bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Considering sociocultural contexts of racism in psychological research on black forgiveness
Authors: Perez Michael J. , Rivera Grace N. , Crist Jaren D. , Garcia Alejandro A.
Published: May 2024

In this paper, we argue that a cultural context of racism in the United States influences the representation and outcomes of Black forgiveness. Previous research in psychology has focused on the positive social and emotional benefits of forgiveness; however, the consequences of Black forgiveness are not always straightforward. We review prior research and highlight real‐world examples that suggest Black people are often pressured and expected to forgive racism. This pressure to forgive overshadows calls for justice and encourages forgiveness as a more palatable, less antagonistic response to racism. Furthermore, we argue that this expectation suppresses Black emotions by stigmatizing negative emotional reactions to racism in favor of forgiveness. We conclude by proposing future lines of research in social psychology that do not reinforce a pressure for Black forgiveness, that foster a study of forgiveness that incorporates social justice, and that considers new lines of forgiveness research that are culturally sensitive to Black experiences.
Internalizing the model minority myth: Dangers for Asian American mental health and attitudes towards other minorities
Authors: Rajagopal Shreya K. , Durkee Myles I.
Published: May 2024

The model minority myth (MMM) falsely portrays Asian Americans as the “model minority” racial group in the United States due to their perceived educational and professional success. The MMM also paints an overly positive picture of the Asian American experience by ascribing primarily positive racial stereotypes to this group and blatantly disregarding the social adversity they continue to face as a racially marginalized population in the U.S. Research has demonstrated that even positive racial stereotypes can cause psychological harm due to heightened pressure to achieve unrealistic expectations. However, less is known about the psychological process of how Asian Americans internalize the stereotypes associated with the MMM. This article seeks to fill this gap by providing a review of the existing research regarding the internalization of the MMM among Asian Americans. Further, this article contributes to the literature by specifying how MMM internalization (a) impacts the way that Asian Americans view themselves, (b) influences mental health outcomes among Asian Americans, and (c) impacts the attitudes that Asian Americans form about other racial minority groups in the U.S. This article highlights several key gaps in the existing literature that should be addressed in future research and provides strategic policy recommendations for practitioners who seek to reduce psychological consequences resulting from internalizing stereotypes that portray Asian Americans as a “model minority”.
Characteristics and significance of programmed cell death‐related gene expression signature in skin cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Wu Xiaoxia , Chen Suhong , Ji Qingfa , Chen Han , Chen Xiuxia
Published: May 2024

Background

Programmed cell death (PCD) pathways play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). Understanding their prognostic significance and clinical implications is imperative for the development of personalized treatment strategies.

Methods

A total of 1466 PCD‐related genes were analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)‐SKCM cohort (n = 353). Prognostic cell death index (CDI) was established and validated through survival analysis and predictive modeling. Functional enrichment, protein‐protein interaction (PPI), consensus clustering, and tumor microenvironment assessment and drug sensitivity analysis were performed to elucidate the biological and clinical relevance of CDI.

Results

CDI effectively stratified SKCM patients into high and low‐risk groups, demonstrating significant differences in survival outcomes. It exhibited predictive value for survival at 1, 3, and 5 years. The concordance index (C‐index) was 0.794 in the training set, and 0.792 and 0.821 in the internal and external validation sets, respectively. The corresponding area under curve (AUC) was all above 0.75 in these data sets. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant associations with immune response and inflammatory processes. PPI analysis identified key molecular modules associated with apoptosis and chemokine signaling. Consensus clustering unveiled three discernible subtypes demonstrating notable disparities in survival outcomes based on CDI expression profiles. Assessment of the tumor microenvironment highlighted correlations with immune cell infiltration such as M1 macrophages and T cells. Drug sensitivity analysis indicated tight correlations between CDI levels and response to immunotherapy.

Conclusion

Our comprehensive analysis establishes the prognostic significance of PCD‐related genes in SKCM. CDI emerges as a promising prognostic biomarker, offering insights into tumor biology and potential implications for personalized treatment strategies. Further validation and clinical integration of CDI are warranted to improve SKCM management and patient outcomes.
The impact of surgery resident training on the duration of tibial plateau leveling osteotomy surgery
Authors: Niida Atsushi , Chou Po‐Yen , Filliquist Barbro , Marcellin‐Little Denis J. , Kapatkin Amy S. , Kass Philip H.
Published: May 2024

Objective

To investigate the impact of surgery resident training on surgery duration in tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) and evaluate whether surgery duration differs with each year of residency training.

Study design

Retrospective medical record review.

Animals

A total of 256 client‐owned dogs underwent TPLO.

Methods

Records of dogs that underwent TPLO between August 2019 and August 2022 were reviewed. The effects of the surgeon (faculty/resident) and the procedure (arthrotomy/arthroscopy) on TPLO surgery duration were examined with an analysis of variance, and geometric least squares means (GLSM) were compared. A linear mixed effects model (LMM) was fitted to quantify fixed and random effects.

Results

Four faculty surgeons performed 74 (29%) TPLOs, while 10 residents performed 182 (71%) TPLOs under the direct supervision of a faculty surgeon. All TPLOs were conducted with arthrotomy (109; 43%) or arthroscopy (147; 57%). Overall, residents (GLSM, 153 min) required 54% more surgery duration than faculty surgeons (GLSM, 99 min). Surgery duration among first‐year residents (GLSM, 170 min) was 15% longer than second‐ (GLSM, 148 min) and third‐year (GLSM, 147 min) residents, whereas the duration did not differ statistically between second‐ and third‐year residents. Arthroscopy, meniscal tear treatment, surgery on the right stifle, and increasing patient weight were also associated with longer surgery duration.

Conclusion

The duration of TPLO surgery significantly decreased after the first year of residency, but did not decrease afterward.

Clinical significance

The results will aid with resource allocation, curricula planning, and cost management associated with resident training.
Large‐scale integrative taxonomy of Swedish grass flies (Diptera, Chloropidae) reveals hitherto unknown complexity of a dark taxon
Authors: Riccardi Paula Raile , Hartop Emily
Published: May 2024

The study of biodiversity is fundamental to preserving life on Earth but a challenging endeavour due to the taxonomic neglect associated with hyperdiverse lineages. To overcome this problem, we have implemented for the first time a Large‐scale integrative taxonomic (LIT) approach on the hyperdiverse insect family Chloropidae. This lineage of flies is a great fit for implementing emerging protocols such as LIT due to their ecological relevance, abundance and global distribution, poorly known genetic diversity and challenging taxonomy. In this study, we test cost‐effective barcoding workflows on nonoptimally preserved chloropid flies from Sweden and then apply targeted morphological validation to accelerate the species recognition process. Our dataset yielded DNA barcodes of 63 species that represent almost one‐third of the species diversity from Sweden and 15% of the European diversity. Applying LIT allowed us to uncover two new species and address for the first time three troublesome species complexes through a comprehensive framework. We also provide previously unknown DNA barcodes for 35% of the described species found and address distribution patterns with a focus on grassland environments. We have thus contributed significantly to overcoming the taxonomic neglect of this hyperdiverse lineage by tackling the diversity of chloropids using complementary sources of data, scalable techniques and quickly translating multiple sources of evidence into named species.
Assessing the Association Between Trade and Regional Trade Agreements: A Network Approach
Authors: Rahul M , Srivastava Deepika
Published: May 2024

Over the years, the global economy has become increasingly integrated due to globalisation, resulting in an increase in international trade flows and a complex network of trade links. The establishment of regional trade agreements (RTAs) has created an intricate network of connections and overlapping agreements among multiple members. The study traces the evolution of trade and RTA networks using tools of network analysis for the periods 1995-2021. We find that the importance of countries in the trade network has changed, with developing countries replacing the previously dominant players. China, in particular, has emerged as a key player during this period. We find that connectivity in the trade network is n ot s trongly associated w ith t he RTA network. We a lso identify t hree m ajor c ommunities w ithin t he trade network, with the United States, Germany, and Japan (later China) as the core countries in these communities. Furthermore, we compare the community structures of the trade network and the RTA network using Normalised Mutual Information. Our analysis suggests that the community structure of trade has limited overlap with the community structure of RTAs. Furthermore, correlations based on the quadratic assignment procedure indicate a weak association, if any, between the two networks over the years.
The Nexus of Regional Integration and Household Welfare: A Case Study of the Yangtze Delta Area
Authors: Jin Nuo
Published: May 2024

Public policies of regional integration have been widely implemented recently in multiple countries as a significant approach to improving regional economic cooperation and reducing economic inequalities. In China, improving household welfare and narrowing welfare gaps become another major purpose of regional integration. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to household-level impacts of regional integration on improving welfare. This study provides empirical analysis on impacts of regional integration on household welfare by using the case of the Yangtze Delta area from 2010 to 2020. We find that overall impacts of regional integration on improving household welfare and reducing household welfare inequality are significantly positive, and such impacts reveal spatial heterogeneity. Public transport infrastructural integration and city-level migration are two major mechanisms through which such impacts can be amplified. Results remain feasible after a series of robustness tests. We believe that integration should be further implemented to eliminate poverty and boost social welfare in both developed and developing regions in China, and cross-city and interprovincial trade needs to be promoted as an important means of regional integration.
Improving Wind Power Forecast Accuracy for Optimal Hybrid System Energy Management
Authors: Rim Ben Ammar , Mohsen Ben Ammar , Oualha Abdelmajid
Published: May 2024

Due to its renewable and sustainable features, wind energy is growing around the world. However, the wind speed fluctuation induces the intermittent character of the generated wind power. Thus, wind power estimation, through wind speed forecasting, is very inherent to ensure effective power scheduling. Four wind speed predictors based on deep learning networks and optimization algorithms were developed. The designed topologies are the multilayer perceptron neural network, the long short-term memory network, the convolutional short-term memory network, and the bidirectional short-term neural network coupled with Bayesian optimization. The models' performance was evaluated through evaluation indicators mainly, the root mean squared error, the mean absolute error, and the mean absolute percentage. Based on the simulation results, all of them show considerable prediction results. Moreover, the combination of the long short-term memory network and the optimization algorithm is more robust in wind speed forecasting with a mean absolute error equal to 0.23 m/s. The estimated wind power was investigated for optimal Wind/Photovoltaic/Battery/Diesel energy management. The handling approach lies in the continuity of the load supply through the renewable sources as a priority, the batteries on the second order, and finally the diesel. The proposed management strategy respects the designed criteria with a satisfactory contribution percentage of renewable sources equal to 71%.
Influence of Injection Timing Variation on Combustion-Emission-Performance Aspects of Emulsified Plastic Oil-Run Compression Ignition Engine
Authors: Saha Dipankar , Roy Bidesh , Kundu Patit Paban
Published: May 2024

This study investigates the influence of injection timing (IT) on combustion-emission-performance aspects of the compression ignition (CI) engine, running with emulsified plastic oil (EPO). The IT was advanced to 25 deg before the top dead center (bTDC) as well as retarded to 21 deg bTDC for the EPO-run engine, and the obtained results were compared with EPO and neat diesel-run engine at standard IT (23 deg bTDC). At full load, the peak cylinder pressure increased to 64.7 bar when the IT was advanced to 25 deg bTDC. The corresponding peak heat release rate also increased to 40.29 J/crank angle due to the advancement of IT in comparison with the standard IT. The brake-specific fuel consumption also improved at all loading conditions. However, the advancement of IT increased the nitrogen oxides (NOx) and temperature of exhaust gas slightly. In addition, 25 deg bTDC for EPO also reduced the unburnt hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and smoke emissions with respect to the standard IT. Largely, the advanced IT improved the majority of the engine characteristics for EPO except for the NOx, but that is also lower than diesel-run operation. Thus, 25 deg bTDC (for EPO) exhibits promising potential to be implemented in CI engines.
Modeling of a Photovoltaic/Thermal Hybrid Panel for Residential Hot Water System
Authors: Odeh Saad , Aden Ilyas
Published: May 2024

Despite the extensive body of research on photovoltaic (PV)/thermal systems, a gap remains in evaluating their performance in residential settings. This study aims to bridge this gap by focusing on the energy modeling of a PV/Thermal (PVT) hybrid panel that incorporates heat pipe technology. The evaluation is conducted through MATLAB code to assess the system's capability to fulfill the electricity and heating demands of residential buildings. The model's reliability is affirmed by comparing it with experimental data from a PVT panel tested in Sydney, exploring the transient variations in both water heat gain rates and power generation. The model's precision is evident from the percentage of error in the estimated temperatures of the PV panel based on the test results under various weather conditions, which ranged from −8% to 6%. This method was also utilized to determine the overall energy efficiency of the PVT panel under different climatic conditions. The results reveal that the overall energy efficiency of the proposed PVT panel, on a typical day, is approximately 45%, significantly outperforming traditional PV panels by more than double. Furthermore, the payback period for a typical residential PVT system, providing both hot water and electricity, is found substantially shorter than that of installing separate PV and solar hot water systems, highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of the proposed hybrid system.
Modeling and Optimization of a Phase Change Material-Based Ocean Thermal Energy Harvester for Powering Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles
Authors: Ouro-Koura Habilou , Jung Hyunjun , Borca-Tasciuc Diana-Andra , Copping Andrea E. , Deng Zhiqun (Daniel)
Published: May 2024

As oceans cover over 70% of the planet's surface, they represent a large reservoir of resources that remain vastly untapped. Uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs) are becoming a key technology for ocean exploration. Ocean thermal gradient is a permanent and reliable energy source that can be used to power UUVs using phase change material (PCM)-based thermal engines. When using PCM-based thermal engines to power UUVs, there are different energy conversion stages: thermal, hydraulic, kinetic, and electrical, dependent on a wide variety of parameters. Thus, optimization of the overall energy conversion is still a challenge for powering the increasing energy demanding UUVs for long missions. The goal of this study is to propose a PCM-based ocean thermal energy harvesting system for powering float-type UUVs such as the SOLO-II float. This reduces the cost of battery replacement and expands the float's mission time. For this purpose, we developed a theoretical model consisting of hydraulic and electrical systems, designed to provide the electrical power needed by the UUV. The hydraulic and electrical systems are implemented using matlab/simulink. Parameter values from the literature and an accumulator size of 3.78 L are used. The mass of PCM calculated for the energy harvesting system is 5.73 kg, providing a theoretical volume change of 0.78 L. Varying the value of the electrical load connected to the electrical generator, the developed model can, theoretically, provide 13.66 kJ of electrical energy, which is more than 1.5 times the energy requirement per cycle for the SOLO-II float.
Minimum Air Cooling Requirements for Different Lithium-Ion Battery Operating Statuses
Authors: Wang Yabo , Yin Xiang , Li Xueqiang , Li Hailong , Liu Shengchun , Zhu Xinlin , Ma Xiaolei
Published: May 2024

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) play an important role in increasing the use of renewable energy sources. Owing to the temperature sensitivity of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), battery thermal management systems (BTMSs) are crucial to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of BESSs. Previous works mainly focused on evaluating the performance of BTMS; however, little attention has been paid to the minimum cooling requirements of BESSs, which are important for optimizing the design and operation of BTMSs. To bridge the knowledge gap, this work investigated the performance of air cooling for a battery cabin under different charge/discharge (C) rates by using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, which is coupled with a battery model. Simulation results show that the inlet airflow rate has the strongest influence. For the studied cases, when the battery operates at C-rates lower than 3, the inlet temperature should be controlled below 35 °C, and the gap between the batteries should be greater than 3 mm to meet the minimum heat dissipation requirement. At a C-rate of 0.5C, natural convection is sufficient to meet the cooling need, whereas at 1C or higher C-rates, forced convection has to be used. Increasing the number of batteries, for example, from 6 to 8, has negligible impact on the inlet flow required to assure the heat dissipation.
Effects of different element coatings on the interface characteristics and thermal conductivity of vacuum-sintered diamond/Cu composites
Authors: Zhou Q. W. , Bolzoni L. , Yang F.
Published: May 2024

The interface structure holds paramount significance in enhancing the thermal conductivity (TC) of diamond/Cu composites, positioning them as a promising candidate for thermal management applications. Diamond/Cu composites (55% volume fraction) with three distinct interfacial carbides were fabricated via sintering at 950 °C using Cu and diamond powder coated with Ti, Cr, and W. During the sintering process, interfacial layers of TiC, Cr3C2, and W2C carbides formed at the composite interfaces. The findings reveal that the interfacial bonding strength among these three composites adheres to the following hierarchy: Ti-D/Cu exceeds Cr-D/Cu, which surpasses W-D/Cu. This hierarchy stems from the varying degrees of carbide coating integrity attained at 950 °C. Furthermore, the coating morphology differs on the diamond-{100} and -{111} crystal planes. Notably, among the interfacial carbides, TiC coating exhibits the most compact and contiguous structure postsintering. Consequently, Ti-D/Cu composites boast the highest density, reaching 95.49%, along with a remarkable TC of 317.66 W/mK. A comparative analysis of the fracture morphology of these composites reveals that Ti-D/Cu, characterized by the most robust interfacial bonding, exhibits a intransgranular fracture mechanism. This study offers profound insights and theoretical implications for the interface design of diamond/Cu composites, paving the way for their effective utilization in heat dissipation materials.
Conversion from seismic to underwater sound waves along the Louisville Seamount Chain
Authors: Oliveira Tiago C. A. , Metz Dirk , Lin Ying-Tsong , Saragiotis Christos , Begnaud Michael L.
Published: May 2024

The conversion from seismic to ocean-acoustic waves occurs in different places on the bottom of the ocean, often hundreds to thousands of kilometers away from the epicenter. Here, we investigate this conversion process by studying 15 large-magnitude earthquakes that occurred between 2014 and 2022 along the Kermadec Arc in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. To pinpoint the location where seismic-to-acoustic conversion takes places, we analyze hydroacoustic signals recorded by a hydrophone triplet station of the International Monitoring System in the Juan Fernández archipelago. Results from direction-of-arrival and travel-time calculations indicate that the location of the conversion zone largely matches segments of the Louisville Seamount Chain, its lateral extent ranging from approximately 300 to 1800 km, and its location depending on the geometry between earthquake epicenter and the seamounts.
Viscous effects in sheared unsaturated wet granular materials
Authors: Amarsid Lhassan , Awdi Ahmad , Fall Abdoulaye , Roux Jean-Noël , Chevoir François
Published: May 2024

We report on experiments and discrete element simulations of homogeneous, simple, normal stress-controlled, shear flows of model unsaturated granular materials: assemblies of frictional spherical particles bonded by a small quantity of a wetting liquid. The rheology of such unsaturated granular materials in the dense flow regime was characterized in recent publications of our group, in terms of internal friction coefficient μ∗ and solid fraction Φ, depending on the reduced pressure P∗ comparing capillary forces to controlled normal stress, and on inertial number I. The present study extends this description to the influence of the liquid viscosity on material rheology in the low saturation regime. The quantitative agreement of simulations with experiments is confirmed for the quasistatic limit, and our numerical results, despite some quantitative differences, capture the correct trends in the regime dominated by viscous forces. Rheological properties are then determined, to a large extent, by the same viscous numberIv as used to formulate constitutive laws in saturated, dense suspensions. More precisely, a visco-inertial numberJ, combining Iv with inertial number I as J=Iv+2I2, appears apt to describe the rheological laws, as expressed by the internal friction coefficient and the solid fraction, measured in the laboratory or in the simulations, as well as the numerically investigated internal state of the flowing material. Simulations provide insight into the role of viscous forces: predominantly tensile, they contribute to the increase with shear rate of the macroscopic friction coefficient μ∗ through a direct positive contribution to shear stress, a negative contribution to normal stresses (enhancing the strength of the contact network), and microstructural changes affecting the network of contacts and liquid bridges.
Managing extreme AI risks amid rapid progress
Authors: Bengio Yoshua , Hinton Geoffrey , Yao Andrew , Song Dawn , Abbeel Pieter , Darrell Trevor , Harari Yuval Noah , Zhang Ya-Qin , Xue Lan , Shalev-Shwartz Shai , Hadfield Gillian , Clune Jeff , Maharaj Tegan , Hutter Frank , Baydin Atılım Güneş , McIlraith Sheila , Gao Qiqi , Acharya Ashwin , Krueger David , Dragan Anca , Torr Philip , Russell Stuart , Kahneman Daniel , Brauner Jan , Mindermann Sören
Published: May 2024

Preparation requires technical research and development, as well as adaptive, proactive governance
Population pharmacokinetics of ravidasvir in adults with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and impact of antiretroviral treatment
Authors: Panjasawatwong Navarat , Avihingsanon Anchalee , Menétrey Caroline , Ribeiro Isabela , Salvadori Nicolas , Swanson Alistair , Gillon Jean-Yves , Tan Soek-Siam , Thanprasertsuk Sombat , Thongsawat Satawat , Cressey Tim R. ,   the STORM-C-1 study team
Published: May 2024

Ravidasvir (RDV) is a novel NS5A inhibitor that exhibits potent pan-genotypic inhibition of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. Sofosbuvir (SOF) plus RDV was demonstrated to be efficacious and safe in adults with active HCV infection, including those living with HIV (LWHIV), in the STORM-C-1 trial. We assessed the population pharmacokinetics (PK) of RDV in a sub-study nested within STORM-C-1 conducted in Thailand and Malaysia. SOF (400 mg) plus RDV (200 mg) was administered orally once daily for 12 weeks to adults with chronic HCV infection, but without cirrhosis and for 24 weeks to those with compensated cirrhosis. Intensive and sparse PK samples were collected at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after treatment initiation. Population PK parameters of RDV and the impact of covariates were evaluated using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Five hundred ninety-four participants were included, 235 (40%) had compensated cirrhosis, and 189 (32%) were LWHIV. RDV plasma concentrations were best described by a two-compartment model with first-order elimination. Oral clearance (CL/F) and volume of distribution (Vd/F) parameters were allometrically scaled on fat-free mass. Concomitant antiretroviral treatment (ART) increased RDV CL/F by 30%–60%, with efavirenz-based ART having the largest impact. Females had 16% lower RDV CL/F than males, and higher albumin levels reduced RDV central volume of distribution. While several covariates impact RDV CL/F and Vd/F, the effect on RDV exposures was not clinically relevant based on the efficacy data reported in this diverse Asian adult population. There were no meaningful drug-drug interactions in adults LWHIV on ART.
High-throughput nanopore DNA sequencing of large insert fosmid clones directly from bacterial colonies
Authors: Chuzel Léa , Sinha Amit , Cunningham Caileigh V. , Taron Christopher H.
Published: May 2024

Fosmids and cosmids are vectors frequently used in functional metagenomic studies. With a large insert capacity (around 30 kb) they can encode dozens of cloned genes or in some cases, entire biochemical pathways. Fosmids with cloned inserts can be transferred to heterologous hosts and propagated to enable screening for new enzymes and metabolites. After screening, fosmids from clones with an activity of interest must be
de novo
sequenced, a critical step toward the identification of the gene(s) of interest. In this work, we present a new approach for rapid and high-throughput fosmid sequencing directly from
Escherichia coli
colonies without liquid culturing or fosmid purification. Our sample preparation involves fosmid amplification with phi29 polymerase and then direct nanopore sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies system. We also present a bioinformatics pipeline termed “phiXXer” that facilitates both
de novo
read assembly and vector trimming to generate a linear sequence of the fosmid insert. Finally, we demonstrate the accurate sequencing of 96 fosmids in a single run and validate the method using two fosmid libraries that contain cloned large insert (~30–40 kb) genomic or metagenomic DNA.

IMPORTANCE

Large-insert clone (fosmids or cosmids) sequencing is challenging and arguably the most limiting step of functional metagenomic screening workflows. Our study establishes a new method for high-throughput nanopore sequencing of fosmid clones directly from lysed
Escherichia coli
cells. It also describes a companion bioinformatic pipeline that enables
de novo
assembly of fosmid DNA insert sequences. The devised method widens the potential of functional metagenomic screening by providing a simple, high-throughput approach to fosmid clone sequencing that dramatically speeds the pace of discovery.
Quantum Chemical Study of the Production of 1-Vinyladamantane As a Result of Ionic Alkylation of Adamantane with Ethylene
Authors: Baranov N. I. , Bagrii E. I. , Safir R. E. , Cherednichenko A. G. , Bozhenko K. V. , Maksimov A. L.
Published: May 2024

A multi-stage process is considered for the formation of vinyl adamantane via the ionic alkylation of adamantane with ethylene using aluminum chloride as a catalyst. A feature of the ionic alkylation of adamantane with olefins is the formation of saturated and unsaturated derivatives. Quantum chemical methods means are used to study the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the corresponding elementary acts of chemical reactions. A comparative analysis of the characteristics of the reaction for the production of unsaturated adamantane derivatives via ionic alkylation with ethylene is performed using alkylation with propylene.
Comparison of the Mechanisms of Hydrolysis of Organophosphates with Good and Poor Leaving Group by Phosphotriesterase from Pseudomonas diminuta
Authors: Mulashkina T. I. , Kulakova A. M. , Nemukhin A. V. , Khrenova M. G.
Published: May 2024

Combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approaches are used to determine the mechanisms of organophosphate hydrolysis in an active site of Pseudomonas diminuta phosphotriesterase. For a substrate with a good leaving group, the reaction proceeds through two elementary stages with low energy barriers, and a gain in energy is observed. With a poor leaving group, only the formation of an unstable reaction intermediate is possible, and hydrolysis is incomplete. A comparison of the resulting reaction mechanisms explains the experimental kinetic data, according to which the enzyme hydrolyzes only substrates with good leaving groups.
Physicochemical Properties of Lithium Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide Solutions in Sulfolane
Authors: Sheina L. V. , Karaseva E. V. , Kolosnitsyn V. S.
Published: May 2024

A study is performed of the physicochemical properties (ionic conductivity, viscosity, and density in the 30–50°C range of temperatures) and the electrochemical and thermal stability of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide solutions in sulfolane in the 0.001–1.89 M range of concentrations. It is shown that lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide solutions in sulfolane exhibit high electrochemical stability (5.75 V vs. Li/Li+) and moderate ionic conductivity (2.75 × 10−3 Ω−1 cm−1 at 30°C for a 1 M solution), which are comparable to the respective parameters of sulfolane solutions of lithium hexafluorophosphate. The structure and transport properties of sulfolane solutions of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide are determined by their concentrations. In dilute solutions, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide is weakly associated. The degree of electrolytic dissociation of LiN(SO2CF3)2 initially falls and then rises upon an increase in its concentration. The electrolytic dissociation of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide rises along with its concentration, due to the formation of ion triplets and more complex ion associates. The constant of association and limit equivalent conductivity of LiN(SO2CF3)2 in sulfolane rise along with temperature, due to a drop in the degree of self-association and the degradation of the solvent’s structure. A specific feature of sulfolane solutions of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide is their tendency to form stable supercooled solutions.
Changes in health-related quality of life during transition to adult healthcare: an international prospective cohort study
Authors: Kallio Mira Marianne , Tornivuori Anna , Kolho Kaija-Leena , Culnane Evelyn , Loftus Hayley , Sawyer Susan Margaret , Kosola Silja
Published: May 2024

Objective

To study changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic medical conditions across the transfer to adult healthcare and associations of HRQoL with transition readiness and experience of care.

Methods

Participants in this international (Finland, Australia) prospective cohort study were recruited in the year prior to transfer to adult health services and studied 12 months later. In addition to two HRQoL scales (Pediatric Quality of Life inventory (PedsQL), 16D), the Am I ON TRAC for Adult Care Questionnaire and Adolescent Friendly Hospital Survey measured transition readiness and experience of care and categorised by quartile. Data were compared before and after transfer to adult healthcare.

Results

In total, 512 AYAs completed the first survey (0–12 months before transfer of care) and 336 AYAs completed it 1 year later (retention rate 66%, mean ages 17.8 and 18.9 years, respectively). Mean total PedsQL scores (76.5 vs 78.3) showed no significant change, although the social and educational subdomains improved after transfer of care. The mean single-index 16D score remained the same, but in Finland, distress increased and the ability to interact with friends decreased after transfer. AYAs within the best quartiles of experience of care and transition readiness had better HRQoL than AYAs within the worst quartiles.

Conclusions

Overall HRQoL of AYAs remained unchanged across the transfer to adult healthcare. Recognising and supporting AYAs with unsatisfactory experience of care and poor transition readiness could improve overall HRQoL during the transition process.

Trial registration number

NCT04631965.
Rapid resolution of cardiac rhabdomyomas following everolimus therapy
Authors: Choudhry Swati , Nguyen Hoang Hiep , Anwar Shafkat
Published: May 2024

Cardiac rhabdomyoma is the most common primary cardiac tumour during childhood and is usually associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). These tumours are generally considered benign, and spontaneous regression occurs commonly. However, when the tumours cause significant symptoms, the current standard treatment is surgical resection. Everolimus is an mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 inhibitor that has been successfully used to treat subependymal giant cell astrocytomas and renal angiomyolipomas associated with TSC. A few case reports have described the effectiveness of everolimus therapy in treating cardiac rhabdomyomas as well. We report a case of a newborn who had near complete resolution of multiple rhabdomyomas within a month of receiving everolimus therapy for non-cardiac masses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fastest resolution of cardiac rhabdomyomas associated with everolimus therapy to date. Everolimus may be a promising alternative for high-risk surgical candidates with haemodynamically significant cardiac rhabdomyomas.
Exploring home fall events among infants and toddlers using social media information: an infodemiology study in China
Authors: Tian Jiang , Cheng Peixia , Wang Xiaonan , Xiang Henry , Gao Qi , Zhu Huiping
Published: May 2024

Background

Practical interventions of fall prevention are challenging for infants and toddlers. This study aimed to explore specific details of falls that occurred at home for kids 0–3 years old using key information from social media platforms, which provided abundant data sources for fall events.

Methods

We used internet-based search techniques to collect fall events information from 2013 to 2023. The search was restricted and implemented between 1 and 12 April 2023. Online platforms included Baidu, Weibo, WeChat, TikTok, Toutiao and Little Red Book. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to analyse the fall events and major factors, including the fall event time, child age, environmental factors and behavioural characteristics of children and caregivers.

Results

We identified 1005 fall injury cases among infants and toddlers. Fall mechanisms included falls from household furniture (71.2%), falls from height (21.4%) and falls on the same level (7.4%). Environmental risk factors mainly consisted of not using or installing bed rails incorrectly, a gap between beds, unstable furniture, slippery ground and windows without guardrails. Behavioural factors included caregivers leaving a child alone, lapsed attention, turning around to retrieve something, misusing baby products, inadequately holding the child and falling asleep with children. Child behavioural factors included walking or running while holding an object in hand or mouth and underdeveloped walking skills.

Conclusion

Interventions for preventing falls should be designed specifically for Chinese families, especially considering family function in the context of Chinese culture. Social media reports could provide rich information for researchers.
Children’s participatory needs in injury prevention: reflections on supporting children’s right to invite and comfort in discussing sensitive topics
Authors: Bauer Michelle Emma Eileen , Pike Ian
Published: May 2024

Background

Child-centred approaches in injury prevention emphasise the importance of practising bidirectional communications and decentring researcher–child power relations to support children’s participation in research. To date, however, a dearth of scholarship offers methodological reflections on how to bolster children’s feelings of comfort in discussing sensitive topics such as their injury experiences.

Goal

Drawing from lessons we learnt working with children in a low-income to mid-income neighbourhood in Vancouver, Canada, we discuss the ways in which our strategies to support their participation succeeded in, and at times fell short of, supporting their participatory needs.

Discussion

Our discussions focus attention on two important areas for consideration in future injury prevention studies: (1) Children’s inclusion in research and the demand for them to share experience and (2) supporting children’s right to invite and comfort in discussing sensitive topics such as injury experiences. We discuss the benefits of making research fun for children and being sensitive to their needs at preliminary recruitment and data collection stages.

Implications

These discussions can strengthen researchers’ work with children by helping them to reflect on strategies that can bolster their desire to participate and feel comfortable sharing perspectives.
How many mislabelled samples go unidentified? Results of a pilot study to determine the occult mislabelled sample rate
Authors: Raymond Caitlin , Dell’Osso Liesel , Guerra David , Hernandez Julia , Rendon Leonel , Fuller Donna , Villasante-Tezanos Alejandro , Garcia JuanDavid , McCaffrey Peter , Zahner Christopher
Published: May 2024

Background

Specimens with incorrect patient information are both a critical safety error and difficult to identify. Estimates of sample mislabelling rely on subjective identification of mislabelling, with the possibility that not all mislabelled samples are being caught.

Methods

We determined the blood type of two or more complete blood count specimens with the same patient label and assessed for discrepancies. We additionally determined the rate of identified sample mislabelling for the study period.

Results

We found a rate of 3.17 per 1000 discrepancies over the study period. These discrepancies most likely represent occult, or unidentified, mislabelled samples. In contrast, the rate of identified sample mislabelling was 1.15 per 1000.

Conclusions

This study suggests that specimens identified as, or known to be, mislabelled represent only a fraction of those mislabelled. These findings are currently being confirmed in our laboratory and are likely generalisable to other institutions.
Estimating impacts of reducing acrylonitrile exposure on lung cancer mortality in an occupational cohort with the parametric g-formula
Authors: Keil Alexander , Haber Gregory , Graubard Barry , Stewart Patricia A , Silverman Debra , Koutros Stella
Published: May 2024

Objectives

To inform the potential human carcinogenicity of acrylonitrile, we estimate associations between acrylonitrile exposures and lung cancer mortality in US workers with the objectives of (1) assessing potential for healthy worker survivor bias and (2) adjusting for this bias while assessing the expected lung cancer mortality under different hypothetical occupational exposure limits on acrylonitrile exposure using the parametric g-formula.

Methods

We used data from a cohort of 25 460 workers at facilities making or using acrylonitrile in the USA. We estimated HRs to quantify associations between employment and lung cancer mortality, and exposure and leaving employment. Using the parametric g-formula, we estimated cumulative lung cancer mortality at hypothetical limits on acrylonitrile exposure.

Results

Recent and current employment was associated with lung cancer, and exposure was associated with leaving employment, indicating potential for healthy worker survivor bias. Relative to no intervention, reducing the historical exposure under limits of 2.0, 1.0 and 0.45 parts per million would have been expected to reduce lung cancer mortality by age 90 by 4.46 (95% CI 0.78 to 8.15), 5.03 (95% CI 0.96 to 9.11) and 6.45 (95% CI 2.35 to 10.58) deaths per 1000 workers, respectively. A larger lung cancer mortality reduction would be expected under elimination of exposure: 7.21 (95% CI 2.72 to 11.70) deaths per 1000 workers.

Conclusions

Healthy worker survivor bias likely led to underestimation of excess risk. Our results corroborate previous study findings of an excess hazard of lung cancer among the highest exposed workers.
Survival outcomes following urgent lung transplantation in France and the USA
Authors: Roussel Arnaud , Sage Edouard , Falcoz Pierre-Emmanuel , Thomas Pascal Alexandre , Castier Yves , Fadel Elie , Le Pimpec-Barthes Françoise , Tronc François , Jougon Jacques , Lacoste Philippe , Claustre Johanna , Brouchet Laurent , Dorent Richard , Cantu Edward , Harhay Michael , Porcher Raphaël , Mordant Pierre
Published: May 2024

Introduction

Lung graft allocation can be based on a score (Lung Allocation Score) as in the USA or sequential proposals combined with a discrete priority model as in France. We aimed to analyse the impact of allocation policy on the outcome of urgent lung transplantation (LT).

Methods

US United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and French Cristal databases were retrospectively reviewed to analyse LT performed between 2007 and 2017. We analysed the mortality risk of urgent LT by fitting Cox models and adjusted Restricted Mean Survival Time. We then compared the outcome after urgent LT in the UNOS and Cristal groups using a propensity score matching.

Results

After exclusion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/emphysema and redo LT, 3775 and 12 561 patients underwent urgent LT and non-urgent LT in the USA while 600 and 2071 patients underwent urgent LT and non-urgent LT in France. In univariate analysis, urgent LT was associated with an HR for death of 1.24 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.48) in the Cristal group and 1.12 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.19) in the UNOS group. In multivariate analysis, the effect of urgent LT was attenuated and no longer statistically significant in the Cristal database (HR 1.1 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.33)) while it remained constant and statistically significant in the UNOS database (HR 1.12 (95% CI 1.05 to 1.2)). Survival comparison of urgent LT patients between the two countries was significantly different in favour of the UNOS group (1-year survival rates 84.1% (80.9%–87.3%) vs 75.4% (71.8%–79.1%) and 3-year survival rates 66.3% (61.9%–71.1%) vs 62.7% (58.5%–67.1%), respectively).

Conclusion

Urgent LT is associated with adverse outcome in the USA and in France with a better prognosis in the US score-based system taking post-transplant survival into account. This difference between two healthcare systems is multifactorial.
On a bulk gap strategy for quantum lattice models
Authors: Young Amanda
Published: May 2024

Establishing the (non)existence of a spectral gap above the ground state in the thermodynamic limit is one of the fundamental steps for characterizing the topological phase of a quantum lattice model. This is particularly challenging when a model is expected to have low-lying edge excitations, but nevertheless a positive bulk gap. We review the bulk gap strategy introduced in [S. Warzel and A. Young, The spectral gap of a fractional quantum Hall system on a thin torus, J. Math. Phys. 63 (2022) 041901; S. Warzel and A. Young, A bulk spectral gap in the presence of edge states for a truncated pseudopotential, Ann. Henri Poincaré 24 (2023) 133–178], while studying truncated Haldane pseudopotentials. This approach is able to avoid low-lying edge modes by separating the ground states and edge states into different invariant subspaces before applying spectral gap bounding techniques. The approach is stated in a general context, and we reformulate specific spectral gap methods in an invariant subspace context to illustrate the necessary conditions for combining them with the bulk gap strategy. We then review its application to a truncation of the 1/3-filled Haldane pseudopotential in the cylinder geometry.
Super (Edge-)connectivity of the Folded Petersen Network
Authors: Zheng Chuanye , Xu Liqiong
Published: May 2024

Reliability evaluation of an interconnection network is of great significance for construction and maintenance of the network. The super (edge-)connectivity, restricted (edge-)connectivity and cyclic (edge-)connectivity are important parameters to evaluate network reliability. Compared with the hypercube [Formula: see text], the folded Petersen network [Formula: see text] has better properties, including strong connectivity, symmetry. Besides, it has smaller diameter and more vertices than [Formula: see text] with the same degree and connectivity. In this paper, based on the symmetric properties of [Formula: see text], we prove that [Formula: see text] is super (edge-)connected, super restricted edge-connected and super cyclically edge-connected. In addition, we obtain the restricted edge-connectivity and the cyclic edge-connectivity of [Formula: see text].
Effect of anomalous HHH and ZZHH couplings on the decay width of H→νeν̄eνμν̄μ
Authors: Agrawal Pankaj , Das Biswajit
Published: May 2024

Despite the discovery of the Higgs boson, the Higgs sector of the standard model is still not fully established. In particular, the self-couplings of the Higgs boson, and its couplings with gauge bosons, are still to be fully determined. We consider electroweak corrections to the process [Formula: see text]. The corrections depend on the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] couplings. We investigate this dependence in [Formula: see text]-framework. We find that the width depends on [Formula: see text] coupling significantly. The dependence on [Formula: see text] coupling is only marginal. We also discuss the dependence on [Formula: see text] coupling.
Deep-inelastic scattering: What do we know?
Authors: Blümlein Johannes
Published: May 2024

A survey is given on the current status of the theoretical description of unpolarized and polarized deep-inelastic scattering processes in Quantum Chromodynamics at large virtualities.