bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Edge even and edge odd graceful labelings of Paley Graphs
Authors: Kamaraj T , Thangakani J
Published: October 2022

Edge even graceful labeling is a novel graceful labelling, introduced in 2017 by Elsonbaty and Daoud. A graph G with p vertices and q edges is called an edge even graceful if there is a bijection f: E(G) → {2, 4,. . ., 2q} such that, when each vertex is assigned the sum of the labels of all edges incident to it mod 2k, where k = max (p, q), the resulting vertex labels are distinct. A labeling of G is called edge odd graceful labeling, if there exists a bijection f from the set of edges E(G) to the set {1,3,5,…,2q-1} such that the induced the map f* from the set of vertices V(G) to {0,1,2,.,.,2q-1} given by f*(u) = Σ
uv∈E(G)
f(uv) (mod 2q) is an injection. A graph which admits edge even (odd) graceful labeling is called an edge even (odd) graceful graph. Paley graphs are dense undirected graphs raised from the vertices as elements of an appropriate finite field by joining pairs of vertices that differ by a quadratic residue. In this paper, we study the construction of edge even (odd) graceful labeling for Paley graphs and prove that Paley graphs of prime order are edge even (odd) graceful.
The Effect of NaOH and LaCoO3 Perovskite on HHO Gas Production Rate
Authors: Mustaqim I Z , Maulana D W
Published: October 2022

Utilization of renewable energy such as solar energy, wind energy, require a technology to store energy since production and consumption energy isn’t always at the same time. Hydrogen appears as an alternative solution to store energy since it has high energy density and can be easily obtained from water by electrolysis reaction. Electrolysis produces hydrogen and oxygen gas and when it combines forming HHO gas. There are many factors that can influence HHO gas production, such as electrolyte concentration and utilization of catalyst. In this research, we observed the effect of NaOH electrolyte concentration and catalyst LaCoO3 concentration toward production of HHO gas. Catalyst LaCoO3 is synthesized by sol-gel method with calcination over 900°C, however particle of LaCoO3 that formed still submicron-sized. To obtain catalyst LaCoO3 that disperse in electrolyte suspension, it is treated by beads milling process to minimize the size of particle. Experiment result showed that increasing NaOH electrolyte concentration will affect to increment of HHO gas production. The most optimal HHO gas production from all variation of catalyst LaCoO3 is when using 3 M of NaOH electrolyte concentration. However, addition of catalyst LaCoO3 in suspension electrolyte will drop HHO gas production.
Fatigue Failure Analysis of Shaft in As-developed Wind Turbine with Reinforced-welding Elbow
Authors: Daging I Ketut , Basino  , Sukismo Hendro , Wardana Iwan G. , Siahaan Juniawan Preston
Published: October 2022

This paper reports the fatigue analysis for a failure of a shaft in a wind turbine in which reinforced-welding elbow to support the shaft load. The shaft was broken near the reinforcing elbow. When designing mechanical and structural components, the diameter and the characteristics of materials have been considered not to exceed the permissible limit. However, after 40 days of the cycle operation, the shaft was broken at the accepted loading conditions within reasonable limits at a wind speed of 6-10 m/s. The crack initiate fatigue in the shaft is influenced by many variables that may due to uniaxial, bending, torsion, the shape of loading curve, part size, part finish, operating temperature, and atmosphere. For these reasons, it is important to investigate the fatigue behavior on the failure of the shaft. The main goal is to investigate and analyze the fatigue behavior on a broken shaft of the wind turbine gearbox to determine the features that cause the failure. A microscopic investigation of the fatigue-fracture surface was done. The microscopic analysis was carried out in terms of the chemical composition using ARL Spark Spectrometer, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), the morphology of the fatigue by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and hardness test. Moreover, a theoretical analysis was made to illustrate the results and comparison between these results and the corresponding stress distribution data from a finite element method (FEM) simulation to know how the fatigue fracture began and propagated along the shaft. The result of the analysis shows that the fatigue occurred due to the unbalanced of the bending and torsion stress in the junction of the reinforced-welding elbow with hardness testing at the extreme cracking area is 435 HV. It is emphasized that the microstructure of fatigue surface structure shows sensitization to facilitate intergranular cracking and fatigue corrosion.
Studies of Encapsulation Efficiency and Swelling Behavior of Riboflavin Encapsulated by Alginate and Chitosan
Authors: Anjari Haidar Mutaz , Sarjono Immanuel Jeremia , Danarto YC.
Published: October 2022

Vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin, has an important function to human tissue development and energy metabolism. Riboflavin is sensitive and unstable to external influences such as light and reducing agents. In addition, most of the absorption of nutrients occurs in the intestines so the release of riboflavin in gastric need to be avoided. To overcome this problem, riboflavin was microencapsulated with sodium alginate and chitosan polymer using ionic gelation emulsification method. The purpose of this research was to study the microencapsulation itself, and also to study the effect of the riboflavin composition used upon the encapsulation efficiency and the effect of pH medium on microcapsules swelling behavior. In this research, microcapsule characterization was also carried out using FTIR and SEM. The FTIR result shows that there are crosslinking which indicated by functional groups changes between the samples during the formation of microcapsules. The SEM result show that the dried microcapsule has rougher and wrinkled surface. In efficiency encapsulation study, microencapsulation was carried out by varying the composition of riboflavin, that is 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 mg. Optimal encapsulation efficiency was obtained at 125 mg with an efficiency encapsulation of 51.56%. The microcapsules sample were also tested for their swelling ability by putting the microcapsules into the solution with various pH ranging from 1.2, 2.5, 4.1, 5.2, 6.8 and 8. The swelling test results showed that the characteristics of microcapsules were suitable for the human digestive system because the higher the pH of the medium, then the higher the microcapsules swelling ability.
Preparation of amine functionalized silica by the one-step in spray drying system
Authors: Ajiz Hendrix Abdul , Widiyastuti W. , Nurtono Tantular , Setyawan Heru
Published: October 2022

Amine functionalized silica has been successfully prepared using a direct co-condensation method in spray-assisted with sodium silicate as silica source and γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) as amine source. This study aims to synthesize amine grafted silica in one step process which includes particle formation and surface modification. Silica-amine nanofluids were prepared in stable colloidal phase as precursor solution for spray drying system. Amine sourced from APTS was condensed separately with silica nanofluids. The process of controlling the condensation rate of APTS can prevent the occurrence of silica precipitates in the precursor. The silica-amine precursor solution was then processed by spray drying at a temperature of 200°C. Silica particles that have been modified by amine groups were characterized using FT-IR, TG-DTA, and Adsorption-desorption N2. The silica-amine showed the presence of an amine group that was successfully grafted. This is indicated by the presence of characteristic amine peaks on FT-IR and mass changes due to amine decomposition in TG-DTA. The number of amines that were successfully grafted was 0.5 mmol/g sample. The washing of amine-modified silica particles with ethanol showed that the type of bond that occurred between silica and the amine functional group was a physical bond. The surface area of amine-modified silica is 169 m2/g with the pore size distribution in the micro-mesopore regime. The average pore size of amine-modified silica was 0.1288 nm.
Effect of bubble size on the rising behavior in pure water medium
Authors: Rosikhin Ahmad , Sulistio Eko , Sofia Dedeh R. , Faizal Ferry
Published: October 2022

The phenomenon of rising bubbles in pure water is an important aspect of the bubble and liquid interactions. Due to several forces that act on the bubble accompanied by the pressures inside and outside the bubble, the rising bubble behaviour may vary depending on a few parameters such as the characteristics of the bubble and liquid medium. In general, the bubble increase occurs following the drag motion determined by the bubble drag coefficient but under certain conditions bubble also may move by a rolling pattern. Both drag and rolling are related to other forces that worked on the bubble, particularly the buoyancy force. The velocity of them may be different due to the mechanism types of motions. Rolling motion can be assumed does not occur for a very small bubble so there is only a relation between size and velocity. Several observations of bubble sizes have shown that for a very small bubble there is a linear relationship between size and rising velocity. Meanwhile, for a larger bubble, the rising velocity becomes faster almost seems an exponential relation. The increase of the bubble size results in a higher buoyancy force so that the bubbles rise more easily to reach the water surface. This paper aimed to prove that the small bubble will show linear relation of the rising velocity depending on the size. Our experimental observation has shown that the linearity of velocity only occurred for a very small bubble. This linearity gradient becomes quite important for predicting the rising pattern of other various bubble sizes.
The horizontal profile of the atmospheric electric fields as measured during thunderstorms by the network of NaI spectrometers located on the slopes of Mt. Aragats
Authors: Chilingarian A. , Hovsepyan G. , Karapetyan T. , Kozliner L. , Chilingaryan S. , Pokhsraryan D. , Sargsyan B.
Published: October 2022

The shape and evolution of the energy spectra of the
thunderstorm ground enhancement (TGE) electrons and gamma rays shed
light on the origin of TGEs, on the relationship between
modification of the cosmic ray electron energy spectra (MOS) and
relativistic runaway electron avalanche (RREA) processes, on the
energy of the seed electrons, and on the strength and elongation of
an atmospheric electric field. The network of large NaI
spectrometers on slopes of Mt. Aragats 24/7 monitored secondary
particle fluxes from 2013 until now, highly contributed to the
understanding of the ways how RREAs are developed in the
atmosphere. In 2022 we enlarge the NaI network with 2 remote
detectors located at altitudes 2000 and 1700 m, and 13 and 16 km
apart from the Aragats station to investigate the horizontal profile
of the atmospheric electric field. We found, that the previously
estimated values of the regions in the atmosphere, where RREA
emerges, were highly underestimated. In the present report, we
describe the NaI particle detector's network and present the first
results of the experiment demonstrating that the particle fluxes
from the atmospheric electron accelerators can cover large areas on
the earth's (up to tens of km2).
Post-hoc regularisation of unfolded cross-section measurements
Authors: Koch Lukas
Published: October 2022

Neutrino cross-section measurements are often presented as
unfolded binned distributions in “true” variables. The
ill-posedness of the unfolding problem can lead to results with
strong anti-correlations and fluctuations between bins, which make
comparisons to theoretical models in plots difficult. To alleviate
this problem, one can introduce regularisation terms in the
unfolding procedure. These suppress the anti-correlations in the
result, at the cost of introducing some bias towards the expected
shape of the data.

This paper discusses a method using simple linear algebra, which
makes it is possible to regularise any result that is presented as a
central value and a covariance matrix. This “post-hoc”
regularisation is generally much faster than repeating the unfolding
method with different regularisation terms. The method also yields
a regularisation matrix which connects the regularised to the
unregularised result, and can be used to retain the full statistical
power of the unregularised result when publishing a nicer looking
regularised result.

In addition to the regularisation method, this paper also presents
some thoughts on the presentation of correlated data in general.
When using the proposed method, the bias of the regularisation can
be understood as a data visualisation problem rather than a
statistical one. The strength of the regularisation can be chosen
by minimising the difference between the implicitly uncorrelated
distribution shown in the plots and the actual distribution
described by the unregularised central value and covariance.

Aside from minimising the difference between the shown and the
actual result, additional information can be provided by showing the
local log-likelihood gradient of the models shown in the plots.
This adds more information about where the model is “pulled” by
the data than just comparing the bin values to the data's central
values.
Effects of stirring speed and flux composition on the recycling of aluminium foams
Authors: Zhang Zan , Yang Li-qin , Zhao Su-mei , Xia Xing-chuan , Wang Zhan-zhong , Li Yin-feng , Yin Shi-zhong , Du Xi-wang
Published: October 2022

Owing to the excellent performance of aluminium foam in transportation, construction, and aerospace applications, their production has increased rapidly in recent years, leading to the accumulation of an increasing quantity of aluminium foam scrap and used aluminium foams. An efficient recycling process for these products is urgently required for resource conservation and environmental protection. In this study, a flux-covering method is employed to recycle aluminium foams. The effects of stirring speed and flux composition on the recycling process were investigated. An orthogonal test was performed to determine the optimal flux parameters for NaCl, KCl, and NaF. The microstructures of aluminium foam and recycled aluminium were observed using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscope, respectively. Phase compositions of foams, flux, recycled aluminium, and slag were analysed using x-ray diffraction. The results showed that the recovery was improved with increasing stirring speed, and the optimal stirring speed was 150 r·min−1 under the present conditions. In addition, the composition of the flux exhibited a significant impact on the recovery. The recovery reached 86.35% when the NaCl, KCl, and NaF concentrations were 15, 15, and 5 wt%, respectively. The mechanisms of recovery improvement were discussed in terms of the primary crystal temperature of flux as well as the thermodynamics and kinetics of the impurity removal.
Copper oxide nanoparticles impregnated antibacterial surgical gloves for potential application in prevention of nosocomial transmission infections during nursing
Authors: Zheng Xiangyun , Wang Li , Xue Hong
Published: October 2022

This work showed the preparation of Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) from leaf extract of Cinnamomum camphora (C.camphora) by a green synthetic method. To prepare CuO NPs, about 10 ml of 0.01 M copper sulphate and 30 ml of C.camphora extract were mixed by heating for 60 min at a temperature of 80 °C. Various techniques such as x-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Energy-dispersive spectroscopic analysis (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV–vis) and Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used for the characterization of biosynthesized CuO NPs. The formation of CuO NPs was indicated by gradual color change of brownish yellow solution into dark brown. Poly-dispersive and spherically shaped NPs were seen from TEM images with an average particle size of about 23 nm. FTIR results confirmed that polyphenols were capped onto the surface of the formed CuO NPs. On the other hand, the Gloves coated with CuO NPs were extremely successful in suppressing contamination of the outside glove surface with nosocomial-resistant microorganisms and hence beneficial of their use in the food sector or clinical context. CuO NPs-coated latex gloves significantly reduced all experimental bacteria within 30 s, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Vancomycin resistant enterococci, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter, and Candida albicans (P <.05). In addition, research must be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of CuO NPs coated gloves in health care setting to know their effectiveness in protection from contaminated fluids that may infiltrate gloves.
Quantum Cuntz-Krieger algebras
Authors: Brannan Michael , Eifler Kari , Voigt Christian , Weber Moritz
Published: October 2022

Motivated by the theory of Cuntz-Krieger algebras we define and study

C
∗

C^\ast

-algebras associated to directed quantum graphs. For classical graphs the

C
∗

C^\ast

-algebras obtained this way can be viewed as free analogues of Cuntz-Krieger algebras, and need not be nuclear.

We study two particular classes of quantum graphs in detail, namely the trivial and the complete quantum graphs. For the trivial quantum graph on a single matrix block, we show that the associated quantum Cuntz-Krieger algebra is neither unital, nuclear nor simple, and does not depend on the size of the matrix block up to

K
K

KK

-equivalence. In the case of the complete quantum graphs we use quantum symmetries to show that, in certain cases, the corresponding quantum Cuntz-Krieger algebras are isomorphic to Cuntz algebras. These isomorphisms, which seem far from obvious from the definitions, imply in particular that these

C
∗

C^\ast

-algebras are all pairwise non-isomorphic for complete quantum graphs of different dimensions, even on the level of

K
K

KK

-theory.

We explain how the notion of unitary error basis from quantum information theory can help to elucidate the situation.

We also discuss quantum symmetries of quantum Cuntz-Krieger algebras in general.
‘Ρε, έσ̆ει καλαμαράες που εν μιλούν έτσι καλά ούτε στα ελληνικά’: Negotiating Masculinities and Intersubjectivities in English Language Learning
Authors: Evripidou Dimitris
Published: October 2022

Post-structuralist theories of language and gender have become increasingly attractive to language learning researchers. However, masculinity, as part of a socially and culturally constructed system, in relation to English language learning has rarely been investigated. The current study examines how male English language learners negotiate their masculine subject positions in an English language classroom in Cyprus and how they negotiate masculine intersubjectivities with the researcher apropos of English. Semi-structured interviews, enriched with descriptions of attitudes, feelings, and incidents, were carried out with five male adolescent Greek Cypriot English language learners. Through Frame Analysis, the findings evince how these language learners challenge their usual linguistic and masculine habitus and how they achieve interesubjectivities through the symbolic powers of English, Cypriot Greek, and Standard Greek.
Maternal exposure of rats to sodium saccharin during gestation and lactation on male offspring
Authors: Godoi Alana Rezende , Fioravante Vanessa Caroline , Santos Beatriz Melo , Martinez Francisco Eduardo , Pinheiro Patricia Fernanda Felipe
Published: October 2022

We investigated the effects of fetal programming in Sprague–Dawley rats through the maternal consumption of sodium saccharin on the testicular structure and function in male offspring. Feed intake and efficiency, organ and fat weight, quantification and expression of androgen receptor (AR), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) proteins, sperm count, and hormone levels were determined. Consumption alterations were found in the final weeks of the experiment. Decreases in AR and PCNA expression and quantification, tubular diameter, and luminal volume, and increases in epithelial and interstitial relative volumes were observed. Lower sperm count and transit, and lower estradiol concentration were also found. Sodium saccharin consumption by dams programmed male offspring by affecting the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonad axis with alterations in the Sertoli cell population, in spermatogonia proliferation, the expression and quantification of AR, and in sperm count. We hypothesized that these changes may be due to an estradiol reduction that caused the loosening of adhesion junctions of the blood–testis barrier, causing cell losses during spermatogenesis, also reflected by a decrease in tubular diameter with an increase in epithelial volume and consequent decrease in luminal volume. We conclude that maternal sodium saccharin consumption during pregnancy and lactation programmed alterations in the reproductive parameters of male offspring, thus influencing spermatogenesis.
Influenza During the 2010–2020 Decade in the United States: Seasonal Outbreaks and Vaccine Interventions
Authors: Malosh Ryan E , McGovern Ian , Monto Arnold S
Published: October 2022

The 10 years between the last influenza pandemic and start of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic have been marked by great advances in our ability to follow influenza occurrence and determine vaccine effectiveness (VE), largely based on widespread use of the polymerase chain reaction assay. We examine the results, focusing mainly on data from the United States and inactivated vaccines. Surveillance has expanded, resulting in increased ability to characterize circulating viruses and their impact. The surveillance has often confirmed previous observations on timing of outbreaks and age groups affected, which can now be examined in greater detail. Selection of strains for vaccines is now based on enhanced viral characterization using immunologic, virologic, and computational techniques not previously available. Vaccine coverage has been largely stable, but VE has remained modest and, in some years, very low. We discuss ways to improve VE based on existing technology while we work toward supraseasonal vaccines.
Chronic kidney disease as cardiovascular risk factor in routine clinical practice: a position statement by the Council of the European Renal Association
Authors: Ortiz Alberto , Wanner Christoph , Gansevoort Ron ,   the ERA Council, Ortiz Alberto , Wanner Christoph , Gansevoort Ron T , Cozzolino Mario , Fliser Danilo , Gambaro Giovanni , Ong Albert , Rosenkranz Alexander R , Rychlık Ivan , Sarafidis Pantelis , Torra Roser , Tuglular Serhan
Published: October 2022

The European Society of Cardiology 2021 guideline on cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) prevention in clinical practice has major implications for both CV risk screening and kidney health of interest to primary care physicians, cardiologists, nephrol-ogists, and other professionals involved in CVD prevention. The proposed CVD prevention strategies require as first step the categorization of individuals into those with established atherosclerotic CVD, diabetes, familiar hypercholesterolaemia, or chronic kidney disease (CKD), i.e. conditions that are already associated with a moderate to very-high CVD risk. This places CKD, defined as decreased kidney function or increased albuminuria as a starting step for CVD risk assessment. Thus, for adequate CVD risk assessment, patients with diabetes, familiar hypercholesterolaemia, or CKD should be identified by an initial laboratory assessment that requires not only serum to assess glucose, cholesterol, and creatinine to estimate the glomerular filtration rate, but also urine to assess albuminuria. The addition of albuminuria as an entry-level step in CVD risk assessment should change clinical practice as it differs from the current healthcare situation in which albuminuria is only assessed in persons already considered to be at high risk of CVD. A diagnosis of moderate of severe CKD requires a specific set of interventions to prevent CVD. Further research should address the optimal method for CV risk assessment that includes CKD assessment in the general population, i.e. whether this should remain opportunistic screening or whether systematic screening.
Most Placebo-Controlled Trials in Inflammatory Bowel Disease were Underpowered Because of Overestimated Drug Efficacy Rates: Results from a Systematic Review of Induction Studies
Authors: Bahnam Paul , Hanzel Jurij , Ma Christopher , Zou Lily , Narula Neeraj , Singh Siddharth , Kahan Brennan , Jairath Vipul
Published: October 2022

Background and Aims

Most pharmaceutical clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] are placebo-controlled and require effect size estimation for a drug relative to placebo. We compared expected effect sizes in sample size calculations [SSCs] to actual effect sizes in IBD clinical trials.

Methods

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and the Cochrane library were searched from inception to March 26, 2021, to identify placebo-controlled induction studies for luminal Crohn’s disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC] that reported an SSC and a primary endpoint of clinical remission/response. Expected effects were subtracted from actual effects, and interquartile ranges [IQRs] for each corresponding median difference were calculated. Linear regression was used to assess whether placebo or drug event rate misspecifications were responsible for these differences.

Results

Of eligible studies, 36.9% [55/149] were excluded because of incomplete SSC reporting, yielding 94 studies [46 CD, 48 UC]. Treatment effects were overestimated in CD for remission (–12.6% [IQR: –16.3 to –1.6%]), in UC for remission (–10.2% [IQR: –16.5 to –5.6%]) and in CD for response (–15.3% [IQR: –27.1 to –5.8%]). Differences observed were due to overestimated drug event rates, whereas expected and actual placebo event rates were similar. A meta-regression demonstrated associations between overestimated treatment effect sizes and several trial characteristics: isolated ileal disease, longer CD duration, extensive colitis [UC], single-centre, phase 2 and no endoscopic endpoint component [UC].

Conclusion

Overestimation of IBD therapy efficacy rates resulted in smaller-than-expected treatment effects. These results should be used to inform SSCs and trial design for IBD drug development.
Fairness of earnings in Europe: the consequences of unfair under- and overreward for life satisfaction
Authors: Adriaans Jule
Published: October 2022

A large percentage of workers in Europe perceive their earnings to be unfairly low. Such perceptions of unfairness can have far-reaching consequences, ranging from low satisfaction to poor health. To gain insight into the conditions that can attenuate or amplify these adverse consequences, comparative research on the role of country contexts in shaping responses to perceived unfairness is needed. Furthermore, justice theory proposes that both types of perceived unfairness—underreward and overreward—cause distress, but evidence on overreward from representative survey data is scarce and laboratory studies have produced mixed results. Data from the European Social Survey (collected in 2018/2019) offer a means of addressing both of these gaps in the research. Studying the association between perceived fairness of personal earnings and life satisfaction in a cross-section of 29 European countries, I find that both underreward and overreward are associated with lower life satisfaction. This relationship is more pronounced in countries where the equity norm is strongly legitimized and weaker in countries where the trade union density is high.
A new efficient and integrated pathway for patient evaluation prior to atrial fibrillation ablation
Authors: Verhaert Dominique V M , Linz Dominik , Wassink Geert F , Weijs Bob , Philippens Suzanne , Luermans Justin G L M , Westra Sjoerd W , Schotten Ulrich , Vernooy Kevin , den Uijl Dennis W
Published: October 2022

Aims

In this quality improvement project, a care pathway for patients considered for atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation was optimized with the goals to improve the patient journey and simultaneously integrate prospective data collection into the clinical process.

Methods and results

The Lean Six Sigma approach was used to map the pre-existing process, identify constraints, and formulate countermeasures. The percentage of patients going through the full pre-ablation preparation that eventually underwent AF ablation, number of hospital visits and consultations, pathway compliance, and completeness of scientific data were measured before and after pathway optimization. Constraints in the process were (i) lack of standardized processes, (ii) inefficient use of resources, (iii) lack of multidisciplinary integration, (iv) lack of research integration, and (v) suboptimal communication. The impact of the corresponding countermeasures (defining a uniform process, incorporating ‘go/no-go’ moment, introducing a ‘one-stop-shop’, integrating prospective data collection, and improving communication) was studied for 33 patients before and 26 patients after pathway optimization. After optimization, the percentage of patients receiving a full pre-ablation preparation that eventually underwent AF ablation increased from 59% to 94% (P < 0.01). Fewer hospital visits (3.2 ± 1.2 vs. 2.3 ± 0.8, P = 0.01) and electrophysiologist consultations (1.8 ± 0.7 vs. 1.0 ± 0.3, P < 0.01) were required after pathway optimization. Pathway compliance and complete collection of scientific data increased significantly (3% vs. 73%, P < 0.01 and 15% vs. 73%, P < 0.01, respectively).

Conclusion

The optimization project resulted in a more efficient evaluation of patients considered for AF ablation. The new more efficient process includes prospective data collection and facilitates easy conduct of research studies focused on improvements of patient outcomes.
Genomic Adaptations to an Endoparasitic Lifestyle in the Morphologically Atypical CrustaceanSacculina carcini(Cirripedia: Rhizocephala)
Authors: Martin Sebastian , Lesny Peter , Glenner Henrik , Hecht Jochen , Vilcinskas Andreas , Bartolomaeus Thomas , Podsiadlowski Lars
Published: October 2022

The endoparasitic crustacean Sacculina carcini (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) has a much simpler morphology than conventional filter-feeding barnacles, reflecting its parasitic lifestyle. To investigate the molecular basis of its refined developmental program, we produced a draft genome sequence for comparison with the genomes of nonparasitic barnacles and characterized the transcriptomes of internal and external tissues. The comparison of clusters of orthologous genes revealed the depletion of multiple gene families but also several unanticipated expansions compared to non-parasitic crustaceans. Transcriptomic analyses comparing interna and externa tissues revealed an unexpected variation of gene expression between rootlets sampled around host midgut and thoracic ganglia. Genes associated with lipid uptake were strongly expressed by the internal tissues. We identified candidate genes probably involved in host manipulation (suppression of ecdysis and gonad development) including those encoding crustacean neurohormones and the juvenile hormone binding protein. The evolution of Rhizocephala therefore appears to have involved a rapid turnover of genes (losses and expansions) as well as the fine tuning of gene expression.
Evaluating health policies with subnational disparities: a text-mining analysis of the Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance Scheme in China
Authors: Liu Kai , Liu Wenting , He Alex Jingwei
Published: October 2022

Subnational disparities in most health systems often defy ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in policy implementation. When local authorities implement a national policy in a decentralized context, they behave as a strategic policy actor in specifying the central mandates, selecting appropriate tools and setting key implementation parameters. Local policy discretion leads to diverse policy mixes across regions, thus complicating evidence-based evaluations of policy impacts. When measuring complex policy reforms, mainstream policy evaluation methodologies have tended to adopt simplified policy proxies that often disguise distinct policy choices across localities, leaving the heterogeneous effects of the same generic policy largely unknown. Using the emerging ‘text-as-data’ methodology and drawing from subnational policy documents, this study developed a novel approach to policy measurement through analysing policy big data. We applied this approach to examine the impacts of China’s Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) on individuals’ out-of-pocket (OOP) spending. We found substantial disparities in policy choices across prefectures when categorizing the UEBMI policy framework into benefit-expansion and cost-containment reforms. Overall, the UEBMI policies lowered enrollees’ OOP spending in prefectures that embraced both benefit-expansion and cost-containment reforms. In contrast, the policies produced ill effects on OOP spending of UEBMI enrollees and uninsured workers in prefectures that carried out only benefit-expansion or cost-containment reforms. The micro-level impacts of UEBMI enrolment on OOP spending were conditional on whether prefectural benefit-expansion and cost-containment reforms were undertaken in concert. Only in prefectures that promulgated both types of reforms did UEBMI enrolment reduce OOP spending. These findings contribute to a comprehensive text-mining measurement approach to locally diverse policy efforts and an integration of macro-level policy analysis and micro-level individual analysis. Contextualizing policy measurements would improve the methodological rigour of health policy evaluations. This paper concludes with implications for health policymakers in China and beyond.
Genic male and female sterility in vegetable crops
Authors: Cheng Zhihua , Song Weiyuan , Zhang Xiaolan
Published: October 2022

Vegetable crops are greatly appreciated for their beneficial nutritional and health components. Hybrid seeds are widely used in vegetable crops for advantages such as high yield and improved resistance, which require the participation of male (stamen) and female (pistil) reproductive organs. Male- or female-sterile plants are commonly used for production of hybrid seeds or seedless fruits in vegetables. In this review we will focus on the types of genic male sterility and factors affecting female fertility, summarize typical gene function and research progress related to reproductive organ identity and sporophyte and gametophyte development in vegetable crops [mainly tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus)], and discuss the research trends and application perspectives of the sterile trait in vegetable breeding and hybrid production, in order to provide a reference for fertility-related germplasm innovation.
A high-quality genome assembly of the Laotian shad (Tenualosa thibaudeaui), an endemic species of the Mekong River Basin
Authors: Wang Li , Lu Liang , Sarker Kishor Kumar , Li Chenhong
Published: October 2022

The Laotian shad (Tenualosa thibaudeaui) belongs to the family Clupeidae and is mainly distributed across Lao PRD, Cambodia, and northern Thailand. Due to overfishing and dam reconstruction, the Laotian shad is on the verge of extinction and currently listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. Nanopore and Illumina sequencing data were integrated to generate the first high-quality genome assembly for T. thibaudeaui. The assembled genome was 638 Mb in size, including 228 scaffolds with a N50 value of 16.6 Mb. BUSCO analysis revealed the completeness of the assembly to be more than 96%. A total of 24,810 protein-coding genes were predicted. According to the pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent analysis, the effective population size of the Laotian shad sharply declined from 3 Mya to 20 Kya. We found a significant ratio in contraction of gene families that may reflect secondary gene loss. Our high-quality genome assembly of the Laotian shad will provide a valuable resource for future research in conservation genetics, as well as for investigating the phylogenetics and comparative genomics of shads.
Effect of the solar wind on the nature of arbitrary amplitude ion-acoustic solitary waves in Venus’ upper ionosphere
Authors: Salem S , Fayad A A , El-Shafeay N A , Sayed F S H , Shihab M , Fichtner H , Lazar M , Moslem W M
Published: October 2022

Observations suggest that at altitudes of 1000–2000 km the interaction between the solar wind and Venus’ ionospheric plasma leads to ion-acoustic waves (IAWs) formation. For studying this hypothesis, a suitable hydrodynamic model relying on the observational data from Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) and Venus Express (VEX) is developed. It consists of two ionospheric fluids of positive ions, hydrogen (H+), and oxygen (O+), and isothermal ionospheric electrons interacting with streaming solar wind protons and isothermal solar wind electrons. The favourable conditions and propagation characteristics of the fully non-linear IAWs along with their dependence on solar wind parameters are examined and compared with the available space observations. It is found that the pulse amplitude is decreased by increasing the temperature of either the solar wind protons or electrons. In contrast, a higher relative density or velocity of the solar wind protons amplifies the amplitude of the solitary structures. Moreover, only velocity variations within a certain range called the plasma velocity scale can affect the basic features of the solitary pulses. Beyond this scale, solitary waves are not affected by the solar wind protons’ velocity anymore. This theoretical model predicts the propagation of electrostatic solitary waves with a maximum electric field of 7.5 mV m−1 and a pulse time duration of 3 ms. The output of the fast Fourier transformation (FFT) power spectra of the electric field pulse is a broad-band electrostatic noise in a frequency range of ∼0.1–4 kHz. These FFT calculations are in good agreement with PVO’s observations.
Discovering Ca ii absorption lines with a neural network
Authors: Xia Iona , Ge Jian , Willis Kevin , Zhao Yinan
Published: October 2022

Quasar absorption line analysis is critical for studying gas and dust components and their physical and chemical properties as well as the evolution and formation of galaxies in the early universe. Calcium II (Ca ii) absorbers, which are one of the dustiest absorbers and are located at lower redshifts than most other absorbers, are especially valuable when studying physical processes and conditions in recent galaxies. However, the number of known quasar Ca ii absorbers is relatively low due to the difficulty of detecting them with traditional methods. In this work, we developed an accurate and quick approach to search for Ca ii absorption lines using deep learning. In our deep learning model, a convolutional neural network, tuned using simulated data, is used for the classification task. The simulated training data are generated by inserting artificial Ca ii absorption lines into original quasar spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), while an existing Ca ii catalogue is adopted as the test set. The resulting model achieves an accuracy of 96 per cent on the real data in the test set. Our solution runs thousands of times faster than traditional methods, taking a fraction of a second to analyse thousands of quasars, while traditional methods may take days to weeks. The trained neural network is applied to quasar spectra from SDSS’s DR7 and DR12 and discovered 399 new quasar Ca ii absorbers. In addition, we confirmed 409 known quasar Ca ii absorbers identified previously by other research groups through traditional methods.
The lure of sirens: joint distance and velocity measurements with third-generation detectors
Authors: Alfradique Viviane , Quartin Miguel , Amendola Luca , Castro Tiago , Toubiana Alexandre
Published: October 2022

The next generation of detectors will detect gravitational waves from binary neutron stars at cosmological distances, for which around a 1000 electromagnetic follow-ups may be observed per year. So far, most work devoted to the expected cosmological impact of these standard sirens employed them only as distance indicators. Only recently their use as tracers of clustering, similar to what already proposed for supernovae, has been studied. Focusing on the expected specifications of the Einstein Telescope (ET), we forecast here the performance on cosmological parameters of future standard sirens as both distance and density indicators, with emphasis on the linear perturbation growth index and on spatial curvature. We improve upon previous studies in a number of ways: a more detailed analysis of available telescope time, the inclusion of more cosmological and nuisance parameters, the Alcock–Paczynski correction, the use of sirens also as both velocity and density tracers, and a more accurate estimation of the distance posterior. We find that the analysis of the clustering of sirens improves the constraints on H0 by 30 per cent and on Ωk0 by over an order of magnitude, with respect to their use merely as distance indicators. With 5 yr of joint ET and Rubin Observatory follow-ups we could reach precision of 0.1 km s−1 Mpc−1 in H0 and 0.02 in Ωk0 using only data in the range 0 < z < 0.5. We also find that the use of sirens as tracers of density, and not only velocity, yields good improvements on the growth of structure constraints.
Measuring the distortion of time with relativistic effects in large-scale structure
Authors: Sobral Blanco Daniel , Bonvin Camille
Published: October 2022

To test the theory of gravity one needs to test, on one hand, how space and time are distorted by matter, and on the other hand, how matter moves in a distorted space–time. Current observations provide tight constraints on the motion of matter, through the so-called redshift-space distortions, but they only provide a measurement of the sum of the spatial and temporal distortions, via gravitational lensing. In this letter, we develop a method to measure the time distortion on its own. We show that the coming generation of galaxy surveys, like the Square Kilometre Array, will allow us to measure the distortion of time with an accuracy of 10–30 per cent. Such a measurement will be essential to test deviations from the ΛCDM model in a fully model-independent way. In particular, it can be used to compare the spatial and temporal distortions of space–time and to unambiguously distinguish between modifications of gravity and dark fifth forces acting on dark matter.
Temperature-dependent Small RNA Expression Depends on Wild Genetic Backgrounds of Caenorhabditis briggsae
Authors: Fusca Daniel D , Sharma Eesha , Weiss Jörg G , Claycomb Julie M , Cutter Asher D
Published: October 2022

Geographically distinct populations can adapt to the temperature conditions of their local environment, leading to temperature-dependent fitness differences between populations. Consistent with local adaptation, phylogeographically distinct Caenorhabditis briggsae nematodes show distinct fitness responses to temperature. The genetic mechanisms underlying local adaptation, however, remain unresolved. To investigate the potential role of small noncoding RNAs in genotype-specific responses to temperature, we quantified small RNA expression using high-throughput sequencing of C. briggsae nematodes from tropical and temperate strain genotypes reared under three temperature conditions (14 °C, 20 °C, and 30 C). Strains representing both tropical and temperate regions showed significantly lower expression of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) at high temperatures, primarily mapping to a large ∼7 Mb long piRNA cluster on chromosome IV. We also documented decreased expression of 22G-RNAs antisense to protein-coding genes and other genomic features at high rearing temperatures for the thermally-intolerant temperate strain genotype, but not for the tropical strain genotype. Reduced 22G-RNA expression was widespread along chromosomes and among feature types, indicative of a genome-wide response. Targets of the EGO-1/CSR-1 22G-RNA pathway were most strongly impacted compared with other 22G-RNA pathways, implicating the CSR-1 Argonaute and its RNA-dependent RNA polymerase EGO-1 in the genotype-dependent modulation of C. briggsae 22G-RNAs under chronic thermal stress. Our work suggests that gene regulation via small RNAs may be an important contributor to the evolution of local adaptations.
The Value of Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing in Leishmaniasis Diagnosis: A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Han Ning , Yu Jiang , Wang Ming , Ma Yuanji , Yan Libo , Tang Hong
Published: October 2022

Background

Leishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania spp. and spreads through sandfly bites. Owing to the wide range of nonspecific clinical symptoms, patients with leishmaniasis are frequently misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed.

Methods

The study participants were 7 metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS)–diagnosed patients with leishmaniasis who could not be diagnosed using conventional methods. Clinical data were retrospectively collected and analyzed. When searching PubMed for mNGS and leishmaniasis, 8 peer-reviewed case reports in English were retrieved.

Results

A total of 7 patients with recurrent fever, pancytopenia, and significant splenomegaly were included in this study. Only 3 individuals tested positive for rK39. Two individuals, 1 of whom was HIV-positive, had Leishmania amastigotes identified in their bone marrow. However, all patients’ blood mNGS findings pointed to Leishmania infection, and they were finally diagnosed with leishmaniasis. Sodium stibogluconate therapy with a short course of amphotericin B was administered to all patients. The prognosis for the remaining patients was good, except for 1 who died of multiple organ failure.

Conclusions

mNGS could be used to identify leishmaniasis, particularly in patients who are difficult to diagnose using conventional approaches.
The death of King Charles XII of Sweden revisited
Authors: Junno Juho-Antti , Niskanen Markku , Maijanen Heli , Niinimäki Jaakko , Junno Alina , Oura Petteri
Published: October 2022

The death of King Charles XII of Sweden has remained as a mystery for more than three centuries. Was he assassinated by his own men or killed by the enemy fire? Charles was killed by a projectile perforating his skull from left to right. In this study, we utilized a Synbone ballistic skull phantom and modern radiological imaging to clarify the factors behind the observed head injuries. We examined whether a musket ball fired from the enemy lines would be the most potential projectile. Our experiments with a leaden 19.5 mm musket ball demonstrated that at velocities of 200 to 250 m/s, it could cause similar type of injuries as observed in the remains of Charles . The radiological imaging supported the theory that the projectile was not a leaden but of some harder metal, as we could detect remnants of lead inside the wound channel unlike in Charles’ case. In addition, our experiments showed that a 19.5mm musket ball  produces max. 17mm hole into a felt material  . The main evidence supporting 19.5 mm projectile size has been a 19-19.5mm bullet hole in a hat that Charles was wearing during his death. Additional experiments with a 25.4 mm steel ball produced approximately 20 mm hole in the felt. As our musket ball experiments also resulted in considerably smaller cranial injuries than those in Charles’ case, we can conclude that the deadly projectile wasn’t leaden and was more than 19.5 mm in diameter, potentially an iron cartouche ball that was shot from the enemy lines.