bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adoption of otolaryngologist‐head neck surgeons toward transoral robotic surgery: An international survey
Authors: Lechien Jerome R. , Haddad Leonardo , Holsinger F. Christopher , Mendelsohn Abie H. , Hans Stephane
Published: December 2022

Objective

To investigate perception, adoption and awareness of otolaryngologist‐head neck surgeons (OTO‐HNS) toward transoral robotic surgery (TORS).

Methods

An online survey was sent to 1383 OTO‐HNS on the perception, adoption and awareness about TORS to members of many otolaryngological societies. The following aspects were assessed: TORS access; training; awareness/perception; indications and advantages/barriers to TORS practice. The responses were presented for the entire cohort and regarding the TORS experience of OTO‐HNS.

Results

A total of 359 completed the survey (26%); including 115 TORS surgeons. TORS‐surgeons carry out a mean number of 34.4 annual TORS procedures. The primary barriers to TORS were the cost of the robot (74%) and disposable accessories (69%), and the lack of training opportunity (38%). The 3D view of the surgical field (66%), the postoperative quality of life outcomes (63%) and the shorter hospital stay (56%) were the most important benefits of TORS. TORS‐surgeons believed more frequently that TORS is indicated for cT1‐T2 oropharyngeal and supraglottic cancers than non‐TORS surgeons (p < .005). Participants believed that the priorities for the future consisted of the reduction of the robot arm size and the incorporation of flexible instruments (28%); the integration of laser (25%) or GPS tracking based on imaging (18%), all of them to improve accesses to hypopharynx (24%), supraglottic larynx (23%) and vocal folds (22%).

Conclusions

The perception, adoption and knowledges toward TORS depend on the access to robot. The findings of this survey may help guide decisions on how improve the dissemination of TORS interest and awareness.
Dark Singlet Exciton Sensitized Triplet Energy Transfer Across the CsPbBr3 Nanoplate‐Organic Interface
Authors: Xu Kunyuan , Li Renfu , Chen Dejian , Hu Jie , Liang Sisi , Zhu Haomiao
Published: December 2022

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) sensitized triplet energy transfer (TET) provides a promising alternative for achieving efficient triplet‐triplet annihilation up‐conversion (TTA‐UC). However, the study on the role of NC's exciton fine structure in TET, which is important to further enhance the TET efficiency, is still limited. Herein, the respective contribution of bright/dark exciton to TET using 1‐naphthoic acid (mediator) decorated 2 nm thick CsPbBr3 nanoplates as the model system is studied. The well‐characterized and unique exciton fine structure and large bright‐dark splitting energy of CsPbBr3 nanoplates provide an ideal platform to unambiguously explore the TET between dark singlet exciton and mediator. By using time‐resolved temperature dependent optical spectroscopy, the direct participation of dark singlet state in the TET process is proved and also point out that the dark singlet exciton to mediator TET is the major energy transfer pathway, which is due to the ill‐defined nature of exciton's spin in strongly confined nanoplates and dark exciton's long intrinsic lifetime. Finally, in combination with 2,5‐diphenyloxazole as annihilator, mediator decorated CsPbBr3 nanoplates can convert visible to ultraviolet light with a maximum photon gain of 0.75 eV under a low threshold of ≈0.76 W cm−2.
An in‐house 45‐plex array for the detection of antimicrobial resistance genes in Gram‐positive bacteria
Authors: Kowalewicz Carole , Timmermans Michael , Fretin David , Wattiau Pierre , Boland Cécile
Published: December 2022

Identifying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes and determining their occurrence in Gram‐positive bacteria provide useful data to understand how resistance can be acquired and maintained in these bacteria. We describe an in‐house bead array targeting AMR genes of Gram‐positive bacteria and allowing their rapid detection all at once at a reduced cost. A total of 41 AMR probes were designed to target genes frequently associated with resistance to tetracycline, macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, pleuromutilins, phenicols, glycopeptides, aminoglycosides, diaminopyrimidines, oxazolidinones and particularly shared among Enterococcus and Staphylococcus spp. A collection of 124 enterococci and 62 staphylococci isolated from healthy livestock animals through the official Belgian AMR monitoring (2018–2020) was studied with this array from which a subsample was further investigated by whole‐genome sequencing. The array detected AMR genes associated with phenotypic resistance for 93.0% and 89.2% of the individual resistant phenotypes in enterococci and staphylococci, respectively. Although linezolid is not used in veterinary medicine, linezolid‐resistant isolates were detected. These were characterized by the presence of optrA and poxtA, providing cross‐resistance to other antibiotics. Rarer, vancomycin resistance was conferred by the vanA or by the vanL cluster. Numerous resistance genes circulating among Enterococcus and Staphylococcus spp. were detected by this array allowing rapid screening of a large strain collection at an affordable cost. Our data stress the importance of interpreting AMR with caution and the complementarity of both phenotyping and genotyping methods. This array is now available to assess other One‐Health AMR reservoirs.
Clinical Impression of Severity Index for Parkinson's Disease and Its Association to Health‐Related Quality of Life
Authors: Norlin Jenny M. , Kellerborg Klas , Persson Ulf , Åström Daniel Oudin , Hagell Peter , Martinez‐Martin Pablo , Odin Per
Published: December 2022

Background

Clinical Impression of Severity Index for Parkinson's Disease (CISI‐PD) is a simple tool that can easily be used in clinical practice. Few studies have investigated the relationship between health‐related quality of life and the CISI‐PD.

Objective

To analyze the association of CISI‐PD scores with those of generic (EQ‐5D‐5L) and Parkinson's disease (PD) disease‐specific (Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire–8 [PDQ‐8]) health‐related quality of life assessments.

Methods

Persons with idiopathic PD in the Swedish Parkinson's Disease registry with simultaneous registrations of CISI‐PD and EQ‐5D‐5L and/or PDQ‐8 were included. Correlations with EQ‐5D dimensions were analyzed. The relationships between the CISI‐PD, EQ‐5D‐5L, and PDQ‐8 were estimated by linear mixed models with random intercept.

Results

In the Swedish Parkinson's Disease registry, 3511 registrations, among 2168 persons, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The dimensions self‐care, mobility, and usual activities correlated moderately with the CISI‐PD (rs = 0.60, rs = 0.54, rs = 0.57). Weak correlations were found for anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort (rs = 0.39, rs = 0.29) (P values < 0.001). The fitted model included the CISI‐PD, age, sex, and time since diagnosis. The CISI‐PD had a statistically significant impact on the EQ‐5D and PDQ‐8 (P values < 0.001).

Conclusions

The CISI‐PD provides a moderate correlation with the EQ‐5D and could possibly be useful as a basis for defining health states in future health economic models and serving as outcomes in managed entry agreements. Nonetheless, the limitation of capturing nonmotor symptoms of the disease remains a shortcoming of clinical instruments, including the CISI‐PD.
Analysis of decoupling performances of an isolation barrier using a mode‐matching method
Authors: Park Jae‐Yoon , Choo Jaeyul
Published: December 2022

This paper uses a mode‐matching method to analyze the decoupling performance of an isolation barrier that prevents electromagnetic interference between cables. After dividing the overall analyzed space into multiple subregions, potential expressions for each subregion were derived using the Laplace equation in conjunction with the superposition principle. The Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions were then applied to the interfaces between subregions to compute the modal coefficients in the previously derived potential expressions. Based on the electric‐field strengths and distributions used in our testing, the geometrical parameters and voltage conditions were varied to find the optimal configuration of the isolation barrier and cables that maximize decoupling performance. The performed study is novel and informative in that the analysis results provide the electromagnetic background to determine the distances between cables separated by an isolation barrier in industrial facilities such as nuclear power plants.
How did the COVID‐19 pandemic affect urinary incontinence and its management in the nursing homes? A descriptive phenomenological study
Authors: Yildirim Meltem , Minobes‐Molina Eduard , Oliveira Vinicius Rosa , Coll‐Planas Laura , Moreno‐Martin Pau , Rierola‐Fochs Sandra , Booth Joanne , Jerez‐Roig Javier
Published: December 2022

Background

Management of urinary incontinence (UI) in nursing homes (NHs) represents a complex process that may have become more challenging during a period in which front‐line health professionals (HPs) must deal with the outbreak of a new infectious disease. We aimed to investigate how UI and its management was affected in NHs during the COVID‐19 pandemic based on the perception of health professionals.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted between January and March 2021 with 16 health professionals working in nine NHs in the Osona county (Barcelona, Spain) during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The individual interviews were conducted via online videoconferencing and each session was audio recorded.

Results

The HPs highlighted that the COVID‐19 pandemic affected the management of continence in NHs, resulting in increased UI. Two main factors were identified: workforce‐related and resident‐related factors. Considering the workforce, three main topics emerged: pandemic as the priority, lack of personnel and use of personal protective equipment as an obstacle to communication with residents and attending to their needs.

Conclusion

Managing UI in NHs always has been a challenging point of care, and these challenges were worsened by the restrictions and additional difficulties that arose during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Parental involvement in postoperative pain management among children in a urology ward: A best practice implementation project
Authors: Yang Jin‐xia , Zhang Wen‐yan , Huang Huan‐huan , Jiang Wen‐ting , Zhou Yun‐feng , Gu Ying , Xu Hong‐zhen , Yao Wen‐ying , Zhang Fang
Published: December 2022

Aim

Postoperative pain has adverse effects on children with urological problems, including sleep disturbances, incision dehiscence, bleeding and delayed recovery. Accurate parental assessment of children's behaviours and responses could help to manage postoperative pain. We aimed to implement evidence‐based practice for parental involvement in a urology ward, to increase parents' participation in children's postoperative pain management.

Design

The project was conducted in a paediatric urology ward using the framework and methods of the Fudan University Evidence‐Based Nursing Center's Evidence‐based Continuous Quality Improvement Model.

Methods

Fifteen audit criteria were used to represent best practice recommendations for parental involvement in postoperative pain management. A pre‐implementation audit was conducted with 211 randomly sampled children and parents. Obstacles, promoting factors and key strategies were analysed, and evidence‐based interventions implemented to improve compliance. A follow‐up audit using the same audit criteria was conducted with 202 children and parents to assess the effect of targeted strategies on compliance with best practice. The SQUIRE guidelines were followed.

Results

At the baseline audit, compliance with the evidence‐based criteria was 0%–71.5%; only five audit criteria achieved a compliance rate > 60%. After best practice implementation, the follow‐up audit showed compliance improvements for all criteria; compliance for three criteria improved to 100%.

Patient or Public Contribution

This best practice implementation project improved parents' participation in children's postoperative pain management. The findings demonstrate how audits can promote best practice in postoperative pain management for children. Additional studies will be conducted to address children's postoperative life quality based on best practice.
Preferential flow between rivers and aquifers in alluvial floodplains: A key to modelling and sustainably managing shallow groundwater resources
Authors: Martin J. Michael , Everett Mark E. , Knappett Peter S. K. , Ewing Ryan C.
Published: December 2022

Preferential flow between rivers and aquifers in alluvial floodplains may be a core component of shallow groundwater transport and, consequently, its understanding is key to modelling and managing groundwater resources. At a clay wedge separating present‐day streamflow and bank storage from an adjacent shallow aquifer, we image a suspected sand‐dominated structure. This structure cuts through the clay wedge and possesses temporally dynamic electrical resistivity as seen in time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomographic (ERT) images collected over a 61‐day study period. During days 11–12, following heavy rainstorms, the cross section of the electrically resistive sand fades into the background resistivity structure, reappearing the following day. This research shows that preferential flow can be imaged in time‐lapse ERT in buried sand‐dominated structures between a floodplain and the adjacent river. Our analysis demonstrates that sand conduits can transport infiltrated rainwater from the floodplain into the river as a bank spring and, hypothetically, at high‐stage streamflow, from the river into the adjacent shallow aquifer. In both directions, these conduits for preferential flow exert an important control on the regulation and distribution of water, sediments and contaminants. This phenomenon will help hydrological models to incorporate more real‐world phenomena and ultimately better prepare groundwater managers to sustainably steward shallow groundwater resources.
Solid‐phase extraction based on PDMS/ionic liquid sponge followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry for rapid and sensitive determination of volatile components in lavender
Authors: Wang Lili , Fu Jihong , Jiang Xinxing , Li Dandan
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Due to the complexity and the low concentrations of volatile components in aromatic plants, sample pretreatment is an important step in the whole analytical procedure.

Objective

This study aimed to propose a novel, sensitive and fast approach to determine the volatile components in lavender.

Methods

The 1‐butyl‐3‐(propyltrimethoxysilane)imidazolium chloride ([BPtmsim]Cl) ionic liquid was introduced onto the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare a novel PDMS/[BPtmsim]Cl sponge with large surface area, good sorption performance, and reusability. A solid‐phase extraction method was developed based on PDMS/[BPtmsim]Cl sponge combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS).

Results

The effects of the various experimental parameters on the extraction efficiency were investigated. The optimal conditions were [BPtmsim]Cl amount of 0.3 g, 1:4 as the mass ratio of PDMS/[BPtmsim]Cl to lavender sample, microwave power of 700 W, microwave time of 10 min, and n‐hexane as the desorption solvent. The method validation results showed good linearity (10–800 μg/ml), high correlation coefficient (R2 ≥ 0.9991), low limits of detection (1.73–2.50 ng/μl), and limits of quantification (4.10–5.11 ng/μl). The interday and intraday precision with relative standard deviation (RSD) values were below 1.93% and 4.71%, respectively. Under the optimal extraction conditions, 16 lavender samples from three different species were analysed and a total of 57 volatile compounds were identified. The correlation between different species of lavender and volatile components was explored using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA).

Conclusion

The results showed that PDMS/[BPtmsim]Cl extraction is a rapid, highly efficient, and sensitive technique for the determination of volatile components in complex plant samples.
Intraoperative plasma proteomic changes in cardiac surgery: In search of biomarkers of post‐operative delirium
Authors: Wiredu Kwame , O'Connor Sean , Naseem Heba , Brauer Brooke L. , Kettenbach Arminja N. , Frost Hildreth R. , Shaefi Shahzad , Gerber Scott A.
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Delirium presents a significant healthcare burden. It complicates post‐operative care in up to 50% of cardiac surgical patients with worse outcomes, longer hospital stays and higher cost of care. Moreover, the nature of delirium following cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) remains unclear, the underlying pathobiology is poorly understood, status quo diagnostic methods are subjective, and diagnostic biomarkers are currently lacking.

Objective

To identify diagnostic biomarkers of delirium and for insights into possible neuronal pathomechanisms.

Experimental Design

Comparative proteomic analyses were performed on plasma samples from a nested matched cohort of patients who underwent cardiac surgery. Validation by targeted proteomics was performed in an independent set of samples. Biomarkers were assessed for biological functions and diagnostic accuracy.

Results

Forty‐seven percent of subjects demonstrated delirium. Of 3803 proteins identified from patient samples by multiplexed quantitative proteomics, 16 were identified as signatures of exposure to CPB, and 11 biomarkers distinguished delirium cases from non‐cases (AuROC = 93%). Notable among these biomarkers are C‐reactive protein, serum amyloid A‐1 and cathepsin‐B.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

The interplay of systemic and central inflammatory markers sheds new light on delirium pathogenesis. This work suggests that accurate identification of cases may be achievable using panels of biomarkers.
Identification of potential extracellular vesicle protein markers altered in osteosarcoma from public databases
Authors: Zhang Jinhe , Li Huiyan
Published: December 2022

Purpose

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become promising biomarkers for cancer management. Particularly, the molecular cargo such as proteins carried by EVs are similar to their cells of origin, providing important information that can be used for cancer diagnostics, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. However, to date, molecular analysis on EVs is still challenging, limited by the availability of efficient analytical technologies, largely due to the small size of EVs. In this work, we developed a computational workflow for in silico identification of potential EV protein markers from genomic and proteomic databases, and applied it for the discovery of osteosarcoma (OS) EV protein markers.

Experimental design

Both mRNA and protein data were computed and compared from publicly accessible databases, and top markers with high differential expression levels were selected.

Results

Thirty nine markers were identified overexpressed and seven found to be downregulated. These identified markers have been found to be associated with OS on different aspects in literature, demonstrating the usability of this workflow.

Conclusions and clinical relevance

This work provides a list of potential EV protein markers that are either overexpressed or downregulated in OS for further experimental validation for improved clinical management of OS.
Molecular insights into alginate β‐lactoglobulin A multivalencies—The foundation for their amorphous aggregates and coacervation
Authors: Madsen Mikkel , Prestel Andreas , Madland Eva , Westh Peter , Tøndervik Anne , Sletta Håvard , Peters Günther H. J. , Aachmann Finn L. , Kragelund Birthe B. , Svensson Birte
Published: December 2022

For improved control of biomaterial property design, a better understanding of complex coacervation involving anionic polysaccharides and proteins is needed. Here, we address the initial steps in condensate formation of β‐lactoglobulin A (β‐LgA) with nine defined alginate oligosaccharides (AOSs) and describe their multivalent interactions in structural detail. Binding of AOSs containing four, five, or six uronic acid residues (UARs), either all mannuronate (M), all guluronate (G), or alternating M and G embodying the block structural components of alginates, was characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and molecular docking. β‐LgA was highly multivalent exhibiting binding stoichiometries decreasing from five to two AOSs with increasing degree of polymerization (DP) and similar affinities in the mid micromolar range. The different AOS binding sites on β‐LgA were identified by NMR chemical shift perturbation analyses and showed diverse compositions of charged, polar and hydrophobic residues. Distinct sites for the shorter AOSs merged to accommodate longer AOSs. The AOSs bound dynamically to β‐LgA, as concluded from saturation transfer difference and 1H‐ligand‐targeted NMR analyses. Molecular docking using Glide within the Schrödinger suite 2016‐1 revealed the orientation of AOSs to only vary slightly at the preferred β‐LgA binding site resulting in similar XP glide scores. The multivalency coupled with highly dynamic AOS binding with lack of confined conformations in the β‐LgA complexes may help explain the first steps toward disordered β‐LgA alginate coacervate structures.
Association of rare, recurrent nonsynonymous variants in the germline of prostate cancer patients of African ancestry
Authors: Wei Jun , Beebe‐Dimmer Jennifer , Shi Zhuqing , Sample Christopher , Yan Guifang , Rifkin Andrew S. , Sadeghpour Azita , Gielzak Marta , Choi Sodam , Moon David , Zheng S. Lilly , Helfand Brian T. , Walsh Patrick C. , Xu Jianfeng , Cooney Kathleen A. , Isaacs William B.
Published: December 2022

Background

Although men of African ancestry (AA) have the highest mortality rate from prostate cancer (PCa), relatively little is known about the germline variants that are associated with PCa risk in AA men. The goal of this study is to systematically evaluate rare, recurrent nonsynonymous variants across the exome for their association with PCa in AA men.

Methods

Whole exome sequencing (WES) of germline DNA in two AA PCa patient cohorts of Johns Hopkins Hospital (N = 960) and Wayne State University (N = 747) was performed. All nonsynonymous variants present in both case cohorts, with a carrier rate between 0.5% and 1%, were identified. Their carrier rates were compared with rates from 8128 African/African American (AFR) control subjects from The Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) using Fisher's exact test. Significant variants, defined as false discovery rate (FDR) adjustedp‐value ≤ 0.05, were further evaluated in AA PCa cases (N = 132) and controls (N = 1184) from the UK Biobank (UKB).

Results

Two variants reached a pre‐specified statistical significance level. The first was p.R14Q inGPRC5C(found in 0.47% of PCa cases and 0.01% of population controls); odds ratio (OR) for PCa was 37.46 (95% confidence interval CI 4.68–299.72), pexact = 7.01E‐06, FDR‐adjustedp‐value = 0.05. The second was p.R511Q inIGF1R(found in 0.53% of PCa cases and 0.01% of population controls); OR for PCa was 21.54 (95%CI 4.65–99.76), pexact = 5.51E‐06, FDR‐adjustedp‐value = 0.05. The mean percentage of African ancestry was similar between variant carriers and noncarriers of each variant,p > 0.05. In the UKB AA men,GPRC5CR14Q was 0.76% and 0.08% in cases and controls, respectively, OR for PCa was 9.00 (95%CI 0.56–145.23), pexact = 0.19. However,IGF1RR511Q was not found in cases or controls.

Conclusions

This WES study identified two rare, recurrent nonsynonymous PCa risk‐associated variants in AA. Confirmation in additional large populations of AA PCa cases and controls is required.
Responses of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to rice–upland crop rotations in an 8‐year paddy ecosystem
Authors: Wang Qingfeng , Zhou Deping , Chu Changbin , Zhao Zheng , Zhou Jing , Wu Shuhang
Published: December 2022

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which can form symbiotic associations with many terrestrial plants, are critical for crop yields and agroecosystem sustainability. In this study, we assessed the influence of rice–upland crop rotations on soil AMF diversity and composition. We also explored the mechanisms of rice (Oryza sativa L.)–upland crop rotations that affect AMF using trait‐based guild methods. We found that rotations of rice with different plants differentially influenced soil AMF. Rice–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (RW) and rice–Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) (RV) rotations significantly altered the soil AMF composition, with RW and RV significantly increasing and decreasing AMF diversity, respectively, compared with the rice–fallow treatment. In addition, RW and RV affected AMF abundance in intra‐ and extra‐radical portions in different ways. For example, both the RW and RV treatments increased AMF spore density, but decreased AMF colonization rate. Different AMF guilds showed different responses to rice–upland crop rotations. The RW treatment increased the rhizophilic guild by 4.9% and decreased the edaphophilic guild by 27.9%, whereas the RV treatment produced opposite trends. Thus, rice–upland crop rotations changed soil AMF diversity, AMF composition, and trait‐based guilds in different ways, and rice yield was mainly correlated with AMF colonization rate.
Printing Crack‐Free Microporous Structures by Combining Additive Manufacturing with Colloidal Assembly
Authors: Winhard Benedikt F. , Maragno Laura G. , Gomez‐Gomez Alberto , Katz Julian , Furlan Kaline P.
Published: December 2022

To date high printing resolution and scalability, i.e., macroscale component dimensions and fast printing, are incompatible characteristics for additive manufacturing (AM) processes. It is hereby demonstrated that the combination of direct writing as an AM process with colloidal assembly enables the breaching of this processing barrier. By tailoring printing parameters for polystyrene (PS) microparticle‐templates, how to avoid coffee ring formation is demonstrated, thus printing uniform single lines and macroscale areas. Moreover, a novel “comb”‐strategy is introduced to print macroscale, crack‐free colloidal coatings with low viscous colloidal suspensions. The printed templates are transformed into ceramic microporous channels as well as photonic coatings via atomic layer deposition (ALD) and calcination. The obtained structures reveal promising wicking capabilities and broadband reflection in the near‐infrared, respectively. This work provides guidelines for printing low viscous colloidal suspensions and highlights the advancements that this printing process offers toward novel applications of colloidal‐based printed structures.
What divides the first and second generations? Family time of arrival and educational outcomes for immigrant youth
Authors: Hull Marie C.
Published: December 2022

In this article, I develop a measure of host country experience, which I call “relative time of arrival,” to explore differences between first‐ and second‐generation immigrants. This measure is finer than immigrant generation and expands on the widely used measures of years since migration and age at migration. It is scaled so that zero indicates that a child was born in the same year that the family migrated, and the negative side of the scale measures parents' host country experience before the child's birth. I then use relative time of arrival to assess whether parents' host country experience before birth matters and generally find that it does not. I also study the dividing line between the first and second generations, specifically, whether there are differences in educational outcomes between early arriving first‐generation immigrants and second‐generation immigrants whose parents arrived shortly before birth. For most outcomes considered, I find that the transition between the first and second generations is relatively smooth, indicating that these groups are not as distinct as often thought. Thus, observed differences between the first and second generations are driven by the lower performance of late‐arriving first‐generation children.
IoT‐based smart UV meter for domestic and hospital UV sterilization devices
Authors: Dash Satya Prakash , Tripathy Hara Prasada , Nayak Gargi Priyadarshini , Das Sidhant , Nayak Amit Kumar , Mishra Dilip Kumar , Pattanaik Priyabrata
Published: December 2022

In the current circumstances, when lakhs of people are dying as a result of the COVID‐19 Pandemic, imposing lockdown and shutdown disrupts the socioeconomic conditions of the entire globe to the point that the country's backbone is compromised. A highly modified, effective sterilizing and disinfection system is essential to improve the country or human civilization. To combat the many adverse effects of radiation, not only on human health but also on the environment, ultra violet technology has been introduced. UV technology is also a source of radiation that has health risks; however, changes in wavelength can make the risk low. UVM‐30A sensor module is used in the sanitization to detect UV irradiation in this study effort. An IoT‐based system based on Arduino uno microcontroller, GSM A6 WiFi module, and UVM‐30A is presented to create an automated implanted UV radiation detection device.
Distributed Computing
Authors: Wang Liang , Zhao Jianxin
Published: December 2022

Distributed computing has been playing a significant role in current smart applications in various fields. In this chapter, we first briefly give a bird’s-eye view of this topic, introducing various programming paradigms. Next, we introduce Actor, an OCaml-based distributed computing engine, and how it works together with Owl. We then focus on one key element in distributed computing: the synchronization. We introduce four different types of synchronization methods or “barriers” that are commonly used in current systems. Next, we elaborate how these barriers are designed and provide illustrations from the theoretical perspective. Finally, we use evaluations to show the performance trade-offs in using different barriers.
Testing Framework
Authors: Wang Liang , Zhao Jianxin
Published: December 2022

Every proper software requires testing, and so is Owl. All too often, we have found that testing can help us discover potential errors we failed to notice during development. In this chapter, we briefly introduce the philosophy of testing in Owl, the tool we use for conducting the unit test, and examples to demonstrate how to write unit tests. Issues such as using functors in tests and other things to notice in writing test code for Owl, etc. are also discussed in this chapter.
Mathematical Optimization
Authors: Wang Liang , Zhao Jianxin
Published: December 2022

Mathematical optimization is the process of searching for optimal values from a selection of parameters, based on a certain metric. It can be formalized as follows:
Composition and Deployment
Authors: Wang Liang , Zhao Jianxin
Published: December 2022

In this chapter, we first present Zoo, a script subsystem we have originally developed for OCaml file sharing. We will introduce how it is used and its design. Based on this system, we discuss the problem of computation composition and deployment in a numerical library.
Rigidity properties of the hypercube via Bakry–Émery curvature
Authors: Liu Shiping , Münch Florentin , Peyerimhoff Norbert
Published: December 2022

We give rigidity results for the discrete Bonnet–Myers diameter bound and the Lichnerowicz eigenvalue estimate. Both inequalities are sharp if and only if the underlying graph is a hypercube. The proofs use well-known semigroup methods as well as new direct methods which translate curvature to combinatorial properties. Our results can be seen as first known discrete analogues of Cheng’s and Obata’s rigidity theorems.
Two discretisations of the time-dependent Bingham problem
Authors: Carstensen C. , Schedensack M.
Published: December 2022

This paper introduces two methods for the fully discrete time-dependent Bingham problem in a three-dimensional domain and for the flow in a pipe also named after Mosolov. The first time discretisation is a generalised midpoint rule and the second time discretisation is a discontinuous Galerkin scheme. The space discretisation in both cases employs the non-conforming first-order finite elements of Crouzeix and Raviart. The a priori error analyses for both schemes yield certain convergence rates in time and optimal convergence rates in space. It guarantees convergence of the fully-discrete scheme with a discontinuous Galerkin time-discretisation for consistent initial conditions and a source term $$f\in H^1(0,T;L^2(\Omega ))$$

f
∈

H
1

(
0
,
T
;

L
2

(
Ω
)

)

.
Estradiol-dependent hypocretinergic/orexinergic behaviors throughout the estrous cycle
Authors: Kim Hye Ji J. , Dickie Samuel A. , Laprairie Robert B.
Published: December 2022

Rationale

The female menstrual or estrous cycle and its associated fluctuations in circulating estradiol (E2), progesterone, and other gonadal hormones alter orexin or hypocretin peptide production and receptor activity. Depending on the estrous cycle phase, the transcription of prepro-orexin mRNA, post-translational modification of orexin peptide, and abundance of orexin receptors change in a brain region-specific manner. The most dramatic changes occur in the hypothalamus, which is considered the starting point of the hypothalamic-pituitary–gonadal axis as well as the hub of orexin-producing neurons. Thus, hypothalamus-regulated behaviors, including arousal, feeding, reward processing, and the stress response depend on coordinated efforts between E2, progesterone, and the orexin system. Given the rise of orexin therapeutics for various neuropsychiatric conditions including insomnia and affective disorders, it is important to delineate the behavioral outcomes of this drug class in both sexes, as well as within different time points of the female reproductive cycle.

Objectives

Summarize how the menstrual or estrous cycle affects orexin system functionality in animal models in order to predict how orexin pharmacotherapies exert varying degrees of behavioral effects across the dynamic hormonal milieu.
Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry as a tool for tracking roasting-induced changes in the volatilome of cold-pressed rapeseed oil
Authors: Drabińska Natalia , Siger Aleksander , Jeleń Henryk
Published: December 2022

The aim of this study was to track changes in the volatilome of cold-pressed oil and press cakes obtained from roasted seeds and to combine it with the profile of non-volatile metabolites in a single study, in order to understand pathways of volatile organic compound (VOC) formation caused by thermal processing. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry was used for the analysis of VOCs in cold-pressed oils and corresponding press cakes obtained after roasting of seeds at 140 and 180 °C prior to pressing. Contents of primary metabolites (amino acids, saccharides, fatty acids) as well as selected secondary metabolites (glucosinolates, polyphenols) were determined, as many of them serve as precursors to volatile compounds formed especially in thermal reactions. After roasting, the formation of Maillard reaction products increased, which corresponded to the reduction of free amino acids and monosaccharides. Moreover, levels of the products of thermal oxidation of fatty acids, such as aldehydes and ketones, increased with the increasing temperature of roasting, although no significant changes were noted for fatty acids. Among sulphur-containing compounds, contents of the products and intermediates of methionine Strecker degradation increased significantly with the increasing temperature of roasting. Degradation of glucosinolates to nitriles occurred after thermal treatment. The results of this study confirmed that seed roasting before cold pressing has a significant effect on the volatiles, but also indicated roasting-induced changes in non-volatile metabolites of oil and press cake. Such an approach helps to understand metabolic changes occurring during rapeseed processing in cold-pressed oil production.

Graphical Abstract
Causes of Increased Use of Closed Reduction and Internal Fixation for High‐Energy‐Related Traumatic Sacral Fractures
Authors: Yu Yi‐Hsun , Tsai Ping‐Jui , Liu Chang‐Heng , Chen I.‐Jung , Hsu Yung‐Heng , Chou Ying‐Chao , Tseng I.‐Chuan
Published: December 2022

Background

Reasons for the increased use of closed reduction and internal fixation (CRIF) for traumatic sacral fractures (SFs) are unclear in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to report the annual changes in the number of patients, mechanisms of injury, fracture patterns, and fixation methods.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we extracted data of 271 patients (mean age, 37.5 years) from the trauma register over an 8‐year period. Annual records regarding the number of patients, injury mechanisms, fracture types, and treatment options were statistically analyzed to examine the interactions among these factors.

Results

The number of patients with SFs increased significantly each year. The rate of admission to the intensive care unit after resuscitation was high (64.9%). Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) type C pelvic ring injury (PRI), Dennis zone II injury, Roy‐Camille type 2 injury, and U/H‐type injury were the most common fracture types. Trans‐iliac trans‐sacral screws were mainly used in AO type B PRI, and their use significantly increased each year. For AO type C PRI, open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with rigid fixation was the main treatment, and the use of CRIF with iliosacral screws decreased each year. Stepwise statistical analysis revealed that the increase in AO type B PRI and ORIF for anterior PRI were the factors contributing to the increased use of CRIF for SFs.

Conclusions

While the use of osteosynthesis for SFs is increasing, an increased use of CRIF for traumatic SFs has also been observed in clinical practice. This increase can be attributed to the increase in AO type B PRIs and ORIF for anterior PRIs.
Age class composition and growth of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the shallow water zone of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard
Authors: Brand Markus , Spotowitz Lisa , Mark Felix Christopher , Berge Jørgen , Langhelle Erlend Lindau , Węsławski Jan Marcin , Godiksen Jane Aanestad , Fischer Philipp
Published: December 2022

Although Atlantic cod has been observed in Svalbard waters since the 1880s, knowledge about the presence in the Arctic shallow water zone is limited. The regular catch of juvenile Atlantic cod in Kongsfjorden since 2008 is in line with an overall northward shift of boreal fish species toward the Arctic. This is the first study showing the age class composition, growth rates, and stomach content of Atlantic cod in the shallow water zone of Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. From 2012 to 2014 a total of 721 specimens were sampled in 3 to 12 m water depth. The primary age classes were identified as 0+, 1+, and 2+ using otolith age analysis. The different cohorts of these specimens show stable growth rates during the polar day and night. By stomach content analysis, we show that these specimens primarily feed on benthic food sources. These observations support the assumption that the shallow water zone of Kongsfjorden is likely to be a nursery ground for Atlantic cod.
Intralesional Candida albicans antigen versus intralesional zinc sulfate in treatment of cutaneous warts
Authors: Youssef Eman M. Kamal , Eissa Maha A. A. , Bakr Radwa M.
Published: December 2022

Immunotherapy represents a promising therapeutic option for treatment of warts. Different concentrations of Candida antigen (1/100 and 1/1000) and zinc sulfate 2% were not previously compared regarding their efficacy in treatment of cutaneous warts. The present study compared the safety and efficacy of intralesional candida antigen versus intralesional 2% zinc sulfate for treatment of cutaneous warts. This prospective controlled clinical trial included one hundred and five patients presented with common, plantar, and plane warts. Patients were divided randomly into three groups, each group included 35 patients. Group 1 were treated with intralesional candida antigen (Ag) 1/100, Group 2 were treated with intralesional candida Ag 1/1000, and Group 3 were treated with intralesional zinc sulfate 2%. This study found that target warts of group 1 displayed higher rate of complete clearance compared to group 2 and group 3 (94.3%, 77.1, 74.2%), respectively. The present study concluded that intralesional immunotherapy with Candida antigen was more effective than Intralesional 2% zinc sulfate in treatment of cutaneous warts and less painful. Clinical trial registration number is (Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT03158168).
New advances in prediction and surveillance of preeclampsia: role of machine learning approaches and remote monitoring
Authors: Hackelöer Max , Schmidt Leon , Verlohren Stefan
Published: December 2022

Preeclampsia, a multisystem disorder in pregnancy, is still one of the main causes of maternal morbidity and mortality. Due to a lack of a causative therapy, an accurate prediction of women at risk for the disease and its associated adverse outcomes is of utmost importance to tailor care. In the past two decades, there have been successful improvements in screening as well as in the prediction of the disease in high-risk women. This is due to, among other things, the introduction of biomarkers such as the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio. Recently, the traditional definition of preeclampsia has been expanded based on new insights into the pathophysiology and conclusive evidence on the ability of angiogenic biomarkers to improve detection of preeclampsia-associated maternal and fetal adverse events.

However, with the widespread availability of digital solutions, such as decision support algorithms and remote monitoring devices, a chance for a further improvement of care arises. Two lines of research and application are promising: First, on the patient side, home monitoring has the potential to transform the traditional care pathway. The importance of the ability to input and access data remotely is a key learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, on the physician side, machine-learning-based decision support algorithms have been shown to improve precision in clinical decision-making. The integration of signals from patient-side remote monitoring devices into predictive algorithms that power physician-side decision support tools offers a chance to further improve care.

The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent advances in prediction, diagnosis and monitoring of preeclampsia and its associated adverse outcomes. We will review the potential impact of the ability to access to clinical data via remote monitoring. In the combination of advanced, machine learning-based risk calculation and remote monitoring lies an unused potential that allows for a truly patient-centered care.
Structural design of patient-specific vascular ring stents
Authors: Andrianov I. V. , Awrejcewicz J. , Diskovsky A. A.
Published: December 2022

The expediency of replacing the corrugated ring of a vascular stent with a constant corrugation pitch by a corrugated ring of variable pitch is being investigated. To describe the change in pitch of corrugation, a special function is introduced. The equilibrium and deformation equations were analyzed using the asymptotic homogenization method. The dependence of the radial stiffness of a corrugated ring with a variable pitch of corrugation on the constructive parameters is obtained. The effectiveness of the design under consideration is evaluated by the area of the lumen provided by the vascular stent. Compared to stents with regularly corrugated rings, this area is larger which improves the ring stent efficiency.
Performance optimization of computing task scheduling based on the Hadoop big data platform
Authors: Li Yang , Hei Xinhong
Published: December 2022

Hadoop, a distributed computing framework that can efficiently process large-scale datasets, has been used by an increasing number of organizations as the basic computing framework to build cloud computing platforms. Improving its execution efficiency is a hot research direction in the industry, and the scheduling problem is a key factor affecting the execution efficiency of Hadoop. It is very important to identify its shortcomings and improve them. This paper examines and analyses the optimization of computing task scheduling performance based on the Hadoop big data platform. This paper first analyses Hadoop big data processing. Hadoop has high scalability. Computing nodes can be added at any time, and they can participate in cluster work through simple configuration. The paper discusses the improvement in the Hadoop resource scheduling algorithm. The task scheduling algorithm in the Hadoop-based data task localization proposed in this paper is compared with the default algorithm used in the Hadoop task scheduling algorithm. The former shows better local data in all four jobs, there are more data localization tasks, and the expected goal is achieved. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified, and the performance is improved by 30%.
Resting-State Functional Networks Correlate with Motor Performance in a Complex Visuomotor Task: An EEG Microstate Pilot Study on Healthy Individuals
Authors: Penalver-Andres Joaquin A. , Buetler Karin A. , Koenig Thomas , Müri René M. , Marchal-Crespo Laura
Published: December 2022

Developing motor and cognitive skills is needed to achieve expert (motor) performance or functional recovery from a neurological condition, e.g., after stroke. While extensive practice plays an essential role in the acquisition of good motor performance, it is still unknown whether certain person-specific traits may predetermine the rate of motor learning. In particular, learners’ functional brain organisation might play an important role in appropriately performing motor tasks. In this paper, we aimed to study how two critical cognitive brain networks—the Attention Network (AN) and the Default Mode Network (DMN)—affect the posterior motor performance in a complex visuomotor task: virtual surfing. We hypothesised that the preactivation of the AN would affect how participants divert their attention towards external stimuli, resulting in robust motor performance. Conversely, the excessive involvement of the DMN—linked to internally diverted attention and mind-wandering—would be detrimental for posterior motor performance. We extracted seven widely accepted microstates—representing participants mind states at rest—out of the Electroencephalography (EEG) resting-state recordings of 36 healthy volunteers, prior to execution of the virtual surfing task. By correlating neural biomarkers (microstates) and motor behavioural metrics, we confirmed that the preactivation of the posterior DMN was correlated with poor posterior performance in the motor task. However, we only found a non-significant association between AN preactivation and the posterior motor performance. In this EEG study, we propose the preactivation of the posterior DMN—imaged using EEG microstates—as a neural trait related to poor posterior motor performance. Our findings suggest that the role of the executive control system is to preserve an homeostasis between the AN and the DMN. Therefore, neurofeedback-based downregulation of DMN preactivation could help optimise motor training.