bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bi-Objective Surrogate Feasibility Robust Design Optimization Utilizing Expected Non-Dominated Improvement With Relaxation
Authors: Kania Randall J. , Azarm Shapour
Published: November 2022

Engineering design optimization problems often have two competing objectives as well as uncertainty. For these problems, quite often there is interest in obtaining feasibly robust optimum solutions. Feasibly robust here refers to solutions that are feasible under all uncertain conditions. In general, obtaining bi-objective feasibly robust solutions can be computationally expensive, even more so when the functions to evaluate are themselves computationally intensive. Although surrogates have begun to be utilized to decrease the computational costs of such problems, there is limited usage of Bayesian frameworks on problems of multiobjective optimization under interval uncertainty. This article seeks to formulate an approach for the solution of these problems via the expected improvement Bayesian acquisition function. The acquisition function is solved alternatingly with worst-case searches to find robust solutions. In this paper, a method is developed for iteratively relaxing the solutions to facilitate convergence to a set of non-dominated, robust optimal solutions. Additionally, a variation of the bi-objective expected improvement criterion is proposed to encourage variety and density of the robust bi-objective Pareto optimal (or non-dominated) solutions. Several examples are tested and compared against another bi-objective robust optimization approach with surrogate utilization. It is shown that the proposed method performs well at finding robustly optimized feasible solutions with limited function evaluations. Future directions for improving the proposed methodology are suggested.
Localized Dielectric Sintering With Magnetron for Microwave Material Processing
Authors: Graber Benjamin D. , Iliopoulos Athanasios P. , Michopoulos John G. , Steuben John C. , Birnbaum Andrew J. , Gorzkowski Edward P. , Patterson Eric A. , Fischer Richard P. , Petrov George M. , Johnson Luke A.
Published: November 2022

The process of sintering occurs when enough heating energy is applied on the particles of precursor powders to coalesce together and form a solid material without melting. Solidification takes place through cross mass diffusion along common interfaces and this technique has been used extensively by the materials processing community for ceramic part manufacturing. However, in most cases, furnaces are being used to elevate the temperature of material powder precursors globally throughout the entire volume of the intended parts. Instead of this approach, the present work explores the feasibility of using localized heating induced by coherent microwave radiation. Microwave-based material processing involves coupling between thermal and electromagnetic physics where the microwave radiation heats the sample locally via volumetrically tailored heat fluxes. However, changes in temperature change the dielectric properties of the sample, which then in turn affect microwave propagation. The nonlinearity introduced by the temperature dependence of the material properties into the relevant partial differential equations of this coupled system is further complicated by poorly defined dielectric, thermal, and thermo-electric properties of the dielectric precursor powders at temperatures required for sintering. This work focuses on analyzing a TE106 2.45 GHz microwave cavity used for processing BaTiO3, or BTO, precursor powder. Both a physical and a virtual experiment were carried out in tandem to understand the microwave propagation and dielectric property evolution with respect to temperature. It was demonstrated that appropriate tuning of the material properties (i.e., density, specific heat, heat conductivity, dielectric permittivity and loss tangent) relative to temperature enabled localized heating predicted by our model to match that of the physical experiment.
Design of Low-Cost Mini Controller Area Network
Authors: Makhlouf Abdalla , Ragab Elsayed , Abdelwahab Bassam , Qotb Ahmed , Alaaeldin Mohamed , Mousa Aiman , Yacoub Mostafa
Published: November 2022

Recently, the development of automotive embedded networks with different communication protocols has drawn the attention of many researchers. Especially, the development of separate onboard add-on systems that communicate with the vehicle network for the aim of enhancing comfort, safety or performance. The current article presents a simplified method for the design of a mini Controller Area Network (CAN) that accomplishes a sample task. The simple network uses the commonly used standard CAN protocol although it’s easily reconfigurable to deal with the extended CAN protocol. The network functionality was chosen to be as simple as transferring data between three CAN nodes, each holding a signal containing a switch status. After stating the network system requirements, the network topology and components list were identified. The circuit design of each node as well as the network design are presented and simulated. The network is built and tested experimentally. The proposed design method enables the use of low cost components that are available in the market. The nodes control programs are reconfigurable to match the target research vehicle network configurations. The proposed design method provides a handy tool for researchers that require utilizing a CAN protocol communication circuit that gathers information from any vehicle platform.
Hey, AI! Can You See What I See? Multimodal Transfer Learning-Based Design Metrics Prediction for Sketches With Text Descriptions
Authors: Song Binyang , Miller Scarlett , Ahmed Faez
Published: November 2022

Measuring design creativity is an indispensable component of innovation in engineering design. Properly assessing the creativity of a design requires a rigorous evaluation of the outputs. Traditional methods to evaluate designs are slow, expensive, and difficult to scale because they rely on human expert input. An alternative approach is to use computational methods to evaluate designs. However, most existing methods have limited utility because they are constrained to unimodal design representations (e.g., texts or sketches) and small datasets. To overcome these limitations, we propose a multimodal transfer learning-based machine learning model to predict five design metrics: drawing quality, uniqueness, elegance, usefulness, and creativity. The proposed model utilizes knowledge from large external datasets through transfer learning and simultaneously processes text and sketch data from early-phase concepts through multi-modal learning. Through six unimodal models using only texts or sketches, we show that transfer learning improves the predictive validity of text learning and sketch learning by 2%–18% and 9%–24%, respectively, for design metric evaluation. By comparing our multimodal model with the best unimodal models, we demonstrate that joining unimodal text and sketch learning models further increases the predictive validity of the approach by 4%–10%. The proposed models are generalizable to many application contexts beyond design concepts. Our findings highlight the importance of analyzing designs from multiple perspectives for design assessment. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in developing AI models for design metric evaluation.
Design, Kinematics, and Control of a Modular Robotic Suit as an Exercise System to Prevent Muscle Atrophy of Astronauts During Long-Duration Space Missions
Authors: Chae Jay S. , Nelson Carl A. , Baca José , Mukherjee Mukul
Published: November 2022

Muscle atrophy is a significant health issue for astronauts during long-duration space missions. Existing exercise equipment designed for use on spacecraft are an important part of mitigation strategies, but have some limitations. This paper presents a simple and compact modular robotic suit to overcome some of these limitations. Design rationale, kinematic modeling of the robot, control strategies for exercise, and prototyping of the modular robotic suit (MORS) are described.
Control Design and Simulation Framework for an Autonomous Paramotor UAV
Authors: Redkar Sangram , Fiedler Brett
Published: November 2022

This research develops a dynamics and control framework for an unmanned powered parachute system. The 6 DOF dynamics are derived from the first principle/fundamentals. The dynamic equations are simulated and validated within the MATLAB Simulink simulation environment. A Model Reference Adaptive Controller algorithm is utilized and simulated to update coefficients to control the plant more accurately. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation using SimScale is used to estimate aerodynamic coefficients. This paper is presented as a building block/work in progress for future work on robust and efficient adaptive control of powered parachute aerial vehicles. Derivation of the dynamic equations is included in section two, while section three covers methods used to computationally define key aerodynamic coefficients and describe PPC simulation within the MATLAB Simulink environment. Finally, section four presents the results. Further research into this framework will include validating results through experimentation of the PPC aircraft and comparing dynamic model accuracy. Finally, more advanced control techniques will be applied to the PPC model in simulations and experiments.
Forty-Two Watt I Indirect Cognates of a Four-Bar via Angular-Velocity Graph Coloring
Authors: Lusk Craig
Published: November 2022

Linkage cognates are linkages that have the same coupler curve. An indirect cognate is a cognate with a different number of links than the original linkage. This paper presents method for determining Watt chain cognates of a four-bar linkage. The method is based on assigning a different “color” to each link with a different angular velocity at a given instant. Links with the same angular velocity, as in parallel mechanisms, are assigned the same color. The forty-two Watt I cognates described are all four color mechanisms, which somewhat constrains their geometry. They subdivide into seven different groups each of which has a characteristic color pattern with six permutations of that pattern. Four of the cognate groups allow for two vectors to be designated arbitrarily, three of the groups allow for one such free vector choice. Although increasing complexity of a design is not usually advised, it is anticipated that the design freedom allowed by the indirect cognates may have utility for at least two reasons. First, the indirect cognates greatly expand the choices for the location and orientation of the ground link with respect to the coupler curve. Second, if the selected four-bar mechanism’s coupler curve is optimal with respect to a given criteria, the indirect cognates preserve that performance and may be effective starting designs for further optimization.
Primary Resonance in a Weakly Forced Mathieu Equation With Parametric Damping
Authors: Ardister Jamal , Afzali Fatemeh , Feeny Brian F.
Published: November 2022

In this work we study the primary resonance of a parametrically damped Mathieu equation with direct excitation. A potential application is wind-turbine blade vibration, as aeroelastic effects with a cyclic angle of attack may induce parametric damping, while cyclic stiffening and direct excitation are also known to be relevant. The parametric stiffness, parametric damping, and the direct forcing, all have the same excitation frequency, with phase parameters between these excitation sources. The parametric amplification at primary resonance is examined by applying the second-order method of multiple scales. With parametric stiffness and direct excitation, it is known that there is a primary parametric resonance that is an amplifier under most excitation phases, but can be a slight suppressor in a small range of phases. The parametric damping is shown to interact with the parametric stiffness to further amplify, or suppress, the resonance amplitude relative to the resonance under parametric stiffness. However, without the parametric stiffness, the parametric damping does not enhance the resonance. The phase of the parametric damping excitation, relative to the parametric stiffness, has a strong influence on the amplification or suppression characteristics. There are optimal phases of both the direct excitation and the parametric damping for amplifying or suppressing the resonance. The effect of the strength of parametric damping is also studied. Numerical simulations validate the perturbation analysis.
Fine-tuned magnetic nanobubbles for magnetic hyperthermia treatment of glioma cells
Authors: Li Bin , Han Yuexia , Liu Yang , Yang Fang
Published: November 2022

Magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) induced magnetic hyperthermia has been demonstrated as a promising technique for the treatment of brain tumor. However, lower heating efficiency resulting from low intratumoral accumulation of magnetic nanomaterials is still one of the significant limitations for their thermotherapeutic efficacy. In this study, we have designed a nanobubble structure with MNPs decorated on the shell, which leads to the improvement of magnetocaloric performance under an alternating magnetic field. First, the phospholipid coupled with MNPs as the shell to be self-assembled magnetic nanobubbles (MNBs) was fabricated by a temperature-regulated repeated compression self-assembly approach. Then, the optimal magnetic heating concentration, electric current parameters for producing the magnetic field, and the number of magnetic heating times were investigated for tuning the better magnetoenergy conversion. Finally, the well-defined geometrical orientation of MNPs on the nanobubble structure enhanced hypothermia effect was investigated. The results demonstrate that the MNBs could promote the endocytosis of magnetic nanoparticles by glioma cells, resulting in better therapeutic effect. Therefore, the controlled assembly of MNPs into well-defined bubble structures could serve as a new hyperthermia agent for tumor therapy.
Self-supervised acoustic representation learning via acoustic-embedding memory unit modified space autoencoder for underwater target recognition
Authors: Wang Xingmei , Meng Jiaxiang , Liu Yangtao , Zhan Ge , Tian Zhaonan
Published: November 2022

Since the expensive annotation of high-quality signals obtained from passive sonars and the weak generalization ability of the single feature in the ocean, this paper proposes the self-supervised acoustic representation learning under acoustic-embedding memory unit modified space autoencoder (ASAE) and performs the underwater target recognition task. In the manner of the animal-like acoustic auditory system, the first step is to design a self-supervised representation learning method called space autoencoder (SAE) to merge Mel filter-bank (FBank) with the acoustic discrimination and gammatone filter-bank (GBank) with the anti-noise robustness into SAE spectrogram (SAE Spec). Meanwhile, due to poor high-level semantic information in SAE Spec, an acoustic-embedding memory unit (AEMU) is introduced as the strategy of adversarial enhancement. During the auxiliary task, more negative samples are joined in the improved contrastive loss function to obtain adversarial enhanced features called ASAE spectrogram (ASAE Spec). Ultimately, the comprehensive contrast experiments and ablation experiments on two underwater datasets show that ASAE Spec increases by more than 0.96% in accuracy, convergence rate, and anti-noise robustness of other mainstream acoustic features. The results prove the potential value of ASAE in practical applications.
Natural oscillation frequencies of a Rayleigh sphere levitated in standing acoustic waves
Authors: Zang Yuchen , Chang Qin , Wang Xiaozhen , Su Chang , Wu Pengfei , Lin Weijun
Published: November 2022

Acoustic levitation is an important method of container-free processing, which counteracts gravity through exerting the acoustic radiation force on levitated objects. The Gorkov potential function is used to simplify the calculation of the acoustic radiation force acting on a Rayleigh sphere whose radius is much smaller than the wave length. For the case of a plane standing wave levitation system, a systematic analysis of the sphere dynamics is provided in the axial direction, assuming a small perturbation around the stable equilibrium locations. A generalized extension to an arbitrary standing wave field is provided, which gives formal expressions of the axial and transverse natural oscillation frequencies for the sphere. Particular emphasis is put on the natural oscillation frequencies with and without taking gravity into consideration. The computational results for Gauss and Bessel standing waves are provided as two special cases, which show that the transverse natural oscillation frequency will be overestimated when neglecting gravity, especially for a sphere with a relatively large density. Corresponding experiments are conducted to verify the dependence of the transverse natural oscillation frequency on the sphere density. The results obtained in this work are expected to provide a theoretical guide for enhancing the levitation stability and inversing the physical parameters from the sphere dynamics.
Climate models fail to capture strengthening wintertime North Atlantic jet and impacts on Europe
Authors: Blackport Russell , Fyfe John C.
Published: November 2022

Projections of wintertime surface climate over Europe depend on reliable simulations of the North Atlantic atmospheric circulation from climate models. However, it is unclear whether these models capture the long-term observed trends in the North Atlantic circulation. Here, we show that over the period from 1951 to 2020, the wintertime North Atlantic jet has strengthened, while model trends are, on average, only very weakly positive. The observed strengthening is greater than in any one of the 303 simulations from 44 climate models considered in our study. This divergence between models and observations is now much more apparent because of a very strong jet observed over the past decade. The models similarly have difficulty capturing the observed precipitation trends over Europe. Our results suggest that projections of winter atmospheric circulation and associated precipitation over Europe may be unreliable because they fail to capture the response to human emissions or underestimate the magnitude of multidecadal-to-centennial time scale internal variability.
Caspase-8 inactivation drives autophagy-dependent inflammasome activation in myeloid cells
Authors: Wu Yung-Hsuan , Mo Shu-Ting , Chen I-Ting , Hsieh Fu-Yi , Hsieh Shie-Liang , Zhang Jinake , Lai Ming-Zong
Published: November 2022

Caspase-8 activity controls the switch from cell death to pyroptosis when apoptosis and necroptosis are blocked, yet how caspase-8 inactivation induces inflammasome assembly remains unclear. We show that caspase-8 inhibition via IETD treatment in Toll-like receptor (TLR)–primed
Fadd
−/−
Ripk3
−/−
myeloid cells promoted interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 production through inflammasome activation. Caspase-8, caspase-1/11, and functional GSDMD, but not NLRP3 or RIPK1 activity, proved essential for IETD-triggered inflammasome activation. Autophagy became prominent in IETD-treated
Fadd
−/−
Ripk3
−/−
macrophages, and inhibiting it attenuated IETD-induced cell death and IL-1β/IL-18 production. In contrast, inhibiting GSDMD or autophagy did not prevent IETD-induced septic shock in
Fadd
−/−
Ripk3
−/−
mice, implying distinct death processes in other cell types. Cathepsin-B contributes to IETD-mediated inflammasome activation, as its inhibition or down-regulation limited IETD-elicited IL-1β production. Therefore, the autophagy and cathepsin-B axis represents one of the pathways leading to atypical inflammasome activation when apoptosis and necroptosis are suppressed and capase-8 is inhibited in myeloid cells.
3D stretchable and self-encapsulated multimaterial triboelectric fibers
Authors: Dong Chaoqun , Leber Andreas , Yan Dong , Banerjee Hritwick , Laperrousaz Stella , Das Gupta Tapajyoti , Shadman Shahrzad , Reis Pedro M. , Sorin Fabien
Published: November 2022

A robust power device for wearable technologies and soft electronics must feature good encapsulation, high deformability, and reliable electrical outputs. Despite substantial progress in materials and architectures for two-dimensional (2D) planar power configurations, fiber-based systems remain limited to relatively simple configurations and low performance due to challenges in processing methods. Here, we extend complex 2D triboelectric nanogenerator configurations to 3D fiber formats based on scalable thermal processing of water-resistant thermoplastic elastomers and composites. We perform mechanical analysis using finite element modeling to understand the fiber’s deformation and the level of control and engineering on its mechanical behavior and thus to guide its dimensional designs for enhanced electrical performance. With microtexture patterned functional surfaces, the resulting fibers can reliably produce state-of-the-art electrical outputs from various mechanical deformations, even under harsh conditions. These mechanical and electrical attributes allow their integration with large and stretchable surfaces for electricity generation of hundreds of microamperes.
Fragment-based computational design of antibodies targeting structured epitopes
Authors: Aguilar Rangel Mauricio , Bedwell Alice , Costanzi Elisa , Taylor Ross J. , Russo Rosaria , Bernardes Gonçalo J. L. , Ricagno Stefano , Frydman Judith , Vendruscolo Michele , Sormanni Pietro
Published: November 2022

De novo design methods hold the promise of reducing the time and cost of antibody discovery while enabling the facile and precise targeting of predetermined epitopes. Here, we describe a fragment-based method for the combinatorial design of antibody binding loops and their grafting onto antibody scaffolds. We designed and tested six single-domain antibodies targeting different epitopes on three antigens, including the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Biophysical characterization showed that all designs are stable and bind their intended targets with affinities in the nanomolar range without in vitro affinity maturation. We further discuss how a high-resolution input antigen structure is not required, as similar predictions are obtained when the input is a crystal structure or a computer-generated model. This computational procedure, which readily runs on a laptop, provides a starting point for the rapid generation of lead antibodies binding to preselected epitopes.
Planar defect–free pure red perovskite light-emitting diodes via metastable phase crystallization
Authors: Song Yong-Hui , Ge Jing , Mao Li-Bo , Wang Kun-Hua , Tai Xiao-Lin , Zhang Qian , Tang Le , Hao Jing-Ming , Yao Ji-Song , Wang Jing-Jing , Ma Tao , Yang Jun-Nan , Lan Yi-Feng , Ru Xue-Chen , Feng Li-Zhe , Zhang Guozhen , Lin Yue , Zhang Qun , Yao Hong-Bin
Published: November 2022

Solution-processable all-inorganic CsPbI

3−
x

Br

x

perovskite holds great potential for pure red light-emitting diodes. However, the widely existing defects in this mixed halide perovskite markedly limit the efficiency and stability of present light-emitting diode devices. We here identify that intragrain Ruddlesden-Popper planar defects are primary forms of such defects in the CsPbI

3−
x

Br

x

thin film owing to the lattice strain caused by inhomogeneous halogen ion distribution. To eliminate these defects, we develop a stepwise metastable phase crystallization strategy to minimize the CsPbI

3−
x

Br

x

perovskite lattice strain, which brings planar defect–free CsPbI

3−
x

Br

x

thin film with improved radiative recombination, narrowed emission band, and enhanced spectral stability. Using these high-quality thin films, we fabricate spectrally stable pure red perovskite light-emitting diodes, showing 17.8% external quantum efficiency and 9000 candela meter
−2
brightness with color coordinates required by Rec. 2020.
Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
Authors: French Katherine L. , Birdwell Justin E. , Lillis Paul G.
Published: November 2022

The siliceous nature of the Mowry Shale distinguishes it from many of the well-studied organic-rich mudstones of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. Available models of organic enrichment in mudstones rarely incorporate detailed biomarker, bulk organic, inorganic, and mineralogy data. Here, we used these data to evaluate how variations in organic matter source, productivity, dilution, and preservation modulated organic matter accumulation during the deposition of the Mowry Shale, while also demonstrating the benefits of this integrated approach. An organic stable carbon isotope vertical profile for the Mowry Shale is presented to test whether the Mowry Shale was deposited during oceanic anoxic event 1d (OAE 1d), thereby contributing to organic enrichment in the Mowry Shale.

Samples were analyzed from three thermally immature drill cores collected from the Wind River Basin, Wyoming to advance our understanding of the conditions that led to the formation of the Mowry Shale. Results from bulk organic and inorganic geochemistry and biomarkers show that redox-driven preservation is closely coupled with stratigraphic changes in organic matter content in intermediate to distal settings of the Mowry Shale. Biogenic silica dilution decouples productivity and organic enrichment, such that the interval that was deposited during the highest productivity is offset from the interval containing maximum organic content. These findings contrast with previous studies that identified productivity as the primary driver of organic enrichment in distal settings of the Mowry Shale. The middle and lower Mowry Shale contain primarily marine organic matter, whereas the relative contribution of terrestrial organic matter increases in the upper Mowry Shale and overlying Frontier Formation as relative sea level declined and the western shoreline prograded eastward. Finally, the organic stable carbon isotope profile of the Mowry Shale together with recent radioisotopic dating suggest that the Mowry Shale postdates OAE 1d by ∼1−2 million years (m.y.), providing another example of temporal offset between organic matter accumulation in the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway compared to other regions that record global OAEs.
Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy: real-world comparison between topical treatment with lidocaine 700 mg medicated plaster and oral treatments
Authors: Überall Michael , Bösl Irmgard , Hollanders Els , Sabatschus Ingo , Eerdekens Mariëlle
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN), a common complication of diabetes mellitus, is challenging to treat. Efficacy and tolerability of the topical lidocaine 700 mg medicated plaster (LMP) and well-established first-line oral medications (OM) were compared in refractory PDPN patients.

Research design and methods

This is a subgroup analysis of a non-interventional, retrospective 24-week cohort study using anonymized routine medical care data from the German Pain eRegistry. Propensity score matching provided 732 datasets per treatment group. Primary effectiveness endpoint was the absolute change in average 24-hour Pain Intensity Index (0–100 mm) from baseline after 4, 12 and 24 weeks of treatment and over the entire treatment period.

Results

The majority of this multimorbid and polymedicated study population of patients with PDPN had suffered pain for more than a year and presented with a high pain burden despite a median of seven previous analgesic medications. LMP treatment resulted in significant reductions in pain intensity and improvements in daily functioning already after 4 treatment weeks. Effectiveness was maintained over the treatment period even when concomitant analgesics were reduced or discontinued and quality of life improved. Mean change in the primary effectiveness parameter over the 24-week treatment period was −30.2 mm (SE 0.38) and −17.0 mm (SE 0.51) in the LMP and OM groups, respectively. Improvements in all effectiveness parameters were significantly greater under LMP than under OM treatment (p<0.001). Significantly fewer patients under LMP than OM experienced drug-related adverse events (DRAEs; 9.6% vs 61.6%, p<0.001) and discontinued treatment due to DRAEs (4.4% vs 35.8%, p<0.001).

Conclusions

LMP was effective and well tolerated in routine clinical care of patients with PDPN. The more favorable benefit/risk profile and greater reduction in intake of concomitant analgesics compared with OM suggest LMP as a useful treatment option for PDPN.

Trial registration number

EUPAS 32826.
Canine real-time detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the context of a mass screening event
Authors: ten Hagen Nele Alexandra , Twele Friederike , Meller Sebastian , Wijnen Lisa , Schulz Claudia , Schoneberg Clara , Kreienbrock Lothar , von Köckritz-Blickwede Maren , Osterhaus Albert , Boeck Anna-Lena , Boeck Konstantin , Bonda Viktoria , Pilchová Veronika , Kaiser Franziska Karola , Gonzalez Hernandez Mariana , Ebbers Hans , Hinsenkamp Julia , Pink Isabell , Drick Nora , Welte Tobias , Manns Michael Peter , Illig Thomas , Puyskens Andreas , Nitsche Andreas , Ernst Christiane , Engels Michael , Schalke Esther , Volk Holger Andreas
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Previous research demonstrated that medical scent detection dogs have the ability to distinguish SARS-CoV-2 positive from negative samples with high diagnostic accuracy. To deploy these dogs as a reliable screening method, it is mandatory to examine if canines maintain their high diagnostic accuracy in real-life screening settings. We conducted a study to evaluate the performance of medical scent detection dogs under real-life circumstances.

Methods

Eight dogs were trained to detect SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR-positive samples. Four concerts with a total of 2802 participants were held to evaluate canines’ performance in screening individuals for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sweat samples were taken from all participants and presented in a line-up setting. In addition, every participant had been tested with a SARS-CoV-2 specific rapid antigen test and a RT-qPCR and they provided information regarding age, sex, vaccination status and medical disease history. The participants’ infection status was unknown at the time of canine testing. Safety measures such as mask wearing and distance keeping were ensured.

Results

The SARS-CoV-2 detection dogs achieved a diagnostic specificity of 99.93% (95% CI 99.74% to 99.99%) and a sensitivity of 81.58% (95% CI 66.58% to 90.78%), respectively. The overall rate of concordant results was 99.68%. The majority of the study population was vaccinated with varying vaccines and vaccination schemes, while several participants had chronic diseases and were under chronic medication. This did not influence dogs’ decisions.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 scent detection dogs achieved high diagnostic accuracy in a real-life scenario. The vaccination status, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, chronic disease and medication of the participants did not influence the performance of the dogs in detecting the acute infection. This indicates that dogs provide a fast and reliable screening option for public events in which high-throughput screening is required.
Spatial distribution, determinants and trends of full vaccination coverage in children aged 12–59 months in Peru: A subanalysis of the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Al-kassab-Córdova Ali , Silva-Perez Claudia , Maguiña Jorge L
Published: November 2022

Objective

To assess the spatial distribution, trends and determinants of crude full vaccination coverage (FVC) in children aged 12–59 months between 2010 and 2019 in Peru.

Design, setting and analysis

A cross-sectional study based on the secondary data analysis of the 2010 and 2019 Peruvian Demographic and Health Surveys (DHSs) was conducted. Logit based multivariate decomposition analysis was employed to identify factors contributing to differences in FVC between 2010 and 2019. The spatial distribution of FVC in 2019 was evaluated through spatial autocorrelation (Global Moran’s I), ordinary kriging interpolation (Gaussian process regression) and Bernoulli-based purely spatial scan statistic.

Outcome measure

FVC, as crude coverage, was defined as having completely received BCG; three doses of diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, and polio vaccines; and measles vaccine by 12 months of age.

Participants

A total of 5 751 and 14 144 children aged 12–59 months from 2010 and 2019 DHSs, respectively, were included.

Results

FVC increased from 53.62% (95% CI 51.75% to 55.49%) in 2010 to 75.86% (95% CI 74.84% to 76.85%) in 2019. Most of the increase (70.39%) was attributable to differences in coefficients effects. Family size, visit of health workers in the last 12 months, age of the mother at first delivery, place of delivery and antenatal care follow-up were all significantly associated with the increase. The trend of FVC was non-linear and increased by 2.22% annually between 2010 and 2019. FVC distribution was heterogeneous at intradepartmental and interdepartmental level. Seven high-risk clusters of incomplete coverage were identified.

Conclusions

Although FVC has increased in Peru, it still remains below the recommended threshold. The increase of FVC was mainly attributed to the change in the effects of the characteristics of the population. There was high heterogeneity across Peruvian regions with the presence of high-risk clusters. Interventions must be redirected to reduce these geographical disparities.
Culturally adapted cognitive behavioural group therapy for mental disorders in refugees plus problem solving training (ReTreat): study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kananian Schahryar , Kip Ahlke , Schumm Hannah , Giesebrecht Julia , Nicolai Anica , Schade-Brittinger Carmen , Reese Jens-Peter , Weise Cornelia , Mewes Ricarda , Morina Nexhmedin , Ehring Thomas , Stangier Ulrich
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Since a high proportion of refugees in Germany suffer from mental disorders, culturally adapted treatments are needed that target a broad range of symptoms. There is much evidence for the efficacy of culturally adapted cognitive behavioural therapy (CA-CBT). Given the promising results of CA-CBT, the combination with problem solving training (CA-CBT+) represents a novel approach that potentially improves the refugees’ ability to cope actively with psychosocial problems. This randomised controlled trial evaluates the efficacy of 12-session outpatient CA-CBT+ compared with to treatment as usual (TAU) in a sample of refugees suffering from at least one DSM-5 disorder.

Methods and analysis

The present study will be carried out as two-group randomised trial with 1:1 individual allocation to either (1) culturally adapted cognitive behavioural therapy in a group setting (CA-CBT+) or (2) TAU. The study takes place at four sites in Germany, randomising in total 138 adult refugees with at least one primary DSM-5 diagnosis to the treatment conditions. In CA-CBT+ the patients receive 12 sessions of 120 min duration over the course of 12 weeks providing psychoeducation, meditation and other techniques of emotional regulation, stretching and problem solving training. The primary outcome is treatment response operationalised by a clinically significant change in General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) score. Follow-up visits will take place 3 and 9 months after the end of the intervention. Secondary outcomes include changes in psychopathological symptoms, somatic symptoms and quality of life. Intention-to-treat analysis will be performed. Adverse and serious adverse events will be analysed. Further, healthcare usage and economic outcomes will be assessed and analysed. Primary and secondary outcomes will be analysed using appropriate statistical methods.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the Ethics Commission of the German Psychological Society (ref: StangierUlrich2019-1018VA). Results will be disseminated via presentations, publication in international journals, and national outlets for clinicians. Furthermore, intervention materials will be available, and the existing network will be used to disseminate and implement the interventions into routine healthcare.

Trial registration number

DRKS00021536.
Perceived needs and health-related quality of life in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Li Minjie , Zhou Kaina , Huo Lanting , He Xiaole , An Jinghua , Wang Wen , Li Xiaomei
Published: November 2022

Objectives

Women with breast cancer have different needs that are various in perceived importance and satisfaction. This study aimed to examine the relationship among perceived needs satisfaction, perceived needs importance with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with breast cancer and determine the intermediary role of perceived needs importance in the relationship between perceived needs satisfaction and HRQoL.

Design

Cross-sectional design.

Setting

Two tertiary level hospitals in Shaanxi Province, China.

Participants

Women newly diagnosed with breast cancer were recruited.

Outcome measures

The Needs Self-Rating Questionnaire for Breast Cancer and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey V. 2.0 were used for data collection regarding perceived needs satisfaction, perceived needs importance and HRQoL.

Results

A total of 359 valid questionnaires were collected. The perceived needs importance was negatively associated with physical component summary (PCS) (b=−0.067, p=0.024) and mental component summary (MCS) (b=−0.185, p<0.001). On the contrary, perceived needs satisfaction was positively associated with PCS (c′=0.005, p=0.843), although not statistically significant. Perceived needs satisfaction was positively associated with MCS (c′=0.194, p<0.001) and perceived needs importance (a=0.458, p<0.001). Furthermore, the perceived needs importance suppressed the relationship between perceived needs satisfaction and PCS (a*b=−0.031; 95% CI −0.058 to –0.004) and the relationship between perceived needs satisfaction and MCS (a*b=−0.085; 95% CI −0.138 to –0.043).

Conclusion

For women with breast cancer, higher perceived needs satisfaction is associated with higher HRQoL. However, higher perceived needs importance would be conversely associated with lower HRQoL by suppressing the positive association of perceived needs satisfaction with HRQoL. Healthcare providers should pay more attention to those who have high perceived needs importance but low perceived needs satisfaction and fulfil the important needs.
Can process mapping and a multisite Delphi of perioperative professionals inform our understanding of system-wide factors that may impact operative risk?
Authors: Stubbs Daniel , Bashford Tom , Gilder Fay , Nourallah Basil , Ercole Ari , Levy Nicholas , Clarkson John
Published: November 2022

Objectives

To examine whether the use of process mapping and a multidisciplinary Delphi can identify potential contributors to perioperative risk. We hypothesised that this approach may identify factors not represented in common perioperative risk tools and give insights of use to future research in this area.

Design

Multidisciplinary, modified Delphi study.

Setting

Two centres (one tertiary, one secondary) in the UK during 2020 amidst coronavirus pressures.

Participants

91 stakeholders from 23 professional groups involved in the perioperative care of older patients. Key stakeholder groups were identified via process mapping of local perioperative care pathways.

Results

Response rate ranged from 51% in round 1 to 19% in round 3. After round 1, free text suggestions from the panel were combined with variables identified from perioperative risk scores. This yielded a total of 410 variables that were voted on in subsequent rounds. Including new suggestions from round two, 468/519 (90%) of the statements presented to the panel reached a consensus decision by the end of round 3. Identified risk factors included patient-level factors (such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status), and organisational or process factors related to the individual hospital (such as policies, staffing and organisational culture). 66/160 (41%) of the new suggestions did not feature in systematic reviews of perioperative risk scores or key process indicators. No factor categorised as ‘organisational’ is currently present in any perioperative risk score.

Conclusions

Through process mapping and a modified Delphi we gained insights into additional factors that may contribute to perioperative risk. Many were absent from currently used risk stratification scores. These results enable an appreciation of the contextual limitations of currently used risk tools and could support future research into the generation of more holistic data sets for the development of perioperative risk assessment tools.
LIMPER trials: immediate mobilisation versus 2-week cast immobilisation after distal radius fracture treated with volar locking plate – a study protocol for a prospective, randomised, controlled trial
Authors: Kärnä Laura , Launonen Antti P , Karjalainen Teemu , Luokkala Toni , Ponkilainen Ville , Halonen Lauri , Helminen Mika , Mattila Ville M , Reito Aleksi
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Open reduction and internal fixation with volar locking plate has become the most common fixation method in the treatment of unstable distal radius fracture (DRF). There is, however, no consensus as to whether or for how long a wrist should be immobilised after operative treatment. To date, there have been relatively few studies that have evaluated the effect of immediate postoperative mobilisation on functional outcomes. The aim of postoperative rehabilitation is to obtain a good function and to reduce impairment, recovery time, socioeconomical costs and absence from work. Therefore, there is a need for studies that evaluate the optimal method of postoperative rehabilitation to optimise wrist function and return to work.

Methods and analysis

This study is a prospective, randomised, controlled trial in which a total of 240 working-age patients who undergo volar plating for DRF will be randomly assigned to either an early mobilisation group or a postoperative 2-week casting group. The aim of the study will be to compare early postoperative outcomes between the study groups. The primary outcome will be patient-rated wrist evaluation at 2 months after operation. A coprimary outcome will be the total length of sick leave. Our follow-up period will be 1 year, and secondary outcomes will include pain, patient satisfaction, perceived ability to work and complications identified at different time points. We expect those patients who undergo immediate mobilisation will have at least as rapid a return to work and function as those patients who undergo postoperative immobilisation, indicating/meaning that there will be no need for postoperative casting.

Ethics and dissemination

This study will be conducted according to the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials statement. The Ethics committee of Tampere University Hospital has approved the protocol. Ethics committee approval number is R21111, and it is accepted on 7 September 2021. The results of this study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT05150925.
Current issues and future considerations for the wider implementation of robotic-assisted surgery: a qualitative study
Authors: Lawrie Louisa , Gillies Katie , Davies Loretta , Torkington Jared , McGrath John , Kerr Richard , Immanuel Arul , Campbell Marion , Beard David
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The effective implementation of a fast-changing healthcare delivery innovation, such as robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), into a healthcare system, can be affected (both positively and negatively) by external contextual factors. As part of a wider project investigating ways to optimise the implementation of RAS, this qualitative study aimed to uncover current issues of RAS and predictions about the future of robotic surgery. We refer to ‘current issues’ as the topical and salient challenges and opportunities related to the introduction of RAS in the UK healthcare system, from the perspectives of key stakeholders involved in the delivery and implementation of RAS.

Design

Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted. A thematic analysis was conducted to summarise salient issues that were articulated by the participants.

Setting and participants

The interview sample (n=35) comprised surgeons, wider theatre staff and other relevant personnel involved in the introduction and delivery of RAS services across the UK, including service managers and policymakers/commissioners. Two focus groups were also conducted with surgical trainees (n=7) and members of the public (n=8), respectively.

Results

The results revealed a largely positive attitude towards the introduction of RAS technology and an expectation of continued rapid expansion. Areas perceived to be particularly pertinent and requiring ongoing attention were also highlighted, including the need to achieve improved quality control, expertise quantification and training issues and the need to educate the public. Issues of centralisation, service organisation and equity of access were also emphasised.

Conclusions

Our study has highlighted a range of issues perceived to be particularly pertinent to the current and future provision of RAS which should be addressed. The areas outlined can enable healthcare managers and surgeons to plan for the adoption and/or expansion of RAS services.
The influence of stream tributaries to lakes and upstream forest harvest on benthic, lake delta communities
Authors: Becu Mariella H. J. , Michalski Tracy A. , Richardson John S.
Published: November 2022

Lake deltas (LDs) receive nutrient and energy subsidies from upstream habitats. These inputs can support LD benthic production. However, LDs may also receive impacts from upstream disturbance. Small lakes in coastal British Columbia often have inflow streams from areas with forest harvesting, which is pervasive in this region. Forest harvesting impacts can alter stream production, although downstream impacts on lakes, compared to streams, are less studied and understood. We aimed to test whether benthic LD communities (biofilm and invertebrates) are more productive and (or) diverse compared to other communities along the lakeshore (LS) (non-LDs), and whether there are differences in LD communities associated with upstream harvesting. We compared LD communities with upstream riparian areas that were harvested (HLD) or relatively undisturbed (ULD), and LS sites. We found that while community structure was similar across sites, ULDs had higher biofilm and invertebrate standing stocks (1.5- and 2-times higher, respectively) than HLDs and LS sites. Our results suggest subsidies and benthic production were higher at ULDs. These results advance our understanding of forest harvesting disturbance and stream-lake connectivity.