bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Machine Learning for Rapid Discrimination and Quantification of Volatile Organic Compounds in an Electronic Nose Sensor Array
Authors: Grasso John , Zhao Jing , Willis Brian G.
Published: July 2023

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are ubiquitous in the surroundings, originating from both industrial and natural sources. VOCs directly impact the quality of both indoor and outdoor air and play a significant role in processes such as fruit ripening and the body’s metabolism. VOC monitoring has seen significant growth recently, with an emphasis on developing low-cost, portable sensors capable of both vapor discrimination and concentration measurements. VOC sensing remains challenging, mainly because these compounds are nonreactive, appear in low concentrations and share similar chemical structures that results in poor sensor selectivity. Therefore, individual gas sensors struggle to selectively detect target VOCs in the presence of interferences. Electronic noses overcome these limitations by employing machine learning for pattern recognition from arrays of gas sensors. Here, an electronic nose fabricated with four types of functionalized gold nanoparticles demonstrates rapid detection and quantification of eight types of VOCs at four concentration levels. A robust two-step machine learning pipeline is implemented for classification followed by regression analysis for concentration prediction. Random Forest and support vector machine classifiers show excellent results of 100% accuracy for VOC discrimination, independent of measured concentration levels. Each Random Forest regression analysis exhibits high R2 and low RMSE with an average of 0.999 and 0.002, respectively. These results demonstrate the ability of gold nanoparticle gas sensor arrays for rapid detection and quantification.
Modeling of Enhancement Mode HEMT with Π-Gate Optimization for High Power Applications
Authors: Hossain Md Maruf , Shuvo Md Maruf Hossain , Titirsha Twisha , Islam Syed Kamrul
Published: July 2023

This paper presents technology computer-aided design (TCAD) modeling of an enhancement-mode aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN)/gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with extensive π-gate optimization for high-power and radio frequency (RF) applications. Effects of the gate voltages on threshold (Vth), transconductance (gm), breakdown voltage (VBR), cutoff frequency (fT), maximum frequency of oscillation (fmax) and minimum noise figure (NFmin) are systematically investigated with different gate structures (π–Shaped p-GaN MISHEMT, π–Shaped p-GaN HEMT, π–Gate HEMT). A comparative study demonstrates that π–Gate with additional p-GaN and insulating layer makes the device effectively operate in the enhancement mode having a threshold voltage (Vth) = 1.72 V with a breakdown voltage (VBR) = 341 V, exhibiting better gate control with maximum transconductance (gm,max) of 0.321 S/mm. In addition, the proposed device architecture with an optimized gate structure maintains a balance between a positive device threshold and a high breakdown voltage and achieves a better noise immunity with the minimum noise figure of 0.64 dB while operating at 10 GHz with a cutoff frequency (fT) of 33.4 GHz, and a maximum stable operating frequency (fmax) of 82.3 GHz. Moreover, the device achieved an outstanding Vth, gm,max, VBR, fT, fmax and NFmin making it suitable for high-power, high-speed electronics, and low-noise amplifiers.
Compute-in-Memory SRAM Cell Using Multistate Spatial Wavefunction Switched (SWS)-Quantum Dot Channel (QDC) FET
Authors: Gudlavalleti Raja Hari , Heller Evan , Chandy John , Jain Faquir
Published: July 2023

This paper presents multistate spatial wavefunction switched (SWS)-quantum dot channel (QDC) field-effect transistor (FET) static random access memory (SRAM)-based Compute-in-Memory (CIM) cell. The SWS-QDC FETs have two or more vertically stacked coupled quantum dot channels, and the spatial location of carriers within these channels is governed by the applied gate voltage. The location of the carriers can be utilized to encode multiple logic levels within a single device. The utilization of SWS-QDC FETs in CIM cell increases the data storage and energy-efficient computation in the memory. CIM reduces the data access time and improves performance for energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI) edge devices.
PCB Security Modules for Reverse-Engineering Resistant Design
Authors: Chen Shuai , Wang Lei
Published: July 2023

As the crisis of confidence and trust in overseas foundries arises, the industry and academic community are paying increasing attention to Printed Circuit Board (PCB) security. PCB, the backbone of any electronic system hardware, always draws attackers’ attention as it carries system and design information. Numerous ways of PCB tampering (e.g., adding/replacing a component, eavesdropping on a trace and bypassing a connection) can lead to more severe problems, such as Intellectual Property (IP) violation, password leaking, the Internet of Things (IoT) attacks or even more. This paper proposes a technique of active self-defense PCB modules with zero performance overhead. Those protection modules will only be activated when the boards are exposed to the attacks. A set of PCBs with proposed protection modules is fabricated and tested to prove the effectiveness and efficiency of the techniques.
Threshold Inverter Quantizer (TIQ)-Based 2-Bit Comparator Using Spatial Wavefunction Switched (SWS) FET Inverters
Authors: Alamoudi W. , Saman B. , Gudlavalleti R. H. , Almalki A. , Chandy J. , Heller E. , Jain F.
Published: July 2023

A Threshold Inverter Quantizer (TIQ)-based voltage comparator is used to quantize analog input signal in flash ADC designs. This quantizer is based on the systematic sizing of CMOS inverter thus eliminating resistor array which is used for conventional comparator array. Such an implementation removes static power during quantization of analog input signal. This paper presents a simulation of TIQ 2-bit-based comparator using spatial wavefunction switched (SWS) field effect transistor (FET)-based CMOS inverters. The inverters use 4-state SWSFETs. Unlike conventional FETs, SWSFETs consist of two or more vertical coupled arrays of either quantum dot or quantum well channels, where the spatial location of carriers within these channels is used to encode the logic states (00), (01), (10), and (11). The TIQ-based comparator circuit presented here is based on the 2-bit SWS-CMOS inverter. The schematic of the ADC comparator circuit is demonstrated as well as the 2-bit ADC configuration cascading two 2-bit SWSFET-based inverters in CMOS-X. The circuit simulation was done in Cadence and SWSFET was modeled by integrating Berkeley Short-Channel IGFET Model (BSIM) and the Analog Behavioral Model (ABM). The 2-bit comparator circuit provides a four-state logic output voltage for any given analog input signal.
Influence of off-focus and off-axis distances on trapping of a Rayleigh particle
Authors: Zhang Yaoju , Zhao Guohua , Chen Rongkun , Pei Bingnan
Published: July 2023

The influence of the off-focus and off-axis distances on trapping of a metallic particle is investigated theoretically using vector diffraction and dipole approximation. Numerical results show that when the off-focus and off-axis distances of a metallic Rayleigh particle are smaller, typically smaller than 0.5[Formula: see text], the particle can be three-dimensionally trapped to the focus by a highly focused real radially polarized beam. However, when the off-focus and off-axis distances are large, the particle can not be three-dimensionally trapped to the focus but it may be trapped to an annular region. The dependence of the trapping stability and trapping stiffness on the off-focus and off-axis distances are calculated. The effect of the beam parameter (the ratio of the radius of the lens to the beam waist) of the radially polarized light on optical trap is discussed.
Particle motion around Schwarzschild-MOG black hole
Authors: Boboqambarova Madina , Turimov Bobur , Abdujabbarov Ahmadjon
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we present an analysis of the circular motion of test particles around a Schwarzschild-MOG black hole. Initially, our focus lies on studying the shadow cast by the spherically symmetric black hole within the framework of MOG gravity. Notably, we observe that the presence of MOG influences both the photon-sphere and the black hole’s shadow, causing them to increase in size. Furthermore, our research reveals that the characteristic radii of massive particles in circular orbits around the Schwarzschild-MOG black hole, specifically the innermost stable circular orbits (ISCO) and marginally bound orbits, are greater than those observed in the Schwarzschild metric alone. Additionally, we examine the electromagnetic field structure when a black hole is subjected to an external uniform magnetic field. Our findings demonstrate that in the vicinity of the Schwarzschild-MOG black hole, the magnetic field exhibits non-uniform behavior, with field lines becoming more densely distributed. Lastly, we delve into the motion of charged particles around the Schwarzschild-MOG black hole in the presence of an external magnetic field. Our investigation highlights that the ISCO position for charged particles is consistently less than that for neutral particles, indicating a significant distinction between the two scenarios.
Simulation Analysis for Influential Mechanism of Fuzzy Set Data Calibration Toward Consistency Analysis of fsQCA
Authors: Yang Haiwen , Tang Xiaojun , Qi Yawei
Published: July 2023

Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is a new method to solve complex causal relationship analysis in social science, and data calibration is a core process of fsQCA. Ignoring data calibration will have an impact on the fsQCA consistency analysis, thereby undermining the rigor of the causal mechanism between fsQCA mining conditions and results. This study found that the distribution characteristics of the data did not have a significant impact on the final consistency and the corrected consistency, while the anchor point setting of the crosspoint had a significant impact on the sufficient conditional consistency of fsQCA. When the consistency study is carried out on the crosspoint anchor point setting and calibration transformation, it is found that the effect of crosspoint anchor point setting on consistency is more obvious than that of calibration transformation. The study of the consistency between fuzzy set data calibration and fsQCA can provide useful conclusions and calibration methods for the empirical analysis of fsQCA, reminding researchers that they should avoid using mechanical procedures to perform simple data calibration to obtain misleading results and standardize fuzzy set data. Calibration is beneficial to improve the transparency of fsQCA research and also provides an important reference for fsQCA practitioners to conduct robust analysis of different data-driven methods.
Protected and Energy-Efficient E-Healthcare System Based on Internet of Healthcare Services
Authors: Ganesh Prabhu S. , Jayarajan P. , Nandakumar E.
Published: July 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining a tons of attention in numerous industries due to its low-cost autonomous sensor operations. IoT devices in healthcare and medical activities establish an environment that recognizes the patients’ health status such as stress levels, oxygen supply, pulse and warmth, and responds quickly in the event of an emergency. Moreover, various systems founded on low-powered biosensor nodules have been proposed to monitor patients’ medical conditions utilizing Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN); despite the fact that controlling increasing power usage and communication expenses is time-consuming and attention-demanding. Another difficult research problem is data privacy and integrity in the presence of malicious traffic. Therefore, to overcome the above-stated limitations, this research introduces a Safe and the Energy-Efficient Framework for e-Healthcare using Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), whose main goal is to reduce transmission cost but also power usage among biomaterials while sending health records conveniently and, on the other hand, to protect patients’ medical data from unverified and malevolent base stations to increase internet confidentiality and protection.
Characterizations of weakly Ricci-symmetric spacetimes and f(ℛ)-gravity
Authors: De Uday Chand , Hazra Dipankar
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we characterize weakly Ricci-symmetric (shortly, [Formula: see text]) spacetimes and their solutions in [Formula: see text]-gravity. It is demonstrated that a [Formula: see text] spacetime represents a stiff matter fluid. In addition, we obtain that a conformally flat [Formula: see text] spacetime is a space of quasi-constant sectional curvature. Moreover, we establish that a Ricci symmetric [Formula: see text] spacetime represents a static spacetime. Finally, we investigate the effect of [Formula: see text] spacetime solutions in [Formula: see text]-gravity.
Hybrid Segmentation Approach for Tumors Detection in Brain Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Praveena M. , Rao M. Kameswara
Published: July 2023

Tumors are most dangerous to humans and cause death when patient not noticed it in the early stages. Edema is one type of brain swelling that consists of toxic particles in the human brain. Especially in the brain, the tumors are identified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning. This scanning plays a major role in detecting the area of the affected area in the given input image. Tumors may contain cancer or non-cancerous cells. Many experts have used this MRI report as the primary confirmation of the tumors or edemas as cancer cells. Brain tumor segmentation is a significant task that is used to classify the normal and tumor tissues. In this paper, a hybrid segmentation approach (HSA) is introduced to detect the accurate regions of tumors and edemas to the given brain input image. HSA is the combination of an advanced segmentation model and edge detection technique used to find the state of the tumors or edemas. HSA is applied on the Kaggle brain image dataset consisting of MRI scanning images. Edge detection technique improves the detection of tumor or edema region. The performance of the HSA is compared with various algorithms such as Fully Automatic Heterogeneous Segmentation using support vector machine (FAHS-SVM), SVM with Normal Segmentation, etc. Performance of proposed work is calculated using mean square error (MSE), peak signal noise ratio (PSNR), and accuracy. The proposed approach achieved better performance by improving accuracy.
Ferromagnetism properties ofCarbonco-doped LiMg(Fe, Ni)P half Heusler using DFT method
Authors: Ziat Younes , Zarhri Zakaryaa , Belkhanchi Hamza , Cisneros-Villalobos Luis
Published: July 2023

The aim of this investigation is to study the ferromagnetism and magnetic properties of LiMgP HH with double impurities, namely [Formula: see text]-2[Formula: see text] and (Fe and Ni)-3[Formula: see text], connected to LiMg[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text] and LiMg[Formula: see text]Ni[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text]respectively. To achieve this, we perform KKR-CPA combined with GGA. The ferromagnetic stability of LiMg0P[Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text]is observed, where C-2[Formula: see text] is set on the spin-down of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] connected to the half metallicity. In the case of LiMg[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]P alloy, the Fe-3[Formula: see text] states show a variation in the exchange splitting ([Formula: see text],[Formula: see text]) with respect to the spin-up [Formula: see text] and spin-down [Formula: see text]. The Fe-3[Formula: see text] states are located around the [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] and exhibit half-metallic characteristic. Similarly, the LiMg[Formula: see text]Ni[Formula: see text]P alloy also exhibits half metallic characteristic. The co-doped LiMg[Formula: see text]Fe[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text] and LiMg[Formula: see text]Ni[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text] alloys predict an improvement in magnetic properties due to the presence of carbon, resulting in hybridization between C-2[Formula: see text] and Fe-3[Formula: see text] in the valence band (VB) maximum and conduction band (CB) minimum on the minority states. Similarly, in the case of LiMg[Formula: see text]Ni[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text], hybridization occurs between C-2[Formula: see text] and Ni-3[Formula: see text] below [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] in the minority states, within the range of (−0.2 to 0 Ry) in the VB.
Multimodal Integrative Genomics and Pathology Analyses in Neoadjuvant Nivolumab Treatment for Intermediate and Locally Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Cheung Tan-To , Ho Daniel Wai-Hung , Lyu Shirley Xueying , Zhang Qingyang , Tsui Yu-Man , Yu Tiffany Ching-Yun , Sze Karen Man-Fong , Lee Joyce Man-Fong , Lau Vince Wing-hang , Chu Edward Yin-Lun , Tsang Simon Hing-Yin , She Wong-Hoi , Leung Roland Ching-Yu , Yau Thomas Chung-Cheung , Ng Irene Oi-Lin
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Immunotherapy has resulted in pathologic responses in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the benefits and molecular mechanisms of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint blockade are largely unknown. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of preoperative nivolumab (anti-PD-1) in patients with intermediate and locally advanced HCC and determined the molecular markers for predicting treatment response. Results: Between July 2020 and November 2021, 20 treatment-naive HCC patients with intermediate and locally advanced tumors received preoperative nivolumab at 3 mg/kg for 3 cycles prior to surgical resection. Nineteen patients underwent surgical resection on trial. Seven (36.8%) of the 19 patients had major pathologic tumor necrosis (≥60%) in the post-nivolumab resection specimens, with 3 having almost complete (>90%) tumor necrosis. The tumor necrosis was hemorrhagic and often accompanied by increased or dense immune cell infiltrate at the border of the tumors. None of the patients developed major adverse reactions contradicting hepatectomy. RNA-sequencing analysis on both pre-nivolumab tumor biopsies and post-nivolumab resected specimens showed that, in cases with major pathologic necrosis, the proportion of CD8 T cells in the HCC tissues predominantly increased after treatment. Moreover, to investigate noninvasive biomarker for nivolumab response, we evaluated the copy number variation (CNV) using target-panel sequencing on plasma cell-free DNA of the patients and derived a CNV-based anti-PD-1 score. The score correlated with the extent of tumor necrosis and was validated in a Korean patient cohort with anti-PD-1 treatment. Conclusion: Neoadjuvant nivolumab demonstrated promising clinical activity in intermediate and locally advanced HCC patients. We also identified useful noninvasive biomarker predicting responsiveness.
Patient-Related Predictors for Seeking and Receiving Obesity Surgery
Authors: Sauerbrey Sonja Elisabeth , Schmidt Ricarda , Schlögl Haiko , Blüher Matthias , Dietrich Arne , Hilbert Anja
Published: July 2023

Introduction: The decision for obesity surgery (OS) is complex and strongly driven by patients’ preference. This study aimed to examine patients’ preference for OS before and after behavioral weight loss treatment (BWLT), associated patient characteristics, its role in predicting the receipt of OS after BWLT, and potential mediators. Methods: Data of N = 431 adults with obesity starting a 1-year routine care obesity BWLT were analyzed. Patients were interviewed before (pre-BWLT) and after BWLT (post-BWLT) regarding their preference for OS, and anthropometric, medical, and psychological data were collected. Results: Only a minority of patients (11.6%) had an explicit preference for OS pre-BWLT. Post-BWLT, the number of patients preferring OS significantly increased (27.4%). Patients with a constant or emerging preference for OS showed less favorable anthropometric, psychological, and medical characteristics than patients without or with a vanishing preference for OS. Patients’ pre-BWLT preference for OS significantly predicted receiving OS post-BWLT. This association was mediated by higher body mass index pre- and post-BWLT, but not by less percentage total body weight loss (%TBWL) through BWLT. Conclusion: Although the preference for OS pre-BWLT predicted the receipt of OS post-BWLT, it was not associated with %TBWL during BWLT. Further prospective studies with multiple assessment time points during BWLT may help understand when and why patients’ attitude toward OS changes, and identify possible mediators on the association between the preference and receipt of OS.
Optimal Dwelling Time for Ureteral Stents Placed for Passive Dilation after Impassable Ureteroscopy
Authors: Yildiz Ali Kaan , Bayraktar Arif , Kacan Turgay , Keseroğlu Buğra Bilge , Ozgur Berat Cem , Doluoglu Omer Gokhan , Karakan Tolga
Published: July 2023

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the correlation between the dwelling time for a ureteral stent placed for passive dilation after impassable ureteroscopy and success and complications. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was made of patients who underwent stent placement after impassable ureteroscopy and a repeat ureteroscopy due to kidney stones. A total of 161 patients were included in the study between 2015 and 2022. Demographic, clinical, preoperative, and perioperative data were collected. Logistic regression analyses were performed on the data showing a significant difference in the univariate analyses performed to determine the predictive factors of ureteroscopy after the stent dwelling period in terms of stone-free status and perioperative complications. Results: Stone-free status was achieved in 110 (68.3%) of 161 patients, and perioperative complications were observed in 41 (25.4%). Factors that affected the stone-free status were determined as the dwelling time and the S-ReSC score, while factors affecting perioperative complications were the stent dwelling time and the operation time. The stone-free rates were observed to increase from 46.4% in the first 2 weeks to 72.9% after the 2nd week, an increase of 1.5-fold. Perioperative complications were determined at the rate of 17.5% during the first 5 weeks and increased 2.1-fold to 37.5% after the 5th week. Conclusion: It can be recommended that great care is taken during the stent dwelling period and ureteroscopy should be performed within 5 weeks (14–35 days) but no earlier than 2 weeks, so as not to affect the success of the procedure.
International Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Hyperinsulinism
Authors: De Leon Diva D. , Arnoux Jean Baptiste , Banerjee Indraneel , Bergada Ignacio , Bhatti Tricia , Conwell Louise S. , Fu Junfen , Flanagan Sarah E. , Gillis David , Meissner Thomas , Mohnike Klaus , Pasquini Tai L.S. , Shah Pratik , Stanley Charles A. , Vella Adrian , Yorifuji Tohru , Thornton Paul S.
Published: July 2023

Background: Hyperinsulinism (HI) due to dysregulation of pancreatic beta-cell insulin secretion is the most common and most severe cause of persistent hypoglycemia in infants and children. In the 65 years since HI in children was first described, there has been a dramatic advancement in the diagnostic tools available, including new genetic techniques and novel radiologic imaging for focal HI; however, there have been almost no new therapeutic modalities since the development of diazoxide. Summary: Recent advances in neonatal research and genetics have improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of both transient and persistent forms of neonatal hyperinsulinism. Rapid turnaround of genetic test results combined with advanced radiologic imaging can permit identification and localization of surgically-curable focal lesions in a large proportion of children with congenital forms of HI, but are only available in certain centers in “developed” countries. Diazoxide, the only drug currently approved for treating HI, was recently designated as an “essential medicine” by the World Health Organization but has been approved in only 16% of Latin American countries and remains unavailable in many under-developed areas of the world. Novel treatments for HI are emerging, but they await completion of safety and efficacy trials before being considered for clinical use. Key Messages: This international consensus statement on diagnosis and management of HI was developed in order to assist specialists, general pediatricians, and neonatologists in early recognition and treatment of HI with the ultimate aim of reducing the prevalence of brain injury caused by hypoglycemia. A previous statement on diagnosis and management of HI in Japan was published in 2017. The current document provides an updated guideline for management of infants and children with HI and includes potential accommodations for less-developed regions of the world where resources may be limited.
Preoperative Prediction of Microvascular Invasion with Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Single Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Implication of Surgical Decision on the Extent of Liver Resection
Authors: Kim Na Reum , Bae Heejin , Hwang Hyeo Seong , Han Dai Hoon , Kim Kyung Sik , Choi Jin Sub , Park Mi-Suk , Choi Gi Hong
Published: July 2023

Introduction: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is one of the most important prognostic factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence, but its application in preoperative clinical decisions is limited. This study aimed to identify preoperative predictive factors for MVI in HCC and further evaluate oncologic outcomes of different types and extents of hepatectomy according to stratified risk of MVI. Methods: Patients with surgically resected single HCC (≤5 cm) who underwent preoperative gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included in a single-center retrospective study. Two radiologists reviewed the images with no clinical, pathological, or prognostic information. Significant predictive factors for MVI were identified using logistic regression analysis against pathologic MVI and used to stratify patients. In the subgroup analysis, long-term outcomes of the stratified patients were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test and compared between anatomical and nonanatomical or major and minor resection. Results: A total of 408 patients, 318 men and 90 women, with a mean age of 56.7 years were included. Elevated levels of tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein [α-FP] ≥25 ng/mL and PIVKA-II ≥40 mAU/mL) and three MRI features (tumor size ≥3 cm, non-smooth tumor margin, and arterial peritumoral enhancement) were independent predictive factors for MVI. As the MVI risk increased from low (no predictive factor) and intermediate (1–2 factors) to high-risk (3–4 factors), recurrence-free and overall survival of each group significantly decreased (p = 0.001). In the high MVI risk group, 5-year cumulative recurrence rate was significantly lower in patients who underwent major compared to minor hepatectomy (26.6 vs. 59.8%, p = 0.027). Conclusion: Tumor markers and MRI features can predict the risk of MVI and prognosis after hepatectomy. Patients with high MVI risk had the worst prognosis among the three groups, and major hepatectomy improved long-term outcomes in these high-risk patients.
The Ever-Expanding University of California: Property Claims and the Battle over People’s Park
Authors: Shah Maansi
Published: July 2023

As the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) aims to assert its property rights over the long-contested and storied People’s Park, I examine the history and variation in property claims to the park and how they have been argued—legally, in the media, and as articulated through actions surrounding the park. I discuss the struggle over property and land rights through the shifting and slipping claims to publicity. In particular, I survey the changing language of the university’s claims to public purpose, as well as the role of police power in enforcing property claims to this space. I explore the formation of the University of California, highlighting the historical continuity of imperial expansion and land grabs undertaken under the guise of “public purpose.” Finally, I analyze the student and community opposition to the university, and its impacts on both the articulation and realization of university’s claims to property rights. I argue that the definition of “public” as articulated by the university’s actions and rhetoric, rests both on its service to students and its role in fulfilling the military-imperial interests of the American state. These claims to “publicness” in turn allow the university to indiscriminately seize land in the East Bay.
Prescribed-time stabilization control for p-norm stochastic nonlinear systems based on homogeneous dominant technique
Authors: Cheng Mengqing , Zhao Junsheng , Sun Zong-yao , Zhuang Guangming
Published: July 2023

In this article, a prescribed-time state-feedback stabilization design strategy is proposed for a class of p-norm stochastic nonlinear strict feedback systems. In previous work on prescribed-time stabilization of stochastic systems, only stochastic nonlinear systems with fractional power less than or equal to one are considered. To overcome this problem, we improve the existing method and discuss the issue of prescribed-time stabilization of stochastic nonlinear systems with fractional power is arbitrary positive odd rational number. First, a prescribed-time controller is designed by combining the Lyapunov function with adding a power integrator technique. It should be pointed out that the homogeneous domination approach is adopted when dealing with the nonlinear terms of the system. Then, according to the stochastic prescribed-time stability theorem, it is proved that the designed controller can ensure the closed-loop system is prescribed-time mean-square stable. Finally, three simulation examples are given to investigate the validity of the presented method, in which the last one is an electromechanical system example.
The Shifting Political Roles of Court Prelates: Backing up Henri IV of France
Authors: Martysheva Lana
Published: July 2023

This article looks at court prelates at a moment of existential political crisis related to the ascension of the Protestant Henri IV to the French throne, traditionally occupied by Catholic Kings. The active support of a handful of high-ranking figures in the Catholic Church in France to the ‘heretic’ king constitutes a heuristic opportunity to observe the complex articulations between what can be defined as political and as religious. The paper thus demonstrates the crucial role of a multi-level action of Navarrist prelates in the process of legitimation of the first Bourbon as the sole rightful king at the end of the Wars of Religion. In doing so, it aims to contribute to the understanding of the broad spectrum of political influence that the high clergy could wield at the princely court.
Dynamic Evaluation Method for Urban Road Network Resilience Based on Congestion Propagation and Dissipation
Authors: Zhang Huiting , Song Guohua , He Feng , Tan Zhe , Huang Jianchang
Published: July 2023

Urban road networks are often affected by natural disasters, such as rainstorms, with consequences spreading from partial failures to massive network-wide disruptions. The pattern of road network resilience is grasped by capturing the changes in the failure process of the road network cascade. This research presents a method for dynamic evaluation of road network resilience, with extreme rainstorm weather as the background. The fundamental diagram of traffic flow is adopted into the shock wave model to obtain the congestion propagation and dissipation model with speed as input quantity. Then, it is networked and applied to the road network to develop a cascading failure model. The model can be used to identify critical nodes, combining the Monte Carlo method and Dijkstra algorithm, as well as to construct time-varying evolution scenarios of road network resilience when critical nodes are broken. Furthermore, VA (the variations of all OD pairs in the road network) and RI (the resilience indicators of road network) indexes for dynamic evaluation of road network resilience are developed, that visualize the resilience of the road network for a specific region, a specific event, and a specific time. In the case study, the proposed method is employed to evaluate the resilience of the urban road network under a real case of the Zhengzhou 720 rainstorm in China, and its practicality is verified.
Design and dynamics of a 2PSS+PSR+SP+RUPUR-type parallel rotor of helicopter
Authors: Lu Yi , Chang Zefeng , Ye Nijia
Published: July 2023

A novel parallel rotor of the helicopter is designed by combining a 2PSS+PSR+SP+RUPUR-type parallel manipulator with a rotor of the helicopter. Its kinematics and dynamics models are established. Firstly, the structure principle and the merit performances of the parallel rotor are explained by comparing with conventional and existing rotors of the helicopter, and the degree of freedom of the parallel manipulator is calculated. Secondly, the kinematics formulas are derived for solving the displacement, Jacobian matrix, general velocity, Hessian matrix, and acceleration of the parallel rotor and the kinematic limbs. Thirdly, a dynamics model of the parallel rotor is established based on the derived kinematics formulas. Finally, the theoretical kinematics and dynamics solutions are verified by a simulation mechanism of the parallel rotor of the helicopter.
Prescribed disturbance observer-based adaptive dynamic surface control for a voice coil motor servo gantry
Authors: Zhang Yangming , Yan Peng
Published: July 2023

High precision tracking of mechatronic systems is often subject to the adverse impact of various disturbances. In this article, a novel prescribed disturbance observer-based adaptive dynamic surface control scheme is proposed to solve the tracking control problem for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with both mismatched disturbances and matched disturbances. More specifically, the dynamic surface control technique is introduced to eliminate the explosion of complexity problem in the existing backstepping-based design. The prescribed disturbance observers with pre-specified estimation accuracy are first designed to handle the mismatched disturbances, and the adaptive laws are synthesized to deal with the parametric uncertainties and the bound of matched disturbances. Moreover, it can be shown that the tracking error converges to an arbitrarily small neighborhood of zero. Finally, the proposed control algorithm is applied to a customize-designed high-precision motion stage driven by voice coil motors, where numerical simulations and real-time experiments demonstrate excellent tracking performance and disturbance rejection capability, achieving tracking precision error less than [Formula: see text] in multifrequency trajectory tracking.
Prediction of overall survival after radical gastrectomy using nomograms created by tumor markers
Authors: Zhang Li-xiang , Cao Zi-yi , Li Hao-Hao , Li Chuan-Hong , Li Ang-qing , Luo Pan-quan , Song En-dong , Wei Zhi-jian , Han Wen-xiu , Su Ye-zhou , Ye Long-ping , Xu A-man
Published: July 2023

Prediction of prognosis after radical resection of gastric cancer has not been well established. Therefore, we aimed to establish a prognostic model based on a new score system of patients with gastric cancer. A total of 1235 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy at our hospital from October 2015 to April 2017 were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to screen for prognostic risk factors. Construction of the nomogram was based on Cox proportional hazard regression models. The construction of the new score models was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve), calibration curve, and decision curve. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size, T, N, carcinoembryonic antigen, CA125, and CA19-9 were independent prognostic factors. The new score model had a greater AUC (The area under the ROC curve) than other systems, and the C-index of the nomogram was highly reliable for evaluating the survival of patients with gastric cancer. Based on the tumor markers and other clinical indicators, we developed a precise model to predict the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer after radical surgery. This score system can be helpful to both surgeons and patients.
Twenty-first century management of diabetes with shared telemedicine appointments
Authors: Klonoff David C. , Yeung Andrea M. , Huang Jingtong , Espinoza Juan C. , Raymond Jennifer K. , Lee Wei-An (“Andy”) , Koliwad Suneil K. , Kerr David
Published: July 2023

This commentary article discusses the benefits of utilizing telemedicine to conduct shared medical appointments for people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. We conducted a literature review of articles about shared medical appointments or group medical visits in people with diabetes with associated clinical data. We identified 43 articles. Models of this approach to care have demonstrated positive outcomes in adults and children with type 1 diabetes. Shared telemedicine appointments also have the potential to improve diabetes self-management, reduce the treatment burden, and improve psychosocial outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes. Ten key recommendations for implementation are presented to guide the development of shared telemedicine appointments for diabetes. These recommendations can improve care for diabetes.
Flow rate accuracy of infusion devices within healthcare settings: a systematic review
Authors: Atanda Opeyemi , West Jonathan , Stables Tom , Johnson Chris , Merrifield Robert , Kinross James
Published: July 2023

Background:

One in five patients admitted to the hospital treated with intravenous (IV) fluid therapy suffer complications due to inappropriate administration. Errors have been reported in 13–84% of the preparation and administration of IV medications. The safe delivery of IV fluids requires precise rate administration.

Objectives:

This systematic review aims to determine the accuracy of infusion sets and devices and examine the factors that affect the flow rate accuracy of devices.

Data Sources and Methods:

Six databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Database of systematic reviews) were systematically searched. Search terms included infusion pumps, infusion devices, flow rate accuracy, fluid administration rate, gravity-led infusion set and fluid balance. Studies were included if they examined infusion devices’ flow rate accuracy and drop rates for fluids or non-oncological drugs. Findings were tabulated and synthesised qualitatively. The quality of the studies was examined based on the design of the studies due to their heterogeneity.

Results:

Eight studies were included: Four studies were conducted on human subjects in the hospital environment; studies recruited 182 participants between the ages of 18 and 94 years. Two studies examined flow rate accuracy in recruited patients across 509 observations and 2387 drip hours. No trials prospectively assessed the accuracy of infusion pumps in the clinical domain, and no studies were reported on patient safety outcomes. Four studies examined the impact of mechanical and physiological factors on the flow rate accuracies of infusion devices. Height and back pressure simulated vibrating conditions, the viscosity of IV fluid and the positions of patients were reported to have a significant impact on infusion volume and flow rates of infusion devices. Additionally, giving sets that vary from the manufacturer’s specifications are reported to increase error percent by 10–20%.

Conclusion:

Infusion devices are an important source of error in administering IV fluids. Yet, there needs to be more prospective trial data to support their clinical accuracy and the impact on patient outcomes. Future flow variability and accuracy studies should capture their impact on patient safety and clinical outcomes.
Snake envenomation in three cats in South Korea
Authors: Lee Jeong-Min , Park Mi-Kyung , Lee Gi-Ppeum , Song Joong-Hyun , Song Kun-Ho
Published: July 2023

Case series summary

Three cats in South Korea were diagnosed with snake envenomation based on the appearance and location of bite wounds. Two cats were envenomed by the Gloydius species and one by an unidentified species. Clinical signs were detected, including local bite-site swelling, haemorrhagic discharge and necrosis. All three cats were given supportive treatment. An antivenom was administered to one cat, and the cat showed no adverse reactions. All cats survived, but skin necrosis remained a complication of the snake envenomation. This was observed during the 1-year follow-up period.

Relevance and novel information

Cats with snake envenomation are extremely rare in South Korea, and information regarding clinical details are limited. This study is the first to describe the clinical details and prognosis of feline snake envenomation in South Korea.
Elective Foot and Ankle Procedures in the Patients Greater than 65 Years of Age: Worth the Mobility Gains
Authors: Manz Wesley , Novack Joseph , Fink Juliet , Jacobson Joseph , Bariteau Jason
Published: July 2023

Chronic, non-traumatic pathologies of the foot and ankle can be mobility-limiting for patients of all ages. The objective of this study was to compare postoperative changes in LifeSpace Mobility Assessment (LSA) scores of adult and elderly patients following elective foot and ankle surgery. A prospective study of 184 patients undergoing elective ankle, hindfoot, and midfoot procedures conducted by one surgeon between 2015 and 2019 was undertaken. Patient-reported LSA scores were collected at preoperative, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up. Patient data was compared using an independent sample t-test for continuous, normally distributed data and a chi-squared or Fischer’s exact test for categorical data. Alpha and beta were .05 and .8. Patients were divided based on age. 140 patients were observed in the younger (<65) group, 44 patients were observed in the elderly (≥65) group. The average LSA score of elderly patients at the preoperative visit was 58.3 (SD 38.0) vs 79.3 (SD 38.8) in the younger cohort (P = .041). Both patient cohorts saw decreased mobility at 3-month postoperative visits but surpassed preoperative mobility scores by 6 months and 1 year postop. No difference in average mobility score was observed between young (85.6, SD 36.1) and elderly (90.1, SD 34.3) cohorts at 1-year follow up. Given the increased rates of perioperative comorbidities and the heightened risks of intraoperative complications, physicians may be more inclined to manage elderly patients with longer periods of conservative treatment for similar pathologies. However, these results imply that elderly patients experience similar improvements after surgery to younger cohorts and should not be excluded from surgical consideration. Our results, in tandem with literature showing the deleterious effects of decreased mobility in the elderly, suggest that the discussion to pursue or hold surgical correction of chronic foot and ankle disease in patients over age 65 must consider the mobility benefits of surgery.
Status and associated factors of gerontological nurse specialists’ core competency: a national cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Hongxiu , Pu Lihui , He Shengyuan , Hu Xiuying , Chen Qian , Huang Zhaojing , Cheng Linan
Published: July 2023

Background

Nurses’ core competency directly affects patients’ safety and health outcomes. Gerontological nurse specialists play an essential role in improving older adults’ health status. However, little is known about their core competency level and the factors influencing core competency. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the status of core competency and factors influencing the core competency of gerontological nurse specialists in China.

Methods

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted on gerontological nurse specialists certified by province-level or above organizations across China between March 2019 and January 2020. The Revised Core Competency Evaluation Instrument for Gerontological Nurse Specialists was used to measure participants’ core competency. The median, frequencies, and percentages were used to describe participants’ characteristics and level of core competency. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis was applied to analyze the factors influencing core competency.

Results

The median score of gerontological nurse specialists’ core competency was 3.84, and professional development skills and research and analysis decision-making skills had the lowest scores among the dimensions. The multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that individual-level factors (i.e., working experience length of geriatric nursing and attitudes toward caring for older adults), employer-level factors (i.e., departments, job responsibilities, the degree of satisfaction toward the attention and support and the promotion rules provided by the hospital or department), and training-associated factors (i.e., economic zone where training organizations are located and the degree to which the training content met clinical needs) are independently associated with gerontological nurse specialists’ core competency level (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

This study showed that gerontological nurse specialists’ core competency needs further improvements, especially regarding professional development skills and research and analysis decision-making skills. Additionally, individual-, training-, and employer-level factors could influence their core competency level, indicating that interventions targeting these factors could be applied to improve the core competency of gerontological nurse specialists.