bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the resensitization effect on carbon-ion radiotherapy for stage I non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Inaniwa Taku , Kanematsu Nobuyuki , Nakajima Mio
Published: April 2024

Objective. To investigate the effect of redistribution and reoxygenation on the 3-year tumor control probability (TCP) of patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with carbon-ion radiotherapy. Approach. A meta-analysis of published clinical data of 233 NSCLC patients treated by carbon-ion radiotherapy under 18-, 9-, 4-, and single-fraction schedules was conducted. The linear-quadratic (LQ)-based cell-survival model incorporating the radiobiological 5Rs, radiosensitivity, repopulation, repair, redistribution, and reoxygenation, was developed to reproduce the clinical TCP data. Redistribution and reoxygenation were regarded together as a single phenomenon and termed ‘resensitization’ in the model. The optimum interval time between fractions was investigated for each fraction schedule using the determined model parameters. Main results. The clinical TCP data for 18-, 9-, and 4-fraction schedules were reasonably reproduced by the model without the resensitization effect, whereas its incorporation was essential to reproduce the TCP data for all fraction schedules including the single fraction. The curative dose for the single-fraction schedule was estimated to be 49.0 Gy (RBE), which corresponds to the clinically adopted dose prescription of 50.0 Gy (RBE). For 18-, 9-, and 4-fraction schedules, a 2-to-3-day interval is required to maximize the resensitization effect during the time interval. In contrast, the single-fraction schedule cannot benefit from the resensitization effect, and the shorter treatment time is preferable to reduce the effect of sub-lethal damage repair during the treatment. Significance. The LQ-based cell-survival model incorporating the radiobiological 5Rs was developed and used to evaluate the effect of the resensitization on clinical results of NSCLC patients treated with hypo-fractionated carbon-ion radiotherapy. The incorporation of the resensitization into the cell-survival model improves the reproducibility to the clinical TCP data. A shorter treatment time is preferable in the single-fraction schedule, while a 2-to-3-day interval between fractions is preferable in the multi-fraction schedules for effective treatments.
Disorder-induced heating in molecular atmospheric pressure plasmas
Authors: LeVan J , Acciarri M D , Baalrud S D
Published: April 2024

Recent work has shown that ions are strongly coupled in atmospheric pressure plasmas when the ionization fraction is sufficiently large, leading to a temperature increase from disorder-induced heating (DIH) that is not accounted for in standard modelling techniques. Here, we extend this study to molecular plasmas. A main finding is that the energy gained by ions in DIH gets spread over both translational and rotational degrees of freedom on a nanosecond timescale, causing the final ion and neutral gas temperatures to be lower in the molecular case than in the atomic case. A model is developed for the equilibrium temperature that agrees well with molecular dynamics simulations. The model and simulations are also applied to pressures up to ten atmospheres. We conclude that DIH is a significant and predictable phenomena in molecular atmospheric pressure plasmas.
Study on multifunctional resistive switching and UV light detection characteristics in p-PEDOT:PSS/i-BFO/n-ZnO hybrid structures
Authors: Rasool Asif , Kossar Shahnaz , Amiruddin R
Published: April 2024

The present research work based on the newly prepared organic-inorganic hybrid heterostructure will be exploited to develop a multifunctional device including non-volatile resistance switching memory devices, and ultraviolet (UV) light detection behavior for the first time based on p-PEDOT:PSS/i-BFO/n-ZnO junctions. Using a spray pyrolysis technique, n-type zinc oxide (ZnO) and i-type bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) thin film layers were prepared on the clean glass substrates at temperature 673 K. Using a spin coater method, the p-PEDOT:PSS were grown upon a bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) thin film with a constant spin velocity of 2000 rpm and heated at 363 K. The current (I)–voltage (V), photoresponse characteristics and resistive switching (RS) behavior of the fabricated p-PEDOT:PSS/i-BFO/n-ZnO hybrid devices were carried out. The device shows high photoresponsivity (R) of 0.001 285 A W−1 and fast photoresponse switching speed with the measured rise and fall time of 493 and 970 ms respectively. Based on the electrical properties, a conductive filament formation/rupture mechanism is proposed to explain the observed RS characteristics.
Broadband tunable transmission non-reciprocity in thermal atoms dominated by two-photon transitions
Authors: Zhao Hui-Min , Zheng Di-Di , Zhang Xiao-Jun , Wu Jin-Hui
Published: April 2024

We propose a scheme for realizing broadband and tunable transmission non-reciprocity by utilizing two-photon near-resonant transitions in thermal atoms as single-photon far-detuned transitions can be eliminated. Our basic idea is to largely reduce the Doppler broadenings on a pair of two-photon, probe and coupling, transitions and meanwhile make the only four-photon transition Doppler-free (velocity-dependent) for a forward (backward) probe field. One main advantage of this scheme lies in that the transmission non-reciprocity can be realized and manipulated in a frequency range typically exceeding 200 MHz with isolation ratio above 20 dB and insertion loss below 1.0 dB by modulating an assistant field in frequency and amplitude. The intersecting angle between four applied fields also serves as an effective control knob to optimize the nonreciprocal transmission of a forward or backward probe field, e.g. in a much wider frequency range approaching 1.4 GHz.
Mechanical behaviors and wear resistances of 3D-printed AISI 321 components for combustor swirler applications
Authors: Lee Sung-Jun , Jang Yonghun , Kim Youngjoo , Kim Chang-Lae
Published: April 2024

This comprehensive study investigates the mechanical behaviors and wear characteristics of 3D-printed AISI 321, with a specific focus on its applicability in combustion swirler components for the power generation industry. Through meticulous exploration of various process parameters and postprocessing techniques, valuable insights were gained into the performance disparities between layered and cast specimens. Analyses revealed intriguing comparisons of key data points: while layered specimens exhibited higher surface roughness (4.37 μm), they demonstrated a lower friction coefficient (0.26) yet a higher wear rate (4.79 × 10−7 mm3/N·mm) compared to their cast specimens. Further investigation into the influence of layering direction unveiled that horizontally layered specimens presented smoother surfaces (0.26 μm), higher hardness (340 HV 1), and improved wear resistance (2.61 × 10−7 mm3/N·mm) compared to vertically layered specimens. Furthermore, the study examined the friction and wear characteristics of layered specimens based on the contact surface, including the top, side, and bottom surfaces. Lastly, a comparison of the mechanical behavior and friction/wear characteristics of layered specimens and cast specimens was conducted, demonstrating that the layered specimens fabricated using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) method exhibited superior performance. These findings underscore the significant potential of 3D-printed AISI 321 in enhancing performance and sustainability in power generation applications, while highlighting the ongoing need for continued research and development to fully exploit the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies.
Research progress of noise reduction of composite structures of porous materials and acoustic metamaterials
Authors: Huang Chenyan , Yang Shu , Talukder Emon , Xiang Hongming , Jin Ying , Cao Saihong
Published: April 2024

Noise pollution is an important problem affecting people’s lives and work quality. In the current noise reduction materials, the porous sound absorption materials usually only haveagood sound absorption effect for medium and high -frequency sound waves, and the sound absorption effect for low -frequency sound waves is relatively weak. However, in recent years, the research on acoustic metamaterials has made a breakthrough which can effectively absorb or isolate low-frequency sound waves. Therefore, researchers propose to combine porous sound-absorbing materials with acoustic metamaterials to form a composite structure, that broadens the frequency range of noise reduction, so as to achieve the goal of full-frequency domain noise reduction. This paper first introduces the research progress of porous materials and acoustic metamaterials, and then introduces the research progress of composite structures that are made of porous materials and acoustic metamaterials. Finally, the application prospect of the composite field of porous sound-absorbing materials and acoustic metamaterials are summarized.
ZnO based ultrasensitive CO chemiresistive gas sensor
Authors: Dhall Shivani , Sood Kapil , Prakash Jyoti , Mehta B R
Published: April 2024

The detection of hazardous gases in the atmosphere is a topic of interest for public security, environmental pollution and industrial emission. In recent years, semiconductor-based gas sensor attracted wide attention in all over the world. Among various hazardous gases, detection of CO at low temperature with fast response and recovery time is still a challenge. In this work, we have adopted single step synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoroads for the fabrication of CO gas sensor. This sensor is found to have ∼8% sensitivity with fast response time of the order of 10 s at 50 °C. Also, selectivity of sensor has been investigated for different gases and observed that ZnO is more active for CO gas at 50 °C. The sensitivity of ZnO based sensor is explained in terms of interaction of CO molecules with adsorbed oxygen vacancies in ZnO which promote better pathway to the charge carrier. The sensing material is characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To the best of our knowledge, the detection of 15 ppm CO at 50 ºC with good sensitivity is reported first time.
DFT insights into i-MAB phase, Mo4Y2Al3B6: a potential thermal barrier coating and solar heat reducing material
Authors: Islam S , Rana M R , Das Prima , Hoque K , Naqib S H , Ali M A
Published: April 2024

We have investigated the physical properties of the i-MAB: Mo4Y2Al3B6 phase via the density functional theory (DFT) approach. The optical properties, thermal properties, and Vickers hardness of the compound Mo4Y2Al3B6 have been studied theoretically for the first time. The correctness of the fine-tuned structural parameters is confirmed by their close match with experimental results. The compound’s metallic nature is established by an analysis of its electronic band structure, which is demonstrated by the overlap of the valence and conduction bands at the Fermi level. The mechanical and dynamic stability of the compound is supported by the single crystal elastic constants and computed phonon dispersion curve. The brittleness and machinability index has been studied to predict its usefulness in any form/shape. The compound’s ability to be exfoliated into 2D nanosheets has been proven by the f-index value. The obtained Vickers hardness value indicate the materials’ softness and ease of machining, aligning with the experimental findings. The thermodynamic properties are evaluated through phonon dispersion curves, including Debye temperature, free energy, enthalpy, entropy, and specific heat capacity. The potential of Mo4Y2Al3B6 as a thermal barrier coating (TBC) material is demonstrated by its low minimum thermal conductivity (K
min), low volume expansion coefficient and high melting temperature (T

m
). Key optical parameters, including dielectric functions, refractive index, photoconductivity, reflectivity, absorption coefficient, and loss function, have been computed and analyzed. The reflectivity spectrum suggests that the titled compound acts as a promising coating material for mitigating solar heating.
Investigation of virtual cathode generated by a tungsten emissive probe in a vacuum
Authors: Li Jian-Quan , Li Shu-Han , Ma Hai-Jie
Published: April 2024

The virtual cathode characteristics (the potential barrier and the spatial size) generated by a tungsten emissive probe are investigated in a vacuum using the one-dimensional theory of the virtual cathode developed by us. In the calculation principle of the virtual cathode, the effective filament area for electron emission is treated with different models. Using the calculation principle, the potential barrier and the spatial size of the virtual cathode are calculated with the tungsten emissive probe heated from the beginning of electron emission to the end of the filament life. The calculated results show that the potential barrier of the virtual cathode generated by the tungsten emissive probe can reach several volts, the spatial size is on the order of centimeters, and the corresponding electric field is on the order of kilovolts per meter.
Investigating the existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions in boundary value problem of fractional differential equations
Authors: Poovarasan R , Gómez-Aguilar J F , Govindaraj V
Published: April 2024

This study uses fixed point theory and the Banach contraction principle to prove the existence, uniqueness, and stability of solutions to boundary value problems involving a Ψ-Caputo-type fractional differential equation. The conclusions are supported by illustrative cases, which raise the theoretical framework’s legitimacy. Fractional calculus is widely used in scientific fields, as seen by its applications in beam deflection analysis, groundwater pollution, and biomedical signal processing.
Design principles of voltage controlled DC-DC boost converters through the integration of PID and model predictive control
Authors: Srishti  , Padhy Prabin Kumar , Samajdar Dip Prakash
Published: April 2024

This paper presents the design of the transfer function between the control and output variable of a DC-DC boost converter using a combination of Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and output-based Model Predictive Control (MPC) mechanisms for eradicating the effect of the non-minimum phase (NMP) behavior on the system. This is made possible due to the existence of a right half plane (RHP) zero. It is observed that the MPC outperformed the conventionally designed PID approach by a significant margin. Based on the computed results, it can be emphasized that the combination of output-based MPC and PID controller demonstrated a strong alignment with optimal designs, exhibiting a fast convergence rate than PID and PID-IMC. Simulation results are presented to showcase the fast transient response and a high level of robustness of the proposed control methodology.
Revisiting the implications of Liouville's theorem to the anisotropy of cosmic rays
Authors: Oliveira Cainã de , Maia Leonardo Paulo , de Souza Vitor
Published: April 2024

We present a solution to Liouville's equation for an ensemble of charged particles
propagating in magnetic fields. The solution is presented using an expansion in spherical
harmonics of the phase space density, allowing a direct interpretation of the distribution of
arrival directions of cosmic rays. The results are found for chosen conditions of variability and
source distributions. We show there are two conditions for an initially isotropic flux of
particles to remain isotropic while traveling through a magnetic field: isotropy and homogeneity
of the sources. In case isotropically-distributed sources inject particles continuously in time, a
transient magnetic induced dipole will appear. This dipole will vanish if the system reaches a
steady-state. The formalism is used to analyze the data measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory,
contributing to the understanding of the dependence of the dipole amplitude with energy and
predicting the energy in which the quadrupole signal should be measured.
An Asymmetric Galactic Stellar Disk Traced by OB-type Stars from LAMOST DR7
Authors: Liu Xiaopeng , Tian Hao , Cui Wenyuan , Li Linlin , Liu Jiaming , Huo Zhenyan , Gao Yawei
Published: April 2024

Using 9943 OB-type stars from LAMOST DR7 in the solar neighborhood, we fit the vertical stellar density profile with the model including a single exponential distribution at different positions (R, Φ). The distributions of the scale heights and scale length show that the young disk traced by the OB-type stars is not axisymmetric. The scale length decreases versus the azimuthal angle Φ, i.e., from

1.14

−
0.19

+
0.30

kpc with Φ = − 3° to

0.77

−
0.06

+
0.08

kpc with Φ = 9°. Meanwhile we find signal of non-symmetry in the distribution of the scale height of the north and south of the disk plane. The scale height in the north side shows signal of flaring of the disk, while that of the south disk stays almost constant around h

s
= 130 pc. The distribution of the displacement of the disk plane Z
0 also shows variance versus the azimuthal angle Φ, which displays significant differences with the warp model constrained by the Cepheid stars. We also test different values for the position of the Sun, and the distance between the Sun and the Galactic center affects the scale heights and the displacement of the disk significantly, but that does not change our conclusion that the disk is not axisymmetric.
Spatial and temporal distribution of nutrients in the Ciliwung River, DKI Jakarta
Authors: Aprilia M , Effendi H , Hariyadi S , Permatasari PA
Published: April 2024

The Ciliwung River, one of the largest rivers to run through Jakarta, is particularly important for its water quality because it travels through the city’s center and several settlements, highly populated housing areas, and slums. The growth of algae and macrophytes, or aquatic plants, is dependent on the nutrients in the streams. These plants serve as major food sources for fish and other small invertebrates. This study aimed to describe the distribution of nutrients (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total nitrogen, and total phosphate) in the Ciliwung River, DKI Jakarta, in terms of both space and time. Water quality was monitored under rainy (February and June 2021) and dry (August and September 2021) conditions. The research area, which included 18 observation stations, was situated in the DKI Jakarta sector along the Ciliwung River. Geographically, all river regions’ concentrations of total nitrogen, nitrate, and total phosphate exceeded the quality criteria; however, ammonia and nitrite tended to be high and did not meet norms across the Ciliwung River area, DKI Jakarta. While ammonia concentrations were greater during the dry season and nitrate concentrations were higher during the rainy season, there was a temporary difference in the concentrations of nitrite, total nitrogen, and total phosphate between the seasons.
Classification, composition, and sources of marine litter on beach sediment of Kondang Merak Coast, Malang, Indonesia
Authors: Yona D , Arifianti D N , Sari S H J , Lestariadi R A , Amirudin A
Published: April 2024

Marine litter pollution has been examined extensively as a significant environmental concern. Beaches are particularly vulnerable to this form of pollution since it is located between land and sea. Malang is one of the cities on Java Island, with a long coastline and numerous beautiful beaches facing the Indian Ocean. Kondang Merak Beach is a popular tourist destination among locals. However, it is under constant threat from marine litter pollution. The beach is divided into two distinct areas: the foreshore, which is influenced by sea waves and currents, and the backshore, which is significantly impacted by tourist activity. Therefore, this study aimed to examine marine litter on beach sediment and to distinguish the composition of marine litter between foreshore and backshore areas. Quadrat transects of 5 x 5 m and 50 x 50 cm were used to collect bigger and micro-size marine litter, respectively. Of the 895 litter items, 61 % were collected from the backshore and 39 % from the foreshore areas. Bigger-sized litter found in the backshore area was the result of tourism activities. On the other hand, micro-size litter in the foreshore area resulted from fragmentation from bigger-size litter.
Modelling non-Markovian noise in driven superconducting qubits
Authors: Agarwal Abhishek , Lindoy Lachlan P , Lall Deep , Jamet François , Rungger Ivan
Published: April 2024

Non-Markovian noise can be a significant source of errors in superconducting qubits. We develop gate sequences utilising mirrored pseudoidentities that allow us to characterise and model the effects of non-Markovian noise on both idle and driven qubits. We compare three approaches to modelling the observed noise: (i) a Markovian noise model, (ii) a model including interactions with a two-level system (TLS), (iii) a model utilising the post Markovian master equation, which we show to be equivalent to the qubit-TLS model in certain regimes. When running our noise characterisation circuits on a superconducting qubit device we find that purely Markovian noise models cannot reproduce the experimental data. Our model based on a qubit-TLS interaction, on the other hand, is able to closely capture the observed experimental behaviour for both idle and driven qubits. We investigate the stability of the noise properties of the hardware over time, and find that the parameter governing the qubit-TLS interaction strength fluctuates significantly even over short time-scales of a few minutes. Finally, we evaluate the changes in the noise parameters when increasing the qubit drive pulse amplitude. We find that although the hardware noise parameters fluctuate significantly over different days, their drive pulse induced relative variation is rather well defined within computed uncertainties: both the phase error and the qubit-TLS interaction strength change significantly with the pulse strength, with the phase error changing quadratically with the amplitude of the applied pulse. Since our noise model can closely describe the behaviour of idle and driven qubits, it is ideally suited to be used in the development of quantum error mitigation and correction methods.
Non-Markovian quantum gate set tomography
Authors: Li Ze-Tong , Zheng Cong-Cong , Meng Fan-Xu , Zeng Han , Luan Tian , Zhang Zai-Chen , Yu Xu-Tao
Published: April 2024

Engineering quantum devices requires reliable characterization of the quantum system, including qubits, quantum operations (also known as instruments) and the quantum noise. Recently, quantum gate set tomography (GST) has emerged as a powerful technique for self-consistently describing quantum states, gates, and measurements. However, non-Markovian correlations between the quantum system and environment impact the reliability of GST. To address this, we propose a self-consistent operational framework called instrument set tomography (IST) for non-Markovian GST. Based on the stochastic quantum process, the instrument set describes instruments and system-environment (SE) correlations. We introduce a linear inversion IST (LIST) to describe instruments and SE correlations without physical constraints. The disharmony of linear relationships between instruments is detected. Furthermore, we propose a physically constrained statistical method based on the maximum likelihood estimation for IST (MLE-IST) with adjustable dimensions. MLE-IST shows significant flexibility in adapting to different types of devices, such as noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices, by adjusting the model and constraints. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and necessity of simultaneously describing instruments and SE correlations. Specifically, the LIST and MLE-IST obtains significant improvement on average square error reduction in the imperfect implemented simulations by orders of −23.77 and −6.21, respectively, compared to their comparative methods. Remarkably, real-chip experiments indicate that a polynomial number of parameters with respect to the Markovian order are sufficient to characterize non-Markovian quantum noise in current NISQ devices. Consequently, IST provides an essential and self-consistent framework for characterizing, benchmarking, and developing quantum devices in terms of the instrument set.
Spatial-temporal variation and correlation between vegetation coverage and soil conservation of Ten Kongdui watershed in the Yellow River basin
Authors: Yang Zhenqi , Zeng Lingjian , Guo Jianying , Liu Xinyu
Published: April 2024

The Ten Kongdui watershed is an essential part of the upper Yellow River baisn of China. The ecosystem in this region has low stability and hazards of sandstorm and soil erosion are serious. By studying the spatio-temporal changes and spatial correlation between vegetation cover and soil conservation, the inhibition effect of vegetation on soil erosion in time and space can be clarified, and the driving factors of soil erosion in a certain area can be further explained. The research results provide data support for artificial vegetation construction and soil erosion control in the Yellow River basin in the future. In this study, the invest model was used to calculate the soil retention of the watershed, and then the spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to analyze the vegetation coverage and soil retention in space. The relationship between changes of the vegetation coverage and soil conservation during 2000–2020 in the Ten Kongdui watershed is analyzed in this paper. The research shows that: (1) During the research period, the vegetation coverage maintained an increasing trend in Ten Kongdui watershed; (2) From 2000 to 2020, with the increased vegetation coverage, soil retention increased, indicating that increasing vegetation coverage can effectively prevent soil erosion; and (3) Vegetation coverage and soil conservation presented a local spatial auto-correlation, Moran’s I index was less than 0, but the years from 2000 to 2020 witnessed gradual growth of the correlation coefficient. There are significant differences in spatial distribution. ‘High-high’ and ‘low-low’ are sporadically distributed in the sandstorm area on the middle reaches of Kubuqi and sporadically in the hilly and gully areas on the upper reaches. Moreover, ‘high-low’ and ‘low-high’ correlation coefficients were distributed in gully areas on the upper reaches and alluvial plains on the lower reaches. The alluvial plains on the lower reaches are mainly farmland ecosystems, with a high NDVI in the growing season but poor soil erosion resistance and weak soil conservation ability. The results emphasized the importance of vegetation coverage change in space for soil conservation of different type of underlying surfaces. The vegetation coverage change effects of soil conservation in plain terrain will be muted. This work provided a certain theory and criterion for us to further research the predictive model of soil erosion .
Long-term development of loneliness in older people and associations with stringency of COVID-19 measures: an observational cohort study
Authors: Schwarzer Flurina Meier , Probst-Hensch Nicole , Kwiatkowski Marek , Höglinger Marc
Published: April 2024

Background

Most longitudinal studies found heightened feelings of loneliness in older people in spring 2020 compared to times before the pandemic. However, longer-term effects are more disputed. We, therefore, investigated changes in loneliness in older people throughout the first 21 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and examined the association between the stringency of COVID-19 measures and feelings of loneliness.

Methods

We assessed loneliness (3-item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale) in a nationally representative longitudinal observational online survey. Older people (65–79 years) were surveyed between March 2020 and December 2021. Proportions of people feeling lonely (UCLA loneliness scale >6) were compared in two stringent phases (‘lockdown’, Oxford University stringency index ≥55) and two less restricted phases. Additionally, we explored the situation of potentially more susceptible subgroups (living alone, women, chronic and mental diseases, low educational level and low income).

Results

Phases with stringent measures were associated with higher levels of loneliness in older people. People living alone, women, people with noncommunicable or mental disease diagnoses and lower income show consistently higher levels of loneliness. However, the differences are not accentuated in phases with more stringent measures. We found little differences between subgroups with varying educational levels.

Conclusions

Even in a country with relatively less stringent COVID-19 measures like Switzerland, an increase in the proportion of older people that feel lonely could be found during phases with more stringent COVID-19 measures. Lockdown phases should, therefore, be accompanied by evidence-based interventions to relieve loneliness to avoid adverse short- and long-term consequences.
The Legal Metaverse and Comparative Taxonomy: A Reappraisal
Authors: Mattei Ugo
Published: April 2024

The present Article revisits my “Three Patterns of Law: Taxonomy and Change in the World’s Legal Systems”—published in this very Journal a quarter century ago—which acknowledged the ideological nature of the law versus politics distinction and posited taxonomy as a means for understanding law. The original article classified law into professional law, political law, and traditional law, and heralded the tentative and dynamic natures of such classification. The two purposes of the present Article are to (i) reflect on legal transformations that have since occurred as reactions to global geopolitical, technological, and economic changes, and (ii) interrogate whether epistemological assumptions that produced the Three Patterns of Law hypothesis still hold. The question the present Article poses is whether a fourth pattern of law is now necessary to capture the new technological state of affairs and the new geopolitical balances of power: in particular, should a rule of smart law be introduced? This Article surveys some of the relevant legal transformations capable of impacting the mapping of each legal pattern to a given geography. Because the Internet (like law, religion, tradition, or language) is an informative-normative system that has produced a new frontier of development, and because of its ubiquity, I have used it as a test for the current viability of the hypothesis. I conclude that it is too early to add a fourth pattern of law; but it is, perhaps, too late to avoid a pattern of no law taking over global hegemony by substituting algorithms for lawyers.
Association between musculoskeletal pain and exposures to awkward postures during work: a compositional analysis approach
Authors: Lohne Fredrik Klæboe , Xu Kailiang , Fimland Marius Steiro , Palarea-Albaladejo Javier , Redzovic Skender
Published: April 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the association between arm elevation and neck/shoulder pain, and trunk forwarding bending and low back pain among home care workers.

Methods

Home care workers (N = 116) from 11 home care units in Trondheim, Norway, filled in pain assessment and working hours questionnaire, and wore 3 accelerometers for up to 7 consecutive days. Work time was partitioned into upright awkward posture, nonawkward posture, and nonupright time, i.e. sitting. Within a compositional approach framework, posture time compositions were expressed in terms of log-ratio coordinates for statistical analysis and modeling. Poisson generalized linear mixed models were used to analyze the relationship between arm elevation in upright postures and neck/shoulder pain, and between trunk forward bending in upright postures and low back pain, respectively. Isotemporal substitution analysis was used to investigate the association of pain assessment with the reallocation of time spent in the different postures.

Results

Time spent in awkward postures was modest, especially for the more extreme angles (60° and 90°). Adjusting for age, gender, and body mass index, our study suggested that the compositions of time spent by home care workers in awkward postures were significantly associated with pain assessment (P < 0.01). Isotemporal substitution analysis showed that reallocating 5 min from upright posture with arms elevated below to above 60° and 90° was associated with a 6.8% and 19.9% increase in the neck/shoulder pain score, respectively. Reallocating 5 min from a forward bending posture while upright below to above 30°, 60°, and 90° was associated with 1.8%, 3.5%, and 4.0% increase in low back pain, respectively.

Conclusions

Although the exposure to awkward postures was modest, our results showed an association between increased time spent in awkward postures and an increase in neck/shoulder pain and low back pain in home care workers. As musculoskeletal pain is the leading cause of sickness absence, these findings suggest that home care units could benefit from re-organizing work to avoid excessive arm elevation and trunk forward bending in workers.
The HLA-I landscape confers prognosis and antitumor immunity in breast cancer
Authors: Ding Xiao-Hong , Xiao Yi , Chen Fenfang , Liu Cheng-Lin , Fu Tong , Shao Zhi-Ming , Jiang Yi-Zhou
Published: April 2024

Breast cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease with varied subtypes, prognoses and therapeutic responsiveness. Human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) shapes the immunity and thereby influences the outcome of breast cancer. However, the implications of HLA-I variations in breast cancer remain poorly understood. In this study, we established a multiomics cohort of 1156 Chinese breast cancer patients for HLA-I investigation. We calculated four important HLA-I indicators in each individual, including HLA-I expression level, somatic HLA-I loss of heterozygosity (LOH), HLA-I evolutionary divergence (HED) and peptide-binding promiscuity (Pr). Then, we evaluated their distribution and prognostic significance in breast cancer subtypes. We found that the four breast cancer subtypes had distinct features of HLA-I indicators. Increased expression of HLA-I and LOH were enriched in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), while Pr was relatively higher in hot tumors within TNBCs. In particular, a higher Pr indicated a better prognosis in TNBCs by regulating the infiltration of immune cells and the expression of immune molecules. Using the matched genomic and transcriptomic data, we found that mismatch repair deficiency-related mutational signature and pathways were enriched in low-Pr TNBCs, suggesting that targeting mismatch repair deficiency for synthetic lethality might be promising therapy for these patients. In conclusion, we presented an overview of HLA-I indicators in breast cancer and provided hints for precision treatment for low-Pr TNBCs.
SimReadUntil for benchmarking selective sequencing algorithms on ONT devices
Authors: Mordig Maximilian , Rätsch Gunnar , Kahles André
Published: April 2024

Motivation

The Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) ReadUntil API enables selective sequencing, which aims to selectively favor interesting over uninteresting reads, e.g. to deplete or enrich certain genomic regions. The performance gain depends on the selective sequencing decision-making algorithm (SSDA) which decides whether to reject a read, stop receiving a read, or wait for more data. Since real runs are time-consuming and costly, simulating the ONT sequencer with support for the ReadUntil API is highly beneficial for comparing and optimizing new SSDAs. Existing software like MinKNOW and UNCALLED only return raw signal data, are memory-intensive, require huge and often unavailable multi-fast5 files (≥100GB) and are not clearly documented.

Results

We present the ONT device simulator SimReadUntil that takes a set of full reads as input, distributes them to channels and plays them back in real time including mux scans, channel gaps and blockages, and allows to reject reads as well as stop receiving data from them. Our modified ReadUntil API provides the basecalled reads rather than the raw signal, reducing computational load and focusing on the SSDA rather than on basecalling. Tuning the parameters of tools like ReadFish and ReadBouncer becomes easier because a GPU for basecalling is no longer required. We offer various methods to extract simulation parameters from a sequencing summary file and adapt ReadFish to replicate one of their enrichment experiments. SimReadUntil’s gRPC interface allows standardized interaction with a wide range of programming languages.

Availability and implementation

Code and fully worked examples are available on GitHub (https://github.com/ratschlab/sim_read_until).
Hi-GeoMVP: a hierarchical geometry-enhanced deep learning model for drug response prediction
Authors: Chen Yurui , Zhang Louxin
Published: April 2024

Motivation

Personalized cancer treatments require accurate drug response predictions. Existing deep learning methods show promise but higher accuracy is needed to serve the purpose of precision medicine. The prediction accuracy can be improved with not only topology but geometrical information of drugs.

Results

A novel deep learning methodology for drug response prediction is presented, named Hi-GeoMVP. It synthesizes hierarchical drug representation with multi-omics data, leveraging graph neural networks and variational autoencoders for detailed drug and cell line representations. Multi-task learning is employed to make better prediction, while both 2D and 3D molecular representations capture comprehensive drug information. Testing on the GDSC dataset confirms Hi-GeoMVP’s enhanced performance, surpassing prior state-of-the-art methods by improving the Pearson correlation coefficient from 0.934 to 0.941 and decreasing the root mean square error from 0.969 to 0.931. In the case of blind test, Hi-GeoMVP demonstrated robustness, outperforming the best previous models with a superior Pearson correlation coefficient in the drug-blind test. These results underscore Hi-GeoMVP’s capabilities in drug response prediction, implying its potential for precision medicine.

Availability and implementation

The source code is available at https://github.com/matcyr/Hi-GeoMVP
Genital evolution in the dark: characterization of male and female genitalia in cave mollies and their surface ancestors (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae)
Authors: Johnson Erik S , Johnson Soren D , McNemee Rachel , Greenway Ryan , Arias Rodriguez Lenin , Tobler Michael
Published: April 2024

Animal genitalia evolve rapidly because of coevolution between male and female traits. However, how the ecological context in which mating occurs might modulate the evolution of genital traits remains poorly understood. We investigated how a change in the sensory environment (the absence of light upon cave colonization) impacted the expression of genital traits in a live-bearing fish, Poecilia mexicana (Poeciliidae), with populations in adjacent cave and surface habitats. Quantifying characteristics of the female urogenital aperture and the male gonopodium (a modified anal fin used for copulation), we found significant differences in genital traits of both sexes. Females from cave populations exhibited larger and more rounded genitalia. Males from cave populations exhibited a significantly enlarged palp, a fleshy gonopodial appendage that has been hypothesized to have sensory functions. Our results suggest that genital traits can diverge rapidly among closely related populations exposed to different environmental conditions. The absence of light could impact genital evolution directly, if some genital structures have sensory functions that compensate for the lack of visual information during copulation, or indirectly, if the absence of light impacts dynamics of sexual conflict or cryptic female choice that arise through the interaction between the sexes.
Autism-associated brain differences can be observed in utero using MRI
Authors: Ortug Alpen , Guo Yurui , Feldman Henry A , Ou Yangming , Warren Jose Luis Alatorre , Dieuveuil Harrison , Baumer Nicole T , Faja Susan K , Takahashi Emi
Published: April 2024

Developmental changes that occur before birth are thought to be associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders. Identifying anatomical predictors of early brain development may contribute to our understanding of the neurobiology of autism spectrum disorders and allow for earlier and more effective identification and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. In this study, we used retrospective clinical brain magnetic resonance imaging data from fetuses who were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders later in life (prospective autism spectrum disorders) in order to identify the earliest magnetic resonance imaging-based regional volumetric biomarkers. Our results showed that magnetic resonance imaging-based autism spectrum disorder biomarkers can be found as early as in the fetal period and suggested that the increased volume of the insular cortex may be the most promising magnetic resonance imaging-based fetal biomarker for the future emergence of autism spectrum disorders, along with some additional, potentially useful changes in regional volumes and hemispheric asymmetries.
Modulatory effects of low-intensity retinal ultrasound stimulation on rapid and non-rapid eye movement sleep
Authors: Wang Teng , Wang Mengran , Wang Jiawei , Li Zhen , Yuan Yi
Published: April 2024

Prior investigations have established that the manipulation of neural activity has the potential to influence both rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep. Low-intensity retinal ultrasound stimulation has shown effectiveness in the modulation of neural activity. Nevertheless, the specific effects of retinal ultrasound stimulation on rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement sleep, as well as its potential to enhance overall sleep quality, remain to be elucidated. Here, we found that: In healthy mice, retinal ultrasound stimulation: (i) reduced total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement sleep ratio; (ii) changed relative power and sample entropy of the delta (0.5–4 Hz) in non-rapid eye movement sleep; and (iii) enhanced relative power of the theta (4–8 Hz) and reduced theta-gamma coupling strength in rapid eye movement sleep. In Alzheimer’s disease mice with sleep disturbances, retinal ultrasound stimulation: (i) reduced the total sleep time; (ii) altered the relative power of the gamma band during rapid eye movement sleep; and (iii) enhanced the coupling strength of delta-gamma in non-rapid eye movement sleep and weakened the coupling strength of theta-fast gamma. The results indicate that retinal ultrasound stimulation can modulate rapid eye movement and non-rapid eye movement-related neural activity; however, it is not beneficial to the sleep quality of healthy and Alzheimer’s disease mice.
Effectiveness and Safety of Ustekinumab for Ulcerative Colitis: A Brazilian Multicentric Observational Study
Authors: Parra Rogério Serafim , Chebli Júlio Maria Fonseca , de Azevedo Matheus Freitas Cardoso , Chebli Liliana Andrade , Zabot Gilmara Pandolfo , Cassol Ornella Sari , de Sá Brito Fróes Renata , Santana Genoile Oliveira , Lubini Márcio , Magro Daniela Oliveira , Imbrizi Marcello , Moraes Antonio Carlos da Silva , Teixeira Fabio Vieira , Alves Junior Antonio José Tiburcio , Gasparetti Junior Newton Luiz Tricarico , da Costa Ferreira Sandro , Queiroz Natália Sousa Freitas , Kotze Paulo Gustavo , Féres Omar
Published: April 2024

Background

Real-world data on the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab (UST) in ulcerative colitis (UC) are lacking in Latin America. In this study, we aimed to describe the effectiveness and safety of UST in a real-world multicenter cohort of Brazilian patients with UC.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter retrospective observational cohort study, including patients with moderate-to-severe UC (total Mayo score 6–12, with an endoscopic subscore of 2 or 3) who received UST. The co-primary endpoints were clinical remission, defined as a total Mayo score ≤2 at 1 year, with a combined rectal bleeding and stool frequency subscore of ≤1, and endoscopic remission (endoscopic Mayo subscore of 0) within 1 year from baseline. Secondary endpoints included clinical response between weeks 12 and 16, endoscopic response within 1 year of starting UST, steroid-free clinical remission at week 52, and biochemical remission at week 52. We also evaluated UST treatment persistence and safety.

Results

A total of 50 patients were included (female, n = 36, 72.0%), with a median disease duration of 9.2 years (1–27). Most patients had extensive colitis (n = 38, 76.0%), and 43 (86.0%) were steroid dependent at baseline. Forty patients (80.0%) were previously exposed to biologics (anti-TNF drugs, n = 31; vedolizumab [VDZ], n = 27). The co-primary endpoints of clinical remission at 1 year and endoscopic remission within 1 year were achieved by 50.0% and 36.0% of patients, respectively. Clinical response at weeks 12–16 was 56.0%, and endoscopic response, steroid-free clinical remission, and biochemical remission at week 52 were 68.0%, 46.5%, and 50.0%, respectively. The UST treatment persistence rate at 24 months was 73.7%. During the follow-up, 10 patients (20.0%) were hospitalized, mostly due to disease progression, and 3 patients required colectomy. Nine patients (18.0%) discontinued the drug mainly due to a lack of effectiveness. Twenty-seven adverse events (AEs) were reported, 16 of which were considered as serious AEs.

Conclusions

In this real-world cohort of difficult-to-treat UC patients, UST was associated with improvements in clinical, biochemical, and endoscopic outcomes. The safety profile was favorable, consistent with the known profile of UST.
Impact of the method of calculating 30-day readmission rate after hospitalization for heart failure. Data from the VancOuver CoastAL Acute Heart Failure (VOCAL-AHF) registry
Authors: Salimian Samaneh , Virani Sean A , Roston Thomas M , Yao Ren Jie Robert , Turgeon Ricky D , Ezekowitz Justin , Hawkins Nathaniel M
Published: April 2024

Background

Thirty-day readmission rate after heart failure (HF) hospitalization is widely used to evaluate healthcare quality. Methodology may substantially influence estimated rates. We assessed the impact of different definitions on HF and all-cause readmission rates.

Methods

Readmission rates were examined in 1835 patients discharged following HF hospitalization using 64 unique definitions derived from five methodological factors: (1) International Classification of Diseases-10 codes (broad vs. narrow), (2) index admission selection (single admission only first-in-year vs. random sample; or multiple admissions in year with vs. without 30-day blanking period), (3) variable denominator (number alive at discharge vs. number alive at 30 days), (4) follow-up period start (discharge date vs. day following discharge), and (5) annual reference period (calendar vs. fiscal). The impact of different factors was assessed using linear regression.

Results

The calculated 30-day readmission rate for HF varied more than two-fold depending solely on the methodological approach (6.5–15.0%). All-cause admission rates exhibited similar variation (18.8–29.9%). The highest rates included all consecutive index admissions (HF 11.1–15.0%, all-cause 24.0–29.9%), and the lowest only one index admission per patient per year (HF 6.5–11.3%, all-cause 18.8–22.7%). When including multiple index admissions and compared with blanking the 30-day post-discharge, not blanking was associated with 2.3% higher readmission rates. Selecting a single admission per year with a first-in-year approach lowered readmission rates by 1.5%, while random-sampling admissions lowered estimates further by 5.2% (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Calculated 30-day readmission rates varied more than two-fold by altering methods. Transparent and consistent methods are needed to ensure reproducible and comparable reporting.