bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burnout in podiatrists associated with individual characteristics, workplace and job satisfaction: A national survey
Authors: Bonanno Daniel R. , Couch Anna , Haines Terry , Menz Hylton B. , O'Sullivan Belinda G. , Williams Cylie M.
Published: April 2024

Background

Burnout is highly prevalent among health practitioners. It negatively impacts job performance, patient care, career retention and psychological well‐being. This study aimed to identify factors associated with burnout among Australian podiatrists.

Methods

Data were collected from registered podiatrists via four online surveys administered annually from 2017 to 2020 as part of the Podiatrists in Australia: Investigating Graduate Employment (PAIGE) study. Information was collected about work history, job preferences, personal characteristics, health, personality, life experiences and risk‐taking behaviours. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine if (i) individual characteristics, (ii) workplace factors and (iii) job satisfaction measures were associated with burnout (based on the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory).

Results

A total of 848 responses were included, with 268 podiatrists (31.6%) experiencing burnout. Participants experiencing burnout were slightly younger, more recent to practice, had poorer health, greater mental distress, lower scores for resilience, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experiences. They were less likely to have financial and clinical risk‐taking behaviour and more likely to have career risk‐taking behaviour. Prediction accuracy of these individual characteristic variables for burnout was 72.4%. Participants experiencing burnout were also more likely to work in private practice, have more work locations, work more hours, more direct patient hours, see more patients, have shorter consultation times, more likely to bulk bill chronic disease management plans, have less access to sick leave and professional development and be more likely to intend to leave patient care and the profession within 5 years than participants not experiencing burnout. Prediction accuracy of these workplace‐related variables for burnout was 67.1%. Participants experiencing burnout were less satisfied with their job. Prediction accuracy of these variables for burnout was 78.8%.

Conclusions

Many of the factors associated with burnout in Australian podiatrists are modifiable, providing opportunities to implement targeted prevention strategies. The strength of association of these factors indicates high potential for strategies to be successful.
Perceptions of foot health services from the perspective of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Finland
Authors: Stolt Minna , Hyytiä Sasu , Suhonen Riitta
Published: April 2024

Background

Foot health services for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are an important part of their comprehensive care. However, little is known about the perceptions of people with RA have about foot health services. This study aimed to explore how people with RA perceive foot health services.

Methods

A descriptive cross‐sectional survey design was applied. The electronic survey data were collected in April 2023 from people with RA through a national patients' association (N = 2400, response rate 24%, n = 565). The statistical data were analysed using descriptive statistics and textual data with thematic analysis.

Results

Most of the respondents (n = 322, 59%) had used foot health services provided by chiropodist or podiatrist. Those who had used services were mostly satisfied but considered patient education about foot health insufficient. One third reported no visits to foot health services at all because of personal and health service system‐related factors.

Conclusions

Those people with RA who have access to foot health services value and appreciate the services. However, many people with RA do not use foot health services because they perceive availability of such services limited and thus unequal and hard to access. There is a need to develop foot health services for people with RA so that they are easy to access, correspond to their foot health needs and have seamless care paths at different levels of the health care system.
Improvement in aged liver regeneration using cell transplantation with chemically induced liver progenitors
Authors: Matsuguma Kunihito , Hara Takanobu , Miyamoto Daisuke , Soyama Akihiko , Matsushima Hajime , Fukumoto Masayuki , Imamura Hajime , Yamashita Mampei , Adachi Tomohiko , Eguchi Susumu
Published: April 2024

Background

A decrease in the regenerative capacity of age‐damaged liver tissue has been reported. Liver progenitor cells may play an important role in the regeneration of injured livers. In the present study we aimed to investigate improvements in the regenerative capacity of age‐damaged livers using chemically induced liver progenitors (CLiPs) derived from mature hepatocytes.

Methods

Old (>90 weeks) and young (<20 weeks) mice underwent 70% hepatectomy, with or without trans‐splenic CLiP administration. The residual liver/bodyweight (LW/BW) ratio was measured on postoperative days 1 and 7, and changes in liver regeneration and histology were evaluated.

Results

At 7 days post‐hepatectomy, LW/BW ratios were significantly better in CLiP‐treated old mice than in untreated old mice (p = .02). By contrast, no effect of CLiP transplantation was observed in young mice (p = .62). Immunofluorescence staining of liver tissue after CLiP administration showed an increase in Ki67‐positive cells (p < .01). Flow cytometry analysis of green fluorescent protein‐labeled CLiPs indicated that transplanted CLiPs differentiated into mature hepatocytes and were present in the recipient liver.

Conclusions

CLiP transplantation appears to ameliorate the age‐related decline in liver regeneration in mice.
miR‐129‐5p inhibits anchorage‐independent growth through silencing of ACTN1 and the ELK4/c‐FOS axis in HPV‐transformed keratinocytes
Authors: Huseinovic Angelina , Xu Mengfei , Jaspers Annelieke , Bais Brigitte , Steenbergen Renske D. M.
Published: April 2024

A persistent infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) can induce precancerous lesions of the cervix that may ultimately develop into cancer. Cervical cancer development has been linked to altered microRNA (miRNA) expression, with miRNAs regulating anchorage‐independent growth being particularly important for the progression of precancerous lesions to cancer. In this study, we set out to identify and validate targets of miR‐129‐5p, a previously identified tumor suppressive miRNA involved in anchorage‐independent growth and HPV‐induced carcinogenesis. We predicted 26 potential miR‐129‐5p targets using online databases, followed by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. RT‐qPCR and luciferase assays confirmed that 3'UTR regions of six genes (ACTN1, BMPR2, CAMK4, ELK4, EP300, and GNAQ) were targeted by miR‐129‐5p. Expressions of ACTN1, CAMK4, and ELK4 were inversely correlated to miR‐129‐5p expression in HPV‐transformed keratinocytes, and their silencing reduced anchorage‐independent growth. Concordantly, miR‐129‐5p overexpression decreased protein levels of ACTN1, BMPR2, CAMK4 and ELK4 in anchorage‐independent conditions. Additionally, c‐FOS, a downstream target of ELK4, was downregulated upon miR‐129‐5p overexpression, suggesting regulation through the ELK4/c‐FOS axis. ACTN1 and ELK4 expression was also upregulated in high‐grade precancerous lesions and cervical cancers, supporting their clinical relevance. In conclusion, we identified six targets of miR‐129‐5p involved in the regulation of anchorage‐independent growth, with ACTN1, BMPR2, ELK4, EP300, and GNAQ representing novel targets for miR‐129‐5p. For both ACTN1 and ELK4 functional and clinical relevance was confirmed, indicating that miR‐129‐5p‐regulated ACTN1 and ELK4 expression contributes to HPV‐induced carcinogenesis.
Long‐term dynamics of natural killer cells in response to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination: Persistently enhanced activity postvaccination
Authors: Mele Dalila , Ottolini Sabrina , Lombardi Andrea , Conteianni Daniela , Bandera Alessandra , Oliviero Barbara , Mantovani Stefania , Cassaniti Irene , Baldanti Fausto , Gori Andrea , Mondelli Mario U. , Varchetta Stefania
Published: April 2024

Natural Killer (NK) cells play a significant role in the early defense against virus infections and cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of NK cells in both the induction and effector phases of vaccine‐induced immunity in various contexts. However, their role in shaping immune responses following SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination remains poorly understood. To address this matter, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of NK cell phenotype and function in SARS‐CoV‐2 unexposed individuals who received the BNT162b2 vaccine. We employed a longitudinal study design and utilized a panel of 53 15‐mer overlapping peptides covering the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike protein to assess NK cell function at 0 and 20 days following the first vaccine, and 30 and 240 days following booster. Additionally, we evaluated the levels of total IgG anti‐Spike antibodies and their potential neutralizing ability. Our findings revealed an increased NK cell activity upon re‐exposure to RBD when combined with IL12 and IL18 several months after booster. Concurrently, we observed that the frequencies of NKG2A + NK cells declined over the course of the follow‐up period, while NKG2C increased only in CMV positive subjects. The finding that NK cell functions are inducible 9 months after vaccination upon re‐exposure to RBD and cytokines, sheds light on the role of NK cells in contributing to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine‐induced immune protection and pave the way to further studies in the field.
Comparing diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder in a diverse sample of trauma‐exposed youth
Authors: Dodd Cody G. , Kirk Claire L. , Rathouz Paul J. , Custer James , Garrett Amy S. , Taylor Leslie , Rousseau Justin F. , Claasen Cynthia , Morgan Myesha M. , Newport D. Jeffrey , Wagner Karen D. , Nemeroff Charles B.
Published: April 2024

Divergent conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM‐5) and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (11th ed..; ICD‐11) significantly confounds both research and practice. Using a diverse sample of trauma‐exposed youth (N = 1,542, age range: 8–20 years), we compared these two diagnostic approaches along with an expanded version of the ICD‐11 PTSD criteria that included three additional reexperiencing symptoms (ICD‐11+). Within the sample, PTSD was more prevalent using the DSM‐5 criteria (25.7%) compared to the ICD‐11 criteria (16.0%), with moderate agreement between these diagnostic systems, κ = .57. The inclusion of additional reexperiencing symptoms (i.e., ICD‐11+) reduced this discrepancy in prevalence (24.7%) and increased concordance with DSM‐5 criteria, κ = .73. All three PTSD classification systems exhibited similar comorbidity rates with major depressive episode (MDE) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; 78.0%–83.6%). Most youths who met the DSM‐5 PTSD criteria also met the criteria for ICD‐11 PTSD, MDE, or GAD (88.4%), and this proportion increased when applying the ICD‐11+ criteria (95.5%). Symptom‐level analyses identified reexperiencing/intrusions and negative alterations in cognition and mood symptoms as primary sources of discrepancy between the DSM‐5 and ICD‐11 PTSD diagnostic systems. Overall, these results challenge assertions that nonspecific distress and diagnostically overlapping symptoms within DSM‐5 PTSD inflate comorbidity with depressive and anxiety disorders. Further, they support the argument that the DSM‐5 PTSD criteria can be refined and simplified without reducing the overall prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses in youth.
Dynamic interactions and mechanisms between high‐quality urbanization and ecosystem service value in Shandong Province: Trends, coordination, and implications for sustainable development
Authors: Liu Dandan , Ren Qiran
Published: April 2024

An extensive and profound investigation into the dynamic interactions between High‐Quality Urbanization (HQU) and Ecosystem Service Value are of utmost importance for the coordinated development of the region. Diverging from traditional macro‐level analysis, this study is grounded on county‐scale data, measuring HQU and ecosystem service value from a multidimensional perspective. On the basis of the research framework of “phenomena‐relationships‐mechanisms”, we expect to delve deeper into the spatio‐temporal evolutionary characteristics of ecosystem service value and HQU and their integrated interactions. Additionally, we utilize econometric models to rigorously evaluate the impact of HQU on ecosystem service value, with the goal of filling the current research gaps. The research results are as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the ecosystem service value in Shandong Province exhibit an overall decreasing and then increasing trend, and shows a spatial posture of high east and low west. HQU generally maintains a steady upward trend, and its spatio‐temporal evolution has apparent heterogeneity. (2) The Coupled Coordination Degree (CCD) between HQU and ecosystem service value has a gradual rising trend, and there is an increasing level of consistency between them. (3) HQU has a negative effect on ecosystem service value, and the direction and degree of the effect on segmented ecosystem service value types vary greatly. (4) The effect of HQU on ecosystem service value is heterogenous, and the attenuating effect is mainly found in grain‐producing counties, inland counties, and counties with a lower index of high‐quality urbanization. In conclusion, our results are expected to provide targeted recommendations for sustainable development and ecological balance in Shandong Province.
Polydopamine‐Mediated Metal–Organic Frameworks Modification for Improved Biocompatibility
Authors: Feng Jiayu , Xu Liwang , Qi Lulu , Fu Zhengwei , Hu Qinglian
Published: April 2024

Engineered nanomaterials are promising in biomedical application. However, insufficient understanding of their biocompatibility at the cellular and organic levels prevents their widely biomedical applications. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this work, zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) and polydopamine (PDA)‐modified ZIF‐8 are chosen as model nanomaterials due to its emergent role in nanomedicine. In vitro, the results demonstrate that the PDA coating greatly alleviates the cytotoxicity of ZIF‐8 to RAW264.7, LO2, and HST6, which represent three different cell types in liver organs. Mechanistically, ZIF‐8 entering into the cells can greatly induce the reactive oxygen species generation, which subsequently induces cell cycle delay and autophagy, ultimately leads to enhanced cytotoxicity. Further, human umbilical vein endothelial cells model and zebrafish embryos assay also confirm that PDA can compromise the ZIF‐8 toxicity significantly. This study reveals that PDA‐coated MOFs nanomaterials show great potential in nano‐based drug delivery systems
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Suitability of rapid chloride migration tests for determining the migration coefficient in mortars made from different novel binder types
Authors: Achenbach Rebecca , Raupach Michael
Published: April 2024

The main cause of corrosion of reinforcing steel, especially in infrastructure structures, is the penetration of chlorides, which can lead to high corrosion rates at the reinforcement steel. A frequently used accelerated test method to evaluate the chloride penetration resistance of concrete and mortars is the rapid chloride migration (RCM) test. The test was initially developed for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) based materials and involves spraying an indicator solution onto split test specimens to determine the penetration depth of the chloride ions. The pore solution compositions of new types of binders differ from OPC‐based materials, which can affect the reaction of the indicator solution. To investigate the suitability of the RCM test, the chloride content in the depth of the color change was determined in mortars made from different types of novel binders. The results show that the test provides reliable results for the binder types with partial replacement of OPC by supplementary cementitious materials. For binder types without OPC, there is a deviation in the migration coefficient due to a differing chloride concentration that triggers the color change.
Mitigating the conflict between economic and green development: Emission reduction mechanisms for vertical transfer payments
Authors: Yu Jing , Xiao Qian , Lin Chin‐Tsai
Published: April 2024

The impact of government behavior on emission reductions has gained widespread attention, but fewer studies have explored the relationship between vertical transfers (VT) and carbon emissions (CE). We empirically test the CE reduction mechanism of VT by constructing two‐way fixed effects models based on data of 278 Chinese cities from 2005 to 2020. Empirical analysis finds that VT reduce the taxing efforts of local governments and the tax burden of enterprises, promote the upgrading of enterprises' production technology, and ultimately reduces CE. Conclusions suggest that transfer payments should be actively used to establish preferential policies to assist enterprises in reducing CE.
Metabolite T1 relaxation times decrease across the adult lifespan
Authors: Murali‐Manohar Saipavitra , Gudmundson Aaron T. , Hupfeld Kathleen E. , Zöllner Helge J. , Hui Steve C. N. , Song Yulu , Simicic Dunja , Davies‐Jenkins Christopher W. , Gong Tao , Wang Guangbin , Oeltzschner Georg , Edden Richard A. E.
Published: April 2024

Relaxation correction is an integral step in quantifying brain metabolite concentrations measured by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). While most quantification routines assume constant T1 relaxation across age, it is possible that aging alters T1 relaxation rates, as is seen for T2 relaxation. Here, we investigate the age dependence of metabolite T1 relaxation times at 3 T in both gray‐ and white‐matter‐rich voxels using publicly available metabolite and metabolite‐nulled (single inversion recovery TI = 600 ms) spectra acquired at 3 T using Point RESolved Spectroscopy (PRESS) localization. Data were acquired from voxels in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and centrum semiovale (CSO) in 102 healthy volunteers across 5 decades of life (aged 20–69 years). All spectra were analyzed in Osprey v.2.4.0. To estimate T1 relaxation times for total N‐acetyl aspartate at 2.0 ppm (tNAA2.0) and total creatine at 3.0 ppm (tCr3.0), the ratio of modeled metabolite residual amplitudes in the metabolite‐nulled spectrum to the full metabolite signal was calculated using the single‐inversion‐recovery signal equation. Correlations between T1 and subject age were evaluated. Spearman correlations revealed that estimated T1 relaxation times of tNAA2.0 (rs = −0.27; p < 0.006) and tCr3.0 (rs = −0.40; p < 0.001) decreased significantly with age in white‐matter‐rich CSO, and less steeply for tNAA2.0 (rs = −0.228; p = 0.005) and (not significantly for) tCr3.0 (rs = −0.13; p = 0.196) in graymatter‐rich PCC. The analysis harnessed a large publicly available cross‐sectional dataset to test an important hypothesis, that metabolite T1 relaxation times change with age. This preliminary study stresses the importance of further work to measure age‐normed metabolite T1 relaxation times for accurate quantification of metabolite levels in studies of aging.
Multi‐mode non‐linear inversion of Rayleigh wave dispersion curves with grey wolf optimization and cuckoo search algorithm
Authors: Che Han , Shen Hongyan , Li Qingchun , Liu Guoxin , Yang Chenrui , Sun Yunpeng , Liu Shuai
Published: April 2024

Dispersion curve inversion is one of the core contents of Rayleigh wave data processing. However, the dispersion curve inversion has the characteristics of multi‐parameter, multi‐extremum as well as nonlinearity. In the face of Rayleigh wave data processing under complex seismic‐geological conditions, it is difficult to reconstruct an underground structure quickly and accurately apply a single global‐searching non‐linear inversion algorithm. For this reason, we proposed a strategy to invert multi‐order mode Rayleigh wave dispersion curves by combining with grey wolf optimization (GWO) and cuckoo search (CS) algorithms. On the basis of introducing the mechanism of iterative chaotic map with infinite collapses (ICMIC) and the strategy of dimension learning–based hunting (DLH), an improved GWO was developed that was called IDGWO (ICMIC and DLH GWO). After searching the near‐optimal region through IDGWO, the CS with a variable step‐size Lévy flight search mechanism was switched adaptively to complete the final inversion. The correctness of our method was verified by the multi‐order mode dispersion curve inversion of a six‐layer high‐velocity interlayer model. Then it was further applied to the processing of real seismic datasets. The research results show that our method fully utilizes the advantages of each of the two global‐searching non‐linear algorithms after integrating IDGWO and CS, while effectively balancing the ability between global search and local exploitation, further improving the convergence speed and inversion accuracy and having good anti‐noise performance.
Enhancing flame retardancy, anti‐impact, and corrosive resistance of TPU nanocomposites using surface decoration of α‐ZrP
Authors: Han Sensen , Li Shuangshan , Liu Dongyan , Dong Yu , Gao Ziqi , Zhang Yanxi , Meng Qingshi
Published: April 2024

The development of polyurethane composites with significant flame retardancy and corrosion resistance for widening its practical application is a great importance. In this study, supramolecular wrapped α‐ZrP (MCP@ZrP) was prepared via self‐assembly of melamine, cobalt ions (Co2+) and phytic acid (PA) on the surfaces of α‐zirconium phosphate (α‐ZrP). It was found that both compatibility and dispersion of α‐ZrP sheets in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrices were improved with the incorporation of organic supramolecular components in TPU/MCP@ZrP nanocomposites. Moreover, their fire‐retardant characteristic was significantly enhanced, along with effective suppression of smoke and toxic gas emission. By adding 5 wt% MCP@ZrP, peak heat release rate, total heat release, total smoke production, and total CO production of such nanocomposites were reduced by 35.66%, 18.01%, 15.52%, and 41.42%, respectively. The generation of a continuous and dense char layer benefited from well‐dispersed MCP@ZrP nanohybrids, which resulted in tortuous effect to impede heat diffusion and prevent the evaporation of volatile gasses. By means of the barrier effect of ZrP, TPU/MCP@ZrP composite films also showed improved anticorrosion performance. Effective interfacial adhesion, achieved by combining MCP supermolecules and α‐ZrP sheets, offers a viable approach to improve protective properties of TPU nanocomposites.

Highlights

Supramolecular‐wrapped α‐ZrP was prepared via self‐assembly strategy.

MCP@ZrP showed good dispersion and interface adhesion within TPU matrices.

MCP@ZrP enhanced the flame retardancy and mechanical performance of TPU.

MCP@ZrP preventing smoke and toxic gas evaporation.
Effect of warp yarn paths on the symmetrical cyclic bending fatigue properties of 3D woven composites
Authors: Zhao Shibo , Chen Li , Gao Ziyue
Published: April 2024

In this study, the symmetric cyclic bending fatigue properties of three‐dimensional (3D) woven composites under the condition of R = −1 were investigated. Three types of 3D preform structures with different warp yarn paths were designed, and a bending fatigue testing fixture suitable for 3D woven composites under R = −1 conditions was developed. In addition, the bending fatigue properties, damage mechanisms, and failure modes of three composites were studied. The results showed that the warp yarn paths were responsible for the differences in quasi‐static bending properties. The bending fatigue properties were related to the warp yarn paths and applied stress. Satin woven (SW) structure had the highest bending fatigue failure strain value, followed by the twill woven (TW) structure, and the plain woven (PW) structure had the lowest. The bending fatigue limits of PW, TW, and SW structures were 40% (136 N), 40% (210.5 N), and 16% (119.4 N) stress levels, respectively. The bending fatigue failure mode of 3D woven composites was softening failure under the condition R = −1.

Highlights

The warp yarn paths significantly affects the quasi‐static bending properties.

A symmetrical cyclic bending fatigue testing fixture was developed.

The symmetrical cyclic bending fatigue life of 3D woven composites was obtained.

SW composites have the highest bending fatigue failure strain value.

The symmetrical cyclic bending fatigue failure modes were softening failures.
Preparation of fluorinated chitosan‐based multifunctional materials with rapid hemostasis, anti‐infection, and non‐adhesive properties for wounds
Authors: Ren Yufang , Sun Zeyuan , Huang Yong , An Xiaoyan , Bian Xiaona , Cao Zhenhao , Liu Yifan , Javed Kanwal , Derkach Tetiana , Li Xue
Published: April 2024

Excessive bleeding can give rise to a range of pathologies, encompassing hypothermia, coagulation disorders, infection, and hemorrhagic shock. Uncontrolled massive blood loss stands as one of the foremost contributors to mortality. Consequently, higher requirements are put forward for the promptness and efficacy of hemostasis. At present, the hemostatic materials available on the market still have the problem that the hemostatic effect is not ideal, the antibacterial effect is poor, which is easy to cause wound infection, and the removal of hemostatic materials will cause secondary bleeding. The present study describes the development of a novel multifunctional hemostatic material based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC). First, the fluorinated CMC (CMC‐FDA) is successfully synthesized via the Michael addition reaction utilizing 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H‐fluorodecyl alcohol (FDA), followed by the preparation of CMC‐FDA/PHMB materials through electrostatic interactions with polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB). The successful synthesis of CMC‐FDA/PHMB was characterized by XPS, FT‐IR, NMR, and so forth. The CMC‐FDA/PHMB coating exhibits excellent hemostatic properties through in vivo liver hemostasis and in vitro caudation hemostasis experiments. The hemostatic effect of CMC‐FDA/PHMB is highly pronounced, as evidenced by the results obtained for hemostasis time and blood loss. The experiment of simulating dynamic blood loss further confirmed that the gauze coated with CMC‐FDA/PHMB has excellent hemostatic performance. Moreover, the synthesized CMC‐FDA/PHMB coating demonstrates significant anti‐adhesion and antibacterial properties of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, which could prevent of wound infection. Furthermore, the CMC‐FDA/PHMB coating exhibits non‐wettability due to its low surface energy of FDA, which can prevent blood wetting and thus play a hemostatic effect, synergistically with CMC. Additionally, the CMC‐FDA/PHMB coating demonstrates easy separation from the wound site attributed to it hydrophobic property. The results of the hemolysis and cytotoxicity tests verified the excellent biocompatibility of the CMC‐FDA/PHMB coating. This CMC‐FDA/PHMB material hold promising potential for rapid hemostasis and prevention of wound infection.
A practical guide to the appropriate analysis of eGFR data over time: A simulation study
Authors: DeVries Todd , Carroll Kevin J. , Lewis Sandra A.
Published: April 2024

In several therapeutic areas, including chronic kidney disease (CKD) and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), there is a growing interest in how best to analyze estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) data over time in randomized clinical trials including how to best accommodate situations where the rate of change is not anticipated to be linear over time, often due to possible short term hemodynamic effects of certain classes of interventions. In such situations, concerns have been expressed by regulatory authorities that the common application of single slope analysis models may induce Type I error inflation. This article aims to offer practical advice and guidance, including SAS codes, on the statistical methodology to be employed in an eGFR rate of change analysis and offers guidance on trial design considerations for eGFR endpoints. A two‐slope statistical model for eGFR data over time is proposed allowing for an analysis to simultaneously evaluate short term acute effects and long term chronic effects. A simulation study was conducted under a range of credible null and alternative hypotheses to evaluate the performance of the two‐slope model in comparison to commonly used single slope random coefficients models as well as to non‐slope based analyses of change from baseline or time normalized area under the curve (TAUC). Importantly, and contrary to preexisting concerns, these simulations demonstrate the absence of alpha inflation associated with the use of single or two‐slope random coefficient models, even when such models are misspecified, and highlight that any concern regarding model misspecification relates to power and not to lack of Type I error control.
Sustainability assessment of the agriculture sector using best worst method: Case study of Baltic states
Authors: Streimikis Justas , Bathaei Ahmad , Štreimikienė Dalia
Published: April 2024

Sustainable agriculture development holds significant global and regional importance, particularly within the Baltic countries. On a global scale, it is a critical strategy for meeting the escalating demand for food while simultaneously mitigating the adverse environmental and social consequences associated with agricultural practices. In the context of the Baltic nations, where agriculture constitutes a substantial portion of the economy, the adoption of sustainable farming practices is imperative for ensuring the sector's long‐term viability, safeguarding the integrity of the region's distinct ecosystems, and guaranteeing food security for their populations. A comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing Baltic agriculture is impeded by a notable research deficiency concerning the intricate and distinct problems facing these nations. The use of indicators to assess economic sustainable agriculture indicators plays a pivotal role in guiding agricultural practices. By taking social and environmental variables into account, these metrics quantify the economic viability of farming. Consequently, these indicators empower policymakers and farmers alike to make well‐informed decisions, striking a balance between profitability and resource conservation, thereby contributing to the enduring sustainability of agriculture in the Baltic countries and beyond. Notably, a comprehensive assessment of economic sustainability in agriculture identified 31 indicators, which were refined to 9 through expert consensus using the Delphi method. Subsequently, the best worst method was applied to rank these indicators. The results indicate that investment intensity, diversification of income, agricultural labor productivity, and market access emerge as the most crucial indicators for ensuring economic sustainability in agriculture.
Control of Steel Composition and Evolution of Inclusions During Electroslag Remelting of NiCrMoV High‐Strength Steel
Authors: Ling Haitao , Xu Rui , Chang Lizhong , Cong Junqiang
Published: April 2024

Herein, the control of steel composition and evolution of inclusions during the electroslag remelting (ESR) of NiCrMoV high‐strength steel are investigated by laboratory experiments and thermodynamic calculations. The effects of slag systems, atmosphere protection, and surface quality of the consumable electrode are discussed. Results show that slag containing 5% TiO2 and 2% SiO2 is beneficial for controlling Ti and Si losses in steel during the ESR. Using argon gas protection reduces the total oxygen (TO) and nitrogen contents in ESR ingots and improves steel cleanliness, while it has little influence on the types of inclusions. The oxide scales on the electrode surface lead to the reoxidation of liquid steel during the ESR. The TO content increases to 113 ppm and Si, Ti, Als, and Mn contents in ESR ingots are considerably reduced. The inclusions are transformed from Al2O3–CaO–TiOx–MgO to MnO–SiO2–Al2O3–TiOx. Thermodynamic calculations reveal that the decrease in temperature promotes the precipitation of Ca2Ti2O5 and Ca2Ti2O6 in inclusions. As the oxygen content from reoxidation increases, the formation of SiO2 and MnO in inclusions in ESR ingots is promoted. Appropriate process parameters are proposed to control the composition and cleanliness of steel during the ESR.
Mechanical performance and structural application of a novel basalt‐fiber‐reinforced ultra‐high‐performance seawater‐sea‐sand concrete (UHPSSC) with basalt coarse aggregate
Authors: Sun Xiaoyan , Liu Jingrui , Zhao Weijian , Wang Hailong , Yang Yuanzhang
Published: April 2024

As unlimited resources, seawater and sea sand (SS) could be used as alternatives for fresh water and river sand in concrete constructions in areas with limited resources, such as mega‐cities and islands. To further improve the material efficiency, SS have been used to fabricate the ultra‐high‐performance seawater‐sea‐sand concrete (UHPSSC) in the literature. This work proposes a new type of UHPSSC, which incorporates basalt fibers to enhance the tensile property and coarse aggregate (CA) to improve the modulus. To investigate the contributing factors to the mechanical performance, 12 mixes of different fiber lengths, fiber volumes, and CA contents were designed and tested under compression and flexure. To verify the validity of the proposed UHPSSC in structural elements, six beam specimens reinforced with basalt‐fiber‐reinforced polymer (BFRP) bars were designed and tested. The influence of the tensile properties of the proposed UHPSSC and BFRP flexural reinforcement designs was analyzed. This research shows that with a proper mix design, the proposed UHPSSC has a maximum compressive strength of 140 MPa, exceeding the benchmark strength of 120 MPa for ultra‐high‐performance concrete. With different mix designs, the compressive strength of the proposed UHPSSC varies from 101.5 to 140.5 MPa and the flexural strength varies from 10.8 to 15.4 MPa at 28 days. At different curing ages, the basalt fiber length and volume have more significant impacts on the flexural strength but have limited impact on the compressive strength. Although an optimal CA content of 400 kg/m3 was found for the compressive strength and the CA content could amplify the influences of the fiber length and volume on the flexural strength. With the flexural reinforcement ratio varying from 0.58% to 1.29%, the UHPSSC beam specimens failed with expected flexural failure and the ultimate capacities varying from 118 to 183 kN, showing a predictable manner. Improving the tensile strength of the proposed UHPSSC could effectively enhance the cracking load and expand the stiffness degradation phase.
Factor analysis of environmental effects in circular closed‐loop supply chain network design and modelling under uncertainty in the manufacturing industry
Authors: Karunakaran Sunil Kumar , Ramasamy Narayanan , Anand Manoharan Dev , Santhi Nagarajan
Published: April 2024

Sustainable development and competitive advantage are impacted by strategic choices that maximize resource value and reduce waste. Numerous instances of thriving OEM remanufacturing can be observed, predominantly in the business‐to‐business domain. The significance of Closed‐Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) in generating value and managing the recovery process is widely acknowledged within the supply chain industry. Manufacturing companies now have to come up with green supply chain and process design strategies in response to recent changes in environmental regulations. This study designates the specific features of circular closed‐loop supply‐chain design considering end‐of‐life products. Uncertainty in various aspects, such as acquisition, processing, and market stages, is impeding the progress of circular economies and also sustainable development in closed‐loop supply chains (CLSCs). This has led to increased complexity in remanufacturing processes and decreased efficiency. To address this issue, the study proposes a comprehensive, integrative approach for establishing a sustainable CLSC network that adapts to fluctuating demand through a questionnaire analysis. Moreover, the study introduces a multi‐objective optimization model for a dual‐channel supply chain network, aiming to enhance the flow. This model considers both economic and environmental objectives to achieve a sustainable and efficient supply chain system. To determine the ideal circular closed‐loop supply chain (CLSC) network design, the research proposes linear programming model with mixed integer, where recovery can take place in one of three ways: through material recovery, component recovery, or product recovery. Numerous findings from a thorough analysis by data backup that inform CLSC managers of ways to improve product returns in terms of quantity and quality. To address the uncertainty problem, the research also developed the fuzzy credibility constraint technique with a Simulated Annealing algorithm. Using cutting‐edge methods, it is explored and compared how sensitivity analysis results, the impact of altering the problem parameters, and the performance of the suggested model respectively.
A high‐performance cell‐labeling NIR‐II dye for in vivo cell tracking
Authors: Sun Bin , Ma Rui , Wang Xin , Ma Shengjie , Li Wenzhong , Liu Tianyi , Zhu Wenhao , Ji Zhengchao , Hettie Kenneth S. , Liu Chunchen , Liang Yongye , Zhu Shoujun
Published: April 2024

Fluorescent dyes that emit in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II, 1000–3000 nm) region have provided significant advances toward real‐time and high‐resolution imaging of vessel and lymphatic system. However, in vivo NIR‐II tracking of the fate of labeled cells still remains challenging. Here, we develop a shielding unit–donor–acceptor–donor–shielding unit (S‐D‐A‐D‐S) NIR‐II fluorophore (FE‐4ZW) with zwitterionic terminal groups for high‐efficiency cell labeling without using cell‐penetrating peptides, which provides for enhanced non‐invasive in vivo determination of the location of cell migration. The tethering terminal sulfoammonium inner salts are featured with its high affinity for cell membranes, thereby enabling the stable labeling even for fixed cells. The fate of transplanted stem cell and the tumor cell migration along lymphatic system in brain or periphery tissues are clearly monitored by the cell‐internalized FE‐4ZW. We also confirmed that a clinically used surfactant, D‐α‐tocopheryl polyethylene glycol‐1000 succinate, can reduce the liver and spleen uptake of FE‐4ZW. The fluorophore design strategy and cell‐labeling technology reported here open a new realm in the visualization of cell migration and insight into the relocation process, thereby ultimately providing an opportunity to investigate in greater detail of the underlying mechanisms of stem cell therapy and tumor metastasis.
Convergences of Private Self-Interest and the Common Good in Medieval Europe: An Overview of Economic Theories, c. 1150–c. 1500
Authors: Nederman Cary J.
Published: April 2024

The Western Middle Ages witnessed the emergence of a wide array of economic theories of public life and the common good that emphasized the worthiness (indeed priority) of ensuring a satisfactory arrangement of economic goods primarily for the sake of meeting the physical, temporal needs of individuals from all classes and orders. The chapter surveys a plethora of texts, dating from the middle of the twelfth century up to the end of the fifteenth, that considered pragmatic issues related to how the material self-interest of human beings coincided with the augmentation of public wealth within a community, and especially how governmental policies promoted or hampered the goal of personal economic improvement. Despite the diversity of and occasional discordance among these writings, all of them fundamentally agree on two interrelated points: (1) the pursuit of material self-interest, rather than conflicting with or detracting from the common good, actually supports and enhances it; (2) the responsibility of government to promote the public welfare requires paying careful attention to the protection and promotion of private advantage.
DRAT Proofs of Unsatisfiability for SAT Modulo Monotonic Theories
Authors: Feng Nick , Hu Alan J. , Bayless Sam , Iqbal Syed M. , Trentin Patrick , Whalen Mike , Pike Lee , Backes John
Published: April 2024

Generating proofs of unsatisfiability is a valuable capability of most SAT solvers, and is an active area of research for SMT solvers. This paper introduces the first method to efficiently generate proofs of unsatisfiability specifically for an important subset of SMT: SAT Modulo Monotonic Theories (SMMT), which includes many useful finite-domain theories (e.g., bit vectors and many graph-theoretic properties) and is used in production at Amazon Web Services. Our method uses propositional definitions of the theory predicates, from which it generates compact Horn approximations of the definitions, which lead to efficient DRAT proofs, leveraging the large investment the SAT community has made in DRAT. In experiments on practical SMMT problems, our proof generation overhead is minimal (7.41% geometric mean slowdown, 28.8% worst-case), and we can generate and check proofs for many problems that were previously intractable.
Deciding Boolean Separation Logic via Small Models
Authors: Dacík Tomáš , Rogalewicz Adam , Vojnar Tomáš , Zuleger Florian
Published: April 2024

We present a novel decision procedure for a fragment of separation logic (SL) with arbitrary nesting of separating conjunctions with boolean conjunctions, disjunctions, and guarded negations together with a support for the most common variants of linked lists. Our method is based on a model-based translation to SMT for which we introduce several optimisations—the most important of them is based on bounding the size of predicate instantiations within models of larger formulae, which leads to a much more efficient translation of SL formulae to SMT. Through a series of experiments, we show that, on the frequently used symbolic heap fragment, our decision procedure is competitive with other existing approaches, and it can outperform them outside the symbolic heap fragment. Moreover, our decision procedure can also handle some formulae for which no decision procedure has been implemented so far.
IsaRare: Automatic Verification of SMT Rewrites in Isabelle/HOL
Authors: Lachnitt Hanna , Fleury Mathias , Aniva Leni , Reynolds Andrew , Barbosa Haniel , Nötzli Andres , Barrett Clark , Tinelli Cesare
Published: April 2024

Satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solvers are widely used to ensure the correctness of safety- and security-critical applications. Therefore, being able to trust a solver’s results is crucial. One way to increase trust is to generate independently checkable proof certificates, which record the reasoning steps done by the solver. A key challenge with this approach is that it is difficult to efficiently and accurately produce proofs for reasoning steps involving term rewriting rules. Previous work showed how a domain-specific language, Rare, can be used to capture rewriting rules for the purposes of proof production. However, in that work, the Rare rules had to be trusted, as the correctness of the rules themselves was not checked by the proof checker. In this paper, we present IsaRare, a tool that can automatically translate Rare rules into Isabelle/HOL lemmas. The soundness of the rules can then be verified by proving the lemmas. Because an incorrect rule can put the entire soundness of a proof system in jeopardy, our solution closes an important gap in the trustworthiness of SMT proof certificates. The same tool also provides a necessary component for enabling full proof reconstruction of SMT proof certificates in Isabelle/HOL. We evaluate our approach by verifying an extensive set of rewrite rules used by the cvc5 SMT solver.
Exceptional Dehn Surgeries on Some Infinite Series of Hyperbolic Knots and Links
Authors: Cavicchioli Alberto , Spaggiari Fulvia
Published: April 2024

We study closed connected orientable 3-manifolds obtained by Dehn surgery along the oriented components of a link, introduced and considered by Motegi and Song (2005) and Ichihara et al. (2008). For such manifolds, we find a finite balanced group presentation of the fundamental group and describe exceptional surgeries. This allows us to construct an infinite family of tunnel number one strongly invertible hyperbolic knots with three parameters, which admit toroidal surgeries and Seifert fibered surgeries. Among the obtained results, we mention that for every integer $$n >5$$

n
>
5

there are infinitely many hyperbolic knots in the 3–sphere, whose $$(n-2)$$

(
n
-
2
)

and $$(n+1)$$

(
n
+
1
)

-surgeries are toroidal, and $$(n-1)$$

(
n
-
1
)

and n-surgeries are Seifert fibered.
From hypertoric geometry to bordered Floer homology via the $$m=1$$ amplituhedron
Authors: Lauda Aaron D. , Licata Anthony M. , Manion Andrew
Published: April 2024

We relate the Fukaya category of the symmetric power of a genus zero surface to deformed category $$\mathcal {O}$$
O
of a cyclic hypertoric variety by establishing an isomorphism between algebras defined by Ozsváth–Szabó in Heegaard–Floer theory and Braden–Licata–Proudfoot–Webster in hypertoric geometry. The proof extends work of Karp–Williams on sign variation and the combinatorics of the $$m=1$$

m
=
1

amplituhedron. We then use the algebras associated to cyclic arrangements to construct categorical actions of $$\mathfrak {gl}(1|1)$$

gl
(
1
|
1
)

, and generalize our isomorphism to give a conjectural algebraic description of the Fukaya category of a complexified hyperplane complement.
Diophantine conditions in the law of the iterated logarithm for lacunary systems
Authors: Aistleitner Christoph , Frühwirth Lorenz , Prochno Joscha
Published: April 2024

It is a classical observation that lacunary function systems exhibit many properties which are typical for systems of independent random variables. However, it had already been observed by Erdős and Fortet in the 1950s that probability theory’s limit theorems may fail for lacunary sums $$\sum f(n_k x)$$

∑
f
(

n
k

x
)

if the sequence $$(n_k)_{k \ge 1}$$

(

n
k

)

k
≥
1

has a strong arithmetic “structure”. The presence of such structure can be assessed in terms of the number of solutions $$k,\ell $$

k
,
ℓ

of two-term linear Diophantine equations $$a n_k - b n_\ell = c$$

a

n
k

-
b

n
ℓ

=
c

. As the first author proved with Berkes in 2010, saving an (arbitrarily small) unbounded factor for the number of solutions of such equations compared to the trivial upper bound, rules out pathological situations as in the Erdős–Fortet example, and guarantees that $$\sum f(n_k x)$$

∑
f
(

n
k

x
)

satisfies the central limit theorem (CLT) in a form which is in accordance with true independence. In contrast, as shown by the first author, for the law of the iterated logarithm (LIL) the Diophantine condition which suffices to ensure “truly independent” behavior requires saving this factor of logarithmic order. In the present paper we show that, rather surprisingly, saving such a logarithmic factor is actually the optimal condition in the LIL case. This result reveals the remarkable fact that the arithmetic condition required of $$(n_k)_{k \ge 1}$$

(

n
k

)

k
≥
1

to ensure that $$\sum f(n_k x)$$

∑
f
(

n
k

x
)

shows “truly random” behavior is a different one at the level of the CLT than it is at the level of the LIL: the LIL requires a stronger arithmetic condition than the CLT does.