bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluid-driven cyclic reorganization in shallow basaltic fault zones
Authors: Bamberg Bob , Walker Richard , Reichow Marc , Ougier-Simonin Audrey
Published: August 2022

Faults represent a critical heterogeneity in basaltic sequences, yet few studies have focused on their architectural and hydromechanical evolution. We present a detailed, multi-scale characterization of passively exhumed fault zones from the layered basalts of the Faroe Islands, which reveals cyclic stages of fault evolution. Outcrop-scale structures and fault rock distribution within the fault zones were mapped in the field and in 3-D virtual outcrop models, with detailed characterization of fault rock microstructure obtained from optical and scanning electron microscopy. The fault zones record deformation localization from decameter-wide Riedel shear zones into meter-wide fault cores that contain multiple cataclastic shear bands and low-strain lenses organized around a central slip zone. Shear bands and the slip zone consist of (ultra-) cataclasites with a zeolite-smectite assemblage replacing the original plagioclase-pyroxene host rock composition. Low-strain lenses are breccias of weakly altered host rock or reworked fault rocks. Slip zone-proximal zones show significant late-stage dilatation in the form of hydrothermal breccias or tabular veins with up to decimeter apertures. We interpret these structures as evolving from alternating shear-compaction and dilation through hydrofracture. The fault core preserves slip zone reworking, which is interpreted to indicate repeated shear zone locking and migration. The alternating deformation styles of shear-compaction and dilatation suggest episodic changes in deformation mechanisms driven by transient overpressure and release. The fault zone mechanical properties are thus governed by the combined effects of permanent chemical weakening and transient fluid-mediated mechanical weakening, alternating with cementation and healing. We suggest that the model presented for fault evolution should apply widely to shallow, basalt-hosted fault zones.
Lung volume changes during apnoeas in preterm infants
Authors: Gaertner Vincent D , Waldmann Andreas D , Davis Peter G , Bassler Dirk , Springer Laila , Tingay David Gerald , Rüegger Christoph Martin
Published: August 2022

Objective

Mechanisms of non-invasive high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (nHFOV) in preterm infants are unclear. We aimed to compare lung volume changes during apnoeas in preterm infants on nHFOV and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP).

Methods

Analysis of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) data from a randomised crossover trial comparing nHFOV with nCPAP in preterm infants at 26–34 weeks postmenstrual age. EIT data were screened by two reviewers to identify apnoeas ≥10 s. End-expiratory lung impedance (EELI) and tidal volumes (VT) were calculated before and after apnoeas. Oxygen saturation (SpO2) and heart rate (HR) were extracted for 60 s after apnoeas.

Results

In 30 preterm infants, 213 apnoeas were identified. During apnoeas, oscillatory volumes were detectable during nHFOV. EELI decreased significantly during apnoeas (∆EELI nCPAP: −8.0 (−11.9 to −4.1) AU/kg, p<0.001; ∆EELI nHFOV: −3.4 (−6.5 to −0.3), p=0.03) but recovered over the first five breaths after apnoeas. Compared with before apnoeas, VTwas increased for the first breath after apnoeas during nCPAP (∆VT: 7.5 (3.1 to 11.2) AU/kg, p=0.001). Falls in SpO2and HR after apnoeas were greater during nCPAP than nHFOV (mean difference (95% CI): SpO2: 3.6% (2.7 to 4.6), p<0.001; HR: 15.9 bpm (13.4 to 18.5), p<0.001).

Conclusion

Apnoeas were characterised by a significant decrease in EELI which was regained over the first breaths after apnoeas, partly mediated by a larger VT. Apnoeas were followed by a considerable drop in SpO2and HR, particularly during nCPAP, leading to longer episodes of hypoxemia during nCPAP. Transmitted oscillations during nHFOV may explain these benefits.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12616001516471.
Factors influencing the translation of shared cancer follow-up care into clinical practice: a systematic review
Authors: Sandell Tiffany , Schütze Heike
Published: August 2022

Background

The increasing incidence of cancer, coupled with improved survivorship, has increased demand for cancer follow-up care and the need to find alternative models of care. Shared cancer follow-up care in general practice is a safe option in terms of quality of life and cancer recurrence; however, there are barriers to translating this into practice. This review aimed to identify factors that influence the translation of shared cancer follow-up care into clinical practice.

Methods

Systematic review. Seven electronic databases: MEDLINE, Science Citation Index, Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, APA Psychinfo, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition and Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, were searched for published papers between January 1999 and December 2021. The narrative review included papers if they were available in full-text, English, peer-reviewed and focused on shared cancer follow-up care.

Results

Thirty-eight papers were included in the final review. Five main themes emerged: (1) reciprocal clinical information sharing is needed between oncologists and general practitioners, and needs to be timely and relevant; (2) responsibility of care should be shared with the oncologist overseeing care; (3) general practitioners skills and knowledge to provide cancer follow-up care; (4) need for clinical management guidelines and rapid referral to support general practitioners to provide shared follow-up care and (5) continuity of care and satisfaction of care is vital for shared care.

Conclusion

The acceptability of shared cancer follow-up care is increasing. Several barriers still exist to translating this into practice. Work is required to develop a shared-care model that can support general practitioners, while the oncologist can oversee the care and implement two-way communication between general and oncologists’ clinics. The move towards integrating electronic healthcare records and web-based platforms for information exchange provides a promise to the timely exchange of information.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020191538.
LobE-Specific lymph node diSsectiON for clinical early-stage non-small cell lung cancer: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (the LESSON trial)
Authors: Huang Weijia , Deng Han-Yu , Ren Zhi-Zhen , Xu Kai , Wang Yi-Feng , Tang Xiaojun , Zhu Da-Xing , Zhou Qinghua
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Lung cancer was the most common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related death in China or worldwide, and surgery is still the preferred treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The pattern of lymph node metastasis was found potentially lobe specific, and thus, lobe-specific lymph node dissection (L-SLND) was proposed to be an alternative to systematic lymph node dissection (SLND) for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC.

Methods and analysis

The LobE-Specific lymph node diSsectiON trial is a single-institutional, randomised, double-blind and parallel controlled trial to investigate the feasibility of L-SLND in clinically diagnosed stage IA1-2 NSCLC with ground-glass opacity components (≥50%). The intraoperative frozen section examination of surgical tissues confirms the histological type of NSCLC. We hypothesise that L-SLND (experimental group) is not inferior to SLND (control group) and intend to include 672 participants for the experimental group and 672 participants for the control group with a follow-up duration of 60 months. The primary outcomes are 5-year disease-free survival and 5-year overall survival. The secondary outcomes are metastatic lymph node ratio, postoperative complication incidence and mortality, duration of operation, duration of anaesthesia (min), the volume of bleeding (mL) and drainage volume. The intention-to-treat analysis would be performed in the trial.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial was approved by the ethics committee on biomedical research, West China Hospital of Sichuan University (2021-332). Informed consent would be obtained from all participants, and dissemination activities would include academic conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number

This trial was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2100048415.
Support after COVID-19 study: a mixed-methods cross-sectional study to develop recommendations for practice
Authors: Bulley Cathy , Tyagi Vaibhav , Curnow Eleanor , Nicol Kath , Salisbury Lisa , Stuart Kim , McCormack Brendan , Magowan Ruth , Sagan Olivia , Dewing Jan
Published: August 2022

Objectives of study stage 1 were to: explore people’s experiences of illness due to COVID-19 while feeling socially isolated or socially isolating; identify perceptions of what would support recovery; and synthesise insights into recommendations for supporting people after COVID-19. Study stage 2 objectives were to engage stakeholders in evaluating these recommendations and analyse likely influences on access to the support identified.

Design

A two-stage, multimethod cross-sectional study was conducted from a postpositivist perspective. Stage 1 included an international online survey of people’s experiences of illness, particularly COVID-19, in isolation (n=675 full responses). Stage 2 involved a further online survey (n=43), two tweetchats treated as large online focus groups (n=60 and n=27 people tweeting), two smaller focus groups (both n=4) and one interview (both using MS teams).

Setting

Stage 1 had an international emphasis, although 87% of respondents were living in the UK. Stage 2 focused on the UK.

Participants

Anyone aged 18+ and able to complete a survey in English could participate. Stage 2 included health professionals, advocates and people with lived experience.

Main outcome measures

Descriptive data and response categories derived from open responses to the survey and the qualitative data.

Results

Of those responding fully to stage 1 (mean age 44 years); 130 (19%) had experienced COVID-19 in isolation; 45 had recovered, taking a mean of 5.3 (range 1–54) weeks. 85 did not feel they had recovered; fatigue and varied ‘other’ symptoms were most prevalent and also had most substantial negative impacts. Our draft recommendations were highly supported by respondents to stage 2 and refined to produce final recommendations.

Conclusions

Recommendations support access to progressive intensity and specialism of support, addressing access barriers that might inadvertently increase health inequalities. Multidisciplinary collaboration and learning are crucial, including the person with COVID-19 and/or Long Covid in the planning and decision making throughout.
Impact of the Nutri-Score front-of-pack nutrition label on purchasing intentions of individuals with chronic diseases: results of a randomised trial
Authors: Egnell Manon , Boutron Isabelle , Péneau Sandrine , Ducrot Pauline , Touvier Mathilde , Galan Pilar , Fezeu Léopold , Porcher Raphaël , Ravaud Philippe , Hercberg Serge , Kesse-Guyot Emmanuelle , Julia Chantal
Published: August 2022

Objective

To our knowledge, the effect of front-of-pack nutrition labels such as the Nutri-Score on food purchases has never been assessed among individuals suffering from nutrition-related chronic diseases specifically, while dietary modifications are generally part of their care. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the Nutri-Score on the nutritional quality of purchasing intentions among adults suffering from a cardiometabolic disease, compared with no label and the Reference Intakes (RIs), a label already implemented by some food manufacturers in France.

Setting

Secondary prevention—mainland France.

Participants

2431 eligible participants were randomly assigned and 1180 participants (65.5% women, mean age 65.0±7.1 years) completed the shopping task and were included in the analyses.

Intervention

A three-arm randomised controlled trial using an experimental online supermarket was conducted in 2017. Participants with cardiometabolic diseases were invited to simulate food purchases with the Nutri-Score, the RIs or no label.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was the nutritional quality of the shopping cart, estimated using the French-modified Food Standard Agency Nutrient Profiling System (FSAm-NPS), and secondary outcomes included the nutrient content of purchases.

Results

The mean (SD) FSAm-NPS score was significantly lower in the Nutri-Score arm (1.29 (3.61) points), reflecting a higher overall nutritional quality of purchasing intentions, compared with the RIs (1.86 (3.23) points) and no label (1.92 (2.90) points) arms (p=0.01). Moreover, the Nutri-Score led to significantly lower content in calories and saturated fatty acids compared with the two other arms. These differences resulted from participants avoiding some packaged products (sweets, dairy and starches) and purchasing larger amounts of fresh fruit and meat.

Conclusions

The Nutri-Score exhibited a significant higher nutritional quality of purchasing intentions, encouraging healthier food choices among individuals suffering from cardiometabolic chronic diseases.

Trial registration number

NCT02769455.
Randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of varying doses of linezolid with bedaquiline and pretomanid in adults with pre-extensively drug-resistant or treatment intolerant/non-responsive multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis: study protocol
Authors: Padmapriyadarsini Chandrasekaran , Devaleenal Bella , Ponnuraja C , Ramraj Balaji , Singla Rupak , Parmar Malik , Mattoo Sanjay , Mandal Sudarsan
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a global public health problem. Patients suffer for months if undiagnosed or treated inadequately, transmitting DR-TB in the community before succumbing to the disease. Early diagnosis, prompt treatment initiation and completion play a significant role in treatment success. However, extended regimens with injectable result in poor treatment adherence and outcomes. Our objective is to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of various doses and duration of linezolid (LZD) in combination with bedaquiline (BDQ) and pretomanid (Pa) after 26 weeks of treatment in adults with pre-extensively drug-resistant or treatment intolerant/non-responsive multidrug-resistant pulmonary TB.

Methods and analysis

A multicentric, randomised pragmatic clinical trial in India will enrol participants in one of the three arms—control arm (arm 1): BDQ, Pa and LZD 600 mg daily for 26 weeks or intervention arms (arm 2): BDQ, Pa and LZD 600 mg for 9 weeks followed by 300 mg for 17 weeks or arm 3: BDQ, Pa and LZD 600 mg for 13 weeks followed by 300 mg for 13 weeks. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with favourable outcomes as sustained cure and treatment completion. The secondary endpoint is unfavourable outcomes, including deaths, treatment failure, toxicity/adverse events and lost to follow-up till 48 weeks post-treatment.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the ethics committees of participating institutes and the National Institute for Research in TB. The trial results will help establish evidence towards a safe and effective dose of LZD that can be used in a fully, all-oral short course regimen for highly DR-TB patients. The results of this study will be shared with the National TB Elimination Programme of the country and the WHO guidelines development group through publications and dissemination meetings.

Trial registration number

NCT05040126.
Randomised trial to determine the effect of vitamin D and zinc supplementation for improving treatment outcomes among patients with COVID-19 in India: trial protocol
Authors: Sharma Kamal Kant , Partap Uttara , Mistry Nerges , Marathe Yogesh , Wang Molin , Shaikh Sanaa , D'Costa Pradeep , Gupta Gaurav , Bromage Sabri , Hemler Elena C , Kain Kevin C , Dholakia Yatin , Fawzi Wafaie W
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Presently, there are few population-level strategies to address SARS-CoV-2 infection except preventive measures such as vaccination. Micronutrient deficiency, particularly vitamin D and zinc deficiency, has been associated with dysregulated host responses, and may play an important role in COVID-19.

Methods and analysis

We have designed a 2×2 factorial, randomised, double-blind, multi-centre placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effect of vitamin D and zinc on COVID-19 outcomes in Maharashtra, India. COVID-19 positive individuals are recruited from hospitals in Mumbai and Pune. Participants are provided (1) vitamin D3 bolus (180 000 IU) maintained by daily dose of 2000 IU and/or (2) zinc gluconate (40 mg daily), versus placebo for 8 weeks. Participants undergo a detailed assessment at baseline and at 8 weeks, and are monitored daily in hospital or every 3 days after leaving the hospital to assess symptoms and other clinical measures. A final follow-up telephone call occurs 12 weeks post-enrolment to assess long-term outcomes. The primary outcome of the study is to time to recovery, defined as time to resolution of all of fever, cough and shortness of breath. Secondary outcomes include: duration of hospital stay, all-cause mortality, necessity of assisted ventilation, change in blood biomarker levels and individual symptoms duration. Participant recruitment commenced on April 2021.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from institutional ethical committees of all participating institutions. The study findings will be presented in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Trial registration numbers

NCT04641195, CTRI/2021/04/032593, HMSC (GOI)-2021-0060.
Qualitative study measuring the usability of the International Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry
Authors: Abukhadijah Hana J , Turk-Adawi Karam I , Dewart Nora , Grace Sherry L
Published: August 2022

Objective

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is a comprehensive model of secondary preventive care. There is a wide variety in implementation characteristics globally, and hence quality control is paramount. Thus, the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation was urged to develop a CR registry. The purpose of this study was to test the perceived usability of the International Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry (ICRR) to optimise it.

Design

This was a qualitative study, comprising virtual usability tests using a think-aloud method to elicit feedback on the ICRR, while end-users were entering patient data, followed by semistructured interviews.

Setting

Ultimately, 12 tests were conducted with CR staff (67% female) in low-resource settings from a variety of disciplines in all regions of the world but Europe before saturation was achieved.

Primary outcome measure

Participants completed the System Usability Scale. Interviews were transcribed verbatim except to preserve anonymity, and coded using NVIVO by two researchers independently. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 informed analysis.

Results

The ICRR was established as easy to use, relevant, efficient, with easy learnability, operability, perceived usefulness, positive perceptions of output quality and high end-user satisfaction. System usability was 83.75, or ‘excellent’ and rated ‘A’. Four major themes were deduced from the interviews: (1) ease of approvals, adoption and implementation; (2) benefits for programmes, (3) variables and their definitions, as well as (4) patient report and follow-up assessment. Based on participant observation and utterances, suggestions for changes to the ICRR were implemented, including to the programme survey, on-boarding processes, navigational instructions, inclusion of programme logos, direction on handling unavailable data and optimising data completeness, as well as policies for authorship and programme certification.

Conclusions

With usability of the ICRR optimised, pilot testing shall ensue.
Evaluation of dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis and ischemia-modified albumin levels in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Erdal Huseyin , Ciftciler Rafiye , Tuncer Sibel Cigdem , Özcan Oguzhan
Published: August 2022

This is the first study to evaluate both the dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis and ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Twenty-nine patients with CLL and 20 controls were included in the study. The dynamic thiol-disulfide balance was determined by the newly developed colorimetric method by Erel. IMA levels were determined by the cobalt binding test. We found that total antioxidant status levels were lower while total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) levels were significantly higher in patients with CLL than controls. Moreover, native and total thiol levels were found to be statistically significant between the study and control groups (p<0.001), whereas no statistically significant difference was noted for IMA levels (p=0.365). A negative correlation was observed between native and total thiol levels, leukocyte, lymphocyte, and TOS. Total bilirubin showed positive correlation with direct bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. In addition, IMA levels showed a positive correlation with OSI. This study highlights measurement of native and total thiol and IMA levels in patients with CLL for the first time. Dynamic thiol-disulfide homeostasis may contribute in the pathophysiological mechanism, and follow-up to disease in patients with CLL.
Leveling (down) the playing field: performance diminishments and fairness in sport
Authors: Holmen Sebastian Jon , Petersen Thomas Søbirk , Ryberg Jesper
Published: August 2022

The 2018 eligibility regulation for female competitors with differences of sexual development (DSD) issued by World Athletics requires competitors with DSD with blood testosterone levels at or above 5 nmol/L and sufficient androgen sensitivity to be excluded from competition in certain events unless they reduce the level of testosterone in their blood. This paper formalises and then critically assesses the fairness-based argument offered in support of this regulation by the federation. It argues that it is unclear how the biological advantage singled out by the regulation as an appropriate target for diminishment, is relevantly different from other biological advantages that athletes may enjoy, and specifically that Sigmund Loland’s recent attempt to drive a wedge between heightened levels of blood testosterone and other biological advantages fails. The paper also suggests that even if heightened blood testosterone levels do differ relevantly from other types of biological advantage, the regulation is further challenged by studies indicating that athletes with blood testosterone at the high end of the normal range have a competitive advantage over athletes with blood testosterone levels at the low end of it. Finally, the paper contends that the premises of the fairness-based argument do not unequivocally support the conclusion that DSD athletes with heightened levels of testosterone should diminish those levels, since, just as powerfully, they support allowing athletes with normal levels of testosterone to use performance-enhancing drugs in the name of fairness.
Leadership to improve nurse engagement and empowerment: evidences to improve the training of nurses
Authors: García-Sierra Rosa , Martínez-Zaragoza Fermín , Fernández-Castro Jordi
Published: August 2022

Aim

The objective of this study was to identify the key dimensions of transformational leadership that influence the promotion of engagement and structural empowerment in a population of nurses from different care settings.

Method

A cross-sectional survey study asking about engagement, leadership style and structural empowerment was used. Descriptive and correlational statistics were applied followed by hierarchical regression. 131 nurses were recruited from a Spanish health organisation using random sampling.

Results

Individualised consideration and intellectual stimulation were predictors of structural empowerment in a hierarchical regression of transformational leadership dimensions controlled by demographic variables (R2=0.467). In addition, intellectual stimulation was a predictor of engagement (R2=0.176).

Conclusion

The results are the starting point for the design of an organisationwide educational intervention to increase the engagement of nurses and staff development.
End-to-end multi-particle reconstruction in high occupancy imaging calorimeters with graph neural networks
Authors: Qasim Shah Rukh , Chernyavskaya Nadezda , Kieseler Jan , Long Kenneth , Viazlo Oleksandr , Pierini Maurizio , Nawaz Raheel
Published: August 2022

We present an end-to-end reconstruction algorithm to build particle candidates from detector hits in next-generation granular calorimeters similar to that foreseen for the high-luminosity upgrade of the CMS detector. The algorithm exploits a distance-weighted graph neural network, trained with object condensation, a graph segmentation technique. Through a single-shot approach, the reconstruction task is paired with energy regression. We describe the reconstruction performance in terms of efficiency as well as in terms of energy resolution. In addition, we show the jet reconstruction performance of our method and discuss its inference computational cost. To our knowledge, this work is the first-ever example of single-shot calorimetric reconstruction of $${\mathcal {O}}(1000)$$

O
(
1000
)

particles in high-luminosity conditions with 200 pileup.
Remarks on sine-Gordon kink–fermion system: localized modes and scattering
Authors: Gani Vakhid A. , Gorina Anastasia , Perapechka Ilya , Shnir Yakov
Published: August 2022

We study numerically the kink–fermion interactions in a 1 + 1 dimensional toy model, which describes sine-Gordon kinks coupled to the massless Dirac fermions with backreaction. We show that the spectrum of fermionic modes strongly depends on the choice of the coupling, in particular, there are no localized modes for a minimal Yukawa coupling. We analyze the scattering of the fermionic packet by the kink. We demonstrate that the outcome of the collision dynamically depends on the phase of the incoming fermion packet, it results in alternating regimes of positive and negative acceleration of the kink.
Analogue quantum simulation of the Hawking effect in a polariton superfluid
Authors: Jacquet Maxime , Joly Malo , Claude Ferdinand , Giacomelli Luca , Glorieux Quentin , Bramati Alberto , Carusotto Iacopo , Giacobino Elisabeth
Published: August 2022

Quantum effects of fields on curved spacetimes may be studied in the laboratory thanks to quantum fluids. Here we use a polariton fluid to study the Hawking effect, the correlated emission from the quantum vacuum at the acoustic horizon. We show how out-of-equilibrium physics affects the dispersion relation, and hence the emission and propagation of correlated waves: the fluid properties on either side of the horizon are critical to observing the Hawking effect. We find that emission may be optimised by supporting the phase and density of the fluid upstream of the horizon in a regime of optical bistability. This opens new avenues for the observation of the Hawking effect in out-of-equilibrium systems as well as for the study of new phenomenology of fields on curved spacetimes.

Graphic abstract
Pretransitional of behavior of electrooptic Kerr effect in liquid thymol
Authors: Szpakiewicz-Szatan Aleksander , Rzoska Sylwester J. , Drozd-Rzoska Aleksandra
Published: August 2022

Melting/freezing are canonical examples of discontinuous phase transitions, for which no pretransitional effects in the liquid phase are expected. For the solid phase, weak premelting effects are evidenced. This report shows long-range, critical-like, pretransitional effects in liquid thymol detected in electrooptic Kerr effect (EKE) studies. Notably is the negative sign of EKE pretransitional anomaly. Studies are supplemented by the high-resolution dielectric constant temperature-related scan, which revealed a weak premelting effect in the solid phase. Both EKE and dielectric constant show a ‘crossover’ change in the liquid phase, ca, 10 K above the freezing temperature. It can be recognized as the hallmark of the challenging liquid–liquid transition phenomenon.

Graphical abstract
A Lossless Compression and Encryption Method for Remote Sensing Image Using LWT, Rubik’s Cube and 2D-CCM
Authors: Feng Xiu-Fang , Nan Shi-Xian , Ma Rui-Qing , Zhang Hao
Published: August 2022

This paper proposes a lossless encryption–compression algorithm for large-scale remote sensing images. Firstly, the red, green and blue components of color image are compressed by a lossless predictive encoding. Then, the lifting wavelet transform (LWT) is used to decompose the encoding results. And a new Rubik’s cube transformation is introduced to scramble the decomposed coefficients, which uses the chaotic sequence generated by 2D Cubic–Chebyshev map (2D-CCM). The initial values of 2D-CCM are obtained from the chi-square test values of the three components, which leads to the algorithm related to the plaintext image. After that, the scrambling coefficients are thresholding, and the position sequences generated in the process are encrypted and compressed by the proposed encrypted run-length encoding (E-RLE). The processed coefficients are further compressed by Huffman encoding. At the end, the final results are obtained by a novel helix diffusion which is related to the chaotic sequence. Experimental results show that, this algorithm achieves higher lossless compression ratio with lower time complexity, and the encryption scheme has higher security.
Studying Stochastic Resonance Phenomenon in the Fractional-Order Lorenz-Like Chaotic System
Authors: Zhou Zuanbo , Yu Wenxin
Published: August 2022

At present, stochastic resonance (SR) based on Duffing and Langevin equations has been widely studied, but there is little research on SR phenomenon in higher-dimensional fractional-order systems. Based on the fractional-order Lorenz-like system, the SR phenomenon is studied from the perspective of equilibrium point in this paper. The dynamic process of SR phenomenon is presented, and several key parameters are derived. The results of numerical simulation show that the boundary of SR and chaos system will be broken if the order of the fractional-order system or internal parameters is properly adjusted, and the effect of SR phenomenon will also be influenced. This paper connects two important nonlinear phenomena (chaos and SR) based on the fractional-order system, which provides a new idea for the conversion between chaos and SR systems.
Precise Values for the Strong Subgraph 3-Arc-Connectivity of Cartesian Products of Some Digraph Classes
Authors: Dong Yiling
Published: August 2022

Let [Formula: see text] be a digraph of order [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] a subset of [Formula: see text] of size [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. A strong subgraph [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is called an [Formula: see text]-strong subgraph if [Formula: see text]. A pair of [Formula: see text]-strong subgraphs [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is said to be arc-disjoint if [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] be the maximum number of arc-disjoint [Formula: see text]-strong subgraphs in [Formula: see text]. Sun and Gutin defined the strong subgraph [Formula: see text]-arc-connectivity as [Formula: see text] The new parameter [Formula: see text] could be seen as a generalization of classical edge-connectivity of undirected graphs. In this paper, we get precise values for the strong subgraph 3-arc-connectivity of Cartesian products of some digraph classes. Also, we prove that there is no upper bound on [Formula: see text] depending on [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Severity Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy — A Review
Authors: Gargi M. , Namburu Anupama
Published: August 2022

Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) refers to a micro-vascular complication causing vision problems in diabetic patients. It is a serious global public health issue that damages the retinal blood vessels and leaves a large number of patients with loss of vision. Micro-aneurysms, hemorrhages, macular edema, and exudates are some of the lesions used to diagnose it. When detected early, Diabetic Retinopathy can be treated well with precise identification of lesions. Computer-aided diagnosis refers to the approaches used to extract specific features associated with the disease by using image processing filters. Some Machine Learning tools, especially the ones well-suited to data analysis applications are particularly useful. This paper primarily focuses on a comparative performance evaluation of many machine learning and deep learning-based techniques applied for the diagnosis of this vision ailment in diabetic patients.
EFFECTS OF SAND THERAPY ON FLUID DYNAMICS OF BLOOD IN THE POPLITEAL ARTERY BASED ON THE EULER MULTIPHASE MODEL
Authors: WU HUI , FU RONGCHANG , LI XIANZHENG , YANG XIAOYU
Published: August 2022

The effect of sand therapy on the hemodynamics of the popliteal artery (POA) was investigated to elucidate its mechanism in atherosclerosis physiotherapy. The hemodynamic parameters of the POA before and after sand therapy were obtained from 58 subjects and statistically analyzed. A three-dimensional finite element model of POA bifurcation was established. Blood was regarded as a triple-phase flow composed of plasma, red blood cells (RBCs), and white blood cells (WBCs). Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), blood flow velocity, wall shear stress (WSS), and blood cell volume distribution before and after sand therapy were calculated. Sand therapy could reduce the vortex and reflux in blood vessels. The maximum increase in blood axial velocity was 34.38%. The maximum WSS increased by 22.82 Pa and the blood cells gradually moved away from the vessel wall and toward the axis of the blood vessel. The reduction in vortex and reflux, and the increase in blood axial velocity after sand therapy are beneficial in reducing the accumulation of cholesterol and other substances, thereby alleviating the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and lipid streaks. The rise in WSS slows the tendency of arterial vascular thickening in regions of low WSS. The movement of blood cells to the axis of blood vessels can reduce the possibility of thrombosis caused by blood cells squeezing on the blood vessel walls. These findings suggest that sand therapy may slow atherosclerosis progression.
Quasinormal modes of nonlinearly charged black holes surrounded by a cloud of strings in Rastall gravity
Authors: Gogoi Dhruba Jyoti , Karmakar Ronit , Goswami Umananda Dev
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we obtain the black hole solution for the Ayón-Beato–García (ABG)-type black hole surrounded by a cloud of strings in Rastall gravity and calculate the scalar quasinormal modes of it for a massless scalar field. To have a better visualization of the results, we also introduce a new nonlinear electrodynamic source and obtain a black hole solution surrounded by a cloud of strings in the Rastall gravity. We see that the quasinormal modes are affected by the type of nonlinear electrodynamic sources in case of higher magnitudes of charge [Formula: see text]. With increase in the magnitude of charge [Formula: see text], gravitational waves decay rapidly for the new black hole solution, while for the ABG black hole, the decay rate increases initially and finally starts to decrease near to [Formula: see text]. We also study the impact of the cloud of strings and other model parameters, including the Rastall parameter on the quasinormal modes for both of the black holes. The gravitational waves decay slowly with increase in the cloud of strings parameter for both of the black holes. Dependency of quasinormal modes on the Rastall parameter is different from a surrounding dark energy field and the decay of gravitational waves may be slow or rapid depending on the value of this parameter.
Static and Fatigue Tensile Behavior and Damage Mechanisms Analysis in Aged Flax Fiber/PLA Composite
Authors: Kesentini Zeineb , El Mahi Abderrahim , Rebiere Jean Luc , El Guerjouma Rachid , Beyaoui Moez , Haddar Mohammed
Published: August 2022

The aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of water aging of flax/PLA composites on their mechanical characteristics and damage mechanisms. The composites were manufactured with three-dimensional (3D) printer using bio-based material which is polylactic acid reinforced with flax fiber. The composites studied were subjected to water immersion at room temperature and tested in static and fatigue tensile tests for different immersion times. During mechanical tests, the acoustic emissions (AE) method was utilized to identify the emergence of damage processes and to track their evolution. Moreover, macroscopic and microscopic data were used to study damage processes. To confirm the reality of the damage mechanisms observed, microscopic data were linked with acoustic emission classes. Two types of events were observed by acoustic emissions associated with two composite damage mechanisms. Young’s modulus and stress decreased with aging, according to static testing. However, there was an increase in the strain. Strength and damping properties of unaged and aged composites were investigated using fatigue tensile tests. The results showed that water uptake induced a decrease in strength and stiffness and an increase in damping when compared in terms of aging time. There was also a reduction in useful life as immersion time increased.
A Collaborative Model for Equitable Response and Recovery in Emergency Management
Authors: Houser Ryan Scott
Published: August 2022

Social determinants of health and overall socioeconomic disparities play important factors in determining the resilience of communities in the face of disasters and emergencies. The Emergency Management field is only beginning to address these special populations in their preparedness plans, even though these communities are the most vulnerable and thus the most important for overall resilience. Current response and recovery structures do not focus on addressing these disparities and rebuilding communities to be more resilient in the face of disasters, creating an endless cycle of human suffering and economic waste. Through collaborative partnerships, both federally and private, Emergency Managers can establish a response and recovery model, which informs future planning and mitigation, that addresses inequities building a more resilient nation.
Energy-saving Service Offloading for the Internet of Medical Things Using Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Jiang Jielin , Guo Jiajie , Khan Maqbool , Cui Yan , Lin Wenmin
Published: August 2022

As a critical branch of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the medicine industry, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) significantly improves the quality of healthcare due to its real-time monitoring and low medical cost. Benefiting from edge and cloud computing, IoMT is provided with more computing and storage resources near the terminal to meet the low-delay requirements of computation-intensive services. However, the service offloading from health monitoring units (HMUs) to edge servers generates additional energy consumption. Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI), which has developed rapidly in recent years, has proved effective in some resource allocation applications. Taking both energy consumption and delay into account, we propose an energy-aware service offloading algorithm under an end-edge-cloud collaborative IoMT system with Asynchronous Advantage Actor-critic (A3C), named ECAC. Technically, ECAC uses the structural similarity between the natural distributed IoMT system and A3C, whose parameters are asynchronously updated. Besides, due to the typical delay-sensitivity mechanism and time-energy correction, ECAC can adjust dynamically to the diverse service types and system requirements. Finally, the effectiveness of ECAC for IoMT is proved on real data.
ReFRS: Resource-efficient Federated Recommender System for Dynamic and Diversified User Preferences
Authors: Imran Mubashir , Yin Hongzhi , Chen Tong , Nguyen Quoc Viet Hung , Zhou Alexander , Zheng Kai
Published: August 2022

Owing to its nature of scalability and privacy by design, federated learning (FL) has received increasing interest in decentralized deep learning. FL has also facilitated recent research on upscaling and privatizing personalized recommendation services, using on-device data to learn recommender models locally. These models are then aggregated globally to obtain a more performant model while maintaining data privacy. Typically, federated recommender systems (FRSs) do not take into account the lack of resources and data availability at the end-devices. In addition, they assume that the interaction data between users and items is i.i.d. and stationary across end-devices (i.e., users), and that all local recommender models can be directly averaged without considering the user’s behavioral diversity. However, in real scenarios, recommendations have to be made on end-devices with sparse interaction data and limited resources. Furthermore, users’ preferences are heterogeneous and they frequently visit new items. This makes their personal preferences highly skewed, and the straightforwardly aggregated model is thus ill-posed for such non-i.i.d. data. In this article, we propose
Resource Efficient Federated Recommender System
(ReFRS) to enable decentralized recommendation with dynamic and diversified user preferences. On the device side, ReFRS consists of a lightweight self-supervised local model built upon the variational autoencoder for learning a user’s temporal preference from a sequence of interacted items. On the server side, ReFRS utilizes a scalable semantic sampler to adaptively perform model aggregation within each identified cluster of similar users. The clustering module operates in an asynchronous and dynamic manner to support efficient global model update and cope with shifting user interests. As a result, ReFRS achieves superior performance in terms of both accuracy and scalability, as demonstrated by comparative experiments on real datasets.
Emerging roles of HMGB1-related lncRNA: from molecular biology to clinical application
Authors: Wang Tianyi , Gan Xueqi
Published: August 2022

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) not only induces cell proliferation and migration but also promotes cell apoptosis and autophagy. Abnormal expression of HMGB1 in plasma or body fluids could be detected in the occurrence and development of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, immune diseases, and cancer. In recent years, the accumulating research on lncRNAs had led us to the important role of lncRNAs in finely regulating the expression of molecules. Nevertheless, the roles of lncRNAs in upregulating HMGB1 and its receptors remain elusive. This article systematically summarizes the lncRNAs related to HMGB1 and its essential receptors such as RAGE. Multiple lncRNAs, such as lncRNA MALAT1 were proposed to regulate HMGB1 and its receptors upstream. As HMGB1-related diseases were summarized, we also expected predictable application prospects of both HMGB1 and related lncRNAs. The in-depth research focusing on lncRNAs behind HMGB1 and its receptors might provide a novel foundation for therapeutic treatment of HMGB1-related disorders, together with targets regarding HMGB1.
Decorin evokes reversible mitochondrial depolarization in carcinoma and vascular endothelial cells
Authors: Neill Thomas , Xie Christopher , Iozzo Renato V.
Published: August 2022

Decorin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan with multiple biological functions, is known to evoke autophagy and mitophagy in both endothelial and cancer cells. Here, we investigated the effects of soluble decorin on mitochondrial homeostasis using live cell imaging and ex vivo angiogenic assays. We discovered that decorin triggers mitochondrial depolarization in triple-negative breast carcinoma, HeLa, and endothelial cells. This bioactivity was mediated by the protein core in a time- and dose-dependent manner and was specific for decorin insofar as biglycan, the closest homolog, failed to trigger depolarization. Mechanistically, we found that the bioactivity of decorin to promote depolarization required the MET receptor and its tyrosine kinase. Moreover, two mitochondrial interacting proteins, mitostatin and mitofusin 2, were essential for downstream decorin effects. Finally, we found that decorin relied on the canonical mitochondrial permeability transition pore to trigger tumor cell mitochondrial depolarization. Collectively, our study implicates decorin as a soluble outside-in regulator of mitochondrial dynamics.
The multifunctional nature of CD103 (αEβ7 integrin) signaling in tissue-resident lymphocytes
Authors: Xu Weili , Bergsbaken Tessa , Edelblum Karen L.
Published: August 2022

Intestinal tissue-resident lymphocytes are critical for maintenance of the mucosal barrier and to prevent enteric infections. The activation of these lymphocytes must be tightly regulated to prevent aberrant inflammation and epithelial damage observed in autoimmune diseases, yet also ensure that antimicrobial host defense remains uncompromised. Tissue-resident lymphocytes express CD103, or αE integrin, which dimerizes with the β7 subunit to bind to E-cadherin expressed on epithelial cells. Although the role of CD103 in homing and retention of lymphocytes to and within peripheral tissues has been well characterized, the molecular signals activated following CD103 engagement remain understudied. Here, we highlight recent studies that elucidate the functional contribution of CD103 in various lymphocyte subpopulations, either as an independent signaling molecule or in the context of TCR co-stimulation. Finally, we will discuss the gaps in our understanding of CD103 biology and the therapeutic potential of targeting CD103 on tissue-resident lymphocytes.
Skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise is reduced in a rat model of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Long Gary Marshall , Troutman Ashley D. , Gray Derrick A. , Fisher Amanda J. , Lahm Tim , Coggan Andrew R. , Brown Mary Beth
Published: August 2022

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by exercise intolerance. Muscle blood flow may be reduced during exercise in PAH; however, this has not been directly measured. Therefore, we investigated blood flow during exercise in a rat model of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (∼200 g) were injected with 60 mg/kg MCT (MCT, n = 23) and vehicle control (saline; CON, n = 16). Maximal rate of oxygen consumption (V̇o2max) and voluntary running were measured before PH induction. Right ventricle (RV) morphology and function were assessed via echocardiography and invasive hemodynamic measures. Treadmill running at 50% V̇o2max was performed by a subgroup of rats (MCT, n = 8; CON, n = 7). Injection of fluorescent microspheres determined muscle blood flow via photo spectroscopy. MCT demonstrated a severe phenotype via RV hypertrophy (Fulton index, 0.61 vs. 0.31; P < 0.001), high RV systolic pressure (51.5 vs. 22.4 mmHg; P < 0.001), and lower V̇o2max (53.2 vs. 71.8 mL·min−1·kg−1; P < 0.0001) compared with CON. Two-way ANOVA revealed exercising skeletal muscle blood flow relative to power output was reduced in MCT compared with CON ( P < 0.001), and plasma lactate was increased in MCT (10.8 vs. 4.5 mmol/L; P = 0.002). Significant relationships between skeletal blood flow and blood lactate during exercise were observed for individual muscles ( r = −0.58 to −0.74; P < 0.05). No differences in capillarization were identified. Skeletal muscle blood flow is significantly reduced in experimental PH. Reduced blood flow during exercise may be, at least in part, consequent to reduced exercise intensity in PH. This adds further evidence of peripheral muscle dysfunction and exercise intolerance in PAH.