bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GO/ZnO Biosensor Synthesis and Characterization for Biosensors
Authors: Atikah Fitri , Yuliarto Brian , Manurung Robeth Viktoria
Published: February 2024

In this study, GO/ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized using the solvothermal method and characterized for potential biosensor applications. The synthesized nanoparticles exhibited a high degree of crystalline structural purity, as confirmed by XRD analysis. The XRD pattern revealed characteristic peaks corresponding to the crystal planes of ZnO, indicating a typical wurtzite hexagonal structure. In addition, the synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for their physical characteristics using transmission electron microscopy. The TEM analysis showed that the ZnO nanoparticles had a narrow size distribution, with an average particle size of approximately 25.19 ± 4.1 nm. The morphology of the nanoparticles was further examined, revealing that the ZnO nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed and localized within the GO sheets. Furthermore, the exfoliation of GO into single or few-layered sheets was achieved, as evidenced by its transparency in the TEM images. These findings suggest that the solvothermal synthesis method is effective in producing highly dispersed GO/ZnO nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution. The synthesized GO/ZnO nanoparticles showed promise for biosensor applications due to their uniform shape and distribution, as well as their small size.
Synthesis of Nickel Phosphate Using Self Templated Method
Authors: Azaman M A I , Raihan M F , Zaid H F M
Published: February 2024

Nickel phosphate has diverse applications, such as in glucose sensors, catalysts, and supercapacitors. Different synthesis methods affect its structure and properties, characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Metal phosphates have high ion conductivity, chemical stability, and unique 1D nanostructures. Self-templating techniques, like templating against colloidal particles, create hollow 1D metal phosphate structures, determined by the template size. Materials including triethyl phosphate and ethanol, were used in a self templated method to synthesize different forms of nickel phosphate with varying triethyl phosphate volumes, resulting in products labelled as nickel phosphate-500, nickel phosphate-800, and nickel phosphate-1000. The observation under SEM showed that microflower structures are formed while the XRD analysis revealed that the nickel phosphate material had an amorphous structure with randomly arranged particles, evident from the single broad peak in the XRD patterns. The current response showed that nickel phosphate-500 exhibited the highest reading with the value of 0.2 mA compared to the other two nickel phosphates.
Green Synthesis of Silver/Silver Chloride Nanoparticles using Shallot Peel Extract as Reducing Agent
Authors: Fadli Revi Muharam , Nuruddin Ahmad , Yuliarto Brian
Published: February 2024

Precious metal nanoparticles, especially silver, can be an alternative antibacterial agent that is more promising than antibiotics, which tends to induce resistance over time. Unfortunately, most Silver nanoparticle (AgNP) manufacturing methods involve hazardous substances, extreme conditions, high energy, and complicated separations. Reduction of AgNO3 solution with plant extracts can serve as a ‘green’ synthesis pathway, especially if using food processing waste or other biological materials. Reducing substances that are commonly found in plant extracts, such as flavonoids, are widely contained in shallots (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum) which are commonly used as food ingredients in Indonesia, but the processing waste is still not widely used. This paper describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) with the AgNO3 solution reduction method, using onion peel waste extract as a reducing agent. Experiments were carried out with variations in the ratio of AgNO3 solution to onion peel extract. The resulting AgNPs were characterized by TEM and UV-vis.
CV Performance of ZnO-Carbon Nanocomposite Based On ZIF-8 as Lithium-Ion Battery Anode
Authors: Febrian Rizki , Septiani Ni Luh Wulan , Iqbal Muhammad , Sobih  , Nursam Natalita Maulani , Muliani Lia
Published: February 2024

Compositing between metal oxide and carbon is strategy to improve the performance of lithium-ion battery anode. This is due to the high theoretical capacity of metal oxides, carbon acts as a lithium ion accelerator and supports the structural stability of metal oxides. The advantages of the ZnO-Carbon nanocomposite anode based on ZIF-8 are its large surface area and porosity. The method used is non-solvothermal through precipitation at room temperature. After obtaining ZIF-8 powder, then it was carbonized at temperatures 600°C. The characterization used were SEM, EDS and TEM. The samples also have a porous character with a nano-sized pore radius. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) was carried out using 3-electrode system. The CV test showed 3 reduction peaks. The first peak indicated the conversion reaction, the second peak indicated the alloying reaction, and the third peak indicated a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) reaction. The highest diffusion coefficient is alloying reaction with 3.65 x 10−8 cm2/s.
Integrating Microfluidic and Biosensors: A Mini Review
Authors: Tanjaya Hengky , Harito Christian
Published: February 2024

In recent years, the field of analytical research has witnessed a significant transformation driven by the emergence of integrated microfluidic sensors. This ground-breaking technology has been extensively studied, resulting in the resolution of diverse challenges and a revolutionary impact on experiments, particularly in the biomedical domain. By combining the biosensors with microfluidics, there is a tremendous potential to enhance measurement accuracy and expand the capacity of specimens utilized in biomedical applications and experiments. The integration of biosensors with microfluidics enables effective sample separation, precise control over chemical reactions, and the measurement of various critical parameters. Furthermore, the primary objective of this research is to identify gaps in the existing literature concerning integrated microfluidic sensors. This pursuit involves employing comprehensive bibliometric analysis and conducting a systematic literature review of Scopus-indexed publications that are relevant to the field of integrated microfluidic sensors. PRISMA method was being used to filter the documents that are gathered from Scopus database. The outcomes of this study underscore the pressing need for further research in leveraging electrochemical sensors for specimen analysis by integrating them with the advanced technique of microfluidics. The paper emphasizes the significance of continuous research and development efforts in the realm of integrated microfluidic sensors to fully exploit the potential of electrochemical sensors and enhance the overall research process.
A simulation methodology for establishing IR-drop-induced clock jitter for high precision timing ASICs
Authors: Bergamin Gianmario , Soulier Alexandre Pierre
Published: February 2024

The combination of 3D tracking and high-precision timing measurements has been identified by the European Committee for Future Accelerators as a fundamental requirement to increase detection capabilities for future applications. Among others, on-chip high-quality clock is a key factor determining the overall resolution of timing ASICs. However, in large and dense chips, power-grid drops can severely affect the non-deterministic jitter of the clock, representing a limit to the performances. This contribution presents a simulation framework based on commercial tools to derive power supply-induced jitter, providing a pre-silicon methodology to assess its impact to timing indeterminism. The flow is presented together with practical examples and results.
Distributional impacts of fleet-wide change in light duty transportation: mortality risks of PM2.5 emissions from electric vehicles and Tier 3 conventional vehicles
Authors: Singh Madalsa , Tessum Christopher W , Marshall Julian D , Azevedo Inês M L
Published: February 2024

Light-duty transportation continues to be a significant source of air pollutants that cause premature mortality and greenhouse gases (GHGs) that lead to climate change. We assess PM2.5 emissions and its health consequences under a large-scale shift to electric vehicles (EVs) or Tier-3 internal combustion vehicles (ICVs) across the United States, focusing on implications by states and for the fifty most populous metropolitan statistical areas (MSA). We find that both Tier-3 ICVs and EVs reduce premature mortality by 80%–93% compared to the current light-duty vehicle fleet. The health and climate mitigation benefits of electrification are larger in the West and Northeast. As the grid decarbonizes further, EVs will yield even higher benefits from reduced air pollution and GHG emissions than gasoline vehicles. EVs lead to lower health damages in almost all the 50 most populous MSA than Tier-3 ICVs. Distributional analysis suggests that relying on the current gasoline fleet or moving to Tier-3 ICVs would impact people of color more than White Americans across all states, levels of urbanization, and household income, suggesting that vehicle electrification is more suited to reduce health disparities. We also simulate EVs under a future cleaner electric grid by assuming that the 50 power plants across the nation that have the highest amount of annual SO2 emissions are retired or retrofitted with carbon capture and storage, finding that in that case, vehicle electrification becomes the best strategy for reducing health damages from air pollution across all states.
On particular integrability in classical mechanics
Authors: Escobar-Ruiz A M , Azuaje R
Published: February 2024

In this study the notion of particular integrability in Classical Mechanics, introduced in Turbiner (2013 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor.
46 025203), is revisited within the formalism of symplectic geometry. A particular integral

I

is a function not necessarily conserved in the whole phase space

T
∗

Q

but when restricted to a certain invariant subspace

W

⊆

T
∗

Q

it becomes a Liouville first integral. For natural Hamiltonian systems, it is demonstrated that such a function

I

allows us to construct a lower dimensional Hamiltonian in

W

. This symmetry reduction is intimately related with a phenomenon beyond separation of variables and it is based on an adaptive application of the classical results due to Lie and Liouville on integrability. Three physically relevant systems are used to illustrate the underlying key aspects of the symplectic theory approach to particular integrability: (I) the integrable central-force problem, (II) the chaotic two-body Coulomb system in a constant magnetic field as well as (III) the N-body system.
Trees and Soil Management Impacts on Soil Nutrient and Coffee Production in Coffee-Based Agroforestry
Authors: Nurcholis Omar , Auliya Nugroho Gabryna , Muhammad Yusuf Adi Pujo Nugroho R , Prayogo Cahyo , Kurniawan Syahrul
Published: February 2024

Trees and soil management practices (i.e., pruning and fertilization) are essential in maintaining the soil fertility and coffee yield sustainability in coffee agroforestry systems. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of trees and soil management practices on the soil nutrient status within coffee-based agroforestry systems. The research was conducted in coffee agroforestry systems within Universitas Brawijaya Forest (UB Forest) from January to July 2023. The experiment was performed using a factorial randomized block design with three factors, including: 1) pruning of coffee (T1: pruned coffee, T2: unpruned coffee), 2) Fertilizer type (O: organic fertilizer, A: inorganic fertilizer, M:50% organic + 50% inorganic), and 3) Fertilizer dosage (D1: Farmer‘s dose, D2: recommended doses from the Indonesian Coffee and Cacao Research Institute (ICCRI), D3: Dosage from nutrient replacement), totaling 18 treatments with four replications of each. The soil sample was collected at topsoil (20 cm soil depth) around 50 cm from the coffee stem at the beginning of the research and six months after fertilization. The study revealed that tree management affected (p>0.05) soil nutrient status (i.e., soil total N and available P), where pruned coffee management increased soil nutrient status by 2.02 to 4.53 times compared to the unpruned coffee plot. Types and doses of fertilizer significantly affected soil pH (P < 0.05), where the application of organic fertilizer with the recommended dose (OD2) had the highest soil pH. The correlation analysis showed that soil nutrients correlated to coffee yield. The principal component analysis shows that pruned coffee combined with mixed fertilizer at the farmer‘s dose (T1MD1) is closely related to coffee production.
Productivity of Clonal Teak Plantation Under Different Spacing and Thinning Intensity in Java Monsoon Forest
Authors: Bela Rahmawati Rika , Hardiwinoto Suryo , Widiyatno  , Budiadi  , Wibowo Aris
Published: February 2024

Intensive silviculture plays a crucial role in selecting superior clones with high productivity. The use of superior clones needs to be accompanied by appropriate environmental conditions. The arrangement of growing space is one way for teak clones to grow optimally and produce quality wood products. It can choose initial spacing in the early growth phase and thinning intensity in the later growth phase. This study aims to assess and determine the growth of superior teak clones with different thinning intensities at different planting distances to optimize the growing space. Optimizing growth space also has the potential for intercropping under the stand to produce more diverse products. The research design was a Split-plot design with three blocks as replications. The main plots had four spacings, including 3 m x 3 m, 6 m x 2 m, 8 m x 2 m, and 10 m x 2 m. Subplots were thinning intensity, including 0% thinning (control), 25% thinning (moderate thinning), and 50% thinning (heavy thinning). The results showed that spacing could significantly affect diameter growth. Silvicultural thinning showed significant differences in diameter growth, CADI, height, and volume per hectare. The diameter growth showed higher growth at larger spacing and higher thinning intensity, while the volume per hectare was low. The tree height parameter increased with the thinning intensity. The CADI after two years of thinning increased by 14–42% at 25% thinning intensity and increased by about 35–48% at 50% thinning intensity compared to no thinning at each spacing. Meanwhile, the volume per hectare was lower at wider spacing and decreased at a high thinning intensity. These results indicate an increase in spacing, and thinning accelerates diameter growth and provides better-growing space for intercrops.
Enhancing the Quality of Monoterpenes in (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) Through Rhizobacteria Application Toward Sustained Soil Health
Authors: Sudiarso  , Larasati Ferota , Roviq Mochammad , Kurniawan Andi , Salsabila Salvia , Barunawati Nunun
Published: February 2024

Cymbopogon nardus is an aromatic plant which produces essential oil. Citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol as well-known as monoterpenes. The component of monoterpenes in this research were triggered by organic matter, such as organic manure and rhizobacteria. Organic fertilizers are used for environmentally friendly by maintaining soil and plant health and it’s necessary to achieve agricultural sustainability. Rhizobacteria are beneficial microorganisms for plants and soil for environmental management of both soil, plants, and soil micro biodiversity. Rhizobacteria contributes to soil fertilization through bio-fixation and bio-solubilization of essential nutrients along with the production of growth regulators. Microorganisms regulate the mechanism of absorption and mobility of nutrients in soil. The objective of this research is to investigate the effects of rhizobacteria and organic manure on the component of monoterpenes as well as the content of citronellal, citronellol, and geraniol. The results research show that C. nardus treated with rhizobacteria accumulating of nitrogen 1% and geraniol 5% in leaves which is more than those without rhizobacteria. Interestingly, content of citronellal and citronellol in leaves increased reach at 10% treated by without rhizobacteria and it higher than those supplied with rhizobacteria. In that case, citronellal, citronellol, geraniol formed from the carbon which was seems supplied by organic manure. Furthermore, rhizobacteria treatment shows a stable content of oil components in various rates of organic manure, but able to increase the oil yield at about 30% of C. nardus. Meanwhile, without supply of rhizobacteria, the result of oil yield relatively similar in various rates of organic manure. Regarding to the results, found that application of rhizobacteria able to increase the fresh weight, dry weight, and oil content. As consequently, contribution of rhizobacteria and organic manure to the mechanism of mineralization and improve soil health indirectly. Hence, plant able to uptake and accumulation nutrients in particular nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.
Dynamics of Species Richness in Understory Deciduous Teak Forest (Tectona grandis)
Authors: Setiawan Adi , Putra Ramadhana Varotama , Nurul Kholifah Izzah , Iqbal Maulana Ahmad , Aji Pamungkas Bayu , Arifin Syamsul , Udayana Cicik , Aini Nurul , Thamrin Sebayang Husni , Khumairoh Uma , Puji Wicakcono Karuniawan
Published: February 2024

Teak plantation forest is a deciduous forest that sheds its leaves during the dry season. It is generally a secondary forest that is managed in a monoculture manner so that it is homogeneous. However, when teak sheds its leaves, it that may impacts the dynamics of understory species changes due to differences in environmental factors growing in the dry and wet seasons. The study observed 90 plots carried out over a year, namely two times during the dry season and 2 times during the wet season. We placed three transects around the forest edge, each (9 transects), and plotted 1 m × 1 m plots. Data collection was carried out at distances of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 m on each transect. In each plot, the composition of the understory vegetation cover, litter cover and soil bare was observed. The research was also observed canopy openness and collected rainfall data for one year from the nearest Meteorology station. Species found were recorded for identification based on origin, life form, original habitat, and seed dispersal. The study‘s results found 57 species, 16 species only in DS, then 17 species only in WS, and 24 in both seasons. The dynamics of changes in these species are influenced by the season, which will affect the environment around the plant. Seasonal differences impact light intensity, canopy openness, leaf fall and growth, and litter thickness, which impact the understory diversity and abundance.
Zingiberaceae Rhizome Essential Oil: A Review of Chemical Composition, Biological Activity, and Application in Food Industry
Authors: Destryana RA , Estiasih T , Sukardi  , Pranowo D
Published: February 2024

Several of Zingiberaceae‘s rhizomes are aromatic and medicinal plants that have been used for thousands of years to enhance food’s taste, color, and aroma. The Zingiberaceae plant is found in various ecosystems in Southeast Asia, including cultivation areas and tropical rainforests. It can be found growing at the edge of the forest or well-rooted on the forest floor. This plant is one of the agroforestry product that usually used for cooking, perfume, dyes, and traditional medicine, especially ethnic medicine. Zingiberaceae products can be consumed in various forms, such as fresh, cooked, or boiled..This rhizome is effective in the treatment of several medical conditions such as digestive, respiratory, nervous, and muscle system problems, as well as other degenerative diseases. Phenolic compounds as secondary metabolites found in Zingiberaceae rhizome plants have been shown to have good biological activity for human health and as antibacterials in their applications in food and pharmaceutical products. The main objective of this review is to provide an overview of essential oils from Zingiberaceae rhizome commodities in terms of chemical components, biological activity, safety, and potential applications in the food industry. A number of literature search methods, in this article the narrative literature observation method is used, by searching for related keywords such as essential oils, zingiberaceae, rhizomes, phytochemicals, ginger, turmeric, ginger, Alpinia, in scientific article search engines such as Google Scholar, Scopus, Web search. of Science, and PubMed implemented. This narrative review will help researchers to describe research developments related to essential oils produced from the rhizome commodity of aromatic plants and medicinal plants from the Zingiberaceae family.The common use of rhizome essential oil in food and traditional medicine has attracted researchers worldwide for its application in the food industry. In this review, this topic is discussed in detail along with the results of scientific research supporting the application of essential oils in food and their functional properties, such as the main functional properties of antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal.
The Role of Agroforestry to Improve Farming System Sustainability in Upper Brantas Watershed
Authors: Suhartini S , Dwi Cahyono Edi , Maulana Ishaq Riski , Nur Jihad Baroroh , Sandi Lasitya Daffa , Irwandi Putra , Fajar Maulana Muhammad
Published: February 2024

The upper Brantas Watershed area must be conserved, especially for ecological function. On the other hand, the farmers need income to support their livelihoods. So that, the farmers prefer cultivating vegetables in highlands and on land with slopes more than 30 degrees. It will make the agricultural systems tend to be unsustainable in the long run so that it can affect the ecological function of the watershed. This research aimed to analyze the effect of agroforestry techniques on farming sustainability in the upper Brantas Watershed. The location was determined purposively in a farming system with and without an agroforestry system in Batu City. This study uses quantitative and qualitative approaches with survey techniques by field observation and interviews with the farmers and relevant stakeholders. The results showed that the application of conservation farming with the concept of agroforestry will support the farming system‘s sustainability, especially on the ecological aspect.
Complex far fields and optical singularities due to propagation beyond tight focusing: combined effects of wavefront curvature and aperture diffraction
Authors: Kumar Nitish , Debnath Anirban , Viswanathan Nirmal K
Published: February 2024

All optical systems, which involve the collimation of a reflected, transmitted or scattered wave subsequent to tight focusing, are subject to two kinds of deviations. One is the wavefront curvature due to inaccurate focal placement of the interface or scatterer particle under consideration, and the other is the diffraction caused by the finite lens aperture. In the present paper we explore these phenomena in detail by considering a rigorous simulated model and an appropriate experimental setup. We hence demonstrate the complicated intensity profiles and optical singularity characteristics of the observed far field. Then we describe ways to minimize these deviations in a general experiment. But more importantly, our analysis proves that these deviations by themselves are significant optical phenomena of fundamental interest. The observed complex field profiles have similarities to standard diffraction-limited tight focal fields, though our field detection is different from the standard schemes. This indicates the relevance of these complex fields to a larger class of systems involving wavefront curvature and aperture diffraction. The detailed analysis and results of the present paper already serve as core explorations of these optical phenomena; and we also suggest future research directions where these system aspects can be purposefully created and explored further.
A wearable gait-analysis device for idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) monitoring
Authors: Atbas Erdem , Gaydecki Patrick , Callaghan Michael J
Published: February 2024

Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a progressive neurologic disorder (fluid build-up in the brain) that affects 0.2%–5% of the UK population aged over 65. Mobility problems, dementia and urinary incontinence are symptoms of iNPH but often these are not properly evaluated, and patients receive the wrong diagnosis. Here, we describe the development and testing of firmware embedded in a wearable device in conjunction with a user-based software system that records and analyses a patient’s gait. The movement patterns, expressed as quantitative data, allow clinicians to improve the non-invasive assessment of iNPH as well as monitor the management of patients undergoing treatment. The wearable sensor system comprises a miniature electronic unit that attaches to one ankle of the patient via a simple Velcro strap which was designed for this application. The unit monitors acceleration along three axes with a sample rate of 60 Hz and transmits the data via a Bluetooth communication link to a tablet or smart phone running the Android and the iOS operating systems. The software package extracts statistics based on stride length, stride height, distance walked and speed. Analysis confirmed that the system achieved an average accuracy of at least 98% for gait tests conducted over distances 9 m. This device has been developed to assist in the management and treatment of older adults diagnosed with iNPH.
Stereotactic Optimized Automated Radiotherapy (SOAR): a novel automated planning solution for multi-metastatic SRS compared to HyperArc™
Authors: Mann Thomas , Ploquin Nicolas , Faruqi Salman , Loewen Shaun , Thind Kundan
Published: February 2024

Objective. Automated Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) planning solutions improve clinical efficiency and reduce treatment plan variability. Available commercial solutions employ a template-based strategy that may not be optimal for all SRS patients. This study compares a novel beam angle optimized Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) planning solution for multi-metastatic SRS to the commercial solution HyperArc. Approach. Stereotactic Optimized Automated Radiotherapy (SOAR) performs automated plan creation by combining collision prediction, beam angle optimization, and dose optimization to produce individualized high-quality SRS plans using Eclipse Scripting. In this retrospective study 50 patients were planned using SOAR and HyperArc. Assessed dose metrics included the Conformity Index (CI), Gradient Index (GI), and doses to organs-at-risk. Complexity metrics evaluated the modulation, gantry speed, and dose rate complexity. Plan dosimetric quality, and complexity were compared using double-sided Wilcoxon signed rank tests (α = 0.05) adjusted for multiple comparisons. Main Results. The median target CI was 0.82 with SOAR and 0.79 with HyperArc (p < .001). Median GI was 1.85 for SOAR and 1.68 for HyperArc (p < .001). The median V12Gy normal brain volume for SOAR and HyperArc were 7.76 cm3 and 7.47 cm3 respectively. Median doses to the eyes, lens, optic nerves, and optic chiasm were statistically significant favoring SOAR. The SOAR algorithm scored lower for all complexity metrics assessed. Significance. In-house developed automated planning solutions are a viable alternative to commercial solutions. SOAR designs high-quality patient-specific SRS plans with a greater degree of versatility than template-based methods.
Spinal cord implant wins award
Authors: Freeman Tami , Banks Michael , Harris Margaret , Johnston Hamish
Published: February 2024

The Physics World 2023 Breakthrough of the Year goes to the development of a link between the brain and spinal cord that enabled an individual with paralysis to stand and walk naturally, as Tami Freeman reports.
Did natural erosion help carve Egypt’s Great Sphinx?
Authors: Skipper Katherine
Published: February 2024

Sphinx could have been created by the natural erosion of a rock formation, according to researchers at New York University.
‘Now is the time’ for net-zero action
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: February 2024

A new report by the Institute of Physics finds that most physicists believe that the UK will fail to hit its climate goals, as Michael Banks reports.
US unveils international plan to boost commercial fusion
Authors: Gwynne Peter
Published: February 2024

The US government has announced ambitious plans to boost collaboration with international partners on commercializing fusion energy as a tool to tackle climate change.
Ireland releases national strategy for quantum research
Authors: King Anthony
Published: February 2024

A new Irish government report says the country is ideally situated to capitalize on a quantum industry, noting the potential for quantum technologies in computing, communication, simulation and sensing.
Why it’s time to bin the boffin
Authors: Youngman Rachel
Published: February 2024

Rachel Youngman explains the rationale behind the Institute of Physics’ “Bin the boffin” campaign.
The laws of division
Authors: Demming Anna
Published: February 2024

Across the world, varying factions of society seem to be angrier and more divided than ever. But as Anna Demming explains, physicists are doing their best to shed light on what has gone wrong.
How networking can bolster diversity in physics
Authors: Malone Claire
Published: February 2024

Physicists who want to solve the world’s great challenges don’t just need deep technical expertise, but also excellent networking skills. Claire Malone explains that getting the most out of networking is all a question of practice – and providing those opportunities is key to increasing diversity in physics.
A flaming good feeling
Authors: Roach Dan
Published: February 2024

As a mature student with the Open University, Dan Roach rekindles his love of practical experiment.
Enhancing oil pressure dynamics in a high-performance racing engine with innovative lubrication system tuning
Authors: Pai Anand , Singh Virk Sharanpreet , Pai K Dayananda , Shenoy B Satish , Nayak Suhas Yeshwant
Published: February 2024

This work focuses on fine-tuning the oil pressure dynamics of a single-seater formula car, a participant in international engineering competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Adhering to competition guidelines, the Honda CBR600RR 05-06® motorcycle engine, renowned for its 600 c.c. displacement and exceptional power-to-weight ratio, emerges as a popular choice. However, as this engine is originally equipped with a wet sump lubrication system (featuring deep wet sumps to prevent oil starvation during turns), this presents challenges when adapted to Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) cars. Cornering leads to significant pressure drops, as sloshing exposes the pickup port, causing consequential engine issues. To tackle sloshing-related challenges and pressure loss during lateral and longitudinal g-forces, a dry sump lubrication system was introduced in the Formula car. The dry sump system also lowers the engine’s center of gravity, by reducing sump height. However, transitioning to the dry sump system and integrating it with the existing engine demanded extensive design modifications to various components, including the oil reservoir, lubrication lines, scavenging pump, and oil ports. These adjustments were essential to achieve the targeted elevation in oil pressures at higher engine RPMs. A relationship between the engine oil pressure and the engine RPM was developed as part of the study.
Topic evolution before fall incidents in new fallers through natural language processing of general practitioners’ clinical notes
Authors: Dormosh Noman , Abu-Hanna Ameen , Calixto Iacer , Schut Martijn C , Heymans Martijn W , van der Velde Nathalie
Published: February 2024

Background

Falls involve dynamic risk factors that change over time, but most studies on fall-risk factors are cross-sectional and do not capture this temporal aspect. The longitudinal clinical notes within electronic health records (EHR) provide an opportunity to analyse fall risk factor trajectories through Natural Language Processing techniques, specifically dynamic topic modelling (DTM). This study aims to uncover fall-related topics for new fallers and track their evolving trends leading up to falls.

Methods

This case–cohort study utilised primary care EHR data covering information on older adults between 2016 and 2019. Cases were individuals who fell in 2019 but had no falls in the preceding three years (2016–18). The control group was randomly sampled individuals, with similar size to the cases group, who did not endure falls during the whole study follow-up period. We applied DTM on the clinical notes collected between 2016 and 2018. We compared the trend lines of the case and control groups using the slopes, which indicate direction and steepness of the change over time.

Results

A total of 2,384 fallers (cases) and an equal number of controls were included. We identified 25 topics that showed significant differences in trends between the case and control groups. Topics such as medications, renal care, family caregivers, hospital admission/discharge and referral/streamlining diagnostic pathways exhibited a consistent increase in steepness over time within the cases group before the occurrence of falls.

Conclusions

Early recognition of health conditions demanding care is crucial for applying proactive and comprehensive multifactorial assessments that address underlying causes, ultimately reducing falls and fall-related injuries.
Personalized treatment selection via product partition models with covariates
Authors: Pedone Matteo , Argiento Raffaele , Stingo Francesco C
Published: February 2024

Precision medicine is an approach for disease treatment that defines treatment strategies based on the individual characteristics of the patients. Motivated by an open problem in cancer genomics, we develop a novel model that flexibly clusters patients with similar predictive characteristics and similar treatment responses; this approach identifies, via predictive inference, which one among a set of treatments is better suited for a new patient. The proposed method is fully model based, avoiding uncertainty underestimation attained when treatment assignment is performed by adopting heuristic clustering procedures, and belongs to the class of product partition models with covariates, here extended to include the cohesion induced by the normalized generalized gamma process. The method performs particularly well in scenarios characterized by considerable heterogeneity of the predictive covariates in simulation studies. A cancer genomics case study illustrates the potential benefits in terms of treatment response yielded by the proposed approach. Finally, being model based, the approach allows estimating clusters’ specific response probabilities and then identifying patients more likely to benefit from personalized treatment.
Longitudinal varying coefficient single-index model with censored covariates
Authors: Wang Shikun , Ning Jing , Xu Ying , Shih Ya-Chen Tina , Shen Yu , Li Liang
Published: February 2024

It is of interest to health policy research to estimate the population-averaged longitudinal medical cost trajectory from initial cancer diagnosis to death, and understand how the trajectory curve is affected by patient characteristics. This research question leads to a number of statistical challenges because the longitudinal cost data are often non-normally distributed with skewness, zero-inflation, and heteroscedasticity. The trajectory is nonlinear, and its length and shape depend on survival, which are subject to censoring. Modeling the association between multiple patient characteristics and nonlinear cost trajectory curves of varying lengths should take into consideration parsimony, flexibility, and interpretation. We propose a novel longitudinal varying coefficient single-index model. Multiple patient characteristics are summarized in a single-index, representing a patient's overall propensity for healthcare use. The effects of this index on various segments of the cost trajectory depend on both time and survival, which is flexibly modeled by a bivariate varying coefficient function. The model is estimated by generalized estimating equations with an extended marginal mean structure to accommodate censored survival time as a covariate. We established the pointwise confidence interval of the varying coefficient and a test for the covariate effect. The numerical performance was extensively studied in simulations. We applied the proposed methodology to medical cost data of prostate cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare-Linked Database.
Efficient designs and analysis of two-phase studies with longitudinal binary data
Authors: Di Gravio Chiara , Schildcrout Jonathan S , Tao Ran
Published: February 2024

Researchers interested in understanding the relationship between a readily available longitudinal binary outcome and a novel biomarker exposure can be confronted with ascertainment costs that limit sample size. In such settings, two-phase studies can be cost-effective solutions that allow researchers to target informative individuals for exposure ascertainment and increase estimation precision for time-varying and/or time-fixed exposure coefficients. In this paper, we introduce a novel class of residual-dependent sampling (RDS) designs that select informative individuals using data available on the longitudinal outcome and inexpensive covariates. Together with the RDS designs, we propose a semiparametric analysis approach that efficiently uses all data to estimate the parameters. We describe a numerically stable and computationally efficient EM algorithm to maximize the semiparametric likelihood. We examine the finite sample operating characteristics of the proposed approaches through extensive simulation studies, and compare the efficiency of our designs and analysis approach with existing ones. We illustrate the usefulness of the proposed RDS designs and analysis method in practice by studying the association between a genetic marker and poor lung function among patients enrolled in the Lung Health Study (Connett et al, 1993).
That’s not the Mona Lisa! How to interpret spatial capture-recapture density surface estimates
Authors: Durbach Ian , Chopara Rishika , Borchers David L , Phillip Rachel , Sharma Koustubh , Stevenson Ben C
Published: February 2024

Spatial capture-recapture methods are often used to produce density surfaces, and these surfaces are often misinterpreted. In particular, spatial change in density is confused with spatial change in uncertainty about density. We illustrate correct and incorrect inference visually by treating a grayscale image of the Mona Lisa as an activity center intensity or density surface and simulating spatial capture-recapture survey data from it. Inferences can be drawn about the intensity of the point process generating activity centers, and about the likely locations of activity centers associated with the capture histories obtained from a single survey of a single realization of this process. We show that treating probabilistic predictions of activity center locations as estimates of the intensity of the process results in invalid and misleading ecological inferences, and that predictions are highly dependent on where the detectors are placed and how much survey effort is used. Estimates of the activity center density surface should be obtained by estimating the intensity of a point process model for activity centers. Practitioners should state explicitly whether they are estimating the intensity or making predictions of activity center location, and predictions of activity center locations should not be confused with estimates of the intensity.
Mitochondrial myopathies diagnosed in adulthood: clinico-genetic spectrum and long-term outcomes
Authors: Beecher Grayson , Gavrilova Ralitza H , Mandrekar Jay , Naddaf Elie
Published: February 2024

Mitochondrial myopathies are frequently recognized in childhood as part of a broader multisystem disorder and often overlooked in adulthood. Herein, we describe the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum and long-term outcomes of mitochondrial myopathies diagnosed in adulthood, focusing on neuromuscular features, electrodiagnostic and myopathological findings and survival. We performed a retrospective chart review of adult patients diagnosed with mitochondrial myopathy at Mayo Clinic (2005–21). We identified 94 patients. Median time from symptom onset to diagnosis was 11 years (interquartile range 4–21 years). Median age at diagnosis was 48 years (32–63 years). Primary genetic defects were identified in mitochondrial DNA in 48 patients (10 with single large deletion, 38 with point mutations) and nuclear DNA in 29. Five patients had multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions or depletion without nuclear DNA variants. Twelve patients had histopathological features of mitochondrial myopathy without molecular diagnosis. The most common phenotypes included multisystem disorder (n = 30); mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (14); limb myopathy (13); chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (12); and chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia-plus (12). Isolated skeletal muscle manifestations occurred in 27%. Sixty-nine per cent had CNS and 21% had cardiac involvement. Mutations most frequently involved MT-TL1 (27) and POLG (17); however, a wide spectrum of established and novel molecular defects, with overlapping phenotypes, was identified. Electrodiagnostic studies identified myopathy (77%), fibrillation potentials (27%) and axonal peripheral neuropathy (42%, most common with nuclear DNA variants). Among 42 muscle biopsies available, median percentage counts were highest for cytochrome C oxidase negative fibres (5.1%) then ragged blue (1.4%) and ragged red fibres (0.5%). Skeletal muscle weakness was mild and slowly progressive (decline in strength summated score of 0.01/year). Median time to gait assistance was 5.5 years from diagnosis and 17 years from symptom onset. Thirty patients died, with median survival of 33.4 years from symptom onset and 10.9 years from diagnosis. Median age at death was 55 years. Cardiac involvement was associated with increased mortality [hazard ratio 2.36 (1.05, 5.29)]. There was no difference in survival based on genotype or phenotype. Despite the wide phenotypic and genotypic spectrum, mitochondrial myopathies in adults share similar features with slowly progressive limb weakness, contrasting with common multiorgan involvement and high mortality.
Traumatic brain injury disrupts state-dependent functional cortical connectivity in a mouse model
Authors: Bottom-Tanzer Samantha , Corella Sofia , Meyer Jochen , Sommer Mary , Bolaños Luis , Murphy Timothy , Quiñones Sadi , Heiney Shane , Shtrahman Matthew , Whalen Michael , Oren Rachel , Higley Michael J , Cardin Jessica A , Noubary Farzad , Armbruster Moritz , Dulla Chris
Published: February 2024

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death in young people and can cause cognitive and motor dysfunction and disruptions in functional connectivity between brain regions. In human TBI patients and rodent models of TBI, functional connectivity is decreased after injury. Recovery of connectivity after TBI is associated with improved cognition and memory, suggesting an important link between connectivity and functional outcome. We examined widespread alterations in functional connectivity following TBI using simultaneous widefield mesoscale GCaMP7c calcium imaging and electrocorticography (ECoG) in mice injured using the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of TBI. Combining CCI with widefield cortical imaging provides us with unprecedented access to characterize network connectivity changes throughout the entire injured cortex over time. Our data demonstrate that CCI profoundly disrupts functional connectivity immediately after injury, followed by partial recovery over 3 weeks. Examining discrete periods of locomotion and stillness reveals that CCI alters functional connectivity and reduces theta power only during periods of behavioral stillness. Together, these findings demonstrate that TBI causes dynamic, behavioral state-dependent changes in functional connectivity and ECoG activity across the cortex.
Anticoagulation in patients with end-stage kidney disease and atrial fibrillation: a national population-based study
Authors: Kim Deok-Gie , Kim Sung Hwa , Park Sung Yong , Han Byoung Geun , Kim Jae Seok , Yang Jae Won , Park Young Jun , Lee Jun Young
Published: February 2024

Background

The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is high and increasing. However, evidence regarding oral anticoagulant (OAC) use in these patients is insufficient and conflicting.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included patients in the Korea National Health Insurance System diagnosed with AF after ESKD onset from January 2007 to December 2017. The primary outcome was all-cause death. Secondary outcomes were ischaemic stroke, hospitalization for major bleeding and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Outcomes were compared between OAC users and non-users using 6-month landmark analysis and 1:3 propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

Among patients with ESKD and AF, the number of prescribed OACs increased 2.3-fold from 2012 (n = 3579) to 2018 (n = 8341) and the proportion of direct OACs prescribed increased steadily from 0% in 2012 to 51.4% in 2018. After PSM, OAC users had a lower risk of all-cause death {hazard ratio [HR] 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55–0.81]}, ischaemic stroke [HR 0.61 (95% CI 0.41–0.89)] and MACE [HR 0.70 (95% CI 0.55–0.90)] and no increased risk of hospitalization for major bleeding [HR 0.99 (95% CI 0.72–1.35)] compared with non-users. Unlike warfarin, direct OACs were associated with a reduced risk of all-cause death and hospitalization for major bleeding.

Conclusions

In patients with ESKD and AF, OACs were associated with reduced all-cause death, ischaemic stroke and MACE.