bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regional and temporal variability of Indian summer monsoon rainfall in relation to El Niño southern oscillation
Authors: Athira K. S. , Roxy M. K. , Dasgupta Panini , Saranya J. S. , Singh Vineet Kumar , Attada Raju
Published: August 2023

The Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) exhibits significant variability, affecting the food and water security of the densely populated Indian subcontinent. The two dominant spatial modes of ISMR variability are associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the strength of the semi-permanent monsoon trough along with related variability in monsoon depressions, respectively. Although the robust teleconnection between ENSO and ISMR has been well established for several decades, the major drivers leading to the time-varying relationship between ENSO and ISMR patterns across different regions of the country are not well understood. Our analysis shows a consistent increase from a moderate to substantially strong teleconnection strength between ENSO and ISMR from 1901 to 1940. This strengthened relationship remained stable and strong between 1941 and 1980. However, in the recent period from 1981 to 2018 the teleconnection decreased consistently again to a moderate strength. We find that the ENSO–ISMR relationship exhibits distinct regional variability with time-varying relationship over the north, central, and south India. Specifically, the teleconnection displays an increasing relationship for north India, a decreasing relationship for central India and a consistent relationship for south India. Warm SST anomalies over the eastern Pacific Ocean correspond to an overall decrease in the ISMR, while warm SST anomalies over the Indian Ocean corresponds to a decrease in rainfall over the north and increase over the south of India. ﻿The central Indian region experienced the most substantial variation in the ENSO–ISMR relationship. This variation corresponds to the variability of the monsoon trough and depressions, strongly influenced by the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and North Atlantic Oscillation, which regulate the relative dominance of the two spatial modes of ISMR. By applying the PCA-Biplot technique, our study highlights the significant impacts of various climate drivers on the two dominant spatial modes of ISMR which account for the evolving nature of the ENSO–ISMR relationship.
Training certified detectives to track down the intrinsic shortcuts in COVID-19 chest x-ray data sets
Authors: Zhang Ran , Griner Dalton , Garrett John W. , Qi Zhihua , Chen Guang-Hong
Published: August 2023

Deep learning faces a significant challenge wherein the trained models often underperform when used with external test data sets. This issue has been attributed to spurious correlations between irrelevant features in the input data and corresponding labels. This study uses the classification of COVID-19 from chest x-ray radiographs as an example to demonstrate that the image contrast and sharpness, which are characteristics of a chest radiograph dependent on data acquisition systems and imaging parameters, can be intrinsic shortcuts that impair the model’s generalizability. The study proposes training certified shortcut detective models that meet a set of qualification criteria which can then identify these intrinsic shortcuts in a curated data set.
Integrated CO2capture and electrochemical upgradation: the underpinning mechanism and techno-chemical analysis
Authors: Kumar De Sandip , Won Dong-Il , Kim Jeongwon , Kim Dong Ha
Published: August 2023

This review systematically outlines the underpinning mechanism and applications involved in electrochemically integrated carbon capture and utilization (CCU) processes together with techno-economic insights.
Potential of nonporous adaptive crystals for hydrocarbon separation
Authors: Yan Miaomiao , Wang Yuhao , Chen Jingyu , Zhou Jiong
Published: August 2023

The adsorptive separation based on nonporous adaptive crystals (NACs) is an attractive green separation technology. Herein, we comprehensively summarize recent advances in various supramolecular hosts-based NACs for hydrocarbon separation.
Sensitivity of the amide I band to matrix manipulation in bone: a Raman micro-spectroscopy and spatially offset Raman spectroscopy study
Authors: Ahmed Rafay , Unal Mustafa , Gautam Rekha , Uppuganti Sasidhar , Derasari Shrey , Mahadevan-Jansen Anita , Nyman Jeffry S.
Published: August 2023

The SORS probe and the proposed method successfully detected the effects of high temperature and pressure (autoclaving) on collagen type 1 integrity changes in human cortical bone.
In situ growth of a cobalt porphyrin-based covalent organic framework on multi-walled carbon nanotubes for ultrasensitive real-time monitoring of living cell-released nitric oxide
Authors: Bai Yujiao , Miao Jiansong , Bian Xiaodi , Wang Qian , Gao Wenqing , Xue Yu , Yang Guihua , Zhu Peihua , Yu Jinghua
Published: August 2023

Due to the synergy of atomic-level periodic structural features of COF-366-Co and high conductivity of MWCNTs, a MWCNTs@COF-366-Co electrochemical biosensor has been successfully used to sensitively monitor NO released from HUVECs.
Electronic structure and optical properties of the Ag3SbS3 crystal: experimental and DFT studies
Authors: Rudysh M. Ya. , Myronchuk G. L. , Fedorchuk A. O. , Marchuk O. V. , Kordan V. M. , Kohan O. P. , Myronchuk D. B. , Smitiukh O. V.
Published: August 2023

We investigate the crystal structure, and elementary composition of synthetic pyrargyrite single crystals and elucidate the electronic and optical properties using experimental techniques and density functional theory.
Like stars falling down from the sky: resins effectively assist in and facilitate centrifugal separation and recycling of tiny microbial cells
Authors: Lv Yang , Yan Taotao , Zhou Shaonuo , Xu Yong
Published: August 2023

This work proposes a novel resin particle assisted method to facilitate the centrifugal separation and recycling of microbial cells from fermentation broths.
Quantitative analysis of heavy metals in soilviahierarchical deep neural networks with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Yang Wanqi , Li Fusheng , Lyu Shubin , Zhang Qinglun , Zhao Yanchun
Published: August 2023

Potentially toxic metals in soils are accurately predicted using hierarchical depth neural networks by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.
Synthesis of fluorescent aromatic species via ring transformation of α-pyranones and their application in OLEDs, chemosensors, and cell imaging
Authors: Krishnan Manjula , Singh Fateh V.
Published: August 2023

Ring transformation of pyran-2-ones with ketones provides fluorescent aromatic compounds bearing push–pull electronic system. Fluorescent aromatic species exhibited various optical applications such as OLED materials, chemosensors and cell imaging.
Güte der Glukosemessung in niedergelassenen diabetologischen Praxen basierend auf einer Strukturbefragung
Authors: Schwarz Toralf , Scheper Nikolaus , Freckmann Guido , Pleus Stefan , Nauck Matthias , Landgraf Rüdiger , Heinemann Lutz
Published: August 2023

Ziel der Befragung niedergelassener Diabetologen war es, Informationen zur Güte der Glukosemessung in deren Praxen zu erhalten. 71 Praxen haben einen Online-Fragebogen dazu ausgefüllt. 63 (89%) dieser Praxen verfügen über ein eigenes Praxislabor, die anderen entnehmen Blut und versenden die Proben an ein externes Labor. In 61 (86%) Praxen ist mindestens eine Methode zur Glukosebestimmung vor Ort vorhanden. Zur Messung werden drei Messsysteme eingesetzt (Auflistung nach Häufigkeit): HemoCue Glucose 201 (31 (48%)), Super-GL/Senso-Star GL30 (19 (30%)), Biosen S/C (11 (17%)). 53 (75%) der Praxen geben an, regelmäßig an Ringversuchen für Glukose teilzunehmen. Interne Qualitätskontrollen werden täglich (42 (68%)) bzw. wöchentlich (17 (27%)) durchgeführt. Darauf verzichtet wird in 2 (3%) von 61 Praxen. Obwohl 53 (75%) der Praxen angeben, an Ringversuchen teilzunehmen, nehmen an externen Qualitätskontrollen nur 48 (79%) von 61 Praxen teil. Anscheinend ist nicht in allen Praxen bekannt, dass der Begriff externe Qualitätskontrolle Ringversuch-Beteiligung bedeutet. Ein Qualitätsmanagement haben 62 (97%) von 64 Praxen, dies ist nur bei 24 (40%) der Praxen zertifiziert. Ein spezielles QM-Handbuch ist bei 41 (67%) der 61 Praxen vorhanden. 14 (24%) der Praxen gaben an, nur venöses Blut zu verwenden, die übrigen messen zusätzlich in Kapillarblut. Die Standzeit von Blutproben bis zur Verarbeitung wird von 10% der Praxen, die hierzu eine Angabe gemacht haben, mit >30 min angegeben. Diese Befragung weist auf einen erheblichen Fortbildungsbedarf hin. Es gibt Defizite bei den Kenntnissen zu einer qualitätsgesicherten Labordiagnostik, einem entsprechenden Qualitätsmanagement und bei der Umsetzung der Richtlinien der Bundesärztekammer.
Bedarfs- und Zufriedenheitsanalyse von Patienten und Zuweisenden eines ambulanten Kataraktangebots
Authors: Zander Daniel Bernhard , Mähner Philipp M. , Reinhard Thomas , Tscheulin Dieter K. , Wacker Katrin
Published: August 2023

Hintergrund Zur Sicherstellung eines effizienten Ressourceneinsatzes im Rahmen ambulanter Versorgungsangebote ist die Planung und Gewährleistung eines konstanten Patientenstroms
durch eine optimale Ausgestaltung des Angebots an den Wünschen und Bedürfnissen relevanter Anspruchsgruppen von elementarer Bedeutung.

Material und Methoden Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, wie die Bedürfnisse sowie die Zufriedenheit von Patienten und zuweisenden niedergelassenen Fachärzten im Rahmen eines
ambulanten Kataraktangebots ermittelt werden und welche Schlüsse für die Ausgestaltung des Leistungsangebots gezogen werden können. Zur Ermittlung der Bedürfnisse und Zufriedenheit wurden
ein Patienten-Fragebogen und ein Zuweisenden-Fragebogen entwickelt. Promotoren und Detraktoren der Wahl bzw. Zuweisung wurden in Anlehnung an das Konzept des Net-Promoter-Scores, einem
Marktforschungsinstrument, identifiziert.

Ergebnisse 339 (38%) Patienten und 26 (45%) Zuweisende der Hauptzuweisendengruppe füllten im Befragungszeitraum die ausgehändigten Fragebogen aus. Die wichtigsten Eigenschaften für
die Einweisungsempfehlung der Zuweisenden waren die Behandlungsqualität, die Patientenzufriedenheit sowie die Kommunikation bei Rückfragen und die Schnelligkeit der Übersendung des
Arztbriefes. Die Patienten priorisierten vor allem den fachlichen Ruf, die bisherigen Erfahrungen mit der Klinik sowie die Empfehlung ihres Augenarztes und die wunschgerechte Terminvergabe
als wichtigste Eigenschaften für deren Auswahlentscheidung eines Kataraktzentrums.

Schlussfolgerung Beide Gruppen beeinflussen sich in ihrer Empfehlungs- bzw. Wahlabsicht. Eine simultane Evaluation beider Anspruchsgruppen zur Gewährleistung eines konstanten
Patientenstroms ist folglich unumgänglich. In der durchgeführten Studie weisen die Patienten und Zuweisenden eine hohe Gesamtzufriedenheit mit dem Kataraktangebot des Universitätsklinikums
auf, jedoch konnten auch verschiedene Verbesserungspotenziale entdeckt werden. Insgesamt liefert die vorgestellte Vorgehensweise einen umfassenden Ansatz zur Durchführung von Bedarfs- bzw.
Zufriedenheitsanalysen von Patienten und Zuweisenden im Rahmen eines ambulanten Versorgungsangebots, um die Patientenversorgung nachhaltig zu verbessern.
Eugene Nicholas Myers' Lecture on Head and Neck Cancer, 2020: The Surgeon as a Prognostic Factor in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery*
Authors: Kowalski Luiz P.
Published: August 2023

This paper is a transcript of the 29th Eugene N. Myers, MD International Lecture on Head and Neck Cancer presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) in 2020. By the end of the 19th century, the survival rate in treated patients was 10%. With the improvements in surgical techniques, currently, about two thirds of patients survive for > 5 years. Teamwork and progress in surgical reconstruction have led to advancements in ablative surgery; the associated adjuvant treatments have further improved the prognosis in the last 30 years. However, prospective trials are lacking; most of the accumulated knowledge is based on retrospective series and some real-world data analyses. Current knowledge on prognostic factors plays a central role in an efficient treatment decision-making process. Although the influence of most tumor- and patient-related prognostic factors in head and neck cancer cannot be changed by medical interventions, some environmental factors—including treatment, decision-making, and quality—can be modified. Ideally, treatment strategy decisions should be taken in dedicated multidisciplinary team meetings. However, evidence suggests that surgeons and hospital volume and specialization play major roles in patient survival after initial or salvage head and neck cancer treatment. The metrics of surgical quality assurance (surgical margins and nodal yield) in neck dissection have a significant impact on survival in head and neck cancer patients and can be influenced by the surgeon's expertise. Strategies proposed to improve surgical quality include continuous performance measurement, feedback, and dissemination of best practice measures.
Exploring resetting-based effects to increase reaction speed in drift-diffusive environments
Authors: Thompson Avery
Published: August 2023

Resetting, a valuable tool to increase reaction speeds in diffusive transport, can have more complex effects when directional drift is present.
Time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometer based on ultrawide single-sideband phase-sensitive detection
Authors: Zhang Shixue , Zhou Shengqi , Qi Jianqing , Jiao Lei , Guo Xingwei
Published: August 2023

A time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance (TREPR) method with 40 ns time resolution and a high sensitivity suitable for the detection of short-lived radicals under thermal equilibrium is developed. The key is the introduction of a new detection technique named ultrawide single sideband phase sensitive detection (U-PSD) to the conventional continuous-wave EPR, which remarkably enhanced the sensitivity for the detection of broadband transient signals compared with the direct detection protocol. By repeatedly triggering a transient kinetic event f(t) (e.g., by laser flash photolysis) under a 100 kHz magnetic field modulation with precise phase control, this technique can build an ultrawide single sideband modulated signal. After single sideband demodulation, the flicker noise-suppressed signal f(t) with wide bandwidth is recovered. A U-PSD TREPR spectrometer prototype has been built, which integrated timing sequence control, laser flash excitation, data acquisition systems, and the U-PSD algorithm with a conventional continuous-wave EPR. It exhibited excellent performance in monitoring a model transient radical system, laser flash photolysis of benzophenone in isopropanol. Both the intense chemically induced dynamic electron polarization signals and the much weaker thermal equilibrium EPR signals of the generated acetone ketyl radical and benzophenone ketyl radical were clearly observed within a wide timescale ranging from sub-microsecond to milliseconds. This prototype validated the feasibility of the U-PSD technique and demonstrated its superior performance in studying complex photochemical systems containing various transient radicals, which complements the established TREPR techniques and provides a powerful tool for deep mechanistic understandings, such as in photoredox catalysis and artificial photosynthesis.
Rate enhancement of gated drift-diffusion process by optimal resetting
Authors: Biswas Arup , Pal Arnab , Mondal Debasish , Ray Somrita
Published: August 2023

“Gating” is a widely observed phenomenon in biochemistry that describes the transition between the activated (or open) and deactivated (or closed) states of an ion-channel, which makes transport through that channel highly selective. In general, gating is a mechanism that imposes an additional restriction on a transport, as the process ends only when the “gate” is open and continues otherwise. When diffusion occurs in the presence of a constant bias to a gated target, i.e., to a target that switches between an open and a closed state, the dynamics essentially slow down compared to ungated drift-diffusion, resulting in an increase in the mean completion time, ⟨TG⟩ > ⟨T⟩, where T denotes the random time of transport and G indicates gating. In this work, we utilize stochastic resetting as an external protocol to counterbalance the delay due to gating. We consider a particle in the positive semi-infinite space that undergoes drift-diffusion in the presence of a stochastically gated target at the origin and is moreover subjected to rate-limiting resetting dynamics. Calculating the minimal mean completion time ⟨Tr⋆G⟩ rendered by an optimal resetting rate r⋆ for this exactly solvable system, we construct a phase diagram that owns three distinct phases: (i) where resetting can make gated drift-diffusion faster even compared to the original ungated process, ⟨Tr⋆G⟩<⟨T⟩<⟨TG⟩, (ii) where resetting still expedites gated drift-diffusion but not beyond the original ungated process, ⟨T⟩≤⟨Tr⋆G⟩<⟨TG⟩, and (iii) where resetting fails to expedite gated drift-diffusion, ⟨T⟩<⟨TG⟩≤⟨Tr⋆G⟩. We also highlight various non-trivial behaviors of the completion time as the resetting rate, gating parameters, and geometry of the set-up are carefully ramified. Gated drift-diffusion aptly models various stochastic processes such as chemical reactions that exclusively take place in certain activated states of the reactants. Our work predicts the conditions under which stochastic resetting can act as a useful strategy to enhance the rate of such processes without compromising their selectivity.
Analysis on the split absorber integrated with taut-moored floating turbine
Authors: Zhang Huidong , Wang Tong , Xu Cong , Shi Hongda , Guedes Soares Carlos
Published: August 2023

A new wave energy converter is proposed in this paper, consisting of three split heave point absorbers, combined with a taut-moored floating turbine. It is adapted to the waves in the China Sea area, which are characterized by short periods and small amplitudes. Based on a series of physical model tests in regular, irregular, and extreme waves, the hydrodynamic performance of the integrated device is systematically investigated under different damping forces and incident wave directions. The experimental results reveal that the split point absorber presents new hydrodynamic characteristics and that the wave energy capture efficiency of the new device is greatly improved for the short-period waves in low sea states. Moreover, due to the out-of-phase heave motion, as well as the induced shallow water effect, the submerged platform makes a contribution to improving the energy capture efficiency of the split floater, particularly pronounced in the case of a high damping force in the power takeoff system. Under the condition of incident wave direction being coincident with the horizontal projection of mooring lines, the energies of pitch motion and mooring force of the integrated system are increased as a result of the high-frequency oscillation, which needs to be solved by further optimizing the taut mooring system.
A study on the cavitation vortex dynamics and loads of water-exiting axisymmetric projectile
Authors: Gao Shan , Shi Yao , Pan Guang , Quan Xiaobo
Published: August 2023

This paper analyzes the cavitation vortex dynamics and load characteristics of projectiles launched underwater at different angles of attack. The results show that as the velocity of the projectile decreases during the underwater cruising stage and the cavitation number continuously increases, the cavity begins to shed. This phenomenon occurs because of the development of a re-entrant jet at the end of the cavity. As the angle of attack (0°–8°) increases, the cavity asymmetry is strengthened and the scale of the cavity shedding increases. The cavity prevents the generation of hairpin vortex packages. This phenomenon is more pronounced in cavities with a larger angle of attack. As the angle of attack increases (4°–8°), the turbulent vortex structures of the wall and free wake are further developed and enriched. The vortex legs of wall hairpin vortices are significantly elongated at large angles of attack, which may be the result of the combined effect of the cavity and transition area. During the water-exiting stage, the collapse of isolated vacuoles generated by the cavitation flow generates a significant collapse load. The collapse position undergoes at least two pressure pulsation peaks or increases, with the first peak or increase occurring during the initial underwater cruising stage.
Poroelastic behavior of skin tissue in response to pressure driven flow
Authors: Weir Weiss Mary-Jo , Shrestha Pranav , Basak Raunak , Stoeber Boris
Published: August 2023

Better understanding of skin tissue's permeability and poroelasticity could help advance biomedical technologies concerning skin such as intradermal injection and grafting. We applied a pressure driven fluid flow across skin tissue's epidermal and dermal layers in a simple one-dimensional configuration, while measuring the resulting flow rate and capturing cross sectional optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of the tissue's deformation. Digital image correlation was used to analyze the OCT images and via a novel method, image analysis corrected for the change in the tissue's refractive index, which occurred due to flow-induced deformation, thus providing accurate one-dimensional depth-wise deformation profiles. Skin tissue was found to exhibit a nonlinear relationship between pressure and the resulting fluid flow rate, where the increase in flow rate with pressure decreased as pressure increased. The skin tissue was observed to experience compressive strain closest to the supported base, with magnitudes increasing with increasing driving pressure, and the tissue near the free surface experienced relatively little strain. Permeability was found to follow an exponential permeability-volumetric strain relationship with material constants: k0 (initial uniform permeability) of 9.6 × 10−15 m2 and m (extent of nonlinearity for the permeability–strain relationship) of 2.94. Darcy's law and the permeability–strain relationship were used to analyze results with good similarity between observed and calculated flowrates. This work presents a novel and direct method of characterizing soft tissue permeability and provides a fundamental understanding to skin behavior under pressurized driving fluid, which can be generalized to study or model other geometries of induced flow through skin tissue.
Strain effects on stability of topological ferroelectric polar configurations in (PbTiO3)n/(SrTiO3)n superlattices
Authors: Dai Cheng , Hong Zijian , Das Sujit , Tang Yun-Long , Martin Lane W. , Ramesh Ramamoorthy , Chen Long-Qing
Published: August 2023

The (PbTiO3)n/(SrTiO3)n (PTO/STO) superlattice system has been shown to exhibit interesting topological phases (e.g., vortices and skyrmions) in addition to normal ferroelectric domain states. Existing studies are mostly focused on the dependence of topological polar distributions and properties of PTO/STO superlattice on its periodicity. Here, we study the strain effect on the topological phase transitions and ferroelectric domain structures employing phase-field simulations. We summarized in an isotropic strain (in-plane misfit strain along the x direction is equal to that along the y direction) periodicity phase diagram displaying the stability regions of different polar topological states, including normal ferroelectric twins, vortices, skyrmions, and mixtures of vortices and twins. We also analyzed the polarization configurations under anisotropic in-plane strains (in-plane misfit strain along the x direction is not equal to that along the y direction) and demonstrated that the strain anisotropy can be used to tune the directions of vortex arrays along either the [100] pc or [010] pc directions or labyrinth vortex arrays. This work offers guidance to manipulating polar structures in the PTO/STO superlattices via strain engineering.
Oil–wall interaction induced droplet deformation dynamics in a capillary tube
Authors: He Long , Zhao Fengyu
Published: August 2023

Displacement of residual oil droplet in high water-cut oilfields can be optimized through the understanding of droplet deformation dynamics. The current studies demonstrated that the changing of capillary number or the radius ratio of droplet and tube can control the droplet deformation, but neglects the intricate interaction between the wall and droplet. Due to the complex physicochemical properties of the reservoir wall and crude oil, the interaction forces between them are very rich and unoverlooked. The current contact angle and atomic force microscope measurement are insufficient in accurately describing the oil–wall interaction forces system, resulting in discrepancies of droplet deformation dynamics with the actual reservoir conditions. We used the extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (EDLVO) theory to establish a system of oil–wall interaction forces. The deformation dynamics of high-viscosity droplets (plug and slug droplets) and low-viscosity droplets (tail-concaved droplets) in a capillary tube were studied under various EDLVO forces values. The results showed that: (1) for high-viscosity droplets, the influence of the EDLVO forces differs significantly between plug and slug droplets, with a greater tendency to suppress the deformation of slug droplets. (2) For low-viscosity droplets, the EDLVO forces cause an increased degree of droplet concavity and hinder the reconnection of the droplet tail. These findings significantly contribute to our understanding of droplet deformation dynamics within reservoir pores and hold great importance for optimizing droplet control strategies in enhance oil recovery processes.
Detailed formation mechanism of sharp plasmonic lattice modes on Au hemi-ellipsoid arrays in inhomogeneous environment
Authors: Yang Hua , Lou Chaogang , Huang Xiaodan , Yu Xiaojian , Yang Zhihao
Published: August 2023

Plasmonic lattice modes (PLM) on the periodic arrays of Au hemi-ellipsoids on quartz substrates (inhomogeneous environment) is demonstrated experimentally. It is found that formation of PLM results from the coupling between the resonance of Au hemi-ellipsoids and the diffracted waves inside the substrates. The quality factor of PLM can be attributed to three factors: the weakening of zero-order diffracted waves, the strengthening of hemi-ellipsoid’s resonance and the match between the period of the arrays and nanoparticles’ resonance wavelength. The simulated results show that the structural parameters, such as the radius of Au hemi-ellipsoid and the environmental refractive index, have effects on the quality factor of PLM. In addition, experimental results also indicate that the backward incidence results in a sharper transmission valley than the forward incidence.
Vibration amplitude normalization enhanced fault diagnosis under conditions of variable speed and extremely limited samples
Authors: Zhang Yan , Qin Xiaoyan , Han Yan , Huang Qingqing
Published: August 2023

Intelligent fault diagnosis of rotating equipment is increasingly reliant on algorithms that are driven by big data. By contrast, signal processing was once widely utilized for fault diagnosis in machinery as a classical tool for signal analysis due to its capability to investigate the fault-related mechanism and almost no demand on the number of data samples. This investigation was motivated by the notion that signal processing and data-driven algorithms are combined to exploit their respective characteristics and strengths. Furthermore, in engineering practice, numerous complex factors such as time-variable operating conditions of equipment, non-stationary properties of signals, and extremely limited samples available for model training, can make it difficult to learn discriminative features from input data, thereby diminishing the diagnostic accuracy. In this paper, a novel framework of vibration amplitude normalization (VAN) enhanced fault diagnosis is proposed. Firstly, after dissects deeply the effects of the time-varying speed conditions on vibration signal and its characteristics, VAN technique is proposed for non-stationary signal processing to obtain the approximate stationary signal, so as to facilitate the subsequent state characteristics mining from the vibration signal. Then, two VAN enhanced fault diagnosis methods—i.e. signal amplitude normalization integrated with shallow learning by cascade and VAN integrated with deep learning by embedding—are developed to capture discriminative features from approximate stationary signal for fault diagnosis under conditions of variable speed and extremely limited samples. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed methods are verified using actual vibration datasets measured on test rig and in-site wind turbines. The number of samples required to achieve the same diagnostic accuracy is reduced by an average of 60%, demonstrating the superiority.
Transfer multiscale adaptive convolutional neural network for few-shot and cross-domain bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Li Fan , Wang Liping , Wang Decheng , Wu Jun , Zhao Hongjun
Published: August 2023

Bearing intelligent fault diagnosis has been researched comprehensively in recent years. However, the scarcity of labeled training samples and various working conditions seriously hinder the widespread application of deep learning based fault diagnosis methods. To address this problem, we propose a transfer multiscale adaptive convolutional neural network (TMACNN), which significantly enhances the performance of deep learning based methods on few-shot and cross-domain bearing fault diagnosis in terms of network architecture and transfer strategy. On the one hand, we design a novel multiscale adaptive convolutional neural network (MACNN) framework that effectively improves the feature extraction and generalization abilities for bearing fault diagnosis by introducing mega-scale convolutions and continuous stacked multiscale convolutions. On the other hand, we propose an innovative transfer strategy for the MACNN that freezes the six stacked multiscale convolutional feature extraction units and fine-tunes the mega-scale convolution unit and the classifier, which are more suitable for few-shot transfer learning. In experiments on the CWRU dataset and Paderborn dataset, our proposed TMACNN outperforms various advanced baseline models for few-shot and cross-domain bearing fault diagnosis.
Prescriptive maintenance for complex products with digital twin considering production planning and resource constraints
Authors: Mao Haoyang , Liu Zhenyu , Qiu Chan , Huang Yu , Tan Jianrong
Published: August 2023

Maintenance is a critical aspect of complex products through entire life cycle, often requiring coordination of production planning and available resources, while previous studies appear to have rarely addressed. With this in mind, this paper presents a prescriptive maintenance framework based on digital twins (DTs) for reducing operational risk and maintenance costs of complex equipment clusters. Virtual entities are firstly constructed for each single asset in multiple dimensions, which use real-time or historical sensing data collected from the physical entities to predict the corresponding remaining useful life (RUL). Then such RUL information is incorporated into a stochastic programming model with chance constraints to enable dynamic decision making. In particular, a risk-based optimization model is formulated to take full account of the physical distances between facilities and production gaps. Further, a dual-sense pyramidal transformer model is proposed to sense important details of data in both time and space while capturing temporal dependencies at different scales. Compared to existing data-driven approaches, the proposed DT-based alternative achieves dynamic real-time interaction between physical and virtual units driven by both models and data, while virtual verification based on high-fidelity models ensures high reliability of maintenance decisions, which has also been validated in an aero-engine maintenance case study.
A new strategy to prepare high-performance copper azide film for micro-initiator
Authors: Wang Shuang , Yang Li , Ren Xiaoting , Tong Wenchao , Li Wei , Li Haojie , Huo Junda
Published: August 2023

Copper azide (CA) has gradually become the chosen priming agent for microexplosive devices as a lead-free green priming agent. However, charge loading is challenging due to its high electrostatic sensitivity, severely limiting its practical application. In this study, copper hydroxide particles were evenly coated on the surface of carbon fiber using electrospinning and quick hot-pressing, and CA-based composites with uniform load were created using the in situ azide technique while keeping good film characteristics. The produced CA-HP film has an electroostatic sensitivity of 3.8 mJ, which is much higher than the raw material of 0.05 mJ. The flame sensitivity has also been increased from 45 to 51 cm, and the use safety has been considerably enhanced. Furthermore, hot-pressed CA-HP films can improve the film’s qualities, such as easy cutting and processing into the required shape, compatibility with MEMS processes, and the ability to successfully detonate secondary explosives with only 1 mg. This novel coupling technology expands the possibilities for developing high-safety primers for micro-initiator.
Compact and ordered swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles in cluttered environments
Authors: Xiong Hui , Ding Yaozu , Liu Jinzhen
Published: August 2023

The globally coordinated motion produced by the classical swarm model is typically generated by simple local interactions at the individual level. Despite the success of these models in interpretation, they cannot guarantee compact and ordered collective motion when applied to the cooperation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms in cluttered environments. Inspired by the behavioral characteristics of biological swarms, a distributed self-organized Reynolds (SOR) swarm model of UAVs is proposed. In this model, a social term is designed to keep the swarm in a collision-free, compact, and ordered collective motion, an obstacle avoidance term is introduced to make the UAV avoid obstacles with a smooth trajectory, and a migration term is added to make the UAV fly in a desired direction. All the behavioral rules for agent interactions are designed with as simple a potential function as possible. And the genetic algorithm is used to optimize the parameters of the model. To evaluate the collective performance, we introduce different metrics such as (a) order, (b) safety, (c) inter-agent distance error, (d) speed range. Through the comparative simulation with the current advanced bio-inspired compact and Vasarhelyi swarm models, the proposed approach can guide the UAV swarm to pass through the dense obstacle environment in a safe and ordered manner as a compact group, and has adaptability to different obstacle densities.
Assessing decadal variability of subseasonal forecasts of opportunity using explainable AI
Authors: Arcodia Marybeth C , Barnes Elizabeth A , Mayer Kirsten J , Lee Jiwoo , Ordonez Ana , Ahn Min-Seop
Published: August 2023

Identifying predictable states of the climate system allows for enhanced prediction skill on the generally low-skill subseasonal timescale via forecasts with higher confidence and accuracy, known as forecasts of opportunity. This study takes a neural network approach to explore decadal variability of subseasonal predictability, particularly during forecasts of opportunity. Specifically, this work quantifies subseasonal prediction skill provided by the tropics within the Community Earth System Model Version 2 (CESM2) Large Ensemble and assesses how this skill evolves on decadal timescales. Utilizing the networks’ confidence and explainable artificial intelligence, physically meaningful sources of predictability associated with periods of enhanced skill are identified. Using these networks, we find that tropically-driven subseasonal predictability varies on decadal timescales during forecasts of opportunity. Further, we investigate the drivers of the low frequency modulation of the tropical-extratropical teleconnection and discuss the implications. Analysis is extended to ECMWF Reanalysis v5 data, revealing that the relationships learned within the CESM2-Large Ensemble holds in modern reanalysis data. These results indicate that the neural networks are capable of identifying predictable decadal states of the climate system within CESM2 that are useful for making confident, accurate subseasonal precipitation predictions in the real world.
Morphologically hypervariable species hinder our knowledge of biodiversity: Daustinia montana (Convolvulaceae) as a case study
Authors: Alencar Juliana , Rodrigues Maciel Jefferson , Teresa Buril Maria
Published: August 2023

Cryptic species continue to intrigue taxonomists over time and hamper biodiversity knowledge. An example of what would be considered a cryptic species is Daustinia montana (Convolvulaceae). Its wide leaf morphology plasticity has led to multiple interpretations and contrasting classifications: from a monotypic to a six-taxa hypothesis. For this work, we tested six taxonomic hypotheses, including an explicit test of a monotypic approach, under a robust statistical analysis, using univariate and multivariate methods. Besides that, we performed a niche analysis to verify the niche occupation of the populations recognized here as possible species. Forty-eight micro and macromorphological characters (qualitative and quantitative) from individuals of 16 populations of D. montana were evaluated. The taxonomic hypothesis that recognizes eight distinct species has the highest support as they also have non-overlapping niches. We conclude that the number of species in Daustinia may be greater than its current circumscription. We also highlight the importance of an integrative systematic approach in the study of biodiversity. This research represents a first step in the specific delimitations of the genus and can also serve as a model to study taxa with wide morphological variability.
Withdrawal and Re-treatment with Filgotinib in Ulcerative Colitis: Post Hoc Analyses of the Phase 2b/3 SELECTION and SELECTIONLTE Studies
Authors: Vermeire Séverine , Feagan Brian G , Peyrin-Biroulet Laurent , Oortwijn Alessandra , Faes Margaux , de Haas Angela , Rogler Gerhard
Published: August 2023

Background and Aims

Maintenance treatment for ulcerative colitis may be discontinued for multiple reasons. This post hoc analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of re-treatment with filgotinib, an oral, once-daily, Janus kinase 1 preferential inhibitor, in the phase 2b/3 SELECTION trial and its long-term extension [LTE] study in ulcerative colitis.

Methods

Partial Mayo Clinic Score [pMCS] response and remission were evaluated in patients who received induction with filgotinib 200 mg [FIL200] or 100 mg [FIL100], were randomized to treatment withdrawal [placebo] during maintenance, and following disease worsening, were re-treated with open-label FIL200 in the LTE study. Factors were evaluated for association with pMCS remission at LTE week 12, and safety outcomes were reported.

Results

Analyses included 86 patients [FIL200: n = 51; FIL100: n = 35]. Median time to disease worsening following treatment withdrawal was 15.1 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.1–18.7) for FIL200-induced patients and 9.6 weeks [95% CI: 6.3–12.0] for FIL100-induced patients. Three-quarters [75%] of patients achieved a pMCS response within 4–5 weeks of re-treatment in both groups. At LTE week 48, pMCS remission was achieved by 45.1% and 51.4% of FIL200- and FIL100-induced patients, respectively. Factors independently associated with restoring efficacy included no concomitant use of corticosteroids at induction baseline, and high albumin levels, pMCS remission, and endoscopic score at maintenance baseline. No new safety signals were reported among re-treated patients.

Conclusions

In induction responders, re-treatment with FIL200 following temporary withdrawal from therapy restores response and/or remission in the majority of patients within 12 weeks. Re-treatment is well-tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02914522, NCT02914535
Endocrine morbidity in neurofibromatosis 1: a nationwide, register-based cohort study
Authors: Kenborg Line , Ebbehoj Andreas , Ejerskov Cecilie , Handrup Mette Møller , Østergaard John R , Hove Hanne , Doser Karoline , Krøyer Anja , Mulvihill John J , Winther Jeanette F , Stochholm Kirstine
Published: August 2023

Objective

Previous studies have found that neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is associated with an increased risk for endocrine disorders, but no comprehensive overview of the risk for specific endocrine disorders has been published. We assessed endocrine morbidity in individuals with NF1 from information on hospital admissions, surgery for endocrine disorders, and relevant medication.

Design

A nationwide population registry-based cohort study.

Methods

We identified 2467 individuals with NF1 diagnosed between 1977 and 2013 from the Danish National Patient Register and the RAREDIS database and 20 132 randomly sampled age- and sex-matched population comparisons. Information on endocrine diseases was identified using registrations of discharge diagnoses, surgery, and medication prescriptions. The rates of endocrine disorders in individuals with NF1 were compared with those in the comparison cohort in Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Individuals with NF1 had a higher rate than the comparison group of any endocrine discharge diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.58-1.87), endocrine-related surgery (2.03, 1.39-2.96), and prescribed medications (1.32, 1.23-1.42). Increased HRs were observed for diseases and surgical operations of several glands, including pheochromocytoma, and for osteoporosis, and osteoporotic fractures. Decreased rates were observed with drugs for type 2 diabetes. Women with NF1 had higher HRs for surgery of the ovaries, uterus, and sterilization, but lower rates of surgeries of cervix and prescriptions for birth control pills.

Conclusions

Neurofibromatosis 1 is associated with a variety of endocrine disorders, surgery, and medication related to endocrine disease. Awareness of endocrine morbidity is important in the clinical follow-up of individuals with NF1.
Emergency out-of-hours catheter ablation for ventricular arrhythmia storm: a UK and Australian experience
Authors: Bennett Richard G , Turnbull Samual , Sood Ashish , Aung Myat , Duncan Edward , Barman Palash , Thomas Glyn , Nisbet Ashley M , Kumar Saurabh
Published: August 2023

Aims

There are limited data on emergency catheter ablation (CA) for ventricular arrhythmia (VA) storm. We describe the feasibility and safety of performing emergency CA in an out-of-hours setting for VA storm refractory to medical therapy at 2 tertiary hospitals.

Methods and results

Twenty-five consecutive patients underwent out-of-hours (5pm–8am [weekday] or Friday 5pm–Monday 8am [weekend]) CA for VA storm refractory to anti-arrhythmic drugs and sedation. Baseline and procedural characteristics along with outcomes were compared to 91 consecutive patients undergoing weekday daytime-hours (8am-5pm) CA for VA storm. More patients undergoing out-of-hours CA had a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% (68% vs. 42%, P = 0.022), chronic kidney disease (60% vs. 20%, P < 0.001), and presented following a resuscitated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (56% vs. 5%, P < 0.001), compared to the daytime-hours group. During median follow-up (377 [interquartile range 138-826] days), both groups experienced similar survival free from recurrent VA and VA storm. Survival free from cardiac transplant and/or mortality was lower in the out-of-hours group (44% vs. 81%, P = 0.007), but out-of-hours CA was not independently associated with increased cardiac transplant and/or mortality (hazard ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval 0.61-2.96, P = 0.47). Of the 11 patients in the out-of-hours group who survived follow-up, VA-free survival was 91% and VA storm-free survival was 100% at 1-year after CA.

Conclusion

Out-of-hours CA may occasionally be required to control VA storm and can be safe and efficacious in this scenario. During follow-up, cardiac transplant and/or mortality is common but undergoing out-of-hours CA was not predictive of this composite endpoint.
The relationship of fatty acids to ischaemic heart disease and lifespan in men and women using Mendelian randomization
Authors: Schooling C Mary , Kwok Man Ki , Zhao Jie V
Published: August 2023

Background

Observationally, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have health benefits compared with saturated fatty acids (SFAs); randomized controlled trials suggest fewer benefits. We used uni- and multi-variable Mendelian randomization to assess the association of major fatty acids and their sub-species with ischaemic heart disease (IHD) overall and sex-specifically and with lifespan sex-specifically, given differing lifespan by sex.

Methods

We obtained strong (P <5x10-8), independent (r2<0.001) genetic predictors of fatty acids from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in a random subset of 114 999 UK Biobank participants. We applied these genetic predictors to the Cardiogram IHD GWAS (cases = 60 801, controls = 123 504) and to the Finngen consortium GWAS (cases = 31 640, controls = 187 152) for replication and to the UK Biobank for sex-specific IHD and for lifespan based on parental attained age (fathers = 415 311, mothers = 412 937). We used sensitivity analysis and assessed sex differences where applicable.

Results

PUFAs were associated with IHD [odds ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05 to 1.44] and lifespan in men (-0.76 years, 95% CI -1.34 to -0.17) but not women (0.20, 95% CI -0.32 to 0.70). Findings were similar for omega-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid. Independent associations of SFAs, mono-unsaturated fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids with IHD overall or lifespan in men and women were limited.

Conclusions

PUFAs, via specific subspecies, may contribute to disparities in lifespan by sex. Sex-specific dietary advice might be a start towards personalized public health and addressing inequities.
COVID-19 Vaccination Among Patients Receiving Maintenance Renal Replacement Therapy: Immune Response, Real-World Effectiveness, and Implications for the Future
Authors: Rouphael Nadine , Bausch-Jurken Mary
Published: August 2023

Chronic kidney disease affects more than 800 million people worldwide and often progresses to end-stage renal disease, which requires maintenance dialysis. Patients receiving dialysis are at higher risk for severe respiratory infections, including SARS-CoV-2 (the causative agent of COVID-19). In addition, many patients who receive dialysis also receive immunosuppressive treatments for conditions such as systemic vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, or malignancies. Many studies have shown that while mRNA COVID-19 vaccines induce some level of immune response in patients receiving dialysis, the magnitude of response is often lower than that of healthy individuals, and responses rapidly wane. Importantly, the risk of COVID-19–related hospitalization and mortality for patients receiving dialysis is 4- to 8-fold higher compared with the general population. In this article, we summarize recent immunogenicity and real-world outcomes of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination among patients receiving dialysis, with a focus on the 3-dose extended primary series and additional (fourth) doses.