bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unmanned aerial vehicle fuel tank structure design optimization based on Flow-EFD fluid simulation
Authors: Deng Dingqi , Jiang Liang , Wang Hui , Gao Guangtuo
Published: March 2023

Fuel quantity indication and fuel low level warning design is an important technology for unmanned aerial vehicle design with long distance flight capability. Since the size and shape of overflow holes opened on fuel tank rib structure impact the fuel leakage rate and in turn impact whether fuel low level warning will be triggered at expected time, this article use RNG-turbulence model based on Flow-EFD fluid simulation to compare three different overflow hole design schemes and get the conclusion that several rectangular holes design has negative impact on fuel level descending and will not cause nuisance fuel low level alert under large pitch angle.
The Research of Reliability Evaluation Method Based on PoF
Authors: Xie SH , song Q Q , Liu J M , Ga Y J
Published: March 2023

Combining with the practical engineering case, this paper decomposed and analyzed the process of electronic products’ reliability assessment based on the Physics of Failure (PoF) method. The first step is to build a digital prototype model and then a PoF model. The second step is to use the Monte Carlo sampling method to obtain the failure samples of different fault points based on the PoF model. The third step is forming the failure DFs by fitting the failure samples. The fourth step is using the failure DF to calculate the Time to Failure (TTF)of the components. Finally, the paper can obtain the time of the TTF and the failure DF by applying the competitive failure principle. Compared with the reliability evaluation method based on test data, the reliability evaluation method based on PoF is more economical and efficient.
Photovoltaic Power Prediction Method Based on Combined Similar Days and BiLSTM
Authors: Zhang Xiangying , Li Rui
Published: March 2023

The PV power output between similar days has great similarity. It can improve the accuracy of the prediction results based on valid similar days. In this paper, we proposed a novel combined similar day selection method based on multiple periods. Firstly, the meteorological characteristic quantity is established, and then the historical similar period is selected by using the combination index of grey correlation degree and cosine similarity in different periods, and multiple combined similar days are constructed. Then, using the historical power value and meteorological data of the corresponding period, the photovoltaic power of the prediction day is predicted by bi-long short-term memory (BiLSTM) neural network in different periods. The photovoltaic power prediction results of the day to be predicted are corrected according to the power errors of multiple combined similar days. The results show that this method has better prediction accuracy.
Busbar Voltage Control of DC Microgrid Group Based on Whale Optimization Algorithm and Fuzzy Control
Authors: Zhao Guanhao , Xiao Liexi , Zhou Hui
Published: March 2023

Aiming at the problems of system response lag, poor anti-interference ability, and poor recovery ability of fuzzy dual closed-loop control, this paper proposes a fuzzy dual closed-loop control based on a whale optimization algorithm to optimize the control effect by simulating the foam attack mechanism of humpback whales, solving mathematical and structural optimization problems, adjusting quantization factor and scaling factor, and adjusting PI parameters in real-time. Matlab/Simulink is used to create the model. The experimental results show that the system has a quicker reaction, smaller overshoot, greater anti-interference capability, and improved robustness in various situations under the new control strategy.
Design of a Taiji-like Dual-band Microstrip Patch Antenna Loaded with Bagua Parasitic Patch
Authors: Wang Shike , Xia Dan , Lv Lianrong , Qin Juan , Wang Meng , Chen Mengdan , Wang Biao , Li Lei
Published: March 2023

This study proposes a Taiji-shaped microstrip patch antenna without affecting its size and design complexity. The radiation patch adopts a Taiji-like shape design, and the traditional Chinese Bagua-shaped parasitic element is loaded on the periphery of the radiation patch on the surface of the dielectric substrate to optimize the impedance matching further and improve the gain. The software HFSS15.0 is used to simulate the antenna and compare the results. The results show that the antenna achieves dual-band characteristics at 2.45GHz and 5.04GHz, has an impedance bandwidth of 110MHz and 250MHz, and has a positive gain of 7.13dB. The proposed antenna is suitable for the field of wireless communication.
High-throughput satellite flexibility design and modeling
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Zhou Yejun , Qin Pengfei , Zhao Ziqi
Published: March 2023

The paper presents a high-throughput satellite flexibility modeling and analysis method. The described method gives the design basis for choosing flexible satellite payloads such as transparent digital processors (DTP) for high-throughput satellites. The algorithm in the paper takes different time demands within the high-throughput satellite beams and different area demands between beams as input analyzes the capacity matching rate under the onboard resource constraint in different application scenarios. It also gives the conclusion of whether the satellite chooses a flexible design or not. When the variance of inter-beam demand and design capacity in the coverage area exceeds a given limit, the flexible payload is selected to achieve a higher capacity matching ratio and lower satellite design and usage cost. When the variance of demand and beam design capacity is less than the given limit, the variance of inter-beam demand in the coverage area is smaller, and the satellite system without flexible design is selected considering the full satellite capacity and cost.
Design and Analysis of Walking device of Multi-function Ecological Planting Grass Cart
Authors: Qi Xuemei , Wu Yunjie , Zhang Jian , Wang Yuhao
Published: March 2023

Aiming at the problems of complex structure and difficult control of the walking device of the grass planting cart, a walking device of the ecological grass planting cart was designed, including the frame, walking wheel, profile device, depth limiting device, etc. The device limits the depth of three blocks and simulates the shape of the working ground. From the perspective of the soil contact force field and displacement field, EDEM software was used to simulate the discrete elements of the driving wheel and soil suppression effect. It can be seen from the analysis results that the driving wheel has a good suppression effect on soil particles. The depth-limiting effect of the walking device is simulated, and the results show that the distribution area and depth of the contact force field between the three-gear trench device and soil particles are different, and the depth-limiting effect is good.
Enhanced Foldable Logarithmic Cycle Antenna
Authors: Zheng Hao , Zhu Zexi
Published: March 2023

Field communication and data transformation are critical in multiple geological surveys worldwide. However, antennas sold on the markets are mainly focused on their weight. These antennas may be destroyed by extreme weather like sandstorms. An enhanced foldable antenna based on SARRUS Linkage and Origami waterbomb pattern is designed to overcome external impacts. This research studies the basic unit of the SURRAS linkage to find the nobility of the structure. The comparison of the Origami technique waterbomb (WB), and split fold waterbomb pattern (SFWB) will discuss after the SARRUS linkage part. The basic unit of the SARRUS linkage has one degree of freedom. Subsequently, the kinematic model will demonstrate the deployment performance. Meanwhile, diagrams of the Origami waterbomb patterns illustrate the influence caused by the increasing number of folding angles, which is larger than the impact of the sector angle. This newly designed antenna has excellent protection and can effectively increase the workable area in which the antennas need to be deployed.
A GEANT4 based simulation framework for the large area muon telescope of the GRAPES-3 experiment
Authors: Varsi F. , Ahmad S. , Chakraborty M. , Chandra A. , Dugad S.R. , Goswami U.D. , Gupta S.K. , Hariharan B. , Hayashi Y. , Jagadeesan P. , Jain A. , Jain P. , Kawakami S. , Kojima H. , Mahapatra S. , Mishra S. , Mohanty P.K. , Moharana R. , Muraki Y. , Nayak P.K. , Nonaka T. , Oshima A. , Pant B.P. , Pattanaik D. , Pradhan A.K. , Pradhan G.S. , Rameez M. , Ramesh K. , Reddy L.V. , Saha S. , Sahoo R. , Scaria R. , Shibata S. , Zuberi M.
Published: March 2023

The GRAPES-3 experiment located in Ooty, India, samples the electron and muon components in extensive air showers using an array of plastic scintillator detectors and a muon telescope (G3MT) consisting of proportional counters to study the composition of primary cosmic rays (PCRs) as well as γ-ray sources in the TeV–PeV energy range. The G3MT is designed with an appropriate mass absorber to shield the electromagnetic and hadronic components in the shower and to detect muons above 1 GeV×sec(θ) energy, incident from a zenith angle θ. We developed a simulation framework based on the GEANT4 toolkit to evaluate the response of shower particles such as muons, γ-rays, electrons and hadrons in the G3MT. We discuss the geometric modeling of the G3MT using GEANT4 starting with the proportional counter. We estimated the punch-through contribution of hadrons in the G3MT. We compare the simulated muon multiplicity distributions with the observed ones assuming PCR composition from a four population supernova remnant acceleration model namely H4a.
Con-AAE: contrastive cycle adversarial autoencoders for single-cell multi-omics alignment and integration
Authors: Wang Xuesong , Hu Zhihang , Yu Tingyang , Wang Yixuan , Wang Ruijie , Wei Yumeng , Shu Juan , Ma Jianzhu , Li Yu
Published: March 2023

Motivation

We have entered the multi-omics era and can measure cells from different aspects. Hence, we can get a more comprehensive view by integrating or matching data from different spaces corresponding to the same object. However, it is particularly challenging in the single-cell multi-omics scenario because such data are very sparse with extremely high dimensions. Though some techniques can be used to measure scATAC-seq and scRNA-seq simultaneously, the data are usually highly noisy due to the limitations of the experimental environment.

Results

To promote single-cell multi-omics research, we overcome the above challenges, proposing a novel framework, contrastive cycle adversarial autoencoders, which can align and integrate single-cell RNA-seq data and single-cell ATAC-seq data. Con-AAE can efficiently map the above data with high sparsity and noise from different spaces to a coordinated subspace, where alignment and integration tasks can be easier. We demonstrate its advantages on several datasets.

Availability and implementation

Zenodo link: https://zenodo.org/badge/latestdoi/368779433. github: https://github.com/kakarotcq/Con-AAE.
The Cyclic Diagnosability Of Hypercubes Under The PMC Model And The MM* Model
Authors: Zhang Hong , Zhou Shuming , Cheng Eddie
Published: March 2023

Motivated by a multitude of practical applications, many distinct vulnerability parameters of multiprocessor systems have been explored. Traditional connectivity and diagnosability are undoubtedly the most well investigated of these metrics, but often fail to capture the most subtle differences of a multiprocessor system. Subsequently, it is necessary to take into account the minimum degree of components, the size of components or the number of components. However, the structure of the components is ignored in these circumstances. In this work, we propose a novel diagnostic strategy based on cyclic connectivity, namely the cyclic diagnosability. The cyclic diagnosability, denoted by $ct(G)$, is the maximum size of the faulty vertex set $F$ of $G$ such that the self-diagnosable system $G$ can identify all the vertices in $F$ under the condition that at least two connected components of $G-F$ contain a cycle. Furthermore, we investigate the cyclic diagnosability of hypercube $Q_{n}$ under the PMC model and the MM* model, and show that $ct(Q_{n})=5n-10$ for $n\geq 7$.
State of charge and state of health estimation strategies for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Wang Nanlan , Xia Xiangyang , Zeng Xiaoyong
Published: March 2023

Due to the widespread use of renewable energy sources, lithium-ion batteries have developed rapidly because renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaics and wind, which are very much affected by the environment and their power output can be better leveled if lithium-ion batteries are used. Battery state of charge (SOC) characterizes the remaining battery power, while battery state of health (SOH) characterizes the battery life state, and they are key parameters to characterize the state of lithium-ion batteries. In terms of battery SOC estimation, this paper optimizes the extended Kalman filtering (EKF) algorithm weights to adjust the weights during high current bursts to obtain better SOC tracking performance and optimizes the back propagation (BP) neural network for SOH estimation to obtain better weights to further obtain more accurate battery SOH. The feasibility of the optimized algorithm is validated by the experimental platform.
Genetic rescue remains underused for aiding recovery of federally listed vertebrates in the United States
Authors: Fitzpatrick Sarah W , Mittan-Moreau Cinnamon , Miller Madison , Judson Jessica M
Published: March 2023

Restoring gene flow among fragmented populations is discussed as a potentially powerful management strategy that could reduce inbreeding depression and cause genetic rescue. Yet, examples of assisted migration for genetic rescue remain sparse in conservation, prompting several outspoken calls for its increased use in genetic management of fragmented populations. We set out to evaluate the extent to which this strategy is underused and to determine how many imperiled species would realistically stand to benefit from genetic rescue, focusing on federally threatened or endangered vertebrate species in the United States. We developed a “genetic rescue suitability index (GR index)” based on concerns about small population problems relative to risks associated with outbreeding depression and surveyed the literature for 222 species. We found that two-thirds of these species were good candidates for consideration of assisted migration for the purpose of genetic rescue according to our suitability index. Good candidate species spanned all taxonomic groups and geographic regions, though species with more missing data tended to score lower on the suitability index. While we do not recommend a prescriptive interpretation of our GR index, we used it here to establish that assisted migration for genetic rescue is an underused strategy. For example, we found in total, “genetic rescue” was only mentioned in 11 recovery plans and has only been implemented in 3 of the species we surveyed. A potential way forward for implementation of this strategy is incorporating genetic rescue as a priority in USFWS recovery documentation. In general, our results suggest that although not appropriate for all imperiled species, many more species stand to benefit from a conservation strategy of assisted migration for genetic rescue than those for which it has previously been considered or implemented.
Gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcer among paediatric cancer patients after proton beam therapy
Authors: Fukushima Hiroko , Mizumoto Masashi , Suzuki Ryoko , Yamaki Yuni , Hosaka Sho , Inaba Masako , Tagawa Manabu , Watanabe Atsuko , Okunushi Tomoko , Masumoto Kouji , Muroi Ai , Sakurai Hideyuki , Takada Hidetoshi
Published: March 2023

Background

The details of gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcer in paediatric cancer patients treated with proton beam therapy have not been reported previously.

Methods

Patients aged 15 years or younger at the time of proton beam therapy and whose gastrointestinal tract was included in the irradiated field participated.

Results

A total of 124 patients participated in the study; their median age at irradiation was 5.4 years. Concurrent chemotherapies were vincristine–cyclophosphamide (16 patients), irinotecan-based treatment (16 patients), vincristine–cyclophosphamide–ifosfamide–etoposide (14 patients), other chemotherapy (27 patients) and no chemotherapy (51 patients). Gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcer occurred in four patients (3.2%), with no death due to the bleeding/ulcer. The sites of the gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcer were the stomach (two patients) and the duodenum (two patients). The ages of the four patients at PBT were 5.3, 13.8, 14.2 and 14.8 years, which were significantly older than those of patients without GI bleeding/ulcer (p = 0.017). The maximum irradiated doses to the GI tract in the four patients were 43.2, 45, 50.4 and 50.4 gray equivalent, respectively. The concomitant chemotherapy was vincristine–cyclophosphamide–ifosfamide–etoposide 3 and vincristine–cyclophosphamide 1. Weeks from proton beam therapy to bleeding/ulcer were 15, 20, 22 and 264.

Discussion and conclusions

Patients who developed gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcer were treated concurrently with vincristine–cyclophosphamide–ifosfamide–etoposide or vincristine–cyclophosphamide, and their ages were older than those of patients without gastrointestinal bleeding/ulcer. Bleeding occurred in the upper gastrointestinal tract in all the cases, and most cases occurred early and during chemotherapy. Upper gastrointestinal irradiation in older children undergoing intensive chemotherapy may increase the risk of developing gastrointestinal complications.
Hyponatremia as a Predictor of Cryptococcal Meningitis and Death Among Asymptomatic Persons With HIV and Cryptococcal Antigenemia
Authors: Lehman Alice , Nalintya Elizabeth , Wele Abduljewad , Kirumira Paul , Naluyima Rose , Namuli Teopista , Turya Musa Fred , Skipper Caleb P , Meya David B , Boulware David R , Rajasingham Radha
Published: March 2023

Among persons with human immunodeficiency virus–associated cryptococcal meningitis serum hyponatremia is a risk factor for mortality; however, the role of hyponatremia in persons with asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia is unknown. We found that serum hyponatremia ≤130 mmol/L is an independent risk factor for progression to meningitis and death in asymptomatic persons with cryptococcal antigenemia with low titers.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Neutralizing Antibody Responses After Community Infections in Children and Adults
Authors: Dawood Fatimah S , Couture Alexia , Zhang Xueyan , Stockwell Melissa S , Porucznik Christina A , Stanford Joseph B , Hetrich Marissa , Veguilla Vic , Thornburg Natalie , Heaney Christopher D , Wang Jing , Duque Jazmin , Jeddy Zuha , Deloria Knoll Maria , Karron Ruth
Published: March 2023

Background

We compared postinfection severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses among children and adults while the D614G-like strain and Alpha, Iota, and Delta variants circulated.

Methods

During August 2020–October 2021, households with adults and children were enrolled and followed in Utah, New York City, and Maryland. Participants collected weekly respiratory swabs that were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and had sera collected during enrollment and follow-up. Sera were tested for SARS-CoV-2 nAb by pseudovirus assay. Postinfection titers were characterized with biexponential decay models.

Results

Eighty participants had SARS-CoV-2 infection during the study (47 with D614G-like virus, 17 with B.1.1.7, and 8 each with B.1.617.2 and B.1.526 virus). Homologous nAb geometric mean titers (GMTs) trended higher in adults (GMT = 2320) versus children 0–4 (GMT = 425, P = .33) and 5–17 years (GMT = 396, P = .31) at 1–5 weeks postinfection but were similar from 6 weeks. Timing of peak titers was similar by age. Results were consistent when participants with self-reported infection before enrollment were included (n = 178).

Conclusions

The SARS-CoV-2 nAb titers differed in children compared to adults early after infection but were similar by 6 weeks postinfection. If postvaccination nAb kinetics have similar trends, vaccine immunobridging studies may need to compare nAb responses in adults and children 6 weeks or more after vaccination.
Constraints to and enablers for contextualizing digital health terminology standards in Uganda’s health services: a qualitative case study
Authors: Kiwanuka Achilles , Amiyo Mercy , Nabukenya Josephine
Published: March 2023

This study investigated the constraints to and enablers for contextualizing digital health terminology standards using a case study approach of Uganda HIV services. Qualitative methods were used. The study was conducted at both the national and subnational levels of Uganda’s health system. Primary data were collected through key informant interviews, whereas secondary data were collected through document review. Twenty-one interviews were held at subnational levels among officers or their assistants including medical recorders, clinicians, nurses, laboratory technologists, pharmacists and administrators at health facilities and districts. Twelve interviews were held at the national level involving research institutions, academia, health development partners, health implementing partners, Ministry of Health and government agencies. The respondents were sampled purposively. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The constraints to contextualizing digital health terminology standards were limited digital health terminology expertise, human resources deficits and inadequate information communication technology training. The enablers identified included presence of an installed base of established systems, digital health capacity-building endeavours and technical support at the health facilities. The study recommends that governments should invest in building capacities for digital health particularly training in terminology standards, with the vision of using uniform terminologies in health services across all levels of the health system. Constraints and enablers identified in this study informed our work of requirements generation and design of a framework for contextualizing digital health terminology standards for low- and middle-income countries like Uganda.
Trustworthiness, Responsibility and Virtue
Authors: Hills Alison
Published: March 2023

In the current philosophical literature on trustworthiness, two claims are very widely accepted, first that trustworthiness is a kind of reliability and secondly, that trustworthiness is not a virtue. Both claims are made, for instance, in Hawley's recent highly influential account of trustworthiness. I argue that both are mistaken. I develop and defend a new account of trustworthiness as responsibility, contrasting it with reliability and obligation accounts of trustworthiness. I argue that trustworthiness as responsibility is very plausibly a kind of moral virtue.
The Role of Cell Cycle Arrest Biomarkers for Predicting Acute Kidney Injury in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients: A Multicenter, Observational Study
Authors: Weiss Raphael , von Groote Thilo , Ostermann Marlies , Lumlertgul Nuttha , Weerapolchai Kittisak , Garcia Manuel Ignacio Monge , Cano Jose Maria Martin , del Corral Beatriz Diez , Broch-Porcar María Jesús , Perez Carrasco Marcos , De la Vega Sanchez Arsenio , Sousa Eduardo , Catarino Ana , Roig Antonio Jorge Betbesé , Martinez de Irujo Jaume Baldira , de Rosa Silvia , de la Peña Manuel Garcia-Montesinos , Tomasa Teresa , Brivio Matteo , De Molina Francisco Javier Gonzalez , Gerss Joachim , Kellum John A. , Wempe Carola , Leidereiter Anna , Meersch Melanie , Zarbock Alexander
Published: March 2023

OBJECTIVES:

Patients with COVID-19–associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) have a high risk for developing acute kidney injury (AKI) which is associated with an increased risk of death and persistent renal failure. Early prediction of AKI is crucial in order to implement preventive strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the predictive performance of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 and insulin like growth factor binding protein 7 (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) in critically ill patients with COVID-19–associated ARDS.

DESIGN:

Multicenter, prospective, observational study.

SETTING:

Twelve centers across Europe and United Kingdom.

PATIENTS:

Patients with moderate or severe COVID-19–associated ARDS were included and serial measurements of (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) were performed.

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

The primary endpoint was the development of moderate or severe AKI according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes definition. Three hundred patients were available for the primary analysis, and 39 met the primary endpoint. At enrollment, urinary (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) had high predictive value for the primary endpoint with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.89 (95% CI, 0.84–0.93). (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) was significantly higher in endpoint-positive patients at enrollment and at 12 hours.

CONCLUSIONS:

Urinary (TIMP-2) × (IGFBP7) predicts the occurrence of AKI in critically ill patients with COVID-19–associated ARDS.
The origins of new SARS-COV-2 variants in immuncompromised individuals
Authors: Riddell Anna C. , Cutino-Moguel Teresa
Published: March 2023

Purpose of review

To explore the origins of new severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants in immunocompromised individuals and whether the emergence of novel mutations in these individuals is responsible for the development of variants of concern (VOC).

Recent findings

Next generation sequencing of samples from chronically infected immunocompromised patients has enabled identification of VOC- defining mutations in individualspriorto the emergence of these variants worldwide. Whether these individuals are the source of variant generation is uncertain. Vaccine effectiveness in immunocompromised individuals and with respect to VOCs is also discussed.

Current evidence on chronic SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised populations is reviewed including the relevance of this to the generation of novel variants. Continued viral replication in the absence of an effective immune response at an individual level or high levels of viral infection at the population level are likely to have contributed to the appearance of the main VOC.
Comparison of Ectasia Detection in Early Keratoconus Using Scheimpflug-Based Corneal Tomography and Biomechanical Assessments
Authors: Wallace Henry B. , Vellara Hans R. , Gokul Akilesh , McGhee Charles N. J. , Meyer Jay J.
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to determine the detection of keratoconus using corneal biomechanical parameters only, a corneal tomographic parameter only, and a parameter that combines corneal biomechanical and tomographic indices.

Methods:

The discriminatory power of the Pentacam Random Forest Index (PRFI), Belin/Ambrósio Enhanced Ectasia Display (BAD-D) index, Corvis Biomechanical Index (CBI), and Tomographic and Biomechanical Index (TBI) to differentiate between normal eyes (n = 84), eyes with very asymmetric corneal ectasia (VAE-E, n = 21), and the fellow eyes without apparent ectasia based on normal tomography (VAE-NT, n = 21) was assessed. Statistical analyses were completed with R software using t-tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The DeLong test was used to compare the area under the ROC curve (AUROC).

Results:

The TBI and PRFI had the highest AUROC when distinguishing between normal and VAE-E corneas (AUROC = 1.00, 95% CI = 1.00–1.00); however, they were not statistically superior to the CBI (AUROC = 0.97, P = 0.27) or BAD-D (AUROC = 1.00, P = 0.34). The TBI (AUROC = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.86–0.98) was superior to CBI (AUROC = 0.78, P = 0.02) and BAD-D (AUROC = 0.81, P = 0.02) when distinguishing between healthy and VAE-NT corneas. At a threshold of 0.72, the TBI had 99% sensitivity, 67% specificity, and 92% accuracy in distinguishing normal and VAE-NT corneas.

Conclusions:

The TBI is a useful parameter for the screening of subclinical and frank keratoconus in tomographically normal eyes.
Clinical and laboratory studies on the effects of capsular tension ring on surgical outcomes of trifocal intraocular lens implantation
Authors: Sugita Toru , Aomatsu Masaru , Yoshida Masato , Kaneko Tsutomu , Hasegawa Yumi , Oshika Tetsuro
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

To assess the influence of capsular tension ring (CTR) on surgical outcomes of trifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery.

Setting:

Sugita Eye Clinic, Tokyo, and University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.

Design:

Prospective, randomized, paired-eye clinical study and laboratory study.

Methods:

In the clinical study involving 44 eyes of 22 patients with no risk of zonular instability, 1 eye received IOL alone and the contralateral eye received IOL with CTR. Preoperative capsular bag diameter and postoperative IOL tilt/decentration were measured using anterior segment optical coherence tomography. In the laboratory study, IOL and CTR were implanted into an artificial capsular bag of 10 mm in diameter, and IOL centration was evaluated.

Results:

Throughout the 12-month follow-up period, there was no significant difference in refractive and visual outcomes between groups. The amount of IOL decentration was significantly larger in eyes with CTR than in eyes without CTR at 12 months postoperatively (P = .037). There was a significant negative correlation between capsular bag diameter and the amount of IOL decentration in eyes with CTR (P = .038), but not in eyes without CTR (P = .873). The laboratory study indicated that interference between CTR eyelets and IOL haptics significantly increased IOL decentration (P < .001).

Conclusions:

The use of CTR did not affect refractive and visual outcomes of trifocal IOL implantation in eyes without the risk of zonular weakness. CTR coimplantation increased IOL decentration possibly due to the interference between CTR eyelets and IOL haptics.
Randomized and double-blind comparison of clinical visual outcomes of 2 EDOF intraocular lenses
Authors: Scheepers Marius A. , Hall Brad
Published: March 2023

Purpose:

To assess and compare the visual disturbance profiles of 2 extended depth-of-focus (EDOF) intraocular lenses (IOLs).

Setting:

Private practice (West Kootenays, British Columbia, Canada).

Design:

Prospective, randomized, single-surgeon study.

Methods:

This was a double-blind prospective study of 138 eyes (69 patients) that underwent bilateral implantation of 1 of 2 EDOF IOLs. Participants were randomized to either the Symfony group or the Vivity group. Outcome measures included Questionnaire for Visual Disturbances; binocular corrected distance visual acuities at distance (6 m), intermediate (66 cm), and near (40 cm); and refractive outcomes.

Results:

At 3 months postoperatively, 21 patients (60%) reported not experiencing glare in the Symfony group compared with 30 (88%) in the Vivity group, a difference of 28% (P = .008). Reports of experiencing starbursts were also significantly different between the Symfony and Vivity groups (23 participants [66%] Symfony and 30 participants [88%] Vivity; P = .027). In addition, 12 participants (34%) reported “moderate” or “severe” starbursts in the Symfony group compared with 3 (9%) in the Vivity group, a difference of 25% (P = .019). Visual acuities and refractive outcomes were similar between groups.

Conclusions:

Both EDOF lenses provide good visual outcomes at distance and intermediate with acceptable near vision. The Symfony group had increased reports of some visual disturbances, notably the frequency, severity, and bothersomeness of starbursts and glare.
Pediatric orbital fractures
Authors: Coviello Caitlin , Williams Katherine J. , Sivam Sunthosh K.
Published: March 2023

Purpose of review

The aim of this study was to summarize current evidence on the clinical presentation, evaluation, and management of pediatric orbital fractures. Recent trends in management strategies as well as emerging surgical techniques for pediatric orbital fracture repair are presented.

Recent findings

Although somewhat limited, growing bodies of evidence support a conservative approach with close follow up in pediatric orbital fractures. For those patients necessitating surgical repair, resorbable implants are increasingly preferred given their lack of donor site morbidity and a minimal impact on the developing craniofacial skeleton. There are emerging data reporting the use of three-dimensional (3D) printing-assisted approaches and intraoperative navigation; however, more research is needed to assess their applicability in the pediatric population.

There are few studies with large patient cohorts and long-term follow up given the rare incidence of pediatric orbital fractures, which restricts the generalizability of research on the topic. The studies available increasingly suggest that fractures without clinical evidence of entrapment can be managed conservatively with close follow up. A variety of reconstructive implants are available for those fractures necessitating repair. Donor site morbidity, availability, and need for additional procedures should all be factored into the reconstructive decision-making process.
North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Position Statement for Telehealth
Authors: Franciosi James P. , Berg Elizabeth A. , Rosen John M. , Lee Jennifer A. , Sandberg Kelly C. , Srinath Arvind , Setty Mala , Li B U.K.
Published: March 2023

Telehealth (TH) broadly encompasses remote activities of clinical care (telemedicine), provider and patient education, and general health services. The use of synchronous video for TH first occurred in 1964 and then catapulted to the forefront in 2020 during the coronavirus disease 2019 public health emergency. Due to the sudden need for increased TH utilization by nearly all health care providers at that time, TH became essential to clinical practice. However, its sustainable future is unclear in part given that best practices for TH in pediatric gastroenterology (GI), hepatology, and nutrition remain undefined and non-standardized. Key areas for review include historical perspective, general and subspeciality usage, health care disparities, quality of care and the provider-patient interaction, logistics and operations, licensure and liability, reimbursement and insurance coverage, research and quality improvement (QI) priorities, and future use of TH in pediatric GI with a call for advocacy. This position paper from the Telehealth Special Interest Group of North American Society of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition provides recommendations for pediatric GI-focused TH best practices, reviews areas for research and QI growth, and presents advocacy opportunities.
Effect of transtibial prosthesis weight on the contralateral knee joint in relation to the risk of osteoarthritis
Authors: Krawczyk Petr , Uchytil Jaroslav , Rygelova Marketa , Buzga Marek , Zemkova Daniela , Sykora Ales , Marik Ivo
Published: March 2023

Background:

Individuals with transtibial amputation place more load on the contralateral lower extremity. A higher adduction moment at the knee joint has been shown to have an effect on the risk of osteoarthritis.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of weight-bearing of lower-limb prosthesis on the biomechanical parameters associated with the risk of contralateral knee osteoarthritis.

Study design:

Cross-sectional.

Methods:

The experimental group of 14 subjects with unilateral transtibial amputation (13 males). The mean age was 52.7 ± 14.2 years, height 175.6 ± 6.3 cm, weight 82.3 ± 12.5 kg, and duration of prosthesis use 16.5 ± 9.1 years. The control group consisted of 14 healthy subjects with identical anthropometric parameters. Dual emission X-ray absorptiometry was used to determine the weight of the amputated limb. For gait analysis, 10 Qualisys infrared cameras and a motion sensing system on 3 Kistler force platforms were used. Gait was analyzed with the original, lighter, commonly used prosthesis, as well as the prosthesis loaded to the original limb weight.

Results:

The gait cycle and kinetic parameters of the amputated and healthy limbs were more similar to those of the control group when using the weighted prosthesis.

Conclusions:

We recommend further research to more accurately specify the weight of the lower-limb prosthesis with respect to the prosthesis design and duration of use of the heavier prosthesis during the day.
Transfusion-related cost comparison of trauma patients receiving whole blood versus component therapy
Authors: Ciaraglia Angelo , Myers John C. , Braverman Maxwell , Barry John , Eastridge Brian , Stewart Ronald , Nicholson Susannah , Jenkins Donald
Published: March 2023

INTRODUCTION

With the emergence of whole blood (WB) in trauma resuscitation, cost-related comparisons are of significant importance to providers, blood banks, and hospital systems throughout the country. The objective of this study was to determine if there is a transfusion-related cost difference between trauma patients who received low titer O+ whole blood (LTO+WB) and component therapy (CT).

METHODS

A retrospective review of adult and pediatric trauma patients who received either LTO+WB or CT from time of injury to within 4 hours of arrival was performed. Annual mean cost per unit of blood product was obtained from the regional blood bank supplier. Pediatric and adult patients were analyzed separately and were compared on a cost per patient (cost/patient) and cost per patient per milliliter (cost/patient/mL) basis. Subgroup analysis was performed on severely injured adult patients (Injury Severity Score, >15) and patients who underwent massive transfusion.

RESULTS

Prehospital LTO+WB transfusion began at this institution in January 2018. After the initiation of the WB transfusion, the mean annual cost decreased 17.3% for all blood products, and the average net difference in cost related to component blood products and LTO+WB was more than $927,000. In adults, LTO+WB was associated with a significantly lower cost/patient and cost/patient/mL compared with CT at 4 hours (p < 0.001), at 24 hours (p < 0.001), and overall (p < 0.001). In the severely injured subgroup (Injury Severity Score, >15), WB was associated with a lower cost/patient and cost/patient/mL at 4 hours (p < 0.001), 24 hours (p < 0.001), and overall (p < 0.001), with no difference in the prehospital setting. Similar findings were true in patients meeting massive transfusion criteria, although differences in injury severity may account for this finding.

CONCLUSION

With increased use of LTO+WB for resuscitation, cost comparison is of significant importance to all stakeholders. Low titer O+ WB was associated with reduced cost in severely injured patients. Ongoing analyses may improve resource utilization and benefit overall healthcare cost.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic/Care Management; Level IV.
Ten years after ImageNet: a 360° perspective on artificial intelligence
Authors: Chawla Sanjay , Nakov Preslav , Ali Ahmed , Hall Wendy , Khalil Issa , Ma Xiaosong , Taha Sencar Husrev , Weber Ingmar , Wooldridge Michael , Yu Ting
Published: March 2023

It is 10 years since neural networks made their spectacular comeback. Prompted by this anniversary, we take a holistic perspective on artificial intelligence (AI). Supervised learning for cognitive tasks is effectively solved—provided we have enough high-quality labelled data. However, deep neural network models are not easily interpretable, and thus the debate between blackbox and whitebox modelling has come to the fore. The rise of attention networks, self-supervised learning, generative modelling and graph neural networks has widened the application space of AI. Deep learning has also propelled the return of reinforcement learning as a core building block of autonomous decision-making systems. The possible harms made possible by new AI technologies have raised socio-technical issues such as transparency, fairness and accountability. The dominance of AI by Big Tech who control talent, computing resources, and most importantly, data may lead to an extreme AI divide. Despite the recent dramatic and unexpected success in AI-driven conversational agents, progress in much-heralded flagship projects like self-driving vehicles remains elusive. Care must be taken to moderate the rhetoric surrounding the field and align engineering progress with scientific principles.
A light-exploiting insectivorous bat shows no melatonin disruption under lights with different spectra
Authors: Dimovski Alicia M. , Griffiths Stephen R. , Fanson Kerry V. , Eastick Danielle L. , Robert Kylie A.
Published: March 2023

Natural light-dark cycles synchronize an animal's internal clock with environmental conditions. The introduction of artificial light into the night-time environment masks natural light cues and has the potential to disrupt this well-established biological rhythm. Nocturnal animal species, such as bats, are adapted to low light conditions and are therefore among the most vulnerable to the impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN). The behaviour and activity of insectivorous bats is disrupted by short-wavelength artificial light at night, while long-wavelength light is less disruptive. However, the physiological consequences of this lighting have not been investigated. Here, we examine the effect of LEDs with different spectra on urinary melatonin in an insectivorous bat. We collected voluntarily voided urine samples from Gould's wattled bats (
Chalinolobus gouldii
) and measured melatonin–sulfate under ambient night-time conditions (baseline) and under red (
λ
P 630 nm), amber (
λ
P 601 nm), filtered warm white (
λ
P 586 nm) and cool white (
λ
P 457 nm) LEDs. We found no effect of light treatment on melatonin–sulfate irrespective of spectra. Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to LEDs at night do not disrupt circadian physiology in the light-exploiting Gould's wattled bat.
A systematic global review of mammalian carnivore responses to production forests
Authors: Jones Evie M , Koch Amelia J , Hamede Rodrigo K , Jones Menna E
Published: March 2023

Unmodified forests are increasingly rare worldwide, with forestry a major contributor to habitat modification. Extending conservation practices beyond protected areas is important to conserve forest ecosystems.

We investigate the response of native mammalian carnivores (both Order Carnivora and Family Dasyuridae) to production forests globally, including harvested native forest and timber plantations. We examine how carnivores recorded in production forests use these forests versus other land uses, particularly native and unharvested forest; how habitat use relates to threatened status, body size, diet, and harvesting method; carnivore responses to habitat features within production forests; and carnivore denning, breeding, and predation behaviour in production forests.

We review 294 studies recording 132 carnivore species in production forests. Carnivores generally show higher use of native and unharvested forests and lower use of agricultural land than production forests. Threatened species and large carnivores respond more negatively to production forests than non-threatened species and small carnivores respectively. Hypercarnivores respond more negatively than omnivores to plantations compared to native forest, but there was no difference in the use of harvested and unharvested native forest between these dietary groups.

Surprisingly, a high proportion of carnivore species use clearfelled more than unharvested native forest. In forest with partial harvesting or reduced-impact logging, most species show no difference in use between harvested and unharvested forest.

Carnivores generally respond positively to habitat features such as riparian areas and coarse woody debris. Several carnivores were recorded denning and breeding in production forests. Production forests often influence the prey availability, hunting success, and diet of carnivores.

We show that many carnivores use production forests, and how they respond to production forestry varies with species traits. We recommend that production forests are managed as valuable carnivore habitat, and highlight strategies to enhance the use of these forests by carnivores.
Environmental DNA of aquatic macrophytes: the potential for reconstructing past and present vegetation and environments
Authors: Revéret Aloïs , Rijal Dilli P. , Heintzman Peter D. , Brown Antony G. , Stoof-Leichsenring Kathleen R. , Alsos Inger G.
Published: March 2023

Environmental DNA is increasingly being used to reconstruct past and present biodiversity including from freshwater ecosystems. Here, we first review and compare studies that use metagenomics, targeted capture, and various barcoding and metabarcoding markers, in order to explore how each of these methods can be used to capture aquatic vegetation diversity and change. We then investigate the extent to which such a record can be leveraged for reconstructing local environmental conditions, using a case study based on macrophyte ecological niches. We find that, with state-of-the-art DNA barcode reference libraries, using metabarcoding to target the P6 loop region of the chloroplasttrnL (UAA) intron is optimal to maximise taxonomic resolution and the diversity of past macrophyte communities. Shotgun sequencing also retrieves a high proportion of aquatic macrophyte diversity, but has the lowest taxonomic resolution, and targeted capture needs to be more widely applied before comparisons can be made. From our case study, we infer past aquatic habitats from sedimentary ancient DNA records of macrophyte taxa. We reconstructed Holocene thermal range, continentality, water pH, trophic status, and light conditions in northern Fennoscandia. We show an overall stability since 9,000 years ago, even though individual lakes display different trends and variation in local climatic and physico-chemical conditions. Combined with the availability of near-exhaustive barcode and traits databases, metabarcoding data can support wider ecological reconstructions that are not limited to aquatic plant taxonomic inventories but can also be used to infer past changes in water conditions and their environmental drivers. Sedimentary DNA is also a powerful tool to measure present diversity, as well as to reconstruct past lacustrine and fluvial communities of aquatic macrophytes.