bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacterial Cellulose Applied in Wound Dressing Materials: Production and Functional Modification – A Review
Authors: Hou Shuaiwen , Xia Zhaopeng , Pan Jiajun , Wang Ning , Gao Hanchao , Ren Jingli , Xia Xuekui
Published: September 2023

In recent years, the development of new type wound dressings has gradually attracted more attention. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a natural polymer material with various unique properties, such as ultrafine 3D nanonetwork structure, high water retention capacity, and biocompatibility. These properties allow BC to be used independently or in combination with different components (such as biopolymers and nanoparticles) to achieve diverse effects. This means that BC has great potential as a wound dressing. However, systematic summaries for the production and commercial application of BC‐based wound dressings are still lacking. Therefore, this review provides a detailed introduction to the production fermentation process of BC, including various production strains and their biosynthetic mechanisms. Subsequently, with regard to the functional deficiencies of bacterial cellulose as a wound dressing, recent research progress in this area is enumerated. Finally, prospects are discussed for the low‐cost production and high‐value‐added product development of BC‐based wound dressings.
Metabolic insights into tumor pathogenesis: Unveiling pan‐cancer metabolism and the potential of untargeted metabolomics
Authors: Wang Taorui , Gao Yuanxu
Published: September 2023

Metabolic dysregulation is a hallmark of cancer, underpinning diverse aggressive behaviors such as uncontrolled proliferation, immune evasion, and metastasis. Despite the potential of tumor metabolites as biomarkers, their utility has been hampered by metabolic heterogeneity. Exploring cancer metabolism aims to discern shared metabolic pathways and have a better understanding the metabolic heterogeneity of tumors. This approach offers a holistic view of cancer metabolism, facilitating the identification of multicancer‐relevant metabolic targets and the development of more broadly effective therapeutics. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of cancer metabolism and its prospective applications in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We delineate common metabolic aberrations observed across a spectrum of cancer types and elucidate the unique metabolic signatures characterizing the six leading causes of cancer‐related mortality. Furthermore, we survey the utilization of untargeted metabolomics and single‐cell technologies in cancer screening, diagnosis, and prognosis, while also spotlighting available data resources for pan‐cancer metabolomics analyses. Throughout this discussion, we tackle prevailing research challenges and propose strategies aimed at enhancing cancer management. Our objective is to furnish valuable insights that can inform and guide future research endeavors in the dynamic realm of cancer metabolism.
p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase: Functions and targeted therapy in diseases
Authors: Zheng Qinwen , Li Shutong , Wang Aoxue , Zhe Man , Yang Panpan , Wu Yongya , Zhao Min , Zhu Yumeng , Luo Yi , Wang Guan , Ouyang Liang
Published: September 2023

P38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) is a multifunctional protein kinase that plays an important role in human normal physiological activities and a variety of major diseases, and its signaling pathway affects a variety of regulatory factors in vivo, which is related to cell cycle, survival, metabolism, and differentiation. The four subtypes of p38MAPK have significant differences in their distribution, content, and effects in the body. The inhibitors of the four subtypes play potential roles in regulating cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases, making it an attractive target for drug development. So far, an increasing number of p38MAPK inhibitors have been developed for targeted therapy in diseases, among which some representative compounds have entered clinical trials. Therefore, this review aims to provide a summary of the structural characteristics, signaling pathways of P38MAPK and the relationship between p38MAPK and disease, along with an overview of the binding modes and structure–activity relationships of small molecule inhibitors targeting four p38MAPK subtypes, and summarizes the challenges about the development of p38MAPK inhibitors, hoping to provide a valuable reference for the development and application of novel inhibitors.
How previous experiences shape actors' current perspectives in integrated natural resource management
Authors: Gaus Raphael , Ejderyan Olivier , Grêt‐Regamey Adrienne , Leach William D. , Buchecker Matthias
Published: September 2023

Previous experiences play a multifaceted role in shaping current perspectives in integrated natural resource management. We used qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey to study the similarities and differences in terms of the links between the diverse actors' previous experiences and their current perspectives on the various issues to be resolved in a real‐world integrated watershed management project.

We found that the quantity and quality of experiences in past projects including water management, participation and politics are dissimilarly linked to the information, mental models and beliefs of perspectives regarding present issues. More experienced actors generally have broader perspectives than less experienced actors. Less experienced actors are particularly curious about approaches to water management.

Actors with more experience in water management are more focused on ecological issues due to positive experience. Actors with more experience in participation are more sceptical about constructive solutions due to negative experience. Actors with more experience in politics emphasise the importance of agriculture and learning processes due to positive or negative experience. Actors with more negative experience in water management, participation and politics can nevertheless be motivated for participatory processes and integrated natural resource management.

We conclude that previous experiences are critical factors that should be considered when designing participatory processes in integrated natural resource management. It could be valuable to include mixed compositions of actors with different types of previous experiences and different aspects of current perspectives to benefit from their complementary strengths.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Polymer blend templated hierarchical porous composites with segregated structure and enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding performance
Authors: Li Yilong , Song Danyang , Chen Quanpeng , Liu Yujie , Zheng Yanjun , Nie Cong , Jia Yunchao , Zheng Hongjuan , Wei Fengchun
Published: September 2023

Conductive network built by less conductive filler is vital for high‐performance conductive polymer composites. Herein, porous ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) blends filled with multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) were fabricated, where poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) were served as sacrificial template. An interconnecting conductive network is formed based on the UHMWPE segregated structure and PVDF co‐continuous structure in porous UHMWPE/PVDF/MWCNT (UFC) composites. The UFC composites demonstrate a low electrical percolation threshold (0.25 wt%) due to the segregated/co‐continuous structure. Porous UFCs exhibit higher electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) than their compact counterparts. The blend‐templated porous structure enhances the EMI SE of composites because a well‐dispersed and densely packed MWCNT network is formed around the polymer particles, facilitating the multiple reflections of electromagnetic waves inside the composites. This effort provides a facile way for preparing high‐performance shielding materials by controlling the hierarchical structure and conductive filler distribution.

Highlights

Hierarchical porous structure was constructed by blend sacrificial templating method.

Carbon fillers are exclusively distributed at blend interface, forming the segregated structure.

Porous composites exhibit better shielding performances than their solid counterparts.
Radiotherapy May Exacerbated Anti-Programmed Cell Death 1 Treatment Induced Vitiligo: A Case Report
Authors: Chen Chengqian , Chang Qihang , Wang Bo , Wang Yaqi , Zhang Zhen , Wang Xiuli
Published: September 2023

Immunotherapy with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemoradiotherapy shows great potential for cancer treatment and is getting extensively researched. However, a plethora of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) has been observed during anti-PD-1 treatment, including cutaneous adverse events, such as vitiligo and pruritus. These adverse events may lead to treatment discontinuation. When anti-PD-1 treatment is combined with radiotherapy (RT), irAEs may be exacerbated. Here we present a case report of an elderly patient with stage IIIb rectal cancer, who developed PD-1 inhibitor-associated vitiligo. After a session of RT, vitiligo lesions enlarged shortly thereafter. After discontinuation of anti-PD-1 treatment, vitiligo lesions and pruritus quickly improved with appropriate treatment. The rectal cancer achieved clinical complete response with no sign of recurrence or metastasis during follow-up. Considering the similar mechanism of anti-PD-1 treatment in targeting cancer and in inducing irAEs, cutaneous adverse events may be associated with favourable clinical response. Additionally, cutaneous irAEs aggravated by RT in this patient may suggested significant immune activation, which may occasionally contribute to tumour regression and favourable clinical outcome.
On the Ion Coordination and Crystallization of Metal Halide Perovskites by In Situ Dynamic Optical Probing
Authors: Zeng Zixin , Wang Yunfan , Xie Yue‐Min , Zhu Zhaohua , Yang Yajie , Ma Yuhui , Hao Xia , Lee Chun‐Sing , Cheng Yuanhang , Tsang Sai‐Wing
Published: September 2023

Controlling the crystallization to achieve high‐quality homogeneous perovskite film is the key strategy in developing perovskite electronic devices. Here, an in situ dynamic optical probing technique is demonstrated that can monitor the fast crystallization of perovskites and effectively minimize the influence of laser excitation during the measurement. This study finds that the typical static probing technique would damage and induce phase segregation in the perovskite films during the excitation. These issues can be effectively resolved with the dynamic probing approach. It also found that the crystallization between MAPbI3 and MAPbI2Br is strikingly different. In particular, MAPbI2Br suffers from inefficient nucleation during the spin‐coating that strongly affects the uniform crystal growth in the annealing process. The commonly used pre‐heating process is found at a lower temperature not only can further promote the nucleation but also to complete the crystallization of MAPbI2Br. The role of further annealing at a higher temperature is to facilitate ion‐dissociation on the crystal surface to form a passivation layer to stabilize the MAPbI2Br lattices. The device performance is strongly correlated with the film formation mechanism derived from the in situ results. This work demonstrates that the in situ technique can provide deep insight into the crystallization mechanism, and help to understand the growth mechanism of perovskites with different compositions and dimensionalities.
Software‐in‐the‐loop simulation for developing and testing carbon‐aware applications
Authors: Wiesner Philipp , Steinke Marvin , Nickel Henrik , Kitana Yazan , Kao Odej
Published: September 2023

The growing electricity demand of IT infrastructure has raised significant concerns about its carbon footprint. To mitigate the associated emissions of computing systems, current efforts therefore increasingly focus on aligning the power usage of software with the availability of clean energy. To operate, such carbon‐aware applications require visibility and control over relevant metrics and configurations of the energy system. However, research and development of novel energy system abstraction layers and interfaces remain difficult due to the scarcity of available testing environments: Real testbeds are expensive to build and maintain, while existing simulation testbeds are unable to interact with real computing systems. To provide a widely applicable approach for developing and testing carbon‐aware software, we propose a method for integrating real applications into a simulated energy system through software‐in‐the‐loop simulation. The integration offers an API for accessing the energy system, while continuously modeling the computing system's power demand within the simulation. Our system allows for the integration of physical as well as virtual compute nodes, and can help accelerate research on carbon‐aware computing systems in the future.
Pathogenomics model for personalized medicine in cervical cancer: Cross‐talk of gene expressions and pathological images related to oxidative stress
Authors: Li Jiaqi , Chen Siyi , Wu Junsong , Liu Xuefeng , Liu Hejing , Liu Yuedong , Zhu Zhuoying
Published: September 2023

An increasing number of studies have shown that oxidative stress plays an important role in the development and progression of cancer. Cervical cancer (CC) is a disease of unique complexity that tends to exhibit high heterogeneity in molecular phenotypes. We aim here to characterize molecular features of cervical cancer by developing a classification system based on oxidative stress‐related gene expression profiles. In this study, we obtained gene expression profiling data for cervical cancer from the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) (GSE44001) databases. Oxidative stress‐related genes used for clustering were obtained from GeneCards. Patients with cervical cancer were divided into two subtypes (C1 and C2) by non‐negative matrix factorization (NMF) classification. By performing Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, differential expression analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) between the two subtypes, we found that subtype C2 had a worse prognosis and was highly enriched for immune‐related pathways as well as epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. Subsequently, we performed metabolic pathway analysis, gene mutation landscape analysis, immune microenvironment analysis, immunotherapy response analysis, and drug sensitivity analysis of the two isoforms. The results showed that the isoforms were significantly different between metabolic pathway enrichment and the immune microenvironment, and the chromosomes of subtype C1 were more unstable. In addition, we found that subtype C2 tends to respond to treatment with anti‐CTLA4 agents, a conclusion that coincides with high chromosomal variation in C1, as well as C2 enrichment of immune‐related pathways. Then, we screened 10 agents that were significantly susceptible to C2 subtype. Finally, we constructed pathogenomics models based on pathological features and linked them to molecular subtypes. This study establishes a novel CC classification based on gene expression profiles of oxidative stress‐related genes and elucidates differences between immune microenvironments between CC subtypes, contributing to subtype‐specific immunotherapy and drug therapy.
A boosted muon collider
Authors: Barducci Daniele , Strumia Alessandro
Published: September 2023

Abstract

A muon collider could produce the heavier Standard Model particles with a boost, for example in resonant processes such as μ−μ+→ h or μ−μ → Z. We propose machine configurations that produce the boost (asymmetric beam energies, tilted beams) and estimate how much the luminosity is reduced or perhaps enhanced. The feasibility of the proposed configurations, as well as an estimation of the beam-induced backgrounds and beam energy spread, needs to be evaluated in order to derive more solid conclusions on the physics potential of such boosted collider configurations. If achievable, the boost can provide new interesting observational opportunities. For example it can significantly enhance the sensitivity to long-lived new particles decaying in a far-away detector, such as dark higgses or sterile neutrinos produced in h or Z decays.
Cruciate‐substituting and posterior‐stabilised total knee arthroplasties had similar gait patterns in the short term
Authors: Favroul Clément , Batailler Cécile , Naaim Alexandre , Foissey Constant , Kafelov Moussa , Cheze Laurence , Servien Elvire , Lustig Sébastien
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Surgeons want to achieve native kinematics in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Cruciate‐substituting (CS) implants could restore the knee kinematics more efficiently than posterior‐stabilised (PS) TKA. This study aimed to compare gait patterns in patients with CS or PS TKA at 6 months. The hypothesis was that CS implants would demonstrate comparable gait parameters to PS implants at 6 months.

Methods

In this prospective case–control study, 38 primary TKA without coronal laxity were divided into 2 groups: 19 cruciate‐substituting (CS) and 19 posterior‐stabilised (PS) implants. The type of prosthesis was determined according to the surgical period. Exclusion criteria were TKA revision, associated procedures and inability to walk on a treadmill. Gait analysis was conducted on a treadmill 6 months postoperatively for each patient with a knee assessment device (KneeKG®). Gait characteristics included analysis in three spatial dimensions (flexion–extension, abduction–adduction, internal–external rotation, anterior–posterior translation). Clinical outcomes (Knee Society Score and Forgotten Joint Score) were compared between both groups at 6 months postoperatively.

Results

At 6 months, the gait analysis did not demonstrate any significant difference between CS and PS implants. The range and the maximum anteroposterior translation were similar in both groups (9.2 ± 6.5 mm in CS group vs. 8.1 ± 3 mm in PS group (n.s.); and − 5.2 ± 5 mm in CS group vs. − 6.3 ± 5.9 mm in PS group (n.s.), respectively). The internal/external rotation, the flexion, and the varus angle were similar between CS and PS implants. The KSS Knee score was higher at 6 months in the CS group than in the PS group (92.1 ± 5.6 vs. 84.8 ± 8.9 (p < 0.01)).

Conclusion

Cruciate‐substituting and posterior‐stabilised TKA had similar gait patterns at 6 months postoperatively, despite a non‐equivalent posterior stabilisation system. CS prostheses were an interesting option for primary TKA for knee kinematics restoration without requiring a femoral box.

Level of evidence

Prospective, case–control study; Level II.
Bimanual finger coordination in professional and amateur darbuka players
Authors: Honda Kazuaki , Fujii Shinya
Published: September 2023

Professional hand percussionists who play the darbuka (a drum from the Middle East) show fast and stable bimanual finger coordination compared to amateur players. A cross-recurrence quantification analysis clarifies how stable bimanual coordination is achieved by dissociating stochastic noise and attractor strength in the dynamic system. This study employed a cross-recurrence quantification analysis to examine professional and amateur darbuka players’ fast and stable bimanual finger coordination. Eight professional and eight amateur percussion players participated in the study and played a darbuka with their right and left ring fingers, alternating as fast as possible for 12 s. We then analyzed the finger position data and calculated the stochastic noise and attractor strength from the density and the longest diagonal line in the recurrence plot, respectively. We used linear mixed-effects models to test whether stochastic noise and attractor strength differed between professional and amateur players. The results indicate that professional darbuka players achieve fast and stable bimanual finger coordination by enhancing attractor strength rather than reducing stochastic noise in the dynamic system.
Burden with No Benefit: Prior Authorization in Congenital Cardiology
Authors: Marcus Brian S. , Bansal Neha , Saef Joshua , Fink Christina , Patel Angira , Shaffer Katherine D. , Mayer John E. , Johnson Jonathan N. , Shaffer Kenneth , Chowdhury Devyani
Published: September 2023

Prior authorization is a process that health insurance companies use to determine if a patient’s health insurance will cover certain medical treatments, procedures, or medications. Prior authorization requests are common in adult congenital and pediatric cardiology (ACPC) due to need for advanced diagnostics, complex procedures, disease-specific medications, and the heterogeneity of the ACPC population. Prior authorizations in ACPC are rarely denied, but nonetheless, they are often accompanied by significant administrative burden on clinical care teams and delays in patient care. Prior authorizations have been implicated in worsening care inequities. The prior authorization process is insurer specific with differences between commercial and public insurers. Prior authorization rejections were previously found to be more common for women, racial minorities, those with low education, and in low-income groups. Prior authorization unduly burdens routine diagnostics, routine interventional and surgical procedures, and routine cardiac specific medication use in the ACPC population. This manuscript highlights the burdens of prior authorization and advocates for the elimination of prior authorization for ACPC patients.
New perspectives on plant-use at neolithic Abu Hureyra, Syria: an integrated phytolith and spherulite study
Authors: Dudgeon Kate
Published: September 2023

Archaeobotanical remains contribute crucial evidence for shifts in human economy from foraging to farming, understanding early village life and the strategies employed by people in the past to cope with changing environmental conditions. However, differential preservation of plant proxies often leads to the over or under representation of some plant types. This research analyses phytoliths and faecal spherulites to provide new perspectives on human economy at the Neolithic site of Abu Hureyra, N. Syria (∼ 11100–6000 bc) and plant taphonomy by comparing results with those from previous extensively analysed charred plant macro-fossils. This site is of especial importance as one of the earliest and largest pre-pottery Neolithic B farming settlements in the world, however, it was flooded following the construction of the Tabqa dam in the 1970s. This research therefore presents a case study for some of the methods that can be applied to archival material to continue research in areas of high archaeological significance that are no longer accessible. The presence of dung spherulites suggests a background faecal component in sediments throughout the lifespan of the site, and should therefore be considered as a depositional pathway for some of the charred plant macrofossils and phytoliths. Phytolith analyses show that a diverse range of vegetation types were exploited throughout the lifespan of Abu Hureyra, reflecting the site’s favourable position on the border of several ecotones, which likely contributed to its longevity over several millennia.
The effect of intratympanic gentamicin as a prehabilitation strategy for objective and subjective vestibular function in patients undergoing microsurgery for a unilateral vestibular schwannoma
Authors: Fuentealba Bassaletti Constanza , van Esch Babette F. , Jansen Jeroen C. , van Benthem Peter Paul G. , Hensen Erik F.
Published: September 2023

Objective

To review the literature on intratympanic gentamicin treatment as prehabilitation for patients undergoing surgery for a unilateral vestibular schwannoma.

Data sources

A systematic literature search was conducted up to March 2023 in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar and Emcare databases.

Review methods

Articles on the effect of intratympanic gentamicin followed by vestibular schwannoma surgery were reviewed. Data on objective vestibular function and subjective outcomes were compiled in tables for analysis. Relevance and methodological quality were assessed with the methodological index for non-randomized tool.

Results

A total of 281 articles were identified. After screening and exclusion of duplicates, 13 studies were reviewed for eligibility, of which 4 studies could be included in the review. The posturography test, the subjective visual horizontal test, and the optokinetic nystagmus test showed decreased vestibular function in the group of patients who received intratympanic gentamicin before microsurgery compared to the group of patients without gentamicin. Other objective tests did not show significant differences between patient groups. Subjective vestibular outcomes, as evaluated by questionnaires on quality of life and/or dizziness, did not seem to improve from intratympanic gentamicin pretreatment.

Conclusion

Vestibular schwannoma patients who received intratympanic gentamicin before surgical resection of the tumor performed better in the posturography test, subjective visual horizontal test, and the optokinetic nystagmus test afterwards. However, studies that also evaluated subjective outcomes such as dizziness, anxiety, depression, and balance self-confidence did not show a positive effect of intratympanic gentamicin on the vestibular complaints and symptoms.
Localized Sequential Bubbling for the Radial Energy Critical Semilinear Heat Equation
Authors: Lawrie Andrew
Published: September 2023

In this expository note, we prove a localized bubbling result for solutions of the energy critical nonlinear heat equation with bounded $$\dot{H} ^1$$

H
˙

1

norm. The proof uses a combination of Gérard’s profile decomposition (ESAIM Control Optim. Calc. Var. 3: 213–233, 1998), concentration compactness techniques in the spirit of Duyckaerts, Kenig, and Merle’s seminal work (Geom. Funct. Anal. 22: 639–698, 2012), and a virial argument in the spirit of Jia and Kenig’s work (Amer. J. Math. 139: 1521–1603, 2017) to deduce the vanishing of the error in the neck regions between the bubbles. The argument is based closely on an analogous lemma proved in the author’s recent work with Jendrej (arXiv:2210.14963, 2022) on the equivariant harmonic map heat flow in dimension two.
Towards phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography in smart laser osteotomy: temperature feedback
Authors: Hamidi Arsham , Bayhaqi Yakub A. , Canbaz Ferda , Navarini Alexander A. , Cattin Philippe C. , Zam Azhar
Published: September 2023

Thermal effects during bone surgery pose a common challenge, whether using mechanical tools or lasers. An irrigation system is a standard solution to cool the tissue and reduce collateral thermal damage. In bone surgery using Er:YAG laser, insufficient irrigation raises the risk of thermal damage, while excessive water lowers ablation efficiency. This study investigated the potential of optical coherence tomography to provide feedback by relating the temperature rise with the photo-thermal expansion of the tissue. A phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography system (central wavelength of λ=1.288 μm, a bandwidth of 60.9 nm and a sweep rate of 104.17 kHz) was integrated with an Er:YAG laser using a custom-made dichromatic mirror. Phase calibration was performed by monitoring the temperature changes (thermal camera) and corresponding cumulative phase changes using the phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography system during laser ablation. In this experiment, we used an Er:YAG laser with 230 mJ per pulse at 10 Hz for ablation. Calibration coefficients were determined by fitting the temperature values to phase later and used to predict the temperature rise for subsequent laser ablations. Following the phase calibration step, we used the acquired values to predict the temperature rise of three different laser-induced cuts with the same parameters of the ablative laser. The average root-mean-square error for the three experiments was measured to be around 4 °C. In addition to single-point prediction, we evaluated this method’s performance to predict the tissue’s two-dimensional temperature rise during laser osteotomy. The findings suggest that the proposed principle could be used in the future to provide temperature feedback for minimally invasive laser osteotomy.
The vocal repertoire and the daily calling activity of the Yellow-breasted Barbet (Trachyphonus margaritatus)
Authors: Mahamoud-Issa Mathieu , Sikora Bożena , Łosak Katarzyna , Osiejuk Tomasz S.
Published: September 2023

The Yellow-breasted Barbet (Trachyphonus margaritatus) is a group-living and chorusing bird species. However, its vocal repertoire remains poorly described. In this study, we measured the acoustic features of four distinct vocalisations as well as the daily calling activity of barbets at 11 roosting cavity sites. We found that bird’s peak of calling activity is early in the morning and at the end of the day. The cohesion calls and group vocal displays were the most common vocalisations. Moreover, cohesion calls were often used before the start of a group vocal displays which suggests a function in the intra-group cohesiveness.
Something is up in the air: pneumothorax and pneumopericardium in a 29-week preterm infant
Authors: Meyer Sascha , Ruffing Sarah , Geipel Martina , Poryo Martin , Larsen Alexander , Nemat Sogand
Published: September 2023

This report highlights the early and unusual detection of a pneumopericardium by echocardiography prior to potential development of cardiocirculatory compromise. It is important to consider pneumopericardium into the differential diagnosis when difficulties arise in the visualization of the heart by conventional echocardiography. Pneumopericardium is associated with a high mortality rate and may be effectively treated by immediate insertion of a pericardial catheter.
Changes in HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Coverage at State and County Level During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States
Authors: Fallahi Mahdi , Guadamuz Jenny S. , Shooshtari Andrew , Qato Dima M
Published: September 2023

This study quantifies the prevalence and trends in weekly PrEP coverage at the national, state and county-level, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.We estimated weekly PrEP coverage using longitudinal individual-level pharmacy claims from IQVIA LRx for a cohort of PrEP users (N = 287,493) ages 16 to 85 years between December 29th, 2019 and November 8th, 2020. Weekly PrEP coverage was defined as PrEP use among individuals at high risk for HIV. We conducted an interrupted time series analysis to quantify changes in weekly PrEP coverage before (December 29th, 2019 - March 8th, 2020) and during (March 29th - November 8th, 2020) the COVID-19 pandemic at the national, state and county-level by county characteristics, specifically by EHE priority jurisdiction, racial/ethnic composition, and urbanity. Nationally, weekly PrEP coverage among individuals ages 16 to 85 at high risk for HIV declined by 11.5% (from 11.0% before to 9.5% during the pandemic; t = 8.02,p < 0.01). Weekly PrEP coverage declined in all states and most counties yet varied substantially across states and counties. Geographic disparities in weekly PrEP coverage were also observed between urban EHE priority counties with significantly lower rates in counties with ≥ 50% Black/Latinx population when compared to their counterparts (7.9% vs. 11.2%; t = 18.91,p < 0.01);these disparities were most pronounced in California and New York. Weekly PrEP coverage was much lower than the 25% annual coverage reported by the Centers for Disease Control and geographic disparities observed within states likely contribute to the persistent racial/ethnic disparities in new HIV diagnoses observed within those states.
Complexity Measures for EEG Microstate Sequences: Concepts and Algorithms
Authors: von Wegner Frederic , Wiemers Milena , Hermann Gesine , Tödt Inken , Tagliazucchi Enzo , Laufs Helmut
Published: September 2023

EEG microstate sequence analysis quantifies properties of ongoing brain electrical activity which is known to exhibit complex dynamics across many time scales. In this report we review recent developments in quantifying microstate sequence complexity, we classify these approaches with regard to different complexity concepts, and we evaluate excess entropy as a yet unexplored quantity in microstate research. We determined the quantities entropy rate, excess entropy, Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZC), and Hurst exponents on Potts model data, a discrete statistical mechanics model with a temperature-controlled phase transition. We then applied the same techniques to EEG microstate sequences from wakefulness and non-REM sleep stages and used first-order Markov surrogate data to determine which time scales contributed to the different complexity measures. We demonstrate that entropy rate and LZC measure the Kolmogorov complexity (randomness) of microstate sequences, whereas excess entropy and Hurst exponents describe statistical complexity which attains its maximum at intermediate levels of randomness. We confirmed the equivalence of entropy rate and LZC when the LZ-76 algorithm is used, a result previously reported for neural spike train analysis (Amigó et al., Neural Comput 16:717–736, https://doi.org/10.1162/089976604322860677, 2004). Surrogate data analyses prove that entropy-based quantities and LZC focus on short-range temporal correlations, whereas Hurst exponents include short and long time scales. Sleep data analysis reveals that deeper sleep stages are accompanied by a decrease in Kolmogorov complexity and an increase in statistical complexity. Microstate jump sequences, where duplicate states have been removed, show higher randomness, lower statistical complexity, and no long-range correlations. Regarding the practical use of these methods, we suggest that LZC can be used as an efficient entropy rate estimator that avoids the estimation of joint entropies, whereas entropy rate estimation via joint entropies has the advantage of providing excess entropy as the second parameter of the same linear fit. We conclude that metrics of statistical complexity are a useful addition to microstate analysis and address a complexity concept that is not yet covered by existing microstate algorithms while being actively explored in other areas of brain research.
Machine Learning Differentiation of Autism Spectrum Sub-Classifications
Authors: Thapa R , Garikipati A , Ciobanu M , Singh NP , Browning E , DeCurzio J , Barnes G , Dinenno FA , Mao Q , Das R
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Disorders on the autism spectrum have characteristics that can manifest as difficulties with communication, executive functioning, daily living, and more. These challenges can be mitigated with early identification. However, diagnostic criteria has changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5, which can make diagnosing a disorder on the autism spectrum complex. We evaluated machine learning to classify individuals as having one of three disorders of the autism spectrum under DSM-IV, or as non-spectrum.

Methods

We employed machine learning to analyze retrospective data from 38,560 individuals. Inputs encompassed clinical, demographic, and assessment data.

Results

The algorithm achieved AUROCs ranging from 0.863 to 0.980. The model correctly classified 80.5% individuals; 12.6% of individuals from this dataset were misclassified with another disorder on the autism spectrum.

Conclusion

Machine learning can classify individuals as having a disorder on the autism spectrum or as non-spectrum using minimal data inputs.
Increasing Face Mask Wearing in Autistic Individuals Using Behavior Analytic Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Cowell Rebekah , Vostanis Athanasios , Langdon Peter E.
Published: September 2023

The current review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of behavior-analytic procedures in increasing face mask-wearing in autistic individuals. This comes following recommended guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. A systematic review and meta-analysis were completed of peer-reviewed and grey literature. Six databases were searched and seven studies using single-case experimental designs met the eligibility criteria which were then quality appraised. Data were extracted on participant characteristics, study design, independent and dependent variables, fidelity, generalization, maintenance, and social validity outcomes. Both the non-overlap of all pairs and Baseline Corrected TAU were used to estimate effect size. Two studies were rated strong and borderline strong quality and five were rated as adequate or below. All studies showed positive outcomes for mask-wearing, with an average of 0.92 for non-overlap of all pairs and 0.47 for Baseline Corrected Tau effect sizes. The most common and effective procedures for increasing mask-wearing were graded exposure and differential and positive reinforcement. Factors such as mode of delivery, implementer, and setting did not appear to influence study outcomes. Procedures were found to be rated as acceptable by parents and professionals in five of the studies. The existing literature on increasing face mask-wearing in autistic individuals provides promising findings to add to existing literature around increasing tolerance to medical equipment and hygiene practices in autistic populations. However, these findings are based on a small sample size, with six of the studies taking place in the United States with varying study quality.
A Bayesian Approach to Risk-Based Autonomy, with Applications to Contact-Based Drone Inspections
Authors: Rothmund Sverre Velten , Thieme Christoph Alexander , Utne Ingrid Bouwer , Johansen Tor Arne
Published: September 2023

Enabling higher levels of autonomy while ensuring safety requires an increased ability to identify and handle internal faults and unforeseen changes in the environment. This article presents an approach to improve this ability for a robotic system executing a series of independent tasks by using a dynamic decision network (DDN). A simulation case study of an industrial inspection drone performing contact-based inspection is used to demonstrate the capabilities of the resulting system. The case study demonstrates that the system is able to infer the presence of internal faults and the state of the environment by fusing information over time. This information is used to make risk-informed decisions enabling the system to proactively avoid failure and to minimize the consequence of faults. Lastly, the case study demonstrates that evaluating past states with new information enables the system to identify and counteract previous sub-optimal actions.
Distinguishable Recycling and Photodegradation Processes of Real Industrial Effluents and Blue Dianix Dye in the Presence of Different TQDs Size
Authors: Mohamed Walied A. A. , Saad Waleed M. , Mohamed Farid Sh. , El-Bindary Ashraf A.
Published: September 2023

Three titanium dioxide quantum dots (TQDs) samples were successfully synthesized at low calcination temperatures via a modified precipitation method at T1 = 330, T2 = 360, and T3 = 400 °C. The synthesized TQDs samples were characterized by: XRD, FE-SEM, HRTEM, and EDX to analyze the crystallinity, purity, and existence of asymmetric circle forms for the TQDs catalysts. Also, the surface area, band gap energy, and crystallite size at different calcination temperatures are 322.32 m2/g, 3.20 eV, and 4.9 nm at 300 °C, 292.39 m2/g, 3.14 eV, and 5.4 nm at 360 °C, and 254.66 m2/g, 3.07 eV, and 6.2 nm at 400 °C, respectively. A xenon photoreactor (70 W/cm2) was used to evaluate the photodegradation process of Blue Dianix dye and sunlight for real industrial effluent treatment. The photocatalytic activity decreases as the crystallite size increases in the TQD samples. Photocatalytic activity of TQDs due to their distinguishable crystalline domain size of less than 10 nm and their high surface area. The photodegradation rate of real industrial effluents was evaluated according to the COD limits permitted by Egyptian environmental law. Also, TOC and COD analyses evaluated 12 recycled samples of TQDs.
Political Violence: The Problem of Dirty Hands
Authors: Finlay Christopher J
Published: September 2023

This paper argues that the reason why political leadership often involves dirty hands is because of its relationship with violence. To make the case, it maintains that violent means create and assert a form of dominating power that is in tension with the proper ends of political action. This power casts a wide shadow, frequently dominating large numbers of non-targets and empowering unscrupulous agents. On the other side of the balance, characteristically political justifications for violence are ‘supra-moral,’ meaning that they are motivated by the value of a conception of morality taken as a whole (or, indeed, morality as such) rather than by any particular moral value. The weight that ought to be given to such ends is indeterminate in a way that makes uncancelled remainders arising from the evil of violence likely in many cases.
Development of a Single-Sided Magnetic Resonance Surface Scanner: Towards Non-Destructive Quantification of Moisture in Slaked Lime Plaster for Maintenance and Remediation of Heritage Architecture
Authors: Nakashima Yoshito
Published: September 2023

Single-sided time-domain proton magnetic resonance (MR) surface scanners are useful for non-destructive measurements of moisture. A mobile single-sided MR sensor unit employing two concentric ring magnets was constructed for the in situ quantification of moisture in slaked lime plaster used in the outer walls and roofs of heritage architecture. This sensor unit allows for non-destructive measurements of water proton relaxation 1.5 to 13.5 mm beneath the surfaces of walls and roofs. The following laboratory experiments on water-saturated porous slaked lime plaster samples were performed. (i) The porosity (water volume fraction) was measured in approximately eight minutes with a root mean square error of 1.9 vol%. (ii) The fundamental MR-related property (i.e. proton surface relaxivity) needed for the estimation of the pore size distribution was also measured successfully. (iii) The pore volume expansion due to frost damage was successfully detected as a significant change in the transverse relaxation time distribution. These results demonstrate that the portable MR surface scanner is a promising non-destructive testing tool for the maintenance and remediation of heritage architecture made of plaster.
Analysis of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): determining the transition temperatures, and enthalpy and heat capacity changes in multicomponent systems by analytical model fitting
Authors: Ghanbari Elmira , Picken Stephen J. , van Esch Jan H.
Published: September 2023

We have developed an analytical method to quantitatively analyze differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experimental data. This method provides accurate determination of thermal properties such as equilibrium melting temperature, latent heat, change of heat capacity which can be performed automatically without intervention of a DSC operator. DSC is one of the best techniques to determine the thermal properties of materials. However, the accuracy of the transition temperature and enthalpy change can be affected by artifacts caused by the instrumentation, sampling, and the DSC analysis methods which are based on graphical constructions. In the present study, an analytical function (DSCN(T)) has been developed based on an assumed Arrhenius crystal size distribution together with instrumental and sample-related peak broadening. The DSCN(T) function was successfully applied to fit the experimental data of a substantial number of calibration and new unknown samples, including samples with an obvious asymmetry of the melting peak, yielding the thermal characteristics such as melting and glass transition temperature, and enthalpy and heat capacity change. It also allows very accurate analysis of binary systems with two distinct but severely overlapping peaks and samples that include a cold crystallization before melting.
A double variable-length pendulum with counterweight mass, kinematic excitation and electromagnetic forcing
Authors: Olejnik Paweł , Yakubu Godiya , Pepa Krzysztof , Jabłoński Jakub
Published: September 2023

This study introduces a novel double variable-length cable pendulum model and experimental setup featuring elastic suspension and counterweight mass. Our main goal is to investigate the complex dynamics resulting from variable length’s impact on vibration frequency and amplitude. Through numerical simulations and experiments, we explore the system’s response to different external forces. Utilizing methods like phase plots, bifurcation diagrams, and Lyapunov exponents, we delve into nonlinear dynamics. We also use vision-based techniques to assess friction damping-related vibrations and magnetic field interactions. The results reveal diverse behaviors, including chaotic and periodic oscillations, shedding light on control functions and parameter relationships. The developed cable system captures intricate nonlinear dynamics and attains stable vibration modes, as confirmed by vision-based measurements. This platform can analyze and control irregular dynamics in systems with elastically suspended weights driven by motors or mobile cranes. Its nature, encompassing kinematic excitation, electromagnetic interactions, and sliding friction, allows for exploring complex nonlinear dynamics. The system’s capacity to modulate vibration frequencies contributes to mitigating persistent vibrations.
Numerical Study of the Flow Through Porous Structures Built from Gray–Scott Patterns
Authors: Gallegos Domingo , Málaga Carlos
Published: September 2023

Numerical solutions of the reaction–diffusion system of equations in three dimensions provide a systematic procedure to generate a variety of porous media structures of a chosen porosity. A way to characterize such geometries is by their Minkowski functional densities and their average pore diameter. We generated multiple porous geometries of the granular and foam-like types. Hydraulic flow through these series of geometries is simulated to study the dependence of the permeability k and the Forchheimer parameter $$\beta$$
β
on the chosen geometrical identifiers. Both k and $$\beta$$
β
exhibit two distinct behaviors aligned with the two distinct generated types of geometries when scaled with the Euler characteristic. A good correlation for dimensionless k as a function of the Minkowski functional densities and the average pore diameter was found for both types of geometries with an accuracy of 15% and 18%, respectively, while no good correlation was found for $$\beta$$
β
, implying that more geometrical information is needed beyond the proposed one. From the correlations, it was found that, together with the porosity, the mean curvature is also a good parameter to characterize the permeability.
Maximum Augmented Empirical Likelihood Estimation of Categorical Marginal Models for Large Sparse Contingency Tables
Authors: van der Ark L. Andries , Bergsma Wicher P. , Koopman Letty
Published: September 2023

Categorical marginal models (CMMs) are flexible tools for modelling dependent or clustered categorical data, when the dependencies themselves are not of interest. A major limitation of maximum likelihood (ML) estimation of CMMs is that the size of the contingency table increases exponentially with the number of variables, so even for a moderate number of variables, say between 10 and 20, ML estimation can become computationally infeasible. An alternative method, which retains the optimal asymptotic efficiency of ML, is maximum empirical likelihood (MEL) estimation. However, we show that MEL tends to break down for large, sparse contingency tables. As a solution, we propose a new method, which we call maximum augmented empirical likelihood (MAEL) estimation and which involves augmentation of the empirical likelihood support with a number of well-chosen cells. Simulation results show good finite sample performance for very large contingency tables.