bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring adults’ recollections of growing up with childhood motor difficulties: a qualitative study using systematic text condensation
Authors: Zahlander Johanna , Fäldt Anna , Kirby Amanda , Johansen Kine
Published: August 2024

Objective

To explore the ramifications of childhood motor difficulties, providing insights into their impact and consequences over time.

Design

A qualitative study using semistructured individual interviews. Data were analysed using systematic text condensation.

Setting

Neonatal intensive care recipients born at Uppsala University Children’s Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, between 1986 and 1989, were enrolled in a longitudinal follow-up study and subsequently interviewed in 2019–2020.

Participants

13 individuals in their early 30s, who met the criteria for developmental coordination disorder or performed below the 5th percentile on motor tests at 6.5 years of age, were interviewed. Those with co-occurring deficits in attention or social behavioural at age 6.5 were excluded.

Results

Two themes emerged: (1) lifelong challenges and (2) navigating the journey of motor difficulties: support, awareness and confidence. Five participants reported persistent motor difficulties. They adapted and integrated these challenges into their daily lives without feeling constrained. Parental support was crucial to their success, whereas support from schools was limited.

Conclusion

Adults who faced motor difficulties in childhood developed effective coping strategies, overcame challenges and now lead fulfilling lives. The findings stress the importance of parental support and understanding, addressing contextual factors and fostering positive attitudes and supportive environments to enhance well-being and participation.
Recruitment, retention and reporting of variables related to ethnic diversity in randomised controlled trials: an umbrella review
Authors: Owusu-Addo Ebenezer , Bennor Deborah M , Orkin Aaron Michael , Chan An-Wen , Welch Vivian A , Treweek Shaun , Green Heidi , Feldman Peter , Ghersi Davina , Brijnath Bianca
Published: August 2024

Objective

This umbrella review synthesises evidence on the methods used to recruit and retain ethnically diverse participants and report and analyse variables related to ethnic diversity in randomised controlled trials.

Design

Umbrella review.

Data sources

Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane and Campbell Libraries for review papers published between 1 January 2010 and 13 May 2024.

Eligibility criteria

English language systematic reviews focusing on inclusion and reporting of ethnicity variables. Methodological quality was assessed using the AMSTAR 2 tool.

Results

Sixty-two systematic reviews were included. Findings point to limited representation and reporting of ethnic diversity in trials. Recruitment strategies commonly reported by the reviews were community engagement, advertisement, face-to-face recruitment, cultural targeting, clinical referral, community presentation, use of technology, incentives and research partnership with communities. Retention strategies highlighted by the reviews included frequent follow-ups on participants to check how they are doing in the study, provision of incentives, use of tailored approaches and culturally appropriate interventions. The findings point to a limited focus on the analysis of variables relevant to ethnic diversity in trials even when they are reported in trials.

Conclusion

Significant improvements are required in enhancing the recruitment and retention of ethnically diverse participants in trials as well as analysis and reporting of variables relating to diversity in clinical trials.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022325241.
Quantitative analysis of nortriptyline’s analgesic properties: a comparative systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Hashemzadeh Soroush , Mortazavi Mohammad , Abdi Dezfouli Ramin
Published: August 2024

Objectives

This study aims to quantitatively analyse nortriptyline’s analgesic potency, safety and tolerability.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

The systematic search was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed in February 2023.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of nortriptyline in reducing pain scores (open-label studies and comparisons of nortriptyline with placebo or other analgesics) in different pain types were included.

Data extraction and synthesis

The data extraction procedure and the screening phases were carried out based on predetermined eligibility criteria. To pool the data, the standardised mean difference (SMD) and standardised mean change (SMC) methods, along with random-effect and fixed-effect meta-analysis, were used. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration method, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria were used to measure the certainty of the results.

Results

14 of the initial 648 studies were eventually imported. Nortriptyline was reported to significantly reduce pain severity in chronic low back pain, painful symptoms in major depressive disorder, neuropathy, chronic pelvic pain and neuropathic corneal pain. However, it was not superior to placebo in fibromyalgia and knee osteoarthritis. In comparison to placebo and various alternative analgesics, the pooled SMD for lowering pain scores was 0.43 (0.23–0.64) and −0.18 (−0.39 to 0.03), respectively. In the pretreatment and post-treatment analyses, the pooled SMC was −1.20 (−1.48 to –0.93). Although constipation and xerostomia were the most commonly reported side effects, all references indicated that the adverse events were well tolerated at the administered dosages.

Conclusion

While nortriptyline is effective in some chronic pains, such as neuropathies, it lacks efficacy in some other chronic pains, such as fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Nortriptyline is well tolerated when administered in doses intended for its analgesic effects. Moreover, several studies suggested that the analgesic effects of nortriptyline are comparable to those of amitriptyline and gabapentin.
Impact of the diagnostic label for a low-risk prostate lesion: protocol for two online factorial randomised experiments
Authors: Bullen James , Nickel Brooke , McCaffery Kirsten , Wilt Timothy J , Smith Jenna , Boroumand Farzaneh , Parker Lisa , Millar Jeremy , Brodersen John Brandt , Dahm Philipp , Delahunt Brett , Varma Murali , Glasziou Paul , Warden Andrew , Diller Lawrence , Billington Larry , van Rensburg Christo , Bell Katy
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Many types of prostate cancer present minimal risk to a man’s lifespan or well-being, but existing terminology makes it difficult for men to distinguish these from high-risk prostate cancers. This study aims to explore whether using an alternative label for low-risk prostate cancer influences management choice and anxiety levels among Australian men and their partners.

Methods and analysis

We will run two separate studies for Australian men and Australian women with a male partner. Both studies are between-subjects factorial (3×2) randomised online hypothetical experiments. Following consent, eligible participants will be randomised 1:1:1 to three labels: ‘low-risk prostate cancer, Gleason Group 1’, ‘low-risk prostate neoplasm’ or ‘low-risk prostate lesion’. Participants will then undergo a second randomisation step with 1:1 allocation to the provision of detailed information on the benefits and harms of different management choices versus the provision of less detailed information about management choices. The required sample sizes are 1290 men and 1410 women. The primary outcome is the participant choice of their preferred management strategy: no immediate treatment (prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based monitoring or active surveillance using PSA, MRI, biopsy with delayed treatment for disease progression) versus immediate treatment (prostatectomy or radiation therapy). Secondary outcomes include preferred management choice (from the four options listed above), diagnosis anxiety, management choice anxiety and management choice at a later time point (for participants who initially choose a monitoring strategy).

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been received from The University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (2023/572). The results of the study will be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal and a plain language summary of the findings will be shared on the Wiser Healthcare publications page
http://www.wiserhealthcare.org.au/category/publications/

Trial registration numbers

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ID 386701 and 386889).
Rapid Assay Diagnostic for Acute Stroke Recognition (RADAR): study protocol for a diagnostic accuracy study
Authors: Shaw Lisa , Burgess David , Dixit Anand , Gaude Edoardo , Lendrem Clare , McClelland Graham , White Phil , Williams Cameron , Zhu Gewei , Price Christopher
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Large-vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke is effectively treated by time-critical thrombectomy, a highly specialised procedure only available in a limited number of centres. Many patients with suspected stroke are admitted to their nearest hospital and require transfer to access treatment, with resulting delays. This study is evaluating the accuracy of a new rapid portable test for LVO stroke which could be used in the future to select patients for direct admission to a thrombectomy centre.

Methods and analysis

Rapid Assay Diagnostic for Acute Stroke Recognition (RADAR) is a prospective observational cohort study taking place in stroke units in England. Participants are adults with a new suspected stroke with at least one face, arm or speech (FAST) symptom(s) and known onset within 6 hours or last known to be well 6–24 hours ago. The index test (‘LVOne test’ (Upfront Diagnostics)), consists of two portable lateral flow assays which use fingerprick capillary blood to detect d-dimer and glial fibrillary acidic protein concentrations. Reference standards comprise independently adjudicated standard CT/MRI brain±CT/MR angiography with senior clinician opinion to establish: ischaemic stroke±LVO; intracerebral haemorrhage; transient ischaemic attack; stroke mimic. Analyses will report sensitivity, specificity and negative and positive predictive values for identification of LVO stroke. Powered using a primary analysis population (≥2 FAST symptoms and known onset within 6 hours), 276 participants will detect a test specificity of 92%. The broader total study population which allows evaluation of the test for milder symptoms and unknown onset times is estimated to be 552 participants.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical (North East—Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee (reference: 23/NE/0043), Health Research Authority and participating National Health Service Trust approvals are granted. Consent is required for enrolment. Dissemination of results will include presentations at conferences, publication in journals and plain English summaries.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN12414986.
Preventing urinary tract infection in older people living in care homes: the ‘StOP UTI’ realist synthesis
Authors: Prieto Jacqui , Wilson Jennie , Tingle Alison , Cooper Emily , Handley Melanie , Rycroft Malone Jo , Bostock Jennifer , Loveday Heather
Published: August 2024

Background

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most diagnosed infection in older people living in care homes.

Objective

To identify interventions for recognising and preventing UTI in older people living in care homes in the UK and explain the mechanisms by which they work, for whom and under what circumstances.

Methods

A realist synthesis of evidence was undertaken to develop programme theory underlying strategies to recognise and prevent UTI. A generic topic-based search of bibliographic databases was completed with further purposive searches to test and refine the programme theory in consultation with stakeholders.

Results

56 articles were included in the review. Nine context–mechanism–outcome configurations were developed and arranged across three theory areas: (1) Strategies to support accurate recognition of UTI, (2) care strategies for residents to prevent UTI and (3) making best practice happen. Our programme theory explains how care staff can be enabled to recognise and prevent UTI when this is incorporated into care routines and activities that meet the fundamental care needs and preferences of residents. This is facilitated through active and visible leadership by care home managers and education that is contextualised to the work and role of care staff.

Conclusions

Care home staff have a vital role in preventing and recognising UTI in care home residents.

Incorporating this into the fundamental care they provide can help them to adopt a proactive approach to preventing infection and avoiding unnecessary antibiotic use. This requires a context of care with a culture of personalisation and safety, promoted by commissioners, regulators and providers, where leadership and resources are committed to support preventative action by knowledgeable care staff.
Socioeconomic burden of cystic fibrosis in Canada
Authors: Laflamme Olivier D , Johnson Noah , Steele Kim , Chavez Luis , Cheng Stephanie Y , Rabin Harvey R , Cheema Zain M , Mamic Eunice , Gomez Lilian C , Leong Jeanette , Quon Bradley S , Sadatsafavi Mohsen , Stephenson Anne L , Wranik W Dominika , Eckford Paul D W , Wallenburg John , Bowerman Cole , Stanojevic Sanja
Published: August 2024

Background

Cost of illness studies are important tools to summarise the burden of disease for individuals, the healthcare system and society. The lack of standardised methods for reporting costs for cystic fibrosis (CF) makes it difficult to quantify the total socioeconomic burden. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively report the socioeconomic burden of CF in Canada.

Methods

The total cost of CF in Canada was calculated by triangulating information from three sources (Canadian CF Registry, customised Burden of Disease survey and publicly available information). A prevalence-based, bottom-up, human capital approach was applied, and costs were categorised into four perspectives (ie, healthcare system, individual/caregiver, variable (ie, medicines) and society) and three domains (ie, direct, indirect and intangible). All costs were converted into 2021 Canadian dollars (CAD) and adjusted for inflation. The cost of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapies was excluded.

Results

The total socioeconomic burden of CF in Canada in 2021 across the four perspectives was $C414 million. Direct costs accounted for two-thirds of the total costs, with medications comprising half of all direct costs. Out-of-pocket costs to individuals and caregivers represented 18.7% of all direct costs. Indirect costs representing absenteeism accounted for one-third of the total cost.

Conclusion

This comprehensive cost of illness study for CF represents a community-oriented approach describing the socioeconomic burden of living with CF and serves as a benchmark for future studies.
Synergistic association of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor and metformin on liver and non-liver complications in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease
Authors: Mao Xianhua , Zhang Xinrong , Kam Leslie , Chien Nicholas , Lai Rongtao , Cheung Ka-Shing , Yuen Man-Fung , Cheung Ramsey , Seto Wai-Kay , Nguyen Mindie H
Published: August 2024

Objective

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (diabetic MASLD) frequently coexist and worsen liver and non-liver outcomes, but effective pharmacological therapies are limited. We aimed to evaluate the long-term effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT-2i) on liver and non-liver outcomes among patients with diabetic MASLD.

Design

This population-based cohort study retrieved patients with diabetic MASLD from Merative Marketscan Research Databases (April 2013 and December 2021). The active comparator was other glucose-lowering drugs (oGLDs). Primary outcomes were liver complications including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver cirrhosis, as well as non-liver complications including cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and non-liver cancer. Propensity score matching was applied and Cox regression models were conducted.

Results

Compared with oGLD, SGLT-2i users had significantly lower risk of HCC (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.93), liver cirrhosis (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.84), CVD (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.79 to 0.85) and CKD (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.70), non-liver cancer (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.86). Compared with patients without metformin and SGLT-2i, a stepwise decreasing risk was observed in users of either metformin or SGLT-2i (HRs 0.76–0.97) and in users of both medications (HRs 0.58–0.79). The lower risk also was shown in liver decompensation, compensated cirrhosis, major CVD, end-stage renal disease and specific common cancers (HRs 0.61–0.84).

Conclusion

In a nationwide cohort, SGLT-2i users were associated with a substantially lower risk of liver and non-liver complications than oGLD users among patients with diabetic MASLD. The risk was further reduced with concomitant metformin use.
Does stress from incarceration of family and friends contribute to signs of early vascular ageing in African American women?
Authors: Fields Nicole D , Martin Zachary T , Hoggard Lori S , Erving Christy L , Udaipuria Shivika , Blevins Kennedy M , Parker Jordan E , Goodson Jaylah , Murden Raphiel J , Moore Renee H , Parker Rachel , Culler LaKeia , Booker Bianca , Barinas-Mitchell Emma , Quyyumi Arshed , Vaccarino Viola , Lewis Tené T
Published: August 2024

Background

Early vascular ageing (EVA) contributes to elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which disproportionately affects African American women. Incarceration, an event disproportionately impacting African Americans, may be a stressor contributing to EVA in African American women. Further, the subjective perspective, commonly referred to as appraisal, of incarceration may also be important for health. We hypothesised that having family and/or friends incarcerated and appraising the incarceration as upsetting would be associated with indices of EVA.

Methods

In a community-based cohort of African American women aged 30–46 living in Atlanta, Georgia (n=391), participants were asked, at baseline, about family and/or friend incarceration and to appraise how upsetting the incarceration was. Multivariable linear regression examined associations between: (1) family and/or friend incarceration and indices of EVA (pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, central systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure amplification) and (2) appraisal of incarceration and EVA indices.

Results

45% of participants (n=174) reported having a loved one incarcerated, and 59% (n=102) reported the incarceration as upsetting. Having a loved one incarcerated was associated with a higher central SBP (b=4.30; 95% CI 1.61, 6.99) and augmentation index (b=2.29; 95% CI 0.26, 4.33). Appraisal of incarceration was only associated with central SBP.

Conclusions

Family or friend incarceration was highly prevalent in this cohort of African American women and associated with indices of EVA. Mass incarceration of others may affect the physical health of African American women which may contribute to CVD disparities.
Beyond wrinkles: ageing, graphic medicine, and Zidrou and Aimée de Jongh’sBlossoms in Autumn
Authors: Ancy A Livine , Venkatesan Sathyaraj
Published: August 2024

Ageing, an inevitable biological process, is often oversimplified, subjecting elderly individuals to both positive and negative sociocultural stereotypes. Elderly individuals are stigmatised as passive, suffering and asexual, while simultaneously being expected to embody an active, successful and productive approach towards ageing. Departing from these narrow perceptions, this article draws examples from Zidrou and Aimée de Jongh’s graphic narrativeBlossoms in Autumnto provide a nuanced perspective on the ageing process. Using the affordances of comics, this essay examines howBlossoms in Autumnaddresses unarticulated aspects of ageing, including changing bodily features, sexuality and intimacy, among others. In so doing, this essay challenges the unilateral perceptions of ageing.
Transformational healing: the phenomenology of fulfilment in the face of adversity
Authors: Leder Drew , Aho Kevin
Published: August 2024

In the last two decades, there has been an explosion of scholarship in the phenomenology of health and illness of great practical significance for clinicians and the allied health professions. ‘Healing’ has been distinguished from medical ‘cure’ insofar as it involves a process of existential re-integration even in the face of ongoing illness and incapacity. This article goes further than much existing literature in the field: it examines ways in which illness can trigger for some ‘transformationalhealing’—that is, not simply a return to previous functioning, but positive alterations that open one’s life to enhanced fulfilment, authenticity and/or connection. Using philosophical resources and ‘pathographies’, first-person accounts of illness and healing, we examine six forms, often interconnected, of transformational healing. These involve, in turn:vulnerability, intimacy, resilience, presence, gratitude and transcendence. In placing a spotlight on ways in which serious illness, injury and disability can inform positive transformations, we are not minimising the suffering often associated with such conditions. Nonetheless, many individuals experience life-enhancements despite, or even because of, the effects of suffering which can reveal personal strengths, deepened intimacy with others and heightened appreciation of life. The possibility of transformational healing, while far from a universal experience, has personal, philosophical and clinical significance not to be overlooked.
Physical model case study: treatment effect of soft ground by vacuum preloading combined with liquid bag pressurization method
Authors: Feng Shuangxi , Xing Daorun , Lei Huayang , Jia Rui , Li Jiankai , Codjia Coffi Edgard , Bao Yilin
Published: August 2024

Vacuum preloading and composite ground reinforcement are commonly used methods for reinforcing soft soil, but there is a lack of integrated design method for vacuum preloading combined with composite ground. This case study introduces an innovative approach that combines vacuum preloading with liquid bag pressurization to achieve the integrated design of consolidation drainage method and composite ground reinforcement, which is different from the reported air bag pressurization. To illustrate the effectiveness of this method. Model tests were carried out to analyze the variation of water discharge, pore water pressure, ground settlement, and average consolidation degree in the process of vacuum consolidation. The study investigated the water content, undrained shear strength, and ground bearing capacity of composite ground after ground treatment. A correlation between average undrained shear strength and characteristic value of ground-bearing capacity was established to evaluate and predict the treatment effect of composite ground. Research shows that compared with traditional vacuum preloading, the undrained shear strength can be increased by 13.78%–65.08%, and the characteristic value of bearing capacity for the composite ground can be enlarged by 2.3–4 times. These results indicate that the vacuum preloading combined with liquid bag pressurization can significantly improve reinforcement effect on soft ground.
Strength and dilatancy of crushable soils with different gradings
Authors: Dong Zong-Lei , Tong Chen-Xi , Zhang Sheng , Cheng Yi Pik , Sheng Daichao
Published: August 2024

Peak strength and dilatancy of granular materials generally decrease with increasing mean effective stress, and such a decrease will be enhanced due to the occurrence of particle breakage. This paper presents a simple empirical approach to modify Bolton’s original strength and dilatancy equation for crushable soils with different crushability. The proposed approach is based on data of a series of drained triaxial tests on carbonate soils with five different particle size distributions and three initial relative densities. It is also validated against other published experimental data on various crushable soils, including carbonate soils, limestones, coarse aggregates, and silica sands. The modified relation retains a similar form to Bolton’s equation with only one additional parameter introduced. As a result, the crushing strength-related parameter in the original relation is modified to incorporate the impacts of particle shape, gradings, and mineralogy on particle breakage. This modified parameter tends to increase as soil crushability decreases, which keeps a similar physical meaning to Bolton’s crushing strength-related parameter, and is suitable for a wider range of crushable soils with different gradings. The proposed strength and dilatancy equation for crushable soils yields to Bolton’s equation for strong soil particles where particle breakage is negligible.
Spatiotemporal distribution of the non-indigenous peach blossom jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Lüskow Florian , Pakhomov Evgeny A.
Published: August 2024

The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) to exotic habitats can have tremendous impacts on native biodiversity, food webs, and ecosystem services. One globally distributed aquatic NIS is the hydrozoan Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester, 1880. The species’ northern distribution boundary in North America is situated in British Columbia (BC), Canada. It is thus of paramount interest to understand its ecology in this warming invaded habitat, allowing for insights into other regions. Specimens of the genus Craspedacusta have been reported in 34 freshwater systems since August 1990. These reported locations are generally shallow (<10 m), most often of natural origin, and have a small surface area (<0.1 km2). We observed an exponential trend of medusa observations from 1990 till the end of the 2020s. The first seasonal records are in July and the latest in October, with peak sightings reported in August and September. After 2012, regional temperature anomalies during July and August were mostly positive, which overlaps with the period of the majority of reported C. sowerbii sightings. Until this day, all examined medusae are males.
Frustum Volume Caching for Accelerated NeRF Rendering
Authors: Steiner Michael , Köhler Thomas , Radl Lukas , Steinberger Markus
Published: August 2024

Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs) have revolutionized the field of inverse rendering due to their ability to synthesize high-quality novel views and applicability in practical contexts. NeRFs leverage volume rendering, evaluating view-dependent color at each sample with an expensive network, where a high computational burden is placed on extracting an informative, view-independent latent code. We propose a temporal coherence method to accelerate NeRF rendering by caching the latent codes of all samples in an initial viewpoint and reusing them in consecutive frames. By utilizing a sparse frustum volume grid for caching and performing lookups via backward reprojection, we enable temporal reuse of NeRF samples while maintaining the ability to re-evaluate view-dependent effects efficiently. To facilitate high-fidelity rendering from our cache with interactive framerates, we propose a novel cone encoding and explore a training scheme to induce local linearity into the latent information. Extensive experimental evaluation demonstrates that these choices enable high-quality real-time rendering from our cache, even when reducing latent code size significantly. Our proposed method scales exceptionally well for large networks, and our highly optimized real-time implementation allows for cache initialization at runtime. For offline rendering of high-quality video sequences with expensive supersampled effects like motion blur or depth of field, our approach provides speed-ups of up to 2×.
ReSTIR Subsurface Scattering for Real-Time Path Tracing
Authors: Werner Mirco , Schüßler Vincent , Dachsbacher Carsten
Published: August 2024

Subsurface scattering is an important visual cue and in real-time rendering it is often approximated using screen-space algorithms. Path tracing with the diffusion approximation can easily overcome the limitations of these algorithms, but increases image noise. We improve its efficiency by applying reservoir-based spatiotemporal importance resampling (ReSTIR) to subsurface light transport paths. For this, we adopt BSSRDF importance sampling for generating candidates. Further, spatiotemporal reuse requires shifting paths between domains. We observe that different image regions benefit most from either reconnecting through the translucent object (reconnection shift), or one vertex later (delayed reconnection shift). We first introduce a local subsurface scattering specific criterion for a hybrid shift that deterministically selects one of the two shifts for a path. Due to the locality, it cannot always choose the most efficient shift, e.g. near shadow boundaries. Therefore, we additionally propose a novel sequential shift to combine multiple shift mappings: We execute subsequent resampling passes, each one using a different shift, which does not require to deterministically choose a shift for a path. Instead, resampling can pick the most successful shift implicitly. Our method achieves realtime performance and significantly reduces noise and denoising artifacts in regions with visible subsurface scattering compared to standard path tracing with equal render time.
Parallel spatiotemporally adaptive DEM-based snow simulation
Authors: Andreasson Simon , Östergaard Linus , Goswami Prashant
Published: August 2024

This paper applies spatial and temporal adaptivity to an existing discrete element method (DEM) based snow simulation on the GPU. For spatial adaptivity, visually significant spatial regions are identified and simulated at varying resolutions. To this end, we propose efficient splitting and merging to generate adaptive resolution while maintaining the simulation stability. We obtain further optimization by skipping computation on temporally inactive regions. In agreement with the base solver, our method also operates almost entirely on the GPU, which includes operations like activity determination, merging, and splitting of the particles. We demonstrate that a speedup of three times or more of the original non-adaptive simulation can be achieved on scenes containing about 3 million particles. We also discuss the advantages and drawbacks of our spatiotemporal optimization in different simulation scenarios.
Real-Time Procedural Generation with GPU Work Graphs
Authors: Kuth Bastian , Oberberger Max , Faber Carsten , Baumeister Dominik , Chajdas Matthäus , Meyer Quirin
Published: August 2024

We present a system for real-time procedural generation that makes use of the novel GPU programming model, work graphs. The nodes of a work graph are shaders, which dynamically generate new workloads for connected nodes. This greatly simplifies the implementation of recursive procedural algorithms on GPUs. Combined with GPU ray tracing and procedural mesh shaders, our system makes use of this graph structure to tackle various common problems of procedural generation. Our system is very easy to implement, requiring no additional data structures from what would already be available in a modern rendering engine. We demonstrate the real-time editing capabilities on representative examples. We augment the scene in the teaser image with 79,710 instances in 3.74 ms on an AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
H-PLOC: Hierarchical Parallel Locally-Ordered Clustering for Bounding Volume Hierarchy Construction
Authors: Benthin Carsten , Meister Daniel , Barczak Joshua , Mehalwal Rohan , Tsakok John , Kensler Andrew
Published: August 2024

We propose a novel GPU-oriented approach for constructing binary bounding volume hierarchies (BVHs) based on the parallel locally-ordered clustering (PLOC/PLOC++) algorithm. Compared to competing high-performance GPU BVH build algorithms (PLOC++ or ATRBVH), our method provides similar BVH quality in just a single kernel launch while achieving 1.1-3.6× lower construction times for the entire BVH build and 1.6-13× lower for just the binary BVH construction phase. Additionally, we propose an efficient algorithm to convert a binary BVH to an n-wide BVH with just a single kernel launch. Besides being extremely efficient, our proposed algorithms are simple to implement, allowing easy integration into existing frameworks.
HIPRT: A Ray Tracing Framework in HIP
Authors: Meister Daniel , Kulkarni Paritosh , Vasishta Aaryaman , Harada Takahiro
Published: August 2024

We present HIPRT, an open-source ray tracing framework in HIP. HIPRT provides a versatile, cross-platform solution for professional rendering on contemporary many-core architectures. The core of the framework relies on the bounding volume hierarchy (BVH) with scalable construction algorithms and efficient ray traversal, employing hardware acceleration on AMD GPUs. From a user perspective, we aim at minimalist and user-friendly API design, allowing a user to write ray tracing applications only in a few lines of code. Unlike other graphics APIs that couple ray tracing and shading together, HIPRT provides only ray tracing functionality and thus can be seamlessly integrated into existing rendering environments. To demonstrate advanced features of HIPRT, we integrated it into the three rendering systems: Blender Cycles, PBRT-v4, and Radeon ProRender.
Radiance Caching with On-Surface Caches for Real-Time Global Illumination
Authors: Tatzgern Wolfgang , Weinrauch Alexander , Stadlbauer Pascal , Mueller Joerg H. , Winter Martin , Steinberger Markus
Published: August 2024

Achieving global illumination is crucial for delivering realistic lighting in real-time rendering applications. Despite recent advancements in hardware ray tracing, the computational demands of full path tracing remain largely impractical for real-world production scenarios. We introduce a novel two-level radiance caching system that exclusively utilizes on-surface caches, diverging from conventional approaches that combine screen-space and world-space caches. Unlike previous texture space techniques, which mostly prioritize closely matching the resolution to screen space to minimize artifacts, our focus is on achieving optimal visual quality with minimal texture space resolutions. By caching directional radiance information on both primary and secondary hits, our approach delivers high-quality renderings of global illumination while being computationally efficient. Overall, this leads to an up to 5% to 10% improvement in both speed and quality compared to other state-of-the-art approaches. Our proposed method is versatile, handling not only diffuse global illumination but also addressing (glossy) reflections. Furthermore, our approach is well-suited for multi-viewer rendering, as the utilization of on-surface caches enables information sharing among different viewers, making it applicable to cloud-native rendering environments.
Converging Algorithm-Agnostic Denoising for Monte Carlo Rendering
Authors: Denisova Elena , Bocchi Leonardo
Published: August 2024

Denoising Monte Carlo rendered images is a critical challenge in computer graphics, traditionally addressed in post-processing phases. Recent advances have shifted focus towards integrating denoising directly into progressive rendering. This approach not only blends denoised outputs with noisy inputs to enhance visual quality but also guides adaptive sampling through variance estimation of denoised outputs. In this paper, we introduce a novel method that predicts the blending weight of denoised images directly during progressive rendering. Our technique adjusts the blending weight for each pixel based on error estimates, effectively 'skipping' certain iterations of Monte Carlo Path Tracing (MCPT) and mimicking adaptive sampling a posteriori. A key innovation of our approach is an analytical method that ensures the blended output converges accurately to the reference image. Our method does not rely on deep-learning techniques, making it immediately applicable to any denoising algorithm. We demonstrate that our method enhances visual quality and allows for blending between noisy and denoised images, even those obtained at different MCPT iterations. This not only streamlines the rendering process but also improves efficiency and output fidelity.
Light Path Guided Culling for Hybrid Real-Time Path Tracing
Authors: Kelling Jan , Ströter Daniel , Kuijper Arjan
Published: August 2024

Rendering visually convincing images requires realistic lighting. Path tracing has long been used in offline rendering to produce photorealistic images. While recent hardware advancements allow ray tracing methods to be employed in real-time renderers, they come with a significant performance and memory impact. Real-time path tracing remains a challenge. We present light path guided culling (LiPaC), a novel culling algorithm for ray tracing that achieves almost optimal culling results by considering the number of light paths encountered by objects. In addition, we describe a hybrid path tracing pipeline using LiPaC to render large and highly dynamic scenes in real-time on the current generation of consumer hardware.
Feature Selection as Deep Sequential Generative Learning
Authors: Ying Wangyang , Wang Dongjie , Chen Haifeng , Fu Yanjie
Published: August 2024

Feature selection aims to identify the most pattern-discriminative feature subset. In prior literature, filter (e.g., backward elimination) and embedded (e.g., LASSO) methods have hyperparameters (e.g., top-
k
, score thresholding) and tie to specific models, thus, hard to generalize; wrapper methods search a feature subset in a huge discrete space and is computationally costly. To transform the way of feature selection, we regard a selected feature subset as a selection decision token sequence and reformulate feature selection as a deep sequential generative learning task that distills feature knowledge and generates decision sequences. Our method includes three steps: (1) We develop a deep variational transformer model over a joint of sequential reconstruction, variational, and performance evaluator losses. Our model can distill feature selection knowledge and learn a continuous embedding space to map feature selection decision sequences into embedding vectors associated with utility scores. (2) We leverage the trained feature subset utility evaluator as a gradient provider to guide the identification of the optimal feature subset embedding; (3) We decode the optimal feature subset embedding to autoregressively generate the best feature selection decision sequence with autostop. Extensive experimental results show this generative perspective is effective and generic, without large discrete search space and expert-specific hyperparameters. The code is available at
http://tinyurl.com/FSDSGL
.
The Ecology and Evolution of Beavers: Ecosystem Engineers That Ameliorate Climate Change
Authors: Fairfax Emily , Westbrook Cherie
Published: August 2024

Beavers, Castor canadensis in North America and Castor fiber in Eurasia, are widely referred to as nature's engineers due to their ability to rapidly transform diverse landscapes into dynamic wetland ecosystems. Few other organisms exhibit the same level of control over local geomorphic, hydrologic, and ecological conditions. Though freshwater ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to changing climate, beavers and their wetland homes have persisted throughout the Northern Hemisphere during numerous prior periods of climatic change. Some research suggests that the need to create stable, climate-buffered habitats at high latitudes during the Miocene directly led to the evolution of dam construction. As we follow an unprecedented trajectory of anthropogenic warming, we have the unique opportunity to describe how beaver ecosystem engineering ameliorates climate change today. Here, we review how beavers create and maintain local hydroclimatic stability and influence larger-scale biophysical ecosystem processes in the context of past, present, and future climate change.
Review—Progress in Research and Application of Molten Salt Electrolysis for Titanium Extraction
Authors: Zhang Jin , Yan Hengwei , Liu Zhanwei , Guo Shenghui , Yang Yonghui , Yang Guang , Xia Rui , Hu Mingyi , Li Lan
Published: August 2024

Titanium (Ti), a metal known for its exceptional performance, is abundant in nature and holds significant potential for a variety of applications and advancements. However, the conventional Kroll process has faced criticism due to its high energy consumption, complex procedures, and environmental impact. In response, metallurgists worldwide are actively exploring innovative and sustainable methods for Ti production. Titanium metal production is generally classified into two main methods according to the specific raw materials and preparation methods employed: thermal reduction and molten-salt electrolysis. This paper provides a review of these two primary Ti production processes, comparing their respective advantages and suggesting potential areas for improvement and breakthroughs. In particular, we emphasize recent advancements in molten-salt electrolysis, such as the utilization of Ti-rich alloys as raw materials and liquid metals as cathodes. Notably, the advances in molten-salt electrolysis with liquid metal as cathodes show promise for the continuous production of high-purity Ti at reduced costs and energy consumption. We also introduce a novel approach: the preparation of Ti metal through double-chamber molten-salt electrolysis. Additionally, we explore future directions for enhancing the Ti metal production process.
Effect of Calcination Temperature on the Structural, Morphological, and Magnetic Properties of Rare-Earth Orthoferrite NdFeO3 Nanoparticles Synthesized by the Sol-Gel Method
Authors: S. Venkata Murali Mohan , P. Bharath , E. Ramanjaneyulu , D. Ramachandran
Published: August 2024

The sol-gel technique has been used to synthesize rare Earth orthoferrite

NdFe

O

3

nanopowders. The present investigation examines how calcination temperatures affect the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of

NdFe

O

3

orthoferrites. X-ray diffraction studies indicate that there is no discernible difference in the observed structures with calcination temperatures other than the bond distances and bond angles. The surface morphology and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) indicate that porosity of the samples is regulated by the physical shape of the tiny particles within them. Porosity is minimized as calcination temperature increases, showing a higher density that contributes to reducing leakage current features while improving the break-down strength. These variations are attributed to bond length and bond angle variation of the Fe-O. The photocatalytic activity of the NdFeO3 nonoparticles was assessed by photodegrading a number of organic dyes, including methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and methylene blue (MB). The product displays significant photocatalytic degradation of the dyes whenever exposed to visible light. Overall, this investigation aims to establish a relationship between the physical properties and microstructural parameters to provide valuable insights into the magnetic interactions present in the samples and the comprehensive behavior of

NdFe

O

3

orthoferrites samples calcination at different calcination temperatures.
Enhanced Thermoelectric Properties of Sb1.85In0.15Te3 Thermoelectric Alloys via Large Effective Mass Increase Induced by Cd Doping
Authors: Cho Hyungyu , Lee Kyu Hyoung , Jeong Changhui , Park Okmin , Kim BeomSoo , Seon Seungchan , Kim Hyun-Sik , Kim Sang-il
Published: August 2024

Sb2Te3‐based alloys exhibit robust thermoelectric transport properties in the midtemperature range above 550 K, and In‐doped Sb2Te3 compositions are well‐known to exhibits the highest efficiency. In this study, Cd was further doped systematically to Sb1.85In0.15Te3 up to 2.5% at the Sb site. It was shown that the Cd2+ substitution for Sb3+ site generates holes very effectively and thus significantly increases the carrier concentration and electrical conductivity. Meanwhile, the Seebeck coefficient decreases rather moderately owing to large increase in density‐of‐state effective mass, resulting in increase of power factor especially for the temperature higher than 500 K. Total thermal conductivity increases with the doping originated from large increase of electrical conductivity, while the lattice thermal conductivity is gradually reduced with the doping owing to the additional phonon scattering. Consequently, a maximum zT of 1.03 at 650 K is achieved, representing a 69% increase compared with that of pristine Sb1.85In0.15Te3. In addition, the expected zT for various carrier concentrations is calculated by using a single parabolic band model. It was found that the increase of zT is limited by the largely increased carrier concentration, and the zT could be further enhanced by maintaining the carrier concentration, which can be achieved by further doping of electrons.
Phenolic Compounds from Ocimum basilicum Revealed as Antibacterial by Experimental and Computational Screening‐Based Studies against Oral Infections
Authors: Putri Salsabila Aqila , Julaeha Euis , Kagawa Natsuko , Kurnia Dikdik
Published: August 2024

Dental infections are initiated by Streptococcus sanguinis and Streptococcus mutans through the biofilm formation. In streptococcal, the ComA enzyme catalyzes the first step to produce signalling molecules in quorum sensing that influence biofilm formation. Ocimum basilicum is one of the natural sources which is potential for antibacterial agent. This study is aimed to isolate phenolic compounds from O. basilicum leaves with antibacterial activity against oral pathogens by experimental and computational screening studies. Isolation of phenolic compounds 1–4 was carried out by bioactivity guided using column chromatography. Methylparaben (1), methyl protocatechuate (2), caffeic acid (3), and methyl caffeate (4) were characterized by 1D and 2D‐NMR. The antibacterial activity was tested by disk diffusion, microdilution methods. 1 (625 μg·mL−1) provided moderate activity, and 2 (156.3 μg·mL−1) provided strong activity against S. mutans. 3 (125 μg·mL−1) and 4 (312.5 μg·mL−1) provided strong activity against S. sanguinis. In addition, phenolic compounds and their derivatives were predicted against ComA using Autodock 4.0 tools. The activity correlated positively with in silico tests against ComA where 2 (−7.69 kcal·mol−1) had a stronger binding affinity than 1 (−6.64 kcal·mol−1). 3 (−6.86 kcal·mol−1) provided a slightly stronger bond strength than 4 (−6.65 kcal·mol−1). The strongest binding affinity of hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives is 3,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (−8.10 kcal·mol−1). In addition, the strongest binding affinity of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives is chlorogenic acid (−9.16 kcal·mol−1). The pharmacokinetics were predicted by ADMET analysis, and methyl caffeate (4) showed the best potential as a drug compound. The conclusion is that phenolic compounds isolated from O. basilicum have potential as natural antibacterials. In silico tests also showed the relationship between the structure and activity by the presence of the hydroxyl group in hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives and the presence of an alkyl group in the unsaturated side chain in hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives.