bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of cryogenic temperatures on high-power semiconductor performance
Authors: Kwon J. , Tomsic M. , Collings E.W. , Sumption M.D.
Published: July 2024

Power electronics is necessary for the independent control of the stator windings of electric aircraft motors. The benefit of using liquid fuel to cool conductors to utilize their high current density has enabled power electronics to be cooled by proxy. While small scale semiconductors have been found to be degraded during operation at cryogenic temperatures, results for systems rated for high power cryogenic applications have not been explored as much. In this work we test the performance of IGBT power electronics from room temperature to 77 K, with a focus on temperatures expected for electric aircraft motors using liquid natural gas (LNG, BP about 120 K) as the cooling medium. In this work, the measure of performance was taken to be the ability to be turned on and off (switched) by an input signal provided by a function generator. We also tested the cold-start ability i.e., the lowest temperature in which the power inverter will start. The lowest cold-start temperature was measured as 140 K. Experimentally, we also observed that both conduction losses and switching loss from a low-power constant current with an operational frequency of 10 kHz were sufficient to allow the inverter to work down to 105 K (below the LNG boiling point).
Graphene oxide based plasmonic nano-cavity sensor for high-performance refractive index sensing
Authors: Roy Bapita , Majumder Saikat , Chakraborty Rajib
Published: July 2024

In this work, a nano-cavity based metal-insulator-metal structure is proposed which can be used as a high-performance refractive index sensor. The analysis of its sensing capabilities is done by determining the transmission characteristics of light through the insulating air channel between the metal layer. The loss in transmission in this channel is indicative of light leaking out of it and portion of it getting coupled to nano-cavities considered in the metal layers on both sides of the air channel. The analyte, whose refractive index is to be sensed, is kept in these nano-cavities. The basic structure is modified by introducing graphene oxide (GO) on the inner wall of the nano-cavity, which further improves the confinement of light in the nano-cavities. It is also shown that increasing the number of nano-cavity duos enhances the transmission loss through the waveguide and as a result the light energy confinement in the cavity increases. Calculated values of sensitivities and Figure of Merit of the proposed sensor structure are much higher than similar works done previously. The uniqueness of the work is two-fold; namely use of graphene oxide as an inner layer of the nano-cavity improves the sensitivity of the sensor and secondly calculating the waveguide transmission to indirectly determine the confinement of light energy in nano-cavity simplifies the analysis of the performance of the proposed sensor. The structure is simple and can be easily fabricated using a standard fabrication process.
Duplex surface engineering of cold spray Ti coatings and physical vapor-deposited TiN and AlTiN thin films
Authors: Alidokht Sima A , Liang Tongyue , Bessette Stéphanie , Brodusch Nicolas , Gauvin Raynald , Chromik Richard R
Published: July 2024

The feasibility of a duplex coating based on cold spray technology and magnetron sputtering was evaluated for repair applications requiring a ‘thin-on-thick’ layered structure. Commercially pure angular-shaped Ti grade 4 particles are fed to a cold spray gun and accelerated toward a Ti alloy substrate to deposit thick coatings (∼4.5 mm). TiN and AlTiN thin films are deposited on polished cold spray coatings using a four-source closed-field unbalanced magnetron sputtering (CFUBMS) system. Microstructure was characterized using focused ion beam (FIB) lift-out, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI). The nanoindentation technique was used to evaluate the mechanical properties of coatings. The H/E ratios and H3/E2 ratios for TiN films were found to be 0.098 and 0.26 GPa, respectively, while those for AlTiN films were measured at 0.066 and 0.052 GPa, respectively, suggesting higher capacity of TiN films to withstand both elastic and plastic deformation. Using scratch testing, the adhesion of TiN and AlTiN thin films to cold spray Ti was investigated, with TiN-Ti duplex coatings exhibiting better performance compared to AlTiN-Ti coatings. Tribological testing was performed on duplex coatings using a reciprocating tribometer equipped with an alumina ball counterface. The wear rate for AlTiN-Ti coatings after 2000 sliding cycles was found to be (1.0 × 10−3 ± 0.1 × 10−3 mm3/Nm), three orders of magnitudes higher than that for TiN-Ti (8 × 10−6 ± 2 × 10−6 mm3/Nm. SEM was used to reveal worn surface morphologies and cross-sectional analysis of the wear track. Subsurface microstructural changes due to wear were examined using focused ion beam cross-sectioning, revealing bending cracks and tribofilm formation.
Evaluating spectral performance for quantitative contrast-enhanced breast CT with a GaAs based photon counting detector: a simulation approach
Authors: Ghammraoui Bahaa , Ghani Muhammad Usman , Glick Stephen J
Published: July 2024

Quantitative contrast-enhanced breast computed tomography (CT) has the potential to improve the diagnosis and management of breast cancer. Traditional CT methods using energy-integrated detectors and dual-exposure images with different incident spectra for material discrimination can increase patient radiation dose and be susceptible to motion artifacts and spectral resolution loss. Photon Counting Detectors (PCDs) offer a promising alternative approach, enabling acquisition of multiple energy levels in a single exposure and potentially better energy resolution. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is particularly promising for breast PCD-CT due to its high quantum efficiency and reduction of fluorescence x-rays escaping the pixel within the breast imaging energy range. In this study, the spectral performance of a GaAs PCD for quantitative iodine contrast-enhanced breast CT was evaluated. A GaAs detector with a pixel size of 100 μm, a thickness of 500 μm was simulated. Simulations were performed using cylindrical phantoms of varying diameters (10 cm, 12 cm, and 16 cm) with different concentrations and locations of iodine inserts, using incident spectra of 50, 55, and 60 kVp with 2 mm of added aluminum filtration and and a mean glandular dose of 10 mGy. We accounted for the effects of beam hardening and energy detector response using TIGRE CT open-source software and the publicly available Photon Counting Toolkit (PcTK). Material-specific images of the breast phantom were produced using both projection and image-based material decomposition methods, and iodine component images were used to estimate iodine intake. Accuracy and precision of the proposed methods for estimating iodine concentration in breast CT images were assessed for different material decomposition methods, incident spectra, and breast phantom thicknesses. The results showed that both the beam hardening effect and imperfection in the detector response had a significant impact on performance in terms of Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), precision, and accuracy of estimating iodine intake in the breast. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of both material decomposition methods in making accurate and precise iodine concentration predictions using a GaAs-based photon counting breast CT system, with better performance when applying the projection-based material decomposition approach. The study highlights the potential of GaAs-based photon counting breast CT systems as viable alternatives to traditional imaging methods in terms of material decomposition and iodine concentration estimation, and proposes phantoms and figures of merit to assess their performance.
Comprehensive review and future perspectives: 3D printing technology for all types of solid oxide cells
Authors: Kim Chanho , Jang Inyoung
Published: July 2024

As the urgency to address global warming increases, the demand for clean energy generation systems that can mitigate greenhouse gases is intensifying. Solid oxide cells (SOCs) have emerged as a key technology for clean energy conversion, offering the benefits of power generation without submission of any pollutants including greenhouse gases. As the consumption of energy rises, the electrochemical performance of SOCs must be enhanced to meet the future energy demand. With the advent of 3D printing technology, the fabrication of SOCs has undergone a transformative shift, enabling precise structural control beyond the capabilities of traditional ceramic processes. This technology facilitates the creation of complex geometries, optimising functionality through structural innovation and maximising the electrochemical performance by enhancing reaction sites. Our review covers the brief outlook and the profound impact of 3D printing technology on SOC fabrication, highlighting its role in surpassing the structural constraints of conventional SOCs and paving the way for advanced applications like metal supported SOCs and integrated stack modules. Through the review, it is evident that continued, in-depth research into 3D printing for SOCs is crucial for maximising their role as a sustainable energy resource in the future.
Tuned two-mass dampers for vibration control of offshore platforms
Authors: Cao Huong Quoc , Tran Ngoc-An , Nguyen Xuan-Thuan
Published: July 2024

A Tuned Two-Mass Damper (TTMD) for minimizing vibrations of an offshore platform is developed in this study. TTMD is a passive vibration absorber, and it consists of two parallel undamped tuned mass dampers connected by a dashpot. The influences of its parameters on the vibration absorption capacity are studied through numerical examples. Next, the optimum parameters of TTMD are found, and the performance and robustness of TTMD are determined. The results from this study show that, for absorbing the structural vibration, an optimum TTMD is more effective than a conventional TMD with the same weight as TTMD. In other words, using TTMD significantly reduces the added weight to the main structure compared with using TMD based on the same condition and obtained effectiveness. Moreover, while maintaining the same performance and weight, an optimum TTMD is much more robust than an optimum TMD for resisting the change in structural stiffness.
An active learning enhanced data programming (ActDP) framework for ECG time series
Authors: Gupta Priyanka , Gupta Manik , Kumar Vijay
Published: July 2024

Supervised machine learning learns a mapping from input data to output labels, based on the patterns and relationships present in a huge labelled training data.Getting labelled data generally requires a substantial allocation of resources in terms of cost and time. In such scenarios, weak supervised learning techniques like data programming (DP) and active learning (AL) can be advantageous for time-series classification tasks. These paradigms can be used to assign data labels in an automated manner, and time-series classification can subsequently be carried out on the labeled data. This work proposes a novel framework titled AL enhanced data programming (ActDP). It uses a combination of DP and AL for electrocardiogram (ECG) beat classification using single-lead data. ECG beat classification is pivotal in cardiology and healthcare applications for diagnosing a broad spectrum of heart conditions and arrhythmias. To establish the usefulness of this proposed ActDP framework, the experiments have been conducted using the MIT-BIH dataset with 94,224 ECG beats. DP assigns a probabilistic label to each ECG beat using nine novel polar labelling functions and a generative model in this work. Further, AL improves the result of DP by replacing the labels for sampled ECG beats of a generative model with ground truth. Subsequently, a discriminative model is trained on these labels for each iteration. The experimental results show that by incorporating AL into DP in the ActDP framework, the accuracy of ECG classification strictly increases from 85.7% to 97.34% in 58 iterations. Comparatively, the proposed framework (ActDP) has demonstrated a higher classification accuracy of 97.34%. In contrast, DP with data augmentation (DA) achieves an accuracy of 92.2%, while DP without DA results in an accuracy of 85.7%, few-shot learning techniques yield 87.5%–89.2%, and multi-instance learning methods achieve accuracies in the range of 88.9%–94.1%
Guided quantum compression for high dimensional data classification
Authors: Belis Vasilis , Odagiu Patrick , Grossi Michele , Reiter Florentin , Dissertori Günther , Vallecorsa Sofia
Published: July 2024

Quantum machine learning provides a fundamentally different approach to analyzing data. However, many interesting datasets are too complex for currently available quantum computers. Present quantum machine learning applications usually diminish this complexity by reducing the dimensionality of the data, e.g. via auto-encoders, before passing it through the quantum models. Here, we design a classical-quantum paradigm that unifies the dimensionality reduction task with a quantum classification model into a single architecture: the guided quantum compression model. We exemplify how this architecture outperforms conventional quantum machine learning approaches on a challenging binary classification problem: identifying the Higgs boson in proton-proton collisions at the LHC. Furthermore, the guided quantum compression model shows better performance compared to the deep learning benchmark when using solely the kinematic variables in our dataset.
An extended de Bruijn graph for feature engineering over biological sequential data
Authors: Cakiroglu Mert Onur , Kurban Hasan , Sharma Parichit , Kulekci M Oguzhan , Buxton Elham Khorasani , Raeeszadeh-Sarmazdeh Maryam , Dalkilic Mehmet M
Published: July 2024

In this study, we introduce a novel de Bruijn graph (dBG) based framework for feature engineering in biological sequential data such as proteins. This framework simplifies feature extraction by dynamically generating high-quality, interpretable features for traditional AI (TAI) algorithms. Our framework accounts for amino acid substitutions by efficiently adjusting the edge weights in the dBG using a secondary trie structure. We extract motifs from the dBG by traversing the heavy edges, and then incorporate alignment algorithms like BLAST and Smith–Waterman to generate features for TAI algorithms. Empirical validation on TIMP (tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase) data demonstrates significant accuracy improvements over a robust baseline, state-of-the-art PLM models, and those from the popular GLAM2 tool. Furthermore, our framework successfully identified Glycine and Arginine-rich motifs with high coverage, highlighting it is potential in general pattern discovery.
Implementation of two-step gradual reset scheme for enhancing state uniformity of 2D hBN-based memristors for image processing
Authors: Woo Dong Yeon , Noh Gichang , Park Eunpyo , Kim Min Jee , Lee Dae Kyu , Sung Yong Woo , Kim Jaewook , Jeong YeonJoo , Park Jongkil , Park Seongsik , Jang Hyun Jae , Choi Nakwon , Jo Yooyeon , Kwak Joon Young
Published: July 2024

In-memory computing facilitates efficient parallel computing based on the programmable memristor crossbar array. Proficient hardware image processing can be implemented by utilizing the analog vector-matrix operation with multiple memory states of the nonvolatile memristor in the crossbar array. Among various materials, 2D materials are great candidates for a switching layer of nonvolatile memristors, demonstrating low-power operation and electrical tunability through their remarkable physical and electrical properties. However, the intrinsic device-to-device (D2D) variation of memristors within the crossbar array can degrade the accuracy and performance of in-memory computing. Here, we demonstrate hardware image processing using the fabricated 2D hexagonal boron nitride-based memristor to investigate the effects of D2D variation on the hardware convolution process. The image quality is evaluated by peak-signal-to-noise ratio, structural similarity index measure, and Pratt’s figure of merit and analyzed according to D2D variations. Then, we propose a novel two-step gradual reset programming scheme to enhance the conductance uniformity of multiple states of devices. This approach can enhance the D2D variation and demonstrate the improved quality of the image processing result. We believe that this result suggests the precise tuning method to realize high-performance in-memory computing.
Improving cycling performance of the NaNiO2 cathode in sodium-ion batteries by titanium substitution
Authors: An Siyu , Karger Leonhard , Dreyer Sören L , Hu Yang , Barbosa Eduardo , Zhang Ruizhuo , Lin Jing , Fichtner Maximilian , Kondrakov Aleksandr , Janek Jürgen , Brezesinski Torsten
Published: July 2024

O3-type layered oxide cathodes, such as NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2, have garnered significant attention due to their high theoretical specific capacity while using abundant and low-cost sodium as intercalation species. Unlike the lithium analog (LiNiO2), NaNiO2 (NNO) exhibits poor electrochemical performance resulting from structural instability and inferior Coulomb efficiency. To enhance its cyclability for practical application, NNO was modified by titanium substitution to yield the O3-type NaNi0.9Ti0.1O2 (NNTO), which was successfully synthesized for the first time via a solid-state reaction. The mechanism behind its superior performance in comparison to that of similar materials is examined in detail using a variety of characterization techniques. NNTO delivers a specific discharge capacity of ∼190 mAh g−1 and exhibits good reversibility, even in the presence of multiple phase transitions during cycling in a potential window of 2.0‒4.2 V vs. Na+/Na. This behavior can be attributed to the substituent, which helps maintain a larger interslab distance in the Na-deficient phases and to mitigate Jahn–Teller activity by reducing the average oxidation state of nickel. However, volume collapse at high potentials and irreversible lattice oxygen loss are still detrimental to the NNTO. Nevertheless, the performance can be further enhanced through coating and doping strategies. This not only positions NNTO as a promising next-generation cathode material, but also serves as inspiration for future research directions in the field of high-energy-density Na-ion batteries.
Implementing the information system for older adult patients post-discharge self-management: a qualitative study
Authors: Wang Dorothy Yingxuan , Wong Eliza Lai-Yi , Cheung Annie Wai-Ling , Tam Zoe Pui-Yee , Tang Kam-Shing , Yeoh Eng-Kiong
Published: July 2024

Background

Discharging older adult patients from the hospital poses risks due to their vulnerable conditions, complex instructions and limited health literacy. Insufficient information about medication side effects adds to patient concerns. To address this, a post-discharge information summary system was developed. While it has shown positive impacts, concerns exist regarding implementation fidelity.

Objective

This study employed a theory-driven approach to understand health providers’ perspectives on effective implementation.

Method

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted via telephone with nurses, doctors and pharmacists from local public hospitals. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was applied for direct content analysis. Belief statements were generated by thematic synthesis under each of the TDF domains.

Results

A total of 98 participants were interviewed. Out of the 49 belief statements covering eight TDF domains, 19 were determined to be highly relevant to the implementation of the post-discharge information summary system. These TDF domains include knowledge, skills, social/professional role and identity, beliefs about consequences, intentions, memory, attention and decision processes, environmental context and resources and social influences.

Conclusion

Our study contributes to the understanding of determinants in implementing discharge interventions for older adult patients’ self-care. Our findings can inform tailored strategies for frontline staff, including aligning programme rationale with stakeholders, promoting staff engagement through co-creation, reinforcing positive programme outcomes and creating default settings. Future research should employ rigorous quantitative designs to examine the actual impact and relationships among these determinants.
Towards an explanation for ‘unexplained’ dizziness in older people
Authors: Castro Patricia , Ibitoye Richard , Ellmers Toby , Kaski Diego , Arshad Qadeer , Bronstein Adolfo M
Published: July 2024

Background

Subjective unsteadiness or dizziness, usually without increase in body sway, is common in older people. The absence of mechanistic understanding of such symptoms renders clinical management difficult. Here, we explore the mechanisms behind such idiopathic dizziness (ID), focusing on postural control abnormalities.

Methods

Thirty patients with ID and 30 age-matched controls stood on a moving platform. Platform oscillations were randomly delivered at different velocities (from 0 to 0.2 m/s). Markers of postural control, including objective sway (trunk sway path, recorded via a sensor attached to vertebrae C7), stepping responses, subjective instability and anxiety ratings were obtained. MRI scans were available for correlations with levels of cerebral small vessel disease in 28 patients and 24 controls.

Results

We observed a significant relationship between objective and subjective instability in all groups. The slope of this fit was significantly steeper for patients than controls, indicating greater perceived instability for the same body sway. Stepwise linear regression showed that the slopes of this objective–subjective instability relationship were best explained by concerns about falling (Falls Efficacy Scale-International), clinical physical functioning (Short Physical Performance Battery) and, to some degree, by neuroimaging markers of cerebral small vessel disease. In addition, patients had a reduced stepping threshold, suggesting an overly cautious postural response.

Conclusion

The distorted perception of instability and subtle impairments in balance control, including abnormal and overly cautious stepping responses, underlies the emergence of ID. It appears to relate to changes in postural performance, psychological functioning and disruption of postural brain networks associated with cerebral small vessel disease.
Assessing the quality of cause-of-death reporting before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Tai Shu-Yu , Kawachi Ichiro , Lu Tsung-Hsueh
Published: July 2024

This study assessed the quality of cause-of-death reporting in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the selection rate and the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) to analyze each cause identified by the National Center for Health Statistics as unsuitable for the underlying cause of death (UCOD). The selection rate was defined as the proportion of deaths with mention of a particular unsuitable UCOD on the death certificate where that cause was ultimately selected as the UCOD. Out of 36 unsuitable UCODs, 33 exhibited a significant decline in selection rates from 2019 to 2021. However, when deaths with mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate were excluded, only 19 causes revealed a significant decline. In analyses that controlled for the age of decedents, aORs in 2021 were significantly lower compared with 2019 for 26 causes, and this number decreased to 17 causes in analyses that excluded COVID-19-related deaths. In conclusion, the overall quality of COD reporting improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, attributable mainly to the fact that over one-tenth of the deaths were related to COVID-19. Yet, for deaths that did not involve COVID-19, improvements in the quality of COD reporting were less prominent for certain causes.
What is the Scope and Contribution of Lived Experience in Social Work? A Scoping Review
Authors: Parsell Cameron , Kuskoff Ella , Constantine Skye
Published: July 2024

Lived experience, or people’s expertise and perspective derived from their involvement with events and interventions, represents an important resource for social work. Despite the appeal, lived experience is an ambiguous concept and the way social work knowledge is informed by lived experience is difficult to grasp. This article reports on a scoping review that maps the social work academic literature to examine how lived experience is used to inform social work. Over a thirty-three year period (between 1990 and 2022), we identified 1,877 studies. Of these, 110 met the inclusion criteria and were analysed for this study. Most studies (52 per cent) were published between 2019 and 2022, and a majority (43 per cent) were published from research conducted in the UK. The studies contribute knowledge to social work practice, education, research, and about the practical management of lived experience. The results show that lived experience contributions benefit both social work and the people contributing. An important implication is the opportunity for social work to lead the changes required to enable lived experience contributions to continuously inform the profession and contribute to social work realising its aspirational version of itself.
Pyrolysis technologies for biochar production in waste management: a review
Authors: V Kavan Kumar , Panwar N L
Published: July 2024

Pyrolysis is a thermal conversion process in the absence of air to derive energy components from the residues. Renewable-energy technologies will play a major role in addressing future challenges related to environmental safety and energy security. One of the many easily available renewable energy sources is biomass—an organic material that is thought to be carbon-neutral. Pyrolysis technology is a thermochemical process that can be used to produce useful products from biomass, such as biochar, bio-oil and combustible pyrolysis gases. The structure and relative product yield are impacted by the pyrolysis method employed. This article evaluates different approaches for biomass pyrolysis. Fast, slow and advanced pyrolysis methods using various pyrolyser reactors have been studied in the literature and are provided to increase the variety and use of these methods in upcoming studies and research. Slow pyrolysis can lead to increased ecological well-being, as it increases the amount of biochar produced using auger and rotary-kiln reactors. Rapid pyrolysis, mainly in fluidized-bed reactors with bubbling and rotating circulation, can be used to obtain bio-oil. Advanced pyrolysis methods offer a good probability of yielding great prosperity for specific applications. The selection of a pyrolysis process is based on the required output in terms of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, and the parameter plays a crucial role in the pyrolysis performance.
Thermal tolerance of giant salmonfly nymphs (Pteronarcys californica) varies across populations in a regulated river
Authors: Verhille Christine E , MacDonald Michael , Noble Ben , Demorest Gavin , Roche Alzada , Frazier Kayleigh , Albertson Lindsey K
Published: July 2024

Warming of aquatic ecosystems is transforming the distribution, phenology and growth of the organisms dependent upon these ecosystems. Aquatic insects such as stoneflies are especially vulnerable to warming because the aquatic nymph stage of their life cycle depends on cool, well-oxygenated, flowing water habitat. We tracked thermal effects on available aerobic capacity of the aquatic nymph stage of an iconic and vulnerable stonefly species, the giant salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica), to compare habitat thermal regime measurements for two salmonfly populations from habitats separated by a gradient in summer weekly maximum temperatures. Contrary to expectations, the thermal optima range of the warmer habitat population was cooler than for the cooler habitat population. We posit that this unexpected interpopulation variation in thermal response is more strongly driven by diel and seasonal thermal variability than by the highest summer temperatures experienced within respective habitats. Additionally, we show that summer daily maximum temperatures could result in periodic limits in available aerobic capacity to support work of the warmer habitat nymphs and may be the mechanism underlying reduced abundance relative to the upstream cooler habitat population. Our findings provide insight into potential thermal and metabolic mechanisms that could regulate the success of ecological and culturally important aquatic insect species experiencing global change. We conclude that thermal regimes and thermal variation, not just mean and maximum temperatures, are critical drivers of aquatic insect responses to water temperatures.
Unanticipated Loss of Inflammasomes in Birds
Authors: Billman Zachary P , Hancks Dustin C , Miao Edward A
Published: July 2024

Inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes that form in response to ligands originating from pathogens as well as alterations of normal cell physiology caused by infection or tissue damage. These structures engage a robust inflammatory immune response that eradicates environmental microbes before they cause disease, and slow the growth of bona fide pathogens. Despite their undeniable utility in immunity, inflammasomes are radically reduced in birds. Perhaps most surprising is that, within all birds, NLRP3 is retained, while its signaling adapter ASC is lost, suggesting that NLRP3 signals via a novel unknown adapter. Crocodilian reptiles and turtles, which share a more recent common ancestor with birds, retain many of the lost inflammasome components, indicating that the deletion of inflammasomes occurred after birds diverged from crocodiles. Some bird lineages have even more extensive inflammasome loss, with songbirds continuing to pare down their inflammasomes until only NLRP3 and CARD8 remain. Remarkably, songbirds have lost caspase-1 but retain the downstream targets of caspase-1: IL-1β, IL-18, and the YVAD-linker encoding gasdermin A. This suggests that inflammasomes can signal through alternative proteases to activate cytokine maturation and pyroptosis in songbirds. These observations may reveal new contexts of activation that may be relevant to mammalian inflammasomes and may suggest new avenues of research to uncover the enigmatic nature of the poorly understood NLRP3 inflammasome.
Genetically modified indigenous Pseudomonas aeruginosa drove bacterial community to change positively toward microbial enhanced oil recovery applications
Authors: Zhao Feng , Wang Baohang , Cui Qingfeng , Wu Yuting
Published: July 2024

Aims

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is cost-effective and eco-friendly for oil exploitation. Genetically modified biosurfactants-producing high-yield strains are promising for ex-situ MEOR. However, can they survive and produce biosurfactants in petroleum reservoirs for in-situ MEOR? What is their effect on the native bacterial community?

Methods and results

A genetically modified indigenous biosurfactants-producing strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa PrhlAB was bioaugmented in simulated reservoir environments. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PrhlAB could stably colonize in simulated reservoirs. Biosurfactants (200 mg l−1) were produced in simulated reservoirs after bio-augmenting strain PrhlAB. The surface tension of fluid was reduced to 32.1 mN m−1. Crude oil was emulsified with an emulsification index of 60.1%. Bio-augmenting strain PrhlAB stimulated the MEOR-related microbial activities. Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria and biosurfactants-producing bacteria were activated, while the hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria were inhibited. Bio-augmenting P. aeruginosa PrhlAB reduced the diversity of bacterial community, and gradually simplified the species composition. Bacteria with oil displacement potential became dominant genera, such as Shewanella, Pseudomonas, and Arcobacter.

Conclusions

Culture-based and sequence-based analyses reveal that genetically modified biosurfactants-producing strain P. aeruginosa PrhlAB are promising for in-situ MEOR as well.
Multiplexed in situ protein imaging using DNA-barcoded antibodies with extended hybridization chain reactions
Authors: Wang Yu , Liu Xiaoyu , Zeng Yitian , Saka Sinem K , Xie Wenxin , Goldaracena Isabel , Kohman Richie E , Yin Peng , Church George M
Published: July 2024

Antibodies have long served as vital tools in biological and clinical laboratories for the specific detection of proteins. Conventional methods employ fluorophore or horseradish peroxidase-conjugated antibodies to detect signals. More recently, DNA-conjugated antibodies have emerged as a promising technology, capitalizing on the programmability and amplification capabilities of DNA to enable highly multiplexed and ultrasensitive protein detection. However, the nonspecific binding of DNA-conjugated antibodies has impeded the widespread adoption of this approach. Here, we present a novel DNA-conjugated antibody staining protocol that addresses these challenges and demonstrates superior performance in suppressing nonspecific signals compared to previously published protocols. We further extend the utility of DNA-conjugated antibodies for signal-amplified in situ protein imaging through the hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and design a novel HCR DNA pair to expand the HCR hairpin pool from the previously published 5 pairs to 13, allowing for flexible hairpin selection and higher multiplexing. Finally, we demonstrate highly multiplexed in situ protein imaging using these techniques in both cultured cells and tissue sections.
SPL04 WORKPLACE IMMUNIZATION, A CALL TO ACTION: VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS, CONTROVERSIES AND MANDATES FOR ADULTS AND SPECIFIC WORKER POPULATIONS
Authors: Behrman Amy
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Vaccination has progressively improved survival and decreased morbidity from infectious diseases for more than two centuries. The greatest historical successes have been in protecting infants and children from early death, needless suffering, and permanent disability. At this time, in many countries, vaccine-preventable illnesses and deaths are now predominantly an adult phenomenon. Workplace vaccination programs are important for workers with specific occupational risks from vaccine-preventable diseases, and can improve adult immunization rates for non-occupational infectious diseases as well. However, costs, controversies and misinformation are challenges to successful workplace immunization programs.

Workplace Immunization for Specific Worker Populations

There is strong evidence and rationale for vaccination to mitigate a range of occupational biohazards in many worker populations. This talk will review recommended vaccines for healthcare personnel, animal workers, and laboratorians, and present strategies for successful workplace immunization in these settings that can be extended to other employee populations at risk. The history, current status, strengths, and challenges of occupational vaccine mandates will be considered using specific examples.

Workplace Immunization Programs for Non-Occupational Diseases

Occupational health programs which emphasize workplace immunization against occupational illnesses develop expertise and infrastructure for vaccine education, handling, storage, and administration. If they are able to create trust and support vaccine confidence among their employees, those resources can be extended to offer other recommended adult vaccines in this convenient and safe setting. Workplace immunization can support national and global adult immunization goals with broad implications for worker and community health.

Conclusion

Workplace immunization programs present a unique opportunity to reduce the risk of occupational infections, workplace disease transmission, and worker illness in general. Costs and operational demands may be substantial, but the potential short and long-term benefits to workers, employers, and communities are great.
SPL12 HEAVY PHYSICAL WORK AND FATIGUE IN HEALTHCARE WORKERS
Authors: Bakic Ana , Dacic Arijeta
Published: July 2024

The fatigue that arises from work manifests itself as a feeling of constant fatigue or weakness. It can be physical, mental, or a combination of both. The occurrence of fatigue is influenced by physical, mental and sensory loads, night work, psychological and physical factors of the working environment, personality characteristics of the worker. In order to speak with certainty about the impact of work on humans, one must determine precisely in each particular case what type of work it is. In this sense, the difference is made whether it is static or dynamic work. If the factors such as physical and psychological load act longer than the worker can tolerate, there is a psychophysiological overstretchand a state between normal physiological and pathological with a tendency to pass into the pathological form, i.e. disease. Acute and chronic fatigue of health care workers is very common. Given that every healthcare professional during his working life meets with numerous hazards and dangers, it is very important that they are recognized in a certain way, evaluated / ranked in order to pay special attention to these hazards and dangers that represent a potential threat to the safety and health of health workers. In this context, a study of health workers currently employed in the Kotor Health Center, Emergency Medical Service and Kotor General Hospital was conducted with the aim of establishing the connection between acute and chronic fatigue among medical workers with sociodemographic work and life characteristics of respondents. As for the methods in the process of collecting data from the respondents, two questionnaires were used, which the respondents themselves completed the OFER15 questionnaire and the general questionnaire. Based on the analysis of the data, it can be concluded that recovery, acute and chronic fatigue are significantly higher among the hospital medical workers, which corresponds to the number of working hours that is higher compared to the other population that was examined.
SPL19 THE CULTURE OF WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENT IN SENEGAL: THE SOCIAL SECURITY FUND STRATEGIES
Authors: Diallo Marie
Published: July 2024

The prevention and compensation of work accidents and occupational diseases are among the main missions of the Social Security Fund of Senegal, like most social security institutions.

The importance of this mission no longer needs to be demonstrated, when we know the serious consequences that these professional risks can cause when they occur: loss of life, mutilations, trauma, work stoppages, job losses, etc. …

Therefore, the Social Security Fund has adopted a global strategy to reduce work accidents and occupational illnesses, by promoting a culture of prevention, a guarantee of improving the quality of life at work and increasing productivity companies.

This strategy is supported internally by the Professional Risk Prevention Department.

The missions consist in particular of monitoring the implementation of company policy regarding the prevention of occupational risks and its prerogatives relate to information, training of employers and workers, monitoring of the application of regulations in force, participation in the application of prevention methods in companies.

This strategy developed by the Social Security Fund is based on the following three (03) principles: – ACT – CAPITALIZE – DEPLOY for better promotion of the safety culture in companies.

To this end, several actions are being carried out towards stakeholders in the world of work. We can present some of them:

- the installation of Sectoral Technical Committees (CTS);

- The organization of the African Prevention Month each year;

- The integration of occupational safety and health into professional and technical training;

- the organization of Competitions on OHS initiatives and good practices for Students and Companies;

- the establishment of the scientific council for the prevention of occupational diseases;

- the popularization of professional risk management tools, for example Vision Zero, etc.

Through the activities deployed, in collaboration with the Labor Administration; social partners and civil society, the Social Security Fund wishes to promote a secure environment at work throughout Senegal.
SS01 OSH RESEARCH IN THE EUROPEAN PEROSH NETWORK AND THE GLOBAL SHEFFIELD NETWORK
Authors: Bohni Nielsen Steffen
Published: July 2024

Occupational safety and health (OSH) issues vary across countries. Correspondingly, the OSH research infrastructure varies across countries, as does research priorities across different topical areas depending on national systems, interests and industrial compositions. Both OSH issues at large and research efforts call for international collaboration. Over the years this has been recognized by the collaboration of OSH research institutions under the auspices of the Sheffield Group and PEROSH. Yet, more can be done.

A first step is to map existing OSH research institutions for understanding their respective governance models, research priorities, research outputs, and dissemination efforts. In this presentation, we share the results of a survey of existing national research institutions regarding: (1) foundations (legal mandate, governance, mission statement), (2) input (economic, human, technological capital), (3) activities (research subject matter areas, adjacent services), (4) outputs (research outputs, dissemination outputs), and (5) results documentation.

Based on the findings participants will learn about national research institutions in terms of who they are, what they do, what they produce, what they disseminate and how they are held accountable. Five PEROSH / Sheffield institutes will present the following topics:

• The Sheffield Group and its role in global OSH research activities

• Approaches on mental health in the Netherlands

• Accident prevention for and by new technologies

• Did managers’ work situation during the COVID-19 pandemic lead to long-lasting relation-oriented leadership?

• The Norwegian surveillance system for work environment and occupational health
SS02 OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE COVERAGE SYSTEM IN MOROCCO AND INTERNATIONAL MARKET PERSPECTIVES
Authors: Baddou Bachir
Published: July 2024

- Role of insurers and their contribution to the coverage of occupational diseases in Morocco

- Strengths and areas for improvement of the Moroccan system

- Definition and characterization of occupational diseases (Benchmark)

- Challenges and opportunities inherent in occupational disease listing systems in Europe

- Models to remedy the problem of the causal link characterizing occupational diseases (Benchmark)

- Legislative framework governing occupational diseases in Morocco

- Role of insurers and their contribution to the coverage of occupational diseases in Morocco

- Strengths and areas for improvement of the Moroccan system

- Definition and characterization of occupational diseases (Benchmark)

- Challenges and opportunities inherent in occupational disease listing systems in Europe

- Models to remedy the problem of the causal link characterizing occupational diseases (Benchmark)
SS02-03 CLIMATE CHANGES AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
Authors: Benchekroun Jalal
Published: July 2024

In Morocco, like in all countries with similar legislation, employees are considered under the responsibility of the employer as soon as they are at work or even during their commute to work. Therefore, the compensation for damages that may affect employees falls under the employer's responsibility. This applies to sudden accidents classified as work accidents (WA) but also to damages that may develop over time, falling under the category of occupational diseases (OD).

To protect against the risks related to their liability towards employees, employers can and should take out insurance coverage. While insurance for WA has been mandatory since 2002, insurance for OD in Morocco is currently optional. When it is purchased, it is often an extension of the WA policy.

Premiums are calculated based on the company's payroll, and the reporting of an OD claim is based on a regulatory list of such diseases to avoid any confusion with common illnesses. Compensation, when due, is paid to the victim, similar to WA. Due to its optional nature, the coverage rate for OD insurance in Morocco remains generally low, varying by sector, with higher rates in exposed sectors. This results in extremely challenging adverse selection that insurance companies find difficult to manage. Indeed, mutualization is nearly impossible, leading to very high premium rates for the most exposed clients, thus contributing to the low subscription rate. Furthermore, the complexity of establishing the cause-and-effect relationship and the behavior of some jurisdictions sometimes make it impossible for insurers to accept the most exposed risks. Finally, public authorities must also ensure that judgments in favor of victims are fair and proven.
SS05-01 PAST AND FUTURE: RE-EMERGING AND EMERGING OCCUPATIONAL BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Authors: Ross Mary , Singh Tanusha
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Although biohazards have been observed for centuries in soldiers, mariners and miners, the occupational health challenge has been generally underestimated. Both infectious and non-infectious exposures have been regarded primarily as public health problems, although the occupational association between silica exposure and tuberculosis became a priority for prevention in the twentieth century, particularly with the emergence of HIV. This century, pandemics of numerous novel and re-emerging infectious agents have affected workers and numerous allergens have been identified and researched.

Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a global crisis, transforming both public and occupational health globally and ushering in a new focus on biohazard exposures and the relationship between public and occupational health in defining occupational disease. Following intense debate, COVID-19 was recognised as an occupational disease in many occupational categories other than health workers. Global initiatives were accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ILO technical guidance on biological hazards highlights infectious and non-infectious biohazards for various workers. Emerging issues on biohazards include the threat posed by climate change, global mobility and resistance of biological agents and vectors to preventive measures and antibiotics.

Conclusions

Essential for control of biohazards in the workplace and resulting occupational disease are global and national political commitment to complement ongoing surveillance and research. A One Health model should be considered in harnessing expertise and resources to address the complexities in preventing and controlling occupational pandemics and exposure to biohazards.