bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GPR Image Retrieval and Localization Based on Spatial Prior Constraints
Authors: Bi Beizhen , Chen Yuwei , Shen Liang , Zhang Pengyu , Huang Xiaotao , Jin Tian
Published: November 2024

Localizing Ground Penetrating Radar (LGPR) offers the distinct advantage of being unaffected by weather and light conditions changes. As a novel auxiliary driving localizing system, LGPR enhances the robustness of the auto-drive system. Traditional ground penetrating radar localizing technologies rely heavily on high-quality map data, exhibiting optimal performance in environments with complete, high-precision maps. However, deviations from the mapped trajectory can compromise localization accuracy. We introduce a novel approach: a ground penetrating radar image retrieval and localization method based on spatial prior constraints of array antennas to address this challenge. This method aims to mitigate mismatches in ground penetrating radar navigation and localization encountered under incomplete map coverage. We performed a comparative analysis with the LGPR baseline and then validated them experimentally on our dataset. The results show that the proposed method achieved significant enhancement in accuracy. In particular, the superiority of the proposed method is demonstrated in low overlap GPR image matching and localisation.
Enhanced Scoring Instance Segmentation Network for Subsurface Targets Recognition from GPR B-Scans
Authors: Hou Feifei , Yin Xue , Liu Hai , Qiao Boxuan
Published: November 2024

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a non-destructive technique used for detecting subsurface structure and space. However, the interpretation of field GPR data is quite labour-intensive and time-consuming. This paper develops a deep learning-based approach for the detection and segmentation of subsurface targets based on GPR data. Since existing deep learning methods do not always accurately reflect the true quality of segmentation masks and exhibit locality when handling details in complex scenes, the proposed method employs the Mask Scoring R-CNN (MS R-CNN) framework as its primary framework and makes additional modifications to its backbone and neck architecture. Experimental results on GPR bridge dataset show notable improvements in loss metrics, segmentation accuracy, and bounding box precision. These enhancements have effectively reduced overall losses and enhanced the performance of Average Precision index of the enhanced MS R-CNN, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach in the accurate identification of underground objects under complex environments.
A holographic subsurface imaging radar with high plane resolution: principle and application
Authors: Zhihua He , Tao Liu , Xiaoji Song , Cheng Chen , Guanghu Jin , Chunlin Huang , Yi Su
Published: November 2024

Holographic subsurface imaging radar uses the penetration of electromagnetic waves into non-metallic media to detect and image the interior of the media, which can intuitively reflect the structure and abnormal distribution of objects in the media in the form of images. By adopting the design methods of integrated radar RF front-end, fast high-density spatial sampling and autofocus imaging processing, a holographic subsurface imaging radar with high plane resolution is realized. The system weighs only 2.5 kg and achieves a plane resolution of 2.5mm, which has high detection efficiency and high portability. The application tests of imaging resolution, penetration of different materials, penetration of biological tissues and non-destructive detection of materials were carried out, which verified the feasibility and effectiveness of the design scheme.
Research on ground penetrating radar and Muon detection method in Xixia Mausoleum
Authors: Lu Jiayu , An Baizhou , Bai Yadong , Zeng Zhaofa , Ren Xiufen , Zhou Shuai , Sun Boyang , Yan Zhaotao
Published: November 2024

Xixia Mausoleum is an important historical site in China, which has important research value and archaeological significance. Non-destructive detection technology is of great significance for the detection of Xixia Mausoleum and its surrounding architectural sites. In this paper, GPR and other methods were used in comprehensively archaeological exploration of Mausoleum No. 2. The mausoleum pagoda, central platform and underground in the mausoleum area showed obvious GPR abnormal characteristics which reflects the underground structure. For the mausoleum pagoda and the central platform, GPR and cosmic ray probe were used to image the density structure inside the mausoleum, and the range-ranging GPR was used to conduct regional detection in the mausoleum area and the external wall area to study the characteristics of the underground structure in this area. The solid loess body structure of the mausoleum pagoda and the central platform was found in this detection, and there were certain differences in underground structure between the inner and outer walls, which was inferred to be an unknown ancient building buried. The detection results will be combined with other geophysical methods and technologies in the future to complete the imaging of the internal structure characteristics of Xixia Mausoleum site, and provide innovative and reliable basis for the archaeological exploration of Xixia Mausoleum.
Spatiotemporal Localization of GPR Sequence Images With 3DResNet18
Authors: Hu Yuchen , Zhang Pengyu , Bi Beizhen , Chen Yuwei , Xin Qin , Huang Xiaotao
Published: November 2024

Localizing Ground Penetrating Radar can provide a reliable support for current autonomous navigation and localization. Based on the characteristics of ground penetrating radar images, sequence-based matching and localization can effectively improve the problem of a large number of mismatched candidates in single frame image matching. Convolutional neural network is a deep model that can act directly on the original input, 2D convolutional neural network mainly extracts spatial information, we use 3DResNet18 model to extract features from both spatial and temporal dimensions by 3D convolution, so as to capture information in multiple neighbouring frames, to generate multiple channels of information from input frames, and finally combine the information from all the channels together to get a high-level feature for matching. We use the model for localizing of ground penetrating radar sequence images and it achieves better performance compared to the baseline approach.
Experiment on Measuring Lake Ice Thickness Using a SFCW Ground Penetrating Radar System
Authors: Zheng Hongxing , Huang Chunlin , He Zhihua , Liu Tao , Song Xiaoji
Published: November 2024

To ensure transportation safety and for other purposes, it becomes necessary to measure the thickness of the ice layer on natural water bodies during winter. As an efficient and non-destructive subsurface detection tool, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) can achieve rapid and accurate measurements of ice thickness. For this experiment, we utilize a stepped frequency continuous wave (SFCW) GPR system based on a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) system to measure the thickness of ice layers. Additionally, based on the scenario of detecting ice layer structures with ground-penetrating radar, the formula for calculating the thickness of ice layers was revised to achieve more accurate measurements of ice thickness. Finally, we compared the calculated results with the ice thickness detection results from ice layer drilling experiments to verify the effectiveness of the system in detecting ice layer thickness.
A Ground Penetrating Radar Array Antenna Designed for Small Targets Detection
Authors: Shi Xinghua , Li Shaolong , Yin YueMeng , zhang Zhao
Published: November 2024

The detection of small targets, especially those made of non-metallic materials, presents significant challenges due to their small size and the difficulty of being detected by traditional metal detectors. Additionally, environmental factors and soil conditions further complicate their detection. Traditional Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) operate with a single-line detection method, resulting in a low number of scan lines and inefficient detection. This approach makes it difficult to generate slice images and can lead to high missed detection. A miniaturized GPR array antenna suitable for handheld and unmanned platforms has been developed. Utilizing a planar dipole antenna with multiple resistive and capacitive loading, a horizontal oblique polarization array comprising five transmitters and six receivers has been constructed, achieving dual-reception from a single transmission across ten channels, significantly improving upon the limitations of single antenna systems in terms of data volume and sampling interval. Experimental tests demonstrate that the designed system can successfully detect the echo signals of metallic and non-metallic small targets like buried up to 20 cm deep in typical soil conditions, and generate clear slice images, proving its capability for high-resolution imaging detection of shallow buried small targets.
A Comprehensive Detection and Evaluation Method for the Internal Health Status of Highways
Authors: Feng W Y , Cheng D D , Wang C H , Cheng X , Yin Y J , Geng H Y
Published: November 2024

It is necessary to regularly diagnose highway health status. The current evaluation system pays less attention to internal damages, which makes the evaluation results not comprehensive and accurate enough. Therefore, Multi frequency array ground penetrating radar and falling weight deflectometer are adopted to detect the thickness of structural layers, underground disease, and structural bearing capacity. Establish evaluation criteria, quantify and grade the detection results, comprehensively evaluate health status of highways. Experiment results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this method.
Accurate real-time ANN classification of cavities and utilities using 3D GPR data in the MFCC domain
Authors: Ogunbo J N , Baek S H , Kim S W
Published: November 2024

Real-time identification of serviceable utilities and cavities is critical for the safety of urban settlements because delay has been reportedly costly and destructive. For utilities, maintaining their integrity is the goal, while for cavity imaging, prevention or mitigation becomes the focus. Several existing research has recommended some methodology for classification of these utilities and cavities, but their approaches are either geometrically restrictive or cumbersome. We therefore present a practical methodology that provides accurate real-time classification of cavity, box, manhole, patch, and pipe. 3D GPR data is reshaped into 1D supertrace and a 2D mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFFC) feature are computed, serving as an input pattern, paired up with a utility class. The ANN is subsequently trained and tested during training to avoid overfitting of data. 99% model testing accuracy was achieved after 100 epochs, translating to only 3 misclassifications out of 1000 3D GPR data inputs used for computing a confusion matrix.
GPR circumferential survey line radius’s effect on shield machine tunnel look-ahead detection
Authors: Duan W , Xie X , Zhu T , Yang Y , Wu H , Pei Y
Published: November 2024

In southern cities of China shield machines often encounter obstacles such as large boulders in complex strata which may cause more abrasion to the shield machine’s cutterhead and even make the shield machine stuck. Therefore, it is important to know distribution of obstacles in front of excavation face in advance. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is an efficient and accurate detection method to ahead detect large boulders when GPR antennas are put in the cutter head. Synthetic simulations of GPR look-ahead detection are carried out based on finite difference time domain mothed. Antennas are put at two different radii of 4 meters and 7 meters within a 15-meter diameter cutter head. GPR response of boulders in various positions can be clearly found in B-scan images and effect of survey line radius is discussed. Reflection wave in circumferential survey line has continuous sinusoidal wave feature which is different from hyperbola curve feature in conditional straight survey line. The reflection waves of boulders in GPR B-scan images show same characteristics at two different radii of the survey line. Numerical simulation results provide evidences for GPR in accurate tunnel forward-looking detection in complex strata.
Antenna Comparison of Different Antennas in Through-Wall Radar Human Vital Signs Recognition
Authors: Liu Tieyu , Li Jing , Zeng Zhaofa , Liu Hai
Published: November 2024

Through wall radar (TWR) is an essential technology in the post-disaster rescue of buried individuals. The human vital signs analysis of breathing, heartbeat, and other periodic motions is the information used to identify and classify the human target. In the TWR system, selecting a suitable antenna and processing weak signals due to wall clutter and weak human vital signals is essential. In this abstract, we compare the performance of different antennas in TWR human vital feature recognition. We introduce a threshold pixel-connectivity signal processing method to locate the human body efficiently and accurately and extract the human respiratory frequency. The conclusion is that the Horn antenna has strong directionality, radiation energy, and a high resolution for recognizing the vital features of stationary human targets.
Analysis of characteristics of underground pipeline detection by co-polarization and cross-polarization of ground penetrating radar
Authors: Xu Zeshan , Xiao Min , Chen Jie
Published: November 2024

The polarization mode of ground penetrating radar includes co-polarization mode and cross-polarization mode. The co-polarization mode is more commonly used, mainly because of its good polarization matching effect and good detection effect, so the importance of cross-polarization is ignored. In order to achieve better detection effect in underground pipeline detection, this paper compares the co-polarization and cross-polarization experiments, The results show that when the surface roughness of the pipeline is low, the detection effect of VV polarization of the co-polarization mode is better, and when the surface roughness of the pipeline is high, the detection effect of cross polarization mode is better.
Multi-frequency electromagnetic sensor for detecting NaCl concentration in water - experimental study
Authors: Wang Haoyu , Zeng Zhaofa , Li Zhilian
Published: November 2024

Clean water resources have become the focus of global attention. The rapid detection of water pollution and the rapid evaluation of NaCl content in water is an important evolution the quality of water or soil in environment and agriculture. The main method analysis the content in water or soil is based on laboratory chemical tests at present. In this paper, we used a method based on a non-uniform microwave sensor array to determine the concentration of NaCl in water. Based on the experiment data, empirical formulas obtained between the concentration of NaCl in water and different electromagnetic frequency which can be used for NaCl content estimation. The results of the study demonstrated the feasibility of microwave sensors in detecting chemical content in water, and as basic experiment for further study for water pollution.
Multi-sensor fusion estimation subject to random sensor failures under binary encoding scheme: A federated-filtering-based method
Authors: Li Na , Zou Lei , Wang Chenxi
Published: November 2024

This paper explores the issue of fusion estimation in multi-sensor systems experiencing random sensor failures via a binary coding scheme (BCS). The occurrence of sensor failures is modeled using random variables with predetermined probability distributions. To avert the potential signal distortions during network-based communication, the BCS is utilized to transform the measurement signals into bit strings. A novel federated-filtering-based fusion estimation approach is developed to obtain the desired state estimates. The optimal estimator parameters are achieved by solving a pair of recursive difference equations, taking into account the impacts of bit errors and probabilistic quantization. Additionally, the ultimate boundedness of the estimation error covariance for the fusion estimates is guaranteed by a sufficient condition that we establish. Finally, the utility of the introduced fusion estimation method is illustrated through a simulation example.
Do biodegradable plastics increase public acceptance of littering?
Authors: Dilkes-Hoffman Leela , Lant Paul , Ross Helen , Pratt Steven , Laycock Bronwyn
Published: November 2024

This study offers much-needed evidence in the debate over whether introducing biodegradable plastics could lead to increased public acceptance of littering. We show that there is validity to the concerns being raised but also that this outcome is not inevitable. We investigated perspectives on leaving conventional plastics, biodegradable plastics and paper in the natural environment, as part of a large-scale survey undertaken across four countries (the Netherlands, Australia, India and the Philippines, with over 1,000 respondents per country). The results show that opinions vary markedly between countries. In the Netherlands, more than 80% of respondents do not think it is okay to leave a food wrapper in the natural environment, regardless of the material it is made from, and responses are not influenced by beliefs regarding the persistence of different materials in the environment. It appears that the use of biodegradable plastics is unlikely to increase acceptance of littering in such a culture. In contrast, responses in India, the Philippines and Australia differ based on the type of material and by how long a respondent believes the material will last in the environment. So, the introduction of biodegradable plastics could increase acceptance of littering unless a general societal message that ‘no packaging belongs in the environment’ is communicated clearly.
How to supply more solar energy to reactive sites for highly efficient artificial photosynthesis
Authors: Takeda Yasuhiko , Morikawa Takeshi
Published: November 2024

Artificial photosynthesis mimics the function of natural photosynthesis, producing solar fuels from only CO2 and water using solar energy. Hence, it is a promising technology to reduce net CO2 emission. The first step of the artificial photosynthetic production is harvesting solar energy to supply energetic charge carriers, which is common to solar cells (SCs) used for solar photovoltaics. In this Review, we discuss the means to improve the efficiencies of the first step. The steadiest means is to split solar spectrum into plural ranges using plural light-absorbing materials with different bandgaps. Indeed, this means has been successfully applied to solar photovoltaics to realize highly efficient multijunction SCs. We review concrete implementations of the solar-spectrum splitting on the three types of the artificial photosynthetic devices: the combination of SCs and electrochemical reactors, photoelectrochemical reactors using photoelectrodes, and photocatalytic reactors. In particular, we highlight the similarities and differences in the design criteria between the artificial photosynthetic devices and SCs used for solar photovoltaics; the differences originate from that the former operates at a specific narrow voltage (or carrier energy) range slightly higher than the thermodynamic threshold of the target reaction whereas the latter at the maximal power (product of voltage and current) point. Application of new concepts originally developed for solar photovoltaics including photon upconversion, two-step excitation via intermediate bands, and hot-carrier extraction would be attractive, in particular for the photocatalysts to balance the high efficiency and simple configuration. Some of these concepts on the photocatalysts have been proven, however, not yet improved the performance. Thus, this Review serves as a guide for the strategies to supply more solar energy to the reactive sites. Technological developments based on these strategies could accelerate the practical and widespread use of artificial photosynthesis, contributing to solving the global warming problem.
Optimized ternary GNRFET-based n-trit full adder with redefined operators
Authors: Orouji Maedeh , Gholipour Morteza
Published: November 2024

Multi-valued logic (MVL), specifically three-level logic, has garnered the interest of digital system developers due to its potential benefits. MVL enables larger data representation using the same number of logic bits, resulting in smaller chip area requirements. The utilization of graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistors (GNRFET) in MVL circuit development holds considerable promise, primarily due to the ability to control threshold voltage through graphene nanoribbon (GNR) width manipulation. This study introduces a new design for logic operators, including a 3:1 multiplexer, ternary full-adder (TFA), and 4- and 8-trit ternary ripple carry adders (TRCA) using GNRFETs. This approach uses multiplexers as selection devices and operators as inputs to perform desired operation. We performed comparative analysis of GNRFET-based ternary multiplexers and adders, considering delay, power, and energy as evaluation metrics. The proposed TFA achieves 50.4% improvement in PDP compared to the studied ternary full adders. Moreover, the suggested TRCA scheme enhances PDP by at least 11.65%, compared to studied designs, employing multiplexers to select desired operators. The simulation and analysis were conducted using the HSPICE tool with a 32-nm GNRFET model.
Wake model selection in offshore wind energy: balancing efficiency and cost in Indian offshore wind farms
Authors: Anangapal Hari Bhaskaran , Victor Kirubakaran
Published: November 2024

This study addresses the critical need for efficient offshore wind energy utilization in India, focusing on the impact of different wake models on turbine performance and financial viability. By evaluating models such as TurbOPark and Deep Array Wake Loss (DAWL), we examined their effectiveness in predicting wake losses and optimizing turbine layouts in offshore subzones. The findings reveal that higher wind farm capacity densities lead to significant differences in performance across models. The TurbOPark model predicts the highest array losses, resulting in the lowest capacity utilization factors (CUF) and highest levelized cost of energy (LCoE), reflecting its conservative nature. In contrast, the Modified Park and Eddy Viscosity models consistently estimate lower array losses, leading to lower LCoE and reduced financial burdens on the government, particularly when LCoE is fixed. These results underscore the importance of selecting appropriate wake models that balance cost efficiency with accurate performance predictions. The study highlights the need for refining wake models with high-resolution data and complex environmental factors to optimize wind farm design and enhance energy production, especially in emerging markets like India.
Microstructure and mechanical performance of the YSZ/Al2O3 hybrid surface composite on AZ31 Mg alloy by friction stir processing
Authors: Mohankumar Ashokkumar , Packkirisamy Vignesh , Thirugnanasambandam Arunkumar
Published: November 2024

This study aims to fabricate the hybrid yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/Al2O3 surface composite on the AZ31 magnesium (Mg) alloy through friction stir processing (FSP). The base alloy center surface was turned to provide a 1 × 2 mm groove to fabricate the friction-stirred surface composite using the tapered cylindrical tool. The microstructural and mechanical behavior of the hybrid surface composite (FHSC) results were compared with the Al2O3-reinforced surface composite (FASC), the FSP-treated sample, and the base alloy. In terms of microhardness performance, the FHSC exhibits a 10% improvement over the FASC, a 32% improvement over the FSP treated alloy, and a 95% improvement over the base alloy. Additional FHSC samples exhibit improved impact resistance of around 30% over the FASC, 81% over the FSP treatment, and 226% over the base alloy. Furthermore, FHSC samples outperform FASC by about 15%, FSP-treated alloys by 59%, and base alloys by 95% in terms of tensile strength augmentation. This is due to the synergistic effects of both Al2O3 and YSZ particles, which significantly strengthen the interfacial bonding between the matrix. This results in substantially enhanced interface adhesive behavior between the base alloy and ceramic particles and leads to enhanced mechanical characteristics.
CosGeneGate selects multi-functional and credible biomarkers for single-cell analysis
Authors: Liu Tianyu , Long Wenxin , Cao Zhiyuan , Wang Yuge , He Chuan Hua , Zhang Le , Strittmatter Stephen M , Zhao Hongyu
Published: November 2024

Motivation: Selecting representative genes or marker genes to distinguish cell types is an important task in single-cell sequencing analysis. Although many methods have been proposed to select marker genes, the genes selected may have redundancy and/or do not show cell-type-specific expression patterns to distinguish cell types. Results: Here, we present a novel model, named CosGeneGate, to select marker genes for more effective marker selections. CosGeneGate is inspired by combining the advantages of selecting marker genes based on both cell-type classification accuracy and marker gene specific expression patterns. We demonstrate the better performance of the marker genes selected by CosGeneGate for various downstream analyses than the existing methods with both public datasets and newly sequenced datasets. The non-redundant marker genes identified by CosGeneGate for major cell types and tissues in human can be found at the website as follows: https://github.com/VivLon/CosGeneGate/blob/main/marker gene list.xlsx.
iHDSel software: The price equation and the population stability index to detect genomic patterns compatible with selective sweeps. An example with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Carvajal-Rodríguez Antonio
Published: November 2024

A large number of methods have been developed and continue to evolve for detecting the signatures of selective sweeps in genomes. Significant advances have been made, including the combination of different statistical strategies and the incorporation of artificial intelligence (machine learning) methods. Despite these advances, several common problems persist, such as the unknown null distribution of the statistics used, necessitating simulations and resampling to assign significance to the statistics. Additionally, it is not always clear how deviations from the specific assumptions of each method might affect the results. In this work, allelic classes of haplotypes are used along with the informational interpretation of the Price equation to design a statistic with a known distribution that can detect genomic patterns caused by selective sweeps. The statistic consists of Jeffreys divergence, also known as the population stability index, applied to the distribution of allelic classes of haplotypes in two samples. Results with simulated data show optimal performance of the statistic in detecting divergent selection. Analysis of real severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genome data also shows that some of the sites playing key roles in the virus’s fitness and immune escape capability are detected by the method. The new statistic, called JHAC, is incorporated into the iHDSel (informed HacDivSel) software available at https://acraaj.webs.uvigo.es/iHDSel.html.
Linking molecular mechanisms to their evolutionary consequences: a primer
Authors: Grah Rok , Guet Calin C , Tkačik Gasper , Lagator Mato
Published: November 2024

A major obstacle to predictive understanding of evolution stems from the complexity of biological systems, which prevents detailed characterization of key evolutionary properties. Here, we highlight some of the major sources of complexity that arise when relating molecular mechanisms to their evolutionary consequences and ask whether accounting for every mechanistic detail is important to accurately predict evolutionary outcomes. To do this, we developed a mechanistic model of a bacterial promoter regulated by 2 proteins, allowing us to connect any promoter genotype to 6 phenotypes that capture the dynamics of gene expression following an environmental switch. Accounting for the mechanisms that govern how this system works enabled us to provide an in-depth picture of how regulated bacterial promoters might evolve. More importantly, we used the model to explore which factors that contribute to the complexity of this system are essential for understanding its evolution, and which can be simplified without information loss. We found that several key evolutionary properties—the distribution of phenotypic and fitness effects of mutations, the evolutionary trajectories during selection for regulation—can be accurately captured without accounting for all, or even most, parameters of the system. Our findings point to the need for a mechanistic approach to studying evolution, as it enables tackling biological complexity and in doing so improves the ability to predict evolutionary outcomes.
Combined genomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses provide insights into the fruit development of bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)
Authors: He Xuelian , Zheng Yanyan , Yang Songguang , Wang Ying , Lin Yu’e , Jiang Biao , Xie Dasen , Liu Wenrui , Peng Qingwu , Zuo Jinhua , Wang Min
Published: November 2024

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl) is a widely distributed Cucurbitaceae species, but gaps and low-quality assemblies have limited its genomic study. To address this, we assembled a nearly complete, high-quality genome of the bottle gourd (Pugua) using PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C correction. The genome, being 298.67 Mb long with a ContigN50 of 28.55 Mb, was identified to possess 11 chromosomes, 11 centromeres, 18 telomeres, and 24,439 predicted protein-coding genes; notably, gap-free telomere-to-telomere assembly was accomplished for seven chromosomes. Based on the Pugua genome, the transcriptomic and metabolomic combined analyses revealed that amino acids and lipids accumulate during the expansion stage, while sugars and terpenoids increase during ripening. GA4 and genes of the Aux/IAA family mediate fruit expansion and maturation, while cell wall remodeling is regulated by factors such as XTHs, EXPs, polyphenols, and alkaloids, contributing to environmental adaptation. GGAT2 was positively correlated with glutamate, a source of umami, and SUS5 and SPS4 expression aligned with sucrose accumulation. This study provides a valuable genetic resource for bottle gourd research, enhancing the understanding of Cucurbitaceae evolution and supporting further studies on bottle gourd development, quality, and genetic improvement.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness against hospitalizations in adults
Authors: Wong Bill Kang-Fai , Mabbott Neil A
Published: November 2024

Background

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2, and Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccines were central to the global pandemic control measures.

Methods

Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate their real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE). Our study focussed on those that reported the efficacy of these vaccines against COVID-19 hospitalization. Hospitalization was chosen as the primary outcome as it directly reflects the ability of the vaccine to prevent severe disease. A literature search was undertaken using Medline and Embase on 25 February 2024. From this, 50 studies out of 18,347 articles were included for further analysis.

Results

High VE against hospitalization was reported for both the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccines when used either as a primary vaccination series (2-dose) or following an additional booster dose (3-dose). Meta-analysis indicated that the pooled VE estimates for each of these vaccination protocols ranged from 84% to 86%, suggesting strong protectiveness. Our data also imply that booster doses can restore waning effectiveness, with no significant differences observed in VE between the 2-dose and 3-dose protocols. However, subgroup analysis revealed an association between the presence of the Omicron variant and a drop in VE, indicating that future emerging SARS-CoV-2 virus variants could similarly affect VE.

Conclusions

Our review underscores the importance of ongoing research to ensure vaccine strategies remain effective against evolving variants. Our study also identified the need for expanding data collection to include underrepresented populations.
Laparoscopic removal of a metallic foreign body embedded in the abdominal wall
Authors: Okuno Mizuki , Takasu Kaori , Goto Takamune , Yamaguchi Toshiyuki , Hayashi Masahiro
Published: November 2024

We report the laparoscopic removal of a foreign body that was embedded in the abdominal wall. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a foreign body in the abdominal wall being laparoscopically removed. A 27-year-old man working at a forging factory presented to our hospital with abdominal pain. He reported that three hours before presentation, a metal fragment came flying from an operating power hammer and penetrated his lower right abdomen. Abdominal CT revealed a 7 mm-sized radiopaque object near the peritoneum. The foreign body was successfully removed laparoscopically with real-time fluoroscopic guidance. Percutaneous removal is usually performed when a foreign body is present in the soft tissue; however, laparoscopic removal should be considered when the foreign body is located in the abdominal wall near the peritoneum. We provide principles for the safe and minimally invasive removal of foreign bodies based on this case.
Obturator nerve schwannoma: a case report and review of the robotic literature
Authors: Bayne Haley , Vuong Richard Q , Bal Shubhneet , West Jeffrey , Laibangyang Anya , Doo David
Published: November 2024

Obturator schwannomas are rare and often misdiagnosed as intraperitoneal pelvic masses. The optimal surgical approach for their resection is unclear. This study presents a case demonstrating the safe use of robotics for resecting a benign pelvic schwannoma and reviews the literature on robotic cases. Here, a 40-year-old woman with right lower quadrant pain underwent imaging, revealing a 4.6 × 3.3 × 3.6 cm pelvic mass. She had a robotic-assisted laparoscopic excision, with pathology confirming a benign schwannoma. Complete tumor resection is the gold standard. The use of minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery is increasing due to improved visualization, efficient movement, and safety, making it a viable option for resecting obturator schwannomas.
Exploring image–text combinations in visual humour through large language models (LLMs)
Authors: Soriano-Gonzalez Laura , Belda-Medina Jose
Published: November 2024

This article aims to advance the scholarly discourse on the linguistic capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by analysing how three different Large Language models (LLMs) approach visual humour. Specifically, it focuses on meme generation and interpretation, with an emphasis on image–text combinations. In the first section, three LLMs were prompted to generate accompanying text for ten preselected images. In the second section, they were prompted to analyse one hundred human-made memes. Results show that, despite a generally positive evaluation in humour detection, applying non-literal meaning remains a challenge, even for the best-performing AI models.
Evaluating the efficacy of radiotherapy in patients with embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Shah Harshal , Locke Evan , Henrich Mason , Anand Sidharth , Lozy Tara , DeNunzio Nicholas , Hanson Derek
Published: November 2024

Background

Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is a rare and deadly pediatric central nervous system tumor often seen before the age of 3. ETMR consists of embryonal tumors with abundant neuropil and true rosettes, ependymoblastoma, and medulloepithelioma. The 5-year survival rate has been reported to be between 0% and 30%. Treatment of ETMR is very unstandardized and typically consists of surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. A systematic review was performed to better understand treatment-related outcome trends.

Methods

The authors performed a PRISMA guidelines-based systematic review of the literature. Survival curve analysis using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate survival rates between 2 groups and multiple risk factors, respectively.

Results

The average survival time was 31.1 months in patients treated with radiotherapy compared to 11.2 months in patients who did not. Radiotherapy was a significant covariate on overall survival (P < .001) with an 82% lower risk of death compared to patients who did not receive radiotherapy. The average survival time for patients with focal radiotherapy was 35.8 months compared to 29.8 months in patients with CSI radiotherapy, but there was a great number of patients with pretreatment metastasis in the CSI group. In patients without pretreatment metastasis, focal radiotherapy had non-inferior outcomes for survival rates and times.

Conclusions

Patients treated with radiotherapy in addition to chemotherapy demonstrated a significantly higher survival time. For patients with no metastasis prior to treatment, focal radiotherapy should be strongly considered.
Two-dimensional Health State Map to define metabolic health using separated static and dynamic homeostasis features: a proof-of-concept study
Authors: Wu Yanpu , Zhang Xinyan , Sun Liang , Wu Qingqing , Liu Xiaoping , Deng Yueyi , Lu Zhenzhen , Li Zhongxia , Deng Chaoming , He Ruikun , Zhang Luyun , Zeng Rong , Zhang Xuguang , Chen Luonan , Lin Xu
Published: November 2024

Defining metabolic health is critical for the earlier reversing of metabolic dysfunction and disease, and fasting-based diagnosis may not adequately assess an individual's metabolic adaptivity under stress. We constructed a novel Health State Map (HSM) comprising a Health Phenotype Score (HPS) with fasting features alone and a Homeostatic Resilience Score (HRS) with five time-point features only (t = 30, 60, 90, 180, 240 min) following a standardized mixed macronutrient tolerance test (MMTT). Among 111 Chinese adults, when the same set of fasting and post-MMTT data as for the HSM was used, the mixed-score was highly correlated with the HPS. The HRS was significantly associated with metabolic syndrome prevalence, independently of the HPS (OR [95% CI]: 0.41 [0.18, 0.92]) and the mixed-score (0.34 [0.15, 0.69]). Moreover, the HRS could discriminate metabolic characteristics unseparated by the HPS and the mixed-score. Participants with higher HRSs had better metabolic traits than those with lower HRSs. Large interpersonal variations were also evidenced by evaluating postprandial homeostatic resiliencies for glucose, lipids and amino acids when participants had similar overall HRSs. Additionally, the HRS was positively associated with physical activity level and specific gut microbiome structure. Collectively, our HSM model might offer a novel approach to precisely define an individual's metabolic health and nutritional capacity.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Direct-Acting Antiviral Experienced Patients with Hepatitis C Undergoing Retreatment at an Essential Hospital in the United States
Authors: De La Hoz Alejandro , Pooja Amin , Kancharla Anna , Schechter-Perkins Elissa M , Ruiz-Mercado Glorimar , Baldwin Marielle , Nunes David , Taylor Jessica L
Published: November 2024

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) guidelines recommend direct-acting antiviral (DAA) rescue regimens in cases of treatment failure, and first-line regimens for reinfection. In patients with barriers to follow-up after treatment, it is difficult to determine if HCV viremia represents failure or reinfection. Patients are often retreated with rescue regimens despite higher costs. We compared the outcome of first-line vs rescue therapy in DAA experienced patients whose prior outcome was indeterminate.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included DAA experienced adults undergoing retreatment at a hospital in Massachusetts between January 2016 and May 2022. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the population. For patients with an indeterminate prior HCV treatment outcome, we compared the groups’ characteristics and outcomes.

Results

We included 112 patients. The mean age was 52 years (SD: 12.2), 80.4% were male, and 42.9% were White. Nearly 1 in 4 (25%) reported active substance use. Outcomes of prior DAA treatment included sustained virologic response at 12 weeks in 39.3% (n = 44) and treatment failure in 27.7% (n = 31). The prior treatment outcome was indeterminate in 33% (n = 37). We compared the outcomes of patients with an indeterminate treatment outcome retreated with first-line vs rescue therapy. Sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (66.7 vs 52.7%), treatment failure (0% vs 10.5%), and indeterminate outcome (33.3% vs 36.8%) were similar between the groups (P = .502).

Conclusions

Outcomes with first-line DAAs were comparable to rescue medications for retreatment of patients with DAA experience and an indeterminate prior treatment outcome. Our findings can help decrease treatment-level barriers for HCV treatment.
Uncomfortable knowledge, the production of ignorance, and the trustworthiness of UK policing
Authors: Fenton-O’Creevy Mark , Bowles Benjamin , Maguire Linda , Williams Emma
Published: November 2024

In this article, we draw on emerging theories of the production of ignorance in organizations. We conduct a qualitative analysis of two forms of secondary data on policing in England and Wales: first, documents in the public domain from the Casey Review and the Angiolini Inquiry; second, qualitative data collected as part of ‘Operation Soteria’ a UK Home Office-funded programme designed to improve the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences. We highlight the adverse effects of avoidance of uncomfortable knowledge, organizational silence, and non-learning in policing. We argue that they are both important contributors to the crisis of legitimacy faced by UK policing, and barriers to effective change. Finally, we discuss structural conditions that support the production and reproduction of ignorance and approaches to ‘undoing ignorance’.
Do plant resistance inducers reduce Plasmopara viticola infection on grapevine berry clusters at different growth stages?
Authors: Rossi Vittorio , Taibi Othmane , Furiosi Margherita , Caffi Tito
Published: November 2024

Plant resistance inducers (PRIs) are promising alternatives to chemical fungicides. Their effectiveness against grapevine downy mildew (DM) has been demonstrated for leaves, yet research on berry clusters is limited. We investigated the efficacy of six PRIs on clusters of cv. Barbera and Merlot from the end of flowering (growth stage GS 69) to fruit setting (GS 71) and inoculated with a sporangial suspension of Plasmopara viticola (Pv) at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 19 days after treatment (DAT). Cerevisane (CER) and Pythium oligandrum (PYT) did not reduce DM severity compared to the nontreated control (NT). Fosetyl-Al (FOS) reduced DM severity at 1–6 DAT, with >50% reduction compared to NT. Laminarin (LAM) was effective at 6, 12, and 19 DAT, with 42.7%–to 50.0% efficacy compared to NT, while cos-oga (COS) and K-phosphonate (PHO) were effective at 12 and 19 DAT (60% efficacy). PRIs were also applied to clusters at initial flowering (GS 60), GS 69–71, and pea-sized berries (GS 75), which were then inoculated with Pv at 7 DAT. At GS 60, treatments with LAM and PHO reduced disease severity compared to NT by 77.5% and 83.6%, respectively. At GS 69–71, LAM, PHO, and FOS caused 54.7%–75.7% disease reduction. At GS 75, all PRIs exhibited a disease reduction > 75%. The efficacy of PRIs increased as the cluster developmental stage advanced, indicating an interaction with the ontogenic resistance of berries. Our results are relevant for the practical use of PRIs in protecting grapevine clusters from DM.
Effects of Subanesthetic Oromucosal Dexmedetomidine on Sleep in Humans: A Randomized, Controlled Pharmacokinetics–Pharmacodynamics Study
Authors: Schnider Laura K. , Ratajczak Marta , Wespi Rafael , Kientsch Jacqueline G. , Bavato Francesco , Marten Laurenz , Kost Jonas , Puchkov Maxim , Eicher Corinne , Boxler Martina , Voegel Clarissa D. , Bosch Oliver G. , van Someren Eus , Dornbierer Dario A. , Landolt Hans-Peter
Published: November 2024

Background:

The locus coeruleus noradrenergic system may provide a potential new target for pharmacologic insomnia treatment, particularly in patients suffering from elevated distress. The selective α2-noradrenergic agonist dexmedetomidine attenuates locus coeruleus activity in subanesthetic doses, yet no adequate nonparental delivery systems of dexmedetomidine are currently available. To examine the feasibility of oromucosal dexmedetomidine administration, the authors developed two distinct—one sublingual and one buccal—oromucosal, fast-disintegrating dexmedetomidine formulas tailored for self-administration. Here, the authors established the formulas’ pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles.

Methods:

In a pilot study (sublingual formulation; n = 8 good sleepers) and a main study (buccal formulation; n = 17 poor sleepers), each following a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design, the authors investigated subanesthetic doses (20 and 40 µg) of the two formulas. They complemented the pharmacokinetic assessments with all-night polysomnography, nocturnal cortisol and melatonin measurements, assessments of cardiovascular functions during and after sleep, cortisol awakening response, and postawakening examination of subjective state and vigilance.

Results:

Particularly buccal dexmedetomidine was rapidly absorbed and exhibited excellent dose proportionality with minimal between-subject variation in exposure. In poor sleepers, 40 µg buccal dexmedetomidine shortened the sleep latency by 11.5 min, increased the time spent in non–rapid eye movement sleep by 37.2 min, and elevated non–rapid eye movement sleep electroencephalographic slow-wave energy (0.75 to 4.0 Hz) in the first half of the night by roughly 23%. Rapid eye movement sleep latency was dose-dependently prolonged (20 µg, 55.0 min; 40 µg, 115.3 min). Nocturnal cortisol, melatonin and heart rate, and morning cortisol were not significantly affected by dexmedetomidine, nor did postawakening orthostatic regulation, subjective sleepiness and mood, and psychomotor vigilance differ among the conditions.

Conclusions:

The favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of oromucosal dexmedetomidine delivery warrants further dose-finding and clinical studies to establish the exact roles of α2 receptor agonism in pharmacologic sleep enhancement and as a possible novel mechanism to alleviate stress-related insomnia.