bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inter-hospital comparison of working time allocation among internal medicine residents using time-motion observations: an innovative benchmarking tool
Authors: Frey Simon Martin , Méan Marie , Garnier Antoine , Castioni Julien , Wenger Nathalie , Egloff Michael , Marques-Vidal Pedro , Beer Juerg-Hans
Published: February 2020

Objectives

The vast majority of residents’ working time is spent away from patients. In hospital practice, many factors may influence the resident’s working day structure.

Using an innovative method, we aimed to compare working time allocation among internal medicine residents using time-motion observations. The first study goal was to describe how the method could be used for inter-hospital comparison. The secondary goal was to learn about specific differences in the resident’s working day structure in university and non-university hospital settings.

Design

Two separate time-motion studies. Trained peer-observers followed the residents during weekday day shifts with a tablet, able to record 22 different activities and corresponding context (with patient, phone, colleague or computer).

Setting

Internal medicine residencies at a university (May–July 2015) and a non-university (September–October 2016) community hospital.

Participants

28 residents (mean age: 29 years, average postgraduate training: 30 months) at university hospital, 21 residents (mean age: 30 years, average postgraduate training: 17 months) at non-university hospital.

Outcomes

Time spent with patients and time dedicated to activities directly related to patients; description of main differences of time allocation between hospitals.

Results

Cumulatively 1051 hours of observation (566 (university hospital)+486 (non-university hospital)) and 92 day shifts (49+43) were evaluated. Daily working time was 11.5 versus 11.3 hours. A median daily period of 195 min (IQR 179–211, 27.9%) and 116 min (IQR 98–134, 17.2%) (p<0.001) was dedicated to direct patient care, respectively.

Conclusions

We successfully identified differences potentially related to each hospital structure and organisation. Inter-hospital comparisons could help set up interventions aiming to improve workday structure and experience of residents.
End-of-life care in general practice: clinic-based data collection
Authors: Ding Jinfeng , Cook Angus , Chua David , Licqurish Sharon , Woolford Marta , Deckx Laura , Mitchell Geoffrey , Johnson Claire E
Published: February 2020

Background

There are no processes that routinely assess end-of-life care in Australian general practice. This study aimed to develop a data collection process which could collect observational data on end-of-life care from Australian general practitioners (GPs) via a questionnaire and clinical data from general practice software.

Methods

The data collection process was developed based on a modified Delphi study, then pilot tested with GPs through online surveys across three Australian states and data extraction from general practice software, and finally evaluated through participant interviews.

Results

The developed data collection process consisted of three questionnaires: Basic Practice Descriptors (32 items), Clinical Data Query (32 items) and GP-completed Questionnaire (21 items). Data extraction from general practice software was performed for 97 decedents of 10 GPs and gathered data on prescriptions, investigations and referral patterns. Reports on care of 272 decedents were provided by 63 GPs. The GP-completed Questionnaire achieved a satisfactory level of validity and reliability. Our interviews with 23 participating GPs demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of this data collection process in Australian general practice.

Conclusions

The data collection process developed and tested in this study is feasible and acceptable for Australian GPs, and comprehensively covers the major components of end-of-life care. Future studies could develop an automated data extraction tool to reduce the time and recall burden for GPs. These findings will help build a nationwide integrated information network for primary end-of-life care in Australia.
Variable selection strategies and its importance in clinical prediction modelling
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammad Ziaul Islam , Turin Tanvir C
Published: February 2020

Clinical prediction models are used frequently in clinical practice to identify patients who are at risk of developing an adverse outcome so that preventive measures can be initiated. A prediction model can be developed in a number of ways; however, an appropriate variable selection strategy needs to be followed in all cases. Our purpose is to introduce readers to the concept of variable selection in prediction modelling, including the importance of variable selection and variable reduction strategies. We will discuss the various variable selection techniques that can be applied during prediction model building (backward elimination, forward selection, stepwise selection and all possible subset selection), and the stopping rule/selection criteria in variable selection (p values, Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion and Mallows’ Cp statistic). This paper focuses on the importance of including appropriate variables, following the proper steps, and adopting the proper methods when selecting variables for prediction models.
Advances in non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis
Authors: Loomba Rohit , Adams Leon A
Published: February 2020

Liver fibrosis should be assessed in all individuals with chronic liver disease as it predicts the risk of future liver-related morbidity and thus need for treatment, monitoring and surveillance. Non-invasive fibrosis tests (NITs) overcome many limitations of liver biopsy and are now routinely incorporated into specialist clinical practice. Simple serum-based tests (eg, Fibrosis Score 4, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease Fibrosis Score) consist of readily available biochemical surrogates and clinical risk factors for liver fibrosis (eg, age and sex). These have been extensively validated across a spectrum of chronic liver diseases, however, tend to be less accurate than more ‘complex’ serum tests, which incorporate direct measures of fibrogenesis or fibrolysis (eg, hyaluronic acid, N-terminal propeptide of type three collagen). Elastography methods quantify liver stiffness as a marker of fibrosis and are more accurate than simple serum NITs, however, suffer increasing rates of unreliability with increasing obesity. MR elastography appears more accurate than sonographic elastography and is not significantly impacted by obesity but is costly with limited availability. NITs are valuable for excluding advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, however, are not sufficiently predictive when used in isolation. Combining serum and elastography techniques increases diagnostic accuracy and can be used as screening and confirmatory tests, respectively. Unfortunately, NITs have not yet been demonstrated to accurately reflect fibrosis change in response to treatment, limiting their role in disease monitoring. However, recent studies have demonstrated lipidomic, proteomic and gut microbiome profiles as well as microRNA signatures to be promising techniques for fibrosis assessment in the future.
Safety and efficacy of restarting immune checkpoint inhibitors after clinically significant immune-related adverse events in metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Abou Alaiwi Sarah , Xie Wanling , Nassar Amin H , Dudani Shaan , Martini Dylan , Bakouny Ziad , Steinharter John A , Nuzzo Pier Vitale , Flippot Ronan , Martinez-Chanza Nieves , Wei Xiao , McGregor Bradley A , Kaymakcalan Marina D , Heng Daniel Y C , Bilen Mehmet A , Choueiri Toni K , Harshman Lauren C
Published: February 2020

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) induce a range of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) with various degrees of severity. While clinical experience with ICI retreatment following clinically significant irAEs is growing, the safety and efficacy are not yet well characterized.

Methods

This multicenter retrospective study identified patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with ICI who had >1 week therapy interruption for irAEs. Patients were classified into retreatment and discontinuation cohorts based on whether or not they resumed an ICI. Toxicity and clinical outcomes were assessed descriptively.

Results

Of 499 patients treated with ICIs, 80 developed irAEs warranting treatment interruption; 36 (45%) of whom were restarted on an ICI and 44 (55%) who permanently discontinued. Median time to initial irAE was similar between the retreatment and discontinuation cohorts (2.8 vs 2.7 months, p=0.59). The type and grade of irAEs were balanced across the cohorts; however, fewer retreatment patients required corticosteroids (55.6% vs 84.1%, p=0.007) and hospitalizations (33.3% vs 65.9%, p=0.007) for irAE management compared with discontinuation patients. Median treatment holiday before reinitiation was 0.9 months (0.2–31.6). After retreatment, 50% (n=18/36) experienced subsequent irAEs (12 new, 6 recurrent) with 7 (19%) grade 3 events and 13 drug interruptions. Median time to irAE recurrence after retreatment was 2.8 months (range: 0.3–13.8). Retreatment resulted in 6 (23.1%) additional responses in 26 patients whose disease had not previously responded. From first ICI initiation, median time to next therapy was 14.2 months (95% CI 8.2 to 18.9) and 9.0 months (5.3 to 25.8), and 2-year overall survival was 76% (95%CI 55% to 88%) and 66% (48% to 79%) in the retreatment and discontinuation groups, respectively.

Conclusions

Despite a considerable rate of irAE recurrence with retreatment after a prior clinically significant irAE, most irAEs were low grade and controllable. Prospective studies are warranted to confirm that retreatment enhances survival outcomes that justify the safety risks.
Propensity score–weighted analysis of chemotherapy after PD-1 inhibitors versus chemotherapy alone in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (WJOG10217L)
Authors: Kato Ryoji , Hayashi Hidetoshi , Chiba Yasutaka , Miyawaki Eriko , Shimizu Junichi , Ozaki Tomohiro , Fujimoto Daichi , Toyozawa Ryo , Nakamura Atsushi , Kozuki Toshiyuki , Tanaka Kentaro , Teraoka Shunsuke , Usui Kazuhiro , Nishino Kazumi , Hataji Osamu , Ota Keiichi , Ebi Noriyuki , Saeki Sho , Akazawa Yuki , Okuno Motoyasu , Yamamoto Nobuyuki , Nakagawa Kazuhiko
Published: February 2020

Background

Studies have suggested that chemotherapy after immune checkpoint inhibitors may confer an improved response for non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, potential selection bias in such studies has not been addressed. We therefore applied propensity score analysis to investigate the efficacy of chemotherapy after PD-1 inhibitor treatment (CAP) compared with chemotherapy alone.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study for patients treated at 47 institutions across Japan between April 1, 2014 and July 31, 2017. Eligible patients had advanced or recurrent NSCLC who have undergone chemotherapy. Patients subsequently treated with chemotherapy (docetaxel with or without ramucirumab, S-1 or pemetrexed) either after PD-1 inhibitor therapy (CAP cohort) or alone (control cohort) were included. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). Inverse probability weighting (IPW) was applied to adjust for potential confounding factors.

Results

A total of 1439 patients (243 and 1196 in the CAP and control cohorts, respectively) was available for unadjusted analysis. Several baseline characteristics—including age, histology,EGFRorALKgenetic alterations, and brain metastasis—differed significantly between the two cohorts. After adjustment for patient characteristics with the IPW method, ORR was 18.9% for the CAP cohort and 11.0% for the control cohort (ORR ratio 1.71; 95% CI 1.19 to 2.46; p=0.004). IPW-adjusted Kaplan-Meier curves showed that median progression-free survival (PFS) for the CAP and control cohorts was 2.8 and 2.7 months (IPW-adjusted HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.80 to 1.12; p=0.55), and median overall survival (OS) was 9.2 and 10.4 months (IPW-adjusted HR 1.05; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.28; p=0.63), respectively.

Conclusions

After accounting for selection bias by propensity score analysis, CAP showed a significantly higher ORR compared with chemotherapy alone, with the primary end point of ORR being achieved. However, these results did not translate into a PFS or OS advantage, suggesting that prior administration of PD-1 inhibitors may result in a synergistic antitumor effect with subsequent chemotherapy, but that such an effect is transient. CAP therefore does not appear to achieve durable tumor control or confer a lasting survival benefit.
MicroRNA-4516-mediated regulation of MAPK10 relies on 3′ UTR cis-acting variants and contributes to the altered risk of Hirschsprung disease
Authors: Wang Yang , Jiang Qian , Chakravarti Aravinda , Cai Hao , Xu Ze , Wu Wenjie , Gu Beilin , Li Long , Cai Wei
Published: February 2020

Background

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a life-threatening congenital disorder in which the enteric nervous system is completely missing from the distal gut. Recent studies have shown that miR-4516 markedly inhibits cell migration, and as one of its potential targets, MAPK10 functions as a modifier for developing HSCR. We thus aimed to evaluate the role of miR-4516 and MAPK10 in HSCR and how they contribute to the pathogenesis of HSCR.

Methods

We examined 13 genetic variants using the MassArray system in a case–control study (n=1015). We further investigated miR-4516-mediated regulation of MAPK10 in HSCR cases and human neural cells, the effects of cis-acting elements in MAPK10 on miR-4516-mediated modulation and cell migration process.

Results

Three positive 3′ UTR variants in MAPK10 were associated with altered HSCR susceptibility. We also showed that miR-4516 directly regulates MAPK10 expression, and this regulatory mechanism is significantly affected by the 3′ UTR cis-acting elements of MAPK10. In addition, knock-down of MAPK10 rescued the effect of miR-4516 on the migration of human neural cells.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate a key role of miR-4516 and its direct target MAPK10 in HSCR risk, and highlight the general importance of cis- and posttranscriptional modulation for HSCR pathogenesis.
Unethical informed consent caused by overlooking poorly measured nocebo effects
Authors: Howick Jeremy
Published: February 2020

Unlike its friendly cousin the placebo effect, the nocebo effect (the effect of expecting a negative outcome) has been almost ignored. Epistemic and ethical confusions related to its existence have gone all but unnoticed. Contrary to what is often asserted, adverse events following from taking placebo interventions are not necessarily nocebo effects; they could have arisen due to natural history. Meanwhile, ethical informed consent (in clinical trials and clinical practice) has centred almost exclusively on the need to inform patients about intervention risks with patients to preserve their autonomy. Researchers have failed to consider the harm caused by the way in which the information is conveyed. In this paper, I argue that the magnitude of nocebo effects must be measured using control groups consisting of untreated patients. And, because the nocebo effect can produce harm, the principle of non-maleficence must be taken into account alongside autonomy when obtaining (ethical) informed consent and communicating intervention risks with patients.
Optical coherence tomography evaluation of vertebrobasilar artery stenosis: case series and literature review
Authors: Xu Xiaohui , Li Min , Liu Rui , Yin Qin , Shi Xuan , Wang Fang , Gao Jie , Xu Gelin , Ye Ruidong , Liu Xinfeng
Published: February 2020

Background

Intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis is an important cause of ischemic stroke. With its high resolution, intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides detailed assessment of vessel wall features. It is widely applied to identify high-risk plaque in the cardiovascular system, but its use in the intracranial artery has been limited.

Objective

To explore, in this pilot study, the usefulness of OCT in imaging of the intracranial artery wall.

Methods

Between November 2017 and July 2018, four patients with severe intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis were enrolled for preintervention OCT evaluation of the lesion artery. Stenosis was present in the basilar artery in one case and in the intracranial vertebral artery in three cases.

Results

OCT images of the lesions showed various features of plaque vulnerability, such as intraluminal thrombus, lipid-rich plaque with plaque rupture, thin fibrous cap, macrophage accumulations, and a mixed lesion with dissecting aneurysm. In view of the OCT findings, all patients received balloon angioplasty and stent implantation.

Conclusions

These cases describe the successful implementation of OCT in intracranial vertebrobasilar artery stenosis. No side effects were seen during the OCT imaging. This technology may help in the diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular disease.
Spontaneous clearance ofChlamydia trachomatisaccounting for bacterial viability in vaginally or rectally infected women (FemCure)
Authors: Dukers-Muijrers Nicole H T M , Janssen Kevin J H , Hoebe Christian J P A , Götz Hannelore M , Schim van der Loeff Maarten F , de Vries Henry J C , Bruisten Sylvia M , Wolffs Petra F G
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Spontaneous clearance ofChlamydia trachomatis(CT) infections can occur between diagnosis and treatment. We followed CT patients to assess clearance using a conventional definition (no total CT-DNA, assessed by routine quantitative PCR methods) and a definition accounting for viability, assessed by viability PCR testing.

Methods

Three outpatient STI clinics included CT-diagnosed women (The Netherlands, 2016–2017, FemCure study); participants had vaginal CT (vCT) and rectal CT (rCT) (group A: n=155), vCT and were rectally untested (group B: n=351), single vCT (group C: n=25) or single rCT (group D: n=29). Follow-up (median interval 9 days) vaginal and rectal samples underwent quantitative PCR testing (detecting total CT-DNA). When PCR positive, samples underwent V-PCR testing to detect ‘viable CT’ (CT-DNA from intact CT organisms; V-PCR positive). ‘Clearance’ was the proportion PCR-negative patients and ‘clearance of viable CT’ was the proportion of patients testing PCR negative or PCR positive but V-PCR negative. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to assess diagnosis group (A–D), age, days since initial CT test (diagnosis) and study site (STI clinic) in relation to clearance and clearance of viable CT.

Results

Clearance and clearance of viable CT at both anatomic sites were for (A) 0.6% and 3.9%; (B) 5.4% and 9.4%; (C) 32.0% and 52.0% and (D) 27.6% and 41.4%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, women with single infections (groups C and D) had higher likelihood of clearance than women concurrently infected with vCT and rCT (p<0.001).

Of rectally untested women (group B), 76.9% had total CT-DNA and 46.7% had viable CT (V-PCR positive) at the rectal site.

Conclusions

Of untreated female vCT patients who had CT also at the rectal site, or who were rectally untested, only a small proportion cleared CT (in fact many had viable CT) at their follow-up visit (median 9 days). Among single site infected women clearance was much higher.

Trial registration number

NCT02694497.
Association between STI screening intensity in men who have sex with men and gonococcal susceptibility in 21 States in the USA: an ecological study
Authors: Van Dijck Christophe , Laumen Jolein , Zlotorzynska Maria , Manoharan-Basil Sheeba Santhini , Kenyon Chris
Published: February 2020

Objectives

Antimicrobial resistance is generally linked to antimicrobial selection pressure. Antimicrobial-resistantNeisseria gonorrhoeaeinfections frequently emerge in core groups. We hypothesised that these groups are more often exposed to antimicrobials as a consequence of the repeated treatment of both symptomatic and asymptomatic sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and that frequent STI screening in asymptomatic patients may contribute indirectly to antimicrobial exposure. In this study, we explored the ecological association between screening intensity in men who have sex with men and antimicrobial susceptibility inN. gonorrhoeaein the USA.

Methods

Data on STI screening intensity came from the American Men’s Internet Survey between October 2014 and March 2015. Data on gonococcal susceptibility to azithromycin, ceftriaxone and cefixime were used from the Gonococcal Isolate Surveillance Project in 2015. Spearman’s correlation was used to determine the association between these two variables.

Results

A positive ecological association was found between STI screening intensity and geometric mean gonococcal minimum inhibitory concentration for ceftriaxone (rho=0.42, p=0.031) and cefixime (rho=0.42, p=0.029), but not for azithromycin (rho=0.31, p=0.11). The above results must be interpreted with caution as many limitations apply.

Conclusions

Variation in STI screening intensity may contribute to differences in gonococcal resistance between States in the USA.
Surveying bovine digital dermatitis and non‐healing bovine foot lesions for the presence of Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas endodontalis and Treponema pallidum
Authors: Staton Gareth James , Sullivan Leigh Emma , Blowey Roger W , Carter Stuart D , Evans Nicholas James
Published: February 2020

Background

Non‐healing bovine foot lesions, including non‐healing white line disease, non‐healing sole ulcer and toe necrosis, are an increasingly important cause of chronic lameness that are poorly responsive to treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated a high‐level association between these non‐healing lesions and the Treponema phylogroups implicated in bovine digital dermatitis (BDD). However, a polymicrobial aetiology involving other gram‐stain‐negative anaerobes is suspected.

Methods

A PCR‐based bacteriological survey of uncomplicated BDD lesions (n=10) and non‐healing bovine foot lesions (n=10) targeting Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas endodontalis, Dichelobacter nodosus and Treponema pallidum/T. paraluiscuniculi was performed.

Results

P. endodontalis DNA was detected in 80.0% of the non‐healing lesion biopsies (p=<0.001) but was entirely absent from uncomplicated BDD lesion biopsies. When compared to the BDD lesions, F. necrophorum was detected at a higher frequency in the non‐healing lesions (33.3% vs 70.0%, respectively), whereas D. nodosus was detected at a lower frequency (55.5% vs 20.0%, respectively). Conversely, T. pallidum/T. paraluiscuniculi DNA was not detected in either lesion type.

Conclusion

The data from this pilot study suggest that P. endodontalis and F. necrophorum should be further investigated as potential aetiological agents of non‐healing bovine foot lesions. A failure to detect syphilis treponemes in either lesion type is reassuring given the potential public health implications such an infection would present.
Detecting Primordial Gravitational Waves: a forecast study on optimizing frequency distribution of next generation ground-based CMB telescope
Authors: Wu Deliang , Li Hong , Ni Shulei , Li Zheng-Wei , Liu Cong-Zhan
Published: February 2020

Probing primordial gravitational waves is one of the core scientific objectives of the next generation CMB polarization experiment. Integrating more detector modules on the focal plane and performing high accurate observations are the main directions of the next generation CMB polarization telescope, like CMB S4. Also, multi-band observation is required by foreground analysis and reduction, as it is understood that foregrounds have become the main obstacles of CMB polarization measurements. However, ground observation is limited by the atmospheric window and can be usually carried out in one or two bands, like what BICEP or Keck array have done in the south pole. In this paper, we forecast the sensitivity of tensor-to-scalar ratio r that may be achieved by a multi-frequency CMB polarization experiment, basing on which to provide guidance for further expanding frequency bands and optimize the focal plane of a telescope. At the same time, the realization of having two frequency bands in one atmospheric window is discussed. With fixed number of detectors, the simulation results show that, in order to get a good limit, more frequency bands are needed. Better constraints can be obtained when it includes at least three bands, i.e., one CMB channel (95 GHz) + one dust channel (high frequency) and one synchrotron channel (low frequency). For example, 41 + 95 + 220 GHz, which is better than only focusing around the CMB band, like 85 + 105 + 150 GHz, and 95 + 135 + 155 GHz, and this frequency combination is even better than the combination of 41 + 95 + 150 + 220 GHz. As CMB S4 plans to consider two frequency bands in each atmospheric window, and along this way, we find that one CMB band and more bands in synchrotron and dust channels are helpful, for example, 2 bands in lower frequency, 30 + 41 GHz, 2 bands in higher frequency, 220 + 270 GHz, i.e. 30 + 41 + 95 + 220 + 270 GHz, can get better constraints, and in this case, more detectors are asked to be assigned in the CMB channel.
Entanglement dynamics for static two-level atoms in cosmic string spacetime
Authors: He Pingyang , Yu Hongwei , Hu Jiawei
Published: February 2020

We study the entanglement dynamics of two static atoms coupled with a bath of fluctuating scalar fields in vacuum in the cosmic string spacetime. Three different alignments of atoms, i.e. parallel, vertical, and symmetric alignments with respect to the cosmic string are considered. We focus on how entanglement degradation and generation are influenced by the cosmic string, and find that they are crucially dependent on the atom-string distance r, the interatomic separation L, and the parameter $$\nu $$ν that characterizes the nontrivial topology of the cosmic string. For two atoms initially in a maximally entangled state, the destroyed entanglement can be revived when the atoms are aligned vertically to the string, which cannot happen in the Minkowski spacetime. When the symmetrically aligned two-atom system is initially in the antisymmetric state, the lifetime of entanglement can be significantly enhanced as $$\nu $$ν increases. For two atoms which are initially in the excited state, when the interatomic separation is large compared to the transition wavelength, entanglement generation cannot happen in the Minkowski spacetime, while it can be achieved in the cosmic string spacetime when the position of the two atoms is appropriate with respect to the cosmic string and $$\nu $$ν is large enough.
Study on $$\Xi _{cc}\rightarrow \Xi _c$$ and $$\Xi _{cc}\rightarrow \Xi '_c$$ weak decays in the light-front quark model
Authors: Ke Hong-Wei , Lu Fang , Liu Xiao-Hai , Li Xue-Qian
Published: February 2020

In this work we study the weak decays of $$\Xi _{cc}\rightarrow \Xi _c$$Ξcc→Ξc and $$\Xi _{cc}\rightarrow \Xi '_c$$Ξcc→Ξc′ in the light-front quark model. Generally, a naive, but reasonable conjecture suggests that the cc subsystem in $$\Xi _{cc}$$Ξcc ( us pair in $$\Xi ^{(')}_c$$Ξc(′)) stands as a diquark with definite spin and color assignments. During the concerned processes, the diquark of the initial state is not a spectator, namely must be broken. A Racah transformation would decompose the original (cc)q into a combination of c(cq) components. Thus we may deal with the decaying c quark alone while keeping the (cq) subsystem as a spectator. With the re-arrangement of the inner structure we calculate the form factors numerically and then obtain the rates of semi-leptonic decays and non-leptonic decays, which will be measured in the future.
Indirect measurement of triple-Higgs coupling at an electron–positron collider with polarized beams
Authors: Rindani Saurabh D. , Singh Balbeer
Published: February 2020

We examine the possibility of using single-Higgs production at an [Formula: see text] collider with polarized beams to measure, or constrain, indirectly a possible anomalous triple-Higgs coupling, which can contribute to the process via one-loop diagrams. In the dominant process [Formula: see text], longitudinally polarized beams can lead to an improvement in the cross-section by 50% for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] polarizations of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. This corresponds to an improvement in the sensitivity to the triple-Higgs coupling of about 18% for a center-of-mass energy of 250 GeV and an integrated luminosity of 2 ab[Formula: see text], making a strong case of beam polarization. This also implies that with polarized beams, the luminosity needed to get a particular sensitivity is less by about 33% as compared to that needed with unpolarized beams. Even when only the [Formula: see text] beam is polarized [Formula: see text], the improvement in the sensitivity is about 8%. We also study the effect of longitudinal beam polarization on the sensitivity to the triple-Higgs coupling of Higgs production through the subdominant process [Formula: see text] occurring through [Formula: see text] fusion.
MRI-only Radiation Therapy: Pseudo-CT Based on Cubic-Feature Extraction and Alternative Regression Forest
Authors: Hu Yongsheng , Zhang Liyi
Published: February 2020

Despite the extensive attention attracted by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the radiation therapy, computed tomography was reintroduced by the researchers. During the calculation process of the 3D dose distribution of tissues, there were some arguments about the electron density information obtained from the CT scan. However, the CT-provided bones are accurate for constructing a radiograph. Recently, the advantages boosted by the soft tissue contrast relying on MRI and as well as the advantages boosted by CT imaging have been combined by the using of MRI/CT. Unfortunately, disadvantages still exist in the MRI/CT workflow because the voxel-intensities are unbalanced in the MRI and the CT scan. Here, based on the mapping method of CT and MRI, the potential of pseudo-CT (PCT) instead of CT planning was studied. The estimated PCT only from the corresponding MRI was obtained by using the patch-based random forest regression. The CT voxel target was trained by 3D Gabor feature in the MRI cube and the Local Binary Pattern (LBP). Besides, the regression task was solved by the alternative regression forest. According to the experiment, the method performs better than the current dictionary learning-based (DLB) method or atlas-based (AB) method.
Human Emotion Recognition Based on Face and Facial Expression Detection Using Deep Belief Network Under Complicated Backgrounds
Authors: Huang Lei , Xie Fei , Zhao Jing , Shen Shibin , Guang Weiran , Lu Rongjian
Published: February 2020

The human emotion recognition based on facial expression has a significant meaning in the application of intelligent man–machine interaction. However, the human face images vary largely in real environments due to the complex backgrounds and luminance. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a robust face detection method based on skin color enhancement model and a facial expression recognition algorithm with block principal component analysis (PCA). First, the luminance range of human face image is broadened and the contrast ratio of skin color is strengthened by the homomorphic filter. Second, the skin color enhancement model is established using YCbCr color space components to locate the face area. Third, the feature based on differential horizontal integral projection is extracted from the face. Finally, the block PCA with deep neural network is used to accomplish the facial expression recognition. The experimental results indicate that in the case of weaker illumination and more complicated backgrounds, both the face detection and facial expression recognition can be achieved effectively by the proposed algorithm, meanwhile the mean recognition rate obtained by the facial expression recognition method is improved by 2.7% comparing with the traditional Local Binary Patterns (LBPs) method.
Pseudorapidity distributions of fast target protons in 32S-Em collisions at Dubna energy
Authors: kamel S. , El-Falaky E. , Saber A.
Published: February 2020

In this paper, the possible mechanisms, which are responsible for the production of fast target fragments (gray particles with energy 26 up to 400[Formula: see text]MeV) that were emitted from the interactions of [Formula: see text]S nucleus with emulsion nuclei at energy 3.7[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]GeV, are studied by the pseudorapidity distribution. The angular distribution of the fast protons ([Formula: see text]-particles) emitted in the interactions of [Formula: see text]S-Em at 3.7[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]GeV is nicely described by exp (0.96 cos [Formula: see text], which was observed in proton-induced interactions up to incident energies of 800[Formula: see text]GeV. The pseudorapidity distributions of the produced [Formula: see text]-particles were investigated in order to study the characteristics of the emitted system of [Formula: see text]-particles for different target sizes (CNO, Em and AgBr groups of events). In all cases, the pseudorapidity distributions were parametrized using Gaussian fits. The temperature of the system emitting [Formula: see text]-particles (hot system) is predicated in the light of the proposed statistical model to be [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MeV.
Bipartite graphs as polynomials and polynomials as bipartite graphs
Authors: Grinblat Andrey , Lopatkin Viktor
Published: February 2020

The aim of this paper is to show that any finite undirected bipartite graph can be considered as a polynomial [Formula: see text], and any directed finite bipartite graph can be considered as a polynomial [Formula: see text], and vise verse. We also show that the multiplication in the semirings [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] corresponds to an operation of the corresponding graphs. This operation is exactly the product of Petri nets in the sense of Winskel [G. Winskel and M. Nielsen, Models of concurrency, in Handbook of Logic in Computer Science, Vol. 4, eds. Abamsky, Gabbay and Maibaum (Oxford University Press, 1995), pp. 1–148]. As an application, we give an approach to dividing in the semirings [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and a criteria for parallalization of Petri nets. Finally, we endow the set of all bipartite graphs with the Zariski topology.
Tuning the optoelectronic properties of Benzo Thiophene (BT-CIC) based non-fullerene acceptor organic solar cell
Authors: Sabir Saba , Khera Rasheed Ahmad , Jabeen Sobia , Shafiq Zahid , Musawwir Amtul , Iqbal Javed
Published: February 2020

Organic solar cells have become a center of attention in the field of research and technology due to its remarkable features. In the current research work, we designed Benzo Thiophene (BT-CIC) based non-fullerene acceptor organic solar cell having A-D-A novel structure. The designed structures D1-D4 were derived from BT-CIC (non-fullerene acceptor) by replacing 2-(5,6-dichloro-2-methylene-3-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ylidene)acetonitrile of reference molecule R with different electron withdrawing end-capper acceptor moieties. The effect of end acceptor groups on absorption, energy level, charge transport, morphology, and photovoltaic properties of the designed molecules (D1-D4) were investigated by TD-DFT B3LYP/6-31G basic level of theory and compared with reference molecule R. Among all novel structures, D3 exhibited maximum absorption ([Formula: see text]) of 701.7[Formula: see text]nm and 755.2[Formula: see text]nm in gaseous state anfd chloroform, respectively. The red shift in D3 was due to the presence of strong electron withdrawing acceptor moiety and more extended conjugation as compared to other structures. D3 also displayed lowest values of energy bandgap (1.97 eV), [Formula: see text] (0.0063[Formula: see text]eV) and [Formula: see text] (0.0099[Formula: see text]eV) and which signify its ease electron mobility. Lowest value of binding energy 1.20[Formula: see text]eV of D3 suggested that this molecule could be easily dissociated into charge carriers TDM results revealed that easy exciton dissociation occurred in D3. Overall, designed structure D3 was found to be more effective and efficient acceptor molecule for SMOSCs. The findings provide novel information for the development of non-fullerene acceptors for OPVs.
Maximal acceleration geometries and spacetime curvature bounds
Authors: Torromé Ricardo Gallego
Published: February 2020

A geometric framework for metrics of maximal acceleration which is applicable to large proper accelerations is discussed, including a theory of connections associated with the geometry of maximal acceleration. In such a framework, it is shown that the uniform bound on the proper maximal acceleration implies a uniform bound for certain bilinear combinations of the Riemannian curvature components in the domain of the spacetime where curvature is finite.
Deposition of MOFs on Polydopamine-Modified Electrospun Polyvinyl Alcohol/Silica Nanofibers Mats for Chloramphenicol Adsorption in Water
Authors: Li Aowen , Zhou Meimei , Luo Pingping , Shang Jiaxin , Wang Pengbo , Lyu Luxue
Published: February 2020

Nanofiber mats produced by electrospinning, with the advantages of specific surface area, porosity and chemical tenability, are an ideal support material for deposition of metal[Formula: see text]organic framework (MOF) crystals. In this study, four types of MOFs (MIL-53(Al), ZIF-8, UiO-66-NH2 and NH2-MIL-125(Ti)) were deposited on polydopamine (PDA)-modified electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/SiO2 organic[Formula: see text]inorganic hybrid nanofiber mats by bulky synthesis. Because of the formation of Si–O–C–O–Si bridges between PVA chains and silica network, electrospun PVA/SiO2 organic[Formula: see text]inorganic hybrid nanofiber mats are quite stable in water or organic solvents and at high temperature are suitable as supports for MOFs deposition. The PDA layer, which exhibits a powerful adhesive ability to attach foreign objects, can effectively improve growth of MOFs on the surface of PVA/SiO2 nanofiber mats. The obtained MOF composites combining the unique properties of electrospun nanofibers mats and MOFs particles become flexible and tailorable, greatly expanding the application range of MOFs materials. The synthesized MOF composites were used to adsorb chloramphenicol (CAP) in water. It was found that the four MOF composites could remove CAP from water effectively and MIL-53(Al) composite had the highest adsorption capacity due to the higher specific surface area.
Ce–Zr materials with a high surface area as catalyst supports for hydrogenation of CO2
Authors: Evdokimenko Nikolay D. , Kustov Alexander L. , Kim Konstantin O. , Mishin Igor V. , Nissenbaum Vera D. , Kapustin Genadiy I. , Aymaletdinov Timur R. , Kustov Leonid M.
Published: February 2020

The most promising way of CO2 utilization is its catalytic conversion into valuable products, in particular, the direct hydrogenation of CO2 on heterogeneous catalysts to obtain such products as synthesis gas, hydrocarbons, alcohols, esters, carboxylic acids, and some other organic molecules. Heterogeneous iron-based catalysts possess a special position among the promising candidates for the synthesis of CO2-based hydrocarbons. However, individual iron oxide catalysts have a fairly low surface area, which requires their deposition on the support or modification. CeO2 is rather attractive in catalysis because of its high oxygen storage capacity. The most effective thermal stabilizer of CeO2 is ZrO2. In this work, cerium–zirconium systems with various Ce to Zr ratios were synthesized by the method of coprecipitation in the absence and presence of the hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide template. These systems were characterized by adsorption of N2, XRD, and DTA-TG-DTG and used as supports for 5% Fe catalysts. The activity of synthesized Fe-containing catalysts was investigated in the reaction of CO2 hydrogenation. The developed surface and the presence of cerium in the supports are the possible reasons for the high activity of Fe-containing catalysts in the hydrogenation reaction of CO2.
When Do Governance Mechanisms Matter Most?
Authors: Horstmeyer Derek , Wells Kara
Published: February 2020

We examine the interaction of internal and external firm-level governance mechanisms with industry-specific economic conditions to assess when they best serve current shareholders. We find that external governance (shareholder rights) is most valuable during industry upturns, with no differential benefit during downturns. For internal governance, we find that small boards are incrementally more valuable during upturns but that this result weakens/reverses during downturns, and there is inconclusive evidence regarding the state dependent value of institutional ownership. Contributions include showing: governance mechanisms have industry economic state dependent values; small boards may not always be optimal; and managers do not capture these inefficiencies through aggressive policy decisions, nor excessive compensation.
Multi-Sensor Fusion for Navigation and Mapping in Autonomous Vehicles: Accurate Localization in Urban Environments
Authors: Li Qingqing , Queralta Jorge Peña , Gia Tuan Nguyen , Zou Zhuo , Westerlund Tomi
Published: February 2020

The combination of data from multiple sensors, also known as sensor fusion or data fusion, is a key aspect in the design of autonomous robots. In particular, algorithms able to accommodate sensor fusion techniques enable increased accuracy, and are more resilient against the malfunction of individual sensors. The development of algorithms for autonomous navigation, mapping and localization have seen big advancements over the past two decades. Nonetheless, challenges remain in developing robust solutions for accurate localization in dense urban environments, where the so-called last-mile delivery occurs. In these scenarios, local motion estimation is combined with the matching of real-time data with a detailed pre-built map. In this paper, we utilize data gathered with an autonomous delivery robot to compare different sensor fusion techniques and evaluate which are the algorithms providing the highest accuracy depending on the environment. The techniques we analyze and propose in this paper utilize 3D lidar data, inertial data, GNSS data and wheel encoder readings. We show how lidar scan matching combined with other sensor data can be used to increase the accuracy of the robot localization and, in consequence, its navigation. Moreover, we propose a strategy to reduce the impact on navigation performance when a change in the environment renders map data invalid or part of the available map is corrupted.
Perspective—Maintaining the Quality of Life in Depopulating Communities: Expanding Smart Sensing via a Novel Power Supply
Authors: Van Neste C.W. , Thundat Thomas , Khosla Ajit , Szanton Sarah , Nagahara Larry A.
Published: February 2020

A growing aging population along with a declining birthrate is a societal challenge facing many industrial countries. This challenge is magnified in particular regional areas (e.g., remote, small communities and declining urban centers) where young people in search of better economic opportunities migrate to more modern urban centers. Advanced digital technology has the potential to partially address such challenges in a cost effective and scalable manner in helping older adults enhance their physical and mental needs by incorporating many of the advances of smart sensors into their daily lives.
The Role of Oxygen in the Electrochemical Reduction of Ethyl 2-(2-(Bromomethyl)phenoxy)acetate at Carbon Cathodes in Dimethylformamide
Authors: Simon Tamir , Vasquez Antonio , Kelcher Austin R. , Olivares Jacob A. , Ji Chang
Published: February 2020

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and controlled-potential electrolysis (CPE) were employed to examine the direct reduction of ethyl 2-(2-(bromomethyl)phenoxy)acetate at carbon cathodes in dimethylformamide (DMF) containing tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TMABF4) as the electrolyte. Cyclic voltammogram of the substrate exhibits a single irreversible cathodic wave with a peak potential of –1.75 V vs SCE, which is characteristic for the reduction of organic halides in aprotic solvents. Bulk electrolyses of ethyl 2-(2-(bromomethyl)phenoxy)acetate were carried out in the absence and presence of oxygen. The product distributions were obtained by gas chromatograph (GC) as well as gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC−MS). Two bicyclic compounds, ethyl 2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-carboxylate and ethyl benzofuran-2-carboxylate, were found to be formed in a total yield of more than 40% in the presence of oxygen. The reaction mechanism, in which the oxygen plays a significant role, was proposed and discussed on the basis of this study.
Interrelationship Between the Open Circuit Potential Curves in a Class of Ni-Rich Cathode Materials
Authors: Kimura Kevin W. , Wilhelm Rebecca , Besli Münir M. , Kim Soo , Usubelli Camille , Ziegler Jörg C. , Klein Reinhardt , Christensen Jake , Gorlin Yelena
Published: February 2020

Ni-rich cathodes, such as nickel cobalt aluminum oxides (NCAs, LixNi0.80+0.15ε
Co0.15(1−ε)Al0.05O2, 0 ≤ ε ≤ 1), are a class of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are among the leading candidates for battery electric vehicle (BEV) applications. In this study we focus on an important, fundamental electrochemical property, the open-circuit potential function (OCP, U vs x), and investigate its relationship with the Ni stoichiometry. First, we demonstrate that published differential capacity curves (dQ/dU vs U) for Ni-rich NCA materials can be derived as a stoichiometric linear combination of differential capacities of the two end members, LixNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 and LixNi0.95Al0.05O2. Subsequently, the OCP curves are obtained by taking the inverse of the integrated dQ/dU vs U curves, which match literature OCP curves. Then, we apply the same method to determine the composition of an unknown cathode extracted from a commercially available LIB. Lastly, we show that the identified relationship also holds true for the LixNi0.60+0.20ε
Co0.20(1−ε)Mn0.20O2 family by demonstrating that the OCP curve of LixNi0.70Co0.10Mn0.20O2 can be predicted from a fractional combination of LixNi0.60Co0.20Mn0.20O2 and LixNi0.80Mn0.20O2. We anticipate that this methodology can be adapted to predict OCP curves for additional cathode families and used to validate the chemical composition of newly synthesized materials.
Formation Efficiency of Anodic Porous Alumina in Sulfuric Acid Containing Alcohol: Comparison of the Effects of Monohydric and Polyhydric Alcohols as Additives
Authors: Matsumoto Mikimasa , Hashimoto Hideki , Asoh Hidetaka
Published: February 2020

Focusing on the coulombic efficiency of film formation, we systematically investigated the effects of polyhydric alcohols added to a sulfuric-acid-based electrolyte on the anodization behavior of aluminum, the coating ratio, the porosity, and the maximum attainable film thickness of the anodic oxide film by comparison with the effects of monohydric alcohols. Anodization was conducted in sulfuric acid containing various alcohols with different physical properties at a constant current density of 100 A·m−2 and at 20 °C. The viscosity and conductivity of the mixed electrolyte were affected by the addition of alcohol, resulting in an increase of the steady-state voltage with increasing alcohol concentration because of the high viscosity and low conductivity of the mixed electrolyte. Although the coating ratio, which is an index value used to evaluate the efficiency of the film formation, and the maximum attainable film thickness also increased with the addition of any of the alcohols, the addition of a polyhydric alcohol was more effective than that of a monohydric alcohol. When sulfuric acid with 50 vol% ethylene glycol was used as an electrolyte, an alumina film with less than 10% porosity was formed with high coulombic efficiency of film formation.