bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multi‐modality physical phantom for mimicking tumor heterogeneity patterns in PET/CT and PET/MRI
Authors: Valladares Alejandra , Beyer Thomas , Papp Laszlo , Salomon Elisabeth , Rausch Ivo
Published: July 2022

Background

Hybrid imaging (e.g., positron emission tomography [PET]/computed tomography [CT], PET/magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) helps one to visualize and quantify morphological and physiological tumor characteristics in a single study. The noninvasive characterization of tumor heterogeneity is essential for grading, treatment planning, and following‐up oncological patients. However, conventional (CONV) image‐based parameters, such as tumor diameter, tumor volume, and radiotracer activity uptake, are insufficient to describe tumor heterogeneities. Here, radiomics shows promise for a better characterization of tumors. Nevertheless, the validation of such methods demands imaging objects capable of reflecting heterogeneities in multi‐modality imaging. We propose a phantom to simulate tumor heterogeneity repeatably in PET, CT, and MRI.

Methods

The phantom consists of three 50‐ml plastic tubes filled partially with acrylic spheres of S1: 1.6 mm, S2: 50%(1.6 mm)/50%(6.3 mm), or S3: 6.3‐mm diameter. The spheres were fixed to the bottom of each tube by a plastic grid, yielding one sphere free homogeneous region and one heterogeneous (S1, S2, or S3) region per tube. A 3‐tube phantom and its replica were filled with a fluorodeoxyglucose (18F) solution for test–retest measurements in a PET/CT Siemens TPTV and a PET/MR Siemens Biograph mMR system. A number of 42 radiomic features (10 first order and 32 texture features) were calculated for each phantom region and imaging modality. Radiomic features stability was evaluated through coefficients of variation (COV) across phantoms and scans for PET, CT, and MRI. Further, the Wilcoxon test was used to assess the capability of stable features to discriminate the simulated phantom regions.

Results

The different patterns (S1–S3) did present visible heterogeneity in all imaging modalities. However, only for CT and MRI, a clear visual difference was present between the different patterns. Across all phantom regions in PET, CT, and MR images, 10, 16, and 21 features out of 42 evaluated features in total had a COV of 10% or less. In particular, CONV, histogram, and gray‐level run length matrix features showed high repeatability for all the phantom regions and imaging modalities. Several of repeatable texture features allowed the image‐based discrimination of the different phantom regions (p < 0.05). However, depending on the feature, different pattern discrimination capabilities were found for the different imaging modalities.

Conclusion

The proposed phantom appears suitable for simulating heterogeneities in PET, CT, and MRI. We demonstrate that it is possible to select radiomic features for the readout of the phantom. Most of these features had been shown to be relevant in previous clinical studies.
Area‐selective atomic layer deposition on HOPG enabled by writable electron beam functionalization
Authors: Koerner Gordon , Wyatt Quinton K. , Bateman Brady , Boyle Camden , Young Matthias J. , Maschmann Matthew R.
Published: July 2022

Area‐selective atomic layer deposition (AS‐ALD) techniques are an emerging class of bottom‐up nanofabrication techniques that selectively deposit patterned ALD films without the need for conventional top‐down lithography. To achieve this patterning, most reported AS‐ALD techniques use a chemical inhibitor layer to proactively block ALD surface reactions in selected areas. Herein, an AS‐ALD process is demonstrated that uses a focused electron beam (e‐beam) to dissociate ambient water vapor and “write” highly resolved hydroxylated patterns on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The patterned hydroxylated regions then support subsequent ALD deposition. The e‐beam functionalization technique facilitates precise pattern placement through control of beam position, dwell time, and current. Spatial resolution of the technique exceeded 42 nm, with a surface selectivity of between 69.9% and 99.7%, depending on selection of background nucleation regions. This work provides a fabrication route for AS‐ALD on graphitic substrates suitable for fabrication of graphene‐based nanoelectronics.
Fabrication and characteristics of flexible thermoplastic polyurethane filament for fused deposition modeling three‐dimensional printing
Authors: Shin Eun Joo , Park Yuyoung , Jung Yang Sook , Choi Hyeong Yeol , Lee Sunhee
Published: July 2022

In the era of artificial intelligence (AI), materials with soft and strong properties are becoming increasingly important. Various three‐dimensional (3D) fused deposition modeling (FDM) filaments have been developed as soft actuator materials. In the present study, a soft actuator‐grade thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was developed and then processed into a filament for FDM 3D printers during a melt‐extrusion process using commercial (65, 75, 80, and 85 Shore A) pellets. Rheological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the manufactured TPU filaments were characterized. Auxetic re‐entrant TPU samples were then printed with the manufactured filament. Results showed that the 75 Shore A pellet was the most suitable for auxetic re‐entrant FDM 3D printing.
Exploiting genetic variation from unadapted germplasm—An example from improvement of sorghum in Ethiopia
Authors: Birhan Techale , Dong Hongxu , Abajebel Nezif , Wakjira Misganu , Lemke Cornelia , Vadez Vincent , Paterson Andrew H. , Bantte Kassahun
Published: July 2022

Societal Impact Statement

The productivity of sorghum in Ethiopia has been largely limited by rain‐fed conditions because farmers tend to use local drought‐tolerant but low‐yielding landraces, as high‐yielding and late‐maturing landrace cultivars risk failure due to drought. Addressing such issues often requires a far‐reaching approach to identify and incorporate new traits into a gene pool, followed by a period of selection to re‐establish an overall adaptive phenotype. The sorghum backcross nested association mapping (BC‐NAM) population developed in this study increases the genetic diversity available in Ethiopian elite adapted sorghum germplasm, providing new scope to improve food security in a region known for periodic devastating droughts.

As the center of diversity for sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, elite cultivars selected in Ethiopia are of central importance to sub‐Saharan food security. Despite being presumably well adapted to their center of diversity, elite Ethiopian sorghums nonetheless experience constraints to productivity, for example, associated with shifting rainfall patterns associated with climate change.

A sorghum backcross nested association mapping (BC‐NAM) population developed by crossing 13 diverse lines pre‐identified to have various drought resilience mechanisms with an Ethiopian elite cultivar, Teshale, was tested under three rain‐fed environments in Ethiopia.

Twenty‐seven, 15, and 15 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) with predominantly small additive effects were identified for days to flowering, days to maturity, and plant height, respectively. Many associations detected in this study corresponded closely to known or candidate genes or previously mapped QTLs, supporting their validity.

The expectation that genotypes such as Teshale from the center of diversity tend to have a history of strong balancing selection, with novel variations more likely to persist in small marginal populations, was strongly supported in that for these three traits, nearly equal numbers of alleles from the donor lines conferred increases and decreases in phenotype relative to the Teshale allele. Such rich variation provides a foundation for selection to arrive at a new “adaptive peak,” exemplifying the nature of efforts that may be necessary to adapt many crops to new climate extremes.
Effect of Aminosilane Nanoparticle Coating on Structural and Magnetic Properties and Cell Viability in Human Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Urquizo Israel Alejandro Flores , García Tomás Constantino Hernández , Loredo Shadai Lugo , Galindo José Trinidad Elizalde , Casillas Perla Elvia García , Barrón Jazmín Cristina Stevens , González Christian Chapa
Published: July 2022

Magnetic nanoparticle interfaces have aroused great scientific research interest in the biomedical area since the interaction of cells or biomolecules with nanoparticles is determined by the surface properties. Currently, in medical applications, there is a need to study cell interaction and growth, along with changes in structural or magnetic properties, attributed to nanoparticle coatings. In this study the coercive field changes in NixFe3‐xO4 nanoparticles (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0) driven by partial or total substitution of Fe2+ content by Ni2+, and by aminosilane coating are evaluated. The nanoparticles are synthesized by the coprecipitation method. The inverse spinel structure is confirmed by X‐ray diffraction results and Raman spectra. The aminosilane coating is confirmed by energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Dynamic light scattering confirms a mean hydrodynamic size of 10 nm. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of the uncoated and aminosilane‐coated samples show that the particles have a hemispherical shape. The coating increases the coercive field. In addition, uncoated Ni0.2Fe2.8O4 has the highest viability in both MCF7 and HeLa cell lines, and aminosilane coating decreases cell viability. This study contributes to future applications of nanomedicine, such as hyperthermia and drug delivery.
Autophagy‐related 5 gene mRNA expression and ATG5 rs510432 polymorphism in children with bronchial asthma
Authors: Ahmad Enas Sebaey , Diab Safia Mohamed , Behiry Eman Gamal , Bassyoni Shereen El Bassyoni El Said El , Ishak Sally Raafat , Ramadan Abeer
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease in children with complex pathogenesis, characterized by airway hyper‐responsiveness, obstruction, mucus hyperproduction, and airway remodeling. Autophagy is important for cellular physiology, and the ATG5 rs510432 has recently been implicated in several fundamental characteristics of childhood asthma pathogenesis and may play a role in the disease progression. This study aims to assess the expression of ATG5 messenger RNA (mRNA) according to rs510432 polymorphism in asthmatic children and to evaluate their possible relation with the development of the disease.

Methods

ATG5 mRNA expression and rs510432 polymorphism were measured using real‐time polymerase chain reaction in 57 asthmatic children patients and 46 healthy controls.

Results

ATG5 level was significantly higher in asthmatic children than in controls and a significant increase in the frequency of TT and CC genotype of ATG5 rs510432 gene polymorphism was found in asthmatic patients when compared to control subjects (p < 0.001; and p = 0.01, respectively), and there was a statistically significant decrease in the frequency of CT genotype of ATG5 rs510432 gene polymorphism in asthmatic patients when compared to control subjects (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

ATG5 rs510432 gene polymorphism plays an important role in childhood asthma pathogenesis.
Air‐assisted spraying and electrically charged droplets for Bemisia tabaci control in soybeans
Authors: Pelegrini Gabriela , Souza Antônio M , Ferreira Pedro HU , Monteiro Gabriel G , Ferreira Marcelo C
Published: July 2022

BACKGROUND

The improvement of surface coverage and plant protection products deposition can be obtained by electrifying droplets, which are strongly attracted by plants, including the abaxial part of the leaves. Moreover, air assistance improves droplet penetration into the crop canopy, especially in the lower third of the plants. These technologies can help control soybean (Glycine max) whitefly, which preferentially lodges on the abaxial surface of the leaves. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of air‐assisted spraying and electrically charged droplets to control whitefly in soybean, besides assessing surface coverage, plant protection product deposition, droplet size, and crop yield.

RESULTS

Droplet electrification and air assistance did not change droplet size and uniformity classified as Fine. Surface coverage was not enhanced using air assistance and electrically charged droplets, where maximum coverage in the middle third of the plants was 4.55%. The results were not significant for spray plant protection products deposition. The number of nymphs per leaflet in the 2019/20 growing season was reduced with the used technologies, reducing from 10.9 to 3.0 nymphs per leaflet in the application with air‐assisted and charged droplets, but not enough to differ from the untreated. On the other hand, the reduction was significant from the first assessment in the 2020/21 growing season.

CONCLUSION

Air‐assisted spraying plus electrically charged droplets, under the conditions of this experiment which corresponds to the application carried out in production areas, were not effective to affect whitefly control and soybean yield in comparison to the conventional application method. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
MgZnO High‐Voltage Transparent Thin‐Film Transistors Built on Glass
Authors: Li Yuxuan , Yu Fangzhou , Li Guangyuan , Lu Ming , Lu Yicheng
Published: July 2022

Recently, there has been increasing interest in building‐integrated photovoltaic (BIPV), which enables harvesting solar energy effectively. Large‐area glass components such as windows are widely used in modern constructions. In addition to the PV on opaque components such as walls and roofs, the transparent photovoltaic (TPV) directly built on glass is complementary to fully utilize the PV energy in BIPV. A high‐voltage transparent thin‐film transistor (HVTTFT) built on glass is an ideal option for distributed microinverters for TPV modules. A wide‐bandgap oxide‐based HVTTFT on glass for this purpose is reported. The HVTTFT on glass uses ZnO‐based materials with different functions for two roles: a semiconductor Mg0.01Zn0.99O (MZO) as TFT channel and Al‐doped ZnO (AZO) as transparent conductive oxide (TCO) electrodes. The centrosymmetric circular structure of the MZO HVTTFT with a high‐k‐stacking gate dielectric enables a blocking voltage as high as ≈1 kV and an on/off ratio of 106. The device exhibits an average optical transmittance of 81% over the visible spectrum.
Utility of cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking strain assessment in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension for prediction of REVEAL 2.0 high risk status
Authors: Leong Kai'En , Howard Luke , Giudice Francesco Lo , Davies Rachel , Haji Gulammehdi , Gibbs Simon , Gopalan Deepa
Published: July 2022

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension may be cured by pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA). Thromboembolic disease distribution/PEA success primarily determines prognosis but risk scoring criteria may be adjunctive. Right ventriculoarterial (RV‐PA) and ventriculoatrial (RV‐right atrium [RA]) coupling may be evaluated by cardiac MRI (CMR) feature tracking deformation/strain assessment. We characterized biatrial and biventricular CMR feature tracking (FT) strain parameters following PEA and tested the ability of CMR FT to identify REVEAL 2.0 high‐risk status. We undertook a retrospective single‐center cross‐sectional study of patients (n = 57) who underwent PEA (2015–2020). All underwent pre and postoperative catheterization and CMR. Pulmonary arterial hypertension validated risk scores were calculated. Significant postoperative improvements were observed in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) (pre‐op 45 ± 11 mmHg vs. post‐op 26 ± 11 mmHg; p < 0.001) and PVR however a large proportion had residual pulmonary hypertension (45%; mPAP ≥25 mmHg). PEA augmented left heart filling with left ventricular end diastolic volume index and left atrial volume index increment. Left ventricular ejection fraction was unchanged postoperatively but LV global longitudinal strain improved (pre‐op median −14.2% vs. post‐op −16.0%; p < 0.001). Right ventricular (RV) geometry and function also improved with reduction in RV mass. Most had uncoupled RV‐PA relationships which recovered (pre‐op right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain −13.2 ± 4.8%, RV stroke volume/right ventricular end systolic volume ratio 0.78 ± 0.53 vs. post‐op −16.8 ± 4.2%, 1.32 ± 0.55; both p < 0.001). Postoperatively, there were six REVEAL 2.0 high‐risk patients, best predicted by impaired RA strain which was superior to traditional volumetric parameters (area under the curve [AUC] 0.99 vs. RVEF AUC 0.88). CMR deformation/strain evaluation can offer insights into coupling recovery; RA strain may be an expeditious surrogate for the more laborious REVEAL 2.0 score.
Detecting overmature forests with airborne laser scanning (ALS)
Authors: Fuhr Marc , Lalechère Etienne , Monnet Jean‐Matthieu , Bergès Laurent
Published: July 2022

Building a network of interconnected overmature forests is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. Indeed, a multitude of plant and animal species depend on forest structural maturity attributes such as very large living trees and deadwood. LiDAR technology has proved to be powerful when assessing forest structural parameters, and it may be a promising way to identify existing overmature forest patches over large areas. We first built an index (IMAT) combining several forest structural maturity attributes in order to characterize the structural maturity of 660 field plots in the French northern Pre‐Alps. We then selected or developed LiDAR metrics and applied them in a random forest model designed to predict the IMAT. Model performance was evaluated with the root mean square error of prediction obtained from a bootstrap cross‐validation and a Spearman correlation coefficient calculated between observed and predicted IMAT. Predictors were ranked by importance based on the average increase in the squared out‐of‐bag error when the variable was randomly permuted. Despite a non‐negligible RMSEP (0.85 for calibration and validation data combined and 1.26 for validation data alone), we obtained a high correlation (0.89) between the observed and predicted IMAT values, indicating an accurate ranking of the field plots. LiDAR metrics for height (maximum height and height heterogeneity) were among the most important metrics for predicting forest maturity, together with elevation, slope and, to a lesser extent, with metrics describing the distribution of echoes' intensities. Our framework makes it possible to reconstruct a forest maturity gradient and isolate maturity hot spots. Nevertheless, our approach could be considerably strengthened by taking into consideration site fertility, collecting other maturity attributes in the field or developing adapted LiDAR metrics. Including additional spectral or textural metrics from optical imagery might also improve the predictive capacity of the model.
A Hexagonal Nut‐Like Metal–Organic Framework and Its Conformal Transformation
Authors: Zhang Wen‐Da , Zhou Lang , Wang Hao‐Ran , Xu Hanwen , Zhu Haiyan , Jiang Yuqin , Yan Xiaodong , Gu Zhi‐Guo
Published: July 2022

Hollow structured metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives are desired in catalysis, energy storage, etc. However, fabrication of novel hollow MOFs and revelation of their formation mechanisms remain challenging. Herein, open hollow 2D MOFs in the form of hexagonal nut are prepared through self‐template method, which can be readily scaled up at gram scale in a one‐pot preparation. The evolution from the initial superstructure to the final stable MOFs is tracked by wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, transforming from solid hexagon to open hollow hexagon. More importantly, this protocol can be extended to synthesizing a series of open hollow structured MOFs with sizes ranging from ≈120 to ≈1200 nm. Further, open hollow structured cobalt/N‐doped porous carbon composites are realized through conformal transformation of the as‐prepared MOFs, which demonstrates promising applications in sustainable energy conversion technologies. This study sheds light on the kinetically controlled synthesis of novel 2D MOFs for their extended utilizations.
Effect of Warm Deformation on Mechanical Properties and Deformation Mechanism of Nano/Ultrafine‐Grained 304 Stainless Steel
Authors: Lu Jianing , Zhao Miaomiao , Wu Hongyan , Du Linxiu
Published: July 2022

To prevent the performance of 304 stainless steel with nano/ultrafine grain from being damaged during cold forming, the deformation temperature is increased to above the Md point, and its mechanical properties and deformation mechanism during warm forming are studied. The significant effects of rolling temperature on the microstructural evolution of nano/ultrafine‐grained 304 stainless steel deformation are characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy, and the relationships between temperature, stacking fault energy (SFE), and deformation mechanisms are discussed. The results show that the tensile strength of 304 austenitic stainless steel decreases with an increase in the tensile temperature from room temperature to 900 °C, and the total elongation decreases first with increasing temperature. The elongation at 400 °C is the worst, only 32%. The dislocation slip becomes the only deformation mechanism due to the high SFE. Then, the total elongation begins to increase, and the highest elongation is 288% at 800 °C, showing superplastic behavior and the deformation mechanism is dynamic recrystallization, and grain boundary sliding.
The Effect of TiO2 in the Ladle Slag on Inclusion in Ti‐Bearing Steel
Authors: Zhao Mao‐Guo , Liu Hao , Wang Xu‐Feng , Chen Gu‐Jun , Wang Qiang‐Qiang , Zhang Xu‐Bin , He Sheng‐Ping
Published: July 2022

To improve the castability of Ti‐bearing steel, the knowledge of inclusions formed in liquid steel, affected by the slag composition, must be obtained. In this study, the effect of TiO2 in ladle slag on inclusions in this steel at 1873 K is investigated. Experimental results indicate that Ca–Mg–Al–Ti–O complex inclusions, complex TiN inclusions containing MgO–Al2O3–TiOx cores, Ti–C–S inclusions, and TiC inclusions appear in the steel samples. The cores in TiN inclusions are mainly in the liquid and liquid + spinel fields before slag addition. When the steel reacts with slag containing 0% TiO2 for 1 h, the inclusions in the steel are mostly in the MgO + liquid + spinel and MgO + liquid field and have the highest MgO content. When the steel reacts with slag containing 5%≈20% TiO2 for 1 h, most inclusions are liquid slag + spinel and liquid slag phases. The average liquid fraction in most inclusions is higher than 60%. The ratio of the (mass percentages Ti3+) to (Ti3++mass Ti4+) in most liquid phases is approximately 50%≈70% for these oxide cores. Increasing TiO2 content in slag increases log(), which in turn decreases Mg content in the steel. This decreases MgO content in MgO–Al2O3–TiOx type inclusions.
Investigation on the Influence of Shear on Void Closure in Open‐Die Forging Processes
Authors: Gouverneur Moritz , Bailly David , Hirt Gerhard
Published: July 2022

In addition to achieving a specific target geometry and good material properties, one of the main goals of open‐die forging is to eliminate internal casting‐related voids, as they can lead to a critical failure of the component during application. Models designed to predict void closure often use simplifying assumptions to have limited validity for more complex stress and strain conditions. Therefore, the complex incremental forming during open‐die forging leads to inaccurate predictions of conventional models. In order to consider the complex stress conditions—mainly defined by shearing—and predict void closure more accurately, an extended model for the “Cicaporo” void closure model is created using a representative volume element simulation study. For validation, an ingot of AISI4140 with artificially introduced voids is forged, the voids are subsequently examined by X‐Ray, and their residual void volume is compared with the results of the extended and original void closure model. The results show that the void volume calculated by the extended model agrees well with the real void volume, and hence the new approach considering shear, can provide a much more accurate representation of the void closure in open‐die forging.
Chitosan and Carrageenan‐Based Biocompatible Hydrogel Platforms for Cosmeceutical, Drug Delivery, and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Qureshi Muhammad Anees ur Rehman , Arshad Nasima , Rasool Atta , Islam Atif , Rizwan Muhammad , Haseeb Muhammad , Rasheed Tahir , Bilal Muhammad
Published: July 2022

Hydrogels are three‐dimensional water hungry networks that are currently the focus of intense scientific investigations owing to their potential applications in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, biosensing, agriculture and cosmetics. Traditional hydrogels are incorporated with toxic cross‐linkers, lower drug loading and are shorter in load bearing capacity. Hydrogels demonstrate significant physiochemical modification in reaction to minor fluctuations in surrounding medium. Therefore, diverse cross‐linkers, polymer blending, modification in polymers/cross‐linkers and addition of reinforcement approaches are used. This review offers a comprehensive overview of application prospects of chitosan and carrageenan‐based hydrogel materials in biomedical sector. Initially, properties of hydrogels, their types, impact of natural‐synthetic polymer blending, requirement of filler and applications of hydrogels are summarized. Afterward, the applications of chitosan and carrageenan hydrogel platforms for drug delivery, tissue engineering, cosmetics, dentistry and ophthalmic treatment are thoroughly vetted. In conclusion, the extraordinary biocompatible, biodegradable and non‐toxic features of chitosan and carrageenan‐based hydrogel systems promote their applicability in biomedical fields.
Impact of rural residence and low socioeconomic status on rate and timing of prenatal detection of major congenital heart disease in a jurisdiction of universal health coverage
Authors: Kaur A. , Hornberger L. K. , Fruitman D. , Ngwezi D. , Eckersley L. G.
Published: July 2022

Objective

Socioeconomic status (SES) and distance of residence from tertiary care may impact fetal detection of congenital heart disease (CHD), partly through reduced access to and quality of obstetric ultrasound screening. It is unknown whether SES and remoteness of residence (RoR) affect prenatal detection of CHD in jurisdictions with universal health coverage. We examined the impact of SES and RoR on the rate and timing of prenatal diagnosis of major CHD within the province of Alberta in Canada.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we identified all fetuses and infants diagnosed with major CHD in Alberta, from 2008 to 2018, that underwent cardiac surgical intervention within the first year after birth, died preoperatively, were stillborn or underwent termination. Using maternal residence postal code and geocoding, Chan SES index quintile, geographic distance from a tertiary‐care fetal cardiology center and the Canadian Index of Remoteness (IoR) were calculated. Outcome measures included rates of prenatal diagnosis and diagnosis after 22 weeks' gestation. Risk ratios (RR) were calculated using log‐binomial regression and stratified by rural (≥ 100 km from tertiary care) or metropolitan (< 100 km from tertiary care) residence, adjusting for year of birth and the obstetric ultrasound screening view in which CHD would most likely be detected (four‐chamber view; outflow‐tract view; three‐vessel or three‐vessels‐and‐trachea or non‐standard view; septal view).

Results

Of 1405 fetuses/infants with major CHD, prenatal diagnosis occurred in 814 (57.9%). Residence ≥ 100 km from tertiary care (adjusted RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.05–1.34) and higher IoR (adjusted RR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1–3.3) were associated with missed prenatal diagnosis of major CHD. Similarly, residence ≥ 100 km from tertiary care (adjusted RR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.22–1.62) and higher IoR (adjusted RR, 3.6; 95% CI, 2.2–8.2) were associated with prenatal diagnosis after 22 weeks. Although adjusted and unadjusted analyses showed no association between Chan SES index quintile and prenatal‐diagnosis rate overall nor for residence in rural areas, in metropolitan regions, lower SES quintiles were associated with missed prenatal diagnosis (quintile 1: RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02–1.50) and higher risk of diagnosis after 22 weeks' gestation (quintile 1: RR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.10–1.93; quintile 2: RR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.24–2.23).

Conclusions

Despite universal healthcare, rural residence in Alberta is associated with lower rate of prenatal diagnosis of major CHD and higher risk of late prenatal diagnosis (≥ 22 weeks). Within metropolitan regions, lower SES impacts negatively prenatal‐diagnosis rate and timing. © 2022 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
High‐level seroprevalence against Leptospira interrogans serovars among wild foxes, jackals and stray dogs in the North Khorasan Province, Iran
Authors: Arzamani Kourosh , Abdollahpour Gholamreza , Azimian Amir , van Belkum Alex , Ghasemzadeh‐Moghaddam Hamed
Published: July 2022

Background

Leptospirosis is an important, neglected zoonotic disease that affects people and animals in humid (sub)tropical regions. Wild canines carry the pathogen and may contaminate natural resources which may then act as a source of human infection.

Objectives

The study was designed to understand the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among domestic and wild canines in Bojnurd County, Northeast Iran.

Methods

A total of 77 serum samples, comprising 29 sera from asymptomatic wild canines [foxes (n = 25) and jackals (n = 4)] and 48 sera from asymptomatic stray dogs, was investigated. Serovars were identified and antibody titres were measured by standard microscopic agglutination test (MAT) using serial serum dilutions.

Results

Among all serum samples, 44.1% reacted positively to a Leptospira interrogans serovars. The average percentage of positive reactions was higher in stray dogs than in wild canines although this did not reach statistical significance (55.2% and 37.5%, p = 0.159). Positive reactions with L. i. Pomona, L. i. Australis and L. i. Tarasovi was detected only among jackals and foxes. Among the stray dogs, the highest number of positive sera were for L. i. Grippotyphosa (61.1%) and L. i. Canicola (50%). The highest titre detected was for L. i. canicola (1:1600) in two stray dogs and against L. i. Icterohaemorrhagiae and L. i. Pomona (1:800) in a single jackal.

Conclusions

The study revealed that leptospirosis is endemic among various canine species in the North Khorasan Province of Iran. Detailed monitoring of canines is necessary for better understanding the epidemiology of infection in our and other Iranian regions.
A short‐term wind power prediction method based on deep learning and multistage ensemble algorithm
Authors: Peng Xiaosheng , Li Cong , Jia Shiyuan , Zhou Liangsong , Wang Bo , Che Jianfeng
Published: July 2022

Wind power prediction (WPP) is extremely important in promoting the power grid's consumption of wind power. To improve the accuracy of WPP, a three‐stage multiensemble short‐term WPP method based on ensemble learning and deep learning is proposed in this paper. In the first stage, variational mode decomposition and wavelet transform were applied to decompose the original data sequence into different frequency bands. In the second stage, based on the decomposition sequences, the stacked denoising autoencoder (SDAE), long short‐term memory (LSTM), and bidirectional long short‐term memory (BLSTM) were used to predict the sequences; and 42 submodels were obtained. In the third stage, a support vector machine (SVM) was applied to give weight to each submodel to obtain the final ensemble prediction results. Based on three‐stage integration, a new multi‐integration model is proposed that repeats the third‐stage integration operation. A case study is presented to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed three‐stage multi‐integration WPP method. The normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) decreased by 0.0343 compared with LSTM, decreased by 0.0336 compared with BLSTM, and decreased by 0.0323 compared with SDAE, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed new multistage ensemble and deep learning WPP method.
Caring for COVID‐19 patients through a pandemic in the intensive care setting: A narrative review
Authors: Dushianthan Ahilanadan , Griffiths Melanie , Hall Fiona , Nolan Kathleen , Richardson Dominic , Skinner Benjamin , Matthews Lewis , Charles David , Elsheikh Razaz , Pignatari Renato , Rahman Rezaur , Theivendrampillai Shenthiuiyan , Egglestone Rebecca , Stokes Aaron , Danibenvenutti Giovani , Stewart Michael , Celinski Michael , Cusack Rebecca , Gupta Sanjay , Saeed Kordo
Published: July 2022

Since the declaration of the novel SARS‐CoV‐2 virus pandemic, health systems/ health‐care‐workers globally have been overwhelmed by a vast number of COVID‐19 related hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. During the early stages of the pandemic, the lack of formalized evidence‐based guidelines in all aspects of patient management was a significant challenge. Coupled with a lack of effective pharmacotherapies resulted in unsatisfactory outcomes in ICU patients. The anticipated increment in ICU surge capacity was staggering, with almost every ICU worldwide being advised to increase their capacity to allow adequate care provision in response to multiple waves of the pandemic. This increase in surge capacity required advanced planning and reassessments at every stage, taking advantage of experienced gained in combination with emerging evidence. In University Hospital Southampton General Intensive Care Unit (GICU), despite the initial lack of national and international guidance, we enhanced our ICU capacity and developed local guidance on all aspects of care to address the rapid demand from the increasing COVID‐19 admissions. The main element of this success was a multidisciplinary team approach intertwined with equipment and infrastructural reorganization. This narrative review provides an insight into the approach adopted by our center to manage patients with COVID‐19 critical illness, exploring the initial planning process, including contingency preparations to accommodate (360% capacity increment) and adaptation of our management pathways as more evidence emerged throughout the pandemic to provide the most appropriate levels of care to our patients. We hope our experience will benefit other intensive care units worldwide.

This article is categorized under:

Infectious Diseases > Genetics/Genomics/Epigenetics
A Kantian Argument Against Environmental Destruction
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter makes creative use of Kantianism for Animals to argue against environmental destruction. Previous contributions on Kantian environmental ethics have focused on defending Kant’s own conception of indirect duties regarding nature, hoping to show that Kant’s view is not as exploitative as it sounds. By contrast, this chapter argues that Kant’s ethic is indeed exploitative, but not objectionably so, as long as animals are included in moral concern for their own sake. What results from Kantianism for Animals is basically an animal liberationist, sentientist view in environmental ethics. However, it is a unique version of sentientism that is well positioned to address some traditional objections, particularly thanks to the idea of duties to self.
Animal Ethics and the Philosophical Canon: A Proposal
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter concludes the book, discussing the main results and open questions for further research. It revisits the book’s basic agenda: to use Kantianismconstructively, toreviseit so that it includes animals in moral concern, and to beradicalabout it in the sense that duties to animals and human beings are set on equal philosophical footing. The chapter proposes that animal ethicists should take this approach to other figures from the history of philosophy, particularly if their views explicitly or implicitly exclude animals from moral concern.
Kantian Moral Concern, Love, and Respect
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter addresses the question what it means for anyone to ‘matter’ in Kant’s ethics. The chapter first offers a Kantian analysis of ‘moral status’ vocabulary. It then introduces some main themes of Kant’s interpersonal ethics: his system of distinctions between different duty-types we have towards others, others’ happiness as an obligatory end, the demand for practical love and respect, his list of specific duties we have towards others, and the practical purpose of Kant’s ethics in general. This clarifies what it means to include animals in moral concern in later chapters. It also introduces animal ethicists to unfamiliar aspects of Kant’s ethics.
The Case Against Kant’s ‘Indirect Duty’ Approach
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter presents a critical overview of the debate about Kant’s ‘indirect duty’ approach to animal ethics. According to Kant’s view, we have no duties ‘towards’ animals, but only ‘regarding’ them. Specifically, we have a duty to cultivate our capacity for sympathy and gratitude in our interactions with animals. Philosophers have advanced two main lines of objection against this view: First, it contains a contradiction, secondly, it is too weak in its demands. The chapter reconstructs the debate and argues that Kantian defences against these objections have not been sufficient. It adds the novel argument that Kant’s view also fails to be helpful in the way Kantian philosophy is supposed to be, since it undermines trust in ordinary moral feelings rather than reinvigorating it.
Is the Formula of Humanity the Problem?
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter discusses the relation between non-human animals and Kant’s ‘Formula of Humanity’, which asks us to treat humanity as an end in itself, not as a mere means. The chapter discusses difficulties in reading the formula as a substantive principle about who deserves moral concern. The views of Wood and Korsgaard are discussed in this context. The chapter points out a different interpretation of the formula on which it expresses a feature of autonomous willing rather than a substantive moral principle. The boundary of moral concern is fixed by an entirely different part of Kant’s ethical system, namely his doctrine of obligatory ends. The chapter advocates devoting more attention to the question how animals can be included in this part of Kant’s thought.
Kantian Moral Patients Without Practical Reason?
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter discusses the extent to which Kant’s views on interpersonal ethics can be applied to animals, provided we recognise the existence of duties to animals. The first difficulty is that we cannot have any ‘duties of respect’ towards animals, since these duties rest on the idea of recognising the equality of moral agents. The second difficulty is that Kant’s central demand that we adopt the ends of others rests on the idea that others are instrumentally rational pursuers of their own happiness. Animals are neither, according to Kant. The chapter proposes amendments to the Kantian ethical framework to resolve these difficulties. It also details Kant’s views on instinct as a driver of animal behaviour, which puts them in contrast with rational agents.
Kantianism for Animals: The Framework in Five Claims
Authors: Müller Nico Dario
Published: July 2022

This chapter summarises Kantianism for Animals, a Kantian view which puts duties towards animals and human beings on equal philosophical footing. It highlights five claims which together make the view distinctive in animal ethics: (1) Duties derive their bindingness from autonomy; (2) Duties have primacy over moral rights and claims; (3) We have a duty to others to promote their happiness, and a duty to self to promote our own moral perfection; (4) We ought to reconcile practical love for animals with a maxim of non-exaltation; (5) Ends, maxims, and incentives matter for moral worth. The chapter discusses how these claims set Kantianism for Animals apart from prominent received views in animal ethics, including the views of Regan and Korsgaard.
Stellenwert der transpedikulären Biopsie bei Kypho- und Vertebroplastien von Wirbelkörperfrakturen
Authors: Osterhoff Georg , Rappert Denis , Scheyerer Max J. , Disch Alexander C. , Ullrich Bernhard W. , Spiegl Ulrich A. , Schnake Klaus J. ,   Arbeitsgruppe „Osteoporotische Frakturen“ und „Tumore“ der Sektion Wirbelsäule der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie
Published: July 2022

Hintergrund

Transpedikuläre Zementaugmentationen sind eine etablierte Therapieoption in der Behandlung pathologischer Kompressionsfrakturen der Wirbelsäule. Neben der Osteoporose sind auch immer wieder metastasierte Grundleiden oder seltener ein primärer Knochentumor Ursache für Wirbelkompressionsfrakturen ohne adäquates Trauma.

Ziel

Erstellung eines aktuellen Meinungsbildes unter Wirbelsäulenchirurgen in Deutschland, der Schweiz und Österreich zum Stellenwert der transpedikulären Biopsie während Kypho- und Vertebroplastien von Wirbelkörperfrakturen.

Material und Methoden

Es wurde ein webbasierter UmfrageOnline®-Fragebogen mit 11 Fragen erstellt und an die E‑Mail-Verteiler der Deutschen Wirbelsäulengesellschaft (DWG), der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Wirbelsäulenchirurgie (spine.at) und der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für spinale Chirurgie (SGS) sowie an den E‑Mail-Verteiler der Sektion Wirbelsäule der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DGOU) versendet.

Ergebnisse

Von insgesamt kontaktierten 2675 Wirbelsäulenchirurgen beantworteten 250 (9,3 %) die Umfrage. Rund ein Drittel (29,8 %) der Befragten führt regelhaft bei jeder Kypho- oder Vertebroplastie eine transpedikuläre Biopsie durch. Genannte Gründe für eine Biopsie waren ein bildmorphologischer (79,7 %) oder anamnestischer Verdacht auf eine Tumorerkrankung (66,0 %) oder das Vorliegen einer solchen (71,4 %). Als Gründe gegen eine routinemäßige Biopsie wurden die damit verbundenen Kosten und die limitierte Aussagekraft der gewonnenen Biopsate genannt.

Diskussion

Fast ein Drittel der befragten Wirbelsäulenchirurgen führt regelhaft bei jeder Kypho- oder Vertebroplastie eine transpedikuläre Biopsie durch. Fast alle Befragten führen Biopsien zumindest dann durch, wenn eine Tumorerkrankung bekannt ist bzw. aufgrund von Risikofaktoren vermutet wird. Zukünftige Studien müssen die Kosteneffizienz der transpedikulären Biopsie weiter abklären.

Graphic abstract
Responsible attention: the effect of divided attention on metacognition and responsible remembering
Authors: Murphy Dillon H. , Castel Alan D.
Published: July 2022

We are frequently exposed to situations where we need to remember important information when our attentional resources are divided; however, it was previously unclear how divided attention impacts responsible remembering: selective memory for important information to avoid consequences for forgetting. In the present study, we examined participants’ memory for valuable information, metacognitive accuracy, and goal-directed cognitive control mechanisms when under full and divided attention. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with words paired with point values counting towards their score if recalled but were required to “bet” on whether they would remember it. Results revealed that selective memory for high-value information was impaired under divided attention. In Experiment 2, we presented participants with unassociated word pairs and solicited metacognitive predictions of recall (i.e., JOLs). Results revealed that the relative accuracy of participants’ metacognitive judgments was enhanced when studying under divided attention. Experiment 3 examined cognitive control mechanisms to selectively remember goal-relevant information at the expense of information that could potentially be offloaded (i.e.,responsible forgetting). Results revealed that participants’ ability to strategically prioritize goal-relevant information at the expense of information that could be offloaded was preserved under divided attention. Collectively,responsible attentionencompasses how attentional resources impact one’s ability to engage in responsible remembering and we demonstrate that responsible remembering can be impaired, enhanced, and preserved in certain contexts.
Regularity of gradient vector fields giving rise to finite Caccioppoli partitions
Authors: Moser Roger
Published: July 2022

For a finite set$$A \subseteq \mathbb {R}^n$$A⊆Rn, consider a function$$u \in \mathrm {BV}_\mathrm {loc}^2(\mathbb {R}^n)$$u∈BVloc2(Rn)such that$$\nabla u \in A$$∇u∈Aalmost everywhere. IfAis convex independent, then it follows thatuis piecewise affine away from a closed, countably$${\mathcal {H}}^{n - 1}$$Hn-1-rectifiable set. IfAis affinely independent, thenuis piecewise affine away from a closed$${\mathcal {H}}^{n - 1}$$Hn-1-null set.
Antiretroviral Therapy Use, Viral Detectability and Fear of Onward Transmission Among People Living with HIV in Australia: Changes Between 1997 and 2018
Authors: Norman Thomas , Bourne Adam , Lyons Anthony , Rule John , Power Jennifer
Published: July 2022

This paper examines how antiretroviral therapy (ART) use and fears towards the onward transmission of HIV have changed among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia between 1997 and 2018. Participants were recruited as part of the HIV Futures study, a large cross-sectional survey of PLHIV in Australia, in 1997, 2003, 2012 and 2018 (total n = 3889). ART use, viral load detectability, and fear of onward HIV transmission were compared between years. Predictors of onward transmission fear were assessed among the 2018 subsample. While ART use within our sample decreased between 1997 and 2003, it subsequently increased to 97% in 2018. Self-reported viral load undetectability steadily increased over time, up to 88% in 2018. Notably, fewer PLHIV reported being fearful of transmitting HIV in 2018 compared to all other years. Being unfamiliar with the undetectable = untransmissible health movement, and having a detectable or uncertain viral load at last test, were significant predictors of being fearful of onward HIV transmission. Beyond the immediate medical considerations of HIV treatment, these results suggest that the undetectable = untransmissible movement may play a critical role in attenuating burdens experienced by PLHIV in Australia and that such messaging, in tandem with early and consistent ART use, should remain a salient feature of heath messaging among this population.