bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improvement of performance for flexible film dosimeter by incorporating additive agents
Authors: Cho Jin Dong , Jung Seongmoon , Kim Jung-in , Choi Chang Heon
Published: April 2024

Objective. To evaluate the reduction in energy dependence and aging effect of the lithium salt of pentacosa−10,−12-diynoic acid (LiPCDA) films with additives including aluminum oxide (Al2O3), propyl gallate (PG), and disodium ethylenediaminetetracetate (EDTA). Approach. LiPCDA films exhibited energy dependence on kilovoltage (kV) and megavoltage (MV) photon energies and experienced deterioration over time. Evaluations were conducted with added Al2O3 and antioxidants to mitigate these issues, and films were produced with and without Al2O3 to assess energy dependence. The films were irradiated at doses of 0, 3, 6, and 12 cGy at photon energies of 75 kV, 105 kV, 6 MV, 10 MV, and 15 MV. For the energy range of 75 kV to 15 MV, the mean and standard deviation (std) were calculated and compared for the values normalized to the net optical density (netOD) at 6 MV, corresponding to identical dose levels. To evaluate the aging effect, PG and disodium EDTA were incorporated into the films: sample C with 1% PG, sample D with 2% PG, sample E with 0.62% disodium EDTA added to sample D, and sample F with 1.23% disodium EDTA added to sample D. Main results. Films containing Al2O3 demonstrated a maximum 15.8% increase in mean normalized values and a 15.1% reduction in std, reflecting a greater netOD reduction at kV than MV energies, which indicates less energy dependence in these films. When the OD of sample 1–4 depending on the addition of PG and disodium EDTA, was observed for 20 weeks, the transmission mode decreased by 8.7%, 8.3%, 29.3%, and 27.3%, respectively, while the reflection mode was 5.4%, 3.0%, 37.0%, and 34.5%, respectively. Significance. Al2O3 effectively reduced the voltage and MV energy dependence. PG was more effective than disodium EDTA in preventing the deterioration of film performance owing to the aging effect.
Measuring blood pressure from Korotkoff sounds as the brachial cuff inflates on average provides higher values than when the cuff deflates
Authors: Celler Branko G , Argha Ahmadreza
Published: April 2024

Objectives. In this study, we test the hypothesis that if, as demonstrated in a previous study, brachial arteries exhibit hysteresis as the occluding cuff is deflated and fail to open until cuff pressure (CP) is well below true intra-arterial blood pressure (IAPB), estimating systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from the presence of Korotkoff sounds (KS) as CP increases may eliminate these errors and give more accurate estimates of SBP and DBP relative to IABP readings. Approach. In 62 subjects of varying ages (45.1 ± 19.8, range 20.6–75.8 years), including 44 men (45.3 ± 19.4, range 20.6–75.8 years) and 18 women (44.4 ± 21.4, range 20.9–75.3 years), we sequentially recorded SBP and DBP both during cuff inflation and cuff deflation using KS. Results. There was a significant (p < 0.0001) increase in SBP from 122.8 ± 13.2 to 127.6 ± 13.0 mmHg and a significant (p = 0.0001) increase in DBP from 70.0 ± 9.0 to 77.5 ± 9.7 mmHg. Of the 62 subjects, 51 showed a positive increase in SBP (0–14 mmHg) and 11 subjects showed a reduction (−0.3 to −7 mmHg). The average differences for SBP and DBP estimates derived as the cuff inflates and those derived as the cuff deflates were 4.8 ± 4.6 mmHg and 2.5 ± 4.6 mmHg, not dissimilar to the differences reported between IABP and non-invasive blood pressure measurements. Although we could not develop multiparameter linear or non-linear models to explain this phenomenon we have clearly demonstrated through ANOVA tests that both body mass index (BMI) and pulse wave velocity are implicated, supporting the hypothesis that the phenomenon is associated with age, higher BMI and stiffer arteries. Significance. The implications of this study are that brachial sphygmomanometry carried out during cuff inflation could be more accurate than measurements carried out as the cuff deflates. Further research is required to validate these results with IAPB measurements.
TSS-ConvNet for electrical impedance tomography image reconstruction
Authors: Ameen Ayman A , Sack Achim , Pöschel Thorsten
Published: April 2024

Objective. The objective of this study was to propose a novel data-driven method for solving ill-posed inverse problems, particularly in certain conditions such as time-difference electrical impedance tomography for detecting the location and size of bubbles inside a pipe. Approach. We introduced a new layer architecture composed of three paths: spatial, spectral, and truncated spectral paths. The spatial path processes information locally, whereas the spectral and truncated spectral paths provide the network with a global receptive field. This unique architecture helps eliminate the ill-posedness and nonlinearity inherent in the inverse problem. The three paths were designed to be interconnected, allowing for an exchange of information on different receptive fields with varied learning abilities. Our network has a bottleneck architecture that enables it to recover signal information from noisy redundant measurements. We named our proposed model truncated spatial-spectral convolutional neural network (TSS-ConvNet). Main results. Our model demonstrated superior accuracy with relatively high resolution on both simulation and experimental data. This indicates that our approach offers significant potential for addressing ill-posed inverse problems in complex conditions effectively and accurately. Significance. The TSS-ConvNet overcomes the receptive field limitation found in most existing models that only utilize local information in Euclidean space. We trained the network on a large dataset covering various configurations with random parameters to ensure generalization over the training samples.
Qubits as hypermatrices and entanglement
Authors: Dobes Isaac , Jing Naihuan
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we represent n-qubits as hypermatrices and consider various applications to quantum entanglement. In particular, we use the higher-order singular value decomposition of hypermatrices to prove that the π-transpose is an LU invariant. Additionally, through our construction we show that the matrix representation of the combinatorial hyperdeterminant of 2n-qubits can be expressed as a product of the second Pauli matrix, allowing us to derive a formula for the combinatorial hyperdeterminant of 2n-qubits in terms of the n-tangle.
An in-depth investigation of nonlinear optical properties of self-assembled borophene doped with P7Ba2NO3: a computational simulating study
Authors: Ayub Ali Raza , Tahir Sheza , Salba  , Hamid Hira , Maqsood Nimra , Arshed Saher Mubeen , Altowyan Abeer S , Iqbal Javed
Published: April 2024

Density functional theory was used to conduct a theoretical analysis of super salt doped on borophene. With the LanL2DZ basis set, which is appropriate for metal atoms, the B3LYP technique was used. Numerous analyses were used to characterize the structural properties, such as molecular geometry, frontier molecular orbital, non-covalent interaction, electron density difference map, molecular electrostatic potential, Density of States (DOS), UV–vis spectroscopy and infrared vibrational spectra analysis. The nonlinear optical characteristics were investigated through polarizability as well as hyperpolarizability calculations theoretically. The values were noticeably greater than those of borophene in all the above results. Compared to borophene, which has a hardness value of 0.905 eV, all the complexes exhibited small values of hardness, ranging from 0.41 eV to 0.795 eV. In addition, it was found that all the complexes had lower excitation energies as opposed to the greater excitation energy of borophene. Due to its lowest excitation energy (E), Boro@SS4 showed a striking increase in average polarizability (

α

o

= 847.13 au) in addition average first hyperpolarizability (

β

0

= 540007.60 au) in comparison to borophene (

α

o

= 593.75 au and

β

0

= 383.76 au).
A vibration analysis of the permanent magnet synchronous motor under the effect of proportional derivative control
Authors: Bauomy H S , Amer Y A , Elsayed A T , Agwa M M
Published: April 2024

In industrial environments, excessive vibration can pose a safety risk since it can weaken the structural integrity of PMSMs and adjacent equipment. Vibration levels can be understood and controlled to help assure safe operation and avoid mishaps or equipment breakdowns. Friction and mechanical resistance are examples of vibration-induced losses that can lower PMSMs’ overall efficiency. Through the optimization of motor design and operation, engineers may minimize vibration and increase energy efficiency while lowering operating costs. Since an electric motor’s tendency to overheat after a brief period of use is linked to oscillating vibration, this study employs a proportional derivative control (PD control) to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). The external force is a component of the non-linear dynamical system. The equation of the (PMSM) system is explained with two-degree-of-freedom (2dof) differential coupled equations, consisting of the major body (motor current) and cutting drive system. The present study uses the approximate method of multiple scales perturbation technique (MSPT) to get an approximate solution, showing the response equation before using (PD) and to achieve the highest effect on the control system so as to ensure the highest efficiency at the lowest possible cost. Different numerical tests have been conducted (NPDCVF, NVC, PPF, PD, delay velocity) and showed that (PD) has the best effect and is able to control the vibrations with more accuracy than others. Then, the vibration value of the system has been studied numerically before and after applying the control method of (MSPT). By combining the analysis of the resonance situation via both the phase plane techniques and the frequency response equation

ω

1

≅

ω

2

,
ω
≅

ω

2

,

within the utilization of Runge–Kutta of the fourth-order, the stability of the numerical solution has been investigated. Then, by employing the MATLAB tool, the impact of various parameters on model performance has been examined numerically. Lastly, a comparison is made with earlier research and other techniques used in prior work using other types of control mechanisms for other systems.
Shapes and structure for the lowest states of the 42,44Ca isotopes
Authors: Benjedi R , Budaca R , Buganu P , EL Bassem Y , Lahbas A , Oulne M
Published: April 2024

The shape and the associated dynamics of the 42,44Ca isotopes are investigated within the Bohr-Mottelson Model and the Covariant Density Functional Theory for the presence of the shape coexistence and mixing phenomena. The corresponding experimental energy spectrum and most of the electromagnetic transitions are well reproduced only by taking into account such phenomena. New possible developments of the models are indicated where improvements in agreement with the experimental data are needed.
Deep-learning-assisted design of multi-degree-of-freedom metamaterial absorber
Authors: Wang Shuqin , Ma Qiongxiong , Wei Zhongchao , Wu Ruihuan , Ding Wen , Guo Jianping
Published: April 2024

In recent years, the development of metamaterial absorbers (MAs) based on deep learning methods has become a popular research topic. Nevertheless, conventional analytical approaches have limitations, leading to MAs characterized by low-degree-of-freedom cell structures, thereby restricting their absorption characteristics. In this study, we propose a multi-degree-of-freedom MA with multiple variable parameters in terms of structures, materials, and number of layers, which are distinguished by coding. Additionally, deep learning models, including a fully connected neural network, recurrent neural network, AlexNet, and residual neural network, are designed to predict structures and absorption spectra. We compare the prediction accuracy of these four neural network models and identify the optimal network model for spectral prediction and on-demand design. Using trained neural network models, we successfully designed broadband, dual-band, and single-band MAs in on-demand design. Compared with other design methods, this method provides a greater degree of freedom in device design, which allows the design of MAs to have more absorption characteristics
Spectral analysis for weighted extended Vicsek polygons
Authors: Wang Wenjie , Liang Xiangyu , Zeng Cheng , Xue Yumei , Peng Lulu
Published: April 2024

Because of the application of fractal networks and their spectral properties in various fields of science and engineering, they have become a hot topic in network science. Moreover, deterministic weighted graphs are widely used to model complex real-world systems. This paper studys weighted extended Vicsek polygons W(G

m,t
), which are based on the Vicsek fractal model and the extended fractal cactus model. The structure of these polygons is controlled by the positive integer coefficient m and the number of iterations t. From the construction of the graph, we derive recursive relations of all eigenvalues and their multiplicities of normalized Laplacian matrices from the two successive generations of the weighted extended Vicsek polygons. Then, we use the spectra of the normalized Laplacian matrices to study Kemeny’s constant, the multiplicative Kirchhoff index, and the number of weighted spanning trees and derive their exact closed-form expressions for the weighted extended Vicsek polygons. The above results help to analyze the topology and dynamic properties of the network model, so it has potential application prospects.
Kinematic parameters and Raychaudhuri equation in the Kantowski-Sachs model
Authors: Silva B B , Spalenza W , Gonçalves S V B
Published: April 2024

In this work we present a review of the calculations of homogeneous and anisotropic cosmological models, particularly the Kantowski-Sachs cosmological model. As an innovative contribution, we calculate an exact solution to the field equations with a general expression for the material content of the Universe. We obtain the expressions for energy density in this general case. We also study the case involving a scalar field. We investigate the evolution dynamics of the model, encompassing the Hubble, density, and deceleration parameters. We calculate the kinematic parameters associated with the model, namely: the scalar expansion Θ, the shear scalar σ, the rotation parameter ω and the parameter R

α
β

U

α

U

β
, also known as Raychaudhuri scalar or convergence condition, all these parameters expressed in the Raychaudhuri equation.
Realistic compact objects in the f(R, T) gravity in the background of polytropic and barotropic gas models
Authors: Das Samprity , Chattopadhyay Surajit
Published: April 2024

The f(R, T) gravity in the background of the polytropic and barotropic fluid has been investigated in this work. We have selected the TOV equation to determine the internal spacetime of a spherically symmetric galactic object. With the use of the Einstein equation, we have selected KB-spacetime to calculate the mass, compactness, and surface redshift of a spherically symmetric body. Explicit conditions for model parameters have been constructed for the boundary conditions of the interior and exterior spacetime, and the Schwarzschild solution has been employed in the modified f(R, T) gravity theory to evaluate different matching criteria. An increasing pattern in compactness with respect to the different radii is evident in the graphical representation of the compactness evolution for each of the individual star models. After selecting a non-vacuum field equation for higher order curvature, we reformulated f(R, T) for R and T. As a result, the tangential pressure, radial pressure, and matter density have all been calculated. According to the study, as the radius goes to infinity, the tangential and radial pressures display asymptotic flatness and converge to zero. Polytropic and barotropic gas EoS have been adopted since the star model confronts the presence of an isotropic fluid backdrop. It has been noted that in a polytropic background, density and pressure increase with distance from the star’s core, but in a barotropic background, the pressure exhibits an ascending pattern as a function of radius.
Cross-modal credibility modelling for EEG-based multimodal emotion recognition
Authors: Zhang Yuzhe , Liu Huan , Wang Di , Zhang Dalin , Lou Tianyu , Zheng Qinghua , Quek Chai
Published: April 2024

Objective. The study of emotion recognition through electroencephalography (EEG) has garnered significant attention recently. Integrating EEG with other peripheral physiological signals may greatly enhance performance in emotion recognition. Nonetheless, existing approaches still suffer from two predominant challenges: modality heterogeneity, stemming from the diverse mechanisms across modalities, and fusion credibility, which arises when one or multiple modalities fail to provide highly credible signals. Approach. In this paper, we introduce a novel multimodal physiological signal fusion model that incorporates both intra-inter modality reconstruction and sequential pattern consistency, thereby ensuring a computable and credible EEG-based multimodal emotion recognition. For the modality heterogeneity issue, we first implement a local self-attention transformer to obtain intra-modal features for each respective modality. Subsequently, we devise a pairwise cross-attention transformer to reveal the inter-modal correlations among different modalities, thereby rendering different modalities compatible and diminishing the heterogeneity concern. For the fusion credibility issue, we introduce the concept of sequential pattern consistency to measure whether different modalities evolve in a consistent way. Specifically, we propose to measure the varying trends of different modalities, and compute the inter-modality consistency scores to ascertain fusion credibility. Main results. We conduct extensive experiments on two benchmarked datasets (DEAP and MAHNOB-HCI) with the subject-dependent paradigm. For the DEAP dataset, our method improves the accuracy by 4.58%, and the F1 score by 0.63%, compared to the state-of-the-art baseline. Similarly, for the MAHNOB-HCI dataset, our method improves the accuracy by 3.97%, and the F1 score by 4.21%. In addition, we gain much insight into the proposed framework through significance test, ablation experiments, confusion matrices and hyperparameter analysis. Consequently, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed credibility modelling through statistical analysis and carefully designed experiments. Significance. All experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed architecture and indicate that credibility modelling is essential for multimodal emotion recognition.
Predicting resting-state brain functional connectivity from the structural connectome using the heat diffusion model: a multiple-timescale fusion method
Authors: Lv Zhengyuan , Li Jingming , Yao Li , Guo Xiaojuan
Published: April 2024

Objective. Understanding the intricate relationship between structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) is pivotal for understanding the complexities of the human brain. To explore this relationship, the heat diffusion model (HDM) was utilized to predict FC from SC. However, previous studies using the HDM have typically predicted FC at a critical time scale in the heat kernel equation, overlooking the dynamic nature of the diffusion process and providing an incomplete representation of the predicted FC. Approach. In this study, we propose an alternative approach based on the HDM. First, we introduced a multiple-timescale fusion method to capture the dynamic features of the diffusion process. Additionally, to enhance the smoothness of the predicted FC values, we employed the Wavelet reconstruction method to maintain local consistency and remove noise. Moreover, to provide a more accurate representation of the relationship between SC and FC, we calculated the linear transformation between the smoothed FC and the empirical FC. Main results. We conducted extensive experiments in two independent datasets. By fusing different time scales in the diffusion process for predicting FC, the proposed method demonstrated higher predictive correlation compared with method considering only critical time points (Singlescale). Furthermore, compared with other existing methods, the proposed method achieved the highest predictive correlations of 0.6939

±

0.0079 and 0.7302

±

0.0117 on the two datasets respectively. We observed that the visual network at the network level and the parietal lobe at the lobe level exhibited the highest predictive correlations, indicating that the functional activity in these regions may be closely related to the direct diffusion of information between brain regions. Significance. The multiple-timescale fusion method proposed in this study provides insights into the dynamic aspects of the diffusion process, contributing to a deeper understanding of how brain structure gives rise to brain function.
Degradation of fast-ion confinement depending on the neutral beam power in MHD quiescent LHD plasmas
Authors: Nuga H. , Seki R. , Ogawa K. , Yamaguchi H. , Kamio S. , Fujiwara Y. , Kawamoto Y. , Yoshinuma M. , Kobayashi T. , Takemura Y. , Isobe M. , Osakabe M. , Yokoyama M.
Published: April 2024

We investigated the degradation of neutral beam (NB) fast-ion confinement depending on the NB power without magnetohydrodynamics instabilities in the Large Helical Device (LHD). In the LHD deuterium experiment, the neutron emission rate per NB power decreased by up to 20% with increasing injected NBs during a single discharge. Because there were no significant variations in the electron temperature and density, the NB shine-through rate, or the magnetic fluctuation due to the change in NB power, the reduction in the neutron emission rate indicates the degradation of the fast-ion confinement. In this paper, we formulated this degradation depending on the NB power and quantitatively estimated the degraded effective confinement time. In addition, we performed neutron emission rate simulations using the obtained effective confinement time. The simulation and experimental results were in good agreement, suggesting that the degraded effective confinement time is valid.
Modeling electron temperature profiles in the pedestal with simple formulas for ETG transport
Authors: Hatch D.R. , Kotschenreuther M.T. , Li P.-Y. , Chapman-Oplopoiou B. , Parisi J. , Mahajan S.M. , Groebner R.
Published: April 2024

This paper reports on the refinement (building on (Hatch D.R. et al 2022 Phys. Plasmas
29 062501)) and application of simple formulas for electron heat transport from electron temperature gradient (ETG) driven turbulence in the pedestal. The formulas are improved by (1) improving the parameterization for certain key parameters and (2) carefully accounting for the impact of geometry and shaping in the underlying gyrokinetic simulation database. Comparisons with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of ETG transport in the MAST pedestal demonstrate the model’s applicability to spherical tokamaks in addition to standard aspect ratio tokamaks. We identify bounds for model applicability: the model is accurate in the steep gradient region, where the ETG turbulence is largely slab-like, but accuracy decreases as the temperature gradient becomes weaker in the pedestal top. We use the formula to model the electron temperature profile in the pedestal for four experimental scenarios while extensively varying input parameters to represent uncertainties. In all cases, the predicted electron temperature profile exhibits extreme sensitivity to separatrix temperature and density, which has implications for core-edge integration. The model reproduces the electron temperature profile for high

η
e

=

L

n
e

/

L

T
e

scenarios but not for low η

e
scenarios in which microtearing modes (MTMs) have been identified. We develop a proof-of-concept model for MTM transport and explore the relative roles of ETG and MTM in setting the electron temperature profile.
A first look at AS-ROC: a Si-Ge integrated chip readout for fast timing
Authors: DeWitt J. , Galloway Z. , Saffier-Ewing G. , Gignac M. , Mazza S.M. , McKinney-Martinez F. , Mobtaker N. , Nagel N. , Nizam M. , Ott J. , Sadrozinski H.F.-W. , Schumm B. , Seiden A. , Wilder M.
Published: April 2024

Advances in timing detector technology require new specialized readout electronics. Applications demand below 10 ps time of arrival resolution and low power for a low repetition rate. A possible path to achieve O(10 ps) time resolution is an integrated chip using Silicon Germanium (SiGe) technology. Using DoE SBIR funding, Anadyne, Inc., in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, has developed a prototype SiGe front-end readout chip optimized for low power and timing resolution. Two versions of the chip were produced with performance in simulation: a more power version with 10 ps resolution at 5 fC with 1.1 mW/channel, and a less power version with 10 ps resolution at 8 fC with 0.6 mW/channel.
The chip was produced at Tower Semiconductor with 350 nm technology. The ASIC from the prototype run shows good performance: a rise time of 0.7–1 ns and 25 mV per fC response with RMS noise <1 mV. Simulation and results from the prototype will be reported in this paper.
Optimized design and characterization of HYLITE, a charge-integration readout chip of XFEL
Authors: Li M. , Wei W. , Jiang X. , Zhang J. , Li X. , Liu H. , Liu Z.
Published: April 2024

HYLITE (High dYnamic range free electron Laser Imaging deTEctor) is a charge-integration pixel readout chip designed for SHINE (Shanghai HIgh repetition rate XFEL aNd Extreme light facility). The target specifications for the full-size HYLITE chip include a pixel matrix of 128 × 128 pixels and a frame rate of 10 kHz. In order to meet these specifications, two small-scale chips, designated HYLITE0.1 and HYLITE0.2, were fabricated and underwent comprehensive testing. Some issues were discovered during tests including the noise performance and the error of output ADU (Analog Digital Units) codes.

The HYLITE200S represents the third prototype chip developed to address the above issues. The CDS (Correlated Double Sampling) circuits and glitch-clear clock structures are integrated in pixels. Furthermore, to meet the data output rate requirements of the full-size chip, a high-speed data interface has been designed. Test results show that the signal-to-noise ratio is improved to 9.31 for a 12 keV single photon, and the ADU error is fixed. By integrating a phase-locked loop and a balanced encoding logic, the data interface can work steadily at a speed of 3.125 Gbps.
Performance of a novel charge sensor on the ion detection for the development of a high-pressure avalancheless ion TPC
Authors: Liang Tianyu , Zhang Dongliang , Wang Hulin , Gao Chaosong , Liu Jun , Sun Xiangming , Xiao Le , Liu Feng , You Bihui , Liu Ling , Yang Yichen , Chen Kai
Published: April 2024

Within the project of building a time projection chamber using 100 kg of high-pressure
 86SeF6 gas to search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay in the NvDEx
collaboration, we are developing a CMOS charge sensor, named Topmetal-S, which is tailored for the
experiment to detect the ions without gas amplification. In this work, the performance of
the sensor is presented. The equivalent noise charge of the sensor is measured to be about 120 to
140 e- depending on the operating point, with the charge injection capacitance
calibrated against external capacitors. The signal waveforms are investigated with various chip
parameters and experimental settings. In addition to electrons, both negatively and positively
charged ions could be detected, and their waveforms are studied using air and SF6 
gases. Using the sensor, the mobility of negative ions in ambient air in the atmospheric pressure
is measured to be 1.555 ± 0.038 cm2 · V-1 · s-1. Our study
demonstrates that the Topmetal-S chip could be used as the ion detection charge sensor for the
experiment. Further work is ongoing to reduce the noise of the sensor and to develop a
small readout plane with tens of the sensors.
Implementation and performance comparison of MMC firmware on RISC-V and ARM-based MCUs
Authors: Su Aoqi , Zhang Jie , Yang Jie
Published: April 2024

The control and data acquisition systems for high energy physics (HEP) applications require a suitable hardware platform to ensure system availability and reliability, so the micro telecommunications computing architecture (MicroTCA) standard is widely utilized in the field of HEP. As a fundamental component of the MicroTCA system, the advanced mezzanine card (AMC) requires efficient module management controller (MMC) to perform board monitoring and management. Therefore, the real-time responsiveness of the module management controller is crucial. Presently, most existing MMC solutions implemented on microcontroller chips with commercial architecture cores such as AVR and ARM. The open-source and customizable RISC-V instruction set architecture has gained widespread attention and adoption due to its advantages such as simplicity, modularity, scalability, low power consumption, and efficiency. In this study, we successfully implemented a MMC solution based on the RISC-V core microcontroller GD32VF103, and evaluated the real-time performance of MMC on both the GD32VF103 and the ARM-based STM32F100 through hot swap response time testing. The results reveal real-time performance of the firmware on the GD32VF103 chip compared to the STM32F100 chip, exhibiting a notable speed improvement of approximately 61.4%. Thus, RISC-V architecture chips exhibit significant potential as MMC solutions within MicroTCA systems.
Design of low-cost digital pulse processing unit for gamma spectrometry
Authors: Shaker Hesham H. , Salama S. , Kasban H. , Saleh A.A. , Dessouky M.
Published: April 2024

Gamma spectrometers are used to quantify and identify
radioisotopes in the sample under test. There is a recent interest
around the world in implementing low-cost gamma spectrometers. One
of the main parts of the modern gamma spectrometer is the digital
pulse processing unit (DPP). The implementation of this unit using
advanced microcontroller chips has appeared in recent years as an
attractive approach. This is due to its advanced performance and low
cost. In this paper, we present a design flow to implement a DPP
unit using an ARM Cortex-M3-based microcontroller chip. The sodium
iodide detector is the targeted detector for this design. Our
prototype is approved experimentally to construct spectrums
comparable to commercial devices. And it can cope with input count
rates up to 45 kC/s.
Feasibility study of real-time imaging of an Ir-192 source using compact gamma camera with curved diverging collimator for brachytherapy
Authors: Oh G. , Jeong S.H. , Choi H.J. , Kim D.H. , Baek C.H. , Cha H.M. , Lee H.J. , Lee B.R.
Published: April 2024

Brachytherapy is a treatment method that requires the
accurate positioning of a radioactive source to deliver high doses
to a tumor while minimizing exposure to surrounding tissues. Herein,
we propose a compact gamma camera system based on a diverging
collimator for real-time source positioning during brachytherapy. In
the process of developing and fabricating such a gamma camera
system, Monte Carlo simulations for diverging and pinhole
collimators are performed under conditions that are similar to the
actual detection environment, with the camera-to-source distance set
at 50 cm to verify the feasibility of the gamma camera. Full width
at half maximum (FWHM) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values are
analyzed based on the horizontal and vertical profiles at each
location as the source shifts stepwise from the center to the right
and diagonal direction. On average, the diverging collimator had
FWHM values of 18 and 13 mm and SNR values of 30 and 31, while the
pinhole collimator had FWHM values of 26 and 25 mm and SNR values
of 47 and 46 when profiled horizontally and vertically. The
diverging collimator has a lower SNR than pinhole collimator but
performs better in terms of spatial resolution. Additionally, to
test the performance of the manufactured gamma camera, the distance
between the camera and the source was set to 100 cm and an
experiment was conducted. The experimental results exhibit a trend
similar to the simulation. Numerically, the average FWHM value were
39 mm in the vertical direction and 71 mm in the horizontal
direction. Additionally, the average SNR values were 27 for the
vertical direction and 17 for the horizontal direction. Based on
these results, we confirm the possibility of Ir-192 source imaging.
Climate policy and the SDGs agenda: how does near-term action on nexus SDGs influence the achievement of long-term climate goals?
Authors: Schmidt Tagomori Isabela , Harmsen Mathijs , Awais Muhammad , Byers Edward , Daioglou Vassilis , Doelman Jonathan , Vinca Adriano , Riahi Keywan , van Vuuren Detlef P
Published: April 2024

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) represent the global ambition to accelerate sustainable development. Several SDGs are directly related to climate change and policies aiming to mitigate it. This includes, among others, the set of SDGs that directly influence the climate, land, energy, and water (CLEW) nexus (SDGs 2, 6, 7, 13, 15). This study aims at understanding the synergies and trade-offs between climate policy and the SDGs agenda: how does near-term action on SDGs influence long-term climate goals? Based on a multi-model comparison, we evaluate three scenarios: (i) reference; (ii) climate mitigation; and (iii) a CLEW nexus SDGs scenario. We find clear positive effects of combining the climate and the sustainable development agendas. Notably, healthier diets, with reduced meat consumption, have strong co-benefits for climate, with positive effects across multiple SDGs: improvements in food security, reductions in air pollution and water stress, and improvements in biodiversity conservation. Such positive outcomes are prominent in the Global South, where regions typically at higher risk of food and energy insecurity and other environmental stresses (e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America) benefit from a shorter term agenda focusing not only on the climate but also on the other sustainable development dimensions. However, trade-offs are also observed (e.g. increases in the prices of food and electricity), especially in the dynamics of land and the food systems, highlighting the importance of exploring policy synergies: if individually applied, some measures can negatively impact other sustainability goals, while taking into consideration the nexus interactions can reduce trade-offs and increase co-benefits. Finally, near-term action on SDGs can help speed up the transition towards the long-term climate goals, reducing the reliance on negative emissions options. In 2100, the SDG scenario in significantly less reliant on carbon dioxide removals both from AFOLU and the energy system.
3D hydrogel microfibers promote the differentiation of encapsulated neural stem cells and facilitate neuron protection and axon regrowth after complete transactional spinal cord injury
Authors: Zhang Jin , Li Xinda , Guo Lili , Gao Mingjun , Wang Yangyang , Xiong Huan , Xu Tao , Xu Ruxiang
Published: April 2024

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause permanent impairment to motor or sensory functions. Pre-cultured neural stem cell (NSC) hydrogel scaffolds have emerged as a promising approach to treat SCI by promoting anti-inflammatory effects, axon regrowth, and motor function restoration. Here, in this study, we performed a coaxial extrusion process to fabricate a core-shell hydrogel microfiber with high NSC density in the core portion. Oxidized hyaluronic acid, carboxymethyl chitosan, and matrigel blend were used as a matrix for NSC growth and to facilitate the fabrication process. During the in vitro differentiation culture, it was found that NSC microfibers could differentiate into neurons and astrocytes with higher efficiency compared to NSC cultured in petri dishes. Furthermore, during in vivo transplantation, NSC microfibers were coated with polylactic acid nanosheets by electrospinning for reinforcement. The coated NSC nanofibers exhibited higher anti-inflammatory effect and lesion cavity filling rate compared with the control group. Meanwhile, more neuron- and oligodendrocyte-like cells were visualized at the lesion epicenter. Finally, axon regrowth across the whole lesion site was observed, demonstrating that the microfiber could guide renascent axon regrowth. Experiment results indicate that the NSC microfiber is a promising bioactive treatment for complete SCI treatment with superior outcomes.
Sandwich-structured nano-adhesive based on the synergistic action of two nanoparticles (SiC and MWCNTs)
Authors: Marathe Umesh , Bijwe Jayashree
Published: April 2024

This study encompasses the development of sandwich-structured adhesive reporting the synergism in the functioning of two kinds of nanoparticles (NPs)-SiC (Silicon carbide) and MWCNTs (multiwalled carbon nanotubes). Two adhesives using MWCNTs and NPs of SiC in selected amounts were developed using Polyaryletherketone (PAEK) thermoplastic polymer as a base matrix. Fabricated joints using these adhesives were characterized for degglomeration and dispersion of NPs, lap shear strength (LSS), and failure modes. Based on the data on the LSS, the advantages and disadvantages of using individual NPs were analyzed, and the third adhesive was designed in a sandwich manner, where positive points of both the NPs were expected to work synergistically. The sandwich adhesive showed higher LSS than the individual ones, i.e., an 8.6% and 26% improvement to SiC-based and MWCNT-based adhesives, respectively. It was concluded that the strengthening mechanism of MWCNTs of bulk polymer in the central portion was beneficial. The two outer layers of SiC NPs in PAEK interacting with the two steel surfaces of coupons proved helpful in increasing friction and, hence, synergistically increasing the LSS of sandwich adhesive.
Multiplicative noise induced bistability and stochastic resonance
Authors: Migliorini Giuliano , Fanelli Duccio
Published: April 2024

Stochastic resonance is a well established phenomenon, which proves relevant for a wide range of applications, of broad trans-disciplinary breath. Consider a one dimensional bistable stochastic system, characterized by a deterministic double well potential and shaken by an additive noise source. When subject to an external periodic drive, and for a proper choice of the noise strength, the system swings regularly between the two existing deterministic fixed points, with just one switch for each oscillation of the imposed forcing term. This resonant condition can be exploited to unravel weak periodic signals, otherwise inaccessible to conventional detectors. Here, we will set to revisit the stochastic resonance concept by operating in a modified framework where bistability is induced by the nonlinear nature of the multiplicative noise. A candidate model is in particular introduced which fulfils the above requirements while allowing for analytical progress to be made. Working with reference to this case study, we elaborate on the conditions for the onset of the generalized stochastic resonance mechanism. As a byproduct of the analysis, a novel resonant regime is also identified which displays no lower bound for the frequencies that can be resolved, at variance with the traditional setting.
Efficacy and Safety of Sacubitril/Valsartan in Chronic Type B Aortic Dissection Combined With Mild Hypertension
Authors: Wang Xuelin , Song Feier , Jiang Lujing , Huang Ziling , Luo Songyuan , Li Xin , He Xuyu
Published: April 2024

BACKGROUND

Optimal antihypertensive medication for chronic type B aortic dissection (AD) remains undecided. This study compared the efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan with valsartan to determine suitable antihypertensive drug combinations.

METHODS

In this single-center, open-label, randomized, controlled trial, patients with chronic Stanford type B AD and mild hypertension were randomized to receive sacubitril/valsartan 100/200 mg or valsartan 80/160 mg. The primary endpoint was the reduction in mean sitting systolic blood pressure (msSBP) at week 8 in patients with sacubitril/valsartan vs. valsartan. Key secondary endpoints included changes in (i) mean sitting diastolic blood pressure (msDBP); (ii) pulse pressure (PP); and (iii) mean ambulatory blood pressure (BP) for 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs. This trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, identifier: ChiCTR2300073399.

RESULTS

A total of 315 patients completed the study. Sacubitril/valsartan provided a significantly greater reduction in msSBP than valsartan at week 8 (between-treatment difference: −5.1 mm Hg [95% confidence interval −5.8 to −4.5], P < 0.001). Reductions in msSBP, msDBP, and PP as well as the mean ambulatory BP for 24-hour, daytime, and nighttime, were significantly greater in sacubitril/valsartan compared with valsartan (all P < 0.001). No excessive episodes of AEs occurred in the sacubitril/valsartan group.

CONCLUSIONS

Sacubitril/valsartan and valsartan reduced BP compared with baseline values. However, sacubitril/valsartan improved BP control to a greater extent than valsartan. It may offer a new treatment option for patients with mild hypertension and chronic type B AD.
Pharmacist optimization of lipid therapy in patients with peripheral vascular disease
Authors: Tucker Mary-Ashlyn , Meyer Andrew , Bitonti Michael , Supple Megan , Cain Brandon
Published: April 2024

Purpose

American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend high-intensity statin therapy and consideration for nonstatin therapy for patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD); however, utilization rates remain suboptimal. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether pharmacist intervention for patients with PVD could improve the percentage of patients discharged on a high-intensity statin.

Methods

The study used a single-center pre/post design and included patients with PVD who underwent peripheral bypass during their admission. Postintervention patients managed with an order set including a preselected consult for a pharmacy lipid protocol were compared to preintervention patients managed using the order set without the consult. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients discharged on a high-intensity statin. Secondary outcomes included intensification of statin therapy, the addition of ezetimibe, and referral to an outpatient lipid clinic.

Results

A total of 175 patients were included in the analysis, with 94 patients in the preintervention group and 81 patients in the postintervention group. The primary outcome met statistical significance, with an increase in the percentage of patients discharged on a high-intensity statin in the postintervention group (70.4%) compared to the preintervention group (38.3%) (P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval, 1.37-2.46). Secondary outcomes that met statistical significance included an increase in the percentage of patients with any increase in statin intensity (35.8% vs 20.2%; P = 0.02).

Conclusion

The addition of a pharmacist consult led to an increase in the percentage of patients discharged on a high-intensity statin and an increase in overall statin intensification.
Risks and Complications Rate in Liposuction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Comerci Alexander J , Arellano Jose Antonio , Alessandri-Bonetti Mario , Mocharnuk Joseph W , Marangi Giovanni F , Persichetti Paolo , Rubin J Peter , Egro Francesco M
Published: April 2024

Liposuction is a surgical procedure used to remove localized excess adipose tissue. According to The Aesthetic Society's latest annual report, liposuction is the most commonly performed cosmetic procedure. Despite its popularity, the existing literature lacks a unified understanding of the risks associated with liposuction. The aim of this study was to measure complications of liposuction. A systematic review and meta-analysis was reported according to PRISMA guidelines and registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42023471626). The primary outcome was overall complication rate. The absolute risk for individual complications was also assessed. From 2957 articles, 39 studies were selected for analysis. In total, 29,368 patients were included, with a mean age of 40.62 years and mean BMI of 26.36 kg/m2. Overall, the rate of any complication was 2.62 (95% CI, 1.78-3.84). The most common complication was contour deformity, with a prevalence of 2.35% (95% CI, 1.05%-5.16%). The prevalence of hyperpigmentation was 1.49% (95% CI, 1.12%-1.99%), seroma 0.65% (95% CI, 0.33%-1.24%), hematoma 0.27% (95% CI, 0.12%-0.60%), superficial burn 0.25% (95% CI, 0.17%-0.36%), allergic reaction 0.16% (95% CI, 0.050%-0.52%), skin necrosis 0.046% (95% CI, 0.013%-0.16%), generalized edema 0.041% (95% CI, 0.0051%-0.32%), infection 0.020% (95% CI, 0.010%-0.050%), venous thromboembolism 0.017% (95% CI, 0.0060%-0.053%), and local anesthesia toxicity 0.016% (95% CI, 0.0040%-0.064%). Liposuction is a safe procedure with low complications, of which contour deformity is the most common. Raising awareness of specific risks can enhance surgical outcomes and improve patient-physician understanding.

Level of Evidence: 3
Solubilization and stabilization of lipoic acid trisulfide by creation of various β-cyclodextrin clathrates
Authors: Tomonaga Shoichiro , Ishimaru Hiroaki , Isobe Takahiro , Ohshima Etsuo , Kitagaki Shinji
Published: April 2024

Lipoic acid trisulfide, a sulfane sulfur-containing trisulfide of α-lipoic acid, holds promise in pharmaceuticals, yet knowledge gaps persist regarding its synthesis, properties, and stability. Here, we synthesized the lipoic acid trisulfide with a purity exceeding 99% from α-lipoic acid on a gram scale and obtained novel β-cyclodextrin clathrates (84%-95% yield). Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the inclusion of lipoic acid trisulfide in β-cyclodextrins. The resulting β-cyclodextrin clathrates exhibited significant improvements in water solubility and thermal stability. This pioneering study demonstrated a novel approach to the practical preparation of trisulfide and its β-cyclodextrin clathrates as active ingredients, paving the way for clinical development.
POCP-nf: an automatic Nextflow pipeline for calculating the percentage of conserved proteins in bacterial taxonomy
Authors: Hölzer Martin
Published: April 2024

Sequence technology advancements have led to an exponential increase in bacterial genomes, necessitating robust taxonomic classification methods. The Percentage Of Conserved Proteins (POCP), proposed initially by Qin et al. (2014), is a valuable metric for assessing prokaryote genus boundaries. Here, I introduce a computational pipeline for automated POCP calculation, aiming to enhance reproducibility and ease of use in taxonomic studies.

Availability and implementation

The POCP-nf pipeline uses DIAMOND for faster protein alignments, achieving similar sensitivity to BLASTP. The pipeline is implemented in Nextflow with Conda and Docker support and is freely available on GitHub under https://github.com/hoelzer/pocp. The open-source code can be easily adapted for various prokaryotic genome and protein datasets. Detailed documentation and usage instructions are provided in the repository.