bean varieties.
Analysis and experimental investigation of the factors influencing the grasping of planar flaky deformation objects in a laid-out configuration
Authors: Huan Yuan , Ren Gongchang , Su Xiangyu , Tian Weizhi , Sun Jiangong
Published: February 2024

This study endeavors to elucidate the salient factors that influence the efficacy of roller-based robotic manipulators in grasping multi-layered flaky deformation objects in a planar configuration. Through a rigorous force analysis of the grasping process, it was ascertained that the manipulation of flaky deformation objects is influenced by four forces. Subsequent analysis of the genesis of these forces enabled the identification of four pivotal factors: the applied downward pressure, the location of grasp, the number of stacked layers, and the coefficient of friction. To gain a comprehensive understanding of how these factors dictate the grasping efficacy, a series of meticulously designed experiments was conducted. The findings reveal that augmenting the coefficient of friction between the roller and fabric, intensifying the downward pressure, increasing the number of stacked layers, and opting for a grasp location proximal to the edge significantly bolster the success rate of grasping. These revelations hold the potential to furnish theoretical guidance for optimizing the grasping strategies of roller-based robotic manipulators under practical operational conditions.
A Description of Missing Data in Single-Case Experimental Designs Studies and an Evaluation of Single Imputation Methods
Authors: Aydin Orhan
Published: February 2024

Missing data is inevitable in single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) studies due to repeated measures over a period of time. Despite this fact, SCEDs implementers such as researchers, teachers, clinicians, and school psychologists usually ignore missing data in their studies. Performing analyses without considering missing data in an intervention study using SCEDs or a meta-analysis study including SCEDs studies in a topic can lead to biased results and affect the validity of individual or overall results. In addition, missingness can undermine the generalizability of SCEDs studies. Considering these drawbacks, this study aims to give descriptive and advisory information to SCEDs practitioners and researchers about missing data in single-case data. To accomplish this task, the study presents information about missing data mechanisms, item level and unit level missing data, planned missing data designs, drawbacks of ignoring missing data in SCEDs, and missing data handling methods. Since single imputation methods among missing data handling methods do not require complicated statistical knowledge, are easy to use, and hence are more likely to be used by practitioners and researchers, the present study evaluates single imputation methods in terms of intervention effect sizes and missing data rates by using a real and hypothetical data sample. This study encourages SCEDs implementers, and also meta-analysts to use some of the single imputation methods to increase the generalizability and validity of the study results in case they encounter missing data in their studies.
Nutritional Status, Daily Nutrition Intake, and Dietary Patterns of Korean Adults With Low Vision and Blindness
Authors: Lee Hyangkyu , Choi Soyoung , Lim Arum
Published: February 2024

Introduction: The preparation of healthy foods and maintaining a standard body weight and shape may be challenging for people with low vision and blindness (i.e., visual impairments) without the assistance of a sighted person. The purpose of this study was to compare the nutrition-related characteristics of individuals with and without visual impairments. Methods: This study employed four public datasets provided by the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted between 2013 and 2016 at 1-year intervals. The selected datasets included a set of questions to assess the health and nutritional status, and 115 items from a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment. A total of 260 respondents visual impairments and their counterparts (n = 260) were included in this study. Results: The mean age of individuals with visual impairments was 32.58 years (SD = 9.56) and 67.8% were women. They consumed excessive sodium and insufficient vitamin A, beta-carotene, and calcium, based on the recommendations for Korean adults’ nutrition intake. In k-means clustering, two dietary patterns were identified among the respondents with visual impairments: Cluster 1 (n = 33) showed higher consumption of kimchi (t = 2.05, p = .046), beverages (t = 8.78, p < .001), sweets (t = 10.02, p < .001), and oil and nuts (t = 10.20, p < .001) than Cluster 2 (n = 227). Discussion: Robust quantitative research is required to establish the baseline nutrition profile of this marginalized population. The findings of this study support the need for interventions to address the unmet food and nutrition needs of individuals with visual disabilities. Implications for Practitioners: The information and education about healthy eating and balanced nutrient intake should be provided in an accessible format for people with visual impairments in a timely manner.
Prospective associations of maternal stressors with child psychosocial problems through the occurrence of child physical abuse and changes in family dynamics
Authors: Wong Rosa S. , Tung Keith T. S. , Yim Ka Man , Chan Ko Ling , Ip Patrick
Published: February 2024

Early childbearing is associated with high maternal stress and family violence. However, the long-term effects of rapid repeat pregnancy (RRP) in young motherhood on child outcomes remain largely unknown. This study examined the pathways between maternal RRP at young ages and child psychosocial problems and emergency room visits in later years. A total of 232 Chinese mother-child dyads provided baseline data in 2015 (Time 1; T1) and follow-up data 6 years later in 2021 (Time 2; T2). At T1, mothers completed questionnaires about child physical abuse frequency and family cohesion and reported their own stress levels. At T2, mothers were re-surveyed with the same questionnaires about child physical abuse frequency and family cohesion. Children’s psychosocial problems were assessed through parent proxy-reports and records of emergency room visits were retrieved from hospital databases. After adjusting for demographic information, maternal history of RRP was associated with child physical abuse at T1 (β = .15, p < .05) and in turn linked to child physical abuse recurrence (β = .22, p < .01) and emergency room visits at T2 (β = .22, p < .001). Improved family cohesion over time did not break the link between maternal RRP and child physical abuse recurrence. Poor family dynamics can lead to child physical abuse recurrence and worsen developmental outcomes in children, particularly when coupled with other risk factors such as maternal RRP at young ages. Early interventions to enhance support and reduce vulnerabilities are important for preventing child physical abuse in at-risk families.
Chopped carbon fibre reinforcement in high-strength concrete: Flexural characteristics
Authors: Lamba Nitin , Raj Ritu , Singh Poonam
Published: February 2024

In this study, the flexural behaviour of high-strength concrete was tested with chopped carbon fibres that were 30 mm long and added in amounts of 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1%. Thirty-six prisms were evaluated experimentally for flexural strength at 28 days using an ultrasonic pulse velocity test and a flexural testing machine. X-ray diffraction and linear regression analysis were carried out to characterise crystalline material and linear correlation amongst different mixes. Increasing the number of carbon fibres in high-strength concrete led to unexpected and innovative findings, such as lower pulse velocities and improved flexural characteristics up to an optimum dosage point. In SEM images of chopped carbon fibres, debonding was the most prevalent cause of failure.
Microstructure and damping properties of Mg–Si binary hypoeutectic alloys
Authors: Liu Huashen , Sun Youping , He Jiangmei , Luo Guojian , Luo Zhang
Published: February 2024

The effects of Si content and solution heat treatment on the microstructure and damping properties of as-cast Mg–Si hypoeutectic alloys were investigated. Si has the capacity to refine grains of pure magnesium. The three contents of Mg–Si hypoeutectic alloys are all high-damping alloys. The damping value of the as-cast Mg–0.5 wt-%Si alloy was higher than that of the Mg–0.3 wt-%Si and Mg–0.8 wt-%Si alloys in the small strain amplitude area. Compared to the as-cast state, the solution heat-treated Mg–Si hypoeutectic alloys show an increase in damping values, which are close to each other for the three contents in the small strain amplitude area, and decrease with increasing Si content in the high strain amplitude area as in the as-cast state.
Applying models of care for total hip and knee arthroplasty: External validation of a published predictive model to identify extended stay risk prior to lower-limb arthroplasty
Authors: Harrison-Brown Meredith , Scholes Corey , Ebrahimi Milad , Bell Christopher , Kirwan Garry
Published: February 2024

Objective

This study aimed to externally validate a reported model for identifying patients requiring extended stay following lower limb arthroplasty in a new setting.

Design

External validation of a previously reported prognostic model, using retrospective data.

Setting

Medium-sized hospital orthopaedic department, Australia.

Participants

Electronic medical records were accessed for data collection between Sep-2019 and Feb-2020 and retrospective data extracted from 200 randomly selected total hip or knee arthroplasty patients.

Intervention

Participants received total hip or knee replacement between 2-Feb-16 and 4-Apr-19. This study was a non-interventional retrospective study.

Main measures

Model validation was assessed with discrimination, calibration on both original and adjusted forms of the candidate model. Decision curve analysis was conducted on the outputs of the adjusted model to determine net benefit at a predetermined decision threshold (0.5).

Results

The original model performed poorly, grossly overestimating length of stay with mean calibration of −3.6 (95% confidence interval −3.9 to −3.2) and calibration slope of 0.52. Performance improved following adjustment of the model intercept and model coefficients (mean calibration 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.80 and slope of 1.0), but remained poorly calibrated at low and medium risk threshold and net benefit was modest (three additional patients per hundred identified as at-risk) at the a-priori risk threshold.

Conclusions

External validation demonstrated poor performance when applied to a new patient population and would provide limited benefit for our institution. Implementation of predictive models for arthroplasty should include practical assessment of discrimination, calibration and net benefit at a clinically acceptable threshold.
Semi-quantitative health risk assessment of heavy metal dust exposure among nail technicians using the SQRA technique and Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Karimi Zeverdegani Sara , Mohebian Zohreh , Mohammadi Farzaneh , Tajik Leila
Published: February 2024

Nail technology, including the application of artificial nails and nail care, is a developing sector of the global beauty industry. Nail technicians are exposed to a variety of chemical substances through inhalation, as they spend extended periods of time in close proximity to these materials. This study aimed to evaluate the semi-quantitative health risk of dust-containing heavy metals among nail technicians. This analytical descriptive study employed the risk assessment method provided by the Singapore Occupational Health Department to evaluate the health hazards of lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium, and manganese. Dust samples from nail filing were collected from the respiratory zone of 20 nail technicians following the NIOSH 7300 method. The samples were analyzed using ICP-OES instrumentation. Monte Carlo simulation was utilized to characterize the risk and its uncertainties. Manganese and cadmium had the highest and lowest mean concentrations, respectively. The risk scores of the metals ranked from highest to lowest were as follows: [Formula: see text]. All five metals had risk rankings below 2.8, signifying a minimal risk level. Sensitivity analysis using Spearman’s correlation coefficient demonstrated a positive relationship between concentration, daily hours of exposure, and the number of workdays per week with the risk score (RR) and exposure level (ER). Conversely, the variable of weekly working hours (W) showed a negative correlation with these parameters. Despite the low-risk level of the examined metals, continuous exposure and potential long-term effects on nail technicians warrant preventive measures. Recommendations include implementing local exhaust ventilation systems, using table fans, establishing work-rest cycles, wearing N95 dust masks, and using reputable and high-quality nail polishes.
Study of melting behavior of phase change material in a square enclosure with constant and variable heat flux at different wall heating conditions: A numerical approach
Authors: Bhattacharjee Pallab , Nath Sujit , Bhanja Dipankar
Published: February 2024

Latent heat thermal energy storage system offers the most promising cost-effective solution in thermal energy storage applications like solar water heaters to building air conditioning, textile industries, pharmaceutical industries, etc. In this article, the melting process of phase change material (PCM) in a square enclosure with constant, linearly increasing, linearly decreasing and sinusoidal heat flux on different sides of the wall is studied. The result shows that double-wall heating has the highest melting rate followed by side-wall heating and bottom-wall heating. This happens because double-wall heating increases the heat transfer area. Between side-wall heating and bottom-wall heating with uniform heat flux, side-wall heating gives a higher melting rate due to the higher length of solid–liquid interface promoting the heat transfer to solid PCM, thus increasing the melting rate. Again, for different heat distributions of side-wall heating the linearly decreasing heat flux provides the highest melting rate. This type of heat distribution actually transfers more heat to the lower part of the container, which counters the effect of convection, resulting in an enhanced melting process. On the other hand, in the case of distributions at bottom-wall heating, linearly increasing heat flux shows the highest melting rate. In addition, for linearly increasing heat flux, the shape of the liquid cavity is triangular, which gives more space and thereby intense natural convective circulation. This enhanced convection heat transfer leads to a higher melting rate.
Investigation of inlet flow influenced on the first rotor flow instability at blade non-synchronous vibration state
Authors: Ma Hongwei , Wang Zengzeng , He Xiang , Zhong Yafei
Published: February 2024

Multistage axial compressor first stage rotor blades have occurred non-synchronous vibration (NSV). An experiment, including fluid and structure measurements, is adopted at the NSV occurred conditions to conduct a detailed investigation about NSV and rotating instability. The blade vibration stress was obtained from the strain gauges. High-frequency response two-hole pressure probes captured the flow characteristics at the inlet and outlet of the first stage rotor. NSV has a complex aerodynamic disturbance source. Wavelet and frequency spectrum analyses of pressure and blade stress results were utilized to determine the relationship between the blade vibration and the flow field. The inlet flow angle has been adjusted through the inlet guide vane (IGV) to reduce the vibration intensity. This paper revealed the aerodynamic origin behind this adjustment of IGV angle operation. The yaw angle and the axial direction March number at the first stage rotor inlet at different inlet guide vane (IGV) angles revealed the aerodynamic effect. Three operation points, including the maximum stress point and near surge point, are analyzed to broaden the cognition boundary of the NSV. The time and space characteristics of the rotating instabilities have been studied with the azimuthal mode analysis method. This research confirmed that the enlarged inlet incidence angle and the tip flow worsened caused the first stage rotor non-synchronous vibration in this multistage axial compressor. These experiments help find a straight relationship between the NSV and rotating instability.