bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community prescription of opioid and antineuropathic analgesics for cancer patients in Wales, UK
Authors: Han Jun , Rolles Martin , Torabi Fatemeh , Griffiths Rowena , Bedston Stuart , Akbari Ashley , Burnett Bruce , Lyons Jane , Greene Giles , Thomas Rebecca , Long Tamsin , Arnold Cathy , Huws Dyfed Wyn , Lawler Mark , Lyons Ronan A
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Public health measures instituted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK in 2020 had profound effects on the cancer patient pathway. We hypothesise that this may have affected analgesic prescriptions for cancer patients in primary care.

Methods

A whole-nation retrospective, observational study of opioid and antineuropathic analgesics prescribed in primary care for two cohorts of cancer patients in Wales, using linked anonymised data to evaluate the impact of the pandemic and variation between different demographic backgrounds.

Results

We found a significant increase in strong opioid prescriptions during the pandemic for patients within their first 12 months of diagnosis with a common cancer (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 1.15, 95% CI: 1.12–1.18, p < 0.001 for strong opioids) and significant increases in strong opioid and antineuropathic prescriptions for patients in the last 3 months prior to a cancer-related death (IRR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04–1.07, p < 0.001 for strong opioids; IRR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.08–1.14, p < 0.001 for antineuropathics). A spike in opioid prescriptions for patients diagnosed in Q2 2020 and those who died in Q2 2020 was observed and interpreted as stockpiling. More analgesics were prescribed in more deprived quintiles. This differential was less pronounced in patients towards the end of life, which we attribute to closer professional supervision.

Conclusions

We demonstrate significant changes to community analgesic prescriptions for cancer patients related to the UK pandemic and illustrate prescription patterns linked to patients’ demographic background.
Nonlinear feature selection using sparsity-promoted centroid-encoder
Authors: Ghosh Tomojit , Kirby Michael
Published: August 2023

The contribution of our work is two-fold. First, we propose a novel feature selection technique, sparsity-promoted centroid-encoder (SCE). The model uses the nonlinear mapping of artificial neural networks to reconstruct a sample as its class centroid and, at the same time, apply aℓ1-penalty to the weights of a sparsity promoting layer, placed between the input and first hidden layer, to select discriminative features from input data. Using the proposed method, we designed a feature selection framework that first ranks each feature and then, compiles the optimal set using validation samples. The second part of our study investigates the role of stochastic optimization, such as Adam, in minimizingℓ1-norm. The empirical analysis shows that the hyper-parameters of Adam (mini-batch size, learning rate, etc.) play a crucial role in promoting feature sparsity by SCE. We apply our technique to numerous real-world data sets and find that it significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods, including LassoNet, stochastic gates (STG), feature selection networks (FsNet), supervised concrete autoencoder (CAE), deep feature selection (DFS), and random forest (RF).
Antimicrobial efficacy of chlorine agents against selected oral pathogens
Authors: Almhöjd Ulrica Scherdin , Lehrkinder Anna , Roos-Jansåker Ann-Marie , Lingström Peter
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Method-dependent comparison of antimicrobial agents’ efficacy against oral pathogens.

Materials and methods

Several sodium hypochlorite solutions (NaOCl)—Perisolv®, Carisolv® and Dakin’s solution—were equated with chlorhexidine (CHX) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) against ten oral micro-organisms related to caries and periodontitis using different minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) techniques. Agents were adjusted to the final 70 mmol/L concentration of active chlorine molecule.

Results

Apart from H2O2 and the amino acids of Perisolv®, all the agents revealed an antimicrobial effect. Agar diffusion test ranked CHX (p < 0.05) as the most effective against all ten specimens, followed by the NaOCl of Perisolv® and Dakin’s solution. Correspondingly, in broth microdilution on agar, CHX was the most effective in eradicating micro-organisms at 0.03 mmol/L compared with 2.2 mmol/L of Dakin’s solution. In contrast, the bactericidal concentration of Dakin’s solution was the most effective at 0.2 mmol/L, (p < 0.001), followed by Perisolv® (2.14 mmol/L), CHX (2.38 mmol/L) and Carisolv® (3.33 mmol/L) after 5 and 10 min in broth dilution test. In live/dead analysis, 60-min exposure to a 2-fold concentration of agents resulted in two-log Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans inhibition by CHX (35 mmol/L) whilst Streptococcus mutans was more susceptible, in 0.8 and 8.8 mmol/L, after 10 min to CHX and Dakin’s respectively.

Conclusion

Replacement of CHX with tested hypochlorite agents showed evident potential and promoted rapid antimicrobial effect.

Clinical relevance

Effective antimicrobial agents are crucial in controlling pathogen-induced oral infections increasing clinical possibilities to combat oral biofilms. Additionally, CHX substitution with hypochlorite agents could eliminate CHX’s adverse effects.
Body condition variation in a riverine piscivore: have small non-native cyprinids benefited an endangered fish?
Authors: Osmundson Douglas B.
Published: August 2023

Relations between annual abundance of three introduced fishes and body condition of an endangered piscivore, Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius, in the upper Colorado River were assessed to aid prioritization of non-native fish control efforts. Relative condition (Kn: mass at a given length) was monitored during spring, 1991–2013. Positive and significant relations were found between annual mean Kn and backwater densities of two common non-native, small-bodied, cyprinid species in downstream reaches of the 293 km study area. High mean Kn in spring followed years when fall densities of fathead minnow Pimephales promelas and red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis were high. No such relation was found with a third species, sand shiner Notropis stramineus. These three species have dominated zero-velocity habitats since their introduction in the 1960s. No relation was found between mean Kn prior to spawning and subsequent abundance of Colorado pikeminnow young-of-the-year (YOY) 3 months post spawning, suggesting mean Kn was not a driver of fall YOY abundance. Based on predatory interactions with larval native fishes documented in the literature, red shiners were deemed detrimental to Colorado pikeminnow despite their food value. Sand shiners appeared benign: non-predatory and less important as food. Fathead minnows, however, might be beneficial. They appear non-predatory on fish larvae while providing an important food source for various Colorado pikeminnow life stages. Managers need to weigh these benefits when considering control efforts.
Impact of growth conditions on the nitrogen, protein, colour and amino acid profiles of the cultured macroalga, Palmaria palmata
Authors: Idowu Anthony Temitope , Amigo-Benavent Miryam , Santos-Hernández Marta , Whelan Susan , Edwards Maeve D. , FitzGerald Richard J.
Published: August 2023

The impact of growth conditions on the nitrogen, protein, colour and amino acid profiles of Palmaria palmata (from 2 locations) were investigated. Laboratory cultures of P. palmata were grown over a period of 18 days with and without nutrient addition, i.e., with culture medium (F/2) and urea (0.05 or 0.10 g L−1). The total nitrogen (TN) content of cultured P. palmata originating from longlines harvested from Cork increased with the addition of culture medium (F/2) and urea (0.05 g L−1) in comparison to the initial sample (4.15 ± 0.05 vs 1.73 ± 0.03%) while biomass from Galway increased with addition of culture medium (F/2) and urea (0.10 g L−1) in comparison to the initial sample (3.72 ± 0.05 vs 2.43 ± 0.06%). The protein nitrogen (PN) and non-protein nitrogen (NPN) of cultured P. palmata originating from Galway also increased when grown with the addition of nutrients. Nutrient enrichment during growth influenced the colour characteristics (lightness L*, redness a*, yellowness b* and colour difference ΔE) and the electrophoretic protein profile. Correlations between TN and ΔE (r = 0.945) for Cork originated sample, PN and ΔE (r =-0.944) and NPN and ΔE (r = 0.734) for Galway originated sample were observed. In-gel digestion followed by UPLC-MS/MS demonstrated that RuBiSCo, phycoerythrin and allophycocyanin expression in P. palmata was enhanced with nutrient addition. Amino acid profile and score analysis showed variation as a function of nutrient addition. Overall, nutrient inclusion in the growth medium provides a strategy for the enhanced production of high-quality protein by P. palmata.
Virtual Network Function Development for NG-PON Access Network Architecture
Authors: Araújo Igor , Brízido André , Rito Lima Solange
Published: August 2023

Modern networks urge agility, flexibility, and capacity to cope with the growing demand for media content and applications increasingly oriented toward data consumption. The Central Offices (CO) of telecommunication providers, being a vital aggregator of different access networks, such as optical and mobile, need to be prepared to deal with these demands. The Open Broadband-Broadband Access Abstraction (OB-BAA) architecture fits into the initiative to modernize the Information Technology (IT) components of broadband networks, more specifically the COs. This paper discusses the development of a Virtualized Network Function (VNF) in the context of network security to be integrated as a component of an OB-BAA architecture guided by the Software-Defined Network paradigm. More specifically, the authentication and authorization of network equipment within the IEEE 802.1X protocol are applied to Next Generation Passive Optical Networks. The VNF development is based on the Golang language combined with gRPC programmable interfaces for communication between the various elements of the OB-BAA architecture, and then the components were “containerized” and inserted in the Docker and Kubernetes virtualization frameworks of a multinational telecommunications operator. Finally, performance metrics such as computational resource usage (CPU, memory, and network I/O) and execution time of VNF processes were analyzed in usage tests with multiple supplicants and distinct operational modes, to attest to the most promising virtualization scenarios.
Making a dead woman pregnant? A critique of the thought experiment of Anna Smajdor
Authors: Kompanje Erwin J.O. , Epker Jelle L.
Published: August 2023

In a thought-provoking article – or how she herself named it, ‘a thought experiment’ – the philosopher-medical ethicist Anna Smajdor analyzed in this journal the idea of whole-body gestational donation (WBGD) in brain-dead female patients, as an alternative means of gestation for prospective women who cannot or prefer not to become pregnant themselves. We have serious legal, economical, medical and ethical concerns about this proposal. First, consent for eight months of ICU treatment can never be assumed to be derived from consent for post-mortem organ donation; these two are of an incomparable and entirely different medical and ethical order. Moreover, the brain-dead woman is very likely to be medically unfit for high-tech surrogacy and the brain-dead state poses a high risk for deficient embryo/fetal development. Second, from a scarcity perspective, occupying an ICU bed for eight months appears to be unjust. The costs for eight months of ICU treatment are far too high compared to the costs of surrogacy for a living, selected, and healthy woman. Neither insurance companies nor prospective parents will want to pay these exceptionally high costs for a dead woman if a living surrogate mother can be hired for a considerably lower amount. Third, there is an increased risk for harm of the child to be in WBGD. And finally, WBGD risks violating the brain-dead woman’s dignity and harming the interests of her loved ones. In short, there is simply no need for brain-dead women as surrogates.
First conjunct clitic doubling in Modern Greek: Evidence for Agree-based approaches to clitic doubling
Authors: Paparounas Lefteris , Salzmann Martin
Published: August 2023

We investigate the syntax of the hitherto understudied phenomenon of first conjunct clitic doubling, with reference to Modern Greek. We argue that it provides crucial evidence against movement-based approaches to clitic doubling, which would incorrectly rule out first conjunct clitic doubling as a violation of the Coordinate Structure Constraint. This argument against movement is complemented by evidence from binding, showing that doubled DPs consistently occupy their base positions. The Greek data instead favor an account based purely on feature transmission via Agree. We develop an Agree-based analysis of the Greek facts, and show that existing evidence for movement in Greek clitic doubling (Weak Crossover alleviation, suspension of intervention effects) can be insightfully reanalyzed. The alleviation of Weak Crossover effects receives a more straightforward account compared to movement-based approaches, in that it can be subsumed under the general mitigating effects of information structure (givenness, topicality); the intervention pattern follows once the activity of a DP is related to the involvement of its phi-features in Agree operations; and the distribution of clitic doubling is implemented by means of a licensing approach, assimilating clitic doubling to differential object marking. Finally, we address two morphological aspects of clitic doubling that are often taken to be challenging for an Agree-based account, namely, the syncretism between determiners and clitics, and tense invariance. We show that, upon closer inspection, the former is no less challenging for movement approaches, while the latter cannot be considered a reliable diagnostic to tease apart agreement and clitic doubling.
Trajectories of Latent Vulnerability and Distress: Identifying Social and Spatial Fringes of the Swedish Population
Authors: Andersson Eva K. , Borg Ida
Published: August 2023

It can be argued that a society is never better than how Individuals on its social and spatial fringes are faring. This motivates the purpose of this paper, which is to study how vulnerable groups can be identified, defined and explored in a spatial perspective using latent class analysis (LCA) on the whole Swedish population. We use space to refine meanings of vulnerability in individuals and groups, by contextualizing their vulnerability. This knowledge is fundamental for creating equal living conditions and for promoting the social cohesion needed for socially sustainable societies. Thus, equality and spatial integration are basic ideas in welfare policy but in recent years, the idea of integration has met various challenges with new population groups, rural–urban polarization, and disadvantaged housing areas. Using register data, we here identified life course trajectories associated with vulnerability, applying LCA to the total Swedish population aged 25 to 59 years. We identified latent classes of life courses, and detected and explored some classes with more vulnerability than others. The spatial patterns of vulnerable individuals were analysed using individualized neighbourhoods including the proportion of closest neighbours belonging to a latent class. A second LCA of vulnerable individuals refined the findings into different types of distress; extra distressed life courses were found in the metropolitan areas in Million program areas in urban outskirts, and other distressed life courses were more often found in unattractive (low housing price) rural areas, rural fringes.
Design thinking-driven development of a modular X-Band antenna using multi-material 3D printing
Authors: Myllymäki S. , Hannila E. , Kokkonen M. , Jantunen H. , Fabritius T.
Published: August 2023

This study presents the development of a modular parasitic patch antenna using 3D printing and the Design Thinking (DT) methodology. The antenna structure, manufactured with insulating polycarbonate and conductive silver lines, incorporates a reflector, main antenna, and parasitic patch. The study demonstrates the successful application of DT and Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles in optimizing manufacturing efficiency and assembly effectiveness. Simulations and measurements confirm the satisfactory performance of the 3D printed antenna, with a minimum reflection coefficient of -15 dB, efficiency reaching up to 75%, and gain falling within the range of conventionally fabricated antennas. The integration of insulator and conductor materials in 3D printing facilitates the manufacturing of complex structures, while the modular design enables easy installation and customization. This research contributes to the advancement of 3D printing technology for microwave applications, offering cost-effective and efficient manufacturing solutions for industrial antenna production.
Decreased Local Specialization of Brain Structural Networks Associated with Cognitive Dysfuntion Revealed by Probabilistic Diffusion Tractography for Different Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burdens
Authors: Feng Mengmeng , Wen Hongwei , Xin Haotian , Wang Shengpei , Gao Yian , Sui Chaofan , Liang Changhu , Guo Lingfei
Published: August 2023

To reveal the network-level structural disruptions associated with cognitive dysfunctions in different cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burdens, we used probabilistic diffusion tractography and graph theory to investigate the brain network topology in 67 patients with a severe CSVD burden (CSVD-s), 133 patients with a mild CSVD burden (CSVD-m) and 89 healthy controls. We used one-way analysis of covariance to assess the altered topological measures between groups, and then evaluated their Pearson correlation with cognitive parameters. Both the CSVD and control groups showed efficient small-world organization in white matter (WM) networks. However, compared with CSVD-m patients and controls, CSVD-s patients exhibited significantly decreased local efficiency, with partially reorganized hub distributions. For regional topology, CSVD-s patients showed significantly decreased nodal efficiency in the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus, caudate nucleus, right opercular inferior frontal gyrus (IFGoperc), supplementary motor area (SMA), insula and left orbital superior frontal gyrus and angular gyrus. Intriguingly, global/local efficiency and nodal efficiency of the bilateral caudate nucleus, right IFGoperc, SMA and left angular gyrus showed significant correlations with cognitive parameters in the CSVD-s group, while only the left pallidum showed significant correlations with cognitive metrics in the CSVD-m group. In conclusion, the decreased local specialization of brain structural networks in patients with different CSVD burdens provides novel insights into understanding the brain structural alterations in relation to CSVD severity. Cognitive correlations with brain structural network efficiency suggest their potential use as neuroimaging biomarkers to assess the severity of CSVD.
Smooth norms in dense subspaces of $$\ell _p(\Gamma )$$ and operator ranges
Authors: Dantas Sheldon , Hájek Petr , Russo Tommaso
Published: August 2023

For $$1\le p<\infty $$

1
≤
p
<
∞

, we prove that the dense subspace $$\mathcal {Y}_p$$

Y
p

of $$\ell _p(\Gamma )$$

ℓ
p

(
Γ
)

comprising all elements y such that $$y \in \ell _q(\Gamma )$$

y
∈

ℓ
q

(
Γ
)

for some $$q \in (0,p)$$

q
∈
(
0
,
p
)

admits a $$C^{\infty }$$

C
∞

-smooth norm which locally depends on finitely many coordinates. Moreover, such a norm can be chosen as to approximate the $$\left\| \cdot \right\| _p$$

·

p

-norm. This provides examples of dense subspaces of $$\ell _p(\Gamma )$$

ℓ
p

(
Γ
)

with a smooth norm which have the maximal possible linear dimension and are not obtained as the linear span of a biorthogonal system. Moreover, when $$p>1$$

p
>
1

or $$\Gamma $$
Γ
is countable, such subspaces additionally contain dense operator ranges; on the other hand, no non-separable operator range in $$\ell _1(\Gamma )$$

ℓ
1

(
Γ
)

admits a $$C^1$$

C
1

-smooth norm.
“This is the System We Live in”: The Role of Social Assistance in Producing and Sustaining 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Daley Andrea , Kia Hannah , Kinitz David , Schneckenburger Stella A. , Robinson Margaret , Reid Jenna , Mulé Nick J. , Kayn Faelix , Duncan Dejano , Ross Lori E.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

This article reports on qualitative research findings from the first study to examine 2SLGBTQ+ populations’ experiences with social assistance (SocA) in Ontario, the most populous province in Canada. Using a relational poverty and intersectional framework, the role of the SocA system in producing and sustaining 2SLGBTQ+ poverty is articulated by exploring 2SLGBTQ+ encounters with SocA and inter-related systems.

Methods

This qualitative study was informed by principles of community-based participatory research and theoretically driven thematic analysis. The study was carried out in partnership between academic researchers and three community organizations that support and advocate for 2SLGBTQ+ people and/or people living in poverty. Qualitative data were collected from February to June 2022.

Results

Key themes articulate how 2SLGBTQ+ encounters with the SocA system produce and sustain their poverty: (1) navigating a precarious and nebulous system; (2) encountering the construction of 2SLGBTQ+ identities as “irrelevant” in normative systems; and (3) intersecting systemic, interpersonal, and micro violences. Collectively, the themes focus on systemic factors that institutionalize poverty for 2SLGBTQ+ people.

Conclusions

Power relations in the SocA system and other related systems such as employment and housing intersect to produce and sustain 2SLGBTQ+ poverty. The production and sustenance of 2SLGBTQ+ poverty are dynamic and transactional, as restrictive and punitive neoliberal policies, dominant power hierarchies, and normative discursive violence within these systems fuse into material inequities and harmful spaces for diverse 2SLGBTQ+ people.

Policy Implications

Findings call for an intersectional and 2SLGBTQ+ affirming SocA system and inter-related systems that have the potential to mitigate 2SLGBTQ+ intersectional discrimination and related poverty producing and sustaining forces.
Water auditing and recycling as a tool for management of water resources: an Indian perspective
Authors: Neelofar Mir Rohi , Bhat Sami Ullah , Muslim Mohammad
Published: August 2023

Water is limited and is unevenly distributed globally. India being home to approximately 18% of the global population accounts for only 4% of global renewable water resources, making it the world’s 13th most water-stressed country. The increase in human population coupled with accelerated economic activities and climate change has put enormous pressure on government and policymakers in India to find different innovative and smart ways to manage the demand–supply gap in the water sector. Despite having the largest water infrastructure in the world and concerns raised about increasing water crisis in national discourse at academic, policy and governance levels, the tangible outcome does not resonate adequately on the ground level. Identification of alternate tools, calibration and fine-tuning relevant policy and planning necessitate the need of implementing water auditing and water recycling to meet the ever-increasing water demand as far as the water footprint in India is concerned. Based on the principle of what gets measured gets managed, water auditing best caters to the water management needs and is yet to become a top priority to curb the water crisis. Public acceptance seems to be one of the major barriers in universalizing water recycling in India which is aggravated by the uneven and/or absence of a proper and adequate water governance approach and structure. This paper tries to highlight the major challenges water resources management is facing in India and aims to illustrate how well planned water auditing and water recycling as a tool can deliver in effective and rational utilization and distribution of water.
Already current practice? A snapshot survey on doxycycline use for prevention of sexually transmitted infections in parts of the German MSM community
Authors: Hornuss Daniel , Mathé Philipp , Usadel Susanne , Zimmermann Stefan , Müller Matthias , Rieg Siegbert
Published: August 2023

Purpose

Recent studies point toward a potential benefit of doxycycline use for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) or pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although prescribing doxycycline in a prophylactic intention is not generally recommended yet, we noticed an increasing number of inquiries from individuals within the LGBTQ community for doxycycline prescriptions.

Methods

We conducted an anonymous online survey to evaluate the current extent of doxycycline use for PEP or PrEP within the LGBTQ community using REDCap electronic data capture tools. Participants gained access to the online survey through a QR code on posters in the premises of our STI outpatient department and at LGBTQ community-related events in the south-western region of Germany. Additional access was provided by a direct link shared on social media profiles for men having sex with men (MSM), transgender, and queers.

Results

96 of 99 responses were eligible for analysis. Twenty-two participants (23%) indicated to have already used doxycycline for PEP and six participants (6%) used doxycycline for PrEP. The majority of participants used pills left over from previous doxycycline treatment. Forty percent of indicated modes of access were without a regular prescription, e.g., by provision from acquaintances (with or without healthcare profession) or by ordering online.

Conclusion

Our study shows that the concept of doxycycline use for prevention of STIs is already well known and applied in the LGBTQ community. Further analysis, especially modeling studies, are needed to evaluate strategies aiming to reduce doxycycline intake (PEP/PrEP versus repeated targeted therapies) and improve sexual health outcomes within the community.
Efficacy of educational interventions in adolescent population with feeding and eating disorders: a systematic review
Authors: Ladrón-Arana Sergio , Orzanco-Garralda Rosario , Escalada-Hernández Paula , Aguilera-Serrano Carlos , Gutiérrez-Valencia Marta , Urbiola-Castillo Jordi
Published: August 2023

Background

Educational interventions are a key element in the care of young patients with feeding and eating disorders, forming part of the majority of therapeutic approaches. The aim of this review is to evaluate the impact of educational interventions in adolescents with feeding and eating disorders.

Methods

Following the PRISMA recommendations electronic databases were searched up to 29 June 2023. Studies related to educational interventions in young population diagnosed with feeding and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, bulimia nervosa, pica and ruminative disorders and binge- eating disorder) in Spanish and English language, without temporal limitation, were located in the databases: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, CUIDEN, DIALNET, and ENFISPO. A search in the databases of grey literature was performed in OpenGrey and Teseo. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020167736).

Results

A total of 191 articles were selected from the 9744 citations screened. Ten publications were included. The results indicated variability between educational programs, including individual and group interventions, learning techniques and various research methodologies. Variables such as learning, attitudinal and perceptual changes, anthropometric parameters, symptom improvement, normalization of eating patterns, evaluation of the program and cognitive flexibility were identified. The risk of bias was high due to the low methodological quality of a large number of studies analyzed.

Conclusion

The results indicate that educational interventions can influence the improvement of knowledge level and have a positive effect on health outcomes. Although education is a common practice in the treatment of these pathologies, high-quality studies were not identified. Thus, this review concludes that additional evidence is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, with further research studies, especially randomized controlled trials, to confirm these results.

Level of evidence

Level I: Systematic review.
Dynamic warning zone and a short-distance goal for autonomous robot navigation using deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Montero Estrella Elvia , Mutahira Husna , Pico Nabih , Muhammad Mannan Saeed
Published: August 2023

Robot navigation in crowded environments has recently benefited from advances in deep reinforcement learning (DRL) approaches. However, it still presents a challenge to designing socially compliant robot behavior. Avoiding collisions and the difficulty of predicting human behavior are crucial and challenging tasks while the robot navigates in a congested social environment. To address this issue, this study proposes a dynamic warning zone that creates a circular sector around humans based on the step length and speed of humans. To properly comprehend human behavior and keep a safe distance between the robot and the humans, warning zones are implemented during the robot’s training using deep enforcement learning techniques. In addition, a short-distance goal is established to help the robot efficiently reach the goal through a reward function that penalizes it for going away from the goal and rewards it for advancing towards it. The proposed model is tested on three state-of-the-art methods: collision avoidance with deep reinforcement learning (CADRL) , long short-term memory (LSTM-RL), and social attention with reinforcement learning (SARL). The suggested method is tested in the Gazebo simulator and the real world with a robot operating system (ROS) in three scenarios. The first scenario involves a robot attempting to reach a goal in free space. The second scenario uses static obstacles, and the third involves humans. The experimental results demonstrate that the model performs better than previous methods and leads to safe navigation in an efficient time.
Influence of thyroid autoimmunity at various clinical stages of hypothyroidism on the risk of miscarriage before 20 weeks of gestation
Authors: Gameil Mohammed Ali , Marzouk Rehab Elsayed , Elsebaie Ahmed Hassan , Arafat Ahmed Abd EL-Hakim , El-Ghany Mohammed Ibrahim Abd
Published: August 2023

Purpose

We aimed to clarify the influence of thyroid autoantibodies at various clinical stages of hypothyroidism on the risk of pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of gestation.

Methods

We enrolled 230 pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage. Detailed clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory testing of thyroid function, antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), and antithyroglobulin (anti-TG) were applied among all participants.

Results

Coexisting overt hypothyroidism and positive thyroid autoantibodies quadrupled the risk of miscarriage in women before 20 weeks of gestation (OR 4.04, 95% CI = 2.08–7.96, P < 0.001). Women with subclinical hypothyroidism (OR 1.44, 95% CI = 0.81–2.57, P = 0.132,) or who were euthyroid (OR 1.53, 95% CI = 0.86–2.73, P = 0.094) showed a non-significant risk of miscarriage even with positive thyroid autoantibodies. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages rather than anti-TPO (P < 0.001 and 0.209, respectively).

Conclusion

Coexistence of overt hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity was the only significant driver of pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of gestation.
Sliding mode control of antagonistically coupled pneumatic artificial muscles using radial basis neural network function
Authors: Nguyen Viet-Thanh , Pham Bao-Long , Nguyen Thi-Van-Anh , Bui Ngoc-Tam , Dao Quy-Thinh
Published: August 2023

This study presents a novel approach to enhance the control of Pneumatic Artificial Muscle (PAM) systems by combining Sliding Mode Control (SMC) with the Radial Basis Function Neural Network (RBFNN) algorithm. PAMs, when configured antagonistically, offer several advantages in creating human-like actuators. However, their inherent nonlinearity and uncertainty pose challenges for achieving precise control, especially in rehabilitation applications where control quality is crucial for safety and efficacy. To address these challenges, we propose an RBF-SMC approach that leverages the nonlinear elimination capability of SMC and the adaptive learning ability of RBFNN. The integration of these two techniques aims to develop a robust controller capable of effectively dealing with the inherent disadvantages of PAM systems under various operating conditions. The suggested RBF-SMC approach is theoretically verified using the Lyapunov stability theory, providing a solid foundation for its effectiveness. To validate its performance, extensive multi-scenario experiments were conducted, serving as a significant contribution of this research. The results demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed controller compared to conventional controllers in terms of convergence time, robustness, and stability. This research offers a significant contribution to the field of PAM system control, particularly in the context of rehabilitation. The developed RBF-SMC approach provides an efficient and reliable solution to overcome the challenges posed by PAMs’ nonlinearity and uncertainty, enhancing control quality and ensuring the safety and efficacy of these systems in practical applications.
On tube models of rubber elasticity: fitting performance in relation to sensitivity to the invariant I2
Authors: Kumar Gordon , Brassart Laurence
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the capability of micromechanical models of rubber elasticity to predict the deformation behaviour of soft materials under various modes of deformation. The free energy of individual chains is decomposed into a freely fluctuating chain contribution and a tube contribution representing topological constraints. Full-network averaging over all chain orientations is considered, along with three-chain and eight-chain approximations. The performance of various tube formulations is analysed in relation to their implicit (or in some cases explicit) dependence on the second invariant I2. We show that micromechanical models that involve the area-stretch of the macroscale continuum lead to I2 dependence when combined with the full-network averaging scheme, whereas micromechanical models that only involve the line-stretch of the continuum show much weaker I2 sensitivity. However, I2 sensitivity can emerge from line-stretch–based micromechanical models when three-chain averaging is used. Comparisons between model predictions and experimental data confirm the direct correlation between strong I2 sensitivity and fitting performance. Overall, our study suggests that micromechanical models of rubber elasticity should involve both the line-stretch and the area-stretch to elicit I2-dependent behaviour and reproduce experimental trends.
On four epibiotic peritrichous ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) found in Lake Weishan Wetland: morphological and molecular data support the establishment of a new genus, Parapiosoma gen. nov., and two new species
Authors: Wu Tong , Cheng Ting , Cao Xiao , Jiang Yaohan , Al-Rasheid Khaled A. S. , Warren Alan , Wang Zhe , Lu Borong
Published: August 2023

During a study on the diversity of ciliated protists in Lake Weishan Wetland, the largest wetland in northern China, four epibiotic sessilid peritrichs were isolated from aquatic host animals. Two of them, i.e.,Epistylis cambariKellicott, 1885 andEpistylis lwoffiFauré-Fremiet, 1943, were known species whereas the other two, i.e.,Parapiosoma typicumgen. nov., sp. nov. andOrborhabdostyla gracilissp. nov., are new to science. The new genusParapiosomagen. nov. is characterized by its branched non-contractile stalk, everted peristomial lip, obconical macronucleus and transverse silverlines. Two species are assigned to the new genus, namelyParapiosoma typicumsp. nov. andParapiosoma gasterostei(Fauré-Fremiet, 1905) comb. nov. Morphologically,P. typicumsp. nov. is recognized by its goblet-shaped zooids, single-layered peristomial lip, dichotomously branched stalk, and infundibular polykinety 3 (P3) containing three equal-length rows.Orborhabdostyla gracilissp. nov. is characterized by its slender zooid, curved macronucleus, and three equal-length rows in infundibular P3. Improved diagnoses and redescriptions ofE. cambariandE. lwoffiare provided including, for the first time, data on the ciliature ofE. cambari. Phylogenetic analyses based on SSU rDNA, ITS1-5.8S rDNA -ITS2, and LSU rDNA sequence data strongly support the assertion that the family Epistylididae comprises morphospecies with different evolutionary lineages and indicate thatParapiosomagen. nov. may represent a new taxon at family level.
An Episode of “Third Person” Phenomenon Involving Somesthetic and Visual Hallucinations in a World-Class Extreme Altitude Climber
Authors: Garrido Eduardo , Hüfner Katharina
Published: August 2023

Psychotic symptoms can occur at high altitude. However, most reports are in the mountaineering literature and lack a clear medical assessment and interpretation. Here we report an episode of isolated high-altitude psychosis. It consisted of a “third person” phenomenon involving 2 sensory modalities: somesthetic (felt presence) and visual (the light of 2 flashlights) hallucinations. This episode occurred in a highly experienced climber when he was at an altitude of approximately 7500 m while descending at dusk from the summit of Gasherbrum I (8068 m). The symptoms lasted approximately 3 h and had fully resolved on reaching high camp (7150 m). No other physical or mental symptoms were reported. In addition to hypoxia, a number of other risk factors could have contributed to the occurrence of psychosis in this climber. These included sleep deprivation, exhaustion, dehydration, electrolyte disturbance, reduced visibility, feeling of isolation, and perceived danger. The climber has participated in many extreme altitude expeditions, and neither before nor since this episode has the climber experienced psychotic symptoms.
Stream lamination and rapid mixing in a microfluidic jet for X-ray spectroscopy studies
Authors: Huyke Diego A. , Avaro Alexandre S. , Kroll Thomas , Santiago Juan G.
Published: August 2023

Microfluidic mixers offer new possibilities for the study of fast reaction kinetics down to the microsecond time scale, and methods such as soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy are powerful analysis techniques. These systems impose challenging constraints on mixing time scales, sample volume, detection region size and component materials. The current work presents a novel micromixer and jet device which aims to address these limitations. The system uses a so-called ‘theta’ mixer consisting of two sintered and fused glass capillaries. Sample and carrier fluids are injected separately into the inlets of the adjacent capillaries. At the downstream end, the two streams exit two micron-scale adjoining nozzles and form a single free-standing jet. The flow-rate difference between the two streams results in the rapid acceleration and lamination of the sample stream. This creates a small transverse dimension and induces diffusive mixing of the sample and carrier stream solutions within a time scale of 0.9 microseconds. The reaction occurs at or very near a free surface so that reactants and products are more directly accessible to interrogation using soft X-ray. We use a simple diffusion model and quantitative measurements of fluorescence quenching (of fluorescein with potassium iodide) to characterize the mixing dynamics across flow-rate ratios.
Changes in antibiotic prescribing by dentists in the United States, 2012–2019
Authors: Ramanathan Swetha , Yan Connie H. , Hubbard Colin , Calip Gregory S. , Sharp Lisa K. , Evans Charlesnika T. , Rowan Susan , McGregor Jessina C. , Gross Alan E. , Hershow Ronald C. , Suda Katie J.
Published: August 2023

Objectives:

Dentists prescribe 10% of all outpatient antibiotics in the United States and are the top specialty prescriber. Data on current antibiotic prescribing trends are scarce. Therefore, we evaluated trends in antibiotic prescribing rates by dentists, and we further assessed whether these trends differed by agent, specialty, and by patient characteristics.

Design:

Retrospective study of dental antibiotic prescribing included data from the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Data set from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2019.

Methods:

The change in the dentist prescribing rate and mean days’ supply were evaluated using linear regression models.

Results:

Dentists wrote >216 million antibiotic prescriptions between 2012 and 2019. The annual dental antibiotic prescribing rate remained steady over time (P = .5915). However, the dental prescribing rate (antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 dentists) increased in the Northeast (by 1,313 antibiotics per 1,000 dentists per year), among oral and maxillofacial surgeons (n = 13,054), prosthodontists (n = 2,381), endodontists (n = 2,255), periodontists (n = 1,961), and for amoxicillin (n = 2,562; P < .04 for all). The mean days’ supply significantly decreased over the study period by 0.023 days per 1,000 dentists per year (P < .001).

Conclusions:

From 2012 to 2019, dental prescribing rates for antibiotics remained unchanged, despite decreases in antibiotic prescribing nationally and changes in guidelines during the study period. However, mean days’ supply decreased over time. Dental specialties, such as oral and maxillofacial surgeons, had the highest prescribing rate with increases over time. Antibiotic stewardship efforts to improve unnecessary prescribing by dentists and targeting dental specialists may decrease overall antibiotic prescribing rates by dentists.
Leaking Rulers and Confidential Officials: Secrecy and Status in Early Chinese Political Culture
Authors: Habberstad Luke
Published: August 2023

This article traces the spread of a norm of confidentiality within elite political culture during the Warring States, Qin, and Western Han periods. Instead of an emphasis on secrecy within military and administrative contexts, it explores discussions of “leaking” (xie 泄/洩 or lou 漏) and characterizations of “confidentiality” (zhou 周 and mi 密) in idealized representations of political action. While Warring States texts drew upon a medical language of qi circulation to fashion a model of a perfectly leakproof ruler, by Western Han attention had shifted from rulers to officials. This valorization of official confidentiality was connected to institutional developments, especially proscriptions against leaking from privileged spaces at the imperial court, visible in sources from the late Western Han. In this final period there arose a celebrated norm of circumspection, shared by rulers and officials alike, that in theory would allow all parties to evade disaster.
Reparations, But for What? Presenting a New Approach to Coding Reparations
Authors: Greenstein Claire
Published: August 2023

Reparations payments are commonly measured as either paid versus not paid, or present versus absent. I argue that this approach causes researchers to overlook systematic variation in the types of abuses that governments include in their reparations commitments. This article makes the case for revising quantitative reparations indicators to reflect the fact that governments often promise and/or pay reparations for some human rights violations and not others. Using original data on reparations promises for nine types of state-sanctioned human rights abuses committed during internal conflicts or dictatorships that occurred in twenty-seven countries in Europe between 1939 and 2006, I show that reparations promise rates vary by type of abuse. I also show that they vary over time as human rights norms change, meaning that a static designation of “paid” or “not paid” is incompatible with the dynamism of reparations programs.
African Americans and the Multiple Meanings of Debt in the United States Since the Civil War
Authors: Lewis Earl
Published: August 2023

It is hard to review African American history without confronting the multiple meanings of debt. There was debt owed, debt paid, debt inherited, and debt hidden in the social tax associated with a subordinate status in the United States. All of these meanings are embedded in the murder of Elmore Bolling. Called Buddy by his relatives, Bolling defied probability by building a highly successful business in Lowndesboro, Alabama, in the 1930s and 1940s. He used debt in a conventional sense, to lease a plantation. Yet his entrepreneurial skills allowed him to offset that debt and amass wealth. He grew corn, cotton, and sugar cane. More impressively, he owned a general store, a gas station, a fleet of trucks, and a catering business, which enabled him to employ at least forty other Black residents. His business acumen allowed him to maintain $40,000 in the bank and another $5,000 in other assets, a remarkable sum for a Black man in the American South during the Jim Crow era.
Decreased beta 1 (12–15 Hertz) power modulates the transfer of suicidal ideation to suicide in major depressive disorder
Authors: Jiang Chenguang , Huang Zixuan , Zhou Zhenhe , Chen Limin , Zhou Hongliang
Published: August 2023

Background:

Suicide prevention for major depressive disorder (MDD) is a worldwide challenge, especially for suicide attempt (SA). Viewing suicide as a state rather than a lifetime event provided new perspectives on suicide research.

Objective:

This study aimed to verify and complement SAs biomarkers of MDD with a recent SA sample.

Methods:

This study included 189 participants (60 healthy controls; 47 MDD patients with non-suicide (MDD-NSs), 40 MDD patients with suicide ideation (MDD-SIs) and 42 MDD patients with SA (MDD-SAs)). MDD patients with an acute SA time was determined to be within 1 week since the last SA. SUICIDALITY Part in MINI was applied to evaluate suicidality. Absolute powers in 14 frequency bands were extracted from subject’s resting-state electroencephalography data and compared within four groups. The relationship among suicidality, the number of SA and powers in significant frequency bands were investigated.

Results:

MDD-SIs had increased powers in delta, theta, alpha and beta band on the right frontocentral channels compared to MDD-NSs, while MDD-SAs had decreased powers in delta, beta and gamma bands on widely the right frontocentral and parietooccipital channels compared to MDD-SIs. Beta 1 power was the lowest in MDD-SAs and was modulated by the number of SA. The correlation between suicidality and beta 1 power was negative in MDD-SAs and positive in MDD-SIs.

Conclusion:

Reduced beta 1 (12–15 Hz) power could be essential in promoting suicidal behaviour in MDD. Research on recent SA samples contributes to a better understanding of suicide mechanisms and preventing suicidal behaviour in MDD.