bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food Security in Rural Sudan
Authors: Al-Mahish Mohammed Abdullah , Elzaki Raga , Sisman Muhammet Yunus
Published: November 2022

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting food security for rural Sudanese households and to estimate price and income elasticities for Sudanese households based on their food security status. The results show that households living in northern and western rural regions are less likely to be food secure as compared to households living in eastern rural regions. Also, rural households are more likely to be food secure in the fall and winter seasons as compared to summer season. The results of price and income elasticities for secure and insecure households were almost similar. Income elasticities for both secure and insecure households show that cereals, milk & eggs, vegetables, staples, tea and coffee are necessities for rural households.
Actualidad en corioamnionitis
Authors: Olaya Contreras Mercedes , Caicedo Marmolejo Beatriz Elena
Published: November 2022

La corioamnionitis se ha relacionados con desenlaces desfavorables en el período prenatal y neonatal (abortos, parto pretérmino, sepsis neonatal, entre otros), además de implicaciones a largo plazo en la infancia, tales como alteraciones en el coeficiente intelectual. Por esta razón es de vital importancia el diagnóstico histopatológico oportuno. En este artículo se revisará el abordaje histopatológico de la corioamnionitis, su estadificación e implicaciones clínicas.
Log Grading and Knot Identification by Oblique X-Ray Scanning
Authors: Omori C. S. , Schajer G. S.
Published: November 2022

The presence and location of knots within cut lumber substantially controls the physical properties and commercial value of the material. Thus, there is great practical interest in developing ways of choosing the cutting pattern for a log in a sawmill to optimize the arrangement of knots in the resulting cut lumber. X-rays can image the interior of a log to detect the arrangement of the knots; however, traditional radiography measurements are two-dimensional in character and cannot provide the needed depth information. Conversely, computed tomography (CT) can provide the required spatial details but is challenging to do in practice because of its complexity and cost. The research here aims to overcome these concerns by employing a novel “oblique” scanning technique that uses radiography to determine knot orientations with both reasonable accuracy and low cost. Image processing and detection algorithms are developed to locate and orientate the knots automatically within the scanned logs. Detection metrics of precision and recall are used to analyze the performance of the detection algorithm. Results indicate that the oblique scanning method is a viable way to detect and orientate knots within logs with both reasonable accuracy and low cost compared to existing methods. In initial tests, an average circumferential angle accuracy within 15 deg was achieved, with the detection algorithm being able to detect between 60% and 80% of the knots present within the log.
From Kirigami to Hydrogels: A Tutorial on Designing Conformally Transformable Surfaces
Authors: Wang Yue , Ren Yingying , Chen Tian
Published: November 2022

Elastic surfaces that morph between multiple geometrical configurations are of significant engineering value, with applications ranging from the deployment of space-based photovoltaic arrays, the erection of temporary shelters, and the realization of flexible display systems, to understanding the encapsulation and release of viral RNAs. In general, ensuring that a shape with a planar rest configuration can deploy into a target three-dimensional (3D) shape is a nontrivial problem. Moreover, it is difficult to physically realize the local deformations necessary to achieve such global transformation. Here, we give a tutorial on applying conformal mapping to rationalize the geometrical deformation of several microstructure designs. A conformal map is a function that locally preserves angles and shapes but not lengths: some regions are scaled (enlarged or shrunk) more than others. To transform a planar surface to 3D, we implement uniform local scalings as mechanical deformations. Numerous natural and architected material systems exhibit such behavior, including kirigami, origami, hydrogel, linkage mechanisms, and fabric membranes. The design and fabrication of conformally transformable surfaces is a transdisciplinary challenge involving insights from advanced manufacturing, computational design, material science, and mechanics. By recognizing that many material systems exhibit isotropic deformation, we hope to inspire researchers to adopt conformal mapping in designing next-generation surface-based engineering systems.
Physiological, Spatiotemporal, Anthropometric, Training, and Performance Characteristics of a 75-Year-Old Multiple World Record Holder Middle-Distance Runner
Authors: Van Hooren Bas , Plasqui Guy , Lepers Romuald
Published: November 2022

Purpose: This study assessed the cardiorespiratory capacity, anaerobic speed reserve, and anthropometric and spatiotemporal variables of a 75-year-old world-class middle-distance runner who previously obtained several European and world records in the age categories of 60–70 years, achieved 13 European titles and 15 world champion titles, and also holds several European records for the 75-year-old category. Methods: Heart rate, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, ventilation, step frequency, contact time, and velocity at maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) were measured during treadmill running. Maximal sprinting speed was assessed during track sprinting and used to compute anaerobic speed reserve. Body fat percentage was assessed using air displacement plethysmography. Results: Body fat percentage was 8.6%, VO2max was 50.5 mL·kg−1·min−1, maximal ventilation was 141 L·min−1, maximum heart rate was 164 beats·min−1, maximum respiratory exchange ratio was 1.18, and velocity at VO2max was 16.7 km·h−1. The average stride frequency and contact time during the last 30 seconds of the 4-minute run at 10 km·h−1 were 171 steps·min−1 and 241 ms and 187 steps·min−1 and 190 ms in the last 40 seconds at 17 km·h−1, respectively. The anaerobic speed reserve was 11.4 km·h−1, corresponding to an anaerobic speed reserve ratio of 1.68. Conclusion: This 75-year-old runner has an exceptionally high VO2max and anaerobic speed reserve ratio. In addition, his resilience to injuries, possibly due to a relatively high volume of easy runs, enabled him to sustain regular training since his 50s and achieve international performance in his age group.
Genome Sequence of a Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Lineage XAM (BA.1.1/BA.2.9) Strain from a Clinical Sample in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Authors: Paulino-Ramírez Robert , Pham Kien , Breban Mallery I. , Peguero Armando , Jabier Maridania , Sánchez Nelissa , Eustate Iscania , Ruiz Ingrid , Grubaugh Nathan D. , Hahn Anne M.
Published: November 2022

Here, we report a recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage XAM (Omicron BA.1.1/BA.2.9) strain that was collected in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This demonstrates how SARS-CoV-2 variants can vary greatly between regions and thus underlines the great importance of regional genomic surveillance efforts.
Supplemental Material: A fossil oceanic lithosphere preserved inside a continent
Authors: Wu Shucheng , Yang Yingjie , al. et
Published: November 2022

Detailed description of the seismic imaging methods and resolution analyses. 
Association of different digital media experiences with paediatric dry eye in China: a population-based study
Authors: Ma Junxin , Zhu Hui , Guo Wei , Li Rui , Shen Shiya , Wang Yun , Huang Dan , Zhang Xiaohan , Fu Zhujun , Zhao Andi , Chen Danni , Si Jiahao , Zhang Jiyu , Xu Shasha , Wang Liyuan , Liu Hu
Published: November 2022

Objective

To investigate the ocular surface effects of different digital media experiences in Chinese elementary school students.

Design

Population-based cross-sectional study was used.

Setting

14 randomly selected primary schools in Yuhuatai District, Nanjing, China

Participants

2,694 students between 7 and 8-year-old.

Outcome Measures

Prevalence of and risk factors for different types of dry eye disease，and different digital media experience with different ocular signs.

Results

The prevalence of ‘symptomatic DED’ was 8.7% (95% CI 7.6% to 9.8%) and ‘definite DED’ prevalence rate was 5.5% (95% CI 4.7% to 6.4%). In multivariable logistic regression model, allergic conjunctivitis (OR=4.33, 95% CI (3.01 to 6.23), p<0.001), more than 1 hour per day on outdoor activity (OR=0.69, 95% CI (0.49 to 0.99), p=0.043), smartphone (OR=2.73, 95% CI (1.51 to 4.91), p=0.001), tablet (OR=2.09, 95% CI (1.07 to 4.07), p=0.030) and homework (OR=1.86, 95% CI (1.22 to 2.83), p=0.004) were independently associated with ‘definite DED’, while allergic conjunctivitis (OR=5.58, 95% CI (4.12 to 7.55), p<0.001), more than 1 hour per day on outdoor activity (OR=0.72, 95% CI (0.53 to 0.97), p=0.028), smartphone (OR=2.60, 95% CI (1.55 to 4.35), p<0.001), tablet (OR=1.84, 95% CI (1.02 to 3.34), p=0.044) and homework (OR=2.57, 95% CI (1.84 to 3.60), p<0.001) were independently associated with ‘symptomatic DED’.

Conclusions

Using smartphones or tablets for an average of more than 1 hour per day through the course of a year is independently associated with paediatric DED.
Portable ultrasound technologies for estimating gestational age in pregnant women: a scoping review and analysis of commercially available models
Authors: Eggleston Alexander John , Farrington Elise , McDonald Steve , Aziz Samia
Published: November 2022

Objectives

To identify all available studies assessing the use of portable ultrasound devices for pregnant women, with the specific aim of finding evidence for devices used to determine gestational age and their validity when compared with conventional ultrasound machines. We also wanted to determine what portable ultrasound models are commercially available for obstetric use.

Design

Systematic scoping review.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Extracted variables included study design, population, method of ultrasound measurement, devices used and whether studies formally validated accuracy against conventional ultrasound.

Results

We searched four databases—Medline, Embase, CINAHL and Maternal and Infant Care. In total 56 studies from 34 countries were identified; most were observational studies. Across all studies, 27 different portable ultrasound models (from 17 manufacturers) were evaluated. Twenty-one studies assessed use of portable ultrasound for evaluating fetal characteristics or estimating gestational age, and 10 of these were formal validation studies. In total, six portable devices have been validated for gestational age estimation against a conventional ultrasound comparator. The web searches identified 102 portable devices (21 manufacturers). These were a mix of handheld devices that connected to a phone or computer, or laptop-style portable ultrasound devices. Prices ranged from US$1190 to US$30 000 and weight ranged from 0.9 kg to 13.0 kg.

Conclusion

While the number of commercially available portable ultrasound devices continues to grow, there remains a lack of peer-reviewed, quality evidence demonstrating their accuracy and validity when compared with conventional ultrasound machines. This review identified some models that may be useful in gestational age estimation in low-resource settings, but more research is required to help implement the technology at scale.

Trial registration number

Registered via Open Science Framework (DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/U8KXP).
Association of geographic distribution and birth weight with sociodemographic factors of the maternal and newborn child of hilly and mountain regions of eastern Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Bhattarai Bharosha , Panthi Sagar , Yadav Gopal Kumar , Gautam Swotantra , Acharya Rochana , Neupane Durga , Khanal Nimesh , Khatri Bharat , Neupane Krishna , Adhikari Sugat , Lageju Nimesh , Basnet Lila Bahadur , Pyakurel Prajjwal , Yadav Shankar Prasad
Published: November 2022

Objectives

To determine the association of geographic distribution, and birth weight with sociodemographic factors of the maternal and newborn child of hilly region (lower altitude) and mountain region (high altitude) of eastern Nepal as well as the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) and large for gestational age (LGA) among term singleton deliveries in eastern Nepal.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the district-level hospitals of Dhankuta, Tehrathum, Solukhumbu and Taplejung districts of eastern Nepal of Province 1. Mothers with preterm or post-term delivery, multiple pregnancies, stillbirth/intrauterine fetal death and incomplete records were excluded from the study with only 1386 term pregnancies (37–42 weeks) delivered at the respective facilities between 17 July 2019 and 16 July 2020 were included. The appropriate data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2019 V.16.0 and statistical analysis was performed by using the statistical package for social sciences, IBM SPSS V.29.

Results

The low maternal age, Dalit ethnic group, low gravidity, low parity, higher antenatal care (ANC) visits (≥4), incomplete deworming and dT vaccination status, breech deliveries and LBW newborns were significantly attributed to hilly region (lower altitude) (p value <0.05). Similarly, the hilly region, lower and/or no ANC visits and early term gestation had significant negative association with birth weight at the lower quantiles only. Meanwhile, the female newborn had significant and negative association with birth weight distribution at all seven quantiles. The prevalence of the LBW, average for gestational age and LGA newborn child among term singleton deliveries in Eastern Nepal is 6.6%, 85.8% and 7.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

The local organisations should focus on adequate antenatal care visits in mountain region and coverage of dT vaccine and deworming medications in hilly region. Appropriate measures and programmes should be initiated to bring down LBW in hilly region.
Z-DNA enhances immunotherapy by triggering death of inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts
Authors: Herbert Alan , Balachandran Siddharth
Published: November 2022

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogeneous population of cells. At one end of the spectrum are alpha-smooth muscle actin expressing myoCAFs (myofibroblast CAFs) and at the other end are the interferon (IFN) and Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription responsive iCAFs (inflammatory CAFs). Both types of CAFs promote tumor growth. While myoCAFs foster immune exclusion and limit tumor spread, iCAFs create a highly immunosuppressive environment and foster the seeding of distant metastases. However, iCAFs also represent a tumor vulnerability. They are competent to undergo necroptosis, a highly immunogenic form of cell death that is triggered when Z-DNA or Z-RNA (collectively called ZNA) is sensed by the IFN-induced ZNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1). The sequestering of ZNA ligands by the p150 isoform of the double-stranded RNA-specific deaminase ADAR1 protects iCAFs from cell death. ZBP1-dependent necroptosis in iCAFs can be triggered by administering an orally available small molecule that generates sufficient amounts of ZNA to bypass ADAR1 inhibition. The therapeutic approach of targeting Z-prone sequences (called flipons) is agnostic to the mutations driving cancer progression. By exploiting the tumor vulnerability posed by expression of ZBP1-dependent immunogenic cell death pathways in iCAFs, flipon therapeutics offer new hope for improved clinical outcomes.
Carbonation performances of steel fiber reinforced geopolymer concrete
Authors: Luan Chenchen , Shi Xiaoshuang , Wang Qingyuan , Utashev Nodir , Tufail Rana Faisal , Maqsoom Ahsen
Published: November 2022

Steel fiber reinforced geopolymer concrete (SFRGC) shows excellent mechanical properties comparable to steel fiber reinforced concrete. However, research on the durability of SFRGC is scarce. This paper presents the carbonation performances of SFRGC, including the carbonation depth and strength variation during carbonation. The results show that the permeability and carbonation depth of SFRGC are close to those of plain geopolymer concrete (GC). Their carbonation depths are much deeper than those of cement concrete because of the lower alkali content of the geopolymer matrix. Carbonation hardly influences the final flexural strength of plain GC, but the flexural strength of SFRGC declines significantly during carbonation because of the decrease in steel fiber-geopolymer matrix bond strength. The scanning electron microscope results show that the failure mode in uncarbonated SFRGC specimens is fiber rupture, while in carbonated SFRGC specimens, fiber pullout is the failure mode. These findings suggest that using SFRGC in the atmosphere is not recommended.
Moduli stabilization with bulk scalar in nested doubly warped braneworld model
Authors: Bhaumik Arko , SenGupta Soumitra
Published: November 2022

We examine the modulus stabilization mechanism of a warped geometry model with nested warping. Such a model with multiple moduli is known to offer a possible resolution of the fermion mass hierarchy problem in the Standard Model. A six dimensional doubly warped braneworld model under consideration admits two distinct moduli, with the associated warp factors dynamically generating different physical mass scales on four 3-branes. In order to address the hierarchy problem related to the Higgs mass, both moduli need to be stabilized around their desired values without any extreme fine tuning of parameters. We show that it is possible to stabilize them simultaneously due to the appearence of an effective 4D moduli potential, which is generated by a single massive bulk scalar field having non-zero VEVs frozen on the 3-branes. This gives rise to two scalar radions, one of which has mass slightly below $${\mathcal {O}}$$
O
(TeV) and couplings to SM fields proportional to the inverse of its $${\mathcal {O}}$$
O
(TeV) VEV, and the other has nearly $${\mathcal {O}}(M_{Pl})$$

O
(

M

Pl

)

mass and interactions with SM fields suppressed by the Planck scale. We also discuss how the entire mechanism can possibly be understood from a purely gravitational point of view, with higher curvature f(R) contributions in the bulk automatically providing a scalar degree of freedom that can serve as the stabilizing field in the Einstein frame.
Solution of Mumford’s second problem on theta functions
Authors: Bernatska Julia , Kopeliovich Yaacov
Published: November 2022

A complete solution of Mumford’s second problem about representation of theta derivatives with rational characteristics in terms of theta constants with rational characteristics is found. An explicit formula for computing such an expression for theta derivative with an arbitrary rational characteristic is derived, and illustrated with examples. This approach fails only on four characteristics: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]; however expressions for theta derivatives with these four characteristics are found by other authors. Expressions for theta derivatives appear to be homogeneous of degree 3 with respect to theta constants.
Accurate Broadband Gradient Estimates Enable Local Sensitivity Analysis of Ocean Acoustic Models
Authors: Mortenson Michael C. , Neilsen Tracianne B. , Transtrum Mark K. , Knobles David P.
Published: November 2022

Sensitivity analysis is a powerful tool for analyzing multi-parameter models. For example, the Fisher information matrix (FIM) and the Cramér–Rao bound (CRB) involve derivatives of a forward model with respect to parameters. However, these derivatives are difficult to estimate in ocean acoustic models. This work presents a frequency-agnostic methodology for accurately estimating numerical derivatives using physics-based parameter preconditioning and Richardson extrapolation. The methodology is validated on a case study of transmission loss in the 50–400[Formula: see text]Hz band from a range-independent normal mode model for parameters of the sediment. Results demonstrate the utility of this methodology for obtaining Cramér–Rao bound (CRB) related to both model sensitivities and parameter uncertainties, which reveal parameter correlation in the model. This methodology is a general tool that can inform model selection and experimental design for inverse problems in different applications.
Compositional Analysis of Probabilistic Timed Graph Transformation Systems
Authors: Maximova Maria , Schneider Sven , Giese Holger
Published: November 2022

The analysis of behavioral models is of high importance for cyber-physical systems, as the systems often encompass complex behavior based on, e.g., concurrent components with mutual exclusion or probabilistic failures on demand. The rule-based formalism of Probabilistic Timed Graph Transformation Systems (PTGTSs) is a suitable choice when the models representing states of the system can be understood as graphs and timed and probabilistic behavior is important. However, model checking PTGTSs is limited to systems with rather small state spaces.

We present an approach for the analysis of large-scale systems modeled as PTGTSs by systematically decomposing their state spaces into manageable fragments. To obtain qualitative and quantitative analysis results for a large-scale system, we verify that results obtained for its fragments serve as overapproximations for the corresponding results of the large-scale system. Hence, our approach allows for the detection of violations of qualitative and quantitative safety properties for the large-scale system under analysis. We consider a running example in which shuttles drive on tracks of a large-scale topology and autonomously coordinate their local behavior with other shuttles nearby. For this running example, we verify that (a) shuttles can always make the expected forward progress using several properties, (b) shuttles never collide, and (c) shuttles are unlikely to execute emergency brakes in two scenarios. In our evaluation, we apply an implementation of our approach in the tool
AutoGraph
to our running example.
Document-Level Relation Extraction with Path Reasoning
Authors: Xu Wang , Chen Kehai , Zhao Tiejun
Published: November 2022

Document-level relation extraction (DocRE) aims to extract relations among entities across multiple sentences within a document by using reasoning skills (i.e., pattern recognition, logical reasoning, coreference reasoning, etc.) related to the reasoning paths between two entities. However, most of the advanced DocRE models only attend to the feature representations of two entities to determine their relation, and do not consider one complete reasoning path from one entity to another entity, which may hinder the accuracy of relation extraction. To address this issue, this article proposes a novel method to capture this reasoning path from one entity to another entity, thereby better simulating reasoning skills to classify relation between two entities. Furthermore, we introduce an additional attention layer to summarize multiple reasoning paths for further enhancing the performance of the DocRE model. Experimental results on a large-scale document-level dataset show that the proposed approach achieved a significant performance improvement on a strong heterogeneous graph-based baseline.
Tuned High Dielectric Constant, Low Dielectric Loss Tangent of Novel Structure Au/PPy-MWCNTs/TiO2/Al2O3/p-Si/Al
Authors: Ashery A.
Published: November 2022

This document offered a novel construction of Au/PPy-MWCNTs/TiO2/Al2O3/p-Si/Al, which did not give in a lecture earlier. We synthesized this construction for request in manufactured electronic devices, sensors, supercapacitors, diodes, and high-energy storage devices. Remarkably tuned the dielectric constantε′ and dielectric loss tangent tanδby variable frequency, temperature, and voltage. At high frequency 2 × 107Hz, the dielectric constantε′ and dielectric loss tangent tanδhave positive and negative values from (250 to–3500), (−2 to 8). However, at all frequencies (107,106,105) Hz, theε′ has high positive values (1000,3500,10000), but tanδhas low values (2.6,1.8,4.5). However, at frequencies (103,102) Hz, theε′ and tanδhave positive and negative values. At a frequency of 10 Hz, theε′ and tanδhave negative values only. Theε′ with lnf at all voltages and temperatures have negative values at high and low frequencies. In mid frequencies, theε′ have positive values. Also, the Col-Col diagram and the current conduction mechanism of this construction Au/PPy-MWCNTs/TiO2/Al2O3/p-Si/Al were studied.
Implementing a Single Gate Heterostructure Tunnel FET as a Low-Power Photosensor with Improved Sensitivity
Authors: Panda Shwetapadma , Dash Sidhartha
Published: November 2022

This work investigates the effectiveness of a single gate SiGe/Si heterostructure tunnel field-effect transistor (SGHTFET) as a photosensor in the visible spectrum. A transparent zinc oxide (ZnO) layer is used as the optical region over the channel for sensing the incident light. When light impinges on the gate catalyst and creates optical charge carriers in the illumination region, the conductance of the device considerably rises and, consequently, the subthreshold current changes. For the suggested photosensor, the effect of varying drain-to-source voltage (VDS), germanium mole fraction (x), and silicon film thickness (tsi) on the sensor performance are investigated. The sensor offers enhanced sensitivity performance as compared to the traditional TFET in terms of several optical figures of merit (FOMs) such as available photocurrent, responsivity, quantum efficiency, sensitivity, and SNR, and can therefore be utilized as an efficient photosensor. The reported sensor has a peak responsivity (R) of 2.23 A W−1 and quantum efficiency (η) of 7.31 at a wavelength (λ) of 450 nm.
In-Situ Decoration of Platinum Nanoparticles on Nb2CT
x
MXene: An Electrochemical Sensor for L-Cysteine and an Efficient Catalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Shabana Neermunda , Ankitha Menon , Arjun Ajith Mohan , Rasheed Pathath Abdul
Published: November 2022

In this work, we report on a dual functional Nb2CT
x
@Pt nanocomposite, which shows good promise for the detection of physiologically relevant L-Cysteine (L-Cys) and for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The nanocomposite material was synthesized using a facile self-reduction strategy, after which Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) were found to be deposited on Nb2CT
x
layered structure. The optimum loading of PtNPs on the nanocomposite was also optimized and it was found that Nb2CT
x
@Pt0.48 produced the best results for both sensing and OER applications. This Nb2CT
x
@Pt0.48 nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was able to detect L-Cys in the linear range of 100 pM–10 μM with a LOD of 41 pM along with high selectivity. Also, Nb2CT
x
@Pt0.48 was able to produce the best OER performance by attaining an OER current of 10 mA cm−2 at a potential of 1.5 V (vs Ag/AgCl) in addition to showcasing good durability even after the performance of an accelerated durability test of 500 cycles in the absence of binder molecules. This dual functional Nb2CT
x
@Pt0.48 nanocomposite has the capability to benefit both the healthcare and energy generation scenarios thus showing its versatility.
Comparison between PEDOT:PSS and Carbon Pastes for Preparing Flexible Electrodes of Supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Ying-Chyi , Cheng I-Chun , Chen Jian-Zhang
Published: November 2022

We compare screen-printed flexible reduced graphene oxide(rGO)-chitosan(CS) supercapacitors (SCs) prepared using poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) pastes and carbon pastes (CPs). SCs with PEDOT:PSS (PEDOT:PSS/rGO-CS SCs) exhibit a higher pseudocapacitance (PC) than do those with CP. Plasma treatment damages the electrodes and lowers the specific capacitance of SCs. In a galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) test with a constant current of 0.25 mA, PEDOT:PSS/rGO-CS and CP/rGO-CS SCs respectively show a maximum specific capacitance of 14.70 mF cm−2 and 4.63 mF cm−2. PEDOT:PSS/rGO-CS and CP/rGO-CS SCs both show excellent performance in the stability and bending tests. With a 5,000-cycle cyclic voltammetry (CV) test, the capacitive retention rates are more than 97%. No degradation is observed for both PEDOT:PSS/rGO-CS and CP/rGO-CS SCs bent with a bending radius of 0.5 cm.
Effects of Hydrogen on Endurance Characteristics in NAND Flash Memories
Authors: Chiu Yung-Yueh , Liu Wen-Chien , Chen Yu-Jung , Kumaria Roshni , Takeshita Toshiaki , Yano Masaru , Shirota Riichiro
Published: November 2022

This study comprehensively investigates the effect of hydrogen content in forming gas annealing (FGA) on the endurance of NAND flash memories by statistically analyzing the transconductance (

G

m
,
m
a
x

) characteristics. The

G

m
,
m
a
x

degradation (

Δ

G

m
,
m
a
x

) worsened with higher cycling temperature, delayed time period from erasing to programming (

t

E
P

) operation, and higher word-line bias (

V

A

) during

t

E
P

.

Moreover, these effects become more pronounced as the hydrogen content in FGA increases. Using the measured

G

m
,
m
a
x

distributions and Monte -Carlo TCAD technology, the activation energy (

E

A

) of oxide damage creation can be extracted. The extracted

E

A

values were 50 meV and 160 meV for the diluted (4%) and pure (100%) hydrogen samples, respectively. This suggests that a higher hydrogen concentration results in more ionized hydrogen atoms remaining in the oxide layer. During

t

E
P

,

these hydrogen ions can drift near the Si/SiO2 surface, where they may react to form trap states.

E

A

is revealed to have a linear relationship with respect to

V

A

,

where the slope is independent of the hydrogen content in FGA.
Solution Uptake in Cylindrical Carbon-Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Tendons
Authors: Scott Paul , Toumpanaki Eleni , Lees Janet M.
Published: November 2022

Salt water exposure conditions relevant to carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prestressed concrete structures in marine environments are investigated. The diffusion into relatively small diameter CFRP tendons can be a lengthy process so the prediction of the long-term moisture uptake using short-term experiments on thin films of epoxy would be advantageous. However, the fibre inclusions within a composite introduce complexities, and factors are typically required for correlation with pure epoxy specimens. Diffusion parameters based on moisture uptake result from CFRP tendons exposed to salt water solution at 20°C and 60°C are compared with those obtained using equivalent thin film specimens. The higher temperature is selected to accelerate the moisture uptake. It is found that the measured ratios of tendon and epoxy diffusivity were temperature dependent, and the combination of the higher temperature and salt solution leads to an increased propensity for moisture uptake in the tendon. Existing analytical models to predict the CFRP tendon diffusivity from that of a thin film of epoxy did not appear to capture the observed trends. However, predictions using a unit cell with a fibre interface zone suggest that this may be due to an increased diffusivity in the interphase region.
Conjunctival Pigmentation at the Sclerotomy Site following 23 G Vitrectomy with Silicone Oil Injection
Authors: Hussain Nazimul
Published: November 2022

54-year-old gentleman undergoing 23 Gauge vitrectomy with silicone oil injection developing conjunctival pigmentation at one of the entry sites of trocar and cannula 1 week postoperative. The conjunctival tissue was biopsied at the time of silicone oil removal and correlated histopathological. Biopsy of the conjunctival tissue showed intracellular and stromal melanin pigments. This report highlights conjunctival pigmentation in suture less entry site and silicone oil as intraocular tamponade than earlier published reports of with or without intraocular gas tamponade.
Long Noncoding RNA and mRNA m6A Modification Analyses of Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells from the Periodontitis Microenvironment Exposed to Static Mechanical Strain
Authors: Sun Weifu , Liu Jia , Zhang Xu , Zhang Xiaochen , Gao Jie , Chen Xin , Wang Xian , Qin Wen , Jin Zuolin
Published: November 2022

Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) play important roles in orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and can respond to mechanical stress. Our previous study demonstrated that periodontal ligament stem cells derived from periodontitis tissue (pPDLSCs) are more sensitive to static mechanical strain (SMS) than those derived from healthy tissue (hPDLSCs) and reported the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression profiles of pPDLSCs exposed to SMS. An increasing number of lncRNAs have been reported by various studies to be associated with the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Many studies have demonstrated that the n6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification exerts important effects on lncRNA and mRNA regulation of cell behaviors. However, the regulatory effects of lncRNA and mRNA m6A modification on PDLSCs have not been studied. Therefore, we performed an m6A microarray assay with pPLDSCs and hPDLSCs exposed to 12% SMS and found that 143 lncRNAs and 739 mRNAs were differentially methylated. These RNAs were thought to be involved in multiple differentiation and inflammatory responses. Moreover, we found that METTL3, an essential protein in the m6A system, was expressed at lower levels in the strain-exposed pPDLSCs than in strain-exposed hPLDSCs, and METTL3 promoted the osteogenic differentiation of pPDLSCs.
Intelli-GATS: Dynamic Selection of the Wi-Fi Multicast Transmission Policy Using Interpretable-AI
Authors: Gómez Blas , Coronado Estefanía , Villalón José , Garrido Antonio
Published: November 2022

COVID-19 has changed the way we use networks, as multimedia content now represents an even more significant portion of the traffic due to the rise in remote education and telecommuting. In this context, in which Wi-Fi is the predominant radio access technology (RAT), multicast transmissions have become a way to reduce overhead in the network when many users access the same content. However, Wi-Fi lacks a versatile multicast transmission method for ensuring efficiency, scalability, and reliability. Although the IEEE 802.11aa amendment defines different multicast operation modes, these perform well only in particular situations and do not adapt to different channel conditions. Moreover, methods for dynamically adapting them to the situation do not exist. In view of these shortcomings, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have emerged as solutions to automating network management. However, the most accurate models usually operate as black boxes, triggering mistrust among human experts. Accordingly, research efforts have moved towards using Interpretable-AI models that humans can easily track. Thus, this work presents an Interpretable-AI solution designed to dynamically select the best multicast operation mode to improve the scalability and efficiency of this kind of transmission. The evaluation shows that our approach outperforms the standard by up to 38%.
Altered Structural and Functional Abnormalities of Hippocampus in Classical Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Combination of DTI and fMRI Study
Authors: Tan Yongming , Zhou Chun , He Laichang
Published: November 2022

Purpose. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were applied to speculate the altered structural and functional abnormalities within the hippocampus in classical trigeminal neuralgia (CTN) patients by detecting the alteration of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Patients and Methods. Multimodal MRI dataset (DTI and fMRI) and clinical indices (pain and neuropsychological scores) were collected in 27 CTN patients and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HC). Two independent-sample t-tests were performed to compare the ADC, FA, and ReHo values in hippocampus areas between CTN patients and HC. Correlation analyses were applied between all the DTI and fMRI parameters within the hippocampus and the VAS (visual analog scale), MoCA (Montreal cognitive assessment), and CDR (clinical dementia rating) scores. Results. CTN patients showed a significantly increased FA values in the right hippocampus (t = 2.387,

P
=
0.021

) and increased ReHo values in the right hippocampus head (voxel

P
<
0.001

, cluster

P
<
0.05

, FDR correction) compared with HC. A positively significant correlation was observed between the ReHo values and MOCA scores in the right hippocampus head; FA values were also positively correlated with MOCA scores in the right hippocampus. Conclusion. CTN patients demonstrated an abnormality of structures and functions in the hippocampus, which may help to provide novel insights into the neuropathologic change related to the pain-related dysfunction of CTN.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Early Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Knoblauch Mathilda , Kühn Florian , von Ehrlich-Treuenstätt Viktor , Werner Jens , Renz Bernhard Willibald
Published: November 2022

Background: Early colorectal cancer (eCRC) is defined as cancer that does not cross the submucosal layer of the colon or rectum, including carcinoma in situ (pTis), pT1a, and pT1b. Early carcinomas differ in their prognosis depending on the risk profile. The differentiation between low and high risk is essential. The low-risk group includes R0-resected, well (G1) or moderately (G2) differentiated tumors without lymphatic vessel invasion (L0), without blood vessel invasion (V0) and a tumor size ≤3 cm. In this constellation, the estimated risk of lymph node metastasis is around 1% or below. The high-risk group includes tumors with incomplete resection (Rx), poor (G3) or undifferentiated (G4) carcinomas, and/or lymphatic and blood vessel invasion (L1) and size ≥3 cm. In a “high-risk” situation, there is a risk for lymph node metastasis of up to 23%. Summary: The incidence of eCRC is rising with a rate of 10% in all endoscopically removed lesions during colonoscopy. For a correct histological evaluation, all suspected lesions should be completely resected. In case of a pT1 lesion in the rectum, pelvic magnetic resonance imaging should be performed to evaluate for suspicious lymph nodes. The therapeutic approach for eCRC is based on histological assessment and ranges from endoscopic resection to radical oncological surgery. The advantages, disadvantages, and associated risks of the individual treatment strategy need to be carefully discussed on a tumor board and with the patient. Key Messages: Treatment options for early colorectal cancer depend on the histological assessment. Poorly differentiated carcinomas, a Kudo ≥ SM2 classified lesion, and a Haggitt level 4 always represent a “high-risk” situation. It should also be mentioned that in rectal cancer, local surgical tumor excision (full-wall excision) is also sufficient for pT1 carcinomas with a “low-risk” constellation (G1/G2; L0, size <3 cm) and an R0 resection.
Immunoglobulin Class Profiles of ABO Antibodies in Saliva and Serum of Healthy Individuals
Authors: Schönbacher Marlies , Banfi Chiara , Berghold Andrea , Matzhold Eva Maria , Wagner Thomas , Mayr Wolfgang R. , Körmöczi Günther F.
Published: November 2022

Introduction: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic gave rise to studies investigating the association of ABO blood group with COVID-19 susceptibility. It is hypothesized that ABO antibodies might play a role in neutralizing SARS-CoV-2. However, ABO antibodies were exclusively analyzed in blood samples. Investigation of ABO antibodies in saliva, an easy-to-obtain surrogate for respiratory secretions, may provide novel insights into mucosal immunity crucial in early defense against respiratory pathogens. Methods: In this study, saliva and serum samples from healthy individuals with known blood groups were investigated using a flow cytometric method for separate anti-A/anti-B IgA, IgM, and IgG class antibody detection. Saliva samples were additionally tested using hemagglutination-based neutral and indirect anti-human globulin test gel cards. This method comparison was complemented by dilution experiments with a high-titer anti-A/anti-B WHO standard. Results: In saliva, IgA was the most abundant ABO antibody class, followed by IgM; IgG was detected only in low levels in all non-AB blood types. In serum, IgM was the predominant ABO antibody class in all non-AB blood types, followed by IgA and IgG, the latter mainly detected in group O individuals. Saliva and serum samples of group O individuals yielded the highest variability of ABO-specific antibody levels. Regardless of sample material and blood type, major interindividual differences in ABO antibody reactivities were recorded. Antibody levels correlated moderately between these two body fluids. There were no significant sex and age-group differences in ABO antibody levels in both serum and saliva. WHO standard dilution experiments yielded technique-specific limits of detection, illustrating the inherent differences of immunofluorescence versus agglutination. Conclusion: For the first time, salivary ABO antibodies were investigated by separate detection of the three most relevant antibody classes IgA, IgM, and IgG in a healthy cohort. This study opens new perspectives regarding mucosal ABO antibody class profiles and their potential influence on respiratory infections.
Acoustic Change Complex Recorded in Hybrid Cochlear Implant Users
Authors: Jeon Eun Kyung , Mussoi Bruna S. , Brown Carolyn J. , Abbas Paul J.
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Expanding cochlear implant (CI) candidacy criteria and advances in electrode arrays and soft surgical techniques have increased the number of CI recipients who have residual low-frequency hearing. Objective measures such as obligatory cortical auditory-evoked potentials (CAEPs) may help clinicians make more tailored recommendations to recipients regarding optimal listening mode. As a step toward this goal, this study investigated how CAEPs measured from hybrid CI users differ in two listening modes: acoustic alone (A-alone) versus acoustic plus electric (A + E). Methods: Eight successful hybrid CI users participated in this study. Two CAEPs, the P1-N1-P2 and the acoustic change complex (ACC), were measured simultaneously in response to the onset and change of a series of different and spectrally complex acoustic signals, in each of the two listening modes (A-alone and A + E). We examined the effects of listening mode and stimulus type on the onset and ACC N1-P2 amplitudes and peak latencies. Results: ACC amplitudes in hybrid CI users significantly differed as a function of listening mode and stimulus type. ACC responses in A + E were larger than those in the A-alone mode. This was most evident for stimuli involving a change from low to high frequency. Conclusions: Results of this study showed that the ACC varies as a function of listening mode and stimulus type. This finding suggests that the ACC can be used as a physiologic, objective measure of the benefit of hybrid CIs, potentially supporting clinicians in making clinical recommendations on individualized listening mode, or to document subjective preference for a given listening mode. Further research into this potential clinical application in a range of hybrid recipients and/or long electrode users who have residual low-frequency hearing is warranted.
Ability of a Blue Hemoglobin-Based Liquid as a Novel Technology to Stain Initial Enamel Demineralization: A Proof-of-Concept in vitro Study
Authors: Jablonski-Momeni Anahita , Müller Mara , Korbmacher-Steiner Heike , Bottenberg Peter
Published: November 2022

During orthodontic treatment, enamel demineralization can occur. Its early detection is the basis for efficient preventive measures to arrest or remineralize lesions. In the present study, the application of a novel blue hemoglobin-based liquid (BlueCheck) was evaluated as proof of concept for detection of artificially demineralized smooth surfaces. 60 samples from extracted human posterior teeth were randomly assigned to four groups (15 per group). In 30 of these samples (groups A and B), superficial enamel was removed to create a ground surface. On the surface of other 30 samples (group C and D), orthodontic metal brackets were bonded. On each surface, BC liquid was applied and rinsed with water after 3 min (baseline). All surfaces were checked by two independent observers for presence of blue areas. On each sample, one side was covered by nail varnish to protect this enamel part from demineralization. The samples were demineralized with lactic acid (pH 4.6) for 7 days (group A and C) and 14 days (group B and D), respectively. Mineral loss was determined using quantitative light-induced fluorescence after demineralization. BlueCheck dye was again applied on the samples and evaluated for presence of stained areas. Histological sections were prepared from randomly selected samples and lesion depth was measured. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for group comparison (α = 0.05). After demineralization, median ΔF value for all samples was −8.25% indicating the presence of an initial demineralization. The difference of ΔF values was not statistically significant between samples at 7 or 14 days of demineralization, nor for samples with and without orthodontic brackets (p = 0.13). At baseline, none of the sample surfaces showed discoloration, whereas a distinctive blue color was visible after demineralization in all samples exposed to acid-exposed areas, corresponding to 100% sensitivity. The internal control surfaces (without demineralization) did not show any staining, corresponding to 100% specificity. Histologically measured lesion depths ranged between 200 and 254 μm. In this in vitro study, staining of demineralized enamel surface areas were shown to be reliable. Based on our results, this easily applicable product seems useful to be an adjuvant method to clinical examination to monitor oral health during an orthodontic treatment on tooth surfaces after removal of dental biofilm.
A Pengenalan Produk Olahan Tanaman Kangkung dan Pelestarian Kampung Wisata Kelurahan Sumber Rejo Balikpapan Tengah
Authors: Ernawati Lusi
Published: November 2022

Perkembangan pariwisata dan ekonomi kreatif melalui pendayagunaan kebun sayur lokal saat ini berkembang cukup pesat, tidak hanya menyajikan pemandangan dan hiburan indah tetapi juga memberikan pengalaman edukasi menarik lainnya. Salah satu yang sedang berkembang adalah wisata edukasi. Wisata edukasi bisa memberikan pengalaman belajar diluar perkuliahan bagi mahasiswa sehingga dapat dijadikan sebagai media pendekatan dan bersosialisasi dengan masyarakat. Salah satu area kebun sayur yang dijadikan sebagai wahana kampung wisata di Balikpapan adalah Kebun Kangkung yang berada di wilayah Balikpapan tengah. Kawasan ini sangat menarik dengan area lahan pertanian kangkung yang cukup luas. Asal-usul munculnya nama kebun kangkung yakni berasal dari profesi masyarakat disana dengan perkiraan mata pencaharian sebagai petani kangkung mencapai 95% yang menggarap dan mengelola hasil panen sendiri. Dengan melihat aspek peluang atau potensi yang ditunjukkan di kawasan tersebut, maka perlu dilakukan kegiatan sosialisasi pembuatan produk olahan kangkung dan pelestarian kampung wisata yang bermanfaat kepada masyarakat sekitar secara bertahap untuk menggali potensi di wilayah tersebut. Melalui kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini, produk olahan kangkung menjadi brownies dengan konsep pemanfaatan sayuran hijau dan pengembangan kampung wisata kebun kangkung diterima dengan baik oleh masyarakat sekitar serta dijadikan media kegiatan masyarakat sebagai wisata edukasi dan menambah ketrampilan pembuatan brownies berbahan dasar kangkung.