bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unmanned Floating Object Transportation Applying Multiple Dynamic Positioning Tugboats: A Novel Cooperative Control Algorithm
Authors: Jiang Xu , Wang Lei , Wang Yiting
Published: June 2024

To promote the automation and intelligence of marine floating object transportation, this paper proposes a cooperative consensus control algorithm for multiple unmanned dynamic positioning (DP) tugboats to transport an unactuated floating structure object using cables. The major concept of present algorithm is to implement a leader-follower formation strategy among distributed tugboats, with the aim of effectively maneuvering the object by adjusting the relative position between the virtual leader and the object in a reasonable manner. A cooperative consensus controller is integrated into the feedback controller of each tugboat local DP system in order to facilitate cooperative coordination among tugboats in a formation. A customized DP system, which incorporates the radial basis function neural network supervisor control into the DP controller design and introduces nonlinear disturbance observer into the low-frequency motion state observer design, is proposed to address cable tension disturbances, and thus, the tracking performance of the DP tugboat is improved. Full-scale nonlinear time domain simulations are performed under variable environmental conditions, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed automatic towing control scheme.
Acoustic characteristics of infant- and foreigner-directed speech with Mandarin as the target language
Authors: Zhang Yu , Chen Fei , Xu Feng , Guo Chengyu , Li Kexuan
Published: June 2024

The quality of speech input influences the efficiency of L1 and L2 acquisition. This study examined modifications in infant-directed speech (IDS) and foreigner-directed speech (FDS) in Standard Mandarin—a tonal language—and explored how IDS and FDS features were manifested in disyllabic words and a longer discourse. The study aimed to determine which characteristics of IDS and FDS were enhanced in comparison with adult-directed speech (ADS), and how IDS and FDS differed when measured in a common set of acoustic parameters. For words, it was found that tone-bearing vowel duration, mean and range of fundamental frequency (F0), and the lexical tone contours were enhanced in IDS and FDS relative to ADS, except for the dipping Tone 3 that exhibited an unexpected lowering in FDS, but no modification in IDS when compared with ADS. For the discourse, different aspects of temporal and F0 enhancements were emphasized in IDS and FDS: the mean F0 was higher in IDS whereas the total discourse duration was greater in FDS. These findings add to the growing literature on L1 and L2 speech input characteristics and their role in language acquisition.
Rapid
in vitro
activity of telavancin against
Bacillus anthracis
and
in vivo
protection against inhalation anthrax infection in the rabbit model
Authors: Lawrence William S. , Peel Jennifer E. , Slayden Richard A. , Peterson Johnny W. , Baze Wallace B. , Hensel Martha E. , Whorton Elbert B. , Beasley David W. C. , Cummings Jason E. , Macias-Perez Ines
Published: June 2024

Inhalation anthrax is the most severe form of
Bacillus anthracis
infection, often progressing to fatal conditions if left untreated. While recommended antibiotics can effectively treat anthrax when promptly administered, strains engineered for antibiotic resistance could render these drugs ineffective. Telavancin, a semisynthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic, was evaluated in this study as a novel therapeutic against anthrax disease. Specifically, the aims were to (i) assess
in vitro
potency of telavancin against 17
B. anthracis
isolates by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing and (ii) evaluate protective efficacy in rabbits infected with a lethal dose of aerosolized anthrax spores and treated with human-equivalent intravenous telavancin doses (30 mg/kg every 12 hours) for 5 days post-antigen detection versus a humanized dose of levofloxacin and vehicle control. Blood samples were collected at various times post-infection to assess the level of bacteremia and antibody production, and tissues were collected to determine bacterial load. The animals’ body temperatures were also recorded. Telavancin demonstrated potent bactericidal activity against all strains tested (MICs 0.06–0.125 μg/mL). Further, telavancin conveyed 100% survival in this model and cleared
B. anthracis
from the bloodstream and organ tissues more effectively than a humanized dose of levofloxacin. Collectively, the low MICs against all strains tested and rapid bactericidal
in vivo
activity demonstrate that telavancin has the potential to be an effective alternative for the treatment or prophylaxis of anthrax infection.
Estimating the productivity cost of administrative duties and work-related engagements from submission trends during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown
Authors: Casadevall Arturo , F. Clark Lorraine
Published: June 2024

During the initial months of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic,
mBio
experienced a large increase in the number of submissions, a phenomenon that was also observed for journals of different fields. Since most research laboratories were closed, this increase cannot reflect increased research activity. In this editorial, we propose that the increase in submissions reflected the release of a backlog of unpublished work following a reduction in work-related engagements including scientific travel, which in turn provides an estimate of the productivity costs of such activities on research output.
Novel induction of broad-spectrum antibiotics by the human pathogen
Legionella
Authors: Shin Carson J. , O'Connor Tamara J.
Published: June 2024

The majority of antibiotics are natural products, with microorganism-generated molecules and their derivatives being the most prevalent source of drugs to treat infections. Thus, identifying natural products remains the most valuable resource for novel therapeutics. Here, we report the discovery of a series of dormant bacteria in honey that have bactericidal activity toward
Legionella
, a bacterial pathogen that causes respiratory disease in humans. We show that, in response to bacterial products secreted by
Legionella
, the honey bacteria release diffusible antimicrobial molecules. Remarkably, the honey bacteria only produce these molecules in response to
Legionella
spp., when compared to a panel of 24 bacterial pathogens from different genera. However, the molecules induced by
Legionella
have broad activity against several clinically important pathogens, including many high-priority pathogens. Thus,
Legionella
spp. are potent drivers of antimicrobial molecule production by uncharacterized bacteria isolated from honey, providing access to new antimicrobial products and an unprecedented strategy for discovering novel antibiotics.

IMPORTANCE

Natural products generated by microorganisms remain the most viable and abundant source of new antibiotics. However, their discovery depends on the ability to isolate and culture the producing organisms and to identify conditions that promote antibiotic production. Here, we identify a series of previously undescribed bacteria isolated from raw honey and specific culture conditions that induce the production of antimicrobial molecules that are active against a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria.
A high-dimensional platform for observing neutrophil–parasite interactions
Authors: Thompson Brandon A. , Revilla Julio , Brovero Savannah , Burgess Stacey L.
Published: June 2024

Diarrheal diseases with infectious etiology remain a major cause of death globally, particularly in low-income countries.
Entamoeba histolytica
is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that is the causative agent of amebiasis. Amebiasis has a wide presentation in clinical severity with many factors, including the bacterial microbiota, contributing to this variation. The innate immune response also plays a critical role in regulating the severity of
E. histolytica
infection, with neutrophils reported to have a protective role. Despite this, the precise mechanism of how neutrophils mediate amebic killing is poorly understood. Thus, modern platforms that allow for inquiry of granulocyte–ameba interactions will increase our understanding of this disease. Herein, we describe an assay for neutrophil killing of
E. histolytica
by utilizing high-dimensional spectral flow cytometry. Neutrophils were isolated from wild-type 5-week-old C57BL/6 mice and co-cultured with
E. histolytica
at various multiplicity of infections (MOIs). After co-culture, neutrophils and
E. histolytica
were stained for spectral flow cytometry. Cell populations were identified using surface markers and fluorescence minus one (FMO) controls. We have previously shown that animals colonized with a component of the human microbiota,
Clostridium scindens
, were protected from
E. histolytica
. This protection was associated with elevated neutrophil count. Here, we explored amebic killing capacity and observed that neutrophils from animals with
C. scindens
possessed heightened amebic killing compared with controls. Thus, this study establishes a novel platform that can provide an in-depth analysis of granulocyte–parasite interactions in various contexts, including during alteration of the intestinal microbiota.

IMPORTANCE

The tools for studying host immune cell
–E. histolytica
interactions are limited. Factors, such as parasite heterogeneity, infectivity, and difficulties with culture systems and animal models, make interrogation of these interactions challenging. Thus,
Entamoeba
researchers can benefit from next-generation models that allow for the analysis of both host and parasite cells. Here, we demonstrate the use of a novel platform that allows for the determination of parasite–host cell interactions and customizable high-dimensional phenotyping of both populations. Indeed, spectral flow cytometry can approach >40 markers on a single panel and can be paired with custom-developed parasite antibodies that can be conjugated to fluorochromes via commercially available kits. This platform affords researchers the capability to test highly precise hypotheses regarding host–parasite interactions.
Turbidite correlation for paleoseismology
Authors: Nieminski Nora M. , Sylvester Zoltán , Covault Jacob A. , Gomberg Joan , Staisch Lydia , McBrearty Ian W.
Published: June 2024

Marine turbidite paleoseismology relies on the assumption of synchronous triggering of turbidity currents by earthquake shaking to infer rupture extent and recurrence. Such inference commonly depends on age dating and correlation of the physical stratigraphy of deposits carried by turbidity currents (i.e., turbidites) across great distances. Along the Cascadia subduction zone, which lies offshore the Pacific Northwest, USA, turbidite facies in core photographs, X-ray computed tomography images, and magnetic susceptibility (MS) data exhibit differences in character over relatively short distances, which implies that not all deposits can be correlated with confidence. Thus, subjective correlation based on expected similarity over great distances and weak age constraints does not independently support paleoseismic models. We present a new method for correlating turbidites along the Cascadia margin that can yield a more objective and repeatable stratigraphic framework to underpin earthquake recurrence. We use dynamic time warping to correlate MS logs and measure correlation coefficients of core pairs to evaluate correlation strength. We then compare these measures to a distribution of correlation coefficients of randomly generated turbidite sequences and find that only a small number of core pairs can be correlated more confidently than randomly stacked turbidites. This methodology promises a more robust correlation strategy for future stratigraphic studies.
CT brain interpretation in paediatric trauma
Authors: Woods Adam , Sheikh Yusra , Quinn Nuala , Guinness Freya , Daly Aisling , Mullen Stephen
Published: June 2024

The management of head trauma is an essential component of working in Emergency Medicine, be it a paediatric, adult or mixed emergency department. Between 33% and 50% of the 1.4 million people who attend UK emergency departments (ED) annually with a head injury are children. Patient outcomes in this cohort are strongly associated with rapid identification and treatment of intracranial pathology. The management of pathologies such as expanding intracranial haemorrhage and raised intracranial pressure requires urgent medical and neurosurgical treatment. This is facilitated by rapid interpretation of CT brain images in the ED. In this paper, we discuss the approach to interpretation of a CT brain following a traumatic head injury. While this is not a substitute for a formal radiologist report, being able to identify significant abnormalities may help you, as the treating clinician, to identify and manage any acute life threats; engage and potentiate discussion with your neurosurgical team and expedite the potential transfer and treatment of your patient.
Rheumatoid pleurisy confirmed by biopsy of a chest wall nodule by thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia
Authors: Tokuoka Shunichi , Aya Oohka , Fukunaga Kentaro , Kato Yuto
Published: June 2024

Rheumatoid pleurisy is common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but distinguishing it from other diseases, such as heart failure and tuberculous pleurisy, is often difficult. A man in his 70s with stable rheumatoid arthritis presented with cardiac enlargement and bilateral pleural effusion on chest radiography. Pleural fluid studies showed lymphocytosis, adenosine deaminase level of 51.6 U/L and rheumatoid factor level of 2245.3 IU/mL, suggestive of rheumatoid pleurisy and tuberculous pleurisy. Thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia revealed erythema of the parietal pleura, small papillary projections and fibrin deposits. H&E-stained biopsy specimens showed inflammatory granulomas with strong lymphocytic infiltration and non-caseating granulomas. He was diagnosed with rheumatoid pleurisy. His symptoms improved with 30 mg of prednisolone. This study highlights that biopsy using thoracoscopy under local anaesthesia effectively diagnoses rheumatoid pleurisy, which may be challenging to diagnose.
Impact of oxidative stress on myocardial performance in patients with diabetes: a focus on subclinical left ventricular dysfunction
Authors: Oksen Dogac , Aslan Muzaffer
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Oxidative stress is known to affect left ventricular functions negatively. There is a strong bidirectional connection between diabetes mellitus (DM) and oxidative stress. In parallel, left ventricular dysfunction is observed more frequently, even in patients with DM without other risk factors. In this context, the objective of this study is to comparatively investigate the potential relationship between oxidative stress and subclinical left ventricular dysfunction (SCLVD) assessed by Myocardial Performance Index (MPI) in patients with and without DM.

Research design and methods

The sample of this observational cross-sectional single-center study consisted of 151 patients who were evaluated for oxidative stress and SCLVD by tissue Doppler echocardiography. Patients’ total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and Oxidative Stress Index (OSI) values were calculated. The effects of oxidative stress and DM on MPI were analyzed.

Results

There were 81 patients with DM (mean age: 46.17±10.33 years) and 70 healthy individuals (mean age: 45.72±9.04 years). Mean TOS and OSI values of the DM group were higher than healthy individuals (5.72±0.55 vs 5.31±0.50, p = <0.001; and 4.92±1.93 vs 1.79±0.39, p = <0.001; respectively). The mean TAS value of the DM group was significantly lower than the healthy group (1.21±0.40 vs 3.23±0.51, p = <0.001). There was a significant correlation between OSI and MPI mitral in the DM group (R 0.554, p = <0.001) but not in the healthy group (R −0.069, p=0.249).

Conclusions

Both oxidative stress and myocardial dysfunction were found to be more common in patients with DM. The study’s findings indicated the negative effect of oxidative stress on myocardial functions. Accordingly, increased oxidative stress caused more significant deterioration in MPI in patients with DM compared with healthy individuals.
Psychological readiness for injury recovery: evaluating psychometric properties of the IPRRS and assessing group differences in injured physically active individuals
Authors: Dluzniewski Alexandra , Casanova Madeline P , Ullrich-French Sarah , Brush Christopher J , Larkins Lindsay W , Baker Russell T
Published: June 2024

Objectives

The primary purpose of the study was to assess the one-factor and two-factor structure of the Injury Psychological Readiness to Return to Sport Scale (IPRRS) in an injured physically active population using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) procedures and assess group (ie, sex, age, injury type, athlete status) and longitudinal differences using structural equation modelling (eg, invariance testing).

Methods

The non-experimental study included a sample of 629 physically active individuals who suffered a musculoskeletal injury who sought treatment at an outpatient integrated sport medicine and rehabilitation therapy clinic. Participants filled out a questionnaire packet at three time points. Data analysis included a CFA and multigroup and longitudinal invariance.

Results

Sample mean age was 26.3 years, with females comprising 49.5%. Chronic injuries represented 29.6% of the sample and 35.0% were classified as competitive athletes. A six-item, one-factor model was confirmed in the sample with factor loadings ranging from 0.67 to 0.86. Multigroup and longitudinal invariance were established. Multigroup invariance demonstrated null differences between sex and injury type, and statistical differences between age and athlete status subgroups. Longitudinal invariance demonstrated a statistically significant increase in psychological readiness over time.

Conclusions

The findings support the use of the IPRRS as a tool to measure aspects of psychological readiness. Clinicians and researchers can use the IPRRS to assess interventions in future research.
Heavy resistance training at retirement age induces 4-year lasting beneficial effects in muscle strength: a long-term follow-up of an RCT
Authors: Bloch-Ibenfeldt Mads , Theil Gates Anne , Karlog Karoline , Demnitz Naiara , Kjaer Michael , Boraxbekk Carl-Johan
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Muscle function and size decline with age, but long-term effects of resistance training in older adults are largely unknown. Here, we explored the long-lasting (3 years) effects of 1 year of supervised resistance training with heavy loads.

Methods

The LIve active Successful Ageing (LISA) study was a parallel group randomised controlled trial at a university hospital in Denmark. Older adults (n=451) at retirement age were randomised to 1 year of heavy resistance training (HRT), moderate-intensity training (MIT) or a non-exercising control group (CON). Primary outcome measure was leg extensor power. Secondary outcomes included maximal isometric quadriceps torque (isometric leg strength) and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)). Participants completed test procedures at baseline, following the 1-year intervention, and 2 and 4 years post study start.

Results

At the 4-year assessment, 369 participants attended (mean age=71 years, 61% women). The main finding was that across all four time points, there was a significant group×time interaction in isometric leg strength (F6,1049=8.607, p<0.001,η2=0.05). Individuals in HRT maintained baseline performance in isometric leg strength (Baseline: 149.7±51.5 Nm, 4 years: 151.5±51.1 Nm, t(1050)=1.005, p=1.00) while participants in CON and MIT decreased.

Conclusion

In well-functioning older adults at retirement age, 1 year of HRT may induce long-lasting beneficial effects by preserving muscle function.

Trial registration number

NCT02123641.
Increased risk of cardiovascular events under the treatments with Janus kinase inhibitors versus biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective longitudinal population-based study using the Japanese health insurance database
Authors: Sakai Ryoko , Tanaka Eiichi , Inoue Eisuke , Harigai Masayoshi
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To compare the risk of cardiovascular events among Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKIs), biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) (tumour necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFIs) and non-TNFIs) and methotrexate (MTX) in Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

Using Japanese claims data, patients with RA were enrolled in this study if they had at least one ICD-10 code (M05 or M06), were new users of JAKIs, bDMARDs or MTX between July 2013 and July 2020 and being 18 years old or older. The incidence rate (IR), IR ratio and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR (95% CI)) of cardiovascular events including venous thromboembolism, arterial thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction and stroke were calculated. A time-dependent Cox regression model adjusted for patient characteristics at baseline was used to calculate aHR.

Results

In 53 448 cases, IRs/1000 patient-years of the overall cardiovascular events were 10.1, 6.8, 5.4, 9.1 and 11.3 under the treatments with JAKIs, bDMARDs, TNFIs, non-TNFIs and MTX, respectively. The adjusted HRs of JAKIs for overall cardiovascular events were 1.7 (1.1 to 2.5) versus TNFIs without MTX and 1.7 (1.1 to 2.7) versus TNFIs with MTX.

Conclusions

Among patients with RA, individuals using JAKIs had a significantly higher risk of overall cardiovascular events than TNFIs users, which was attributed to the difference in the risk between JAKIs and TNFIs versus MTX. These data should be interpreted with caution because of the limitations associated with the claims database.
Role of UPOs in Characterizing the Hidden Attractors: A Comparison with Self-Excited Attractors
Authors: Bhindwar Medha , Varshney Vaibhav , Kumarasamy Suresh , Shrimali Manish Dev , Prasad Awadhesh
Published: June 2024

In this paper, we detect Unstable Periodic Orbits (UPOs) of both self-excited and hidden attractors using the Damped Newton–Raphson–Mees algorithm. This study answers one of the long-standing questions about the size of a hidden attractor. We observe that the UPOs of the self-excited attractor are spread in a thick region within the phase space at varying distances from the fixed point, whereas the UPOs of hidden attractors are confined to a thin layer. This reveals details concerning the size of a hidden attractor. We demonstrate this for a hidden attractor without a fixed point and for a hidden attractor with a single stable fixed point. To compare the results with self-excited attractors, we have taken Lorenz and Rössler attractor as examples.
New insights into the kinematics of fault-propagation folding from analogue models monitored using particle image velocimetry
Authors: Lopes Zanon Marcela , Souza Gomes Caroline Janette , Alves Da Silva Fernando César , Venâncio Marilia Barbosa , de Oliveira Santos Carla Hemillay , Lana Cláudio Eduardo
Published: June 2024

This study aimed to understand the 2D kinematic processes associated with the development of fault-propagation folds in contractional systems. Analogue models were used to analyse the influence of, and the interplay among, various parameters, including: (1) the analogue material (quartz sand v. glass microspheres); (2) the mechanical stratigraphy (anisotropic models v. models with two different analogue-packs); and (3) the initial thickness of the analogue-pack. Each model was analysed using particle image velocimetry to quantify the spatial and temporal patterns of the strain rates during progressive deformation. The results showed that fault-propagation folding combines different kinematic mechanisms, such as flexural slip and basal thickening. Ramp initiation can occur in different ways: from the detachment, within the deformed layers or via a combination of these processes, as observed in outcrops of the Jaca–Pamplona Basin (southern Pyrenees) and the Big Bend National Park (western Texas, USA).
Readers, Writers, and Everything in Between: Considering Co-Creative Relationships on Digital Storytelling Platform
Authors: Prakash Nayana
Published: June 2024

This paper uses the notion of the empowered reader in hypertext to think about the role of readers and creative partners in constructing art and digital storytelling. Using the Indian digital storytelling platform 'Voices of Rural India' as a field site, this research considers the role of the fan and other facilitators of digital storytelling as being central to the production process. While there has been argument for including the work of fans as a form of labor, I argue instead for calling this a co-creative partnership, in the vein of Banks and Humphrey (2008). In doing so, I resist the urge to label all forms of production as labor and consider instead the fruits this creative relationship may bear. This paper also looks closely at the idea of volunteerism in the context of Voices of Rural India and the ways in which volunteer work can become a form of unpaid labor in the context of digital storytelling. Overall, this paper seeks to empower the practice of reading and argue for its necessity and worth in the wider infrastructure of digital storytelling and creative production, while also promoting the notion of creative partnership and shared storytelling.
Interview with Matthias Müller-Prove
Authors: Atzenbeck Claus , Müller-Prove Matthias
Published: June 2024

Matthias Müller-Prove (Dipl.-Inform., U Hamburg, Germany) is an independent innovation and interaction designer. His experience is based on 25 years of designing software for international operating companies such as Adobe, Sun, and Oracle. Matthias shares his insights as a lecturer at design academies on e.g. Information Architecture, Branded Interactions, or Social Media Trends.

Matthias thesis "Vision and Reality of Hypertext and Graphical User Interfaces" was honored with the Wolfgang von Kempelen Prize for Computer Science History. His
Chronoscope World
was a selected project of the European Cultural Heritage Year 2018. Since 2009, Matthias is a Senior Member of the ACM.

Online: https://mprove.de | @mprove@hci.social | @chronohh@norden.social
Deterministic Replacement Path Covering
Authors: C. S. Karthik , Parter Merav
Published: June 2024

In this article, we provide a unified and simplified approach to derandomize central results in the area of fault-tolerant graph algorithms. Given a graph

\(G\)

, a vertex pair

\((s,t)\in V(G)\times V(G)\)

, and a set of edge faults

\(F\subseteq E(G)\)

, a replacement path

\(P(s,t,F)\)

is an

\(s\)

-

\(t\)

shortest path in

\(G\setminus F\)

. For integer parameters

\(L,f\)

, a
replacement path covering
(

\(\mathsf{RPC}\)

) is a collection of subgraphs of

\(G\)

, denoted by

\(\mathcal{G}_{L,f}=\{G_{1},\ldots,G_{r}\}\)

, such that for every set

\(F\)

of at most

\(f\)

faults (i.e.,

\(|F|\leq f\)

) and every replacement path

\(P(s,t,F)\)

of at most

\(L\)

edges, there exists a subgraph

\(G_{i}\in\mathcal{G}_{L,f}\)

that contains all the edges of

\(P\)

and does not contain any of the edges of

\(F\)

. The covering value of the

\(\mathsf{RPC}\)

\(\mathcal{G}_{L,f}\)

is then defined to be the number of subgraphs in

\(\mathcal{G}_{L,f}\)

.

In the randomized setting, it is easy to build an

\((L,f)\)

-

\(\mathsf{RPC}\)

with covering value of

\(O(\max\{L,f\}^{\min\{L,f\}}\cdot\min\{L,f\}\cdot \log n)\)

, but to this date, there is no efficient
deterministic
algorithm with matching bounds. As noted recently by Alon et al. (ICALP 2019), this poses the key barrier for derandomizing known constructions of distance sensitivity oracles and fault-tolerant spanners. We show the following:

—

There exist efficient deterministic constructions of

\((L,f)\)

-

\(\mathsf{RPC}\)

s whose covering values almost match the randomized ones, for a wide range of parameters. Our time and value bounds improve considerably over the previous construction of Parter (DISC 2019). Our algorithms are based on the introduction of a novel notion of hash families that we call
HM
hash families. We then show how to construct these hash families from (algebraic) error correcting codes such as Reed–Solomon codes and Algebraic-Geometric codes.

—

For every

\(L,f\)

, and

\(n\)

, there exists an

\(n\)

-vertex graph

\(G\)

whose

\((L,f)\)

-

\(\mathsf{RPC}\)

covering value is

\(\Omega(L^{f})\)

. This lower bound is obtained by exploiting connections to the problem of designing sparse fault-tolerant breadth first search (BFS) structures.

An application of our above deterministic constructions is the derandomization of the algebraic construction of the distance sensitivity oracle by Weimann and Yuster (FOCS 2010). The preprocessing and query time of our deterministic algorithm nearly match the randomized bounds. This resolves the open problem of Alon et al. (ICALP 2019). Additionally, we show a derandomization of the randomized construction of vertex fault-tolerant spanners by Dinitz and Krauthgamer (PODC 2011) and Braunschvig et al. (Theor. Comput. Sci., 2015). The time complexity and the size bounds of the output spanners nearly match the randomized counterparts.
The Book Review Column
Authors: Tran Nicholas
Published: June 2024

Leslie Valiant, the father of computational learning theory, has written a new book, The Importance of Being Educable: A New Theory of Human Uniqueness (Princeton University Press, 2024), which proposes "educability" as a potentially more scientific theory of human cognition.

Leslie Valiant, the father of computational learning theory, has written a new book, The Importance of Being Educable: A New Theory of Human Uniqueness (Princeton University Press, 2024), which proposes "educability" as a potentially more scientific theory of human cognition.

Theorems of the 21st Century, Volume 1 by Bogdan Grechuk (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2019) deposits the first installment of important yet approachable results gleaned from the Annals of Mathematics in the first decade of the twenty-first century, from the point of view of an International Mathematical Olympiad gold and silver medalist.
Studying Progression from Chronic Injury to Esophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tlsty Thea D.
Published: June 2024

Cancer research seeks to understand the biology underlying the progression to malignant transformation. Recently, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has increased dramatically, and if we understand why and how, we will be better equipped for diagnosis, prognosis, detection, prevention, and intervention. The earliest steps in progression for most malignancies are the most difficult to study. The initiation of cancer is believed to be a relatively rare and sporadic event, the locations and timings of which are most often unknown. Of the trillions of somatic cells in our bodies, only a few ever find themselves on a path to malignancy. However, chronic inflammation generates a metaplastic lesion that is directly linked to increased incidence of EAC and thus alerts us to the time and place that progression is initiated and allows us to study the biology. We describe recent studies that identify coordinated actions between stromal and epithelial cells that progress to EAC.
Comparison of an Affibody-based Molecular Probe and 18F-FDG for Detecting HER2-Positive Breast Cancer at PET/CT
Authors: Guo Xiaoyi , Zhou Nina , Liu Jiayue , Ding Jin , Liu Teli , Song Guohong , Zhu Hua , Yang Zhi
Published: June 2024

In participants with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive breast cancer, the affibody-based tracer Al18F-NOTA-HER2-BCH enabled detection of more primary lesions and lymph node, bone, and liver metastases than fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose on PET/CT images.
Integrating and Adopting AI in the Radiology Workflow: A Primer for Standards and Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Profiles
Authors: Tejani Ali S. , Cook Tessa S. , Hussain Mohannad , Sippel Schmidt Teri , O’Donnell Kevin P.
Published: June 2024

Standards-based interoperability, with guidance from Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise profiles, helps scale artificial intelligence integration in radiology workflow.
First Principles Calculations of Novel Binary Transition Metal Oxides NaCr0.5X0.5O2 (X = Y, Tc, Rh) for Na-Ion Batteries
Authors: Aysha Urwa Tul , Murtaza G. , Muhammad Nawaz , Usman Ahmad , Ayyaz Ahmad , Saleem Saba , Ali Hafiz Irfan , Alqorashi Afaf Khadr , Awwad Nasser S.
Published: June 2024

Recently, layered transition metal oxides have demonstrated voltage windows favorable for use as cathodes in sodium-ion batteries, leading to increased specific capacity and energy density. Here, NaCr0.5Y0.5O2, NaCr0.5Tc0.5O2, and NaCr0.5Rh0.5O2 were studied by using first-principles calculations to elucidate their properties. There is a trigonal arrangement in the structure of both pure and substituted NaCrO2. Structural characteristics reveal the ferromagnetic behavior of these compounds (NaCr0.5X0.5O2; X = Y, Tc, Rh). We calculated the density of states and spin-polarized electronic band structures for the three compounds tested. NaCr0.5Y0.5O2 and NaCr0.5Rh0.5O2 exhibit diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) behavior, while NaCr0.5Tc0.5O2 has half-metallic (HM) behavior. The substitutional material’s ferromagnetic nature is confirmed by the negative values of the exchange constants (Nօ
α and Nօ
β). The fractional value of the magnetic moment also confirms the DMS nature of NaCr0.5Y0.5O2 and NaCr0.5Rh0.5O2, while the HM behavior is confirmed by the integral value of the magnetic moment for NaCr0.5Tc0.5O2. The thermoelectric characteristics were computed using the BoltzTraP code. Alectrochemical analysis of NaCr0.5Y0.5O2 showed a theoretical discharge capacity of 400 mhAg−1 and an average intercalation voltage of 4.87 V, calculated from the total energies of the optimized compounds and their de-sodianted phases. These theoretical computations demonstrate that the binary layered TM oxides studied are appropriate substances to employ in coin cell fabrication as cathodes.
The Dominant Effect of Electrolyte Concentration on Rechargeability of γ-MnO2 Cathodes in Alkaline Batteries
Authors: Kolhekar Snehal , Nyce Michael , Banerjee Sanjoy
Published: June 2024

Achieving high cycle life rechargeable γ-MnO2 cathodes in alkaline batteries face many challenges. Chief among these is the inability of the γ-MnO2 polymorph to retain its structural integrity when cycled to high utilization of its theoretical capacity ∼300 mAh g−1. In this paper, we investigate the root cause of failure of MnO2 cathodes under deep cycling in the one-electron discharge range and establish a strong link between capacity fade and the amount of birnessite formed. We uncover the underlying cause of failure by cycling industrial scale γ-MnO2 cathodes at various levels of theoretical capacity utilization (100%, 50%, and 30%) and in different KOH concentrations (37, 25, and 10 wt%). To determine materials evolution the cycled cathodes were dissected, characterized and analyzed using SEM, XRD, FIB/SEM, EIS, and XPS. Based on our findings, we propose that one major cause of failure of MnO2 cathodes stems from the solubility of Mn+3 formed during discharge which effectively results in destruction of the γ-MnO2 phase and amorphization of the cathode. The results show that the bulk of the γ-MnO2 phase is preserved only in ∼10 wt% KOH, which indicates the attractive range of KOH concentration for cycling of rechargeable γ-MnO2 cathodes.
Towards Using Polybenzidine-Graphene Oxide Sheet on Graphite as a New System for Supercapacitor Device Fabrication
Authors: Dadashi Reza , Farhadi Khalil , Bahram Morteza
Published: June 2024

Polybenzidine-anodic exfoliated graphene oxide sheet (PB/AEGO Nsh) graphite sheet electrode was easily fabricated via electrochemical anodization of the graphite sheet followed by in situ chemical polymerization of benzidine on the anodized graphite sheet. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dispersive Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy investigations confirm that benzidine is successfully polymerized on the graphene oxide sheets created by the anodizing process. Evaluating the electrochemical performance of PB/AEGO Nsh graphite sheet electrode shows that the electrode has an excellent specific capacitance of about 841.89 mF cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 in aqueous 1.0 M H2SO4 electrolyte. To check the applicability of the constructed electrode, a solid-state symmetric supercapacitor device separated by PVA/H2SO4 gel electrolyte was fabricated and its electrochemical performance was checked. Investigation of the capacitance behavior of the fabricated supercapacitor device indicates that the device has an excellent specific capacitance of about 334.7 mF cm−2 (230.11 F g−1) at 1 mA cm−2, maximum specific energy, and power density of 225 mWh cm−2 and 5000 mW cm−2, and cyclic life of 76.7% after 10000 galvanostatic charge/discharge cycles with non-IR drop. PB/AEGO Nsh graphite sheet electrode shows great potential for use in energy storage devices.
Mapping the geographical distribution of the mucosa-associated gut microbiome in GI-symptomatic children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Reeves Kimberly D. , Figuereo Yosauri F. , Weis Victoria G. , Hsu Fang-Chi , Engevik Melinda A. , Krigsman Arthur , Walker Stephen J.
Published: June 2024

Analysis in stool samples has shown gut microbiota alterations in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with typically developing (TD) children. However, it is unclear which segment(s) of the gut exhibit alterations in microbiome composition. In this study, we examined microbiota composition along the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in the stomach, duodenum, ileum, right colon, and rectum. We found site-specific and sex-specific differences in the gut microbiota of children with ASD, compared with controls.
Extrarenal Benefits of SGLT2 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Cardiomyopathies
Authors: Yerra Veera Ganesh , Connelly Kim A.
Published: June 2024

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have emerged as pivotal medications for heart failure, demonstrating remarkable cardiovascular benefits extending beyond their glucose-lowering effects. The unexpected cardiovascular advantages have intrigued and prompted the scientific community to delve into the mechanistic underpinnings of these novel actions. Preclinical studies have generated many mechanistic theories, ranging from their renal and extrarenal effects to potential direct actions on cardiac muscle cells, to elucidate the mechanisms linking these drugs to clinical cardiovascular outcomes. Despite the strengths and limitations of each theory, many await validation in human studies. Furthermore, whether SGLT2 inhibitors confer therapeutic benefits in specific subsets of cardiomyopathies akin to their efficacy in other heart failure populations remains unclear. By examining the shared pathological features between heart failure resulting from vascular diseases and other causes of cardiomyopathy, certain specific molecular actions of SGLT2 inhibitors (particularly those targeting cardiomyocytes) would support the concept that these medications will yield therapeutic benefits across a broad range of cardiomyopathies. This article aims to discuss the important mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors and their implications in hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathies. Furthermore, we offer insights into future research directions for SGLT2 inhibitor studies, which hold the potential to further elucidate the proposed biological mechanisms in greater detail.
Epileptic Network Surgery: From Network Basis to Clinical Practice
Authors: Wang Di , Zhang Huaqiang , Fan Xiaotong , Yang Yanfeng , Ren Liankun , Shan Yongzhi , Wei Penghu , Zhao Guoguang
Published: June 2024

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurologic disorder, with about 30%‐40% of patients suffering from recurrent seizures despite receiving enough antiseizure medication. Growing evidence of extensive structural and functional research has revealed that epilepsy is a network disorder, and the network investigation is crucial in the presurgical evaluation. This narrative review is aimed at providing an overview of the conceptual development of epileptic surgery, the epileptic network formation, and the network‐oriented strategy in clinical practice. We searched the PubMed database before October 2022 with no language or regional restrictions for studies of network exploration in epilepsy patients. The study eligibility criteria were original connectivity or network research studies using neuroimaging or neurophysiological approaches, focusing on seizure localization, neuropsychological evaluation, neuromodulation, or surgical prognosis. The initial search revealed 2046 studies. The selection process presented 746 papers that meet the inclusion criteria. The results indicated that epilepsy was characterized by the alternation of brain networks, which account for the clinical, electrographic, and neurocognitive phenomena related to human seizures and changes across different disease stages. Hubs have garnered significant attention due to their extensive connections, which make them prone to facilitating the spread of seizures to various brain regions. Unlike the seizure onset zone, the removal of the majority of these ictogenic nodes demonstrated a significant correlation with positive outcomes. Therefore, performing a network analysis during the epilepsy presurgical evaluation seems essential and will influence surgical decisions. It is hoped that studying the network of epilepsy will enhance our ability to determine the most appropriate surgical strategy for patients with epilepsy, thus contributing to success in terms of effective seizure control with maximal sparing or even improvement of brain functioning.
Review and Bibliographic Analysis of Metaheuristic Methods in Multicriteria Decision‐Making: A 45‐Year Perspective Across International, Latin American, and Colombian Contexts
Authors: Rocha Christian Manuel Moreno , Benitez Andres Santacruz , Buelvas Daina Arenas
Published: June 2024

This study performs a systematic review and analysis of research on the use of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods for more than 45 years. More than 34,468 documents related to MCDA were identified in more than 130 countries, with an annual increase of 14.15% in scientific production. India, China, and Iran lead in number of publications, covering about 35%. The universities with the most publications include Islamic Azad University and Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. The main journals in this field are Expert Systems With Applications, Sustainability, and Journal of Cleaner Production. The most prolific authors are Zavadskas, E.; Wang, J.; Tzeng, GH; Zavadskas, EK; and Kahraman, C. The most popular methods are TOPSIS, AHP (analytic hierarchy process), VIKOR, PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation), and ANP. LATAN, which includes countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, has increased the use of MCDA in recent years. Colombia has also shown a great interest in MCDA, especially in the selection of alternative energy sources and industrial suppliers. This method of literature review provides a comprehensive overview of research at MCDA and offers valuable information for future projects and studies.
Forecasting Electricity Generation from a Renewable and Low‐Carbon Matrix Using the Stochastic Volatility Process
Authors: Reichert Bianca , Martins Tailon , Souza Adriano Mendonça
Published: June 2024

The need to replace nonrenewable sources is a global challenge, especially for emerging countries with financial constraints to invest in energy transition. In Brazil, electrical generation is predominantly renewable, since the hydraulic source is responsible for more than half of the domestic electricity supply. Other alternative sources, such as biomass, solar, and wind, complement the renewable portion of the Brazilian electrical matrix. However, periods of drought and climate disturbances threaten the stability of the electrical system and increase dependence on thermal generation. Based on the global movement to intensify the use of renewable sources, which are volatile and influenced by climate variations, the objective of this research is to predict electricity generation using the Heston model. This model, originally applied to predict option prices, assumes nonconstant volatility and has the ability to estimate the average value including the stochastic volatility process. The database is made up of monthly values of the volume of electrical energy generation from biomass, coal, fuel oil, hydraulic, industrial waste, natural gas, nuclear, solar, and wind sources. Compared to the Black‐Scholes model, the chosen method proved to be superior in predicting the generation from coal, hydropower, and solar energy, according to the MAE, MAPE, and RMSE statistics. We conclude that a financial model can be effectively applied to the energy sector and the Heston model can be a useful instrument to assist in the planning and management of the national electrical system. One suggestion for the Brazilian case is to encourage the use of alternative energies and low‐carbon sources, such as solar, wind, and natural gas, providing greater energy security and a more reliable electrical system.
Table S4 from Characterization of KRAS Mutation Subtypes in Non–small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Judd Julia , Abdel Karim Nagla , Khan Hina , Naqash Abdul Rafeh , Baca Yasmine , Xiu Joanne , VanderWalde Ari M. , Mamdani Hirva , Raez Luis E. , Nagasaka Misako , Pai Sachin Gopalkrishna , Socinski Mark A. , Nieva Jorge J. , Kim Chul , Wozniak Antoinette J. , Ikpeazu Chukwuemeka , de Lima Lopes Gilberto , Spira Alexander I. , Korn W. Michael , Kim Edward S. , Liu Stephen V. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: June 2024

Supplemental Table 4. Key Biomarkers for KRAS mutation subtypes in adenocarcinoma (A) and squamous cell (B) NSCLC histologies.
Table S3 from Characterization of KRAS Mutation Subtypes in Non–small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Judd Julia , Abdel Karim Nagla , Khan Hina , Naqash Abdul Rafeh , Baca Yasmine , Xiu Joanne , VanderWalde Ari M. , Mamdani Hirva , Raez Luis E. , Nagasaka Misako , Pai Sachin Gopalkrishna , Socinski Mark A. , Nieva Jorge J. , Kim Chul , Wozniak Antoinette J. , Ikpeazu Chukwuemeka , de Lima Lopes Gilberto , Spira Alexander I. , Korn W. Michael , Kim Edward S. , Liu Stephen V. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: June 2024

Supplemental Table 3. Mutation rates of key biomarkers in KRAS mutated NSCLC cohorts
Table S2 from Characterization of KRAS Mutation Subtypes in Non–small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Judd Julia , Abdel Karim Nagla , Khan Hina , Naqash Abdul Rafeh , Baca Yasmine , Xiu Joanne , VanderWalde Ari M. , Mamdani Hirva , Raez Luis E. , Nagasaka Misako , Pai Sachin Gopalkrishna , Socinski Mark A. , Nieva Jorge J. , Kim Chul , Wozniak Antoinette J. , Ikpeazu Chukwuemeka , de Lima Lopes Gilberto , Spira Alexander I. , Korn W. Michael , Kim Edward S. , Liu Stephen V. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: June 2024

Supplemental Table 2. Immune checkpoint therapy associated markers among KRAS-mutated tumors (A), comparison of these markers between KRAS G12C and all other subtypes (B) and further comparison between G12C, G12A and G13D subtypes (C). * represents p or q values <0.05.
Table S1 from Characterization of KRAS Mutation Subtypes in Non–small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Judd Julia , Abdel Karim Nagla , Khan Hina , Naqash Abdul Rafeh , Baca Yasmine , Xiu Joanne , VanderWalde Ari M. , Mamdani Hirva , Raez Luis E. , Nagasaka Misako , Pai Sachin Gopalkrishna , Socinski Mark A. , Nieva Jorge J. , Kim Chul , Wozniak Antoinette J. , Ikpeazu Chukwuemeka , de Lima Lopes Gilberto , Spira Alexander I. , Korn W. Michael , Kim Edward S. , Liu Stephen V. , Borghaei Hossein
Published: June 2024

Supplemental Table 1. Frequency of KRAS mutation subtypes in never smokers/ light smokers (<15 packs/year) and current smokers