bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrophobic Modification of Polyetherimide Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactor by 2-(Perfluoroalkyl) Ethanol Coating for Carbon Dioxide Absorption
Authors: Ahmadpour M. R. , Mansourizadeh A.
Published: November 2022

Highly porous polyether imide (PEI) hollow fiber membranes were fabricated through a phase-inversion process. Surface modification of the membranes was performed by coating an ultra-thin layer of 2-(perfluoroalkyl) ethanol (ZONYL). The properties of the prepared membranes were evaluated through field emission scanning electronic microscopy (FESEM), water contact angle, N2 permeation, overall porosity, critical water entry pressure (CEPw) and collapsing pressure experiments. From FESEM, the PEI membrane showed an open structure with large finger-likes cavities. By coating the ZONYL layer, the modified membrane presented improved outer surface water contact angle (105 °), CEPw (450 kPa), and collapsing pressure (750 kPa). The improved PEI-ZONYL membrane presented an almost stable CO2 absorption flux (6.8×10-4 mol/m2 s) during 72 h of the gas-liquid membrane contactor operation while a significant flux reduction was observed for the plain PEI membrane. Therefore, the improved membrane with high surface hydrophobicity and porosity can be a promising candidate for high performance gas-liquid membrane contactors.
AR Based User Manual for Receipt Printer Configuration
Authors: Eg Su Goh , A/P Subrumaniam Tamilarasi , Ahmad Johanna , Zakaria Noor Hidayah
Published: November 2022

Augmented Reality (AR) allows the user to place 3D virtual content to real world environment. By implementing AR technology, the configuration of receipt printer can be taught to the users easily. The users will be able to get the instructions according to the orientation and position of the printer components based on the targeted real-world space and view the step-by-step guidance on configuring the printer in AR. Therefore, the purpose of the project is to develop a mobile application that assists the users to view and learn to configure the printer using AR technology without the need of referring to user manual. There are three phases that have to carry out. Firstly, to conduct a preliminary study on the previous works related to AR user manual to get ideas on the ways to implement AR complementing the traditional user manual purposes. The second phase is to develop an application on related GUI. Lastly, the third phase is to integrate the proposed application with marker-based AR to display instructions based on distance and orientation in real world space. The output of this project has been evaluated through a user testing process on the user acceptance. The usability results show the users are satisfy with AR user manual for printer configuration as compared to the traditional printed user manual. The user acceptance results also show the AR used in this application helps the user in configuring the printer easily.
Virtual Reality Maze: Multiplayer Game for Android Smartphone
Authors: Eg Su Goh , Jasmin Julia , Ismail Ajune Wanis
Published: November 2022

When thinking of Virtual Reality (VR), people often think of a realistic open scene virtual world where players can do anything their hearts desire. Unfortunately, not all people can afford to buy the best VR equipment such as HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR. The cheaper option such as Android VR Box tends to give its user a very basic VR experience where there can only look around and have little or no interaction with the VR environment while the expensive option allows players to freely interact with objects in the game. The aim of this project is to develop a VR maze game that can provides a player with better user experience while playing game using a VR headset and a smartphone. This project’s developments processes include study about VR and its implementation integrated with accelerometer and Bluetooth controller to make interactive and more immersive android VR maze game. User testing is also done to evaluate the player’s playing experience on this game. The outcome from this project show that most of the respondents are able to understand how to move their character and interact with objects in the game developed without the needs of further explanation.
Development of Contacting Solutions for Shape Memory Alloy Wires
Authors: John Benjamin , Pagel Kenny , Langbein Sven , Drossel Welf-Guntram
Published: November 2022

Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) are thermosensitive materials that can change their geometry when a certain temperature is reached. Compared to conventional drives SMA based actuator systems provide many advantages and have already been successfully established on the market in various applications. Nevertheless, the manufacturing-related system integration of SMA actuators, especially for electrically activated wire actuators, is still a challenge. There are a variety of techniques to establish a connection between an SMA wire and its system environment. However, most of these solutions are not suitable for mass production. In any known industrialized application, only crimp or splice connectors are currently used.

This paper provides an overview of the crimp connectors already on the market. These were discussed with regard to their suitability for possible applications. Since precise information on manufacturing parameters or performance characteristics is usually not available, various influences on the mechanical and electrical functionality of the connection and on the thermal and cyclic properties of the system were analyzed and discussed.

Different approaches to create a reliable connection were investigated. This ranges from connectors based solely on frictional closure, to more complex approaches, that realize both frictional and form closure as well as material-fit connection. Pull-out tests were carried out to check the connection strength and thus to evaluate the concepts. The determined preferred variant was then tested for cyclic strength. In subsequent fatigue tests, the preferred variant was shown to have a cycle strength of over 2500 cycles at 400 MPa (50 N). The results provide a basis for future results to further increase the current level of technological maturity and enable broader application.
A Bose horn antenna radio telescope (BHARAT) design for 21 cm hydrogen line experiments for radio astronomy teaching
Authors: Mhaske Ashish A. , Bagchi Joydeep , Joshi Bhal Chandra , Jacob Joe , K. T. Paul
Published: November 2022

We have designed a low-cost radio telescope system named the Bose Horn Antenna Radio Telescope (BHARAT) to detect the 21 cm hydrogen line emission from our Galaxy. The system is being used at the Radio Physics Laboratory (RPL) (Radio Physics Lab, IUCAA NCRA-TIFR, , ), Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), India, for laboratory sessions and training students and teachers. It is also a part of the laboratory curriculum at several universities and colleges. Here, we present the design of a highly efficient, easy to build, and cost-effective dual-mode conical horn used as a radio telescope and describe the calibration procedure. We also present some model observation data acquired using the telescope for facilitating easy incorporation of this experiment in the laboratory curriculum of undergraduate or post-graduate programs. We have named the antenna after Acharya (teacher or an influential mentor) Jagadish Chandra Bose, honoring a pioneer in radio-wave science and an outstanding teacher, who inspired several world renowned scientists.
Host-Mediated Copper Stress Is Not Protective against Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 Infection
Authors: Neville Stephanie L. , Cunningham Bliss A. , Maunders Eve A. , Tan Aimee , Watts Jacinta A. , Ganio Katherine , Eijkelkamp Bart A. , Pederick Victoria G. , Gonzalez de Vega Raquel , Clases David , Doble Philip A. , McDevitt Christopher A.
Published: November 2022

Streptococcus pneumoniae(the pneumococcus) is one of the world’s foremost bacterial pathogens. Treatment of both localized and systemic pneumococcal infection is becoming complicated by increasing rates of multidrug resistance globally.
Supplemental Material: Subsurface heat and salts cause exceptionally limited methane hydrate stability in the Mediterranean Basin
Authors: Camerlenghi Angelo , al. et
Published: November 2022

Data and methods, Figure S1, Tables S1 and S2, and Plates S1 and S2 (the graphical results of modeling of DSDP and ODP boreholes, displayed with lithostratigraphy). 
Supplemental Material: 100 k.y. pacing of the East Asian summer monsoon over the past five glacial cycles inferred from land snails
Authors: Bao Rui , Sheng Xuefen , al. et
Published: November 2022

A summary of previous studies on the climatic significance of shell δ13C proxy; details of sample measurements and chronology; and the isotopic fluctuations among species and individuals within a single sample unit. 
A Fast and Accurate Human Pose Estimation Method Based on Multi-Scale Feature Fusion Grid Structure
Authors: Li Qiming , Wan Daizong , Yang Xiaoyan
Published: November 2022

Human pose estimation (HPE) is a research hotspot in the field of computer vision. Most of the existing approaches first generate low-resolution representation from high-resolution representation through continuous serial downsampling, and then reconstruct high-resolution results from low-resolution features through continuous serial upsampling, which loses a lot of effective feature information and leads to slow model inference. In this paper, the Fast Accuracy Network (FANet), a framework that enables fast and high-accuracy HPE, is proposed. The innovation lies in that, first of all, a grid structure is proposed and adopted, which can be regarded as a set of deep paths and shallow paths. The structure uses multiple high-resolution and low-resolution branch pairs to perform skip-level connections at different scale-space levels so that the information can be exchanged between different resolution representations for many times. The feature information fusion of multi-scale space is realized to obtain more abundant feature information. Second, an improved bottleneck block is proposed to extract effective feature information with fewer parameters, ensuring that the computational burden is reduced without sacrificing accuracy performance. The experimental results show that, compared with other current models, FANet has faster inference speed on the premise of a slight improvement in accuracy performance.
The development of general relativity and the cosmological constant
Authors: Qadir Asghar
Published: November 2022

There is much talk of a “mysterious form of energy”, called “dark energy” that forms the bulk of the energy content of the universe. Perhaps the most mysterious aspect of it is why should it be regarded as mysterious in the first place. This question is discussed in the context of the development of relativity and relativistic cosmology. It will be argued that there is no good reason to treat it as other than Einstein’s cosmological constant.
Bayesian Life Test Acceptance Criteria for Progressively Censored Competing Risks Data Using Copulas
Authors: Salem Maram Magdy
Published: November 2022

In many practical situations, more than one failure mechanism may contribute to product failure. Many studies assume independence between the different competing risks of failure. Nevertheless, the assumption of independence is not always justified in various practical applications. When the competing risks are assumed dependent, it is important to identify models that describe their dependence structure. Copulas are considered a powerful tool to model such dependence structures. This paper addresses the problem of developing Bayesian life test acceptance criteria through two-sample prediction of future observations based on another independent Weibull progressively Type-II censored sample with binomial random removals. It is assumed that unit failure occurs due to only one of two competing risks. Dependence among the competing risks of failure is modeled using Archimedean copulas with nonconjugate prior distributions. A Metropolis–Hastings Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm is implemented to derive the prediction intervals that define the proposed acceptance criteria. The derived acceptance criteria enable manufacturers to conform to the required quality specifications and help their clients to properly set their quality expectations. A real data example is provided to illustrate the proposed life test acceptance criteria.
Standard pairs and construction of multiwavelets using refinement masks satisfying sum rules of order one
Authors: Poornima P. , Murugesan K.
Published: November 2022

A multiwavelet is typically constructed starting from a vector-valued function satisfying a matrix refinement equation. The approximation order of such a refinable function vector is related to the sum rules of order [Formula: see text] satisfied by the corresponding refinement mask. A refinable function vector can be obtained using cascade algorithm by constructing a refinement mask which satisfies the sum rules of order [Formula: see text] A standard pair associated with a refinement mask gives information about its spectral properties. In this paper, we present a procedure for constructing refinement masks satisfying the sum rules of order [Formula: see text], starting from standard pairs. How this helps in the construction of asymmetric multiwavelets using standard pairs is illustrated through examples. A sufficient condition on a standard pair and a necessary and sufficient condition on a left standard pair are established so that the corresponding refinement mask satisfies the sum rules of order [Formula: see text].
Subfield prestige and gender inequality among U.S. computing faculty
Authors: Laberge Nicholas , Wapman K. Hunter , Morgan Allison C. , Zhang Sam , Larremore Daniel B. , Clauset Aaron
Published: November 2022

A study of the intersections of gender, race, socioeconomic status, prestige, and subfield structure in computing.
CSRB's opus one
Authors: Kamp Poul-Henning
Published: November 2022

Comments on the Cyber Safety Review Board Log4j Event Report.
Counting the Answers to a Query
Authors: Arenas Marcelo , Croquevielle Luis Alberto , Jayaram Rajesh , Riveros Cristian
Published: November 2022

Counting the answers to a query is a fundamental problem in databases, with several applications in the evaluation, optimization, and visualization of queries. Unfortunately, counting query answers is a #P-hard problem in most cases, so it is unlikely to be solvable in polynomial time. Recently, new results on approximate counting have been developed, specifically by showing that some problems in automata theory admit fully polynomial-time randomized approximation schemes. These results have several implications for the problem of counting the answers to a query; in particular, for graph and conjunctive queries. In this work, we present the main ideas of these approximation results, by using labeled DAGs instead of automata to simplify the presentation. In addition, we review how to apply these results to count query answers in different areas of databases.
Pore Engineering in Gas Diffusion Layer of Phthalocyanine Cobalt Cathode to Promote Electrochemical CO2-to-CO Reduction
Authors: Wan Qiqi , Yuan Lei , Peng Yuanting , Ye Donghao , Liu Yingying , Jiang Wenxing , Li Jin , Zhang Longhai , Hou Junbo , Zhuang Xiaodong , Zhang Junliang , Ke Changchun
Published: November 2022

While substantial electrocatalysts have been proposed and efficiently catalyze CO2 to multiple products, mass transport is becoming a major constraint to further improve the performance of CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2ERR). Gas diffusion electrode (GDE) technique has been identified as an effective way to overcome the confined mass transfer of CO2. While many research efforts have focused on the catalyst layer (CL), considerably fewer efforts have focused on the gas diffusion layer (GDL), the support and substrate of GDE. Herein, we studied the effect of the GDL on the performance of phthalocyanine cobalt (CoPc)-based GDE to catalyze CO2 to CO with a special emphasis on the hydrophilicity, porosity, and wettability. We demonstrate a facile and reproducible method of PTFE impregnation to tune the hydrophobicity and pore characteristics of GDL, to enhance CO2ERR. Using a proper designed GDL as the substrate, the CoPc-based GDE achieves a high current density of 321.7 mA cm−2 and Faradaic efficiency for CO of 98.4% at a cathode potential of −1.2 V (vs RHE), representing the highest performance of CoPc-based GDEs reported in the literature.
Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient Coefficients with Exact and Strong Wolfe Line Searches Techniques
Authors: Abdelrahman Awad , Mohammed Mogtaba , Yousif Osman O. O. , Elbashir Murtada K.
Published: November 2022

Nonlinear conjugate gradient (CG) methods are very important for solving unconstrained optimization problems. These methods have been subjected to extensive researches in terms of enhancing them. Exact and strong Wolfe line search techniques are usually used in practice for the analysis and implementation of conjugate gradient methods. For better results, several studies have been carried out to modify classical CG methods. The method of Fletcher and Reeves (FR) is one of the most well‐known CG methods. It has strong convergence properties, but it gives poor numerical results in practice. The main goal of this paper is to enhance this method in terms of numerical performance via a convexity type of modification on its coefficient βk. We ensure that with this modification, the method is still achieving the sufficient descent condition and global convergence via both exact and strong Wolfe line searches. The numerical results show that this modified FR is more robust and effective.
Sigmoid Venous Thrombosis in JAK2 V617F Mutated Polycythemia Vera
Authors: Martins De Oliveira Filho Cilomar , Gavralidis Alexander
Published: November 2022

A 60-year-old female presented with headaches, blurry vision, diplopia, and dizziness for six weeks. Her workup revealed an elevated hematocrit, thrombocytosis, high ferritin, and normal erythropoietin. She was diagnosed with polycythemia vera with the JAK2 V617F mutation. The patient underwent magnetic resonance venography, which showed left-sided sigmoid venous thrombosis. She was placed on low-molecular-weight heparin, with a plan to transition to oral anticoagulation after four weeks and repeat imaging in three months to assess for resolution. Thrombotic events may occur in patients with polycythemia vera, and a JAK2 mutation further heightens that risk. Even so, intracranial venous thrombosis is not among the most common events, and it should be kept in the differential for any patient with myeloproliferative neoplasms presenting with new neurological symptoms.
Combining Augmented Error Modeling Technique and Block-Pulse Functions Method for Tracking Control Design of Nonlinear Polynomial Systems with Multiple Time-Delayed States Subject to Nonsymmetric Input Saturation
Authors: Iben Warrad Bassem
Published: November 2022

The present research work is intended to synthesize a novel tracking control strategy for a class of nonlinear polynomial systems characterized by multiple well-defined delays in state variables under the presence of nonsymmetric input saturation. The design strategy makes full use of an associate’s memory nonlinear state feedback control with integral-based actions. An original control scheme joining block-pulse functions method combined with the augmented error modeling technique is used to infer the controller’s tracking gains. The objective is to convert the investigated nonlinear algebraic problem governed by specifying constraints into a constrained linear one that can be solved in the constrained least square methodology. Detailed novel sufficient conditions proving the closed-loop augmented system’s practical stability are elaborated. The instance of a twofold inverted pendulums benchmark is considered so as to exhibit the benefits of the proposed control approach.
Study on Influencing Factors and Estimation Model of the Water Supply and Drainage Structure Cost in Substation
Authors: Zhai Huijing , Wang Jiao , Wang Ningning
Published: November 2022

This paper made an in-depth analysis of the articulation between a substation’s design parameters and water supply and drainage structure quantities and costs, innovatively built a hierarchical structure model of influencing factors of quantities, and eventually extracted the key parameters affecting quantities. Meanwhile, the influence path of the price level change on the water supply and drainage structure costs was also analyzed in this paper. The BP neural network model and linear regression model were employed to estimate the ontology engineering cost and the price difference due to preparation time, so as to realize the purpose of quickly estimating the cost of substation water supply and drainage structure by knowing a few key parameters. Through calculation and stimulated analysis, the error of the model is controlled within ±3%, which provides an effective tool for quickly estimating the cost of substation water supply and drainage structure. Therefore, this model has practical significance and application value.
Incertidumbre Institucional y Emprendimiento Femenino
Authors: Muñoz Victor , Castillo Mauricio , Duarte Diego
Published: November 2022

En el mundo son más de 274 millones las mujeres que participan en emprendimientos en etapa inicial y más de 139 millones son dueñas o gerentas de negocios establecidos. En Chile, lasemprendedoras representan un 47% del total de los emprendimientos nacientes. Si existiese alguna duda sobre la importancia de comprender el emprendimiento femenino, estas cifrasson incontestables. Continuar leyendo...
In the Absence of a Tribunal, Can UN Investigative Mechanisms Ensure Justice for Victims of Rape as a Weapon of War?
Authors: Jennings Helen
Published: November 2022

This article explores the evolution of UN fact-finding mechanisms as a method of pursuing legal accountability for violations of international criminal and human rights law, specifically sexual and gender-based violence and violations of sexual and reproductive health rights in conflict situations. The article argues that, in order to effectively contribute to the task of securing individual accountability for violations of international criminal law, while also pursuing political accountability for mass abuse of human rights, the UN system of fact-finding mechanisms must be reformed. The mandates of Commissions of Inquiry must be stripped back to their core function of investigating human rights abuse, while Novel Investigative Mechanisms take over the individual criminal responsibility mandate. Until both these functions are given separate and adequate attention by properly resourced fact-finding mechanisms, victims of abuse such as sexual and gender-based violence and violation of sexual and reproductive health rights in countries without recourse to international courts will be denied justice and recognition through UN channels.
Litigating Economic Sanctions
Authors: Ventouratou Anna
Published: November 2022

This article focuses on the legality of unilateral economic sanctions that consist in the non-performance of obligations in the field of economic relations under relevant applicable treaties, and on the role that international adjudicative bodies can play in drawing a line between legal and illegal economic sanctions. It revisits the scarce relevant litigation before the ICJ and the WTO, pinpointing the grey areas in the law applicable to economic sanctions, on which further clarification is needed. The article argues that international adjudication can play a crucial role in such process of clarification, not only by elucidating the relevant legal regime, but also by triggering State reactions, which in turn can prompt legal developments in this area. Once the “rule-ness” of the relevant legal regime is firmly established, the need for court “supervision” will decrease, thus making it possible to envisage a fair system of international law enforcement without international courts.
Recourse to International Courts and Tribunals in the 2017–2021 Gulf Dispute
Authors: Gaver Craig
Published: November 2022

One of the broadest international disputes in recent years is the perfect case to test Judge Yusuf’s assertion that “there can be no rule of law without a court to apply it.” From 2017 to 2021, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (the “Quartet”), on one hand, and Qatar, on the other, were engaged in a standoff, severing nearly all diplomatic and economic relations and lodging a number of legal challenges in various fora. These proceedings collectively touched on treaty interpretation, State responsibility, countermeasures and non-coercive sanctions, human rights, investment and trade, aviation law, and still other legal issues. By comparing the jurisdiction, reasoning, and dispositions of the different modalities of dispute resolution, this article demonstrates that international courts were neither sufficient nor necessary for resolving the macro dispute among the parties, particularly in light of non-judicial alternative proceedings. It illustrates, with respect to Judge Yusuf, that non- judicial dispute resolution fora are just as important as international courts for upholding the international rule of law.
A Puzzle in a Paintbox: A Painter’s Solution to Ferdinand Bauer’s Colour Code for the Flora and Fauna Graeca 1786–1794
Authors: Jelley Jane
Published: November 2022

The numeric colour codes used by the natural history painter Ferdinand Bauer (1760–1826) have remained resistant to interpretation. However, a practical approach, and an appreciation of historical painting methods and materials, have led to a solution to the code he devised for the Flora and Fauna Graeca. It is suggested that Bauer related the process of viewing, identifying, and conceptualising qualities of colours to the intrinsic properties of his pigments, and their sequence in his paintbox; also that his codes provided directions as to their moderation and mode of use. This study proposes that rather than being a mechanical reference system, Bauer’s code was a flexible mnemonic, reaching into the heart of artistic process.
Evidence of Dominican Imagery and Cultural Identities on Venetian Crete at the Time of the Revolt of St Titus
Authors: Bormpoudaki Maria
Published: November 2022

Current discourse on Latin imagery in rural Greek churches in Venetian Crete is habitually focused on images of St Francis. The explanations offered by scholars concerning his appearances in this context usually revolve around Francis’s perceived interconfessional appeal, but the introduction of another Latin saint from a different mendicant order into the monumental art of Byzantine character on Crete revises this picture significantly. The present article discusses images of Dominican saints found in Cretan churches of the Venetian period. With statutes promulgated in 1254 and 1256, the General Chapter of the Dominicans encouraged the veneration of Dominican saints through the dissemination of their images, and the representation of St Peter Martyr in his eponymous church in Candia clearly constitutes a visual testimony to this policy. At the same time, the portrait of St Peter Martyr in the Greek (Orthodox) church of St George in the village of Apostoloi in Pediada (in the wider Candia region) provides grounds for a discussion of cultural difference in Venetian Crete, as well as for the interaction between the Latin and Greek communities around the time of the revolt of St Titus. In my view, this representation, which is currently the only known example in a Greek church, should be re-examined in light of the prominent Venetian presence in the aforementioned region and the specificity of the local context.
Creating the Moments of Art in Life
Authors: Gao Shiming
Published: November 2022

Art education at art institutes is not only to train personnel for cultural industry, but it needs to re-build the aesthetic sensibility of individuals through art. Artists and art educators need to pay close attention to the experience of daily life. By learning to live through life, the aim of art education at art institutes is to transform human minds and to cultivate common interests of human beings. It is to empower the inner strength of the individual. With this perspective, art is the creation of artistic moments of life that our sensibility, critique and creativity inspire us so that the potential intellectual and emotional power is realized.
New species of Pyrgulopsis Call & Pilsbry, 1886 (Mollusca: Caenogastropoda: Hydrobiidae) from two Chihuahuan Desert springs
Authors: PEREZ KATHRYN E. , HUTCHINS BENJAMIN T. , SOLIS MEGAN , SCHWARTZ BENJAMIN F.
Published: November 2022

Two new populations of Pyrgulopsis were found in springs in the Chihuahuan desert region of Texas. Pyrgulopsis Call & Pilsbry, 1886 are a diverse group of snails occupying freshwater springs, usually narrow-range endemics limited to a single spring. Their small ranges confer substantial conservation concern as the drying or disturbance of a single spring can lead to their extinction. We use mitochondrial COI and nuclear LSU sequences, shell morphometrics, and anatomical features to distinguish a new species of Pyrgulopsis endemic to the Big Bend region of Texas.
‘Creature of statute’: Legal bureaucracy and the performance of professionalism in Johannesburg
Authors: Bolt Maxim
Published: November 2022

South Africa’s Master of the High Court administers property inheritance. Described as a ‘creature of statute’, and staffed by legally trained officials, the law takes centre-stage. Focusing on Johannesburg, the Master’s biggest and busiest branch, this article examines how law is performed in bureaucratic encounters, and how this shapes the everyday relations that make legal bureaucrats as middle-class professionals. Middle-class status is performed in the very enactment of a professional system, inflected by the racialised positioning of a new post-apartheid generation of largely black officials. Formal qualifications facilitate forms of distinction that maintain both prestige and everyday roles. Yet this is fraught. The Master and its administrators are positioned between post-apartheid potential and apartheid legal legacies; between transformation and a still racialised society; between professional ideal as legal bureaucrats and the career possibilities of a more lawyerly legal world.
Comparing ‘clinical hunch’ against clinical decision support systems (PERC rule, wells score, revised Geneva score and YEARS criteria) in the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: Medson Koshiar , Yu Jimmy , Liwenborg Lovisa , Lindholm Peter , Westerlund Eli
Published: November 2022

Background

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially life-threatening condition. Since it is considered a ‘do not miss’ diagnosis, PE tends to be over-investigated beyond the evidence-based clinical decision support systems (CDSS), which in turn subjects patients to unnecessary radiation and contrast agent exposure with no apparent benefits in terms of outcome.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the yield of ‘clinical hunch’ (gestalt) and four CDSS: the PERC Rule, Wells score, revised Geneva score, and Years criteria.

Methods

A review was conducted on the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) of 1566 patients from the Emergency Department at a tertiary teaching hospital who underwent CTPA from the 1st of January 2018 to the 31st of December 2019. The scores for the four CDSS were calculated retrospectively from the EMR data. We considered that a CTPA had been ordered on a clinical hunch when there was no mention of CDSS in the EMR, and no D-dimer test. A bypass of CDSS was confirmed when any step of the diagnostic algorithms was not followed.

Results

Of the total 1566 patients who underwent CTPA, 265 (17%) were positive for PE. The diagnosis yield from the five decision groups (clinical hunch and four CDSS) was as follows—clinical hunch, 15%; PERC rule, 18% (6% when bypassed); Wells score, 19% (11% when bypassed); revised Geneva score, 26% (13% when bypassed); and YEARS criteria, 18% (6% when bypassed).

Conclusion

Clinicians should trust the evidence-based clinical decision support systems in line with the international guidelines to diagnose PE.
Potential links between COVID-19 and periodontitis: a bioinformatic analysis based on GEO datasets
Authors: Zhang Churen , Sun Yuzhe , Xu Min , Shu Chang , Yue Zhaoguo , Hou Jianxia , Ou Dongchen
Published: November 2022

Background

2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 pandemic has already had a serious influence on human existence, causing a huge public health concern for countries all around the world. Because SARS-CoV-2 infection can be spread by contact with the oral cavity, the link between oral illness and COVID-19 is gaining traction. Through bioinformatics approaches, we explored the possible molecular mechanisms linking the COVID-19 and periodontitis to provide the basis and direction for future research.

Methods

Transcriptomic data from blood samples of patients with COVID-19 and periodontitis was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The shared differentially expressed genes were identified. The analysis of Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genesand Genomes pathway, and protein–protein interaction network was conducted for the shared differentially expressed genes. Top 5 hub genes were selected through Maximal Clique Centrality algorithm. Then mRNA-miRNA network of the hub genes was established based on miRDB database, miRTarbase database and Targetscan database. The Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis was used to discover possible biomarkers, which were then investigated in relation to immune-related genes.

Results

Fifty-six shared genes were identified through differential expression analysis in COVID-19 and periodontitis. The function of these genes was enriched in regulation of hormone secretion, regulation of secretion by cell. Myozenin 2 was identified through Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression Analysis, which was down-regulated in both COVID-19 and periodontitis. There was a positive correlation between Myozenin 2 and the biomarker of activated B cell, memory B cell, effector memory CD4 T cell, Type 17 helper cell, T follicular helper cell and Type 2 helper cell.

Conclusion

By bioinformatics analysis, Myozenin 2 is predicted to correlate to the pathogenesis and immune infiltrating of COVID-19 and periodontitis. However, more clinical and experimental researches are needed to validate the function of Myozenin 2.
Convergence of solutions for perturbed and unperturbed cobweb models with generalized Caputo derivative
Authors: Nagy A. M. , Assidi S. , Makhlouf A. Ben
Published: November 2022

In this paper, continuous cobweb models with a generalized Caputo derivative called Caputo–Katugampola are investigated for both supply and demand functions and their perturbations. The convergence of each solution in the perturbed and unperturbed cases to a single equilibrium is proved. Moreover, some numerical experiments are provided to validate the theoretical results.
Domain knowledge-guided data-driven prestack seismic inversion using deep learning
Authors: Zhang Jian , Zhao Xiaoyan , Chen Yangkang , Sun Hui
Published: November 2022

The essential task of reservoir characterization is to predict elastic/petrophysical parameters or facies from observed seismic data and evaluate their uncertainty. Deep learning-based methods gain great popularity because of their powerful ability to obtain exact solutions for geophysical inverse problems. However, those deep learning methods that use seismic data as the only input lead to difficult training and unstable inversion results (i.e., transverse discontinuity or geologic unreliability). In such circumstances, it is beneficial if prior knowledge of the model domain can be incorporated into the deep learning framework. Therefore, we have developed prior-based loss functions in the learning step of the deep learning models to ensure that the predictions find low errors on the training sets and that their results are consistent with the known prior. In addition, the Monte Carlo dropout (MC-dropout) technique is introduced for the quantitative assessment of the uncertainty of the prediction results. We determine the effectiveness of our framework in the application of prestack seismic inversion, in which the initial model built from well-log interpolation is used to design the prior-based loss function. We first perform extensive experiments on the synthetic data and find that our method can yield more stable and reliable results compared with traditional methods. Combined with the transfer learning strategy, the application to real data further demonstrates that our deep learning framework obtains more reasonable inversion results with more horizontal continuity and greater geologic reliability than traditional approaches.
S-wave velocity prediction using physical model-driven Gaussian process regression: A case study of tight sandstone reservoir
Authors: Zhang Yijie , Wang Danhui , Li Hui , Gao Jinghuai
Published: November 2022

Knowing S-wave velocity is critical to characterize the tight sandstone reservoir owing to its insensitive elastic responses. However, it is challenging to precisely acquire S-wave information due to the high cost and technical difficulties. Here, beyond the conventional model- and statistical data-driven methods, we propose a numerical scheme based on Gaussian process regression (GPR) to predict the S-wave velocity with P-wave velocity and lithologic parameters as input. The GPR is a nonparametric kernel-based probabilistic model, which is explicitly defined by the mean and covariance functions. Compared with other machine-learning methods even the deep learning method, the GPR is a small data-based machine learning method, which is significant for geophysical issues. In addition, through training a small data set, the GPR-based scheme not only accurately estimates S-wave velocity but also quantifies the uncertainty of the results. Compared with conventional methods such as the Castagna relations, the comprehensive formula, and the bidirectional long short-term memory, the S-wave velocity predicted by GPR is more accurate in terms of the mean-squared error, root-mean-squared error, average relative error, and correlation coefficient. The field data test demonstrates that the proposed GPR-based scheme is superior and can be satisfactorily implemented for logging data.
Imaging of a shallow magma conduit system based on a high-power frequency-domain controlled-source electromagnetic survey
Authors: Zhou Nannan , Wei Xinhao , Zhang Shun
Published: November 2022

Mantle-derived magma may undergo lateral flow and emplacement through horizontal magma conduits; this occurs after magma from a deep source ascends through a vertical conduit. Regardless of this understanding, the characteristics of such shallow magma conduit systems remain unclear. We have developed an image of a shallow (5 km deep) magma conduit system based on the resistivity results of a high-power frequency-domain controlled-source electromagnetic survey in the Kalatongke magmatic-type Ni-Cu deposit. The magma upwelled and ascended along the vertical fault. At shallow depths, the magma moved horizontally along the tuff layer, laterally propagating in a horizontal magma conduit. Magma extending horizontally in the horizontal tuff layer could not break through the upper, conductive, and low-density carbonaceous layer. This image provides a conduit model with vertical magma ascent and lateral magma propagation. The model provides a basis for studying shallow magma conduit systems in orogenic belts on a global scale.
Approach to the Patient With Hypothalamic Obesity
Authors: Shoemaker Ashley H , Tamaroff Jaclyn
Published: November 2022

Hypothalamic obesity (HO) is defined as abnormal weight gain due to physical destruction of the hypothalamus. Suprasellar tumors, most commonly craniopharyngiomas, are a classic cause of HO. HO often goes unnoticed initially as patients, families, and medical teams are focused on oncologic treatments and management of panhypopituitarism. HO is characterized by rapid weight gain in the first year after hypothalamic destruction followed by refractory obesity due to an energy imbalance of decreased energy expenditure without decreased food intake. Currently available pharmacotherapies are less effective in HO than in common obesity. While not a cure, dietary interventions, pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery can mitigate the effects of HO. Early recognition of HO is necessary to give an opportunity to intervene before substantial weight gain occurs. Our goal for this article is to review the pathophysiology of HO and to discuss available treatment options and future directions for prevention and treatment.
5-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid Controls Androgen Reduction in Diverse Types of Human Epithelial Cells
Authors: Hardaway Aimalie L , Goudarzi Maryam , Berk Michael , Chung Yoon-Mi , Zhang Renliang , Li Jianneng , Klein Eric , Sharifi Nima
Published: November 2022

Androgens regulate broad physiologic and pathologic processes, including external genitalia development, prostate cancer progression, and anti-inflammatory effects in both cancer and asthma. In prostate cancer, several lines of evidence have implicated dietary and endogenous fatty acids in cell invasion, angiogenesis, and treatment resistance. However, the role of fatty acids in steroidogenesis and the mechanisms by which alterations in this pathway occur are not well understood. Here, we show that, of a panel of fatty acids tested, arachidonic acid and its specific metabolite 5-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE) regulate androgen metabolism. Arachidonic acid is metabolized to 5-HETE and reduces androgens by inducing aldo-keto reductase (AKR) family members AKR1C2 and AKR1C3 expression in human prostate, breast, and lung epithelial cells. Finally, we provide evidence that these effects require the expression of the antioxidant response sensor, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Our findings identify an interconnection between conventional fatty acid metabolism and steroid metabolism that has broad relevance to androgen physiology and inflammatory regulation.
Honneur et souveraineté
Authors: De Waele Michel
Published: November 2022

Précis

L'intérêt porté par le cardinal de Richelieu aux questions maritimes est bien connu des historiens. Ceux-ci, toutefois, l'ont généralement analysé sous un angle réaliste et rationnel, notamment en fonction de la nécessité de rattraper le retard pris face aux autres puissances européennes en ce domaine et du besoin de se protéger contre les ambitions espagnoles. Or, l'essor de la marine française s'explique également par l'importance de protéger l'honneur et la réputation du roi et du royaume, particulièrement contre la volonté du roi d'Angleterre de voir reconnue sa souveraineté sur les mers.

The interest shown by Cardinal Richelieu in maritime questions is well known to historians. Scholars have generally analyzed it from a realistic and rational angle, especially in terms of the need to catch up with the other European powers in this area and the need to protect the kingdom against Spanish ambitions. However, the rise of the French navy may also be explained by the need to protect the king's and the kingdom's honor and reputation, particularly against the desire of the king of England to see his sovereignty over the seas recognized.
Fear, Anger, and Rebellion
Authors: Freedman Jeffrey
Published: November 2022

Recent protests against police violence remind us just how volatile are the emotions inspired by law enforcement. Yet despite current interest in both the history of emotions and the history of policing, these two areas of research have for the most part remained separate. This article brings them together to explore the emotional impact of policing in eighteenth-century Paris. Drawing on documents from the police archive, it shows how fears of the police's expanding influence spread through various milieus. Denizens of the night who were engaged in illicit activities lived in fear of late-night raids. Parents with young boys feared the dangers to their sons posed by seemingly indiscriminate arrests of children found loitering in the streets. Yet sometimes those police actions triggered explosions of anger. Under what conditions did fear of the police become so intolerable that it provoked rebellion rather than subjugation?

Les protestations récentes contre la violence policière nous rappellent la volatilité des émotions inspirées par la police. Mais malgré l'intérêt croissant pour l'histoire des émotions et pour celle de la police, rares sont les études qui les mettent en relation. Cet article se situe à cheval entre les deux champs de recherche. Il se propose d'examiner l'impact affectif de la police parisienne au XVIIIe siècle. Il montre, sur la base de documents trouvés dans les archives de la police, comment les craintes inspirées par l'influence grandissante de la police ont touché différents milieux sociaux. Certains habitués de la vie nocturne engagés dans des activités illicites vivaient dans la crainte de rafles policières. Les parents de jeunes garçons craignaient de voir embarquer leurs enfants lors des campagnes d'arrestations apparemment arbitraires menées pour débarrasser les rues de jeunes qui y traînaient. Mais ces interventions enclenchaient parfois des mouvements de colère. Dans quelles circonstances la peur des services répressifs est-elle devenue si intolérable qu'elle ait provoqué la rébellion plutôt que l'assujettissement ?
Family Planning and Reproductive Agency in France
Authors: Bracke Maud Anne
Published: November 2022

The article analyzes debates on family planning, demography, and gender roles to explore the emergence of new notions of the reproductive subject in France between the 1950s and the 1970s. Drawing on papers of French and international family planning organizations, it argues that while the expansion of family planning ideology across France allowed for the discursive and practical construction of an autonomous reproductive subject, such a subject was framed by a hierarchization according to race, culture, and social class. Specifically, the analysis focuses on interventions in immigrant groups and on the French family planning movement's contribution to programs in Francophone Africa before and after decolonization. The article aims to contribute to an understanding of family planning as a transnational movement embedded in the globalization of demographic debate and the drive to normalize the nuclear family, and to an understanding of sexual change in Europe as shaped by global processes.

L'article analyse les débats autour du planning familial, la démographie et les rôles des sexes pour explorer l’émergence de nouvelles idées du sujet reproductif en France entre les années 1950 et 1970. S'appuyant sur des documents d'organisations françaises et internationales, l'article soutient que l'expansion de l'idéologie du planning familial à travers la France a permis la construction discursive et pratique d'un sujet reproductif autonome, mais qu'un tel sujet était encadré par une hiérarchisation selon la race, la culture et la classe sociale. Plus précisément, l'analyse se concentre sur les interventions auprès de groupes d'immigrés en France pendant les années 1960, et sur la contribution du mouvement français de planification familiale aux programmes en Afrique francophone avant et après la décolonisation. L'article vise à contribuer à une compréhension de la planification familiale en tant que mouvement transnational ancré dans la mondialisation des débats démographiques et qui considérait la normalisation de la famille nucléaire comme œuvre civilisatrice.