bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MobileTrack: Siamese efficient mobile network for high‐speed UAV tracking
Authors: Xue Yuanliang , Jin Guodong , Shen Tao , Tan Lining , Yang Jing , Hou Xiaohan
Published: June 2022

Recently, Siamese‐based trackers have drawn amounts of attention in visual tracking field because of their excellent performance. However, visual object tracking on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles platform encounters difficulties under circumstances such as small objects and similar objects interference. Most existing tracking methods for aerial tracking adopt deeper networks or inefficient policies to promote performance, but most trackers can hardly meet real‐time requirements on mobile platforms with limited computing resources. Thus, in this work, an efficient and lightweight siamese tracker (MobileTrack) is proposed for high‐time Unmanned Aerial Vehicles tracking, realising the balance between performance and speed. Firstly, a lightweight convolutional network (D‐MobileNet) is designed to enhance the characterisation ability of small objects. Secondly, an efficient object‐aware module is proposed for local cross‐channel information exchange, enhancing the feature information of the tracking object. Besides, an anchor‐free region proposal network is introduced to predict the object pixel by pixel. Finally, deep and shallow feature information is fully utilised by cascading multiple anchor‐free region proposal networks for accurate locating and robust tracking. Extensive experiments on the three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles benchmarks show that the proposed tracker achieves outstanding performance while keeping a beyond‐real‐time speed.
Spaceborne pose determination based on image to 3D digital surface model matching
Authors: Chang Xing , Yang Guiqin , Chen Jiayu , Wang Xiaopeng , Jiang Zhanjun
Published: June 2022

Developing an accurate onboard‐camera pose estimation is one major challenge of satellite systems, and the attempt of improving remote sensing camera pose accuracy never ceases. The camera pose can be recovered by aligning a captured 2D image and a 3D digital surface model of the corresponding scene. In this paper, a novel camera pose estimation method from captured images with the over known real scene 3D products is proposed to enhance remote sensing camera attitude accuracy. The purpose of this estimation is to determine the pose of a camera purely from an image based on a known 3D model, where 3D products of very high spatial resolution are projected onto image space by virtual camera system with error‐contained initial exterior orientation parameters, and whether the pose of the camera can be determined precisely depends on the 2D–3D registration result. The process consists of two steps: (1) feature extraction and (2) similarity measure and registration. Furthermore, the proposed method revises the rotation matrix and translation vector by utilizing formulation based on quaternion representation of rotation, respectively. We evaluate our method on challenging simulation data and results show that acceptable accuracy of camera pose can be achieved.
Advanced post‐impact safety and stability control for electric vehicles
Authors: Ao Di , Li Jialin , Zhang Lin , Hong Jinlong
Published: June 2022

In terms of the possible secondary or multiple events accidents (MEA) after an initial vehicle to vehicle (V2V) impact, this research proposes an active safety & stability controller for independent‐driven electric vehicles towards recovering the vehicle to safety states after an impact. The controller aims to regulate the course angle and lateral deviation that enforce the vehicle back to its original driving path. The upper‐level controller is derived based on sliding mode technique. And the low‐level controller aims to solve a convex quadratic allocation problem, which inherently incorporates fault‐tolerance property. The independent in‐wheel‐motor (IWM) fault is very likely to happen under a real V2V impact and it contributes much to the driving safety & stability. Two typical real‐end‐collision scenarios under low‐ and high longitudinal velocities are designed to verify the proposed controller performance. The low‐ and high velocities collisions aim to simulate the urban and highway accidents, respectively. Compared to other control methods, i.e. pure braking and static allocation, the RMSEs of safety (lateral deviation, course angle) and stability indexes (yaw rate, sideslip angle) under proposed controller reduce significantly both in urban and highway accidents. Moreover, the controller performs robust enough against the impact‐induced IWM fault. It further supports the effectiveness at dealing with the safety and stability of the ego vehicle after an initial impact and prevent possible MEA.
A multi‐channel geometric algebra residual network for traffic data prediction
Authors: Zang Di , Chen Xihao , Lei Juntao , Wang Zengqiang , Zhang Junqi , Cheng Jiujun , Tang Keshuang
Published: June 2022

Traffic data prediction offers a significant way to evaluate the future traffic congestion status; many deep learning based approaches have been widely applied in this field. Most current methods only consider short‐term traffic data forecasting; however, long‐term prediction, which supports the optimized distribution of traffic resources, is not well studied. Besides, multiple traffic parameters enable stronger constraints for the data estimation, but the correlation between them in both spatial and temporal domains has not been efficiently learned. Geometric algebra, as a generalization of linear algebra, provides a framework to encode multidimensional data and analyze the correlation. By combining the advantages of the deep neural network and geometric algebra, a multi‐channel geometric algebra residual network (MGAResNet) is proposed to address the problem of long‐term traffic data prediction. Traffic data obtained from two urban expressways are employed and experimental results demonstrate that the approach outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art work.
A new complexity reduction scheme in selective mapping‐based visible light communication direct current‐biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems
Authors: Gunturu Chakravarthy , Valluri Sivaprasad
Published: June 2022

Visible light communication (VLC) has emerged as a good accompaniment to radio‐frequency (RF) technologies by deploying multicarrier schemes such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). However, the coherent summation of carriers in the OFDM system leads to a high peak‐to‐average‐power ratio (PAPR), causing non‐linear clipping distortion at the transmitting light‐emitting diode. This intricacy becomes a potential barrier for intensity modulation and limits the VLC systems' bandwidth. In the literature, non‐distorting PAPR lowering approaches, such as the selective mapping (SLM) approach, have been confirmed as the most effective strategy for reducing ineludible high PAPR in optical OFDM systems among all other available techniques. Besides its astounding performance, the computational complexity also becomes a major complication in SLM due to the generation of multiple candidates. This paper proposes a computational complexity minimisation approach using inherit system properties in the SLM‐based PAPR suppression method for VLC systems, where the phase sequence vectors are considered periodic. The alternative direct current‐biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing candidates for the single frequency‐domain data block are generated with the periodic phase rotation vector. The evaluation of the complexity analysis and the simulation results shows that the mitigation of computational complexity surpasses the standard SLM technique.
A robust sparsity‐based tri‐iterative space‐time adaptive processing method for airborne radar
Authors: Zhang Shuguang , Wang Tong , Xiao Hao , Liu Cheng
Published: June 2022

To enhance the system performance of airborne radar in a limited‐sample environment, a robust sparsity‐based tri‐iterative space‐time adaptive processing (RSBTI‐STAP) method is proposed here. First, the proposed RSBTI‐STAP method constructs the clutter dictionary matrix by exploiting the a priori knowledge of radar platform. Next, the clutter representation coefficient, array error and weighted vectors are iteratively updated until convergence so as to obtain the estimated values of these three parameters. Finally, combined with the estimated clutter representation coefficient and array error vectors, the STAP weight vector is calculated for the purpose of clutter suppression. The proposed method can be robust to the array amplitude/phase error and can be free of the hyperparameters. Additionally, it does not need the training samples and has the global convergent properties. Numerical experiments based on the simulated data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed RSBTI‐STAP method.
ShapePipe: A modular weak-lensing processing and analysis pipeline
Authors: Farrens S. , Guinot A. , Kilbinger M. , Liaudat T. , Baumont L. , Jimenez X. , Peel A. , Pujol A. , Schmitz M. , Starck J.-L. , Vitorelli A. Z.
Published: June 2022

We present the first public release ofShapePipe, an open-source and modular weak-lensing measurement, analysis, and validation pipeline written in Python. We describe the design of the software and justify the choices made. We provide a brief description of all the modules currently available and summarise how the pipeline has been applied to real Ultraviolet Near-Infrared Optical Northern Survey data. Finally, we mention plans for future applications and development. The code and accompanying documentation are publicly available on GitHub.
Fast Setting, Low Carbon Infrastructure Rehabilitation Using Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate (BCSA) Concrete
Authors: Deo Omkar , Win Deborah , Bhuskute Neel , Chung Danny , deOcampo Nick , Bescher Eric
Published: June 2022

Rapid-setting binders such as Belitic Calcium Sulfoaluminate (BCSA) are increasingly important as the demand for rehabilitation and fast return to service of roads and bridges grows. Speed of construction, low shrinkage, and low carbon footprint are the key features of BCSA concrete. The binder was first developed in the United States in the mid-seventies. It allows pavement, bridge decks or other concrete infrastructure to be replaced and returned to service in a matter of hours. BCSA concrete slabs placed at the Seattle International Airport (SEA) in the 1990s are still in service 20 years later. The binder also allows innovation in pavement design. Taking advantage of the low shrinkage of BCSA concrete, a single 40 ft x 40 ft airport slab without joints was placed at this airport, as an alternative to the placement of four contiguous conventional-size portland slabs. BCSA was also to be the basis for the design of various rapid-setting performance-engineered concretes, such as low-permeability or UHPC concrete. This paper will review recent concrete applications based on BCSA cement, and the opportunities they offer in building a more resilient, lower carbon concrete infrastructure.
The carbonation and chloride penetration along highway concrete structures in a South alpine space
Authors: Paglia Christian , Antonietti Samuel
Published: June 2022

Reinforced concrete structures are subjected to atmospheric agents during time. The cyclic exposure to natural parameters such as temperature, wind, rain and snowfall may emphasize the detrimental effect on structures. The different types of infrastructure may also be exposed to artificial phenomena such as, salt spreading, splashing of salt containing water or leaching effects. These phenomena contribute to the degradation of cementitious material, and the main induced mechanisms are carbonation and chloride ingress into the structures. Many types of structure such as tunnels, underpasses, walls, bridges and manholes have been investigated along a 11 km long highway close to the Alps in their South part. The aim of the study was to clarify the extent of carbonation and chloride ingress, as well as their relationship over a 40 year period. The mean climatic parameters were also registered over the years. Generally, the structures exhibited a different behaviour. The carbonation was maximal in tunnels and underpasses. A generalyl high chloride content was found for all artefacts, well beyond the 0.025 % referred to the concrete mass up to 0.400 %. The tunnels exhibited both high mean carbonation and chloride content, while all other structures indicated a slight correlation between high chloride content and low carbonation. These latter parameters were also influenced by processes such as leaching, splashing and indirect exposure to the degrading agents
Research on custom-tailored swimming goggles applied to the internet
Authors: Bai Xiaobo , Wu Kai , Qin Song , Wang Yi , Yang Qian
Published: June 2022

Custom-tailored designs have attracted increasing attention from both consumers and manufacturers due to increasingly intense market competition. We propose and verify a method for custom designing swimming goggles that is suitable for use on the Internet. Twenty-five points representing head features were first identified, and the relationship between these points and the size of the goggles were confirmed. The correct position for photography was then experimentally determined, and a camera-position corrector was designed and manufactured. A three-dimensional (3D) scanning model was divided into 18 planes based on the feature points, and the contour curve of the surface on each plane was extracted. Secondly a Hermite interpolation curve was then used to describe the contour curve for the head, and a parametric 3D head model was established. The method of using orthographic photographs with patches to obtain 3D data was summarized to determine the size of the user’s head, and a 3D model of the user’s head and the 3D model of the goggles were established. Lastly, we developed an algorithm for eliminating errors in the photographs. We also produced an operational flowchart for an application (APP) following the research approaches and then determined the page structure of the APP based on the flowchart to verify the validity of our proposed method and ultimately to establish an APP for interactively designing swimming goggles. The entire APP operation process was completed using a volunteer as an experimental subject when a model for custom-tailored goggles was obtained. The model was then processed and applied using 3D printing. The volunteer confirmed the model by declaring that the goggles were comfortable to wear and perfectly positioned on his face, thereby verifying the validity of the method.
Effect of build direction and surface finish on wear behavior of AlSi10Mg alloy casted by laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Angolkar Pooja , Hussian Manzoor
Published: June 2022

In this research the Al10SiMg alloy were printed with different build direction (horizontal, vertical and inclined) using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) method. The primary aim of this present study was to investigate the effect of build direction and surface finish condition on wear behavior of laser powder bed fusion printed AlSi10Mg alloy. The significance of printing direction and surface finish was revealed via wear behavior using pin-on-disc. According to the results the horizontally casted alloy shows lesser surface roughness. Subsequently the rough finished AlSi10Mg alloy on to the abrasive surface produced less wear loss. The fine finished alloy produced higher wear loss due to adhesion and erosion wear loss mechanism. Overall the horizontally casted cum rough finished AlSi10Mg alloy showed better wear resistance than other print direction and surface finish condition. The optical microscope and scanning electron microscope worn surface morphology confirmed the scar formation on fine finished AlSi10Mg alloy. These wear resistance improved AlSi10Mg alloy could be used as building material in aircraft and automobile applications where light weight and high wear resistance properties are required.
Estimation of portfolio efficiency via stochastic DEA
Authors: Xiao Helu , Liu Xin , Ren Tiantian , Zhou Zhongbao
Published: June 2022

Traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) and diversification DEA are two common data-driven evaluation approaches, which have been widely used in the estimation of portfolio efficiency. The above two DEA approaches usually use the risk and expected return indicators to build the input-output process of portfolios. However, this input-output process derived from the risk and expected return is inconsistent with the actual investment process, since the real input should be the initial wealth, and the output should be the terminal wealth. To address this problem, we propose a novel input-output process based on the initial and terminal wealth of portfolios. We transform the terminal wealth into the rate of return and construct a stochastic attainable set by using portfolio returns. We provide three deterministic estimation approaches to deal with the stochastic attainable set, and then obtain three deterministic attainable sets. We further propose three stochastic DEA models to estimate the portfolio efficiency by using the above three deterministic attainable sets. Finally, we provide an empirical analysis to assess the portfolio efficiency of 50 open-ended funds in China. The results show that there are some differences in the portfolio efficiency and its ranking between the proposed DEA models and the existing DEA models, which further verify the rationality of the proposed DEA models.
Efficient poisoning attacks and defenses for unlabeled data in DDoS prediction of intelligent transportation systems
Authors: Li Zhong , Wu Xianke , Jiang Changjun
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, large numbers of smart sensors (e.g., road-side cameras) which communicate with nearby base stations could launch distributed denial of services (DDoS) attack storms in intelligent transportation systems. DDoS attacks disable the services provided by base stations. Thus in this paper, considering the uneven communication traffic flows and privacy preserving, we give a hidden Markov model-based prediction model by utilizing the multi-step characteristic of DDoS with a federated learning framework to predict whether DDoS attacks will happen on base stations in the future. However, in the federated learning, we need to consider the problem of poisoning attacks due to malicious participants. The poisoning attacks will lead to the intelligent transportation systems paralysis without security protection. Traditional poisoning attacks mainly apply to the classification model with labeled data. In this paper, we propose a reinforcement learning-based poisoning method specifically for poisoning the prediction model with unlabeled data. Besides, previous related defense strategies rely on validation datasets with labeled data in the server. However, it is unrealistic since the local training datasets are not uploaded to the server due to privacy preserving, and our datasets are also unlabeled. Furthermore, we give a validation dataset-free defense strategy based on Dempster–Shafer (D–S) evidence theory avoiding anomaly aggregation to obtain a robust global model for precise DDoS prediction. In our experiments, we simulate 3000 points in combination with DARPA2000 dataset to carry out evaluations. The results indicate that our poisoning method can successfully poison the global prediction model with unlabeled data in a short time. Meanwhile, we compare our proposed defense algorithm with three popularly used defense algorithms. The results show that our defense method has a high accuracy rate of excluding poisoners and can obtain a high attack prediction probability.
Surgical treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip in children – A monocentric study about 414 hips
Authors: Tazi Charki Mohammed , Abdellaoui Hicham , Atarraf Karima , Afifi Moulay Abderahman
Published: June 2022

Introduction: No consensus exists about the open reduction of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH; age of surgery and the need for additional bone surgery). We report clinical and radiological outcomes of a large monocentric study. The objectives are to analyze outcomes and to give recommendations.Materials and methods: This was a retrospective review of 414 hips (301 patients) operated on for DDH between 2010 and 2018. The mean age at the time of surgery was 34.6 months (14–96 months). In all, 72 hips had open reduction (OR) alone, 130 had OR with femoral osteotomy, 37 had OR with pelvic osteotomy, and 175 hips OR was associated with femoral and pelvic osteotomy. The mean follow-up was 6.5 years (3–10 years). Clinical outcomes were evaluated according to Mckay’s classification. The acetabular index was measured, and Severin classification was used for radiological outcomes. Reduction failure and residual dysplasia were noted, and avascular necrosis of femoral head (AVN) was assessed according to Kalamchi and MacEwen classification.Results: At the last follow-up, 331 hips (80.2%) had good clinical results, and 319 (77%) had satisfactory radiological results. The AI measured on the last follow-up radiograph was ≤25° in 350 hips. AVN was noted in 83 hips (20%). Redislocation was founded in 53 hips (12%). Overall: 293 hips (72%) had stable reduction without AVN with good clinical and radiological outcomes.Discussion: Clinical outcomes are better and the risk of AVN decreases significantly when a femoral osteotomy is performed. There were better radiological results when pelvic osteotomy was performed. The rate of residual dysplasia was higher when pelvic osteotomy was not performed. We recommend a femoral shortening osteotomy for high dislocations (Tönnis 3 or 4) for children over 18 months and a pelvic osteotomy for children over 36 months or over 18 months with an acetabular index > 25°.
Betätigungsgerechte Unternehmen schaffen – Occupational Justice in der Arbeitswelt
Authors: Kinyara Muriel Marieke
Published: June 2022

Inwiefern können ergotherapeutische und betätigungsorientierte Perspektiven die Gesundheit im betrieblichen Kontext fördern? Muriel Marieke Kinyara arbeitete vier Jahre lang in der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention. Ihre Erfahrungen reflektiert sie anhand ergotherapeutischer Konzepte von Betätigung und Konzepten aus der Occupational Science. Die Erkenntnisse überträgt sie in das betriebliche Arbeitsfeld.
Rückenschmerz – Eine equine
Zivilisationskrankheit?
Authors: Blum Nadine
Published: June 2022

Definiert man den Begriff Rückenschmerz (lat. Dorsalgie), so handelt es
sich um Beschwerden, die von der Wirbelsäule ausgehen oder diese
betreffen. Er umschreibt entsprechend einen Symptomkomplex und keine spezifische
Diagnose. Die Ursachen hierfür können vielfältig sein
und den Untersucher vor eine diagnostische Herausforderung stellen.
Correlação do exame físico com achados artroscópicos no tratamento da ruptura do manguito rotador
Authors: França Flávio de Oliveira , Godinho Glaydson Gomes , Freitas José Márcio Alves , Lang Augusto Silveira , Ammar Charles Diogo , Martinelli Fabrício
Published: June 2022

Objetivo Comparar dados clínicos do exame físico com os achados artroscópicos na ruptura do manguito rotador.

Métodos Foram selecionados 177 pacientes submetidos ao tratamento artroscópico de ruptura do manguito rotador e foram comparados os achados artroscópicos com o exame físico.

Resultados Os testes irritativos de impacto apresentaram alta sensibilidade para ruptura do manguito rotador. Dentre os testes de força, o de maior sensibilidade foi o teste de Patte (85,7%) e o de maior valor preditivo positivo (VPP) foi o teste de Jobe (95%). O teste Drop Sign apresentou maior especificidade e valor preditivo negativo (VPN) (98,7 e 95,9%, respectivamente). Pacientes com história de trauma possuíam 3,5 vezes mais chances de apresentarem o teste Lift Off positivo.

Conclusão Os testes irritativos tiveram alta sensibilidade para rupturas do manguito rotador. O teste de Jobe apresentou sensibilidade semelhante entre os pacientes que tinham lesão parcial ou total do supraespinhal. Para as lesões completas do subescapular, as testes Lift Off e Belly Press apresentaram alta sensibilidade e especificidade.
Osteonecrose da cabeça femoral: Artigo de atualização
Authors: Miyahara Helder de Souza , Ranzoni Lucas Verissimo , Ejnisman Leandro , Vicente José Ricardo Negreiros , Croci Alberto Tesconi , Gurgel Henrique Melo de Campos
Published: June 2022

Entre as patologias que acometem a articulação coxofemoral, a osteonecrose da cabeça femoral (ONCF) é provavelmente a mais intrigante e desafiadora. Consiste em uma doença multifatorial, com um espectro muito variável em sua apresentação clínica. Tem efeito devastador, devido a quadros dolorosos incapacitantes tanto para atividades habituais quanto esportivas. Dada a gama enorme de fatores de risco, tais como uso prolongado de corticoides (principalmente em casos de doenças reumatológicas), sequelas de trauma, anemia falciforme, HIV, etilismo, tabagismo, discrasias sanguíneas, e várias outras doenças que comprometem a irrigação sanguínea da cabeça femoral, a ONCF tem apresentação clínica e prognósticos bem variados, o que dificulta a determinação de um tratamento específico, especialmente em casos nos quais ainda não houve acometimento condral e a articulação do quadril ainda se mantém preservada, sendo estes os principais fatores encontrados na literatura que determinam as classificações desta patologia. No leque de tratamentos, encontramos diversas opções para os casos em que se tenta salvar a articulação: tratamento conservador, descompressão simples e/ou associada a algum tipo de tratamento adjuvante (enxertia homóloga, enxertia sintética, enxertos vascularizados, parafusos de tântalo, e injeção de aspirado de medula óssea), e, para casos nos quais já há fratura subcondral e/ou colapso da cabeça femoral e/ou diminuição do espaço articular, reserva-se, comumente, a realização de osteotomias femorais ou artroplastia total do quadril.
Comparison of Cervical Stabilization with Transpedicular Pins and Polymethylmethacrylate versus Transvertebral Body Polyaxial Screws with or without an Interbody Distractor in Dogs
Authors: Marinho Paulo V.T. , Ferrigno Cassio R.A. , Costa Ronaldo C. da , Pereira César A.M. , Rego Mário A.F. , Bregadioli Thales , Paes Fernanda
Published: June 2022

Objective The main aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of caudal cervical vertebral stabilization using bicortical transpedicular pins with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) versus transvertebral body polyaxial screws and connecting rods with or without an interbody distractor.

Study Design Ten canine cervical vertebral columns (C2–T3) were used. Four models (intact, transvertebral body polyaxial screw with interbody distractor [polyaxial + distractor], transvertebral body polyaxial screw without interbody distractor [polyaxial − distractor] and bicortical transpedicular pins/polymethylmethacrylate [pin-PMMA]) were applied to C6–7 sequentially on the same specimens. Angular range of motion (AROM) in the form of flexion and extension was measured at C4–5, C5–6 and C6–7 in all groups.

Results Treated vertebral specimens had significantly less AROM than unaltered specimens. There was no significant difference in AROM between the experimental groups at C6 and C7. Angular range of motion ratio in flexion–extension was 80.8, 72.7 and 78.3% for polyaxial + distractor, polyaxial − distractor and pin-PMMA groups, respectively, which were less than the intact group. There was no significant increase in the range of motion of the adjacent vertebrae after stabilization.

Conclusion Stabilization obtained with transvertebral body polyaxial screws was comparable to that from the well-established bicortical pins/PMMA construct. Association of an intervertebral distractor did not change AROM of the polyaxial screw constructs.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Otosyphilis: A Rare Manifestation of Neurosyphilis
Authors: Chandrasekharan Rajsekar , Kulkarni Chinmay , Pullara Sreekumar Karumathil , Moorthy Srikanth
Published: June 2022

We report magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a case with otosyphilis, which is a rare manifestation of neurosyphilis. A 50-year-old male presented with progressive hearing loss on the left side and recent-onset palsy of the left 7th and 12th cranial nerves. Computed tomography imaging showed destructive bone lesions involving the petrous temporal bone, middle ear, and mastoid region with a pathognomonic pattern of bone destruction depicted in the volume rendering technique images. MRI showed features of destructive bone lesions (gummatous lesion), meningoneuritis, and labyrinthitis. Pathological examination and treponemal antibody absorption test favored the diagnosis. Otosyphilis should be considered as a differential diagnosis in an adult patient with destructive lesions of the petrous temporal bone. To the best of our knowledge, MRI in otosyphilis has not been reported.
Basivertebral Nerve Ablation
Authors: Huang Junjian , Delijani Kevin , Jones Jesse , Di Capua John , El Khudari Husamuddin , Gunn Andrew J. , Hirsch Joshua A.
Published: June 2022

Low back pain is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal ailments in the United States. Intraosseous radiofrequency ablation of the basivertebral nerve is an effective and durable therapy for low back pain and can be offered to patients who have chronic low back pain of greater than 6 months of duration, failure to respond to noninvasive therapies for 6 months, with either Modic Type I or Type II changes at L3–S1. This article reviews the anatomy and physiology, patient selection, technique, and evidence regarding basivertebral nerve ablation.
Thermal Protection Strategies and Neuromonitoring during Ablation
Authors: Sag Alan Alper , Husain Aatif M.
Published: June 2022

Advanced interventional pain management approaches seek to lesion neural targets to achieve desirable analgesia; however, equally important is preservation of motor and sensory function for regional bystander nerves. The topic of neuroprotection is also relevant for thermal ablation of metastatic bone tumors in the vicinity of neural structures. This report aims to provide an IR-directed framework of thermoprotective techniques available during thermal ablation.
Risk Factors for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and Major Adverse Limb Events after Venous Thromboembolism: A Large Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Noumegni Steve Raoul , Didier Romain , Mansourati Vincent , Moigne Emmanuelle Le , Mao Raphael Le , Hoffmann Clément , Moreuil Claire De , Tromeur Cécile , Roux Pierre-Yves Le , Nasr Bahaa , Gentric Jean-Christophe , Guegan Marie , Poulhazan Elise , Lacut Karine , Bressollette Luc , Couturaud Francis
Published: June 2022

Background There is an increased risk of arterial events including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE) after venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, their risk factors remain little explored.

Methods We aimed to determine the risk factors for MACE (acute coronary syndrome/stroke/cardiovascular death) and MALE (limb ischemia/critical limb ischemia/non-traumatic amputation/any limb revascularization) after VTE. Competing risk models (Fine-Gray) were used in a multicenter prospective cohort of 4,940 patients (mean age: 64.6 years and median follow-up: 64 months).

Results MACE occurred in 17.3% of participants (2.35% per patient-years) and MALE in 1.7% (0.27% per patient-years). In multivariable analysis, the identified risk factors for MACE were the age of 50 to 65 years (vs. <50 years, hazard ratio [HR]: 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38–2.91), age >65 years (vs. <50 years, HR 4.85, 95% CI: 3.35–7.02), pulmonary embolism + deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (vs. isolated-DVT, HR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02–1.55), unprovoked-VTE (vs. transient risk factor associated-VTE, HR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04–1.59), current tobacco use (vs. never, HR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.07–1.98), hypertension (HR: 1.61, 95% CI: 1.30–1.98), past history of symptomatic atherosclerosis (HR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.17–1.98), heart failure (HR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.21–2.42), atrial fibrillation (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.15–2.08), and vena cava filter insertion (HR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.03–2.08). The identified risk factors for MALE were the age of 50–65 years (vs. <50 years, HR: 3.49, 95% CI: 1.26–9.65) and atrial fibrillation (HR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.15–4.89).

Conclusions Risk factors for MACE and MALE after VTE included some traditional cardiovascular risk factors, patient's comorbidities, and some characteristics of VTE.
Risk of Thromboembolic Events in Cancer Patients Treated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Ma Zhuo , Sun Ximu , Zhang Yi , Li Hao , Sun Dan , An Zhuoling , Zhang Yuhui
Published: June 2022

Background The association between immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and thromboembolic events (TEEs) remains controversial.

Objective The goal of this study was to assess the risk of major TEEs associated with ICIs.

Methods We explored ICI-related TEEs in randomized controlled trials available in ClinicalTrials.gov and electronic databases up to June 30, 2021. Meta-analysis was performed by using Peto odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results A total of 61 studies were included. Patients treated with ICIs had a similar risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) but a significantly increased risk of arterial thromboembolism (ATE) (Peto OR: 1.58 [95% CI: 1.21–2.06]) compared with non-ICI regimens. Stratified by different regimens, only PD-L1 (programmed cell death ligand 1) inhibitors showed a significant increase in ATE (Peto OR: 2.07 [95% CI: 1.26–3.38]). The incidence of VTE was higher in PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4) inhibitor combination therapies compared with monotherapies (Peto OR: 2.23 [95% CI: 1.47–3.37]). Stratified by tumor, for pulmonary embolism (PE) and cerebral ATE, the statistically significant results were only seen in lung cancer patients (Peto OR: 1.42 [95% CI: 1.02–1.97]; Peto OR: 2.10 [1.07–4.12]), and for myocardial infarction, the statistically significant result was only seen in other tumor types (Peto OR: 2.66 [95% CI: 1.68–4.20], p < 0.0001).

Conclusion There was no significant increase in the overall risk of VTE in patients treated with ICIs; however, special attention should be given to the risk of VTE in PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor and CTLA-4 inhibitor combination therapy and PE in lung cancer patients. PD-L1 inhibitors were associated with a significant increase in ATE.
Primary Amenorrhea and Differences of Sex Development
Authors: Naroji Swetha , Gomez-Lobo Veronica , Finlayson Courtney
Published: June 2022

Primary amenorrhea may be a feature or a presenting sign of a difference of sex development, most often due to a congenital anatomic difference or hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. History and physical exam are very important, including whether any variation in external genitalia was present at birth as well as a careful review of pubertal development. Further evaluation includes hormone measurement, imaging, and genetic evaluation. Those with a disorder of sexual development diagnosis should receive care through a multidisciplinary team with psychosocial support.
Changes in the coercivity fields of magnetoresistance hysteresis loops under the influence of a spin-polarized current flowing through the half-metal CrO2 nanocomposite system
Authors: Beliayev E. Yu. , Mirzoiev I. G. , Andrievskii V. V. , Terekhov A. V. , Kolesnichenko Yu. A. , Horielyi V. A. , Chichibaba I. A.
Published: June 2022

Using the example of a pressed sample consisting of chromium dioxide nanoparticles coated with insulating shells, we study the relationship between the electron transport system and magnetic subsystem in granular spin-polarized metals. It is shown that the spin-polarized tunneling transport current can affect the coercivity fields of the percolation cluster formed in the sample with decreasing temperature.
Wideband current modulation of diode lasers for frequency stabilization
Authors: Preuschoff Tilman , Baus Patrick , Schlosser Malte , Birkl Gerhard
Published: June 2022

We present a current modulation technique for diode laser systems, which is specifically designed for high-bandwidth laser frequency stabilization and wideband frequency modulation with a flat transfer function. It consists of a dedicated current source and an impedance matching circuit both placed close to the laser diode. The transfer behavior of the system is analyzed under realistic conditions employing an external cavity diode laser (ECDL) system. We achieve a phase lag smaller than 90° up to 25 MHz and a gain flatness of ±3 dB in the frequency range of DC to 100 MHz, while the passive stability of the laser system is not impaired. The potential of the current modulation scheme is demonstrated in an optical phase-locked loop between two ECDL systems with a phase noise of 42 mradrms. The design files are available as an open-source project.
A statistical quasi-particles thermofield theory with Gaussian environments: System–bath entanglement theorem for nonequilibrium correlation functions
Authors: Wang Yao , Chen Zi-Hao , Xu Rui-Xue , Zheng Xiao , Yan YiJing
Published: June 2022

For open quantum systems, the Gaussian environmental dissipative effect can be represented by statistical quasi-particles, namely, dissipatons. We exploit this fact to establish the dissipaton thermofield theory. The resulting generalized Langevin dynamics of absorptive and emissive thermofield operators are effectively noise-resolved. The system–bath entanglement theorem is then readily followed between an important class of nonequilibrium steady-state correlation functions. All these relations are validated numerically. A simple corollary is the transport current expression, which exactly recovers the result obtained from the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism.
Thickness-dependent structural phase transition and self-intercalation of two-dimensional ferromagnetic chromium telluride thin films
Authors: Yu Fan , Yin Yuling , Liu Gan , Tian Qichao , Meng Qinghao , Zhao Wenhua , Wang Kaili , Wang Can , Yang Shaoguang , Wu Di , Wan Xiangang , Zhang Yi
Published: June 2022

The quest for next generation spintronic devices has promoted the exploration of ferromagnetism in a two-dimensional (2D) limit which enriches the family of 2D materials. Here, we realized the molecular beam epitaxial growth of atomically flat chromium telluride (CrTex) films on Si(111) substrates in the 2D limit and discovered a thickness-dependent structural phase transition with self-intercalation during the growth. Combining the in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and ex situ x-ray diffraction, we found that the first layer of CrTex films formed in a CrTe2 crystalline phase as a buffer layer for further growth. Afterward, the chromium atoms began to intercalate into the layers of CrTe2, and the Cr3Te4 phase dominated the following growth over the second layer. Subsequent superconducting quantum interference device measurements verified the ferromagnetism in the chromium telluride film down to one layer limit. Our results provide important information on the structural phase transition during the growth of CrTex films, which would be an ideal platform for studying ferromagnetism in 2D systems, and the growth of high-quality CrTex films on Si substrates would benefit the further applications of 2D ferromagnetic films.
On the Kármán momentum-integral approach and the Pohlhausen paradox: Extension to a cylinder in crossflow with a potential farfield motion
Authors: Al Ahmar Rudy , Majdalani Joseph
Published: June 2022

In this work, the Kármán–Pohlhausen (KP) momentum-integral approach based on optimized fourth-order (MX4) polynomial approximations of the velocity and temperature profiles is applied to a classical benchmark problem, namely, that of a cylinder in crossflow with a variable pressure gradient. This enables us to extract closed-form expressions for both hydrodynamic and thermal boundary-layer parameters and then compare the newly found solutions to their counterparts obtained using Pohlhausen's cubic (KP3) and quartic (KP4) polynomials. As usual, the farfield around the cylinder is modeled using potential flow theory and the momentum-integral analysis is paired with Walz's empirical expression for the momentum thickness, which is based on a wide collection of experiments. This procedure permits retrieving explicit relations for the pressure-sensitive KP3, KP4, and MX4 velocity profiles across the boundary layer; one also obtains accurate approximations for the pressure distribution around the cylinder as well as an improved prediction of the separation point, namely, to within 0.87% of the actual location. In this process, refined estimates are produced for several characteristic parameters whose distributions are found to be in favorable agreement with experimental measurements and numerical simulations. These include the disturbance, momentum, and displacement thicknesses as well as the skin friction, pressure, and total drag coefficients. Finally, the thermal analysis is undertaken using both isothermal and isoflux boundary conditions. For each of these cases, closed-form analytical solutions are obtained for the local Nusselt number distribution around the cylinder, and these distributions are found to exhibit noticeably reduced errors relative to their classical values.
How is cervical cancer screening discussed with clients at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia?
Authors: Abraham Esha , Fairley Christopher K. , Williams Henrietta , Morton Anna , Henzell Helen , Maddaford Kate , Wigan Rebecca , Chow Eric P. F. , Phillips Tiffany R.
Published: June 2022

We conducted a survey among 40 clinicians working at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in November 2021. We asked clinicians how they discussed cervical screening with their clients. All clinicians used the term ‘Cervical Screening Test (CST)’ when discussing cervical cancer screening with clients. However, 19 clinicians (48%) also used the term ‘Pap smear’, particularly among older women as they were more familiar with Pap smear than CST. Twenty-five (63%) clinicians believed that clients did not understand the difference between Pap smears and CST. Further education is required to improve the understanding between the terminologies.
Social evolution of shared biofilm matrix components
Authors: Tai Jung-Shen B. , Mukherjee Saikat , Nero Thomas , Olson Rich , Tithof Jeffrey , Nadell Carey D. , Yan Jing
Published: June 2022

Biofilm formation is an important and ubiquitous mode of growth among bacteria. Central to the evolutionary advantage of biofilm formation is cell–cell and cell–surface adhesion achieved by a variety of factors, some of which are diffusible compounds that may operate as classical public goods—factors that are costly to produce but may benefit other cells. An outstanding question is how diffusible matrix production, in general, can be stable over evolutionary timescales. In this work, using
Vibrio cholerae
as a model, we show that shared diffusible biofilm matrix proteins are indeed susceptible to cheater exploitation and that the evolutionary stability of producing these matrix components fundamentally depends on biofilm spatial structure, intrinsic sharing mechanisms of these components, and flow conditions in the environment. We further show that exploitation of diffusible adhesion proteins is localized within a well-defined spatial range around cell clusters that produce them. Based on this exploitation range and the spatial distribution of cell clusters, we constructed a model of costly diffusible matrix production and related these length scales to the relatedness coefficient in social evolution theory. Our results show that production of diffusible biofilm matrix components is evolutionarily stable under conditions consistent with natural biofilm habitats and host environments. We expect the mechanisms revealed in this study to be relevant to other secreted factors that operate as cooperative public goods in bacterial communities and the concept of exploitation range and the associated analysis tools to be generally applicable.
Storytalk and complex constructions of nonhuman agency
Authors: Toivonen Heidi , Caracciolo Marco
Published: June 2022

Recent work in environmental philosophy has uncoupled the notion of agency from the human domain, arguing that the efficacy of nonhuman entities and processes can also be construed as a form of “agency.” In this paper, we study discursive constructions of nonhuman agency as they appear in a set of interviews revolving around fictional narratives. The participants were asked to read microfiction engaging with the nonhuman perspectives of entities such as a melting glacier or an endangered tree species. The analysis of the interviews centers on “complex” attributions of nonhuman agency – that is, attributions that involve a combination of agencies attributed to the nonhuman. We show that these complex attributions emerge more frequently in discussing the story (what we call the “storytalk”) than elsewhere in the interviews. We also explore the way in which such complex constructions of nonhuman agency challenge widespread assumptions about the natural world.
Fractality in cosmic topology models with spectral action gravity
Authors: Guicardi Pedro , Marcolli Matilde
Published: June 2022

We consider cosmological models based on the spectral action formulation of (modified) gravity. We analyze the coupled effects, in this model, of the presence of nontrivial cosmic topology and of fractality in the large scale structure of spacetime. We show that the topology constrains the possible fractal structures, and in turn the correction terms to the spectral action due to fractality distinguish the various cosmic topology candidates, with effects detectable in a slow-roll inflation scenario, through the power spectra of the scalar and tensor fluctuations. We also discuss explicit effects of the presence of fractal structures on the gravitational waves equations.
Quasinormal modes of NUT-charged black branes in the AdS/CFT correspondence
Authors: Cano Pablo A , Pereñiguez David
Published: June 2022

We study the scalar, electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations of planar AdS4 black holes with NUT charge. In the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, these solutions describe a thermal quantum field theory embedded in a Gödel-type Universe with closed time-like curves. For a given temperature and NUT charge, two different planar Taub–NUT solutions exist, but we show that only the one with a positive specific heat contributes to the Euclidean saddle point in the path integral. By using the Newman–Penrose formalism, we then derive the master equations satisfied by scalar, electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations in this background, and show that the corresponding equations are separable. Interestingly, the solutions pile up in the form of Landau levels, and hence are characterized by a single quantum number q. We determine the appropriate boundary conditions satisfied by the master variables and using these we compute the quasinormal modes of scalar and gravitational perturbations. On the other hand, electromagnetic perturbations depend on a free parameter whose determination is problematic. We find that all the scalar and gravitational QNM frequencies lie in the lower half of the complex plane, indicating that these Taub–NUT spacetimes are stable. We discuss the implications of these results in the light of the AdS/CFT correspondence.