bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic submucosal dissection for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: long-term results from a Western cohort
Authors: Beaufort Ilse N. , Frederiks Charlotte N. , Overwater Anouk , Brosens Lodewijk A.A. , Koch Arjun D. , Pouw Roos E. , Bergman Jacques J.G.H.M. , Weusten Bas L.A.M.
Published: February 2024

Background Although endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is established as first-choice treatment for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) worldwide, most data are derived from Asian studies. We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of ESD for patients with early ESCC in a Western cohort.

Methods In this retrospective cohort study, patients with early ESCC amenable to ESD were included from four tertiary referral hospitals in the Netherlands between 2012 and 2017. All ESD procedures were performed by experienced endoscopists, after which the decision for additional treatment was made on a per-patient basis. Outcomes were curative resection rate, ESCC-specific survival, and overall survival.

Results Of 68 included patients (mean age 69 years; 34 males), ESD was technically successful in 66 (97%; 95%CI 93%–100%), with curative resection achieved in 34/66 (52%; 95%CI 39%–64%). Among patients with noncurative resection, 15/32 (47%) underwent additional treatment, mainly esophagectomy (n = 10) or definitive chemoradiation therapy (n = 4). Endoscopic surveillance was preferred in 17/32 patients (53%), based on severe comorbidities or patient choice. Overall, 31/66 patients (47%) died during a median follow-up of 66 months; 8/31 (26%) were ESCC-related deaths. The 5-year overall and ESCC-specific survival probabilities were 62% (95%CI 52%–75%) and 86% (95%CI 77%–96%), respectively.

Conclusion In this Western cohort with long-term follow-up, the effectiveness and safety of ESD for early ESCC was confirmed, although the rate of noncurative resections was substantial. Irrespective of curative status, the long-term prognosis of these patients was limited mainly due to competing mortality.
Diagnostic Performance of 99mTc-Sestamibi SPECT/CT and
18F-Choline PET/CT in Locating Hyperfunctioning Parathyroid
Glands in Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Mandic Ante , Kraljevic Ivana , Skoric Polovina Tanja , Zibar Tomsic Karin , Dusek Tina , Balasko Annemarie , Solak Mirsala , Kastelan Darko
Published: February 2024

Objective This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of
99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT and 18F-choline PET/CT in
detecting hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in patients undergoing surgery for
primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).

Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent
PHPT-related surgery between April 2019 and May 2022. The study focused on
patients undergoing either 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT (81 patients) or
18F-choline PET/CT (33 patients) scans before surgery to pinpoint
hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland(s). In the majority of patients,
18F-choline PET/CT was performed after negative or inconclusive
findings on 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT. Pathohistological reports were
utilized as the reference standard for evaluating the accuracy of the imaging
findings.

Results The study encompassed 83 patients (70 females, 84.3%) with an
average age of 57.2 years (24–80 years). The pathohistological analysis
identified a total of 98 glands. In a per-lesion analysis, the detection rate of
99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT was 57% (95% CI 45.3–68.1), while the
detection rate of 18F-choline PET/CT was 90.3% (95% CI
74.3–98.0).

Conclusion The results of our study showed the significant usefulness of
18F-choline PET/CT in patients with negative or inconclusive
results of 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT in accurately locating
hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in PHPT patients.
Transition-Metal-Catalyzed C–H Activation Reactions for the Creation and Modification of Organic Fluorophores
Authors: Kapur Manmohan , Chand Tapasi
Published: February 2024

Organic fluorophores have consistently garnered significant interest owing to their widespread application across various multidisciplinary research fields. In the realm of biological research, these organic fluorophores find extensive use in diverse applications such as molecular imaging, DNA sequencing, drug discovery, and biosensors. Remarkably, in recent times, organic fluorescent molecules have emerged as pivotal elements in the advancement of organic electronics. Across several reaction pathways developed for constructing and modifying organic fluorophores, transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation reactions have come across as a dependable and step-economical approach. In this review we discuss various transition-metal-catalyzed C–H activation-based approaches that have been employed to create and modify organic fluorescent molecules which find applications in multidisciplinary research areas.

1 Introduction

2 Basic Reactions for the Creation of Organic Fluorophores

3 Merits and Drawbacks of Classical Reactions in the Creation and Modification of Organic Fluorophores

4 C–H Activation/Functionalization Reactions

5 C–H Activation Pathways in the Creation and Modification of Organic­ Fluorophores

5.1 Electrophilic C–H Activation Reactions

5.2 Heteroatom-Directed C–H Activation Reactions

6 Conclusion
Effect of Dorsal Preservation Techniques on Septum Strength: An Experimental Animal Study
Authors: Erol Ozan , Berber Veysel , Soto-Galindo Germán Armando , Apaydin Fazil
Published: February 2024

This experimental animal model study investigates the impact of different methods employed in preservation rhinoplasty (PR) on the strength of the nasal roof, focusing on three techniques: high strip, low strip, and intermediate strip. Using 15 lamb heads as surgical models, the study addresses key questions related to the strengths of each PR techniques, the influence of septal cartilage harvesting on septum strength, and the effectiveness of spreader grafts for stability. The research involves detailed dissection steps and measurements at various nasal points, evaluating the resistance at each stage. Results indicate that the low strip technique demonstrates the most significant reduction in strength. Furthermore, the combination of PR techniques with structural grafts, specifically spreader grafts, is assessed, revealing the classical rectangular spreader graft to be more effective in stabilizing the dorsum. Despite the limitation of using the lamb heads as models, this study offers valuable insights into the effects of PR on nasal septum strength and provides a foundation for further research on the biomechanics of preservation techniques.
Pflegekompetenzgesetz – Gehen vor Enthusiasmus die Potentiale der
Digitalisierung auf dem Weg verloren?
Authors: Aigner Johanna , Fischer Florian
Published: February 2024

Am 19.12.2023 stellten das Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, der Deutsche
Pflegerat und die Bundesärztekammer das Eckpunktepapier zum
Pflegekompetenzgesetz vor. Der Gesetzentwurf soll bis zum Sommer 2024
ausgearbeitet werden. Im Kern geht es um die Angleichung des rechtlichen
Entscheidungs- und Handlungsspielraums von Pflegefachpersonen an deren
vorhandene pflegefachliche Kompetenz. Die Reaktionen auf das Eckpunktepapier
waren überwiegend positiv. Zu wenig Beachtung finden allerdings die Anwendung
und Erweiterung pflegerischer Fachkompetenz mit Blick auf die zunehmenden
Möglichkeiten digitaler Unterstützung.
A single micro-LED manipulation system based on micro-gripper
Authors: Bai Jie , Niu Pingjuan , Gu Erdan , Li Jianming , Augustine TH Tee Clarence
Published: February 2024

Micro-LEDs (μLEDs) have advantages in terms of brightness, power consumption, and response speed. In addition, they can also be used as micro-sensors implanted in the body via flexible electronic skin. One of the key techniques involved in the fabrication of μLED-based devices is transfer printing. Although numerous methods have been proposed for transfer printing, improving the yield of μLED arrays is still a formidable task. In this paper, we propose a novel method for improving the yield of μLED arrays transferred by the stamping method, using an innovative design of piezoelectrically driven asymmetric micro-gripper. Traditional grippers are too large to manipulate μLEDs, and therefore two micro-sized cantilevers are added at the gripper tips. A μLED manipulation system is constructed based on the micro-gripper together with a three-dimensional positioning system. Experimental results using this system show that it can be used successfully to manipulate μLED arrays.
Role of nonlinear structures and associated turbulence generation dayside magnetosphere reconnection sites
Authors: Pathak Neha , Sharma Suresh C. , Patel Garima , Sharma R. P.
Published: February 2024

A numerical simulation is implemented to investigate the role of whistler wave in the presence of the ponderomotive force-driven density modification and the magnetic field perturbation due to preexisting magnetic islands. The dynamical equation governing the whistler waves is derived and solved using numerical methods to assess their role. The simulation produced results that revealed the nonlinear structures, confirming the system's turbulent characteristics. Moreover, we utilized a semi-analytical model, applying the paraxial approximation, to estimate the scale size of the current sheet, which was found to be between 2λe and λe. This measurement provides evidence of the presence of a superthin electron current sheet within reconnection sites. Qualitative consistency is established by comparing the simulation results with findings reported in the literature.
On the thermodynamics of plasticity during quasi-isentropic compression of metallic glass
Authors: Chen Kaiguo , Chen Bo , Cui Yinan , Yu Yuying , Yu Jidong , Geng Huayun , Kang Dongdong , Wu Jianhua , Shen Yao , Dai Jiayu
Published: February 2024

Entropy production in quasi-isentropic compression (QIC) is critically important for understanding the properties of materials under extreme conditions. However, the origin and accurate quantification of entropy in this situation remain long-standing challenges. In this work, a framework is established for the quantification of entropy production and partition, and their relation to microstructural change in QIC. Cu50Zr50 is taken as a model material, and its compression is simulated by molecular dynamics. On the basis of atomistic simulation-informed physical properties and free energy, the thermodynamic path is recovered, and the entropy production and its relation to microstructural change are successfully quantified by the proposed framework. Contrary to intuition, entropy production during QIC of metallic glasses is relatively insensitive to the strain rate γ̇ when γ̇ ranges from 7.5 × 108 to 2 × 109/s, which are values reachable in QIC experiments, with a magnitude of the order of 10−2kB/atom per GPa. However, when γ̇ is extremely high (>2×109/s), a notable increase in entropy production rate with γ̇ is observed. The Taylor–Quinney factor is found to vary with strain but not with strain rate in the simulated regime. It is demonstrated that entropy production is dominated by the configurational part, compared with the vibrational part. In the rate-insensitive regime, the increase in configurational entropy exhibits a linear relation to the Shannon-entropic quantification of microstructural change, and a stretched exponential relation to the Taylor–Quinney factor. The quantification of entropy is expected to provide thermodynamic insights into the fundamental relation between microstructure evolution and plastic dissipation.
Global well-posedness of solutions for 2-D Klein–Gordon equations with exponential nonlinearity
Authors: Lin Qiang , Pang Yue , Wang Xingchang , Xu Zhengsheng
Published: February 2024

This paper considers the global well-posedness of two-dimensional Klein–Gordon equations with exponential nonlinearity. By employing the potential well method, we conduct a comprehensive study on the global existence and finite time blowup of solutions by the requirement of the initial energy at three different initial energy levels.
Flexible structures enhance fluid mixing in a channel flow
Authors: Singh Gaurav , Senapati Arahata , Sharma Abhishek , Atta Arnab , Lakkaraju Rajaram
Published: February 2024

Early fluid mixing in channel flows without incurring much drop in the pressure head is desired in industrial applications. This study explores wall-mounted flexible plates as obstacles to enhance mixing in channel flows. Using fluid–structure-scalar interaction simulations, we investigate the oscillations of the flexible plates under the flow, which serve as a vortex generator and help increase the mixing. The channel flow involves a scalar field with distinct concentrations initially separated across the channel, gradually intermixing due to vortical structures of varying scales. We have used the “mixing index” and “head loss” metrics along the channel length to assess the mixing quality when plates with different flexibility (characterized by the Cauchy number, Ca) are used. This study introduces a comprehensive criterion, the “coefficient of performance,” derived by comparing mixing and head loss in the presence and absence of obstacles. Aggregating results across various Ca values reveal that flexible plates substantially improve fluid mixing compared to rigid plates. We have also investigated the effect of the pulsatile fluid inlet (quantified by Strouhal number, Stf) and found that lower inlet flow pulsation (Stf<32) adversely impacts mixing performance, recommending a steady inlet flow. However, at high Stf, specifically in the configuration with Ca = 0.06 and Stf = 32, the best mixing performance is achieved in the channel, which marginally outperforms the steady inlet case. The conclusive takeaways from this study are that the plates with increased flexibility result in better mixing, and high inlet pulsation can be employed to fine-tune the mixing performance for further enhancement.
Flow around a droplet suspended in a yield-stress fluid
Authors: Pourzahedi Ali , Chaparian Emad , Frigaard Ian A.
Published: February 2024

We investigate the minimal yield-stress required in order to hold static an ellipsoidal Newtonian droplet inside a yield-stress liquid. This critical limit (Yc) is influenced by the droplet aspect ratio (χ), the interfacial tension (γ), and the viscosity ratio (M) between the droplet and the surrounding liquid, as well as the ratio of the yield-stress to the buoyancy stress (Y). The droplet will remain trapped by the liquid yield-stress for Y>Yc. Our study bridges the gap in the published results between those calculated for bubbles (M→0) and the solid rigid particles (M→∞), being of practical use for those estimating the design of stable yield-stress emulsions. In general, the critical yield number increases with the interfacial tension and the droplet aspect ratio and will decrease with the droplet viscosity. For spherical droplets, our results computed for yield numbers below Yc suggest that the spherical shaped droplet may propagate in steady motion.
Controlling gas–liquid flow and enhancing heat transfer in a T-junction microchannel by wettability-engineered walls
Authors: Zhang Tongwei , Dong Fei , Li Meixuan , Wu Jie
Published: February 2024

Characteristics of gas–liquid flow and heat transfer in a cross-flow T-junction microchannel with wettability-engineered walls are numerically investigated in this paper. The validated diffuse interface method is adopted for interface capture. First, the effects of wall wettability on bubble formation and transportation are studied. Three flow patterns are observed due to different combinations of the bottom and the top wall contact angles. On this basis, two methods are proposed to enhance the heat transfer. One is to increase the two-phase interfacial contact area by dividing the microchannel into three functional regions, which can promote the heat exchange at the two-phase interface. The other is to increase the velocity fluctuation intensity by alternating the contact angle along the channel, which can enhance mixing between the hot liquid layer adjacent to the wall and the cool liquid core. These two methods are applicative for steady and unsteady problems, respectively. The flow states, velocity vectors, and streamlines are used to analyze the fluid and thermal mixing mechanism. Meanwhile, a quantitative comparison of the wall temperature is made at a given wall heat flux. The obtained results can provide fresh insights into the gas–liquid flow control and the heat transfer enhancement in a microchannel, which are valuable for the design of microreactors and radiators.
Ionic-resolution protoacoustic microscopy: A feasibility study
Authors: Pandey Prabodh Kumar , Gonzalez Gilberto , Cheong Frederick , Chen Ce-Belle , Bettiol Andrew A. , Chen Yong , Xiang Liangzhong
Published: February 2024

Visualizing micro- and nano-scale biological entities requires high-resolution imaging and is conventionally achieved via optical microscopic techniques. Optical diffraction limits their resolution to ∼200 nm. This limit can be overcome by using ions with ∼1 MeV energy. Such ions penetrate through several micrometers in tissues, and their much shorter de Broglie wavelengths indicate that these ion beams can be focused to much shorter scales and hence can potentially facilitate higher resolution as compared to the optical techniques. Proton microscopy with ∼1 MeV protons has been shown to have reasonable inherent contrast between sub-cellular organelles. However, being a transmission-based modality, it is unsuitable for in vivo studies and cannot facilitate three-dimensional imaging from a single raster scan. Here, we propose proton-induced acoustic microscopy (PrAM), a technique based on pulsed proton irradiation and proton-induced acoustic signal collection. This technique is capable of label-free, super-resolution, 3D imaging with a single raster scan. Converting radiation energy into ultrasound enables PrAM with reflection mode detection, making it suitable for in vivo imaging and probing deeper than proton scanning transmission ion microscopy (STIM). Using a proton STIM image of HeLa cells, a coupled Monte Carlo+k-wave simulations-based feasibility study has been performed to demonstrate the capabilities of PrAM. We demonstrate that sub-50 nm lateral (depending upon the beam size and energy) and sub-micron axial resolution (based on acoustic detection bandwidth and proton beam pulse width) can be obtained using the proposed modality. By enabling visualization of biological phenomena at cellular and subcellular levels, this high-resolution microscopic technique enhances understanding of intricate cellular processes.
Intermittent cryogen spray cooling coupled with cold air jet for heat transfer enhancement and cryogen saving of laser dermatology
Authors: Qenawy Mohamed , Chen Yiqi , Wang Junfeng , Tian Jiameng , Chen Bin
Published: February 2024

Laser dermatology has become a convenient technique for medical treatment. However, the epidermal temperature could be increased, leading to intolerable side effects. Cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is implemented to decrease epidermal damage, but the current CSC could increase cryogen wastage. In this study, the CSC is coupled with a cold air jet (CAJ) and is further subjected to intermittent strategy (ICSC) to mitigate film deposition, enhance heat transfer, and save cryogen consumption, through CAJ-to-spray interaction. The surface temperature is measured by a thin film type-T thermocouple, while the heat transfer is estimated by enhanced Duhamel theorem. The film intensity is captured by a digital single-lens reflex camera through the scattering-illumination technique. The results affirmed the benefits of using ICSC/ICSC-CAJ for laser dermatology. It demonstrated lower surface temperature, film intensity, and film resistance as well as higher convection and efficiency compared with CSC. ICSC-CAJ showed the lowest minimum temperature (1.8%–4.9% decrement) and film resistance (3.8%–17.5% decrement), the highest average convective coefficient (84%–92% increment) and efficiency (7%–9% increment) compared with ICSC. Lower frequency and moderate duties would be preferable for ICSC, while higher frequency and lower duties would be preferable for ICSC-CAJ. The efficiency increased with the saving (110% increment), which insights into our understanding of alternative enhancement toward cryogen saving strategy.
Review of Scientific Instruments New Products
Authors: Mandelis Andreas
Published: February 2024

In order to supplement manufacturers’ information, this department will welcome the submission by our readers of brief communications reporting measurements on the physical properties of materials that supersede earlier data or suggest new research applications.
Estimating surrogates, utility graphs and indicator sets for soil capacity and security assessments using legacy data
Authors: Ng Wartini , Evangelista Sandra J. , Padarian José , Pachon Julio , O’Donoghue Tom , Xue Peipei , Francos Nicolas , McBratney Alex B.
Published: February 2024

Context Legacy data from prior studies enable preliminary analysis for soil security assessment which will inform future research questions. Aims This study aims to utilise the soil security assessment framework (SSAF) to evaluate the capacity of soil in fulfilling various roles and understand the underlying drivers. Methods The framework entails: (1) defining a combination of role(s) × dimension(s) and identifying a target indicator (a soil property that can be used to evaluate a particular role × dimension combination) or a surrogate indicator (an alternative indicator when there is not a clear target indicator); (2) transforming the indicator into a unitless score (ranging from 0 to 1) using a utility graph based on expert knowledge; (3) fitting the remaining soil properties (potential indicators) into utility graphs and weighing them using (a) ordination and (b) regression method. The application of this framework is demonstrated in evaluating two soil roles: nutrient storage and habitat for biodiversity (with pH and microbial DNA Shannon’s diversity index as surrogates, respectively) for an area in the lower Hunter Valley region, New South Wales, Australia. Key results The regression model provides utility estimates that were similar to those obtained from surrogates, in comparison to the utility derived from the ordination model. Conclusions This study provides a methodological pathway to examine the capacity and drivers of fulfilling different soil roles. The standardisation of this method opens the door to a complete quantification under the SSAF. Implications Indicators derived from a legacy dataset can be used for soil security assessment.
Density functional theory for doped TiO2: current research strategies and advancements
Authors: Zavatski Siarhei , Neilande Elina , Bandarenka Hanna , Popov Anatoli , Piskunov Sergei , Bocharov Dmitry
Published: February 2024

Since the inception of the density functional theory (DFT) by Hohenberg and Kohn in 1964, it rapidly became an indispensable theoretical tool across various disciplines, such as chemistry, biology, and materials science, among others. This theory has ushered in a new era of computational research, paving the way for substantial advancements in fundamental understanding. Today, DFT is routinely employed for a diverse range of applications, such as probing new material properties and providing a profound understanding of the mechanisms underlying physical, chemical, and biological processes. Even after decades of active utilization, the improvement of DFT principles has never been slowed down, meaning that more accurate theoretical results are continuously generated with time. This work highlights the latest achievements acquired by DFT in the specific research field, namely the theoretical investigations of doped TiO2 systems, which have not been comprehensively reviewed and summarized yet. Successful progress in this niche is currently hard to imagine without the support by DFT. It can accurately reveal new TiO2 properties after introducing the desired dopant and help to find the optimal system design for a specific application prior to proceeding to more time-consuming and expensive experimental research. Hence, by evaluating a selection of the most recent research studies, we aim to highlight the pertinent aspects of DFT as they relate to the study of doped TiO2 systems. We also aim to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of DFT and present the primary strategies employed thus far to predict the properties of various doped TiO2 systems reliably.
Voxel-wise dose rate calculation in clinical pencil beam scanning proton therapy
Authors: Daartz Juliane , Madden Thomas M , Lalonde Arthur , Cascio Ethan , Verburg Joost , Shih Helen , MacDonald Shannon , Hachadorian Rachael , Schuemann Jan
Published: February 2024

Objective. Clinical outcomes after proton therapy have shown some variability that is not fully understood. Different approaches have been suggested to explain the biological outcome, but none has yet provided a comprehensive and satisfactory rationale for observed toxicities. The relatively recent transition from passive scattering (PS) to pencil beam scanning (PBS) treatments has significantly increased the voxel-wise dose rate in proton therapy. In addition, the dose rate distribution is no longer uniform along the cross section of the target but rather highly heterogeneous, following the spot placement. We suggest investigating dose rate as potential contributor to a more complex proton RBE model. Approach. Due to the time structure of the PBS beam delivery the instantaneous dose rate is highly variable voxel by voxel. Several possible parameters to represent voxel-wise dose rate for a given clinical PBS treatment plan are detailed. These quantities were implemented in the scripting environment of our treatment planning system, and computations experimentally verified. Sample applications to treated patient plans are shown. Main results. Computed dose rates we experimentally confirmed. Dose rate maps vary depending on which method is used to represent them. Mainly, the underlying time and dose intervals chosen determine the topography of the resultant distributions. The maximum dose rates experienced by any target voxel in a given PBS treatment plan in our system range from ∼100 to ∼450 Gy(RBE)/min, a factor of 10–100 increase compared to PS. These dose rate distributions are very heterogeneous, with distinct hot spots. Significance. Voxel-wise dose rates for current clinical PBS treatment plans vary greatly from clinically established practice with PS. The exploration of different dose rate measures to evaluate potential correlations with observed clinical outcomes is suggested, potentially adding a missing component in the understanding of proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE).
Impact of MRI RF coil design on the RF-induced heating of medical implants: fixed B
1
+
rms exposure versus normal operating mode
Authors: Yao Aiping , Li Zihan , Ma Mingjuan
Published: February 2024

A direct comparison of the impact of RF coil design under specific absorption rate and

B
1
+

rms

limitations are investigated and quantified using RF coils of different geometries and topologies at 64 MHz and 128 MHz. The RF-induced in vivo electric field and power deposition of a 50 cm long pacemaker and 55 cm long deep brain stimulator (DBS) are evaluated within two anatomical models exposed with these RF coils. The associated uncertainty is quantified and analyzed under a fixed

B
1
+

rms

incident and normal operating mode. For a fixed

B
1
+

rms

incident, the in vivo incident field shows a much higher uncertainty (>5.6 dB) to the RF coil diameter compared to other design parameters (e.g. <2.2 dB for coil length and topology), while the associated uncertainty reduced greatly (e.g. <1.5 dB) under normal operating mode exposure. Similar uncertainties are observed in the power deposition near the pacemaker and DBS electrode. Compared to the normal operating mode, applying a fixed

B
1
+

rms

field to the untested implant will lead to a large variation in the induced incident and power deposition of the implant, as a result, a larger safe margin when different coil designs (e.g. coil diameter) are considered.
MDT: semi-supervised medical image segmentation with mixup-decoupling training
Authors: Long Jianwu , Ren Yan , Yang Chengxin , Ren Pengcheng , Zeng Ziqin
Published: February 2024

Objective. In the field of medicine, semi-supervised segmentation algorithms hold crucial research significance while also facing substantial challenges, primarily due to the extreme scarcity of expert-level annotated medical image data. However, many existing semi-supervised methods still process labeled and unlabeled data in inconsistent ways, which can lead to knowledge learned from labeled data being discarded to some extent. This not only lacks a variety of perturbations to explore potential robust information in unlabeled data but also ignores the confirmation bias and class imbalance issues in pseudo-labeling methods. Approach. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a semi-supervised medical image segmentation method ‘mixup-decoupling training (MDT)’ that combines the idea of consistency and pseudo-labeling. Firstly, MDT introduces a new perturbation strategy ‘mixup-decoupling’ to fully regularize training data. It not only mixes labeled and unlabeled data at the data level but also performs decoupling operations between the output predictions of mixed target data and labeled data at the feature level to obtain strong version predictions of unlabeled data. Then it establishes a dual learning paradigm based on consistency and pseudo-labeling. Secondly, MDT employs a novel categorical entropy filtering approach to pick high-confidence pseudo-labels for unlabeled data, facilitating more refined supervision. Main results. This paper compares MDT with other advanced semi-supervised methods on 2D and 3D datasets separately. A large number of experimental results show that MDT achieves competitive segmentation performance and outperforms other state-of-the-art semi-supervised segmentation methods. Significance. This paper proposes a semi-supervised medical image segmentation method MDT, which greatly reduces the demand for manually labeled data and eases the difficulty of data annotation to a great extent. In addition, MDT not only outperforms many advanced semi-supervised image segmentation methods in quantitative and qualitative experimental results, but also provides a new and developable idea for semi-supervised learning and computer-aided diagnosis technology research.
Early bolt looseness monitoring using the leading waves energy in piezoelectric active sensing
Authors: Wang Tao , Wang Hu , Yang Dan , Tan Bohai , Deng Shaohua , Lu Guangtao
Published: February 2024

Bolt monitoring plays a vital role in ensuring the safe operation of engineering structures. The utilization of piezoelectric (PZT) active sensing and analysis of ultrasonic energy transmitted through the interface of bolted connections has demonstrated high feasibility for monitoring bolt looseness. However, the ultrasonic energy saturation effect (i.e. the response signal energy changes slightly as the bolt preload variation) near the rated bolt preload restricts its applicability in early detection of bolt loosening. In this paper, for the energy saturation in the PZT active sensing method, a new bolt looseness indicator with the energy of leading waves (i.e. the first several wave packets) in the response signal is proposed for bolt loosening monitoring, especially for the early bolt loosening monitoring since the energy of the leading wave packets has the linear relationship with bolt preload. The experimental results show that the energy of the first several wave packets in the response signals can be as a looseness indicator of bolt preload. Within the entire range of bolt preload, the indicator exhibits a linear relationship with the bolt preload. Moreover, this method successfully resolves the challenge of energy saturation, providing an effective approach for monitoring bolt preload.
Searching for the light leptophilic gauge boson Z

x
via four-lepton final states at the CEPC*
Authors: Yue 岳 Chong-Xing 崇兴 , Li 李 Yan-Yu 妍钰 , Wang 王 Mei-Shu-Yu 美舒羽 , Zhang 张 Xin-Meng 欣蒙
Published: February 2024

We investigate the possibility of detecting the leptophilic gauge boson

predicted by the

model via the processes

and

at the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC) with a center of mass energy

GeV and luminosity

. We provide the expected sensitivities of the CEPC to the parameter space at the

,

,

, and

levels.
Plasma density enhancement in radio-frequency hollow electrode discharge
Authors: HE 贺 Liuliang 柳良 , (何锋) Feng HE , (欧阳吉庭) Jiting OUYANG
Published: February 2024

The plasma density enhancement outside hollow electrodes in capacitively coupled radio-frequency (RF) discharges is investigated by a two-dimensional (2D) particle-in-cell/Monte-Carlo collision (PIC/MCC) model. Results show that plasma exists inside the cavity when the sheath inside the hollow electrode hole is fully collapsed, which is an essential condition for the plasma density enhancement outside hollow electrodes. In addition, the existence of the electron density peak at the orifice is generated via the hollow cathode effect (HCE), which plays an important role in the density enhancement. It is also found that the radial width of bulk plasma at the orifice affects the magnitude of the density enhancement, and narrow radial plasma bulk width at the orifice is not beneficial to obtain high-density plasma outside hollow electrodes. Higher electron density at the orifice, combined with larger radial plasma bulk width at the orifice, causes higher electron density outside hollow electrodes. The results also imply that the HCE strength inside the cavity cannot be determined by the magnitude of the electron density outside hollow electrodes.
No Increase in Masked Hypertension Prevalence in Children With Sickle Cell Disease in France
Authors: Bokov Plamen , Koehl Berengere , Benzouid Chérine , Verlhac Suzanne , Missud Florence , Benkerrou Malika , Delclaux Christophe
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

An important prevalence (32%–45%) of masked hypertension has been reported in children with sickle cell disease (SCD). Stroke screening is well established using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound. The objectives of our proof-of-concept study in childhood SCD were to evaluate the prevalence of hypertension and its relationships with cerebral vasculopathy (TCD velocity) and to further evaluate in a subgroup of children the correlations of cardiovascular autonomic nervous system indices with TCD velocity.

METHODS

Ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) and TCD velocity were obtained in children with SCD and in a restricted sample, cardiac sympathovagal balance using heart rate variability analyses, baroreflex sensitivity, and pulse wave velocity were measured.

RESULTS

In 41 children with SCD (median age 14.0 years, 19 girls, SS/Sβ + thalassemia/SC: 33/2/6), ABPM results showed masked hypertension in 2/41 (5%, 95% confidence interval, 0–11) children, consistent with the prevalence in the general pediatric population, elevated blood pressure (BP) in 4/41 (10%) children, and a lack of a normal nocturnal dip in 19/41 children (46%). Children with increased TCD velocity had lower nocturnal dipping of systolic BP. In the 10 participants with extensive cardiovascular assessment, increased TCD velocity was associated with parasympathetic withdrawal and baroreflex failure. Exaggerated orthostatic pressor response or orthostatic hypertension was observed in 7/10 children that was linked to parasympathetic withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS

Autonomic nervous system dysfunction, namely loss of parasympathetic modulation, of SCD contributes to increase TCD velocity but is not associated with an increased prevalence of masked hypertension.

CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION

NCT04911049.
Highly efficient clustering of long-read transcriptomic data with GeLuster
Authors: Ma Junchi , Zhao Xiaoyu , Qi Enfeng , Han Renmin , Yu Ting , Li Guojun
Published: February 2024

Motivation

The advancement of long-read RNA sequencing technologies leads to a bright future for transcriptome analysis, in which clustering long reads according to their gene family of origin is of great importance. However, existing de novo clustering algorithms require plenty of computing resources.

Results

We developed a new algorithm GeLuster for clustering long RNA-seq reads. Based on our tests on one simulated dataset and nine real datasets, GeLuster exhibited superior performance. On the tested Nanopore datasets it ran 2.9–17.5 times as fast as the second-fastest method with less than one-seventh of memory consumption, while achieving higher clustering accuracy. And on the PacBio data, GeLuster also had a similar performance. It sets the stage for large-scale transcriptome study in future.

Availability and implementation

GeLuster is freely available at https://github.com/yutingsdu/GeLuster.
Protein language models meet reduced amino acid alphabets
Authors: Ieremie Ioan , Ewing Rob M , Niranjan Mahesan
Published: February 2024

Motivation

Protein language models (PLMs), which borrowed ideas for modelling and inference from natural language processing, have demonstrated the ability to extract meaningful representations in an unsupervised way. This led to significant performance improvement in several downstream tasks. Clustering amino acids based on their physical–chemical properties to achieve reduced alphabets has been of interest in past research, but their application to PLMs or folding models is unexplored.

Results

Here, we investigate the efficacy of PLMs trained on reduced amino acid alphabets in capturing evolutionary information, and we explore how the loss of protein sequence information impacts learned representations and downstream task performance. Our empirical work shows that PLMs trained on the full alphabet and a large number of sequences capture fine details that are lost in alphabet reduction methods. We further show the ability of a structure prediction model(ESMFold) to fold CASP14 protein sequences translated using a reduced alphabet. For 10 proteins out of the 50 targets, reduced alphabets improve structural predictions with LDDT-Cα differences of up to 19%.

Availability and implementation

Trained models and code are available at github.com/Ieremie/reduced-alph-PLM.
531 - Physician-assessed effectiveness and patient-reported outcomes in adult and adolescent patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab: real-world insights 1 year into the GLOBOSTAD multinational prospective observational study
Authors: Ferrucci Silvia M , Calzavara-Pinton Piergiacomo , Murrell Dédée F , Fougerousse Anne-Claire , Karlova Iva , Lapeere Hilde , Holzer Gregor , Al-Ahmad Mona , Chu Chia-Yu , Foti Caterina , Pérez-García Bibiana , Wu Jiangming , Ardeleanu Marius , Bosman Kwinten
Published: February 2024

Introduction

The GLOBOSTAD study aims to assess the extended real-world effectiveness of dupilumab in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) receiving dupilumab as part of their normal care.

Objectives

To report patient-reported outcomes and physician-­assessed AD clinical measures for evaluating disease characteristics, severity, and treatment effectiveness 1 year after initiating dupilumab treatment.

Methods

This 5-year, multinational, prospective, observational study (NCT03992417) enrolled patients aged ≥12 years with moderate-to-severe AD. Patients received dupilumab based on country-specific prescribing information. Assessments were performed at baseline, 3 months (± 1 month), 6 months (± 2 months), and 12 months (± 2 months). Data are reported as observed for enrollment/safety (N = 955; data cutoff: March 2023) and follow-up (N = 903) populations including 13 adolescent patients with AD (≥12 and <18 years old).

Results

In this study, 758/863/705 patients completed ≥1 follow-up assessment at 3 months/6 months/12 months, respectively. During the study the mean (standard deviation [SD]) Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI; >21 = severe; ≤7 = mild/no disease) scores decreased from 25.1 (12.8) at baseline to 6.1 (8.0) at 3 months, 4.6 (6.4) at 6 months and sustaining throughout the observation period [12 months; 4.2 (8.4)]. Mean Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (SD) improved from 19.7 (6.4) at baseline descending to 8.7 (6.6) at 3 months, 7.7 (6.0) at 6 months and 7.1 (5.8) at 12 months. A significant improvement was also observed in Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) from 13.7 (7.1) to 5.3 (5.1) to 4.4 (4.4) to 3.9 (4.2); and children’s DLQI from 12.2 (6.2) to 2.7 (2.9) to 2.9 (3.0) to 4.8 (4.8) by the end of the 3, 6 and 12-months observational period respectively. Dupilumab-related adverse events were reported in 187 (20.8%) patients.

Conclusions

In a real-world scenario, the initiation of dupilumab treatment led to early and sustained improvements in AD outcome measures throughout the 1-year observational period. Safety data remained consistent with findings from previous studies.
553 - Tralokinumab real-world patient-reported outcomes in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis adult patients in the United States: 6-month interim analysis
Authors: Lio Peter , Kim Yestle , Balu Sanjeev , Costantino Halley , Bates Dawn , Rene Cassandra , Lopez Amanda , Soung Jennifer
Published: February 2024

Introduction/Background

Tralokinumab, an IL-13 targeted biologic approved in the United States (US) for adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), improved patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in clinical trials and after 4 weeks of use in the real-world setting.

Objectives

This 6-month interim analysis evaluated the real-world impact of tralokinumab on PROs in adult patients.

Methods

This is an interim analysis of an ongoing 52-week patient survey study enrolling US AD patients from the AdbryTM AdvocateTM Program. Patients completed the baseline survey close to tralokinumab initiation. Data on demographics and PROs including weekly itch numeric rating scale (NRS), eczema-related weekly sleep NRS, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM-9) were collected. Percent and absolute changes from baseline to 6 months of treatment were calculated. Outcomes are stratified by previous dupilumab use. The percentage of patients experiencing minimal clinically important difference (MCID) was also calculated for itch NRS (3-point reduction) and DLQI (4-point reduction).

Results

As of May 2023, 102 patients completed baseline, 1-month, and 6-month surveys. Of these, 59.8% were female, mean age was 44.2 years (SD=15.7), 82.4% were white, and 85.3% had private insurance. 84.3% were previously treated with topical corticosteroids (TCS) and 52.9% were dupilumab-experienced patients. Over 6 months, there was an improvement in the mean sleep interference NRS (40%), average weekly itch NRS (39%), worst weekly itch NRS (33%), PO-SCORAD (37%), and DLQI (52%). There were improvements in mean TSQM-9 global satisfaction (11.06 points), TSQM-9 convenience (3.92 points), and TSQM-9 effectiveness (14.60 points) scores. Median MCIDs were met by 57.1% on the sleep interference NRS, 51.7% of patients on the average weekly itch NRS, 50.0% on the worst weekly itch NRS, and 68.7% on the DLQI. Relative to the dupilumab-experienced cohort, the dupilumab-naïve patients showed markedly improved outcomes [median MCIDs of 65.6% v 48.4% on sleep NRS; 59.5% v 44.4% on average weekly itch NRS; 61.4% v 39.6% on worst weekly itch NRS; 61.4% v 35.3% on PO-SCORAD; and 75.6% v 61.9% on DLQI].

Conclusions

This 6-month interim analysis shows that tralokinumab improved quality of life outcomes related to itch, sleep, and treatment satisfaction when used either in dupilumab-naïve or in dupilumab-experienced patients. These patients will continue to be followed for up to 52 weeks of treatment with tralokinumab.
Risk factors for multimodal conservative approach failure before bariatric surgery
Authors: Jaeger Pia , Mortier Marie , Alhazmi Ahmad , Gaeb Marlon , Senkal Metin
Published: February 2024

Background

A multimodal conservative approach (MCA) is internationally recommended prior to bariatric surgery for the majority of patients. This research aimed to identify risk factors for therapy failure within the MCA.

Methods

This study was conducted in a German bariatric obesity centre. Patients who underwent a 3- to 6-month preoperative MCA from November 2019 to October 2020 were prospectively recorded and analysed. MCA included dietary and movement therapy, psychological and endocrinological referral and connection to a patient support group. The change in BMI was considered the main parameter for therapeutic success. Explanatory factors were evaluated for this outcome of interest and included physical and mental well-being (SF-36), perceived stress (DASS-21), social and economic situation and educational background (SOEP).

Results

Out of 413 eligible patients, 209 were analysed. Overall, patients gained BMI (average gain 0.23 kg/m² (s.d. 1.44 kg/m²)) during the preoperative MCA. Diverse social, demographic and economic and health properties did not influence the course of the therapy. There was a significant positive correlation between successful loss of BMI and physical well-being (β = 0.03, 95% c.i. 0.01 to 0.04, P < 0.0001) and a negative correlation between mental well-being (β = −0.02, 95% c.i. −0.004 to −0.001, P = 0.001) as well as self-perceived stress (β = −0.05, 95% c.i. −0.09 to −0.01, P = 0.019), although these effects were small and did not affect the overall trend of gaining BMI during MCA.

Conclusion

The current therapeutic approach of preoperative conservative treatment within the multimodal concept of bariatric treatment fails to achieve its intended outcome. A different conservative weight loss programme from the pre-bariatric setting, which should focus on a surgical preparation, is therefore recommended.