bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SSIKG: A framework for spatial‐semantic integrated indoor knowledge graph construction
Authors: Park Seula , Lee Youngmin
Published: July 2022

The demand for place retrieval and route guidance services of indoor environments has increased owing to the extensive development of large complexes. In comparison to increasingly customizable and diversified general place retrieval services, indoor place‐related services currently offer few features. Existing knowledge graphs mostly deal with limited spatial context based on geographic location, and hence do not cover indoor environments. In this study, we propose a framework for a Spatial‐Semantic integrated Indoor Knowledge Graph (SSIKG) as a multi‐layered model of the indoor environment. The spatial layer involves knowledge of navigable paths by preserving network‐based topological relationships between places. Concurrently, the semantic layer expresses features from an end‐user perspective. To assess framework utility, place retrieval tests with resulting graphs were performed for six practical use cases, returning lists of the places and their corresponding optimal paths. Finally, the results were reviewed in terms of spatial inference and expansion of our graphs.
Dispersion of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA across a wastewater treatment plant and its workers
Authors: Isanovic Mirza , Correa Velez Karlen E. , Norman R. Sean
Published: July 2022

Within urban and suburban sewersheds, SARS‐CoV‐2 released through faeces is transported through sewage systems into municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Studies have shown that viral RNA is detectable in untreated wastewater but not in WWTP effluent. In this study, we investigated treatment steps between the influent and final treated effluent to identify the point at which viral RNA is below detection. Additionally, we examined air surrounding high turbulence treatment steps to test for the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA in WWTP‐generated bioaerosols. To examine potential worker exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2, WWTP workers were tested for the presence of viral RNA. The data show that despite high viral RNA concentration in the influent, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA concentration decreased significantly (p < 0.02) in the main treatment steps and was below detection in the effluent. Additionally, SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA was below detection in air samples (n = 42), and the worker rate of infection was not significantly different (p = 0.99) from the rate of infection in the surrounding community. These results suggest that WWTP workers may have minimal exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2 during routine outdoor work procedures and that the WWTP successfully reduces the amount of viral RNA entering effluent receiving waters, providing a vital public health service to communities.
A multi‐jurisdictional outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections linked to backyard poultry—Australia, 2020
Authors: Laidlow Troy A. , Stafford Russell , Jennison Amy V. , Bell Robert , Graham Rikki , Graham Trudy , Musgrave Natasha , Myerson Mark , Kung Nina , Crook Allison , Wang Qinning , Richards Alun , Lambert Stephen B.
Published: July 2022

Zoonotic salmonellosis can occur either through direct contact with an infected animal or through indirect contact, such as exposure to an infected animal's contaminated environment. Between May and August 2020, a multi‐jurisdictional outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium (STm) infection due to zoonotic transmission was investigated in Australia. In total, 38 outbreak cases of STm with a median age of 5 years were reported. Epidemiological investigation showed contact with live poultry to be a common risk factor with most cases recently purchasing one‐week old chicks from produce/pet stores. Traceback investigation of cases identified 25 product/pet stores of which 18 were linked to a single poultry breeder farm. On farm environmental sampling identified the same STm genotype as identified in cases. Whole genome sequencing of both environmental and human outbreak isolates found them to be highly related by phylogenetic analysis. This investigation describes the first documented widespread zoonotic salmonellosis outbreak in Australia attributed to backyard poultry exposure and identified potential risk factors and prevention and control measures for future outbreaks. Prevention of future outbreaks will require an integrated One Health approach involving the poultry industry, produce/pet store owners, animal healthcare providers, public health and veterinary health agencies and the public.
A study of the chromosome number and genome size of the rare species Rhododendron keiskei var. hypoglaucum in Korea
Authors: CHOI Bokyung , KIM Hyeonjin , BYUN Hye-Joo , GANG Geun-Hye , LEE Yongsoon , MYEONG Hyeon-Ho , SO Soonku , JANG Tae-Soo
Published: July 2022

Rhododendron keiskei var. hypoglaucum (Ericaceae) was recently reported in Korea, with a disjunct distribution on the southern islands of the Korean Peninsula. Although chromosome numbers and ploidy variations are important traits in angiosperms, gaining a clear understanding the cytological features of Rhododendron has been hampered by the small size of its chromosomes. We herein report the chromosome number, karyotype structure, and genome size of R. keiskei var. hypoglaucum for the first time. The chromosome number of the investigated plants was 2n = 26 with x = 13 as the base chromosome number, which is the one of the frequently encountered base chromosome numbers in Rhododendron. The karyotype of R. keiskei var. hypoglaucum is composed of metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes similar in length, which ranged from 1.39 to 2.40 μm. The DNA 1C-value in all examined accessions was small, ranging from 0.63 to 0.65 pg, further supporting the stable genome size in Rhododendron. These comprehensive cytological results provide a framework for detailed molecular, cytogenetic, and phylogenomic analyses that can be used to interpret the slow species diversification rate in Rhododendron.
The complete chloroplast genome of Aruncus aethusifolius (Rosaceae), a species endemic to Korea
Authors: PARK Jongsun , SUH Hwa-Jung , OH Sang-Hun
Published: July 2022

Aruncus aethusifolius (H. Lév.) Nakai is an endemic species in Korea and is economically important as an ornamental herb. The complete chloroplast genome of A. aethusifolius is 157,217 bp long with four subregions consisting of 85,207 bp of large singlecopy and 19,222 bp of small single-copy regions separated by 26,394 bp of inverted repeat regions. The genome includes 131 genes (86 protein-coding genes, eight rRNAs, and 37 tRNAs). Phylogenetic analyses demonstrates that the chloroplast genome of A. aethusifolius was sister to A. dioicus var. kamtschaticus, forming the strongly supported clade of Aruncus. This is the first report of the chloroplast genome of A. aethusifolius.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae)
Authors: KWON Soon-Ho , PARK Yunmi , JANG You Lim , KWON Hae-Yun
Published: July 2022

Hibiscus sabdariffa L., (roselle) in the Malvaceae family is an erect subshrub known to be native to India and Malaysia. It is widely used as a food or tea material around the world, and its therapeutic effects have been widely studied. In this study, the sequencing of the complete chloroplast genome of H. sabdariffa was carried out. The result indicates a genome size of 162,428 bp, which is composed of a large single copy of 90,327 bp, two inverted repeats of 26,242 bp each, and a small single copy of 19,617 bp. Overall, a total of 131 genes were predicted, including 86 coding sequences, 37 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. According to a phylogenic analysis, it was clearly distinguished from outgroups such as other species of the genus Hibiscus used in the analysis.
Morphological and molecular evidence of the hybrid origin of Crepidiastrum ×muratagenii in Korea
Authors: JANG Young-Jong , PARK Boem Kyun , SON Dong Chan , CHOI Byoung-Hee
Published: July 2022

The plant “Hong-do-go-deul-ppae-gi” has been considered as Crepidiastrum × muratagenii, a hybrid between C. denticulatum and C. lanceolatum, based on its morphological traits and geographical distribution. To reveal the hybrid origin of Hong-do-go-deul-ppae-gi, we examined additional morphological traits of this plant and its putative parents (C. denticulatum, C. lanceolatum, C. platyphyllum) and analyzed one nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and four chloroplast regions (trnT-L, trnL-F, rpl16 intron, and rps16 intron). As a result of examining the morphological traits, putative hybrid individuals were classified into three types based on the habit, cauline leaf, outer phyllary, and achene beak traits. A molecular analysis found that the ITS sequences of Type 1 and Type 2 individuals showed additive species-specific sites of C. denticulatum and C. lanceolatum. Plastid sequences of Type 1 and Type 2 individuals showed C. denticulatum and C. lanceolatum sequences, respectively. However, Type 3 individuals had ITS and plastid sequences corresponding to C. denticulatum. Accordingly, Type 1 and Type 2 individuals not only share morphological traits with C. denticulatum and C. lanceolatum but also show additive species-specific sites for C. denticulatum and C. lanceolatum, and not C. platyphyllum, supporting its origin as a hybrid between C. denticulatum and C. lanceolatum. Type 3 had morphological traits similar to other hybrid types but was distinguished with respect to outer phyllaries and demonstrated some resemblance to C. denticulatum. In a molecular analysis, Type 3 was found to be identical with regard to the sequence of C. denticulatum and was judged to be an ecological variation of C. denticulatum.
Functional Requirements of Software Tools for Laser-Based Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing for Metals
Authors: Feng Shaw C. , Moges Tesfaye , Park Hyunseop , Yakout Mostafa , Jones Albert T. , Ko Hyunwoong , Witherell Paul
Published: July 2022

Additive manufacturing (AM) for metals is rapidly transitioning to an accepted production technology, which has led to increasing demands for data analysis and software tools. The performance of laser-based powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M), a common metal AM process, depends on the accuracy of data analysis. Advances in data acquisition and analysis are being propelled by an increase in new types of in situ sensors and ex situ measurement devices. Measurements taken with these sensors and devices rapidly increase the volume, variety, and value of PBF-LB/M data but decrease the veracity of that data simultaneously. The number of new, data-driven software tools capable of analyzing, modeling, simulating, integrating, and managing that data is also increasing; however, the capabilities and accessibility of these tools vary greatly. Issues associated with these software tools are impacting the ability to manage and control PBF-LB/M processes and qualify the resulting parts. This paper investigates and summarizes the available software tools and their capabilities. Findings are then used to help derive a set of functional requirements for tools that are mapped to PBF-LB/M lifecycle activities. The activities include product design, design analysis, process planning, process monitoring, process modeling, process simulation, and production management. PBF-LB/M users can benefit from tools implementing these functional requirements implemented by (1) shortening the lead time of developing these capabilities, (2) adopting emerging, state-of-the-art, PBF-LB/M data and data analytics methods, and (3) enhancing the previously mentioned AM product lifecycle activities.
Development of Mathematical Model and Characterization of Internal Surface Obtained by Elasto-Abrasives Magneto-Spiral Finishing (EAMSF)
Authors: Yadav Shivam , Sangoi Amit , Pawade Raju
Published: July 2022

The implantation of stents and instruments with capillary action demands super-finished internal surfaces of the manufactured product. Elasto-abrasives magneto-spiral finishing (EAMSF) is the attempt made in this paper to enhance finishing productivity by incorporating the abrasive flow in spiral motion due to the presence of the magnetic field. Here, novel impregnated elasto-magnetic abrasive particles (IMPs) are used in a magnetic field-assisted environment to polish the inner walls of the workpiece. In EAMSF, magnetic force provides excess finishing pressure to the abrasives. In contrast, the high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) elasticity absorbs the extra force of the IMPs on the finishing surface. An Indigenous mathematical relation considering the physics of this superfinishing process indicating material removal shows a close resemblance to the experimental results with an error percentage of 1.03 has been developed. The results of the experimentation reveal that 50% concentration of abrasives and a magnetic field density of 18mT yield a superior surface finish with a Ra value equal to 0.053 µm and maximum material removal of 6.9 mg, while in the absence of a magnetic field, excellent surface finish with a Ra = 0.266 µm and maximum material removal of 5.4 mg is achieved. In the presence of magnetic field density, significant enhancement of material removal, surface finish, and burr removal is observed. Finishing the surface at 50% abrasive concentration with a magnetic field represents regular finishing, and the trench marks on the original surface are removed after finishing.
A Sequential Sampling Approach for Multi-Fidelity Surrogate Modeling-Based Robust Design Optimization
Authors: Lin Quan , Zhou Qi , Hu Jiexiang , Cheng Yuansheng , Hu Zhen
Published: July 2022

Multi-fidelity surrogate modeling has been extensively used in engineering design to achieve a balance between computational efficiency and prediction accuracy. Sequential sampling strategies have been investigated to improve the computational efficiency of surrogate-assisted design optimization. The existing sequential sampling approaches, however, are dedicated to either deterministic multi-fidelity design optimization or robust design under uncertainty using single-fidelity models. This paper proposes a sequential sampling method for robust design optimization based on multi-fidelity modeling. The proposed method considers both design variable uncertainty and interpolation uncertainty during the sequential sampling. An extended upper confidence boundary (EUCB) function is developed to determine both the sampling locations and the fidelity levels of the sequential samples. In the EUCB function, the cost ratio between high- and low-fidelity models and the sampling density are considered. Moreover, the EUCB function is extended to handle constrained robust design optimization problems by combining the probability of feasibility. The performance of the proposed approach is verified using two analytical examples and an engineering case. Results show that the proposed sequential approach is more efficient than the one-shot sampling method for robust design optimization problems.
Difficult diagnosis of factitious disorder
Authors: Khalil Ali A , Torbey Julien , Akoury-Dirani Leila , Alameddine Ramzi M
Published: July 2022

Factitious disorder imposed on another, or medical child abuse, has been rarely reported to have primary ocular presentations. We report an unusual and difficult diagnosis of factitious disorder imposed by a mother on her infant resulting in bilateral blindness. An infant was referred with a history of recurrent periorbital cellulitis and sanguineous discharge associated with seizure-like episodes. Symptoms have been going on for more than 14 months, and child had been treated by different physicians from different specialties without a clear ophthalmic diagnosis. The right eye was previously enucleated at an outside hospital for secondary complications of similar symptoms. He was admitted for exhaustive diagnostic tests and multiple surgical treatments, and his hospital stay was complicated with multiple corneal perforations and apnoeic episodes despite optimal treatment. After suspicion of factitious disease, continuous electroencephalography and video monitoring revealed evidence of the mother inflicting physical harm to her child.
Rapunzel syndrome complicated with pancreatitis, intussusception and intestinal perforation
Authors: Abourazzak Sana , Jerrar Ilias Oulidi , Lakhdar Idrissi Mounia , Hida Moustapha
Published: July 2022

We report a case of a 4-year-old girl with limited financial resources, a background history marked by chronic abdominal discomfort and a positiveHelicobacter pyloristool antigen test. The child presented with pallor, striking epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting. Blood tests reported high serum lipase levels. Investigations showed proof of nodular gastritis, intussusception and mild acute pancreatitis. The surgical procedure revealed Rapunzel syndrome complicated with intussusception and intestinal perforation, successfully treated. The postoperative course went uncomplicated.
Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubiiseptic arthritis in an immunocompromised patient on haemodialysis with history of splenectomy and sarcoidosis
Authors: Alobaidi Demah , Mahgoub Abdullahi Elsheikh , Bachuwa Ghassan , Osterholzer Danielle
Published: July 2022

A male adult in his mid-40s with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis, with history of splenectomy and sarcoidosis, developed septic arthritis of the knee. Excision and drainage was performed and empiric antibiotics were initiated. Cultures were initially negative without clinical improvement. Eventually, the aerobic synovial fluid culture grewCryptococcus neoformans(formerlyCryptococcus neoformans var. grubii). The patient was treated with liposomal amphotericin B and then switched to fluconazole until the infection resolved. This case highlights the less well-recognised association between cryptococcal arthritis and immunodeficiency states like ESRD, splenectomy and sarcoidosis.
Topographic changes in contralateral eye of a case of Terrien’s marginal degeneration
Authors: Nahata Harshita , Nagaraja Harsha , Shetty Rohit
Published: July 2022

A woman in her late twenties presented with blurring of vision in the right eye for 6 years. Retinoscopy showed a scissoring reflex in the right eye with best spectacle-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination of the right eye showed superior crescentic thinning with conjunctivalisation and lipid deposition while the left eye was normal. Corneal topography of the right eye showed inverse crab-claw pattern suggestive of Terrien’s marginal degeneration (TMD) and the left eye showed inferior steepening with posterior elevation and thinning suggestive of keratoconus-like topography. This case shows that evaluation of the other apparently normal eye with 20/20 vision might show changes on topography in cases of unilateral TMD and needs follow-up to assess any further progression.
Delayed mechanical thrombectomy after systemic thrombolysis in massive unilateral pulmonary thromboembolism
Authors: Vasan Amit Singh , Hosur Bharat , Sharma Munish , Garg Yadvir
Published: July 2022

Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) remains the third leading cause of cardiovascular death, after a heart attack and stroke. Haemodynamically unstable PTE (previously called high-risk or massive) is one of the dreaded conditions commonly found in people working in high-altitude areas. Due to the individual variations in clot characteristics and the haemodynamics, these patients offer unique therapeutic challenges by delay in access to tertiary care, being recalcitrant to the systemic thrombolysis as well as complete recanalisation by endovascular thrombectomy. We present a rare case of haemodynamically unstable right pulmonary trunk occlusion with delayed presentation and sustained right ventricular strain despite systemic thrombolysis, managed successfully by catheter-directed thrombectomy. Despite the partial recanalisation of only the right inferior pulmonary artery branches and persistent superior branch occlusion, there was an immediate clinical benefit and no recurrence of symptoms with maintenance therapy of newer oral anticoagulants.
Charting current evidence on the health and non-health benefits and equity impacts of pandemic/epidemic individual-level economic relief programmes: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Ogunbameru Adeteju , Perryman Adrianna , Gebretekle Gebremedhin Beedemariam , Farrell Ashley , Sander Beate
Published: July 2022

Introduction

The emergence of a regional or global scale infectious disease outbreak often requires the implementation of economic relief programmes in affected jurisdictions to sustain societal welfare and, presumably, population health. While economic relief programmes are considered essential during a regional or global health crisis, there is no clear consensus in the literature about their health and non-health benefits and their impact on promoting equity. Thus, our objective is to map the current state of the literature with respect to the types of individual-level economic relief programmes implemented during infectious disease outbreaks and the impact of these programmes on the effectiveness of public health measures, individual and population health, non-health benefits and equity.

Methods and analysis

Our scoping review is guided by the updated Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework. Eligible studies will be identified in eight electronic databases and grey literature using text words and subject headings of the different pandemic and epidemic infectious diseases that have occurred, and economic relief programmes. Title and abstract screening and full-text screening will be conducted independently by two trained study reviewers. Data will be extracted using a pretested data extraction form. The charting of the key findings will follow a thematic narrative approach. Our review findings will provide in-depth knowledge on whether and how benefits associated with pandemic/epidemic individual-level economic relief programmes differ across social determinants of health factors.

This information is critical for decision-makers as they seek to understand the role of pandemic/epidemic economic mitigation strategies to mitigate the health impact and reduce inequity gap.

Ethics and dissemination

Since the scoping review methodology aims to synthesise evidence from literature, this review does not require ethical approval. Findings of our review will be disseminated to health stakeholders at policy meetings and conferences; published in a peer-review scientific journal; and disseminated on various social media platforms.
Experiences and outcomes of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller women in pregnancy: a scoping review protocol
Authors: O’Brien Maggie , Dempsey Brendan , Higgins Mary
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are subjected to a specific form of racism fuelled by deep-seated prejudice and stereotypes. These groups have historically been the victims of school segregation, forced assimilation policies, hate speech and hate crimes.

Persecution and displacement have resulted in high rates of unemployment, reduced access to education and poorer health in general, which places these groups at significantly increased risk of poverty. In pregnancy, they are at increased risk of adverse obstetric outcomes. There is a gap in the literature surrounding the experiences and outcomes of pregnant women within this group. A scoping review was chosen as the appropriate methodology to identify what is known about the experiences and outcomes of pregnant women in these communities.

Methods and Analysis

The Levac et al guideline on conducting a scoping review will be followed. This six-step approach includes identification of the research question, identification of relevant studies, selection of studies, charting of data, summary of results and consultation with experiential experts. A comprehensive search of the following electronic databases from 1980 to 2021 will be conducted: CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science. Relevant grey literature and reference lists will also be searched. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) tool will be used.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was not required for this protocol as all literature within this scoping review are publicly available. To facilitate dissemination of findings, the research team will present the findings to key stakeholders working with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
Effectiveness of physical activity counselling provided for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary healthcare in North Karelia, Finland: a register-based evaluation study
Authors: Martiskainen Tuula Marketta , Lamidi Marja-Leena , Venojärvi Mika , Tikkanen Heikki , Laatikainen Tiina
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Physical activity (PA) plays a significant role in the treatment of type two diabetes (T2D). This study evaluated the effectiveness of PA counselling in primary healthcare (PHC) on clinical outcome measures in patients with T2D, comparing them with a registry-based controls.

Setting

The study was carried out in North Karelia, Finland, among PHC clients who have been diagnosed with T2D in 2016–2018.

Participants

The study population consisted of patients aged 19–87 years diagnosed with T2D (n=1803). Altogether 546 patients were referred to the PA educator of whom 521 participated the counselling. In totally 1382 sex, age, time of diagnosis and intervention time-matched controls were used to see the effect of intervention.

Interventions

Patients with T2D followed up in PHC were offered to participate in PA counselling provided by trained PA educators. The number of counselling sessions and their content were tailored according to patients needs and willingness to participate. To assess the effects of PA to management of T2D clinical outcome measures such as weight and Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and lipid levels were assessed using data from electronic patient records. Each patient was followed up from records at least for a year.

Results

Weight and body mass index (BMI) decreased in both groups and mean yearly changes did not differ between the groups. HbA1c levels declined in the intervention and increased in the control group with statistically significant difference in the mean yearly change between the groups (p=0.001). The low-density lipoprotein declined in both groups. The decline was bigger in the intervention group, but the difference did not quite reach the statistical significance (p=0.096).

Conclusions

This study shows that PA counselling in PHC offers significant benefits in the treatment outcomes of T2D although no significant declines were not observed in the weight or BMI.
Frailty in COPD: an analysis of prevalence and clinical impact using UK Biobank
Authors: Hanlon Peter , Lewsey James , Quint Jennifer K , Jani Bhautesh D , Nicholl Barbara I , McAllister David A , Mair Frances S
Published: July 2022

Background

Frailty, a state of reduced physiological reserve, is common in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Frailty can occur at any age; however, the implications in younger people (eg, aged <65 years) with COPD are unclear. We assessed the prevalence of frailty in UK Biobank participants with COPD; explored relationships between frailty and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and quantified the association between frailty and adverse outcomes.

Methods

UK Biobank participants (n=3132, recruited 2006–2010) with COPD aged 40–70 years were analysed comparing two frailty measures (frailty phenotype and frailty index) at baseline. Relationship with FEV1 was assessed for each measure. Outcomes were mortality, major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), all-cause hospitalisation, hospitalisation with COPD exacerbation and community COPD exacerbation over 8 years of follow-up.

Results

Frailty was common by both definitions (17% frail using frailty phenotype, 28% moderate and 4% severely frail using frailty index). The frailty phenotype, but not the frailty index, was associated with lower FEV1. Frailty phenotype (frail vs robust) was associated with mortality (HR 2.33; 95% CI 1.84 to 2.96), MACE (2.73; 1.66 to 4.49), hospitalisation (incidence rate ratio 3.39; 2.77 to 4.14) hospitalised exacerbation (5.19; 3.80 to 7.09) and community exacerbation (2.15; 1.81 to 2.54), as was frailty index (severe vs robust) (mortality (2.65; 95% CI 1.75 to 4.02), MACE (6.76; 2.68 to 17.04), hospitalisation (3.69; 2.52 to 5.42), hospitalised exacerbation (4.26; 2.37 to 7.68) and community exacerbation (2.39; 1.74 to 3.28)). These relationships were similar before and after adjustment for FEV1.

Conclusion

Frailty, regardless of age or measure, identifies people with COPD at risk of adverse clinical outcomes. Frailty assessment may aid risk stratification and guide-targeted intervention in COPD and should not be limited to people aged >65 years.
Genetic variation inTERTmodifies the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in alcohol-related cirrhosis: results from a genome-wide case-control study
Authors: Buch Stephan , Innes Hamish , Lutz Philipp Ludwig , Nischalke Hans Dieter , Marquardt Jens U , Fischer Janett , Weiss Karl Heinz , Rosendahl Jonas , Marot Astrid , Krawczyk Marcin , Casper Markus , Lammert Frank , Eyer Florian , Vogel Arndt , Marhenke Silke , von Felden Johann , Sharma Rohini , Atkinson Stephen Rahul , McQuillin Andrew , Nattermann Jacob , Schafmayer Clemens , Franke Andre , Strassburg Christian , Rietschel Marcella , Altmann Heidi , Sulk Stefan , Thangapandi Veera Raghavan , Brosch Mario , Lackner Carolin , Stauber Rudolf E , Canbay Ali , Link Alexander , Reiberger Thomas , Mandorfer Mattias , Semmler Georg , Scheiner Bernhard , Datz Christian , Romeo Stefano , Ginanni Corradini Stefano , Irving William Lucien , Morling Joanne R , Guha Indra Neil , Barnes Eleanor , Ansari M Azim , Quistrebert Jocelyn , Valenti Luca , Müller Sascha A , Morgan Marsha Yvonne , Dufour Jean-François , Trebicka Jonel , Berg Thomas , Deltenre Pierre , Mueller Sebastian , Hampe Jochen , Stickel Felix
Published: July 2022

Objective

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often develops in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis at an annual risk of up to 2.5%. Some host genetic risk factors have been identified but do not account for the majority of the variance in occurrence. This study aimed to identify novel susceptibility loci for the development of HCC in people with alcohol related cirrhosis.

Design

Patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis and HCC (cases: n=1214) and controls without HCC (n=1866), recruited from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the UK, were included in a two-stage genome-wide association study using a case–control design. A validation cohort of 1520 people misusing alcohol but with no evidence of liver disease was included to control for possible association effects with alcohol misuse. Genotyping was performed using the InfiniumGlobal Screening Array (V.24v2, Illumina) and the OmniExpress Array (V.24v1-0a, Illumina).

Results

Associations with variants rs738409 inPNPLA3and rs58542926 inTM6SF2previously associated with an increased risk of HCC in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis were confirmed at genome-wide significance. A novel locus rs2242652(A) inTERT(telomerase reverse transcriptase) was also associated with a decreased risk of HCC, in the combined meta-analysis, at genome-wide significance (p=6.41×10−9, OR=0.61 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.70). This protective association remained significant after correction for sex, age, body mass index and type 2 diabetes (p=7.94×10−5, OR=0.63 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.79). Carriage of rs2242652(A) inTERTwas associated with an increased leucocyte telomere length (p=2.12×10−44).

Conclusion

This study identifies rs2242652 inTERTas a novel protective factor for HCC in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis.
Microplastics in Arctic invertebrates: status on occurrence and recommendations for future monitoring
Authors: Grøsvik Bjørn Einar , Granberg Maria E. , Kögel Tanja , Lusher Amy L. , Gomiero Alessio , Halldorsson Halldor P. , Madsen Alexander Klevedal , Baak Julia E. , Guls Hermann Dreki , Magnusson Kerstin
Published: July 2022

Few studies have been published on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics (MPs) in invertebrates from the Arctic. We still need to develop harmonized methods to enable good comparison between studies taking into account recovery rates, size ranges, shapes, and polymer types. Here, we review studies on MPs in invertebrates from the Arctic and present suggestions on sampling protocols and potential indicator species. Since information on MPs in Arctic invertebrates is vastly lacking, we recommend to at least include suspension feeding bivalves like mussels in monitoring programmes to function as indicator species in the Arctic. Mussels have also been suggested as indicator species for MP monitoring in coastal regions further south. Although we recognize the challenge with particle selection and egestion in mussels as well as the relatively low concentrations of MPs in Arctic waters, uptake levels seem to represent recent exposures. More research is needed to understand these selection processes and how they affect the bioaccumulation processes. Future research should include studies on whether different functional groups of invertebrates have different exposures to MPs, e.g., if there are differences between sessile versus motile species or different feeding strategies. More knowledge on monitoring strategies for pelagic and benthic species is needed.
Monitoring of microplastic pollution in the Arctic: recent developments in polymer identification, quality assurance and control, and data reporting
Authors: Primpke Sebastian , Booth Andy M. , Gerdts Gunnar , Gomiero Alessio , Kögel Tanja , Lusher Amy , Strand Jakob , Scholz-Böttcher Barbara M. , Galgani Francois , Provencher Jennifer , Aliani Stefano , Patankar Shreyas , Vorkamp Katrin
Published: July 2022

The pollution of the environment with plastics is of growing concern worldwide, including the Arctic region. While larger plastic pieces are a visible pollution issue, smaller microplastics are not visible with the naked eye. These particles are available for interaction by Arctic biota and have become a concern for animal and human health. The determination of microplastic properties includes several methodological steps, i.e., sampling, extraction, quantification, and chemical identification. This review discusses suitable analytical tools for the identification, quantification, and characterization of microplastics in the context of monitoring in the Arctic. It further addresses quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), which is particularly important for the determination of microplastic in the Arctic, as both contamination and analyte losses can occur. It presents specific QA/QC measures for sampling procedures and for the handling of samples in the laboratory, either on land or on ship, and considering the small size of microplastics as well as the high risk of contamination. The review depicts which data should be mandatory to report, thereby supporting a framework for harmonized data reporting.
Ultralow-frequency seismic sounding of railway subgrade state by passing trains
Authors: Antonovskaya Galina N. , Orlova Irina P. , Kapustian Natalia K.
Published: July 2022

The degradation of the railway subgrade is a common cause for train accidents in Russia because of the extensive railway system and large areas of weak soils. We present a seismic monitoring technique that utilizes moving trains as signal sources to probe the properties of the subgrade. The broadband (periods up to 100 s) seismic sensors recorded signals over several weeks during a nonstop monitoring experiment. The large statistic allows us to identify the signals properties, and thus these signals are processed by an automated system. We defined the parameters of the low-frequency signal generated by a passing train that are sensitive to changes in the subgrade state. These are the ratio of amplitudes of horizontal components, and the time interval between the end of the train passage and the maximum amplitude surge in the component transversal to rails. We propose an analytical model to describe the interaction between a moving train and the subgrade that takes into consideration the viscosity of a substrate layer. The application of this model produces a consistent explanation of processes in the media and enables an “in situ” estimation of soil elasticity and viscosity, caused by seasonal thawing.
Personality in hatchery Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is associated with growth but not metabolic rate or performance
Authors: Church Kathleen D.W. , Nguyen-Dang Lida , Neff Bryan D. , Semeniuk Christina A.D.
Published: July 2022

The pace of life hypothesis (POLS) predicts that personality traits, like activity and boldness, are positively correlated with growth and metabolism. Here, we assess whether personality could predict body mass, metabolic rate, and performance under stress for hatchery-raised Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) 15 months post fertilization. Personality was evaluated for individual fish using a series of repeated trials alongside two stressful events (PIT tagging, simulated transport), to determine performance under stress. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) was then assessed via intermittent flow respirometry, and the relationships between personality, body mass, performance, and SMR were evaluated. Fish displayed repeatable behaviours, but not in accordance with POLS hypothesis. Smaller fish were more active and responsive to stimuli, while personality was not associated with SMR. Although smaller fish and fish with higher SMR both performed better under stress, body mass was unrelated to SMR. We discuss the utility of supporting the occurrence of a wider range of growth rates and body sizes in hatchery environments, as a means of promoting greater stress tolerance as well as faster growth.
Comparison of supervised and unsupervised anomaly detection in Belle II pixel detector data
Authors: Dort Katharina , Bilk Johannes , Käs Stepahnie , Lange Jens Sören , Peter Marvin , Schellhaas Timo , Schwenker Benjamin , Spruck Björn
Published: July 2022

Machine learning has become a popular instrument for the search of undiscovered particles and mechanisms at particle collider experiments. It enables the investigation of large datasets and is therefore suitable to operate directly on minimally-processed data coming from the detector instead of reconstructed objects. Here, we study patterns of raw pixel hits recorded by the Belle II pixel detector, that is operational since 2019 and presently features 4 M pixels and trigger rates up to 5 kHz. In particular, we focus on unsupervised techniques that operate without the need for a theoretical model. These model-agnostic approaches allow for an unbiased exploration of data while filtering out anomalous detector signatures that could hint at new physics scenarios. We present the identification of hypothetical magnetic monopoles against Belle II beam background using self-organizing kohonen maps and autoencoders. These two unsupervised algorithms are compared to a Multilayer Perceptron and a superior signal efficiency of the Autoencoder is found at high background-rejection levels. Our results strengthen the case for using unsupervised machine learning techniques to complement traditional search strategies at particle colliders and pave the way to potential online applications of the algorithms in the near future.
Theoretical investigation of thermal analysis in aluminum and titanium alloys filled in nanofluid through a square cavity having the uniform thermal condition
Authors: Nazir M. Waqas , Javed Tariq , Ali Nasir , Nazeer Mubbashar , Khan M. Ijaz
Published: July 2022

The enhancement of the heat transfer of fluids is a very important task in engineering and technology which can be accomplished through the hybrid nanoparticles. In this theoretical investigation, the natural convection flow of nanoliquid through a square container is examined under the impacts of thermal boundary conditions. The considered nanoliquid is a combination of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V (class of titanium) and aluminum alloy AA7075 (class of aluminum) nanoparticles and water as a base fluid. Aluminum alloys are commonly used in household wiring and manufacturing of wheels, etc. The titanium alloy Ti6Al4V is commonly acknowledged as the “workhorse” of titanium which is extensively used in aerospace and biomedical engineering. The mathematical model is developed in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations and later transformed into dimensionless form. The resultant dimensionless set of equations is simulated numerically by using the eminent finite element method (FEM). The iterative Newton’s Raphson method is used to get the optimal solutions. The stream function and temperature contours are displayed against the Rayleigh number and nanoparticle volume friction. The variation of local and average Nusselt numbers is also plotted. The outcomes revealed that water-based titanium alloy is the best choice to enhance the heat transfer rate in the cavity. The results obtained in this investigation are very important in engineering research, academic, and discussion about the heat transfer analysis with these two types of alloy nanoparticles inside the cavity flows.
Sintering parameters influence on dielectric properties of modified nano-BaTiO3 ceramics
Authors: Stajcic Aleksandar , Stajcic Ivana , Mitic Vojislav V. , Lu Chun-An , Vlahovic Branislav , Vasiljevic-Radovic Dana
Published: July 2022

BaTiO3 (BTO) is considered the most commonly used ceramic material in multilayer ceramic capacitors due to its desirable dielectric properties. Considering that the miniaturization of electronic devices represents an expanding field of research, modification of BTO has been performed to increase dielectric constant and DC bias characteristic/sensitivity. This research presents the effect of N2 and air atmospheres on morphological and dielectric properties of BTO nanoparticles modified with organometallic salt at sintering temperatures of [Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text]C, [Formula: see text]C, and [Formula: see text]C. Measured dielectric constants were up to 35,000, with achieved very high values in both atmospheres. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) was used for morphological characterization, revealing a porous structure in all the samples. The software image analysis of FESEM images showed a connection between particle and pore size distribution, as well as porosity. Based on the data from the image analysis, the prediction of dielectric properties in relation to morphology indicated that yttrium-based organometallic salt reduced oxygen vacancy generation in N2 atmosphere. DC bias sensitivity measurements showed that samples with higher dielectric constant had more pronounced sensitivity to voltage change, but most of the samples were stable up to 100 V, making our modified BTO a promising candidate for capacitors.
Learning Pixel Affinity Pyramid for Arbitrary-Shaped Text Detection
Authors: Fu Zilong , Xie Hongtao , Fang Shancheng , Wang Yuxin , Xing Mengting , Zhang Yongdong
Published: July 2022

Arbitrary-shaped text detection in natural images is a challenging task due to the complexity of the background and the diversity of text properties. The difficulty lies in two aspects: accurate separation of adjacent texts and sufficient text feature representation. To handle these problems, we consider text detection as instance segmentation and propose a novel text detection framework, which jointly learns semantic segmentation and a pixel affinity pyramid in a unified fully convolutional network. Specifically, the pixel affinity pyramid is proposed to encode multi-scale instance affiliation relationships of pixels, which is not only robust to varying shapes of text but also provides an accurate boundary description for separating closely located texts. In the inference phase, a simple but effective post-processing is presented to reconstruct text instances from the semantic segmentation results under the guidance of the learned pixel affinity pyramid, achieving good accuracy and efficiency. Furthermore, to enhance the representation of text features in the neural network, two modules — the Region Enhancement Module (REM) and Attentional Fusion Module (AFM) — are proposed. The REM models the semantic correlations of regional features to enhance the features from the text area, which effectively suppresses false-positive detection. The AFM adaptively fuses multi-scale textual information through an attention mechanism to obtain abundant text semantic features, which benefits multi-sized text detection. Extensive ablation experiments are conducted demonstrating the effectiveness of the REM and AFM. Evaluation results on standard benchmarks, including Total-Text, ICDAR2015, SCUT-CTW1500, and MSRA-TD500, show that our method surpasses most existing text detectors and achieves state-of-the-art performance, denoting its superior capability in detecting arbitrary-shaped texts.
Creating Word Paintings Jointly Considering Semantics, Attention, and Aesthetics
Authors: Zhang Junsong , Yang Zuyi , Jin Linchengyu , Lu Zhitang , Yu Jinhui
Published: July 2022

In this article, we present a content-aware method for generating a word painting. Word painting is a composite artwork made from the assemblage of words extracted from a given text, which carries similar semantics and visual features to a given source image. However, word painting, usually created by skilled artists, involves tedious manual processes, especially when generating streamlines and laying out text. Hence, we provide an easy method to create word paintings for users. How to design textural layout that simultaneously conveys the input image and enables easy access to the semantic theme is the key challenge to generating a visually pleasing word painting. To address this issue, given an image and its content-related text, we first decompose the input image into several regions and approximate each region with a smooth vector field. At the same time, by analyzing the input text, we extract some weighted keywords as the graphic elements. Then, to measure the likelihood of positions in the input image that attract the observers’ attention, we generate a saliency map with our trained visual attention model. Finally, jointly considering visual attention and aesthetic rules, we propose an energy-based optimization framework to arrange extracted keywords into the decomposed regions and synthesize a word painting. Experimental results and user studies show that this method is able to generate a fashionable and appealing word painting.
EXPERTISE: An Effective Software-level Redundant Multithreading Scheme against Hardware Faults
Authors: So Hwisoo , Didehban Moslem , Ko Yohan , Shrivastava Aviral , Lee Kyoungwoo
Published: July 2022

Error resilience is the primary design concern for safety- and mission-critical applications.
Redundant MultiThreading (RMT)
is one of the most promising soft and hard error resilience strategies because it does not require additional hardware modification. While the state-of-the-art software RMT scheme can achieve a high degree of error protection, our detailed investigation revealed that it suffers from performance overhead and insufficient fault coverage. This paper proposes EXPERTISE, a compiler-level RMT scheme that can detect the manifestation of hardware faults in all processor components. EXPERTISE transformation generates a checker-thread for the main execution thread. These redundant threads are executed simultaneously on two physically different cores of a multicore processor and perform almost the same computations. After each memory write operation is committed by the main-thread, the checker-thread loads back the written data from the memory and checks it against its own locally computed values. If they match, the execution continues. Otherwise, the error flag is raised. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, we performed soft and hard error injection experiments on all the different hardware components of an ARM Cortex53-like μ-architecturally simulated microprocessor. Based on statistical fault injection campaigns, we have found that EXPERTISE provides  188× better fault coverage with 27% faster performance as compared to the state-of-the-art scheme.