bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of CAD/CAM in Propulsor Design/Production at David Taylor
Authors: Kerr C. J.
Published: February 2023

In the Interest of enhancing the quality and efficiency of propeller design and production, a CAD/CAM systems being implemented. Some immediate goals are minimize loss of integrity from concept design to final surface finish: fill in gaps between designer defined data and machinable surface through use of a sophisticated CAD/CAM surfacing routine; restructure design/production process to best utilize newly available resources. Mechanical dynamic models may be computer generated in conjunction with finite element flow models. Also, the NC milling process - which consist of tool path generation, post-processing and machining will directly use a CAD generated surface to machine the propellers.
The multi-tissue landscape of somatic mtDNA mutations indicates tissue-specific accumulation and removal in aging
Authors: Sanchez-Contreras Monica , Sweetwyne Mariya T , Tsantilas Kristine A , Whitson Jeremy A , Campbell Matthew D , Kohrn Brenden F , Kim Hyeon Jeong , Hipp Michael J , Fredrickson Jeanne , Nguyen Megan M , Hurley James B , Marcinek David J , Rabinovitch Peter S , Kennedy Scott R
Published: February 2023

Accumulation of somatic mutations in the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) has long been proposed as a possible mechanism of mitochondrial and tissue dysfunction that occurs during aging. A thorough characterization of age-associated mtDNA somatic mutations has been hampered by the limited ability to detect low-frequency mutations. Here, we used Duplex Sequencing on eight tissues of an aged mouse cohort to detect >89,000 independent somatic mtDNA mutations and show significant tissue-specific increases during aging across all tissues examined which did not correlate with mitochondrial content and tissue function. G→A/C→T substitutions, indicative of replication errors and/or cytidine deamination, were the predominant mutation type across all tissues and increased with age, whereas G→T/C→A substitutions, indicative of oxidative damage, were the second most common mutation type, but did not increase with age regardless of tissue. We also show that clonal expansions of mtDNA mutations with age is tissue- and mutation type-dependent. Unexpectedly, mutations associated with oxidative damage rarely formed clones in any tissue and were significantly reduced in the hearts and kidneys of aged mice treated at late age with elamipretide or nicotinamide mononucleotide. Thus, the lack of accumulation of oxidative damage-linked mutations with age suggests a life-long dynamic clearance of either the oxidative lesions or mtDNA genomes harboring oxidative damage.
Cross-modal and subliminal effects of smell and color
Authors: Sato Naoto , Miyamoto Mana , Santa Risa , Sasaki Ayaka , Shibuya Kenichi
Published: February 2023

In the present study, we examined whether the cross-modal effect can be obtained between odors and colors, which has been confirmed under olfactory recognizable conditions and also occurs under unrecognizable conditions. We used two flavors of red fruits such as strawberries and tomatoes for this purpose. We also aimed to compare whether similar cross-modal effects could be achieved by setting the flavors at recognizable (liminal) and unrecognizable (subliminal) concentrations in the experiment. One flavor at a normal concentration (0.1%, Liminal condition) and one at a concentration below the subliminal threshold (0.015%, Subliminal condition), were presented, and the color that resembled the smell most closely from among the 10 colors, was selected by participants. Except for the subliminal tomato condition, each odor was significantly associated with at least one color (p < 0.01). Participants selected pink and red for liminal strawberry (0.1%) (p < 0.05), pink for subliminal strawberry (0.015%) (p < 0.05), and orange for liminal tomato (0.1%) (p < 0.05), but there was no color selected for subliminal tomato (0.015%) (p < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the flavor of tomato produced a cross-modal effect in liminal conditions, but not in subliminal conditions. On the other hand, the results of the present study suggest that the flavor of strawberries produces a cross-modal effect even under subliminal conditions. This study showed that cross-modal effects might exist, even at unrecognizable levels of flavor.
Analysis of Tribological Performance of New Stamping Die Composite Inserts Using Strip Drawing Test
Authors: Żaba Krzysztof , Kuczek Łukasz , Puchlerska Sandra , Wiewióra Marcel , Góral Marek , Trzepieciński Tomasz
Published: February 2023

This article assesses the tribological performance of new composite tool sets for stamping dies. Four sets of composite countersamples were tested. These consisted of polyurethane resin with mineral filler (base variant) and modified with aluminium powder (10wt%) and roving fabric (5wt%). Strip samples for the strip drawing tests were cut from AMS5599 (Inconel 625) corrosion-resistant nickel alloy, AMS5510 (321) corrosion and heat-resistant steel and AMS6061-T4 heat treatable aluminium alloy sheet metals. The influence of the type of sample material on the coefficient of friction (COF) was observed. The smallest values of the COF over the entire range of clamping force values used on AMS5599 and AMS5510 sheets were observed during tests with countersamples made of the base variant of composite. When testing the AMS6061-T4 aluminium alloy sheet, the countersamples modified with roving fabric provided the lowest value of COF, which stabilised at a value of about 0.197 as pressure was increased.
Chromium Concentrations in Automotive Paints from Retail Stores in Kenya
Authors: Were F. H. , Mwaia L.
Published: February 2023

Chromium (Cr) is among the heavy metals that are added to automotive paints to provide protection against corrosion and reflective properties. However, exposure to hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), which is the toxic form of Cr is associated with adverse health effects such as lung cancer. The study, therefore, assessed Cr levels in the automotive paints commonly used by spray painters in informal settings in Nairobi City. Chromium concentrations were determined in triplicates in the three sets of automotive paint samples in red, blue and green colours. The same samples were also used for the determination of lead content and the findings of the study were published elsewhere. The automotive paint samples were procured from 8 formal and informal retail stores. The Cr concentrations was also analyzed  using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of Cr levels obtained from informal retail shops ranged from 120.5±10.6 to 2771.9±35.6 parts per million (ppm). On the contrary, those from the formal retail stores were significantly lower (p < 0.05), and were in the range of 39.3±7.0 to 461.9±11.1 ppm. The Cr levels in automotive paints varied greatly across different colours and retail shops. Substantial levels were observed in almost all paint samples purchased from the informal retail shops except one retail shop. The elevated Cr levels in various colours of automotive paints used by spray painters in the informal sector call for a comprehensive assessment of Cr in these settings along with health-driven policies to address related health impacts.
Influence of Organic Manuring on Sorghum: Greengram Intercropping at Different Row Ratios under Rainfed Condition
Authors: Kumar Neeraj , Uttam S. K. , Kumar Pradeep , Verma Shikhar , Kumar Awanish , Gautam Susheel , Ram Vinay
Published: February 2023

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2017 at Soil Conservation and Water Management Farm of the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur to find out effect of cropping systems and doses of FYM on growth, yield, water use efficiency, splash loss and economics of crops under rainfed condition. The treatments comprised of 4 cropping systems i.e. (i) sole sorghum, 45 cm apart (ii) sole greengram, 45 cm apart (iii) sorghum + greengram (2:1 ratio ) (iv) sorghum + greengram (3:1 ratio) and 3 doses of FYM i.e. (i) without FYM (ii) 10 t ha-1 (iii) 20 t  ha-1 were tested in randomized block design with 3 replications. Results revealed that the yield of sorghum and greengram were highest in their sole stands. The yield of sole and intercropped greengram in terms of sorghum equivalent grain yield showed significant variation, whereas sorghum + greengram (2:1 ratio) brought out significantly the highest production as compared to other cropping systems. Moreover, the land equivalent ratio, water use efficiency, gross return and net return were also found to be the highest. Simultaneously, maximum splash loss was observed under sole sorghum and minimum under greengram treatment. Increasing rates of FYM brought out significant improvement in vegetative growth, yield attributes and grain / stover yield, where a dose of 10 t FYM/ha gave best performance in respect of vegetative growth, yield attributes and grain / stover yield. In addition, net return was also noticed higher, but splash loss was lower.
Thermo‐pH‐Sensitive Polymer Conjugated Glucose Oxidase for Tumor‐Selective Starvation‐Oxidation‐Immune Therapy
Authors: Duan Fei , Jin Wei , Zhang Tong , Sun Yuanzi , Deng Xuliang , Gao Weiping
Published: February 2023

Protein drugs are increasingly used as therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. However, their inherent drawbacks, such as poor stability, low cell membrane and tissue permeability, lack of tumor selectivity, and severe side effects, limit their wide applications in cancer therapy. Herein, screening of a thermo‐pH‐sensitive polymer–glucose oxidase conjugate that can controllably self‐assemble into nanoparticles with improved stability is reported. The size, surface charge, and bioactivity of the conjugate can be tuned by adjustment of the solution temperature and pH. The cellular uptake, intracellular hydrogen peroxide generation, and tumor cell spheroid penetration of the conjugate are greatly enhanced under the acidic tumor microenvironment, leading to increased cytotoxicity to tumor cells. Upon a single intratumoural injection, the conjugate penetrates into the whole tumor tissue but hardly diffuses into the normal tissues, resulting in the eradication of the tumors in mice without perceivable side effects. Simultaneously, the conjugate induces a robust antitumor immunity to efficiently inhibit the growth of distant tumors, especially in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. These findings provide a novel and general strategy to make multifunctional protein‐polymer conjugates with responsiveness to the acidic tumor microenvironment for selective tumor therapy.
Optimizing the Pd Sites in Pure Metallic Aerogels for Efficient Electrocatalytic H2O2 Production
Authors: Zhang Xin , Wang Cui , Chen Kai , Clark Adam H. , Hübner René , Zhan Jinhua , Zhang Liang , Eychmüller Alexander , Cai Bin
Published: February 2023

Decentralized electrochemical production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is an attractive alternative to the industrial anthraquinone process, the application of which is hindered by the lack of high‐performance electrocatalysts in acidic media. Herein, a novel catalyst design strategy is reported to optimize the Pd sites in pure metallic aerogels by tuning their geometric environments and electronic structures. By increasing the Hg content in the Pd–Hg aerogels, the PdPd coordination is gradually diminished, resulting in isolated, single‐atom‐like Pd motifs in the Pd2Hg5 aerogel. Further heterometal doping leads to a series of M–Pd2Hg5 aerogels with an unalterable geometric environment, allowing for sole investigation of the electronic effects. Combining theoretical and experimental analyses, a volcano relationship is obtained for the M–Pd2Hg5 aerogels, demonstrating an effective tunability of the electronic structure of the Pd active sites. The optimized Au–Pd2Hg5 aerogel exhibits an outstanding H2O2 selectivity of 92.8% as well as transferred electron numbers of ≈2.1 in the potential range of 0.0–0.4 VRHE. This work opens a door for designing metallic aerogel electrocatalysts for H2O2 production and highlights the importance of electronic effects in tuning electrocatalytic performances.
Nutritive value and net return of forage crop rotations in the central Great Plains
Authors: Holman Johnathon D. , Obour Augustine K. , Assefa Yared , Johnson Sandy
Published: February 2023

Sustainable forage‐based rotations with greater forage nutritive values and efficient resource utilization are needed to increase forage availability in the central Great Plains. The objectives of the study were to quantify nutritive value and net return from individual crops and overall crop rotation sequence of winter triticale, forage sorghum, and spring oat. The study was conducted near Garden City, KS, from 2013–2020. There were six treatments in the study, that is, continuous sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] (S‐S) no‐till (NT), triticale (×Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus [Secale × Triticum])/sorghum‐sorghum‐oat (Avena sativa L.) (T/S‐S‐O) reduced till (RT) and NT, triticale/sorghum‐sorghum‐sorghum‐oat (T/S‐S‐S‐O) RT and NT, and triticale‐sorghum‐oat (T‐S‐O) NT. Crude protein concentration was 23%–31% greater for T‐S‐O and T/S‐S‐O compared with S‐S. The S‐S treatment had greater fiber content and least digestibility, calcium, and phosphorus concentrations compared with the remaining forage rotations. Annualized cost of production was 11%–32% greater for forage sorghum dominated NT systems (T/S‐S‐O, T/S‐S‐S‐O, S‐S [NT]) compared with T‐S‐O or T/S‐S‐S‐O (RT) rotation. T/S‐S‐S‐O (RT) was among the top in net return due to a combination of greater forage biomass production and forage nutrient value. The cost of production for forage sorghum and triticale were more economical compared to purchasing commercial feedstuffs. We concluded forage producers should consider productivity and market value, in addition to nutritive value and cost of production in selecting crops for a profitable forage‐based rotation system.
The social and economic impact of the Montreal Longitudinal and Experimental Study
Authors: Vanzella‐Yang Adam , Algan Yann , Beasley Elizabeth , Côté Sylvana , Vitaro Frank , Tremblay Richard E. , Park Jungwee
Published: February 2023

Background

The effectiveness of early prevention programmes and their viability as a public policy option have increasingly caught the attention of scholars and policymakers. Given the implementation costs of such programmes, it is important to assess whether they achieved anticipated objectives and whether they made efficient use of taxpayer money.

Aim

To discuss the social and economic impact of a 2‐year randomised intervention aimed to improve social skills and self‐control (i.e., non‐cognitive skills) among disruptive boys from low‐income neighbourhoods in Montreal.

Method

We review findings from published studies documenting the impact of the intervention at different stages of the life course, as well as its cost‐effectiveness and cost‐benefit.

Results

The intervention improved behavioural indicators throughout adolescence and eventually led to greater high school graduation rates, reduced crime, and better labour market outcomes in adulthood. Importantly, the prevention programme generated considerable returns to taxpayer investments.

Conclusion

Findings from the Montreal Longitudinal Experimental Study have been well‐received and have contributed to an early prevention ‘awakening’ in Quebec and elsewhere.
Black doctoral student research participants: A mixed‐method systematic literature review
Authors: Steen Sam , Rose Prasath Priscilla
Published: February 2023

In this study, we use a mixed‐method systematic literature review of articles that include African American counselor education doctoral student participants in the research. From this corpus of inquiry, we provide an opportunity for counselor education researchers to lead the way with inclusive scholarship and the use of strengths‐based frameworks. We examine how to conceptualize research particularly for African American doctoral student participants and offer suggestions on how to write the discussion and implication sections in a way to promote innovation and excellence.
Rapid prototyping of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchips using electrohydrodynamic jet printing: Application to electrokinetic assays
Authors: Choubey Anupam , Dubey Kaushlendra , Bahga Supreet Singh
Published: February 2023

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based microfluidic devices have found increasing utility for electrophoretic and electrokinetic assays because of their ease of fabrication using replica molding. However, the fabrication of high‐resolution molds for replica molding still requires the resource‐intensive and time‐consuming photolithography process, which precludes quick design iterations and device optimization. We here demonstrate a low‐cost, rapid microfabrication process, based on electrohydrodynamic jet printing (EJP), for fabricating non‐sacrificial master molds for replica molding of PDMS microfluidic devices. The method is based on the precise deposition of an electrically stretched polymeric solution of polycaprolactone in acetic acid on a silicon wafer placed on a computer‐controlled motion stage. This process offers the high‐resolution (order 10 m) capability of photolithography and rapid prototyping capability of inkjet printing to print high‐resolution templates for elastomeric microfluidic devices within a few minutes. Through proper selection of the operating parameters such as solution flow rate, applied electric field, and stage speed, we demonstrate microfabrication of intricate master molds and corresponding PDMS microfluidic devices for electrokinetic applications. We demonstrate the utility of the fabricated PDMS microchips for nonlinear electrokinetic processes such as electrokinetic instability and controlled sample splitting in ITP. The ability to rapid prototype customized reusable master molds with order 10 m resolution within a few minutes can help in designing and optimizing microfluidic devices for various electrokinetic applications.
Investigation of rocking mechanism of shallow foundations on sand via PIV technique
Authors: Moradi Mohamadali , Hosseini Seyed Majdeddin Mir Mohammad , Khezri Ali
Published: February 2023

Adoption of the rocking isolation concept in foundation design is considered as an effective method in reducing seismic loads of structures. Despite much research conducted on the rocking behavior of foundations, concerns regarding the practical application of the rocking foundation design concept still prevail. The concerns primary stem from the lack of accurate understanding and knowledge associated with the soil‐foundation deformation mechanisms during rocking motions. Determination of deformation mechanisms and soil mass failure modes during foundation rocking helps to gain insight into the rocking behavior, recognize influential factors on foundation settlement or uplift, and propose appropriate improvement strategies to control foundation deformations. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the deformation behavior and failure modes of the soil mass beneath a rocking foundation with various initial static vertical factors of safety (F.S.v) and embedment depths. To this end, a series of reduced‐scale slow‐cyclic tests under 1g condition have been conducted using a single degree of freedom (SDOF) model. To determine soil deformation mechanisms, soil displacement fields have been measured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique. Soil deformation mechanisms during loading and unloading paths, as well as causes leading to the foundation settlement or uplift have been evaluated and discussed. Additionally, changes in the effective soil‐foundation contact area in different loading cycles have been examined based on the PIV results. Based on the results, soil deformation mechanisms in the loading portions include soil densification, wedge deformation and scoop deformation. As the footing embedment depth increases, wedge deformation mechanism becomes limited, while scoop deformation mechanism becomes stronger. Additionally, as the foundation F.S.v increases, the depth of influenced zone of the rocking foundation decreases and the soil displacement occurs to a more limited depth.
Contribution of glycosidically bound compounds to aroma potential of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus lam)
Authors: Barros‐Castillo Julio César , Calderón‐Santoyo Montserrat , Cuevas‐Glory Luis Fernando , Calderón‐Chiu Carolina , Ragazzo‐Sánchez Juan Arturo
Published: February 2023

Volatile compounds are present in fruits in two forms, free and glycosidically bound. The latest has been studied in several fruits and are considered important aroma precursors because their release by acid or enzymatic hydrolysis has been reported higher than the free fraction. Recently, volatiles released by acid hydrolysis in jackfruit were reported, however, enzymatic hydrolysis of glycosidically bound fraction has not been studied yet. Thus, in this study, the free and glycosidically bound volatile compounds from jackfruit were isolated by absorption onto a column of Amberlite XAD‐2. Enzymatic hydrolysis with β‐glucosidase was carried out to release the glycosidically bound compounds and identified by GC–MS. Fifty‐four volatiles encompassed both fractions with 14 compounds in common. 2,4‐dimethylbenzaldehyde, 4‐methylpentan‐2‐ol, 2,6‐dimethylheptan‐4‐one, neral, butan‐1‐ol, and hexadecanoic acid were prominent in the free fraction. Meanwhile, 3‐hydroxy‐β‐ionol, 2‐phenylethanol, benzyl alcohol, lavandulol, 3‐oxo‐α‐ionol, and hexadecanoic acid were predominant in the bound form. Odor activity values (OAV) and relative odor contribution (ROC) of free and glycosidically bound compounds were calculated. Thus, ethyl 3‐methylbutanoate, methyl 2‐methylbutanoate, methyl butanoate, 3‐methyl‐3‐buten‐1‐ol, octan‐1‐ol, 3‐methylbutanal, hexanal, 2‐nonanone, 2‐phenylethanol, and limonene showed OAV >1 after hydrolysis, contributing to the overall aroma. Results revealed that the bound fraction of jackfruit volatiles is eight times fold that their free counterpart. Information about the first research of glycosidically bound compounds in jackfruit released by enzymatic hydrolysis is provided. The results reinforce the importance of aroma precursors to suggest the raw material according to the applied pretreatment and thus take advantage of the aromatic potential that they can develop.
Preparation of poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐pentaerythritol triacrylate) monolithic column for hydrophilic interaction chromatography
Authors: Li Jing , Qiu Danye , Li Feng , Kang Jingwu
Published: February 2023

A method for the preparation of poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐pentaerythritol triacrylate copolymerization)‐based monolithic capillary column was reported for the separation of polar small molecular weight compounds with nano‐liquid chromatography in hydrophilic interaction chromatography mode. The monolithic columns were prepared by in situ copolymerization of N‐vinylpyrrolidone and a cross‐linker pentaerythritol triacrylate in a binary porogenic agent consisting of methanol and water. The composition of the polymerization solution was systematically optimized in terms of column permeability, theoretical plate number, asymmetric factor, and retention factor. A typical hydrophilic chromatography retention mechanism was observed with a mobile phase composed of a high content of organic solvent. The preparation method is simple and robust, the precursor N‐vinylpyrrolidone is chemically stable, cheap, and easily available. The N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐based hydrophilic interaction chromatography stationary phase displays satisfactory separation selectivity for a range of polar test analytes, including benzoic acid derivatives, nucleosides, and phenols.
A persistent belief in radiopharmaceutical therapy
Authors: Sgouros George
Published: February 2023

Imaging and dosimetry physics are essential to the long‐term success of radiopharmaceutical therapy (RPT), a cancer treatment modality that can deliver potent cytotoxic radiation to disseminated cancer cells. This is a review of my personal journey in this field.
High‐dimensional automated radiation therapy treatment planning via Bayesian optimization
Authors: Wang Qingying , Wang Ruoxi , Liu Jiacheng , Jiang Fan , Yue Haizhen , Du Yi , Wu Hao
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Radiation therapy treatment planning can be viewed as an iterative hyperparameter tuning process to balance conflicting clinical goals. In this work, we investigated the performance of modern Bayesian optimization (BO) methods on automated treatment planning problems in high‐dimensional settings.

Methods

Twenty locally advanced rectal cancer patients treated with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) were retrospectively selected as test cases. The adjustable planning parameters included both dose objectives and their corresponding weights. We implemented an automated treatment planning framework and tested the performance of two BO methods on the treatment planning task: one standard BO method (Gaussian Process with Expected Improvement [GPEI]) and one BO method dedicated to high‐dimensional problems (Sparse Axis Aligned Subspace BO [SAAS‐BO]). Another derivative‐free method (Nelder–Mead simplex search) and the random tuning method were also included as baselines. The four automated methods' plan quality and planning efficiency were compared with the clinical plans regarding target coverage and organs at risk (OAR) sparing. The predictive models in both BO methods were compared to analyze the different search patterns of the two BO methods.

Results

For the target structures, the SAAS‐BO plans achieved comparable hot spot control () and homogeneity () with the clinical plans, significantly better than the GPEI and Nelder–Mead plans (). Both SAAS‐BO and GPEI plans significantly outperformed the clinical plans in conformity and dose spillage (). Compared with the clinical plans, the treatment plans generated by the four automated methods all made reductions in evaluated dosimetric indices for the femoral head and the bladder. The Nelder–Mead plans achieved similar plan quality scores compared with the BO plans, but exhibited poorer control in the target hot spot and dose spillage. The analysis of the underlying predictive models has shown that both BO methods have identified similar sensitive planning parameters.

Conclusions

This work implemented a BO‐based hyperparameter tuning framework for automated treatment planning. Both tested BO methods were able to produce high‐quality treatment plans and reduce the workload of treatment planners. The model analysis also confirmed the intrinsic low dimensionality of the tested treatment planning problems.
From model‐based dose computation to tomotherapy
Authors: Mackie Thomas Rockwell
Published: February 2023

This paper describes the first years of what became known as the Tomotherapy Research Group at the Department of Medical Physics at the University of Wisconsin‐Madison (UW). The group's roots were in algorithm and software development for radiation therapy dose calculations. The concept of helical tomotherapy sprang from the design of a treatment unit which could make the computation easier which in turn created a treatment unit that created the capability to do image‐guided radiotherapy. The paper discusses the genesis of our concepts and some of the difficulties encountered along the way.
nanoNIPT: Short‐fragment nanopore sequencing of cell‐free DNA for non‐invasive prenatal testing of fetal aneuploidies and sex chromosome aberrations
Authors: Jørgensen Maria Winther , Miceikaitė Ieva , Larsen Martin J.
Published: February 2023

Key points

What's already known about this topic?

Non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is a sensitive and risk‐free prenatal screening test for common aneuploidies.

Until now, NIPT has required access to expensive next generation sequencing (NGS) sequencers, making it only accessible to large laboratories.

What does this study add?

This proof‐of‐concept study demonstrates that Oxford Nanopore platform, originally developed for long‐reads, can be used to sequence and analyze short cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) fragments with high efficiency and accuracy.

We developed nanoNIPT for non‐invasive detection of fetal aneuploidies and sex chromosome aberrations, which enables NIPT testing without large upfront investments making it accessible in all the clinical labs around the world.
Psychological distress and decision‐making factors for prophylactic bilateral mastectomy in cancer‐unaffected BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers
Authors: Isselhard Anna , Tüchler Anja , Dick Julia , Scherer Anne , Aue Viktoria , Schmutzler Rita K. , Rhiem Kerstin
Published: February 2023

Objective

Women carrying a BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant have an increased risk for breast cancer and may opt for risk‐reducing bilateral mastectomy. In this study, we examine which demographic, psychosocial, and personality factors are associated with their decision to undergo risk‐reducing bilateral mastectomy.

Methods

Cancer‐unaffected women with a pathogenic variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2 were recruited before receiving their genetic test result and completed follow‐up including decision to undergo mastectomy over 6–8 months after genetic test result disclosure. Anxiety, depression, breast cancer worry, personality and sociodemographic data were assessed.

Results

A total of 125 cancer‐unaffected women were included in the analysis. Participants were found to have higher anxiety levels than the general female population regardless of mastectomy decision. Breast cancer worry was higher among women who opted for risk‐reducing mastectomy and did not decrease over time. By contrast, women who did not opt for surgery experienced decreasing levels of breast cancer worry. Regression analysis found that women with a pathogenic variant in BRCA1, younger women and women with higher breast cancer worry were more likely to opt for surgery.

Conclusions

Our study provides valuable insights into the factors that influence women with a BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant to undergo risk‐reducing mastectomy. These findings may be helpful in understanding individual differences in decision‐making concerning preventive options and show the need to address negative anticipatory feelings associated with carrying a pathogenic variant in a high breast cancer risk gene in clinical care.
Evidential network‐based system reliability assessment by fusing multi‐source evidential information
Authors: Li Xiaopeng
Published: February 2023

Expert knowledge is an important information source for reliability assessment of those systems with limited time‐to‐failure data. For a better understanding of the degradation profiles of systems, multiple experts are oftentimes invited to express their judgments and the associated uncertainties on the reliability‐related measures of the system. Evidential variables, as an alternative of uncertainty quantification, have been extensively used in expert systems to quantify the epistemic uncertainty of the elicited expertise. When eliciting the reliability‐related information by evidential variables, experts only need to express the possible ranges of reliability‐related measures and their associated probabilities. Such a type of information well caters to the experts’ elicitation process. In this article, an evidential network (EN)‐based reliability assessment method is put forth by fusing multi‐source evidential information. The proposed method mainly contains three steps. In the first place, the multi‐source evidential information related to all components is elicited from experts in the form of evidential variables. Next, the evidential variable of the component reliability is assessed via a constrained optimization model by treating all pieces of multi‐source evidential information as constraints. The component reliability results are transformed into pieces of mass functions of the components’ states under the theory of belief functions. The system reliability‐box and the reliability‐box over time are, therefore, calculated by the EN model by inputting all mass functions of components’ states. A pipeline system and a chip cutting system are exemplified to examine the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Discrimination between accelerated life models via Approximate Bayesian Computation
Authors: Rabhi Mohamed , Abdessalem Anis Ben , Saintis Laurent , Castanier Bruno , Sohoin Rodrigue
Published: February 2023

Accelerated life testing (ALT) is widely used in high‐reliability product estimation to get relevant information about an item's performance and its failure mechanisms. To analyse the observed ALT data, reliability practitioners need to select a suitable accelerated life model based on the nature of the stress and the physics involved. A statistical model consists of (i) a lifetime distribution that represents the scatter in product life and (ii) a relationship between life and stress. In practice, several accelerated life models could be used for the same failure mode and the choice of the best model is far from trivial. For this reason, an efficient selection procedure to discriminate between a set of competing accelerated life models is of great importance for practitioners. In this paper, accelerated life model selection is approached by using the Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) method and a likelihood‐based approach for comparison purposes. To demonstrate the efficiency of the ABC method in calibrating and selecting accelerated life model, an extensive Monte Carlo simulation study is carried out using different distances to measure the discrepancy between the empirical and simulated times of failure data. Then, the ABC algorithm is applied to real accelerated fatigue life data in order to select the most likely model among five plausible models. It has been demonstrated that the ABC method outperforms the likelihood‐based approach in terms of reliability predictions mainly at lower percentiles particularly useful in reliability engineering and risk assessment applications. Moreover, it has shown that ABC could mitigate the effects of model misspecification through an appropriate choice of the distance function.
The exploration of thin liquid film flow under the influences of various physical parameters by a new analytical innovation
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Ali Rohail , Humayun Muhammad , Ali Ishtiaq
Published: February 2023

A new analytical innovation is utilized to explore the thin liquid film flow of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluid over an unsteady porous stretching surface. Here magnetic field, thermal radiation, and variable viscosity are taken. The self‐similarity variables have been used to transform the modeled partial differential equations into a set of non‐linear coupled differential equations. These non‐linear differential equations for the velocity and temperature profiles have been tackled through an innovation containing homotopy, auxiliary functions, and convergence control parameters. This method is called the second configuration of the Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method and is denoted by (OHAM‐2). Galerkin's process is chosen for the optimizations of parameters. The achieved coupled equations are also solved numerically (ND‐Solve Method), and the obtained outcomes are compared with the results elaborated by the suggested algorithm. Here the utmost attention is on the rapid convergence of the proposed algorithm and the consequences of various tangible variables on the velocity and temperature profiles. This straightforward algorithm consists of a few steps but gives better outcomes. The technique can be applied to solve partial differential equations and their systems forming in various disciplines. This technique can also solve Integro differential equations. The residuals achieved by the proposed method for the velocity and temperature fields are shown graphically. The errors and residuals are also taught in Table 1 and Table 2. The effects of parameters are inculcated in Table 3 and Table 4. The results are validated with the published work as shown in Table 5. Nomenclature is indicated in the text below.
An XGBoost-Based Knowledge Tracing Model
Authors: Su Wei , Jiang Fan , Shi Chunyan , Wu Dongqing , Liu Lei , Li Shihua , Yuan Yongna , Shi Juntai
Published: February 2023

The knowledge tracing (KT) model is an effective means to realize the personalization of online education using artificial intelligence methods. It can accurately evaluate the learning state of students and conduct personalized instruction according to the characteristics of different students. However, the current knowledge tracing models still have problems of inaccurate prediction results and poor features utilization. The study applies XGBoost algorithm to knowledge tracing model to improve the prediction performance. In addition, the model also effectively handles the multi-skill problem in the knowledge tracing model by adding the features of problem and knowledge skills. Experimental results show that the best AUC value of the XGBoost-based knowledge tracing model can reach 0.9855 using multiple features. Furthermore, compared with previous knowledge tracing models used deep learning, the model saves more training time.
Inference and Learning from Data
Authors: Sayed Ali H.
Published: February 2023

This extraordinary three-volume work, written in an engaging and rigorous style by a world authority in the field, provides an accessible, comprehensive introduction to the full spectrum of mathematical and statistical techniques underpinning contemporary methods in data-driven learning and inference. This first volume, Foundations, introduces core topics in inference and learning, such as matrix theory, linear algebra, random variables, convex optimization and stochastic optimization, and prepares students for studying their practical application in later volumes. A consistent structure and pedagogy is employed throughout this volume to reinforce student understanding, with over 600 end-of-chapter problems (including solutions for instructors), 100 figures, 180 solved examples, datasets and downloadable Matlab code. Supported by sister volumes Inference and Learning, and unique in its scale and depth, this textbook sequence is ideal for early-career researchers and graduate students across many courses in signal processing, machine learning, statistical analysis, data science and inference.
Unilateral Magma Emplacement of the Telimbela Batholith in the Central Ecuadorian Arc: Implications for Kinematics of Oblique Subduction of the Farallon‐Nazca Plate
Authors: Liu Hongsheng , Liu Liangming , Zhang Dexian , Huang Fangfang , Zhang Xin
Published: February 2023

The N‐S elongated granodioritic Telimbela batholith (TB, ∼220 km2) was emplaced at the restraining bend of the dextral strike‐slip Calacalí‐Pujilí‐Pallatanga Fault (CPPF) developed at the ca. 120 km wide Tertiary Ecuadorian arc. Our and previous zircon U‐Pb ages indicate that the batholith has a westward younging trend, with the oldest and youngest ages of 25.5 ± 0.5 and 17.5 ± 0.3 Ma, respectively, and a minimum duration of 8 ± 0.6 Ma was acquired. The Al‐in‐hornblende geobarometer results show that the TB was emplaced in the upper crust (∼4.7–5.3 km). The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) results of TB show three distinct groups of magnetic foliations, with a mean orientation of (64°/SE ∠ 39°) (0°/E ∠ 83°), and (16°/NW ∠ 83°) in the eastern, central and western parts of TB, respectively. As the TB was syntectonically emplaced with the evolution of CPPF, the vorticity numbers (Wn) of eastern, central, and western parts are determined by the angle between CPPF and mean orientation of AMS with Wn values of 0.79, 0, and 0.53, respectively. According to previous geodynamic studies on Northern Andes, the early and late kinematic transitions recorded in the TB may correspond to the change of plate subduction direction and the decrease in subduction angle, respectively. Comparing the estimated growth rate of TB to the tempo of Tertiary Ecuadorian arc magmatism revealed by detrital zircon ages and previous plate convergence velocity models, the good consistency among them will help to restore a detailed kinematic evolution of the Ecuadorian arc.
Dissolved Lead (Pb) Concentrations and Pb Isotope Ratios Along the East China Sea and Kuroshio Transect—Evidence for Isopycnal Transport and Particle Exchange
Authors: Chen Mengli , Boyle Edward A. , Jiang Shuo , Liu Qian , Zhang Jing , Wang Xianfeng , Zhou Kuanbo
Published: February 2023

Lead (Pb) isotopes are widely used in tracing processes that transport Pb within the environment due to the globally spread Pb pollution. In today’s ocean, Pb is mainly sourced from anthropogenic emissions and is removed by particle scavenging. However, recent efforts involving Pb isotopes have started to indicate that sediments at ocean boundary, either suspended or benthic, are a previously underestimated source and sink of Pb to the seawater dissolved pool. To assess the contributions of Pb from seawater‐sediment boundary, we measured the dissolved Pb concentrations and isotopic compositions in seawater from the outer East China Sea (ECS) and along the Kuroshio. Along the Kuroshio, depth profiles exhibit highly similar Pb concentrations across constant density planes, suggesting isopycnal transport. Pb isotope ratios in most of the samples show strong contributions of aerosol Pb, except for seawaters from the ECS and deep Okinawa Trough (>800 m), which show evidences of crustal Pb contribution. The Okinawa Trough deep water has overlapping Pb isotope ratios with ECS water, where the suspended particulate matter is abundant. Our data on Pb isotopes in the ECS and the Okinawa Trough deep water, together with data from previous studies at other continental margins suggest that the seawater‐sediment boundary along the continental shelves may be an important source and sink in marine Pb cycling.
In situ pyrazolylborate ligand synthesis and coordination behaviours in aluminum oxo clusters
Authors: Chen Jian-Bing , Wang San-Tai , Shen Si-Hao , Yu Ying-Hua , Fang Wei-Hui , Zhang Jian
Published: February 2023

Presented herein is the discovery of the in situ synthesis of pyrazolylborates. They exhibit great adaptive coordination behaviors in aluminum oxo clusters and further provide a platform for the development of trans-chelating scorpionate analogues.
Phase-segregation free quasi-2D perovskite/organic tandem solar cells with low Voc loss and efficiency beyond 21%
Authors: Wu Haotian , Chen Tianyi , Li Yaokai , Guan Shitao , Zhang Lin , Chen Tingjun , Liu Yang , Jin Yizheng , Zuo Lijian , Fu Weifei , Wu Gang , Chen Hongzheng
Published: February 2023

By interface modification, low Voc loss below 0.4 V was realized for quasi-2D perovskites which is free of phase-segregation and able to fabricate perovskite/organic tandem devices with a PCE of 21.3% and T90 over 500 hours under the MPP condition.
An efficient hyperspectral image classification method for limited training data
Authors: Ren Yitao , Jin Peiyang , Li Yiyang , Mao Keming
Published: February 2023

Hyperspectral image classification has gained great progress in recent years based on deep learning model and massive training data. However, it is expensive and unpractical to label hyperspectral image data and implement model in constrained environment. To address this problem, this paper proposes an effective ghost module based spectral network for hyperspectral image classification. First, Ghost3D module is adopted to reduce the size of model parameter dramatically by redundant feature maps generation with linear transformation. Then Ghost2D module with channel‐wise attention is used to explore informative spectral feature representation. For large field covering, the non‐local operation is utilized to promote self‐attention. Compared with the state‐of‐the‐art hyperspectral image classification methods, the proposed approach achieves superior performance on three hyperspectral image data sets with fewer sample labelling and less resource consumption.
Geosynthetics in tunnels and underground structures applications
Authors: Cazzuffi Daniele , Gioffrè Domenico , Luciani Andrea
Published: February 2023

Waterproofing systems of tunnels is of crucial importance for the long-term effectiveness of the underground works and for the possible impact on the surrounding environment. In conventional tunnelling, polymeric geomembranes are nowadays used with fluid barrier function, while nonwoven geotextiles and geonets are commonly employed with mechanical protection and drainage functions. After some descriptions of the main requirements of the geosynthetics used in tunnels and underground structures, the durability aspects of the materials forming the waterproofing systems are briefly outlined.
Review of the waste slope stability design of a landfill site in gauteng
Authors: Zondo Simphiwe
Published: February 2023

The objective of this paper is to review the slope stability analysis conducted during the initial design stages of a new landfill cell that forms part of a landfill site expansion in Gauteng. The SLOPE/W slope stability software, from the Geostudio integrated software suite, was used to carry out the analysis. Initial trials revealed a significant waste slope instability, which, when further investigated, was attributed to the weak sliding interface between the smooth geomembrane and clay, the 8 m deep basin, the 46 m estimated waste height leaning on a small embankment on the northern side of the cell and the cell basin sloped in the direction of the waste sliding mass. Satisfactory results and eventually slope stability was achieved through a comprehensive optimization process which entailed modelling and running iterations of various trials of a combination of stabilizing berms, geogrids and cutting back the waste slope.
Vertical drainage of compressible soils under the Moroccan high-speed railway line
Authors: Mridakh Ahmed Hamza , Ejjaaouani Houssine
Published: February 2023

This research work presents the high-speed railway line (HSRL) case study constructed on soft soils deposits. The performance of the improvement method combining both PVD’s (Prefabricated vertical drains) and surcharge preloading was evaluated herein based on numerical simulation approach to predict the induced deformations during the HSRL construction phase. For this aim, the performance of the PVD-assisted preloading was evaluated based on in situ measurement database from a selected well instrumented embankment. From the results, it was observed that the use of the PVD and preloading was found as the most efficient improvement method for improved section. In addition, multiple modelling approaches were used for the studied section to evaluate the usefulness of the published literature on the PVD- surcharge system performance. For that, is was concluded that the well-developed numerical approaches in the literature is an encouraging factor for using the PVD-preloading improvement method in both practice and research.
Odorat et virus respiratoires :une relation révélée par la Covid-19
Authors: Meunier Nicolas
Published: February 2023

L’odorat, sens pendant longtemps sous-estimé chez l’homme, a été mis sur le devant de la scène par sa soudaine disparition, survenue pendant la pandémie de Covid-19, dont l’anosmie est un des symptômes majeurs. Pourtant, depuis longtemps, les virus respiratoires ont été associés aux troubles de l’odorat, dont 25 % seraient liés à une infection virale. L’olfaction débute dans le nez, au sein d’un épithélium olfactif qui a la particularité de contenir des neurones en contact direct avec l’environnement. Plusieurs virus respiratoires sont connus pour leur capacité réplicative au sein de cet épithélium. C’est notamment le cas du virus de la grippe (influenza) et du virus de la bronchiolite (VRS, pour virus respiratoire syncytial), mais leur tropisme pour ce tissu est bien moindre que celui du SARS-CoV-2. La physiopathologie de ce virus dans la cavité nasale a permis de commencer à comprendre les liens existant entre une infection virale et les troubles de l’olfaction.