bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growing-dimensional partially functional linear models: non-asymptotic optimal prediction error
Authors: Zhang Huiming , Lei Xiaoyu
Published: July 2023

Under the reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS), we focus on the penalized least-squares of the partially functional linear models (PFLM), whose predictor contains both functional and traditional multivariate parts, and the multivariate part allows a divergent number of parameters. From the non-asymptotic point of view, we study the rate-optimal upper and lower bounds of the prediction error. An exact upper bound for the excess prediction risk is shown in a non-asymptotic form under a more general assumption known as the effective dimension to the model, by which we also show the prediction consistency when the number of multivariate covariates p slightly increases with the sample size n. Our new finding implies a trade-off between the number of non-functional predictors and the effective dimension of the kernel principal components to ensure prediction consistency in the increasing-dimensional setting. The analysis in our proof hinges on the spectral condition of the sandwich operator of the covariance operator and the reproducing kernel, and on sub-Gaussian and Berstein concentration inequalities for the random elements in Hilbert space. Finally, we derive the non-asymptotic minimax lower bound under the regularity assumption of the Kullback-Leibler divergence of the models.
Optoelectronic and thermoelectric properties of LiCuM (M=S, Se and Te) half-Heuslers: insights first principle calculations
Authors: Azouaoui A , Harbi A , Toual Y , Mouchou S , Moutaabbid M , Hourmatallah A , Benzakour N , Bouslykhane K
Published: July 2023

The work is performed to study the structural stability and optoelectronic properties as well as thermoelectric properties of LiCuM (M=S, Se and Te) half-Heusler semiconductors using density functional theory (DFT) and semi-classical Boltzmann transport. The ground state results show that the compounds exhibit semiconducting behavior with a direct band-gap. The elastic parameters indicate that the present compounds are mechanically, dynamically stable and brittle. The calculated optical properties in GGA and GGA+U approaches show that the dominant response in the low ultraviolet and visible energy regions. The thermoelectric properties are evaluated using the Slack model and temperature dependent relaxation time in the temperature range of 100 K to 1000 K. The response of thermoelectric properties to temperature is evaluated and discussed in detail. The figure of merit with relaxation time is found to increase with temperature and reaches the optimal values in GGA and GGA+U at 1000 K are 0.69(0.01), 0.66(0.665) and 0.67(0.778) for LiCuS, LiCuSe and LiCuTe, respectively. The lattice thermal conductivity decreases with increasing temperature. These properties make these compounds promising candidates for optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices.
Effect of local wall temperature on hypersonic boundary layer stability and transition
Authors: Lu 鲁 Ruiyang 锐洋 , Huang 黄 Zhangfeng 章峰
Published: July 2023

Wall temperature significantly affects stability and receptivity of the boundary layer. Changing the wall temperature locally may therefore be an effective laminar flow control technique. However, the situation is complicated when the wall temperature distribution is nonuniform, and researchers have experimentally found that local wall cooling may delay the onset of transition. We attempt to clarify the physical mechanisms whereby the local wall temperature affects the transition and the stability of a hypersonic boundary layer. A numerical investigation of the disturbance evolution in a Mach-6 sharp cone boundary layer with local wall heating or cooling is conducted. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) is performed for the single-frequency and broadband disturbance evolution caused by random forcing. We vary the local wall temperature and the location of heating/cooling, and then use the e
N
method to estimate the transition onset. Our results show that local wall cooling amplifies high-frequency unstable waves while stabilizing low-frequency unstable waves, with local heating amplifying all unstable waves locally. The disturbance amplitude and second-mode peak frequency obtained by DNS agree well with the previous experimental results. Local cooling/heating has a dual effect on the stability of the hypersonic boundary layer. For local cooling, while it effectively inhibits the growth of the low-frequency unstable waves that dominate the transition downstream, it also further destabilizes the downstream flow. In addition, while upstream cooling can delay the transition, excessive cooling may promote it; local heating always slightly promotes the transition. Finally, recommendations are given for practical engineering applications based on the present results.
A hydrodynamic approach to Stark localization
Authors: Capizzi Luca , Vanoni Carlo , Calabrese Pasquale , Gambassi Andrea
Published: July 2023

When a free Fermi gas on a lattice is subject to the action of a linear potential it does not drift away, as one would naively expect, but it remains spatially localized. Here we revisit this phenomenon, known as Stark localization, within the recently proposed framework of generalized hydrodynamics. In particular, we consider the dynamics of an initial state in the form of a domain wall and we recover known results for the particle density and the particle current, while we derive analytical predictions for relevant observables such as the entanglement entropy and the full counting statistics. Then, we extend the analysis to generic potentials, highlighting the relationship between the occurrence of localization and the presence of peculiar closed orbits in phase space, arising from the lattice dispersion relation. We also compare our analytical predictions with numerical calculations and with the available results, finding perfect agreement. This approach paves the way for an exact treatment of the interacting case known as Stark many-body localization.
A thin flexible zinc battery enabled by simultaneously electro-depositing both electrodes in acetate electrolytes
Authors: Luo Shiqiang , Liu Shiwei , Yang Guoshen , Xie Yinghao , Hiralal Pritesh , Nie Zanxiang , Amaratunga Gehan A.J. , Zhou Hang
Published: July 2023

Electrolytic batteries with the anode or cathode formed by electro-deposition from the electrolytes show promising potential for simplifying the fabrication process of flexible and micro-size rechargeable batteries. Thin flexible zinc batteries with both anode and cathode electro-deposited simultaneously are demonstrated and investigated here. We find that the acetate anions (Ac-) show excellent electro-depositing efficiency for manganese oxide cathodes, which enable a capacity of 0.26 mAh/cm2 with only carbon current collectors and electrolytes.
Study on surface modification and optical properties of Nd-doped phosphate glass
Authors: Kong Zhuang , Jia Jinsheng , Sun Yong , Zhao Jinkai , Na Tianyi , Meng Fanyu , Meng Zheng , Yang Liangliang , Liu Bo , Wang Yiwei , Wang Wei
Published: July 2023

Using laser neodymium glass (N31) as the substrate, through ion exchange and hydrogen reduction process, a high-efficiency light absorption layer was formed from the substrate around the glass. It has been discovered that increasing the ion exchange temperature and time enhanced the exchange depth of laser glass, but excessive temperature and prolonged time will lead to corrosion of laser glass. The experiment shows that the best exchange temperature is 460°C and the best exchange time is 720min. When the hydrogen pressure was 0.8MP, the reduction temperature was 480°C and the reduction time was 12000 min, the absorption rate of the sample at 1053nm was 95.8%.
Identification of adulterated honey with different varieties and concentrations based on hyperspectral imaging technology combined with deep learning
Authors: Wu Xiao , Zhang Jiangkun , Wang Shaobo , Zhu Shihao , Deng Hongyang , Yuan Pin
Published: July 2023

Honey is an important agricultural and sideline product in China, which contains the high nutritional value and commercial value. An advanced honey adulteration identification model can help beekeepers and consumers better identify honey and avoid losses. Given the complex operation and high technical requirements of traditional honey identification experimental instruments, a new model for quickly and efficiently identifying honey adulteration with different kinds and concentrations was developed in this study. Based on the data of adulterated honey with different varieties and concentrations obtained by hyperspectral imaging technology, a large number of regions of interest were randomly selected as samples. Then, the classification model is established by adopting preprocessing methods such as standardization, centralization, multivariate scattering correction, standard variable transformation, first-order difference, and second-order difference, combining the advantages of convolutional neural network and support vector machine. Finally, the accuracy of the results is compared, and D1-CNN-SVM is determined as the best classification prediction model, with an accuracy rate of 100%. At the same time, through the analysis of the confusion matrix of experimental results, this study summarizes the difficulties in identifying adulterated honey of different varieties and concentrations.
Implementation of FPGA based real-time digital DAQ for high resolution, and high count rate nuclear spectroscopy application
Authors: Kumar Paul Ram , Das Amitabha , Dhara Partha , Banerjee Ayan , Samanta Tapas , Pal Sarbajit , Banerjee K.
Published: July 2023

This paper investigates a digital system for real-time nuclear data (pulse) analysis based on a field programmable gate array and a computer-based data acquisition software for high count rate and high-resolution spectroscopy applications. A novel FPGA-based design is proposed with enhanced universality for real-time energy spectroscopy applications encompassing gamma and charged particles in noisy environments. This design implements an adaptive digital pre-filter for noise reduction without distorting the preamplifier pulse shape for improvement in energy resolution. This adaptive approach can be used for a wide range of input pulses with varying rise and fall times without deteriorating the signal-to-noise ratio. The design incorporates a digital trapezoidal filter with a triggerless peak detection algorithm for improvement in energy resolution. A high-speed dual clock first-in-first-out memory is implemented for handling high data rates. The real-time analysis of the FPGA internal signals and nuclear spectroscopy experiments with high count rate have been carried out with random nuclear pulses using an emulator. The results have been compared with conventional VERSA-Module Euro data acquisition system and CR_RC based digital pulse processing approaches.
CMIP6 skill at predicting interannual to multi-decadal summer monsoon precipitation variability
Authors: Monerie Paul-Arthur , Robson Jon I , Ndiaye Cassien D , Song Cenyao , Turner Andrew G
Published: July 2023

Monsoons affect the economy, agriculture, and human health of two thirds of the world’s population. Therefore, predicting variations in monsoon precipitation is societally important. We explore the ability of climate models from the sixth phase of the Climate Model Intercomparison Project to predict summer monsoon precipitation variability by using hindcasts from the Decadal Climate Prediction Project (Component A). The multi-model ensemble-mean shows significant skill at predicting summer monsoon precipitation from one year to 6–9 years ahead. However, this skill is dependent on the model, monsoon domain, and lead-time. In general, the skill of the multi-model ensemble-mean prediction is low in year 1 but increases for longer-lead times and is largely consistent with externally forced changes. The best captured region is northern Africa for the 2–5 and 6–9 year forecast lead times. In contrast, there is no significant skill using the ensemble-mean over East and South Asia and, furthermore, there is significant spread in skill among models for these domains. By sub-sampling the ensemble we show that the difference in skill between models is tied to the simulation of the externally forced response over East and South Asia, with models with a more skilful forced response capable of better predictions. A further contribution is from skilful prediction of Pacific Ocean temperatures for the South Asian summer monsoon at longer lead-times. Therefore, these results indicate that predictions of the East and South Asian monsoons could be significantly improved.
Schmidt decomposition of parity adapted coherent states for symmetric multi-quDits
Authors: Guerrero Julio , Sojo Antonio , Mayorgas Alberto , Calixto Manuel
Published: July 2023

In this paper we study the entanglement in symmetric N-quDit systems. In particular we use generalizations to U(D) of spin U(2) coherent states (CSs) and their projections on definite parity

c

∈

Z

2

D
−
1

(multicomponent Schrödinger cat) states and we analyse their reduced density matrices when tracing out M < N quDits. The eigenvalues (or Schmidt coefficients) of these reduced density matrices are completely characterized, allowing to prove a theorem for the decomposition of a N-quDit Schrödinger cat state with a given parity

c

into a sum over all possible parities of tensor products of Schrödinger cat states of N − M and M particles. Diverse asymptotic properties of the Schmidt eigenvalues are studied and, in particular, for the (rescaled) double thermodynamic limit (

N
,
M
→
∞
,
M

/

N

fixed), we reproduce and generalize to quDits known results for photon loss of parity adapted CSs of the harmonic oscillator, thus providing an unified Schmidt decomposition for both multi-quDits and (multi-mode) photons. These results allow to determine the entanglement properties of these states and also their decoherence properties under quDit loss, where we demonstrate the robustness of these states.
Nonstationary frames of translates and frames from the Weyl–Heisenberg group and the extended affine group*
Authors: Jindal Divya , Vashisht Lalit Kumar
Published: July 2023

In this work, we analyze Gabor frames for the Weyl–Heisenberg group and wavelet frames for the extended affine group. Firstly, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of nonstationary frames of translates. Using these conditions, we prove the existence of Gabor frames from the Weyl–Heisenberg group and wavelet frames for the extended affine group. We present a representation of functions in the closure of the linear span of a Gabor frame sequence in terms of the Fourier transform of window functions. We show that the canonical dual of frames of translates has the same structure. An approximation of the inverse of the frame operator of nonstationary frames of translates is presented. It is shown that a nonstationary frame of translates is a Riesz basis if it is linearly independent and satisfies the approximation of the inverse frame operator. Finally, we give equivalent conditions for a nonstationary sequence of translates to be linearly independent.
Spectral link and wave breaking enhanced dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy
Authors: Zhang Dongrong
Published: July 2023

At the ocean surface, the wind shear stress not only drives the ocean currents, but also generates waves and breaks waves. The turbulence in the ocean surface layer (OSL) is much enhanced due to wave breaking. A typical field measurement of this enhanced turbulence is the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) ɛ at a depth y below the ocean surface, which scales as

ε
∝

y

−
a

. However, there is significant uncertainty as to the value of this power law exponent a in different field measurements. Here we consider the dissipation of TKE in the OSL by adding the wave breaking influence into the theoretical framework of the spectral link, originally proposed in sheared flows with no waves (Gioia et al 2010 Phys. Rev. Lett.
105 184501). The expanded theory recovers the power law of ɛ and sheds light on the uncertainty of the power law exponent a by relating it to the variation of the turbulent Prandtl number. In addition, we also apply this theory to oscillating-grid turbulence.
Effect of thermal treatment of chromium iron melts on the structure and properties of castings
Authors: Panichkin Aleksander , Wieleba Wojciech , Kenzhegulov Aidar , Uskenbayeva Alma , Mamaeva Axaule , Imbarova Akerke , Kvyatkovskii Sergey , Kasenova Batikha
Published: July 2023

The article describes the results of experimental studies for the effect of thermal treatment (TTM) of G-X300CrMo27-1 high-chromium cast iron samples in the solid–liquid and liquid state on the structure, phase composition, and properties of ingots. For ingots with a carbon content of 2.8 to 4.5 wt%, cooled at a rate of 3.3 * 10−2 deg s−1, the dependencies of the structure, phase composition, composition of primary, eutectic carbides and matrix, hardness HV and microhardness of its individual phases and resistance to abrasive wear from the temperature of isothermal holding at TTM. A significant effect of the TTM temperature of melts on the structure and properties of high-chromium cast iron ingots was detected. The temperatures of inflection on the plotted curves for the characteristics of the structure and properties of the ingots were associated with a phase transition in iron at 1400 °C and with a point on the phase diagram liquidus of the Fe-Cr system. This as well as an increase in the concentration of chromium in the composition of primary carbides with an increase in the TTM temperature up to 1480 °C, made it possible to assume that (Cr, Fe)7C3 clusters stable in composition were formed in the melt of such cast irons below ∼1500 °C. The reasons for the decrease in the size of primary carbides during G-X300CrMo27-1 molten chromium iron overheating above 1500 °C were substantiated based on these data. During the TTM of fine-crystalline ingots made of hypereutectic cast iron in the temperature range between the liquidus and solidus lines, it was detected that the primary carbides (Cr, Fe)7C3 recrystallized resulting in a significant decrease in the chromium content and an increase in the iron content in them. At the same time, their sizes did not change significantly. Their share increased, and the share of eutectic carbides decreased. Such a process also had a significant impact on the properties of the resulting ingots. The most preferable temperatures of hot metal cast irons in the liquid and solid–liquid states were identified based on the results of the studies.
Riesz and Green energy on projective spaces
Authors: Anderson Austin , Dostert Maria , Grabner Peter , Matzke Ryan , Stepaniuk Tetiana
Published: July 2023

In this paper we study Riesz, Green and logarithmic energy on two-point homogeneous spaces. More precisely we consider the real, the complex, the quaternionic and the Cayley projective spaces. For each of these spaces we provide upper estimates for the mentioned energies using determinantal point processes. Moreover, we determine lower bounds for these energies of the same order of magnitude.
Early zygotic gene product Dunk interacts with anillin to regulate Myosin II during Drosophila cleavage
Authors: Chen Jiayang , Verissimo Andreia F. , Kull Angela R. , He Bing
Published: July 2023

Chen et al. demonstrate that during the early stage of Drosophila cellularization, a special form of cleavage, the cellularization-specific protein Dunk interacts with and functions upstream of the conserved cytokinesis protein anillin to regulate the recruitment and organization of non-muscle myosin II at the cleavage furrows.
Chaining for accurate alignment of erroneous long reads to acyclic variation graphs
Authors: Ma Jun , Cáceres Manuel , Salmela Leena , Mäkinen Veli , Tomescu Alexandru I
Published: July 2023

Motivation

Aligning reads to a variation graph is a standard task in pangenomics, with downstream applications such as improving variant calling. While the vg toolkit [Garrison et al. (Variation graph toolkit improves read mapping by representing genetic variation in the reference. Nat Biotechnol 2018;36:875–9)] is a popular aligner of short reads, GraphAligner [Rautiainen and Marschall (GraphAligner: rapid and versatile sequence-to-graph alignment. Genome Biol 2020;21:253–28)] is the state-of-the-art aligner of erroneous long reads. GraphAligner works by finding candidate read occurrences based on individually extending the best seeds of the read in the variation graph. However, a more principled approach recognized in the community is to co-linearly chain multiple seeds.

Results

We present a new algorithm to co-linearly chain a set of seeds in a string labeled acyclic graph, together with the first efficient implementation of such a co-linear chaining algorithm into a new aligner of erroneous long reads to acyclic variation graphs, GraphChainer. We run experiments aligning real and simulated PacBio CLR reads with average error rates 15% and 5%. Compared to GraphAligner, GraphChainer aligns 12–17% more reads, and 21–28% more total read length, on real PacBio CLR reads from human chromosomes 1, 22, and the whole human pangenome. On both simulated and real data, GraphChainer aligns between 95% and 99% of all reads, and of total read length. We also show that minigraph [Li et al. (The design and construction of reference pangenome graphs with minigraph. Genome Biol 2020;21:265–19.)] and minichain [Chandra and Jain (Sequence to graph alignment using gap-sensitive co-linear chaining. In: Proceedings of the 27th Annual International Conference on Research in Computational Molecular Biology (RECOMB 2023). Springer, 2023, 58–73.)] obtain an accuracy of <60% on this setting.

Availability and implementation

GraphChainer is freely available at https://github.com/algbio/GraphChainer. The datasets and evaluation pipeline can be reached from the previous address.
Desmoplasia in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with perineural invasion
Authors: Doyle Claire , Drumm Ciara , Kruseman Nicholas , McKay Hannah , D’Arcy Clare , Lally Aoife , Moriarty Blaithin
Published: July 2023

This study examines the rate of desmoplasia in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with perineural invasion and the associated clinical outcomes.
Integration of event experiences to build relational knowledge in the human brain
Authors: Leshinskaya Anna , Nguyen Mitchell A , Ranganath Charan
Published: July 2023

We investigated how the human brain integrates experiences of specific events to build general knowledge about typical event structure. We examined an episodic memory area important for temporal relations, anterior-lateral entorhinal cortex, and a semantic memory area important for action concepts, middle temporal gyrus, to understand how and when these areas contribute to these processes. Participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while learning and recalling temporal relations among novel events over two sessions 1 week apart. Across distinct contexts, individual temporal relations among events could either be consistent or inconsistent with each other. Within each context, during the recall phase, we measured associative coding as the difference of multivoxel correlations among related vs unrelated pairs of events. Neural regions that form integrative representations should exhibit stronger associative coding in the consistent than the inconsistent contexts. We found evidence of integrative representations that emerged quickly in anterior-lateral entorhinal cortex (at session 1), and only subsequently in middle temporal gyrus, which showed a significant change across sessions. A complementary pattern of findings was seen with signatures during learning. This suggests that integrative representations are established early in anterior-lateral entorhinal cortex and may be a pathway to the later emergence of semantic knowledge in middle temporal gyrus.
Disrupted network communication predicts mild cognitive impairment in end-stage renal disease: an individualized machine learning study based on resting-state fMRI
Authors: Yu Ziyang , Pang Huize , Liu Yu , Li Xiaolu , Bu Shuting , Wang Juzhou , Zhao Mengwan , Ren Ke
Published: July 2023

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is known to be associated with a range of brain injuries, including cognitive decline. The purpose of this study is to investigate the functional connectivity (FC) of the resting-state networks (RSNs) through resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in order to gain insight into the neuropathological mechanism of ESRD. A total of 48 ESRD patients and 49 healthy controls underwent resting-state functional MRI and neuropsychological tests, for which Independent Components Analysis and graph-theory (GT) analysis were utilized. With the machine learning results, we examined the connections between RSNs abnormalities and neuropsychological test scores. Combining intra/inter network FC differences and GT results, ESRD was optimally distinguished in the testing dataset, with a balanced accuracy of 0.917 and area under curve (AUC) of 0.942. Shapley additive explanations results revealed that the increased functional network connectivity between DMN and left frontoparietal network (LFPN) was the most critical predictor for ESRD associated mild cognitive impairment diagnosis. Moreover, hypoSN (salience network) was positively correlated with Attention scores, while hyperLFPN was negatively correlated with Execution scores, indicating correlations between functional disruption and cognitive impairment measurements in ESRD patients. This study demonstrated that both the loss of FC within the SN and compensatory FC within the lateral frontoparietal network coexist in ESRD. This provides a network basis for understanding the individual brain circuits and offers additional noninvasive evidence to comprehend the brain networks in ESRD.
Establishment and postrelease recovery of Laricobius nigrinus and Laricobius osakensis (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), released for biological control of Adelges tsugae (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Crandall Ryan S , Chandler Jennifer L , Dietschler Nicholas J , Andersen Jeremy C , Elkinton Joseph S
Published: July 2023

Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA), Adelges tsugae Annand, is a major forest pest in the eastern United States responsible for killing millions of eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière and Carolina hemlock, T. caroliniana Engelmann. The US biological control program for HWA has largely invested in the rearing and release of Laricobius nigrinus Fender and more recently L. osakensis Montgomery and Shiyake. Though the establishment of L. nigrinus has been well-documented in the southern, mid-Atlantic, and coastal portions of the northeastern United States, documentation in interior areas of the northeastern United States is limited. Establishment of L. osakensis in the northeastern United States has not yet been documented. Release locations in the northeastern United States were surveyed for L. nigrinus and L. osakensis establishment to examine the relationship between establishment success and winter temperatures, as winter minimum temperatures likely limit the northern range of introduced Laricobius species. Our results suggest that L. nigrinus establishment is limited by winter minimum temperatures and that the probability of establishment declines as absolute minimum temperature declines. We found L. nigrinus established at sites in Maine, New York, and Pennsylvania, but did not recover any L. nigrinus in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, or Vermont. Similarly, we found L. osakensis established at sites in New York and Pennsylvania and recovered individuals in Maine, though further sampling is necessary to confirm presence of the F3 generation. We also report the first field observation of reproduction of silver flies, Leucotaraxis argenticollis (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), released predator of HWA, in the eastern United States.
A case report of non-dominant right coronary artery occlusion: not always benign!
Authors: Shabbir Muhammad Asim , Jhand Aravdeep , Velagapudi Poonam
Published: July 2023

Background

Non-dominant right coronary artery (RCA) occlusion is uncommon and usually affects a small area of the myocardium. Rarely, it can complicate fatal outcomes such as shock, cardiac arrest, bradyarrhythmia, or tachyarrhythmia.

Case summary

A 50-year-old man with no significant medical history presented with ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest. He required prolonged cardiopulmonary resuscitation and multiple defibrillation shocks to achieve return of spontaneous circulation. ST elevation was noted on inferior leads. Due to refractory VF, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was initiated followed by coronary angiography which demonstrated 100% acute occlusion of proximal RCA (small non-dominant), 90% stenosis of ramus intermedius (RI), and 80% stenosis of obtuse marginal (OM) arteries. Left ventricular ejection fraction was 35%. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the RCA was performed with drug eluting stent. He had excellent clinical recovery without any neurological deficits. The ECMO was weaned off and decannulated within three days. Guideline directed medical therapy was administered. He remained hemodynamically stable and underwent staged PCI of RI and OM to achieve complete revascularization.

Discussion

Non-dominant RCA lesions are usually considered benign. However, when acute RCA occlusion results in cardiac arrest as seen in our patient, prompt revascularization is necessary. Treatment of cardiogenic shock with appropriate pharmacological and mechanical therapies is important, such as ECMO in our patient.
Management of temporary mechanical circulatory support devices in cath-lab and cardiac intensive care unit
Authors: Fortuni Federico , Zilio Filippo , Iannopollo Gianmarco , Ciliberti Giuseppe , Trambaiolo Paolo , Ceriello Laura , Musella Francesca , Scicchitano Pietro , Albani Stefano , Di Fusco Stefania Angela , Gulizia Michele Massimo , Gabrielli Domenico , Oliva Fabrizio , Colivicchi Furio
Published: July 2023

Different temporary mechanical circulatory support (tMCS) devices are available and can be used to maintain end-organ perfusion while reducing cardiac work and myocardial oxygen demand. tMCS can provide support to the right ventricle, left ventricle, or both, and its use can be considered in emergency situations such as cardiogenic shock or in elective procedures such as high-risk percutaneous coronary intervention to prevent haemodynamic deterioration. Invasive and, most importantly, non-invasive haemodynamic parameters should be taken into account when choosing the type of tMCS device and its initiation and weaning timing, determining the need for a device upgrade, and screening for complications. In this context, ultrasound tools, specifically echocardiography, can provide important data. This review aims to provide a description of the different tMCS devices, the invasive and non-invasive tools and parameters to guide their management, and their advantages and drawbacks.
Virtual cardiovascular magnetic resonance training proves feasible and effective: survey data from international participants of the CMR Academy Berlin, Germany
Authors: Hashemi Djawid , Doeblin Patrick , Weiss Karl Jakob , Schneider-Reigbert Matthias , Beyer Rebecca Elisabeth , Else Corinna , Faragli Alessandro , Stehning Christian , Stawowy Philipp , Petersen Steffen E , Bucciarelli-Ducci Chiara , Hays Allison G , Frey Norbert , Thiele Holger , Portmann Andreas , Fleck Eckart , Kelle Sebastian
Published: July 2023

Aims

This study aims to evaluate the success of the cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging Academy Berlin’s transition from in-person to online CMR imaging training during the global pandemic 2020 and to gather recommendations for future courses.

Methods and results

We conducted an online survey targeting CMR course participants from both the pre-pandemic, in-person era and the pandemic, online era of the CMR Academy Berlin. The survey primarily used Likert-type questions to assess participants’ experiences and preferences.

A total of 61 out of 158 invited participants (38.61%) completed the survey, with 31 (50.82%) being in-person alumni and 30 (49.18%) being online alumni. Both in-person [83.87% (26/31)] and online [83.33% (25/30)] participants rated the course as either ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, and both groups found the course either ‘extremely helpful’ or ‘very helpful’. However, a higher percentage of in-person participants [96.77% (30/31)] felt comfortable asking questions compared to online participants [83.33% (25/30); P = 0.025]. The majority in both groups preferred a written exam [total: 75.41% (46/61); in-person alumni: 77.42% (24/31); online alumni 73.33% (22/30)]. In terms of course format preferences, in-person courses were preferred by both in-person alumni [38.71% (12/31)] and online alumni [60% (18/30)], almost as much as a hybrid format combining in-person and online elements [in-person alumni: 41.94% (13/31), online alumni: 30% (9/30)].

Conclusion

The transition from in-person to online CMR training at the CMR Academy Berlin was successful in maintaining overall satisfaction. However, there is room for improvement in terms of increased interaction, particularly for online participants. Future CMR- and potentially also cardiac computer tomography-courses should consider adopting a hybrid format to accommodate participants’ preferences and enhance their learning experience, especially to gain level II competency, whereas level I virtual only might be sufficient.
Reoperative aortic root replacement for prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis: impact of aortic graft
Authors: Levine Dov , Patel Parth , Zhao Yanling , Filtz Kerry , Dong Andy , Norton Elizabeth , Leshnower Bradley , Kurlansky Paul , Chen Edward P , Takayama Hiroo
Published: July 2023

OBJECTIVES

Existing aortic graft complicates the surgical management of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE); yet, its impact has not been well studied. We compared outcomes of patients with prior aortic valve replacement (AVR) versus aortic surgery plus AVR, who underwent reoperative aortic root replacement (ARR) for PVE of the aortic valve.

METHODS

All patients who underwent reoperative ARR for PVE between 2004 and 2021 from 2 aortic centres were included. Two groups were formed based on the presence/absence of aortic graft: prior aortic surgery (AO) and prior AVR (AV) alone. Inverse propensity treatment weighting matched the groups. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyse long-term survival, and Fine and Gray model was used to compare the cumulative incidence of reoperation.

RESULTS

A total of 130 patients were included (AO n = 59; AV n = 71). After matching, AO patients had increased stroke incidence (12.4% vs 0.9%) and renal failure requiring dialysis (11.5% vs 2.5%). In-hospital mortality was comparable (21.5% AO and 18.6% AV). Survival over 5 years was 68.9% (56.6–83.8%) in AO and 62.7% (48.1–81.7%) in AV (P = 0.70). The cumulative incidence of reoperation was similar [AO 6.3% (0.0–13.2%) vs AV 6.1% (0.0–15.1%), P = 0.69].

CONCLUSIONS

Reoperative ARRs for prosthetic valve/graft endocarditis are high-risk procedures. AO patients had higher incidence of postoperative morbidity versus AV patients. For all patients surviving operative intervention, survival and reoperation rates over 5 years were comparable between groups.
Redesign of online proctored exams for STEM learners in higher education institutions: proposal for incorporating higher-order thinking skills and democratic pedagogy via OPERHOT platform
Authors: Mitra Arindam
Published: July 2023

In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper proposes an exam system for STEM students that effectively test higher-order thinking skills, such as the ability to apply, create, evaluate, and analyse. Higher education institutions (HEIs) must incorporate all three strands of democratic STEM pedagogy, namely student voice, shared and transformational authority, and STEM criticality, according to empathy interviews with educators. It is imperative that these strands are reflected in the assessments of students within HEIs. During the pandemic, it became evident that the lack of a suitable proctored online examination system impeded the accurate and fair evaluation of students. This circumstance was in stark contrast to the offline mode of examination, which permitted monitoring and control. Notably, many students struggled to answer questions requiring higher-order thinking, with responses frequently identical in unproctored online examinations or settings with insufficient proctoring mechanisms, especially in contexts with limited resources. Consequently, there is an urgent need to redesign the online proctored test system in accordance with STEM criticality and student voice. To address this need, this paper proposes the creation of OPERHOT, a proctored online exam system integrated with random questions requiring higher-order thinking. This system employs a timed assessment methodology and requires students to keep their cameras on throughout the examination. By implementing OPERHOT, a proper and secure online evaluation of students can be made possible. In addition, this system will strengthen the online education and assessment systems in HEIs, thereby promoting integrity and enhancing the learning experience. In addition, the adoption of OPERHOT will also improve the assessment process and contribute to the enhancement of online education and assessment in HEIs as a whole. This reimagined system will catalyse the development of a robust and inclusive learning environment that encourages students’ voices and equips educators to foster the growth of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This perspective aims to address the pressing need for an updated and effective proctored assessment system in the online educational landscape while promoting STEM critical thinking and student voice. The OPERHOT platform is at the ideation stage, and once developed, it may be tested in a few HEIs. Based on the feedback from educators and other stakeholders, it can be further modified to make it more inclusive and accessible and can be offered to other HEIs for wider piloting.
Assessing the suitability of under-represented tree species for multifunctional forest management—an example using economic return and biodiversity indicators
Authors: Gang Benjamin , Bingham Logan , Gosling Elizabeth , Knoke Thomas
Published: July 2023

A shifting focus in forest management from timber production to resilience and multifunctionality in the face of changing disturbance regimes might entail altering the species composition of forests. Although the conifers Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and silver fir (Abies alba) currently comprise only a small proportion of Central European forests, the prospect of widespread planting of these species as a climate adaptation measure is currently widely debated by forest managers. To inform this debate, objective assessments of the multifunctional value of these species are required. Here, we introduce Pareto frontiers to objectively assess the value of tree species under competing objectives and considering an uncertain future. Using these frontiers, we explore trade-offs between financial performance and biodiversity aspects of German tree species portfolios with and without these currently rare conifers. We compare several potential biodiversity indicators (related to herbivores, saproxylic beetles, and deadwood decomposition rates) that can be derived from standard forest inventory data. Our results indicate that optimizing the biodiversity indicators generates gradual decreases in financial performance at first, but after an inflection point soil rent declines sharply. Portfolios excluding Douglas fir and silver fir achieved comparable biodiversity levels, but much weaker financial performance, than portfolios that included these conifers. Our novel approach of generating Pareto frontiers that integrate uncertainty can offer useful insights into ecosystem services trade-offs in contexts where risk is unequally distributed across management alternatives.
Socioemotional Factors and Cardiovascular Risk: What Is the Relationship in Brazilian Older Adults?
Authors: Corrêa Vanessa Pereira , de Oliveira Cesar Messias , Vieira Danielle Soares Rocha , Garcia Carlos Alberto Severo , Schneider Ione Jayce Ceola
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

Cardiovascular risk is composed of several modifiable factors that cannot be explained only at the individual level. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between socioemotional factors and cardiovascular risk in older adults.

Research Design and Methods

A cross-sectional study with data from The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde dos Idosos Brasileiros, ELSI-Brazil), population based with data collected between 2015 and 2016. Cardiovascular risk—the study outcome—was assessed using the WHO/ISH Cardiovascular Risk Prediction Charts. The exposure variables were perceived social support from those who would receive help in situations and productive and leisurely social participation carried out in the last 12 months. We used crude and adjusted logistic regression for socioeconomic conditions, health conditions, and lifestyle habits to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the occurrence of the outcome.

Results

There were 6,005 participants between 50 and 74 years old with complete data. Of these, 18.7% (95% CI: 16.9–20.6) had high cardiovascular risk. Being in the highest tertile of greater social participation is associated with a lower prevalence of high cardiovascular risk (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.50–0.95), adjusted for all variables, when compared to the lowest tertile. Furthermore, the absence of perceived social support is associated with a higher prevalence in different models. Perceived social support from close family members (son/daughter, son-in-law, and daughter-in-law) for material issues is associated with a higher prevalence, whereas having support from friends for affective resources is associated with a lower prevalence of high cardiovascular risk.

Discussion and Implications

Socioemotional factors such as lack of perceived social support and social participation were significantly associated with cardiovascular risk. This suggested that the development of strategies aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk during aging needs to consider socioemotional factors and social relationships.
Spatial variation in the crustal deformation pattern in the Koyna-Warna region, western India using shear wave splitting
Authors: Roy Sunil K , Shashidhar D
Published: July 2023

This study investigates crustal anisotropy beneath the Koyna-Warna region (KWR) using waveforms of local earthquakes of magnitude ML ≥ 1.0, recorded at 24 surface and 6 borehole seismic stations during September 2005–February 2020. Waveforms of 1402 local earthquakes that fulfil the splitting criteria (ic < 45°) are used for shear wave splitting analysis, yielding 738 measurements. The study examines the spatial, temporal and depth variations in the fast polarization azimuths (FPAs) and delay times (δt). The average delay times in the Koyna and Warna regions are 0.035 and 0.050 s, respectively, which did not show any significant correlation with depth. The FPAs are predominantly oriented in the NNW–SSE direction in the KWR, commensurate with the in situ maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) obtained using data from a 3-km-deep scientific borehole and individual focal mechanism solutions. The anisotropy beneath KWR is due to the alignment of fluid-filled cracks and pore throats along the SHmax, and is attributed to stress-induced anisotropy. A considerable variation in the orientation of FPAs from NW to NNW–SSE beneath KWR could be associated with heterogeneity in the lithological properties due to variation in the fracture orientation under regional stress. The non-parallel orientation of FPAs with SHmax or faults at some stations is attributed to structure-induced anisotropy, which seems to be associated with surface topography. Measurements at stations, even near the reservoirs, did not show any significant temporal variation in the splitting parameters due to the fluctuation in the water levels.
Ensuring Data Science and Its Applications Benefit Humanity: Data Monetization and the Right to Science
Authors: Lamchek Jayson S
Published: July 2023

This paper analyses the human right to science (RtS) in relation to data science (DS) and its applications, particularly, data monetization. It advances an approach that balances three aspects of RtS, namely, protection from harmful science, benefit-sharing and participation in science and derives three corresponding sets of state duties. First, RtS implies the duty to end data monetization in so far as it entails practices harmful to human rights, including unlawful interference with privacy. Second, while data monetization exists, RtS entails the duty to distribute monetary benefits through an RtS-based universal basic income (UBI). Third, RtS entails the duty to facilitate ordinary people’s participation in DS and prioritize non-profit pro-social uses of DS as in citizen or community DS. The proposed RtS analysis of DS engages policy responses to artificial intelligence (AI) and material inequality, namely, AI regulation, monetary benefits from data, UBI and the ‘data for good’ movement. No new data were generated or analysed in support of this research.
Spatially explicit stock assessment uncovers sequential depletion of northern shrimp stock components in the North Sea
Authors: Cardinale M , Zimmermann F , Søvik G , Griffiths C A , Bergenius Nord M , Winker H
Published: July 2023

Space is a critical component of fisheries management. Despite this, very few of the world's fish and shellfish stocks are currently assessed using methods that are spatially structured. In the Northeast Atlantic, northern shrimp in the North Sea and Skagerrak, is currently assessed using a spatially structured assessment model. This metapopulation model includes two spatial units (the Norwegian Deep and the Skagerrak), however, in the recent past, the fishery on northern shrimp in the North Sea also occurred in a third neighbouring fishing area, the Fladen Ground. Here, we have reconstructed the dynamics of northern shrimp in the Fladen Ground using historic landings, a standardized commercial index of abundance and fragmented survey data and integrated this third spatial unit into the assessment model of the stock. In doing so, we find evidence of sequential spatial depletion, whereby high rates of fishing mortality have successively eroded stock components in a west to east pattern of overexploitation and produced cryptic collapses. This finding is the first documented case of sequential spatial depletion in the Northeast Atlantic, a phenomenon that could be common and largely overlooked by stock assessment methods that are inherently non-spatial.