bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhanced optoelectronic properties of magnetron sputtered ITO/Ag/ITO multilayers by electro-annealing
Authors: Uyanik Zemzem , Turkoglu Fulya , Koseoglu Hasan , Ekmekcioglu Merve , Ata Bengu , Demirhan Yasemin , Ozdemir Mehtap , Aygun Gulnur , Ozyuzer Lutfi
Published: June 2022

Indium tin oxide/silver/indium tin oxide (ITO/Ag/ITO) multilayers have attracted much attention to fulfill the growing need for high-performance transparent conducting oxide electrodes. To make these transparent multilayers work better, electro-annealing, which is a method of self-heating by electric current, can be effective. Moreover, the effect of current on ITO/Ag/ITO multilayers should be investigated to make sure that electronic devices will be reliable over their lifetime. In this study, ITO/Ag/ITO multilayer electrodes with varying Ag thicknesses were grown by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Structural, optical, and electrical properties of these multilayers were investigated before and after electro-annealing. Measurement results revealed that improved optical transmittance and sheet resistance can be obtained by the optimization of Ag thickness for the as-grown ITO/Ag/ITO layers. The highest figure of merit (FoM) value of 17.37 × 10−3 Ω−1 with optical transmittance of 85.15% in the visible region and sheet resistance of 11.54 Ω/□ was obtained for the Ag thickness of 16.5 nm for as-grown samples. The electro-annealing of as-grown ITO/Ag/ITO multilayers led to improved optical behavior of the multilayer structure over a wide spectral range, especially in the near-infrared range. Electro-annealing also provided an improvement in the crystallinity and sheet resistance of the electrodes. The improvement of the electrical and optical properties of the structure enabled a FoM of 23.07 × 10−3 Ω−1 with the optical transmittance of 86.80% in the visible region and sheet resistance of 10.52 Ω/□. The findings of this work provide proper knowledge of the properties of ITO/Ag/ITO multilayers under electrical current and suggest that the overall performance of the multilayers can be improved by the electro-annealing process.
The wave blown around the world
Authors: Brodsky Emily E. , Lay Thorne
Published: June 2022

The atmospheric wave from the Tonga eruption drove faster-than-normal tsunamis
In the Balkans, researchers mobilize to protect a river
Authors: Schiffman Richard
Published: June 2022

Plans to dam the upper Neretva River draw concern
Ongoing retinal degeneration despite intraventricular enzyme replacement therapy with cerliponase alfa in late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2 disease)
Authors: Dulz Simon , Schwering C , Wildner Jan , Spartalis Christoph , Schuettauf Frank , Bartsch Udo , Wibbeler Eva , Nickel Miriam , Spitzer Martin Stephan , Atiskova Yevgeniya , Schulz Angela
Published: June 2022

Background/aims

Late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) is a neurodegenerative, blinding lysosomal storage disorder. The purpose of the current study was to characterise the progression of CLN2-associated retinal degeneration in patients under intraventricular enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with cerliponase alfa.

Methods

We analysed visual function, retinal morphology and neuropaediatric data using preferential looking test (PLT), Weill Cornell Batten Scale (WCBS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and the Hamburg Motor-Language late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (LINCL) Scale (M-L scale).

Results

Fifty-six eyes of 28 patients had baseline PLT, WCBS and OCT. 15 patients underwent serial examinations, resulting in a total of 132 OCT scans and WCBS results, 66 Hamburg M-L scores and 49 PLT results during a mean follow-up time of 18.2 months (range 5–40). A negative correlation (r=–0.69, p<0.001) was found between central retinal thickness (CRT) values and age at examination with a maximal annual decrease of 23 µm between 56 and 80 months of age. A significant correlation was observed between PLT results and the age at examination (r=0.46, p=0.001), the WCBS scores (r=0.62; p<0.001) and CRT values (r=–0.64; p<0.001). The M-L score correlated with the ocular measurements (CRT: r=0.58, p<0.001; WCBS r=−0.64, p<0.001; PLT score: r=−0.57, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Despite intraventricular ERT, retinal degeneration progressed in patients with CLN2 and was particularly pronounced between 56 and 80 months of age. Retina-directed therapies should therefore be initiated before or as early as possible during the phase of rapid retinal degeneration. PLT and WCBS were identified as valuable outcome measures to monitor disease progression.

Trial registration number

NCT04613089.
Impact of urbanisation on the gaps of hypertension prevalence, awareness and treatment among older age in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Yu Qiutong , Zuo Genyong
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To examine the impact of urbanisation on the prevalence, awareness and treatment of hypertension among elderly in China.

Design

This cross-sectional study used data from the most recent nationally representative Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, 2018.

Setting

People in urban and rural communities from 500 sample areas in 22 Chinese provinces.

Participants

After exclusion, this study surveyed 9859 participants in the final analysis.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The main dependent variables were prevalence, awareness and treatment of hypertension defined as (1) systolic blood pressure (BP)≥140 mm Hg, diastolic BP≥90 mm Hg or (2) taking antihypertensive drugs. Hypertension awareness was defined as a previous diagnosis of hypertension by a health professional, and hypertension treatment was defined as undergoing BP treatment.

Results

The prevalence of hypertension was lower among semiurbanised adults than among non-urbanised rural adults (OR=0.94, 95% CI=0.90 to 0.99; p<0.05). The probabilities of awareness (OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.01 to 1.20; p<0.05) and treatment (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.08 to 1.26; p<0.001) of hypertension were significantly lower among non-urbanised adults than among urban-born adults. Urbanisation in eastern (OR=0.93, 95% CI=0.88 to 0.99; p<0.05) and western China (OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.01 to 1.23; p<0.05) was associated with the prevalence of hypertension. The urbanisation level was also associated with hypertension awareness and treatment in eastern (OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.04 to 1.32; p<0.01; OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.14 to 1.40; p<0.001), central (OR=1.31, 95% CI=1.05 to 1.63; p<0.05; OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.08 to 1.55; p<0.01) and western China (OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.07 to 1.53; p<0.01; OR=1.34, 95% CI=1.15 to 1.57; p<0.001). The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition suggested that approximately 42% and 39% of the urban–rural gap in hypertension awareness and treatment, respectively, could be attributed to coefficient difference.

Conclusions

Public health programmes and policies for chronic diseases should adjust with urbanisation and combine individual-centred strategies.
Mental health and working constraints of first-year PhD students in health and science in a French university: a cross-sectional study in the context of occupational health monitoring
Authors: Ahalli Saloua , Fort Emmanuel , Bridai Yamina , Baborier Nicole , Charbotel Barbara
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To assess the mental health and working constraints perception of first-year PhD in France.

Design

It is a cross-sectional study.

Setting

The study was conducted by the team of the Lyon 1 University’s Occupational Health and Medical Service for Staff, from October 2019 to February 2020. First-year PhD students employed by the university were seen during the routine occupational health medical check-up.

Participants

A total of 161 PhD students in science from the 2019 intake were included in the study (participation rate 98%).

Outcome measures

Data were collected using a self-questionnaire on psychosocial constraints at work (Job Content Questionnaire), the quality of the professional relationship with the supervisor (Advisory Working Alliance Inventory, Student perspective (AWAI-S)), medical conditions, anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9).

Results

A total of 161 PhD students from the 2019 intake were included in the study (participation rate 98%). Most of the PhD students reported high psychological demands (58%), high decision latitude (53%), high social support (55%) and good professional relationships with their supervisor (mean of global score of AWAI-S=114.5). However, 34% showed signs of at least mild depression, 19% showed signs of anxiety and 20% were referred to a mental health professional after the survey. Bivariate analyses showed that history of psychiatric disorders, their relationship with their supervisor, having complementary teaching activities and stressful working conditions contributed to anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

Even in the first year of their PhD, some students had mental health issues. It seems relevant to generalise the medical follow-up of all PhD students as soon as they enter the doctoral programme in order to detect and treat their health problems and psychological disorders at an early stage.
Cross-sectional study of COVID-19 knowledge, beliefs and prevention behaviours among adults in Senegal
Authors: Kearney Matthew , Bornstein Marta , Fall Marieme , Nianogo Roch , Glik Deborah , Massey Philip
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The aim of the study was to explore COVID-19 beliefs and prevention behaviours in a francophone West African nation, Senegal.

Design

This was a cross-sectional analysis of survey data collected via a multimodal observational study.

Participants

Senegalese adults aged 18 years or older (n=1452).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome measures were COVID-19 prevention behaviours. Secondary outcome measures included COVID-19 knowledge and beliefs. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistics were generated to describe the sample and explore potential correlations.

Setting

Participants from Senegal were recruited online and telephonically between June and August 2020.

Results

Mask wearing, hand washing and use of hand sanitiser were most frequently reported. Social distancing and staying at home were also reported although to a lower degree. Knowledge and perceived risk of COVID-19 were very high in general, but risk was a stronger and more influential predictor of COVID-19 prevention behaviours. Men, compared with women, had lower odds (adjusted OR (aOR)=0.59, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.75, p<0.001) of reporting prevention behaviours. Rural residents (vs urban; aOR=1.49, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.98, p=0.001) and participants with at least a high school education (vs less than high school education; aOR=1.33, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.76, p=0.006) were more likely to report COVID-19 prevention behaviours.

Conclusions

In Senegal, we observed high compliance with recommended COVID-19 prevention behaviours among our sample of respondents, in particular for masking and personal hygiene practice. We also identified a range of psychosocial and demographic predictors for COVID-19 prevention behaviours such as knowledge and perceived risk. Stakeholders and decision makers in Senegal and across Africa can use place-based evidence like ours to address COVID-19 risk factors and intervene effectively with policies and programming. Use of both phone and online surveys enhances representation and study generalisability and should be considered in future research with hard-to-reach populations.
Vulnerability for alcohol use disorder after adverse childhood experiences (AUDACE): protocol for a longitudinal fMRI study assessing neuropsychobiological risk factors for relapse
Authors: Türkmen Cagdas , Machunze Noah , Tan Haoye , Gerhardt Sarah , Kiefer Falk , Vollstädt-Klein Sabine
Published: June 2022

Background

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are common and may predispose affected individuals to various health problems, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Although a relationship between ACE and AUD has been well-established, potential mechanisms that may underlie this relationship remain to be elucidated. The importance of these mechanisms with respect to relapse risk is of particular interest, given the clinical relevance of relapse in addictions. Thus, the aim of this study is to longitudinally assess the role of clinically relevant variables in the relationship between ACE and AUD, namely stress sensitivity, emotion processing, cue reactivity and cognitive functioning (response inhibition and working memory), in relation to relapse risk.

Methods and analysis

In this observational, longitudinal case-control study, 36 patients with AUD and heavy drinkers with varying degrees of ACE from a previous project (NCT03758053) as well as newly recruited participants from the same study population will be assessed. Besides measuring long-term relapse in AUD by re-examining these 36 previous participants after 2–2.5 years, factors contributing to short-term relapse will be examined by reassessing all participants on a 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, participants with no or mild ACE will be compared with participants with moderate to severe ACE to assess between-subject differences in risk factors for AUD. Questionnaires and interviews will thus be used to cover individuals’ drinking behaviour and ACE. Emotion processing, stress sensitivity, cue reactivity and cognitive functioning will be assessed using task-based functional MRI (fMRI). Additionally, saliva cortisol and blood samples will be taken to measure hormonal stress response and to perform genome wide association analyses, respectively. The general linear model will be applied on the first level fMRI analyses, whereas for the second level analyses and analyses of behavioural data, t-tests, regression analyses, repeated-measures and one-way analysis of variances will be used.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the ethics committee of the Medical Faculty Mannheim of Heidelberg University (ethics approval number: 2018-560N-MA with amendment from 29 June 2021). The findings of this study will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT05048758; Pre-results, clinicaltrials.gov.
Evidence base of economic evaluations of workplace-based interventions reducing occupational sitting time: an integrative review
Authors: Akhavan Rad Sanaz , Kiwanuka Frank , Korpelainen Raija , Torkki Paulus
Published: June 2022

Objective

To review the evidence on the economic evaluations of workplace-based interventions that are designed to reduce prolonged periods of occupational sitting.

Design

An integrative review.

Data sources

The search was conducted in 11 databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PsychINFO, NHS-EED, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), ProQuest, Cochrane library, Sportdiscus, Research Paper in Economics (RePeC), the International Health Economic Association (IHEA) and EconLit. The databases were searched for articles published from inception to January 2022. Subsequent citation searches were also conducted in Google Scholar. The items of the Consensus Health Economic Criteria (CHEC) checklist were used for quality appraisal of the included studies.

Results

This review included five randomised control trails, including 757 office-based workers in high-income countries. The median quality appraisal score based on the CHEC items was 14 points (a range of 9–18). The mean duration of interventions was 33 weeks (a range of 4–52 weeks). Overall, the studies reported economic benefit when implemented to reduce occupational sitting time but no effect on absenteeism. From the societal perspective, the interventions (eg, the use of a sit–stand desk) were cost-effective.

Conclusion

The economic impact of workplace interventions implemented to reduce occupational sitting time is evident; however, the existing evidence is limited, which precludes strong conclusions. Cost-effectiveness is not often evaluated in the studies exploring workplace interventions that address occupational sitting time. Workplace interventions are still in the development and testing phase; thus, the challenge for future studies is to include economic evaluation of interventions addressing sedentary behaviour in workplaces.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021226275.
Health system costs of a breast cancer early diagnosis programme in a rural district of Rwanda: a retrospective, cross-sectional economic analysis
Authors: Nambaziira Rashidah , Niteka Lysa Carolle , Dusengimana Jean Marie Vianney , Ruhumuriza John , Bhangdia Kayleigh Pavitra , Mugunga Jean Claude , Uwineza Marie Louise , Rugema Vestine , Erfani Parsa , Shyirambere Cyprien , Shulman Lawrence N , Rabideau Melany , Pace Lydia E
Published: June 2022

Objectives

This study aimed to quantify the health system cost of the first 2 years of a Breast Cancer Early Detection (BCED) programme in a rural district in Rwanda. We also aimed to estimate the cost of implementing the programme in other districts with different referral pathways and identify opportunities for enhanced cost efficiency.

Design

Retrospective, cross-sectional analysis using time-driven activity-based costing, based on timed patient clinical encounters, retrospective patient data and unit costs of resources abstracted from administrative and finance records.

Setting

The BCED programme focused on timely evaluation of individuals with breast symptoms. The study evaluated the health system cost of the BCED programme at seven health centres (HCs) in Burera district and Butaro Cancer Centre of Excellence (BCCOE) at Butaro District Hospital.

Outcome measures

Health system costs per patient visit and cost per cancer diagnosed were quantified. Total start-up and recurring operational costs were also estimated, as well as health system costs of different scale-up adaptations in other districts.

Results

One-time start-up costswere US$36 917, recurring operational costswere US$67 711 and clinical costswere US$14 824 over 2 years. Clinical breast examinations (CBE) at HCs cost US$3.27/visit. At BCCOE, CBE-only visits cost US$13.47/visit, CBE/ultrasound US$14.79/visit and CBE/ultrasound/biopsy/pathology US$147.81/visit. Overall, clinical cost per breast cancer diagnosed was US$1482. Clinicalcost drivers were personnel at HCs (55%) and biopsy/pathology supplies at BCCOE (46%). In other districts, patients experience a longer breast evaluation pathway, adding about US$14.00/patient; this could be decreased if ultrasound services were decentralised.

Conclusion

Clinical costs associated with BCED services at HCs were modest, similar to other general outpatient services. The BCED programme’s start-up and operational costs were high but could be reduced by using local trainers and virtual mentorship. In other districts, decentralising ultrasound and/or biopsies to district hospitals could reduce costs.
Mental health of children with and without special healthcare needs and of their caregivers during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Geweniger Anne , Haddad Anneke , Barth Michael , Högl Henriette , Mund Annette , Insan Shrabon , Langer Thorsten
Published: June 2022

Objective

To describe mental health outcomes and measures of pandemic burden of children with and without special healthcare needs, and their caregivers following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

Design

This is the second of a sequential series of cross-sectional online surveys conducted among caregivers of children ≤18 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, administrated between 2 April 2021 and 31 July 2021.

Main outcome measures

Child and parental mental health were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and WHO-5 Well-being index. Children with Special Healthcare Needs (CSHCN) were identified using the CSHCN-Screener. Descriptive statistics, linear and hierarchical logistic regression modelling assessed associations between parent-reported child mental health problems and measures of pandemic burden, disease complexity, caregiver mental well-being and socioeconomic status.

Results

521 participants were included in the final sample. There was a high prevalence of parent-reported mental health problems in n=302 (66.7%) children, particularly in CSHCN. Among caregivers, n=372 (72.5%) screened positive for depression. Logistic regression modelling showed a strong association of child mental health problems and disease complexity, parental mental well-being, increase in family conflict and inadequate social support.

Conclusions

Our study identifies CSHCN as a particularly vulnerable group in terms of mental health outcomes. Psychosocial factors were important predictors of parent-reported child mental health problems. Policy measures should consider the importance of social support systems for vulnerable children and their families, and aim to provide accessible mental health support for caregivers.
Cancer cell-autonomous overactivation of PARP1 compromises immunosurveillance in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Juncheng Pan , Joseph Adrien , Lafarge Antoine , Martins Isabelle , Obrist Florine , Pol Jonathan , Saavedra Ester , Li Sijing , Sauvat Allan , Cerrato Giulia , Lévesque Sarah , Leduc Marion , Kepp Oliver , Durand Sylvère , Aprahamian Fanny , Nirmalathansan Nitharsshini , Michels Judith , Kroemer Guido , Castedo Maria
Published: June 2022

Background

High activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells leads to an increase in immunohistochemically detectable PAR, correlating with poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC, as well as reduced tumor infiltration by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Intrigued by this observation, we decided to determine whether PARP1 activity in NSCLC cells may cause an alteration of anticancer immunosurveillance.

Methods

Continuous culture of mouse NSCLC cells in the presence of cisplatin led to the generation of cisplatin-resistant PARhighclones. As compared with their parental controls, such PARhighcells formed tumors that were less infiltrated by CTLs when they were injected into immunocompetent mice, suggesting a causative link between high PARP1 activity and compromised immunosurveillance. To confirm this cause-and-effect relationship, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technology to knock out PARP1 in two PARhighNSCLC mouse cell lines (Lewis lung cancer [LLC] and tissue culture number one [TC1]), showing that the removal of PARP1 indeed restored cisplatin-induced cell death responses.

Results

PARP1 knockout (PARP1KO) cells became largely resistant to the PARP inhibitor niraparib, meaning that they exhibited less cell death induction, reduced DNA damage response, attenuated metabolic shifts and no induction of PD-L1 and MHC class-I molecules that may affect their immunogenicity. PARhightumors implanted in mice responded to niraparib irrespective of the presence or absence of T lymphocytes, suggesting that cancer cell-autonomous effects of niraparib dominate over its possible immunomodulatory action. While PARhighNSCLC mouse cell lines proliferated similarly in immunocompetent and T cell-deficient mice, PARP1KOcells were strongly affected by the presence of T cells. PARP1KOLLC tumors grew more quickly in immunodeficient than in immunocompetent mice, and PARP1KOTC1 cells could only form tumors in T cell-deficient mice, not in immunocompetent controls. Importantly, as compared with PARhighcontrols, the PARP1KOLLC tumors exhibited signs of T cell activation in the immune infiltrate such as higher inducible costimulator (ICOS) expression and lower PD-1 expression on CTLs.

Conclusions

These results prove at the genetic level that PARP1 activity within malignant cells modulates the tumor microenvironment.
LDL cholesterol is associated with higher AD neuropathology burden independent of APOE
Authors: Wingo Aliza P , Vattathil Selina M , Liu Jiaqi , Fan Wen , Cutler David J , Levey Allan I , Schneider Julie A , Bennett David A , Wingo Thomas S
Published: June 2022

Objective

APOEis a strong risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and associated with higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Moreover, LDL-C is associated with the development of clinically ascertained AD; however, whether this association is present with the underlying neuropathological manifestations of AD or whether it is independent of the effect ofAPOEis unknown and is the focus of this paper.

Methods

Individuals in the Religious Orders Study/Memory and Ageing Project cohorts with longitudinal measures of blood lipids and detailed autopsies were studied. We modelled the relationship between blood lipids and 12 age-related brain pathologies using a linear mixed model adjusted for potential confounding factors and stratified byAPOEgenotype with overall significance determined by meta-analysis. Blood lipids considered were LDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Brain pathologies included AD pathology measured by silver staining (Braak stage, a modified Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease [CERAD] score and global AD pathology) and immunohistochemistry (beta-amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles) as well as cerebral microinfarct, cerebral macroinfarct, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, cerebral atherosclerosis, hippocampal sclerosis, TDP-43 cytoplasmic inclusions and Lewy bodies.

Results

559 participants (69.1% female) had complete data for analysis. They were followed for a median of 7 years and a median of 3 years prior to dementia onset. LDL-C was associated with all measures of AD neuropathology (neurofibrillary tangles, beta-amyloid, Braak stage, modified CERAD score and global AD pathology) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy independent ofAPOEafter adjusting for age, sex, cholesterol-lowering medication use, body mass index, smoking and education at false discovery rate (FDR) p-value <0.05.

Conclusions

These findings implicate LDL-C in the pathophysiology of AD independent ofAPOEand suggest LDL-C is a modifiable risk factor for AD.
The Leaves of Cyclocarya paliurus: A Functional Tea with Preventive and Therapeutic Potential of Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Qiu Miao , Peng Jiao , Deng Huan , Chang Yaoyao , Hu Die , Pan Weidong , Wu Haiqiang , Xiao Haitao
Published: June 2022

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has become a universal and chronic global public health concern and causes multiple complex complications. In order to meet the rapidly growing demand for T2DM treatment, increased research has been focused on hypoglycemic drugs. Cyclocarya paliurus (Batal.) Iljinsk is the only living species of the genus Cyclocarya Iljinskaja, whose leaves have been extensively used as a functional tea to treat obesity and diabetes in China. An enormous amount of very recent pharmacological research on the leaves of C. paliurus has demonstrated that they carry out numerous biological activities, such as hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and intestinal microbiota regulation. Multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have also shown that the extracts of C. paliurus leaves are innocuous and safe. This study aims to provide an up-to-date review of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological effects against diabetes, toxicology, and clinical studies of C. paliurus leaves, in hopes of promoting a better understanding of their role in the prevention and treatment of T2DM.
Giant electrostatic interaction between two neutral conducting spheres in a uniform electric field: A theoretical study via the multiple-image method
Authors: Li Xin , Gao Xin , Sun Gang , Huang Decai
Published: June 2022

The giant interaction force between two neutral conducting spheres in an external electrical field was numerically investigated using the multiple image method. The simulation results coincide with the experimental results better than those using simple dipolar approximation and finite element analysis. For a small-inclined angle, the mutual induction leads to accumulation of unlike charges on the local adjacent surfaces of the spheres, thus producing a giant local electrical field compared with the external electrical field. The attractive force between the spheres is drastically increased. The interaction force peaks at [Formula: see text], where the center line of the spheres is parallel to the external electrical field. A weak repulsive force is found for a large-inclined angle because like charges concurrently appear on the local adjacent surfaces of the spheres. The nature of the attractive and repulsive interaction forces is independent of the radius ratio of the spheres. Analysis of influence of relative position of the spheres on the energy conversion showed that the shear stress could be improved by increasing the mutual electric potential energy and decreasing the interior electric potential energy. A maximum shear stress occurs at [Formula: see text], while the minimum mutual potential energy appears at [Formula: see text]. The discovery of interaction mechanism provides a plausible basis for fabricating new materials of giant electrorheological fluids.
Sketching 1D Stable Manifolds of 2D Maps Without the Inverse
Authors: Ganatra Vaibhav , Banerjee Soumitro
Published: June 2022

Saddle fixed points are the centerpieces of complicated dynamics in a system. The one-dimensional stable and unstable manifolds of these saddle-points are crucial to understanding the dynamics of such systems. While the problem of sketching the unstable manifold is simple, plotting the stable manifold is not as easy. Several algorithms exist to compute the stable manifold of saddle-points, but they have their limitations, especially when the system is not invertible. In this paper, we present a new algorithm to compute the stable manifold of two-dimensional systems which can also be used for noninvertible systems. After outlining the logic of the algorithm, we demonstrate the output of the algorithm on several examples.
The Legacy of Andrzej Kossakowski
Authors: Chruściński Dariusz
Published: June 2022

I review here a small part of Andrzej Kossakowski scientific activity focusing on his pioneering contribution to the evolution of open quantum systems (celebrated Gorini-Kossakowski-Lindblad-Sudarshan (GKLS) master equation) and positive maps in operator algebras. These particular topics turned out to be of primary importance for fundamentals of quantum physics and the rapid development of modern quantum information theory.
Three Favourite Dimensions of Andrzej: Along His Path to a Scientific Discovery
Authors: Życzkowski Karol
Published: June 2022

Some achievements of the late Andrzej Kossakowski in the field of statistical physics and quantum theory are presented. We recall also his attempt to find an analytical solution of the 3-dimensional Ising model.
A Static and Dynamic Attention Framework for Multi Turn Dialogue Generation
Authors: Zhang Weinan , Cui Yiming , Zhang Kaiyan , Wang Yifa , Zhu Qingfu , Li Lingzhi , Liu Ting
Published: June 2022

Recently, research on open domain dialogue systems have attracted extensive interests of academic and industrial researchers. The goal of an open domain dialogue system is to imitate humans in conversations. Previous works on single turn conversation generation have greatly promoted the research of open domain dialogue systems. However, understanding multiple single turn conversations is not equal to the understanding of multi turn dialogue due to the coherent and context dependent properties of human dialogue. Therefore, in open domain multi turn dialogue generation, it is essential to modeling the contextual semantics of the dialogue history rather than only according to the last utterance. Previous research had verified the effectiveness of the hierarchical recurrent encoder-decoder framework on open domain multi turn dialogue generation. However, using an RNN-based model to hierarchically encoding the utterances to obtain the representation of dialogue history still face the problem of a vanishing gradient. To address this issue, in this article, we proposed a static and dynamic attention-based approach to model the dialogue history and then generate open domain multi turn dialogue responses. Experimental results on the Ubuntu and Opensubtitles datasets verify the effectiveness of the proposed static and dynamic attention-based approach on automatic and human evaluation metrics in various experimental settings. Meanwhile, we also empirically verify the performance of combining the static and dynamic attentions on open domain multi turn dialogue generation.
Frequency-aware Camouflaged Object Detection
Authors: Lin Jiaying , Tan Xin , Xu Ke , Ma Lizhuang , Lau Rynson W. H.
Published: June 2022

Camouflaged object detection (COD) is important as it has various potential applications. Unlike salient object detection (SOD), which tries to identify visually salient objects, COD tries to detect objects that are visually very similar to the surrounding background. We observe that recent COD methods try to fuse features from different levels using some context aggregation strategies originally developed for SOD. Such an approach, however, may not be appropriate for COD as these existing context aggregation strategies are good at detecting distinctive objects while weakening the features from less discriminative objects. To address this problem, we propose in this article to exploit frequency learning to suppress the confusing high-frequency texture information, to help separate camouflaged objects from their surrounding background, and a frequency-based method, called FBNet, for camouflaged object detection. Specifically, we design a frequency-aware context aggregation (FACA) module to suppress high-frequency information and aggregate multi-scale features from a frequency perspective, an adaptive frequency attention (AFA) module to enhance the features of the learned important frequency components, and a gradient-weighted loss function to guide the proposed method to pay more attention to contour details. Experimental results show that our model outperforms relevant state-of-the-art methods.
Target-Oriented Knowledge Distillation with Language-Family-Based Grouping for Multilingual NMT
Authors: Do Heejin , Lee Gary Geunbae
Published: June 2022

Multilingual NMT has developed rapidly, but still has performance degradation caused by language diversity and model capacity constraints. To achieve the competitive accuracy of multilingual translation despite such limitations, knowledge distillation, which improves the student network by matching the teacher network’s output, has been applied and shown enhancement by focusing on the important parts of the teacher distribution. However, existing knowledge distillation methods for multilingual NMT rarely consider the knowledge, which has an important function as the student model’s target, in the process. In this article, we propose two distillation strategies that effectively use the knowledge to improve the accuracy of multilingual NMT. First, we introduce a language-family-based approach, guiding to select appropriate knowledge for each language pair. By distilling the knowledge of multilingual teachers that each processes a group of languages classified by language families, the multilingual model overcomes accuracy degradation caused by linguistic diversity. Second, we propose target-oriented knowledge distillation, which intensively focuses on the ground-truth target of knowledge with a penalty strategy. Our method provides a sensible distillation by penalizing samples without actual targets, while additionally targeting the ground-truth targets. Experiments using TED Talk datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with BLEU scores increment. Discussions of distilled knowledge and further observations of the methods also validate our results.
Pump Up Password Security! Evaluating and Enhancing Risk-Based Authentication on a Real-World Large-Scale Online Service
Authors: Wiefling Stephan , Jørgensen Paul René , Thunem Sigurd , Iacono Luigi Lo
Published: June 2022

Risk-based authentication (RBA) aims to protect users against attacks involving stolen passwords. RBA monitors features during login, and requests re-authentication when feature values widely differ from those previously observed. It is recommended by various national security organizations, and users perceive it more usable than and equally secure to equivalent two-factor authentication. Despite that, RBA is still used by very few online services. Reasons for this include a lack of validated open resources on RBA properties, implementation, and configuration. This effectively hinders the RBA research, development, and adoption progress.

To close this gap, we provide the first long-term RBA analysis on a real-world large-scale online service. We collected feature data of 3.3 million users and 31.3 million login attempts over more than 1 year. Based on the data, we provide (i) studies on RBA’s real-world characteristics plus its configurations and enhancements to balance usability, security, and privacy; (ii) a machine learning–based RBA parameter optimization method to support administrators finding an optimal configuration for their own use case scenario; (iii) an evaluation of the round-trip time feature’s potential to replace the IP address for enhanced user privacy; and (iv) a synthesized RBA dataset to reproduce this research and to foster future RBA research. Our results provide insights on selecting an optimized RBA configuration so that users profit from RBA after just a few logins. The open dataset enables researchers to study, test, and improve RBA for widespread deployment in the wild.
Optimized Deep-Neural Network for Content-based Medical Image Retrieval in a Brownfield IoMT Network
Authors: Tiwari Arti , Pant Millie
Published: June 2022

In this paper, a brownfield Internet of Medical Things network is introduced for imaging data that can be easily scaled out depending on the objectives, functional requirements, and the number of facilities and devices connected to it. This is further used to develop a novel Content-based Medical Image Retrieval framework. The developed framework uses DenseNet-201 architecture for generating the image descriptors. Then for classification, the optimized Deep Neural Network model has been configured through a population-based metaheuristic Differential Evolution. Differential Evolution iteratively performs the joint optimization of hyperparameters and architecture of Deep Neural Networks. The competence of the proposed model is validated on three publicly available datasets: Brain Tumor MRI dataset, Covid-19 Radiography database, and Breast Cancer MRI dataset, and by comparing it with selected models over different aspects of performance evaluation. Results show that the convergence rate of the proposed framework is very fast, and it achieves at least 97.28% accuracy across all the models.
Study of Structural and Optical Properties of Tl2Te3 Thermally Evaporation Thin Films
Authors: Salwa A. S.
Published: June 2022

The present work concerns the structure and optical studies of Tl2Te3 thin films prepared by the thermal evaporation technique at room temperature under a vacuum of 10−5Pa. X-ray diffraction proved the polycrystalline nature of all films. The crystallite size was calculated, and their values varied from 18.21 to 12.6 nm for different thicknesses. The optical properties of the Tl2Te3 thin films were measured in the wavelength range of 300–1200 nm. The results revealed that the films had a direct energy gap. The direct energy gap varied from 1.01 to 0.8 eV with film thicknesses. Other linear and nonlinear optical constants such as the refractive index, absorption index, dielectric constant, and dielectric relaxation time, were determined.
Age-associated reductions in cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity are exaggerated in middle-aged and older men with low testosterone
Authors: Babcock Matthew C. , DuBose Lyndsey E. , Hildreth Kerry L. , Stauffer Brian L. , Cornwell William K. , Kohrt Wendy M. , Moreau Kerrie L.
Published: June 2022

Middle-aged/older men with low testosterone have accelerated reductions in cardiovagal BRS compared with middle-aged/older men with normal testosterone. Increased concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 appear to contribute to the reductions in cardiovagal BRS in men with low testosterone.
Variation within the visually evoked neurovascular coupling response of the posterior cerebral artery is not influenced by age or sex
Authors: Leacy Jack K. , Johnson Emily M. , Lavoie Lauren R. , Macilwraith Diane N. , Bambury Megan , Martin Jason A. , Lucking Eric F. , Linares Andrea M. , Saran Gurkarn , Sheehan Dwayne P. , Sharma Nishan , Day Trevor A. , O’Halloran Ken D.
Published: June 2022

We assessed the variability within the neurovascular coupling response attributable to age and sex ( n = 125, 21–66 yr; 41 male). Based on the assessment of posterior cerebral artery responses to visual stimulation, 0%–6% of the variance observed within several metrics of NVC response magnitude are attributable to the combination of age and sex. Therefore, observed differences between age groups and/or sexes are likely a result of other physiological factors.
Personalized Teaching Strategy of University Ideology Course Based on Lagrange Neural Network and Big Data Technology
Authors: Zuo Jiqian , Zhou Fang , Liang Yajuan
Published: June 2022

Individualized instruction is a type of educational principle. On the one hand, it necessitates the creation of individualized teaching resources, courses, and methods. Students, on the other hand, require a high level of autonomy and the ability to make personalized plans based on their own cognitive characteristics and needs. The big data (BD) era opens up new possibilities for IE (ideological education) work in universities, but it also poses some challenges. IE development will be greatly aided by recognizing opportunities to meet challenges and optimizing and integrating PL (political lesson) resources. The LNN (Lagrange neural network) model has been established. The simulation results show that the LNN network can converge to the optimal solution quickly and effectively and then reconstruct sparse signals. Individualized college PL instruction using LNN and BD technology helps students communicate more effectively and improves the pertinence, immediacy, and positivity of IE.
Individualized Assessment and Therapeutic Intervention for Mental Health of American Postmodern Novelists
Authors: Qu Ningxia
Published: June 2022

Objective. Therapeutic intervention can improve the overall level of mental health of American postmodern fiction writers by improving their social communication skills and overall well-being. This paper discusses the application of art therapy in the mental health education of American postmodern novel creators and proves that expressive art therapy intervention is effective in improving the mental health level of American postmodern novel creators. Method. This article attempts to help American postmodernist novel creators understand their own mental health status by means of individualized assessment and therapeutic intervention and to analyze and discover their own potential mental health problems. The writers of postmodernist novels in the USA were measured and screened by means of scales and questionnaires, and the members who met the experimental intervention were divided into experimental group and control group, and the experimental group received a 30-day reception music therapy intervention. After the intervention, the data will be counted, and the quantitative and qualitative aspects will be analyzed to comprehensively evaluate the effect of the intervention. Results/Discussion. Receptive music therapy intervention has a significant effect in relieving the anxiety of American postmodernist novel creators and plays a positive role in helping American postmodernist novel creators better adapt to study life and build good emotional psychology and interpersonal relationships. Psychological counseling relies more on external forces to correct cognition and adjust psychology, while music therapy intervention, as a nonsemantic art, can arouse inner functions and mobilize the self-healing potential of American postmodern novel creators. Practice has proven that when the language intervention of traditional psychotherapy encounters resistance and silence, music as a special language plays a vital role. The nonlinguistic nature of music, through a mode of reproduction of sounds in nature, makes the beautiful and soothing melody stimulate a pleasant and peaceful psychological experience through human hearing.
[Retracted] Exploring Wavelet Transform‐Based Image Enhancement Algorithm for Image Restoration of Long March National Cultural Park
Authors: Wang Ruiming
Published: June 2022

China has taken the lead in exploring the construction of large‐scale public cultural parks. By restoring the relics of the Long March, we can further promote the spirit of the Red Army, inherit the red gene, contribute to national pride, and contribute to local economic development. A new community will be built with culture, education, tourism, and leisure as the main contents. System aberration, human interference, motion, and system noise can all lead to image quality degradation. Wavelet enhancement technique is to use Wiener filtering in the Fourier region, using other properties of wavelets for filtering. The wavelet analysis method was used to recover the images within the Long March National Park, and the corresponding processing was carried out to achieve a better recovery effect. Through comparative tests, it was found that the algorithm had an average reduction of 223 iterations and an average increase of 11.264 in signal‐to‐noise ratio when iterating, and the number of iterations was also greatly improved. The higher the wavelet coefficients are, the higher the noise is. This paper introduces a new wavelet transform‐based image restoration technique for national parks.
Effectiveness Evaluation of Physical Education Flipped Classroom Teaching Based on Knowledge Construction
Authors: Fang Ruijian , Yang Zhuo , He Yuchang , Wang Yaodong , Zhang Huiying
Published: June 2022

Traditional teaching methods have faced unprecedented challenges as a result of educational reform, but it also presents limitless opportunities. The development of the flipped classroom teaching mode provides inspiration for the development of a PE teaching mode. This paper connects PE teaching with the “flipped classroom” teaching mode and designs an evaluation system for PE flipped classroom teaching based on the perspective of knowledge construction. The weight values of the contents of all levels of the evaluation dimensions of classroom teaching effectiveness are established in this paper, as well as the conceptual model and data table structure of the system database. In addition, using literature, questionnaires, and case studies, this paper investigates the effectiveness and application ideas of the “flipped classroom” teaching mode in PE classes. Experiments show that this method has an evaluation accuracy of 95.37 percent, which is about 13 percent higher than traditional methods. It is feasible and practicable in some ways. Additionally, flipping the classroom can increase student engagement, improve test scores, and increase teacher satisfaction. This study is expected to promote the use of the “flipped classroom” teaching mode in PE classes at colleges and universities, thereby speeding up the reform of PE education.