bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Condition Monitoring of Misaligned Rotor System Using Acoustic Sensor by Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Patil Shital , Jalan Arun Kumar , Marathe Amol
Published: July 2022

Misalignment is among the most common causes of vibrations in rotary machinery. Modern machinery is complicated and installing a sensor might be tricky at times. As a result, noncontact type sensors are critical in such situations. The present study investigates the influence of combinations between speed, load, and fault severity upon system vibration by employing acoustic sensor. Although acoustic sensor is used in angular fault diagnosis, however, this is the first attempt to combine the noncontact type of sensor and response surface methodology (RSM) to study the influence of misalignment upon system vibration and the factors that induce system vibrations in a misaligned rotor system. To investigate the effect of these interactions on system performance, RSM with root-mean-square (RMS) as a response factor is used. Design of experiments is used to prepare experiments, while analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to analyze the results. Speed has a significant impact on RMS value in both parallel and angular types of misalignments and it severely affects the system's performance. According to the RSM findings, a change in load influences vibration amplitude. With increasing defect severity, the change in RMS value was not particularly significant. The outcome of RSM using acoustic sensor was found well aligned with the conclusion drawn using RSM study with vibrational sensor.
Numerical Calculation of Fluid Film Force on Journal Bearings Based on a Biconjugate Gradient-Stabilized Algorithm
Authors: Wei Bin , Jiao Yinghou , Wu Xianglin
Published: July 2022

The aim of this work is to present a technical numerical method to improve the efficiency of solving the Reynolds equation for hydrodynamic bearings. Hydrodynamic bearings are largely employed in the shafting of high-speed rotating machinery to provide adequate support. The distribution of hydrodynamic pressure inside the bearing can be obtained by solving the Reynolds equation. Improving the efficiency of solving the Reynolds equation plays an essential role in the design and analysis of journal bearings. A numerical model has been developed to support the analysis and future design of hydrodynamic bearings. The primary objective of the model is to improve the efficiency of solving the Reynold equation during the steady-state and dynamic analysis. The developed method effectively combines the bi-conjugate gradient stabilized (Bi-CGSTAB) algorithm with the Reynolds boundary conditions, resulting in an effective methodology to characterize the pressure distribution within the lubricant for hydrodynamic bearings. A c++ program was implemented, and the difference between the BI-CGSTAB method and the successive over relaxation (SOR) method was evaluated against accuracy, convergence, and computational consumption. The Bi-CGSTAB algorithm has shown promising application in steady-state and dynamic analyses of hydrodynamic bearings. Validation of the results has been made with reference and analytical solutions.
Effects of Heat Treatment on the Surface Quality and Improvement in Formability of Deformation Machined Products of Al 6061
Authors: Gupta Ankit Kumar , Priyadarshi Satwik , Pustovoytov Denis , Dabala Manuele , Yu Hailiang , Pesin Alexander , Tandon Puneet
Published: July 2022

Continuous efforts are being made to improve the technology and the process involved in part production to meet the demands of society. Advancements in machining, as well as incremental forming, resulted in the generation of a technology that is capable of manufacturing monolithic components in a single setup. Such hybrid technological development, called deformation machining (DM), has the milling process contributing to thin structure generation and single point incremental forming (SPIF) leading to the desired geometrical deformation. Machining a material block to produce thin structure results in unwanted residual stresses in the workpiece, which hinders the part’s formability during SPIF. In the current research, stress-relieve annealing of aluminum alloy (Al 6061) is done to compensate for these residual stresses. While doing so, the optimum temperature of reheating is identified, at which the strength of the selected material is not significantly compromised. For this, preliminary microstructural investigations are carried out on the machined components at different temperatures, followed by experimental investigations. The force measurement of different samples was done during the experiments for determining the effects of heat treatment. Geometrical observations suggest that heat treatment results in better forming depth and improved forming angle, however, an increase in surface roughness is observed on the heat-treated parts.
Preheating Effects on Compression Ignition Engine Through Waste Heat Recovery Using THNF-Based Radiator Coolant: An Experimental Study
Authors: Kumar Vikash , Sahoo RashmiRekha
Published: July 2022

The present paper focuses on the thermohydraulic performance of a car radiator using Al2O3, CuO, and TiO2 nanoparticles disseminated in an equal fraction in the range of 0.06–0.12% called Ternary hybrid nanofluid (THNF), in water-based fluid, operated at coolant flowrate (CFR) range of 3–8 lpm and fan air velocity of 0.25–1.25 m/s). Moreover, a detailed accentuation has been given on the extensive nanofluid characterization mainly thermophysical properties and its stability, to justify nanofluid durability for the long run (scanning electron microscope, Zeta potential). Performance evaluation criteria (PEC) and friction factors were analyzed to evaluate the penalty in pressure drop for the heat transfer enhancement achieved. The experimental analysis revealed a maximum heat transfer enhancement in the coolant of 14.2% at CFR of 6lpm using 0.12% vol. fraction of THNF. The PEC value found within the limit of 1.0045–1.098 indicates a remarkable heat transfer enhancement on nanoparticle addition. Concurrently fuel elevated temperature improved thermal efficiency by 13.6% at 0.25 m/s of frontal air velocity during a maximum fuel-saving of 14.28% at 50% load on the engine. Hence, the preheating of fuel through the radiator waste heat improves the thermal efficiency, lowers the brake-specific fuel consumption, and saves fuel consumption successfully.
An exploration of real, virtual, and possible minds
The Book of Minds
Philip Ball
University of Chicago Press, 2022. 512 pp.
Authors: Gomez-Marin Alex
Published: July 2022

What are they for—who has them and why?
Seeing how ice breaks the rule
Authors: Sugimoto Yoshiaki
Published: July 2022

Basic defects in ice monolayers are seen using a microscope
Symbionts on the Brain: How
Wolbachia
Is Strictly Corralled in Some Neotropical
Drosophila
spp.
Authors: Voronin Denis , Makepeace Benjamin L.
Published: July 2022

Wolbachia
is a heritable alphaproteobacterial symbiont of arthropods and nematodes, famous for its repertoire of host manipulations, including cytoplasmic incompatibility. To be vertically transmitted,
Wolbachia
must efficiently colonize the female germ line, although somatic tissues outside the gonads are also infected.
Isolation of the Thermostable β-Glucosidase-Secreting Strain Bacillus altitudinis JYY-02 and Its Application in the Production of Gardenia Blue
Authors: Yang Jingyuan , Wang Chao , Guo Qunqun , Deng Wenjun , Du Guicai , Li Ronggui
Published: July 2022

β-Glucosidases are enzymes capable of hydrolyzing β-glucosidic linkages present in saccharides and glycosides and have many agricultural and industrial applications. Although they are found in all domains of living organisms, commercial β-glucosidases are still expensive, limiting their application in industry.
New age constraints support a K/Pg boundary interval on Vega Island, Antarctica: Implications for latest Cretaceous vertebrates and paleoenvironments
Authors: Roberts Eric M. , O’Connor Patrick M. , Clarke Julia A. , Slotznick Sarah P. , Placzek Christa J. , Tobin Thomas S. , Hannaford Carey , Orr Theresa , Jinnah Zubair A. , Claeson Kerin M. , Salisbury Steven , Kirschvink Joseph L. , Pirrie Duncan , Lamanna Matthew C.
Published: July 2022

A second K/Pg boundary interval in the northern sector of the Antarctic Peninsula on Vega Island has been proposed, yet current temporal resolution of these strata prohibits direct testing of this hypothesis. To not only test for the existence of a K/Pg boundary on Vega Island but also provide increased age resolution for the associated vertebrate fauna (e.g., marine reptiles, non-avian dinosaurs, and avian dinosaurs), the Vega Island succession was intensively re-sampled. Stratigraphic investigation of the Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation, and in particular, the overlying Sandwich Bluff Member of the López de Bertodano Formation, was conducted using biostratigraphy, strontium isotope stratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and detrital zircon geochronology. These data indicate a Late Campanian–early Maastrichtian age for the Cape Lamb Member and present three possible correlations to the global polarity time scale (GPTS) for the overlying Sandwich Bluff Member. The most plausible correlation, which is consistent with biostratigraphy, detrital zircon geochronology, sequence stratigraphy, and all but one of the Sr-isotope ages, correlates the base of the section to C31N and the top of the section with C29N, which indicates that the K/Pg boundary passes through the top of the unit. A second, less plausible option conflicts with the biostratigraphy and depends on a series of poorly defined magnetic reversals in the upper part of the stratigraphy that also correlates the section between C31N and C29R and again indicates an inclusive K/Pg boundary interval. The least likely correlation, which depends on favoring only a single Srisotope age at the top of the section over biostratigraphy, correlates the section between C31N and C30N and is inconsistent with an included K/Pg boundary interval. Although our preferred correlation is well supported, we failed to identify an Ir-anomaly, spherules/impact ejecta, or other direct evidence typically used to define the precise position of a K/Pg boundary on Vega Island. This study does, however, confirm that Vegavis, from the base of the Sandwich Bluff Member, is the oldest (69.2–68.4 Ma) phylogenetically placed representative of the avian crown clade, and that marine vertebrates and non-avian dinosaurs persisted in Antarctica up to the terminal Cretaceous.
Supplemental Material: Macrostratigraphy of the Ediacaran System in North America
Authors: Segessenman Daniel , Peters Shanan
Published: July 2022

S1: Extended References, S2: Radioisotopic Dates, S3: Chemostratigraphic Data, and S4: Supplemental Figures 
New-onset Bell’s palsy after neuroinvasive West Nile virus
Authors: Rosenheck Michael Sam , Higham Christopher , Sanzone Kaitlin , Caprio Colleen
Published: July 2022

In this case report, a patient was diagnosed with new-onset Bell’s palsy 3 weeks after the onset of neuroinvasive West Nile virus. This was the second case report of West Nile virus-associated Bell’s palsy, highlighting the need to monitor these patients for peripheral neuropathies. This case report is also intended to raise awareness about the prevalence of West Nile virus in the USA.
Parapapillary choroidal microvascular density in acute primary angle-closure and primary open-angle glaucoma: an optical coherence tomography angiography study
Authors: Suwan Yanin , Aghsaei Fard Masoud , Vilainerun Nantinee , Petpiroon Purit , Tantraworasin Apichat , Teekhasaenee Chaiwat , Ritch Robert , Kafieh Rahele , Hojati Sahar , Supakontanasan Wasu
Published: July 2022

Back ground/aims

To determine whether parapapillary choroidal microvasculature (PPCMv) density, measured by optical coherence tomography angiography, differed between acute primary angle-closure (APAC), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and controls.

Methods

This is a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Data from 149 eyes from two academic referral centres were analysed. Automated PPCMv density was calculated in inner and outer annuli around the optic nerve region in addition to the peripapillary superficial vasculature, using customised software. A generalised estimating equation was used to compare vessel densities among groups, adjusted for confounders.

Results

Data from 40 eyes with APAC, 65 eyes with POAG and 44 eyes in healthy controls were gathered and analysed. Global radial peripapillary capillary densities were reduced in eyes with APAC and POAG compared with controls (p=0.027 and 0.136, respectively). Mean outer annular PPCMv density in the POAG group was lower vs the APAC group by 3.6% (95% CI 0.6% to 6.5%) (p=0.018) in the multivariable model adjusted for confounders. The mean difference in inner and outer superior PPCMv between the POAG and APAC groups was 5.9% and 4.4% (95% CI 1.9% to 9.9% and 1.0% to 7.7%, respectively; both p<0.010). Furthermore, POAG and APAC groups both had significantly lower PPCMv compared with controls (both, p<0.001).

Conclusions

While superficial peripapillary vessels were affected to similar degrees in POAG and APAC, PPCMv drop-out was greater with POAG versus APAC, suggesting that choroidal vessel density may be affected to a lesser extent following an acute increase in intraocular pressure before glaucoma develops.
Safety of heterologous primary and booster schedules with ChAdOx1-S and BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines: nationwide cohort study
Authors: Andersson Niklas Worm , Thiesson Emilia Myrup , Laursen Mona Vestergaard , Mogensen Stine Hasling , Kjær Jesper , Hviid Anders
Published: July 2022

Objective

To assess the risk of adverse events associated with heterologous primary (two dose) and booster (three dose) vaccine schedules for covid-19 with Oxford-AstraZeneca’s ChAdOx1-S priming followed by mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech’s BNT162b2 or Moderna’s mRNA-1273) as compared with homologous mRNA vaccine schedules for covid-19.

Design

Nationwide cohort study.

Setting

Denmark, 1 January 2021 to 26 March 2022.

Participants

Adults aged 18-65 years who received a heterologous vaccine schedule of priming with ChAdOx1-S and one or two mRNA booster doses (with either the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine) were compared with adults who received a homologous BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine schedule (ie, two dosevtwo dose, and three dosevthree dose schedule).

Main outcome measures

The incidence of hospital contacts for a range of adverse cardiovascular and haemostatic events within 28 days after the second or third vaccine dose, comparing heterologous versus homologous vaccine schedules. Secondary outcomes included additional prioritised adverse events of special interest. Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios with adjustment for selected covariates.

Results

Individuals who had had a heterologous primary vaccine (n=137 495) or a homologous vaccine (n=2 688 142) were identified, in addition to those who had had a heterologous booster (n=129 770) or a homologous booster (n=2 197 213). Adjusted incidence rate ratios of adverse cardiovascular and haemostatic events within 28 days for the heterologous primary and booster vaccine schedules in comparison with the homologous mRNA vaccine schedules were 1.22 (95% confidence interval 0.79 to 1.91) and 1.00 (0.58 to 1.72) for ischaemic cardiac events, 0.74 (0.40 to 1.34) and 0.72 (0.37 to 1.42) for cerebrovascular events, 1.12 (0.13 to 9.58) and 4.74 (0.94 to 24.01) for arterial thromboembolisms, 0.79 (0.45 to 1.38) and 1.09 (0.60 to 1.98) for venous thromboembolisms, 0.84 (0.18 to 3.96) and 1.04 (0.60 to 4.55) for myocarditis or pericarditis, 0.97 (0.45 to 2.10) and 0.89 (0.21 to 3.77) for thrombocytopenia and coagulative disorders, and 1.39 (1.01 to 1.91) and 1.02 (0.70 to 1.47) for other bleeding events, respectively. No associations with any of the outcomes were found when restricting to serious adverse events defined as stay in hospital for more than 24 h.

Conclusion

Heterologous primary and booster covid-19 vaccine schedules of ChAdOx1-S priming and mRNA booster doses as both second and third doses were not associated with increased risk of serious adverse events compared with homologous mRNA vaccine schedules. These results are reassuring but given the rarity of some of the adverse events, associations cannot be excluded.
Development of a core outcome set for school-based intervention studies on preventing childhood overweight and obesity: study protocol
Authors: de Vries Lotte W , Harrington Deirdre , Grooten Iris , Van 't Hooft Janneke , Deutekom Arend van , Roseboom Tessa J , Salmon Jo , Chinapaw Mai , Altenburg Teatske M
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Prevention of childhood overweight is an important health priority. Evidence synthesis from studies evaluating school-based overweight preventive interventions is hampered by the wealth of different outcomes across studies. Therefore, consensus on a core set of outcomes for school-based overweight prevention studies is needed. This paper presents the protocol for the development of a core outcome set (COS) for school-based intervention studies aimed at childhood overweight prevention.

Methods and analysis

First, a scoping review will be performed to identify outcomes included in studies evaluating school-based overweight prevention interventions in 6–12 year-old children. Additionally, child focus groups will be organised in three countries to list the outcomes children consider important in school-based interventions. Next, an expert panel will identify all unique outcomes (eg, body composition) from the results of the scoping review and focus groups, ruling out how outcomes were defined and measured (eg, body mass index, body fat). In the next phase, a group of international stakeholders will participate in a Delphi study in which they will rate all unique outcomes on a 9-point Likert scale over three rounds to reach consensus on a COS. Participants will include healthcare professionals, policymakers, teachers, school leaders and parents of 6–12 year-olds. All rated outcomes will be presented to stakeholders in two online consensus meetings.

Ethics and dissemination

The Medical Ethics Committee of the VU Medical Center approved the child focus group study in the Netherlands (nr. 2020.071) and the Delphi study—including the consensus meeting (nr. 2022.0295). Other sites will obtain ethics approval for focus groups in their country. The University of Strathclyde School of Psychological Sciences ethics committee approved the Delphi study—including consensus meeting (nr. 72.27.04.2022 .A). The final COS will be disseminated through the diverse networks of all authors and participants.

Trial registration number

This COS initiative is registered with the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness initiative (registration nr. 971).
Attitudes towards and use of dental dams by final-year dental students in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Jiang Haofeng , Shen Lu , Zhang Yuhan , Yang Jing
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To investigate the current and intended future use of dental dams (DDs) and attitudes regarding DD use among final-year dental students at two levels (undergraduate and college) in dental schools in Chongqing, China.

Design

A cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted from June to July 2021.

Setting

Chongqing Medical University (CQMU, undergraduate level) and Chongqing Three Gorges Medical College (CQTGMC, junior college level).

Participants

A total of 245 final-year dental students.

Main outcome measures

An anonymous online questionnaire was distributed to dental students less than 1 month before graduation. Students were asked about the DD training they had received, their attitudes towards some aspects of DDs, their current DD use and their intended future DD use in adult or child patients and in various dental procedures.

Results

A total of 238 valid questionnaires were returned (response rate=97.1%, CQMU=96.2%, n=76; CQTGMC=97.6%, n=162). A total of 47.5% of respondents used DDs on real patients during their internships (CQMU=59.2%, CQTGMC=42.0%, p<0.05). Whether in restorative procedures or endodontic treatment, the most common reason for not using DDs was a ‘lack of knowledge and experience’, followed by ‘DDs could not be provided by internship institutions’. Although the advantages of DDs were recognised by most students from the two schools, 52.9% thought DDs were difficult to apply (CQMU=42.1%, CQTGMC=58.0%, p<0.05). A total of 92.1% of CQMU respondents and 95.1% of CQTGMC respondents expressed their willingness to use DDs after independent practice in the future.

Conclusions

Although final-year students have a clear awareness of the advantages of DDs and are very enthusiastic about future DD use, the current DD utilisation rate is low. Education about DDs should be continuously improved in many aspects, and the advantages of using DDs in clinical dentistry should be further emphasised at dental schools.
Efficacy of soft palatal augmentation prosthesis for oral functional rehabilitation in patients with dysarthria and dysphagia: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Yokoyama Tomonori , Mukai Takao , Kodama Naoki , Takao Kana , Hiraoka Takashi , Arai Nobuyuki , Yano Jitsuro , Nagatsuka Hiroaki , Manda Yousuke , Hanayama Kozo , Minagi Shogo
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Palatal augmentation prosthesis (PAP) is used in patients with articulation and swallowing disorders caused by postoperative loss of tongue tissue due to tongue cancer, cerebrovascular disease sequelae and age-related hypofunction. We have previously reported a newly designed soft PAP fabricated using an thermoplastic material that is particularly appropriate for early intervention. However, the effect of soft PAP on oral function improvement remains to be elucidated. The aim of this study is to investigate whether soft PAP can improve dysarthria and dysphagia occurring as cerebrovascular disease sequelae.

Methods and analysis

This prospective, randomised, controlled trial will compare the immediate and training effects of rehabilitation using soft PAP with those of rehabilitation without using it. Primary outcomes are the single-word intelligibility test score and pharyngeal transit time (PTT). Secondary outcomes are tongue function (evaluated based on maximum tongue pressure, repetitions of tongue pressure and endurance of tongue pressure), articulation function (evaluated based on speech intelligibility, oral diadochokinesis, Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL)) and swallowing function (evaluated using Eating Assessment Tool-10). The study results will help determine the efficacy of Soft PAP in improving functional outcomes of word intelligibility and PTT. We hypothesised that early rehabilitation using Soft PAP would more effectively improve articulation and swallowing function compared with conventional rehabilitation without using soft PAP.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from the Okayama University Certified Review Board. The study findings will be published in an open access, peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences and research meetings.

Trial registration number

jRCTs062200054.
Predictors of long-term symptom burden and quality of life in patients hospitalised with chest pain: a prospective observational study
Authors: Saeed Nasir , Norekvål Tone Merete , Steiro Ole-Thomas , Tjora Hilde Lunde , Langørgen Jørund , Bjørneklett Rune Oskar , Skadberg Øyvind , Bonarjee Vernon Vijay Singha , Mjelva Øistein Rønneberg , Omland Torbjørn , Vikenes Kjell , Aakre Kristin Moberg
Published: July 2022

Objective

To describe the magnitude and predictors of symptom burden (SB) and quality of life (QoL) 3 months after hospital admission for acute chest pain.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Single centre, outpatient follow-up.

Participants

1506 patients.

Outcomes

Scores reported for general health (RAND-12), angina-related health (Seattle Angina Questionnaire 7 (SAQ-7)) and dyspnoea (Rose Dyspnea Scale) 3 months after hospital admission for chest pain.

Methods

A total of 1506 patients received questionnaires assessing general health (RAND-12), angina-related health (SAQ-7) and dyspnoea (Rose Dyspnea Scale) 3 months after discharge. Univariable and multivariable regression models identified predictors of SB and QoL scores. A mediator analysis identified factors mediating the effect of an unstable angina pectoris (UAP) diagnosis.

Results

774 (52%) responded. Discharge diagnoses were non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (14.2%), UAP (17.1%), non-coronary cardiac disease (6.6%), non-cardiac disease (6.3%) and non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) (55.6%). NSTEMI had the most favourable, and UAP patients the least favourable SAQ-7 scores (median SAQ7-summary; 88 vs 75, p<0.001). NCCP patients reported persisting chest pain in 50% and dyspnoea in 33% of cases. After adjusting for confounders, revascularisation predicted better QoL scores, while UAP, current smoking and hypertension predicted worse outcome. NSTEMI and UAP patients who were revascularised reported higher scores (p<0.05) in SAQ-7-QL, SAQ7-PL, SAQ7-summary (NSTEMI) and all SAQ-7 domains (UAP). Revascularisation altered the unstandardised beta value (>±10%) of an UAP diagnosis for all SAQ-7 and RAND-12 outcomes.

Conclusions

Patients with NSTEMI reported the most favourable outcome 3 months after hospitalisation for chest pain. Patients with other diseases, in particular UAP patients, reported lower scores. Revascularised NSTEMI and UAP patients reported higher QoL scores compared with patients receiving conservative treatment. Revascularisation mediated all outcomes in UAP patients.

Trial registration number

NCT02620202.
Clinical management of community-acquired meningitis in adults in the UK and Ireland in 2017: a retrospective cohort study on behalf of the National Infection Trainees Collaborative for Audit and Research (NITCAR)
Authors: Ellis Jayne , Harvey David , Defres Sylviane , Chandna Arjun , MacLachlan Eloisa , Solomon Tom , Heyderman Robert S , McGill Fiona
Published: July 2022

Objectives

To assess practice in the care of adults with suspected community-acquired bacterial meningitis in the UK and Ireland.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

64 UK and Irish hospitals.

Participants

1471 adults with community-acquired meningitis of any aetiology in 2017.

Results

None of the audit standards, from the 2016 UK Joint Specialists Societies guideline on diagnosis and management of meningitis, were met in all cases. With respect to 20 of 30 assessed standards, clinical management provided for patients was in line with recommendations in less than 50% of cases. 45% of patients had blood cultures taken within an hour of admission, 0.5% had a lumbar puncture within 1 hour, 26% within 8 hours. 28% had bacterial molecular diagnostic tests on cerebrospinal fluid. Median time to first dose of antibiotics was 3.2 hours (IQR 1.3–9.2). 80% received empirical parenteral cephalosporins. 55% ≥60 years and 31% of immunocompromised patients received anti-Listeria antibiotics. 21% received steroids. Of the 1471 patients, 20% had confirmed bacterial meningitis. Among those with bacterial meningitis, pneumococcal aetiology, admission to intensive care and initial Glasgow Coma Scale Score less than 14 were associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.08, 95% CI 0.96 to 4.48; aOR 4.28, 95% CI 1.81 to 10.1; aOR 2.90, 95% CI 1.26 to 6.71, respectively). Dexamethasone therapy was weakly associated with a reduction in mortality in both those with proven bacterial meningitis (aOR 0.57, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.17) and with pneumococcal meningitis (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.20 to 1.10).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that clinical care for patients with meningitis in the UK is not in line with current evidence-based national guidelines. Diagnostics and therapeutics should be targeted for quality improvement strategies. Work should be done to improve the impact of guidelines, understand why they are not followed and, once published, ensure they translate into changed practice.
FujiLAM for the diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis: a systematic review
Authors: Olbrich Laura , Khambati Nisreen , Bijker Else Margreet , Ruhwald Morten , Heinrich Nobert , Song Rinn
Published: July 2022

Background

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) remains underdiagnosed. The novel lateral flow FujiLAM assay detects lipoarabinomannan (LAM) in urine, but data on performance in children remain limited.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review assessing the diagnostic performance of FujiLAM for diagnosing paediatric TB. The last search was conducted in November 2021.

Results

We included three studies with data from 698 children for FujiLAM. For FujiLAM, sensitivity using a microbiological reference standard were 60% (95% CI 15 to 95), 42% (95% CI 31 to 53) and 63% (95% CI 50 to 75), respectively. Specificity was 93% (95% CI 85 to 98), 92% (95% CI 85 to 96) and 84% (95% CI 80 to 88). Using a composite reference standard, sensitivity was 11% (95% CI 4 to 22), 27% (95% CI 20 to 34) and 33% (95% CI 26 to 40), and specificity was 92% (95% CI 73 to 99), 97% (95% CI 87 to 100) and 85% (95% CI 79 to 89). Subgroup analyses for sensitivity of FujiLAM in children living with HIV (CLHIV) compared with those who were negative for HIV infection were inconsistent across studies. Among CLHIV, sensitivity appeared higher in those with greater immunosuppression, although wide CIs limit the interpretation of observed differences. Meta-analysis was not performed due to considerable study heterogeneity.

Conclusion

The high specificity of FujiLAM demonstrates its potential as a point-of-care (POC) rule-in test for diagnosing paediatric TB. As an instrument-free POC test that uses an easy-to-obtain specimen, FujiLAM could significantly improve TB diagnosis in children in low-resource settings, however the small number of studies available highlight that further data are needed. Key priorities to be addressed in forthcoming paediatric evaluations include prospective head-to-head comparisons with AlereLAM using fresh specimens, specific subgroup analysis in CLHIV and extrapulmonary disease and studies in different geographical locations.

CRD42021270761.
Low-dose irradiation for reversing immunotherapy resistance: how to translate?
Authors: Ochoa-de-Olza Maria , Bourhis Jean , Coukos George , Herrera Fernanda G
Published: July 2022

The use of low-dose irradiation (LDI) for mobilizing innate and adaptive immunity is gaining interest among the scientific community. Recent evidence suggests that LDI can reprogramme the tumor microenvironment, induce inflammation and turn cold tumors susceptible to immunecheckpoint blockade therapy. Translating immuno-radiation preclinical findings in the clinic is more challenging than expected. We propose therapeutic strategies for combining LDI with immunotherapy, and emphasize the importance of pursuing clinical research to determine optimal radiation dosage, fractionation, volumes, and sequencing to stimulate immune-mediated tumor responses.
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations fail to elicit humoral and cellular immune responses in patients with multiple sclerosis receiving fingolimod
Authors: Meyer-Arndt Lil , Braun Julian , Fauchere Florent , Vanshylla Kanika , Loyal Lucie , Henze Larissa , Kruse Beate , Dingeldey Manuela , Jürchott Karsten , Mangold Maike , Maraj Ardit , Braginets Andre , Böttcher Chotima , Nitsche Andreas , de la Rosa Kathrin , Ratswohl Christoph , Sawitzki Birgit , Holenya Pavlo , Reimer Ulf , Sander Leif E , Klein Florian , Paul Friedemann , Bellmann-Strobl Judith , Thiel Andreas , Giesecke-Thiel Claudia
Published: July 2022

Background

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination of healthy individuals is highly immunogenic and protective against severe COVID-19. However, there are limited data on how disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) alter SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine immunogenicity in patients with autoimmune diseases.

Methods

As part of a prospective cohort study, we investigated the induction, stability and boosting of vaccine-specific antibodies, B cells and T cells in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on different DMTs after homologous primary, secondary and booster SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccinations. Of 126 patients with MS analysed, 105 received either anti-CD20-based B cell depletion (aCD20-BCD), fingolimod, interferon-β, dimethyl fumarate, glatiramer acetate, teriflunomide or natalizumab, and 21 were untreated MS patients for comparison.

Results

In contrast to all other MS patients, and even after booster, most aCD20-BCD- and fingolimod-treated patients showed no to markedly reduced anti-S1 IgG, serum neutralising activity and a lack of receptor binding domain-specific and S2-specific B cells. Patients receiving fingolimod additionally lacked spike-reactive CD4+T cell responses. The duration of fingolimod treatment, rather than peripheral blood B and T cell counts prior to vaccination, determined whether a humoral immune response was elicited.

Conclusions

The lack of immunogenicity under long-term fingolimod treatment demonstrates that functional immune responses require not only immune cells themselves, but also access of these cells to the site of inoculation and their unimpeded movement. The absence of humoral and T cell responses suggests that fingolimod-treated patients with MS are at risk for severe SARS-CoV-2 infections despite booster vaccinations, which is highly relevant for clinical decision-making and adapted protective measures, particularly considering additional recently approved sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor antagonists for MS treatment.
Reduction in local white-tailed deer abundance allows the positive response of northern white cedar regeneration to gap dynamics
Authors: Villemaire-Côté Olivier , Ruel Jean-Claude , Tremblay Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2022

Gap dynamics play a crucial role in forest regeneration by creating favourable regeneration and survival niches for some plant species. Nonetheless, potentially overriding factors, such as ungulate browsing, could limit or eliminate this gap dynamic-related regeneration. The deleterious effects of browsing may be exacerbated for slow-growing species such as northern white cedar ( Thuja occidentalis L.), a tree highly selected by white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus Zimmerman). We therefore aimed to understand how deer browsing and gap dynamics interact to affect cedar regeneration and hypothesized that cedar regeneration benefits from natural gaps but that deer browsing could override this effect. We inventoried natural canopy gaps along a spatiotemporal gradient of deer habitat use. We evaluated cedar regeneration abundance, tree height, and various gap, stand, and competition metrics. We found that deer browsing pressure greatly limited cedar regeneration; however, when deer populations decreased, cedar regeneration abundance increased within a decade, even after prolonged browsing pressure, and increased further over time. Our study illustrates that cedar regeneration can be favoured by gap creation and deer population control.
A FRACTAL-MONTE CARLO APPROACH TO SIMULATE KOZENY–CARMAN CONSTANT OF ROUGHENED FIBROUS POROUS MEDIA
Authors: ZHANG YIDAN , GAO JUN , XIAO BOQI , ZHANG JIACHENG , WANG YI , HU HAORAN , FENG AN , LONG GONGBO
Published: July 2022

The Kozeny–Carman (KC) equation is a well-known semi-empirical formula, which is used to calculate the permeability of porous media in the seepage field. The KC constant is an empirical constant in the KC equation. In this paper, based on the fractal theory, the Fractal-Monte Carlo technique is used to simulate the KC constant of the roughened fibrous porous media (RFPM) with micro-scale effects. There is no empirical constants in the proposed model, and each parameter has its physical meaning. The KC constant model of RFPM can be expressed as a function of structural parameters, including relative roughness ([Formula: see text]), porosity ([Formula: see text]), pore area fractal dimension ([Formula: see text]), tortuosity fractal dimension ([Formula: see text]), capillary diameter ([Formula: see text]) and Knudsen number ([Formula: see text]). The result shows that the KC constant increases with increases in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. On the contrary, with increases in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the KC constant decreases. In addition, the KC constant model constructed in the paper agrees well with the existing experimental data and the model. According to the proposed Fractal-Monte Carlo technique, it is possible to better clarify the transmission physical mechanism in RFPM with micro-scale effects.
MICRO-MECHANICS OF THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITES WITH FRACTAL FIBER LENGTH DISTRIBUTION
Authors: TIAN WENLONG , ZHU LU , CHAO XUJIANG , QI LEHUA , FU M. W.
Published: July 2022

In short-fiber composites (SFCs), fiber length distribution (FLD) is complicated and has a considerable impact on the mechanical properties of SFCs. This work proposes a fractal FLD in SFCs on the basis of the fractal theory, and develops a multi-step mean-field homogenization (MSMFH) method to accurately and efficiently predict the mechanical properties of SFCs with fractal FLD. In the developed MSMFH method, SFCs are first decomposed into virtual pseudo-grains (PGs) according to fiber orientation distribution (FOD), followed the further division of the PGs into virtual sub-pseudo-grains (SPGs) according to FLD. The Mori–Tanaka or Double-Inclusion model is adopted to homogenize the mechanical properties of each SPG in the first step, and the Voigt model is implemented to homogenize the mechanical properties of all the SPGs and the PGs, respectively, in the sequential steps. Fiber length and orientation averaging algorithms for the developed MSMFH method are detailed. The developed MSMFH method and the proposed fractal FLD are validated to accurately predict the mechanical properties of SFCs by the means of the comparison with the FE method and the available experimental tests.
A new family of decreasing density and hazard quantile functions for modeling time-to-event data
Authors: Shekhawat Komal , Sharma Vikas Kumar
Published: July 2022

In this paper, a convenient and parsimonious family of the quantile functions is proposed for modeling time-to-event data. Detailed mathematical arguments are presented for deriving the explicit expressions of the quantile density, quantile hazard and quantile mean remaining life functions. Their functional properties are also explored. Some important members of the family are provided. A special case, the so-called additive power logarithmic quantile family, is discussed with detailed properties, parameter estimation and application to time-to-event data. Measures of skewness and kurtosis for the proposed quantile function are derived. Important statistical measures useful for reliability analysis are also provided with their explicit expressions. Stochastic ordering, tail weight and order statistics are also discussed. L-moments are explicitly derived for the proposed quantile function. Estimation is approached using the likelihood function and percentiles. A real data set consists of times between occurrence of the coal-mining accidents is analyzed for illustration purposes.
Electronic Structure and Adsorption Behavior of Non-Metallic Atoms and Aluminum Atoms on the Surface of Graphene: DFT Theoretical Calculation
Authors: Huang Jingtao , Liu Yong , Chen Jiaying , Lai Zhonghong , Hu Jin , Zhou Fei , Li Mingwei , Zhu Jingchuan
Published: July 2022

Graphene has been widely studied in many fields due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. In this paper, we focus on the electronic structure and adsorption behavior of Al atoms and X ([Formula: see text], N, Si, S) atoms co-adsorption on the surface of pure graphene and Al atom adsorption on the surface of X ([Formula: see text], N, Si, S) atoms-doped graphene systematically. The adsorption energy, adsorption distance, bond length, bond angle, and electronic structure were studied using density functional theory (DFT) theoretical calculation. The results show that the adsorption capacity of (Al, X) atoms co-adsorbed on the graphene surface is significantly improved compared to the Al atoms on the pure graphene surface. The adsorption energy of Al and B atoms co-adsorbed on the graphene surface is basically the same as that of Al atoms on the B-doped graphene surface. The calculation results also show that the adsorption capacity of Al atoms and X ([Formula: see text], Si, S) atoms co-adsorbed on the surface of graphene is better than that of Al atoms on the surface of graphene doped with X (X = N, Si, S) atoms. Compared with N atom and S atom-doped systems, the Si-doped graphene surface has a stronger adsorption capacity for Al atoms than pure graphene. However, due to the doping of N and S atoms, the adsorption capacity of Al atoms on the graphene surface is somewhat reduced. Our calculation results provide a theoretical basis for further selection of Al-based graphene composite materials.
On the RTL Implementation of FINN Matrix Vector Unit
Authors: Alam Syed Asad , Gregg David , Gambardella Giulio , Preusser Thomas , Blott Michaela
Published: July 2022

Field-programmable gate array (FPGA)–based accelerators are becoming increasingly popular for deep neural network (DNN) inference due to their ability to scale performance with increasing degrees of specialization with dataflow architectures or custom data type precision. In order to reduce the barrier for software engineers and data scientists to adopt FPGAs, C++- and OpenCL-based design entries with high-level synthesis (HLS) have been introduced. They provide higher abstraction compared with register-transfer level (RTL)–based design. HLS offers faster development time, better maintainability, and more flexibility in code exploration when evaluating several options for multi-dimension tensors, convolutional layers, or different degrees of parallelism. For this reason, HLS has been adopted by DNN accelerator generation frameworks such as FINN and hls4ml.

In this article, we present an alternative backend library for FINN, leveraging RTL. We investigate and evaluate, across a spectrum of design dimensions, the pros and cons of an RTL-based implementation versus the original HLS variant. We show that for smaller design parameters, RTL produces significantly smaller circuits as compared with HLS. For larger circuits, however, the look-up table (LUT) count of RTL-based design is slightly higher, up to around 15%. On the other hand, HLS consistently requires more flip-flops (FFs; with an orders-of-magnitude difference for smaller designs) and block RAMs (BRAMs; 2× more). This also impacts the critical path delay, with RTL producing significantly faster circuits, up to around 80%. RTL also benefits from at least a 10× reduction in synthesis time. Finally, the results were validated in practice using two real-world use cases, one of a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) used in network intrusion detection and the other a convolution network called ResNet, used in image recognition. Overall, since HLS frameworks code-generate the hardware design, the benefits of the ease in the design entry is less important. As such, the gained benefits in synthesis time together with some design-dependent resource benefits make the RTL abstraction an attractive alternative.
Incorporation of Data-Mined Knowledge into Black-Box SVM for Interpretability
Authors: Chen Shaohan , Gao Chuanhou , Zhang Ping
Published: July 2022

The lack of interpretability often makes black-box models challenging to be applied in many practical domains. For this reason, the current work, from the black-box model input port, proposes to incorporate data-mined knowledge into the black-box soft-margin SVM model to enhance accuracy and interpretability. The concept and incorporation mechanism of data-mined knowledge are successively developed, based on which a
partially interpretable soft-margin SVM (
pTsm
-SVM)
optimization model is designed and then solved through reformulating the optimization problem as standard quadratic programming. An algorithm for mining linear positive (negative) class knowledge from general data sets is also proposed, which generates a linear two-dimensional discriminative rule with specificity (sensitivity) equal to 1 and the highest possible sensitivity (specificity) among all two-dimensional feature spaces. The knowledge-integrated
pTsm
-SVM works by achieving a good trade-off among the “large margin”, “high specificity”, and “high sensitivity”. Our experimental results on eight UCI datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed
pTsm
-SVM over the standard soft-margin SVM both in terms of accuracy and interpretability.
(Invited) 3D Printing of 2D Materials for Optimized Electrochemical Performance
Authors: Worsley Marcus Andre , Beck Victor A , Reale Batista Mariana Desiree , Chandrasekaran Swetha , Moran Bryan , Salazar de Troya Miguel A , Carleton Adam , Roy Thomas , Tortorelli Daniel , Stadermann Michael , Pinongcos Anica , Lin Dun , Wang Zhen , Hensleigh Ryan , Li Yat
Published: July 2022

Electrochemical energy storage (EES) and conversion devices (e.g. batteries, supercapacitors, and reactors) are emerging as primary methods for global efforts to shift energy dependence from limited fossil fuels towards sustainable and renewable resources. These electric-based devices, while showing great potential for meeting some key metrics set by conventional technologies, still face significant limitations. For example, an EES device tends to exhibit large energy density (e.g. lithium-ion battery) or power density (e.g. supercapacitor), but not both. This inability of a single device to simultaneously achieve both metrics represents a major obstacle to widespread adoption of EES devices. Improvements in materials, such as the integration of 2D materials (e.g. graphene, dichalcogenides, MXene, etc.) into electrochemical devices has yielded some exciting results towards tackling this issue, but significant improvements are still needed. Our approach to simultaneously achieving high energy and power density is to focus on one of the fundamental processes that occur in these systems: mass (or charge) transport. The efficient transport of ions within EES devices is critical to realizing both large power and energy densities. The pore structure of the electrode is a key factor in determining this transport phenomena, but in many cases, engineering the pore structure in a highly deterministic fashion is not pursued or even possible for many electrode materials. In this work, we explore a number of additive manufacturing methods (e.g. direct ink write, projection microstereolithography, etc.) to engineer the pore structure of device electrodes. We also determine effective electrode geometries using both simple theory and topology optimization techniques. The topology optimization couples the solution of the forward electrochemical problem over the full electrode domain with gradient-based optimization. The output of our code is a three-dimensional CAD representation which optimizes over specific performance metrics and which can be used to print functional electrodes. This work provides a systematic path toward automatic design and fabrication of engineered electrodes with precise control over the fluid and species distribution.