bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The heavy tetra-quark states after the discovery of tetra-charm states.
Authors: Becchi C.
Published: November 2022

This paper is devoted to the study of exclusive charm and bottom bound states which are suitable, at least partially, for a non-relativistic description. Starting from a simple choice of quarkonia and tetra-quark wave functions we study their production cross sections, total widths and more interesting decay properties. In particular, we compute the production cross sections of the ground state scalar quarkonia getting results compatible with the values appearing in the literature. We also compute the production cross sections of the lower energy states of the charm and bottom tetra-quarks, their decay widths and the decay rates in two $$\mu \bar{\mu }$$

μ

μ

¯

pairs and in the $$q{\bar{q}}\mu \bar{\mu }$$

q

q

¯

μ

μ

¯

channel. Our results on the tetra-charm are consistent with the data published by the LHCb Collaboration and those on the tetra-bottom show a reasonable agreement with the indications published by the CMS Collaboration. Our cross section analyses are based on interpolations based on the gluon–gluon luminosity grids published by the NNPDF and CTEQ Collaborations. The hard amplitude calculations are based on QCD in the tree approximation. We think that a careful improvement of our method and a refinement of the experimental data after the foreseen luminosity increase at the LHC will make possible valuable tests of QCD at the intermediate energies.
Theoretical results for hadronic masses and their widths in the framework of the SO(4) model
Authors: Yépez-Martínez Tochtli , Civitarese O. , Hess Peter O. , Rico-Trejo Octavio A. , Ramirez-Soto Ulises I.
Published: November 2022

The prediction of properties of the low-energy portion of the hadronic spectrum is a challenging task which, up to day, is still tentatively given due to the nonperturbative nature of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) at low energies. In this paper, we are exploring the validity of the SO(4) scheme, as a representative of the fundamental QCD structure of meson-like states in the region below 2.5 GeV. We have focused our attention on the calculation of the energy and width of meson states of various spin, isospin and parities.
Supervised Machine Learning Method for Ontology-based Financial Decisions in the Stock Market
Authors: Sharma Neha , Soni Mukesh , Kumar Sumit , Kumar Rajeev , Deb Nabamita , Shrivastava Anurag
Published: November 2022

For changing semantics, ontological and information presentation, as well as computational linguistics for Asian social networks, are one of the most essential platforms for offering enhanced and real-time data mapping, as well as huge data access across diverse big data sources on the web architecture, information extraction mining, statistical modeling and data modeling, database control, and so on. The concept of opinion or sentiment analysis is often used to predict or classify the textual data, sentiment, affect, subjectivity, and other emotional states in online text. Recognizing the message's positive and negative thoughts or opinions by examining the author's goals will aid in a better understanding of the text's content in terms of the stock market. An intelligent ontology and knowledge Asian social network solution can improve the effectiveness of a company's decision making support procedures by deriving important information about users from a wide variety of web sources. However, ontology is concerned primarily with problem-solving knowledge discovery. The utilization of Internet-based modernizations welcomed a significant effect on the Indian stock exchange. News related to the stock market in the most recent decade plays a vital role for the brokers or users. This article focuses on predicting stock market news sentiments based on their polarity and textual information using the concept of ontological knowledge-based Convolution Neural Network (CNN) as a machine learning approach. Optimal features are essential for the sentiment classification model to predict the stock's textual reviews' exact sentiment. Therefore, the swarm-based Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm is utilized with the Lexicon feature extraction approach using a novel fitness function. The main motivation for combining ABC and CNN is to accelerate model training, which is why the suggested approach is effective in predicting emotions from stock news.
Mirror Segmentation via Semantic-aware Contextual Contrasted Feature Learning
Authors: Mei Haiyang , Yu Letian , Xu Ke , Wang Yang , Yang Xin , Wei Xiaopeng , Lau Rynson W. H.
Published: November 2022

Mirrors are everywhere in our daily lives. Existing computer vision systems do not consider mirrors, and hence may get confused by the reflected content inside a mirror, resulting in a severe performance degradation. However, separating the real content outside a mirror from the reflected content inside it is non-trivial. The key challenge is that mirrors typically reflect contents similar to their surroundings, making it very difficult to differentiate the two. In this article, we present a novel method to segment mirrors from a single RGB image. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to address the mirror segmentation problem with a computational approach. We make the following contributions: First, we propose a novel network, called MirrorNet+, for mirror segmentation, by modeling both contextual contrasts and semantic associations. Second, we construct the first large-scale mirror segmentation dataset, which consists of 4,018 pairs of images containing mirrors and their corresponding manually annotated mirror masks, covering a variety of daily-life scenes. Third, we conduct extensive experiments to evaluate the proposed method and show that it outperforms the related state-of-the-art detection and segmentation methods. Fourth, we further validate the effectiveness and generalization capability of the proposed semantic awareness contextual contrasted feature learning by applying MirrorNet+ to other vision tasks, i.e., salient object detection and shadow detection. Finally, we provide some applications of mirror segmentation and analyze possible future research directions. Project homepage:
https://mhaiyang.github.io/TOMM2022-MirrorNet+/index.html
.
Sustainable Statistical Capacity-Building for Africa: The Biostatistics Case
Authors: Reddy Tarylee , Nsubuga Rebecca N. , Chirwa Tobias , Shkedy Ziv , Mwangi Ann , Awoke Ayele Tadesse , Duchateau Luc , Janssen Paul
Published: November 2022

Several major global challenges, including climate change and water scarcity, warrant a scientific approach to generating solutions. Developing high quality and robust capacity in (bio)statistics is key to ensuring sound scientific solutions to these challenges, so collaboration between academic and research institutes should be high on university agendas. To strengthen capacity in the developing world, South–North partnerships should be a priority. The ideas and examples of statistical capacity-building presented in this article are the result of several monthly online discussions between a mixedgroup of authors having international experience and formal links with Hasselt University in Belgium. The discussion focuses on statistical capacity-building through education (teaching), research, and societal impact. We have adopted an example-based approach, and in view of the background of the authors, the examples refer mainly to biostatistical capacity-building. Although many universities worldwide have already initiated university collaborations for development, we hope and believe that our ideas and concrete examples can serve as inspiration to further strengthen South–North partnerships on statistical capacity-building.
One-step non-reactive spray drying approach to produce silicon/carbon composite-based hierarchically structured supraparticles for lithium-ion battery anodes
Authors: Amin Adil , Loewenich Moritz , Kilian Stefan O. , Wassmer Theresa , Bade Stefan , Lyubina Julia , Wiggers Hartmut , Özcan Fatih , Segets Doris
Published: November 2022

One-step non-reactive spray drying approach has been successfully demonstrated to produce hierarchically structured supraparticles – of silicon/carbon composite nanoparticles synthesized in the gas-phase. The produced supraparticles combine the advantages of both nanoparticles and micrometer-sized particles: they inherit nanoparticle-like mechanical stability to resist pulverization but have reduced surface area and therefore electrolyte contact area. The supraparticles showed very good redispersion stability when processed into electrodes and showed improved coated layer density (increase by 19 %) as compared to silicon/carbon composite nanoparticles. Furthermore, supraparticles exhibited good first cycle Coulombic efficiency around 86 % and good cycling stability, i.e. 80 % of the 3rd cycle capacity was retained after 126 cycles vs only 65.2 % after the same number of cycles for best coating from silicon/carbon composite nanoparticles. We consider this investigation as key finding for scalable manufacturing of low-cost and dense Si-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries and at the same time as an example of how hierarchical structures can make significant impact in electrochemistry.
Tetramethylpyrazine and Paeoniflorin Synergistically Attenuate Cholesterol Efflux in Macrophage Cells via Enhancing ABCA1 and ABCG1 Expression
Authors: Mei Jun , Xu Fengqin , Zhou Qingbing , Zhang Ying , Ji Jie , Li Meng
Published: November 2022

The formation of foam cells is a characteristic of the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. ATP-binding cassette subfamily A1 and G1 (ABCA1 and ABCG1) and scavenger receptor B1 (SR-B1) play critical roles in promoting intracellular cholesterol efflux to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1). We attempted to test the effect of the tetramethylpyrazine-paeoniflorin pair (TP) on cholesterol outflow in foam cells derived from macrophages. In this study, RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with 80 mg/L oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) for 24 h to obtain foam cells. Then they were intervened with TP (tetramethylpyrazine 40 ug/ml plus paeoniflorin 80 ug/ml) for additional 24 h. The distribution of cholesterol in foam cells was evaluated by oil red O staining. The contents of total cholesterol (TC) and free cholesterol (FC) were assessed with commercial kits. Fluorescent imaging was observed with a fluorescent inverted microscope. The capacity of cholesterol efflux was measured with a fluorescent plate reader, and the transcript and protein levels of ABCA1, ABCG1, and SR-B1 were detected by Western blot and quantitative polymerase chain reactions (Q-PCRs). Cytokines in the medium were detected by ELISA and adjusted by total cellular proteins. The results showed that TP decreased ox-LDL-induced cholesterol deposition and foam cell formation by promoting cholesterol efflux to apoA1, which was related to the upregulation of ABCA1 and ABCG1. Moreover, TP decreased the secretion of ox-LDL-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), an important profoam cell cytokine in atherosclerosis.
A Fast and Efficient Beamforming Algorithm Imitating Plant Growth Gene for Phased Array Antenna
Authors: Zhang Jinling , Han Chen , Zheng Zhanqi , Zhu Xiongzhi , Li Xiaohui
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a new beamforming algorithm for phased array antennas is proposed, the plant growth gene algorithm. The algorithm consists of three steps. Firstly, according to the excitation relation of the array unit before and after the local fine-tuning of the antenna radiation pattern, the model for solving the array unit excitation difference is established. Secondly, the Taylor series expansion is used to solve the model, and the growth model is established based on this, and the beam tuning network is designed to realize the growth model. Finally, based on the growth gene obtained by the neural network algorithm, the growth model is called multiple times for high-precision beamforming. This algorithm converts the complex optimization process of array antenna excitation by the classical optimization algorithm into a simple process of fine-tuning the gain at any angle on the beam to make it grow and approach the target pattern. The growth gene is used to weigh the target angle and gain to achieve beamforming, which greatly reduces the complexity of the algorithm and improves its accuracy of the algorithm. Taking a 1 × 16 linear array as an example, a cosecant square beam pattern with a coverage range of −31° to 31° and a maximum gain direction of 17° is designed using the algorithm proposed in this paper. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can easily fine-tune the gain of any angle to achieve precise beamforming. Importantly, the growth genes trained by the algorithm are universal to the phased array antenna with the same topology.
Construction of a Clinical Predictive Model of Left Atrial and Left Atrial Appendage Thrombi in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Yin Lei , He Changjian , Zheng Huixin , Ma Jianshuai , Liu Jinting , Zhang Xiaohong , Xie Ruiqin
Published: November 2022

Background. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors of left atrial (LA) or left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombi in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and to establish and validate relevant predictive models. It might improve thromboembolic risk stratification in patients with NVAF. Methods. This study retrospectively included 1210 consecutive patients with NVAF undergoing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), of whom 139 patients had thrombi in LA or in LAA. Through literature review and the ten events per variable (10EPV) principle, 13 variables were finally identified for inclusion in multivariate analysis. Models were constructed by multivariate logistic stepwise regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) regression. Results. After logistic regression, five variables (AF type, age, B-type natriuretic peptide, E/e’ ratio, and left atrial diameter) were finally screened out as model 1. After Lasso regression, AF type, age, gender, B-type natriuretic peptide, E/e’ ratio, left atrial diameter, and left ventricular ejection fraction were finally screened as model 2. After comparing the two models, the simpler model 1 was finally selected. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the model 1 was 0.865 (95% CI: 0.838–0.892), the Hosmer–Lemeshow test = 0.898, and the AUC = 0.861 after internal validation. The clinical decision curve showed that the new clinical prediction model could achieve a net clinical benefit when the expected threshold was between 0 and 0.6. Conclusion. This study constructed a new clinical prediction model of LA or LAA thrombi, with a higher discriminative degree than the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scoring systems (AUC: 0.865 vs. 0.643; AUC: 0.865 vs 0.652).
A Narrative Review of the Usage of Creative Solutions to Enhance Disabled Patients’ Quality of Life and Wellbeing by Occupational Therapists
Authors: Alageel Sarah Mohammed
Published: November 2022

Introduction. Occupational therapists play a crucial role in the rehabilitation process, as they maximise patients’ independence and participation in meaningful occupations by adopting creative solutions in their treatment plan. Recognizing the importance of creative work and incorporating it into daily activities can be a powerful technique for enhancing quality of life. As a result, OTs must comprehend the significance of using creativity on a daily basis with patients. Creativity has been implicit in occupational therapists’ values and practices since the occupational therapy field’s early days. In particular, OTs use meaningful activities to promote health, wellbeing, and independence, which have traditionally had a strong connection with creativity. Primarily, the OT uses practical exercise to create wellbeing and autonomy, which have had a healthy linkage with imagination. The OT has used creative exercise as a treatment technique since the beginning of the profession. Method. In this paper, a Narrative Review Checklist was used to carry out specific checks of manuscripts’ structures and a careful selection of the articles which are included in the manuscript. In addition, articles referenced in review articles or guidelines were reviewed for inclusion. Findings. This review has shown that the primary motivation for implementing creative activities was to improve the patient performance, wellbeing, and self-esteem. The goal of implementing creative activities was to assist the client in self-expression as well as experience joy and desire. As a result, the necessity to investigate the influence of creative solutions in treatment from an OT standpoint has been identified. Conclusion. Future studies should focus on how it is important to consider the patient’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivations when designing creative solutions, as well as how the disability affects their daily activities, occupations, and adherence to a treatment plan.
Impact of Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement in Heart Failure Clinic on Clinician Health Status Assessment and Patient Experience: A Substudy of the PRO-HF Trial
Authors: Sandhu Alexander T. , Zheng Jimmy , Kalwani Neil M. , Gupta Anshal , Calma Jamie , Skye Megan , Lan Roy , Yu Brian , Spertus John A. , Heidenreich Paul A.
Published: November 2022

Background:

Clinicians typically estimate heart failure health status using the New York Heart Association Class, which is often discordant with patient-reported health status. It is unknown whether collecting patient-reported health status improves the accuracy of clinician assessments.

Methods:

The PRO-HF trial (Patient-Reported Outcomes in Heart Failure Clinic) is a randomized, nonblinded trial evaluating routine Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-12 (KCCQ-12) collection in heart failure clinic. Patients with a scheduled visit to Stanford heart failure clinic between August 30, 2021 and June 30, 2022 were enrolled and randomized to KCCQ-12 assessment or usual care. In this prespecified substudy, we evaluated whether access to the KCCQ-12 improved the accuracy of clinicians’ New York Heart Association assessment or patients’ perspectives on their clinician interaction. We surveyed clinicians regarding their patients’ New York Heart Association Class, quality of life, and symptom frequency. Clinician responses were compared with patients’ KCCQ-12 responses. We surveyed patients regarding their clinician interactions.

Results:

Of the 1248 enrolled patients, 1051 (84.2%) attended a visit during the substudy. KCCQ-12 results were given to the clinicians treating the 528 patients in the KCCQ-12 arm; the 523 patients in the usual care arm completed the KCCQ-12 without the results being shared. The correlation between New York Heart Association Class and KCCQ-12 Overall Summary Score was stronger when clinicians had access to the KCCQ-12 (r=−0.73 versus r=−0.61,
P
<0.001). More patients in the KCCQ-12 arm strongly agreed that their clinician understood their symptoms (95.2% versus 89.7% of respondents [odds ratio‚ 2.27; 95% CI‚ 1.32–3.87]). However, patients in both arms reported similar quality of clinician communication and therapeutic alliance.

Conclusions:

Collecting the KCCQ-12 in heart failure clinic improved clinicians’ accuracy of health status assessment; correspondingly, patients believed their clinicians better understood their symptoms.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials
.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04164004.
Risk Governance in the Early Pandemic: Governance Roles and Coleman’s Taxonomy of Social Actors
Authors: Schulz Jeremy
Published: November 2022

This article takes the ongoing conversation around risk governance in the context of the early stages of the COVID pandemic in a new direction. It does so by connecting public health risk governance to James Coleman’s formulation of social actorhood in the contemporary US. Risk governance across a variety of social settings can be fruitfully conceptualized according to Coleman’s taxonomy of natural and constructed social actors. Unveiling the risk governance schemes operating within distinct social settings is a matter of teasing out the governance roles played by the three primary types of social actor introduced by Coleman: natural persons, agents/principals, and citizen-sovereigns. The parts played by these types of actors are examined within distinct meso-level settings such as households, employment settings, public-facing retail settings, and colleges. In this way, the study is able to distinguish specific governance schemes in terms of how they mobilize particular kinds of social actors characterized according to Coleman’s taxonomy. The study represents a step toward developing an account of risk governance which can accommodate a wide variety of actors, settings, and dynamics within a coherent theoretical framework. In carrying out this exercise, this study applies sociological theories to open a window into crucial aspects of risk governance during the pandemic era.
Mobilizing During the Covid-19 Pandemic: From Democratic Innovation to the Political Weaponization of Disinformation
Authors: Fominaya Cristina Flesher
Published: November 2022

Political scholars express concern for the continued resilience of democracy in the face of multiple crises. In times of crisis, social movements articulate grievances and make demands of political leaders and policymakers. In contrast to the wave of pro-democracy movements following the 2008 global financial crash where protesters demanded accountability from elites, mobilization during the COVID-19 pandemic has defied expectations in several key ways. First, the expectation for protesters to mobilize primarily online in the face of the restrictions and risk associated with large gatherings has not been upheld. Instead, we have witnessed widespread “offline” mass protests. Second, despite high mortality rates and significant disparities in the effectiveness of national public health responses, we have not witnessed widespread mobilizations demanding governments do better to protect citizens from the virus. Instead, we have seen two radically different responses: At one extreme, veterans of “pro-democracy” movements have “pivoted,” using their skills and experience to either make up for weak government responses to COVID-19 (Hong Kong) or to reinforce government efforts to contain it (Taiwan). At the other extreme, “antidemocratic” and predominantly far right-wing movements have mobilized against public health measures, circulating COVID negationist and conspiracy messages. Indeed, the political weaponization of disinformation has been a notable feature of pandemic mobilization. I analyze these contrasting trends, highlighting the challenges they pose for the effective handling of the pandemic, and their broader implications for democratic legitimacy and resilience. In so doing, I call attention to the ways that mobilization during the pandemic challenges scholars to revisit some of our assumptions about the dynamics of social movements in times of crisis, and how they can foster or erode democracy. The analysis also suggests that scholars analyzing the impact of information disorders on democracy need to pay careful attention to offline protest as well as online transmission.
In the Mode. . .Text-to-Web Survey Data Collection: An Exploratory Study in Preelection Polling of the U.S. Presidential Election
Authors: Kimball Spencer , Holloway Isabel
Published: November 2022

As our society rapidly employs new forms of communication, new modes of data collection are challenging the best practices developed over years of polling. Preelection polling must simultaneously evolve, as new modes have emerged in the past few decades, including computer-mediated communication, mobile texting, and the use of touch tone keypads to communicate information. A tension exists between traditional and novel means of interpersonal communication, and researchers are struggling to determine which traditional methods of data collection still have a place in the modern industry. This study examined three relatively new modes of preelection poll data collection, online, mobile, and IVR (interactive voice recognition) to determine what relationships exist, if any, between the mode of data collection and the composition of a sample across eight demographic variables: age, education, gender, political affiliation, race, region, 2016 Vote History, and 2020 Vote Intention. Twenty-six preelection polls were used in the study, with each poll ranging in collection dates between August 30 and October 31, 2020. The total combined sample size for this study is n = 19,886; 49% were IVR respondents ( n = 9,795), 25% was collected from online panels ( n = 5,039), and 25% was collected from short message service (SMS)-to-web respondents ( n = 5,052). A χ2 (chi-square) test for association was conducted using a significance level of p < .05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) and found a significant difference between each mode of data collection across the eight aforementioned variables. A significant difference between political party affiliation/registration and mode of data collection was attributed to the educational attainment of individuals participating in each preelection polls based on the mode of data collection. This study suggests that underlying variables within the sample composition of different modes of data collection can have an impact on the accuracy of preelection polls.
Potential Role of Surgical Resection for Gallbladder Cancer in Elderly Patients
Authors: Ueda Yasuhiro , Yanagimoto Hiroaki , Ajiki Tetsuo , Tsugawa Daisuke , Asakura Riki , Urade Takeshi , Nanno Yoshihide , Fukushima Kenji , Gon Hidetoshi , Komatsu Shohei , Kuramitsu Kaori , Goto Tadahiro , Asari Sadaki , Toyama Hirochika , Kido Masahiro , Fukumoto Takumi
Published: November 2022

Introduction

With the aging of the population in Japan, gallbladder cancer (GBC) in the elderly is increasing. However, the available clinical data are limited, and the optimal treatment is still controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of surgical resection in GBC patients ≥75 years of age.

Methods

A retrospective single center analysis of patients who had undergone surgical resection for GBC between 2000 and 2019 was carried out. Patients aged ≥75 years (elderly group, n = 24) or <75 years (younger group, n = 50) were compared.

Results

Both younger and elderly patients exhibited similar clinicopathological characteristics, but comorbidity in the latter was significantly greater, as was the frequency of less invasive surgery. Nonetheless, the incidence of postoperative complications was similar in elderly and younger patients. The proportion of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy was lower in the elderly. Overall survival of elderly and younger patients was not significantly different (65.0 vs 62.4% at 5 years, P = .600). In multivariate analysis, residual tumor status but not age was an independent prognostic factor.

Discussion

This study demonstrated that appropriate surgical treatment of elderly GBC patients was safe and effective, despite their having more comorbidities and lower rates of adjuvant chemotherapy than younger patients.
Airway Phenotypes and Nocturnal Wearing of Dentures in Elders with Sleep Apnea
Authors: Chen H. , Emami E. , Kauffmann C. , Rompré P. , Almeida F. , Schmittbuhl M. , van der Stelt P. , Ge S. , Lavigne G. , Huynh N.
Published: November 2022

The objective of this study was to examine to what extent the anatomic characteristics of the upper airway can influence the effect of nocturnal wearing of dentures on the sleep of edentulous elders with untreated sleep apnea. This study used the data from a randomized crossover clinical trial and an exploratory approach to address its objectives. Cone beam computed tomography scans of 65 edentulous individuals (female, n = 37; male, n = 28; mean ± SD age, 74.54 ± 6.42 y) with untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were used to identify anatomic variables. Polysomnography data were collected by means of one portable overnight recording. The respiratory variable values, including apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), with and without denture worn during sleep were used to calculate the change. Statistical analyses included multiple linear regressions, cluster analysis, and binary logistic regressions. A receiver operator characteristic curve was used to illustrate the accuracy of the statistical model. The regression model explained 15.8% ( R2) of AHI change. An increase in the lateral dimension of the minimum cross-sectional area was associated with a decrease in AHI, oxygen desaturation index, and respiratory arousal index changes ( P ≤ 0.041). Furthermore, an increase in the length of the hypopharynx was associated with an increase in AHI and oxygen desaturation index changes ( P ≤ 0.027). An increase in the lateral dimension of the minimum cross-sectional area of the upper airway was associated with a decreased likelihood of being in the group having a worsened AHI (odds ratio = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.95; P = 0.006). An increase in the length of the oropharynx was associated with an increased likelihood of having increased AHI (odds ratio = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.20; P = 0.026). The nocturnal aggravation of respiratory variables in edentulous individuals with OSA who wear dentures at night can be linked to certain anatomic characteristics of the upper airway. Replication of these findings may open novel avenues for personalized advice regarding nocturnal wearing of dentures in edentulous individuals with OSA (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01868295).
Effect of Smoking Exposure on Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy: 1-Year Follow-up
Authors: Leite F.R.M. , López R. , Pajaniaye J.B. , Nascimento G.G.
Published: November 2022

This study investigated the influence of different levels of exposure to smoking on periodontal healing for 12 mo after nonsurgical periodontal therapy and supportive periodontal care every third month. Eighty smokers willing to quit smoking and with periodontitis were included. Participants were offered an individualized voluntary smoking cessation program. Data collection included questionnaires and a full-mouth periodontal examination. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to model smoking trajectories over the follow-up. The effect of smoking trajectory on periodontal parameters over time was estimated with mixed effects modeling. Three smoking patterns were identified: light smokers/quitters ( n = 46), moderate smokers ( n = 17), and heavy smokers ( n = 17). For the periodontal data, the first factor, moderate periodontitis, included the number of sites with clinical attachment levels (CALs) of 4, 5, 6, and 7 mm; periodontal pocket depths (PPDs) of 4, 5, and 6 mm; and bleeding on probing. The second factor, severe periodontitis, consisted of the number of sites with a CAL ≥8 mm and PPD ≥7 mm. Heavy smokers commenced with a higher average CAL of 1.1 mm and 10 more sites with severe periodontitis than light smokers/quitters. While light smokers/quitters and moderate smokers obtained an average improvement of 0.6-mm PPD and 0.7-mm CAL, respectively, heavy smokers experienced 0.5-mm attachment loss. Heavy smokers had only a 50% reduction in the number of sites with moderate periodontitis when compared with light smokers/quitters and moderate smokers. While most participants benefited from nonsurgical periodontal therapy with results affected in a dose-response manner, the therapy had no effect on severe periodontitis among heavy smokers. Smoking cessation should be part of periodontal therapy; otherwise, limited benefits would be observed among heavy smokers, hindering the effect of treatment.
Toxicologic Pathology Forum: A Roadmap for Building State-of-the-Art Digital Image Data Resources for Toxicologic Pathology in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Ge Xing-Yue , Funk Juergen , Albrecht Tom , Birkhimer Merima , Gilsdorf Moritz , Hayes Matthew , Hu Fangyao , Maliver Pierre , McCreary Mark , Nguyen Trung , Romero-Palomo Fernando , Seger Shanon , Fuji Reina N. , Schumacher Vanessa , Sullivan Ruth
Published: November 2022

Digitization of histologic slides brings with it the promise of enhanced toxicologic pathology practice through the increased application of computational methods. However, the development of these advanced methods requires access to substrate image data, that is, whole slide images (WSIs). Deep learning methods, in particular, rely on extensive training data to develop robust algorithms. As a result, pharmaceutical companies interested in leveraging computational methods in their digital pathology workflows must first invest in data infrastructure to enable data access for both data scientists and pathologists. The process of building robust image data resources is challenging and includes considerations of generation, curation, and storage of WSI files, and WSI access including via linked metadata. This opinion piece describes the collective experience of building resources for WSI data in the Roche group. We elaborate on the challenges encountered and solutions developed with the goal of providing examples of how to build a data resource for digital pathology analytics in the pharmaceutical industry.
Sickness Symptoms in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Scoping Review
Authors: Sung Choa , Hershberger Patricia Ensweiler , Lockwood Mark B.
Published: November 2022

Sickness symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety, and fatigue) are common among people with chronic illness, often presenting as a symptom cluster. Sickness symptoms persist in many patients with chronic kidney disease, even after kidney transplantation (KT); however, little is known about sickness symptom-induced burden in KT recipients. This scoping review synthesizes available evidence for sickness symptoms in KT recipients, including findings on symptom prevalence, predictors, outcomes, interrelationships, and clustering. Among 38 reviewed studies, none identified sickness symptoms as a cluster, but we observed interrelationships among the symptoms examined. Fatigue was the most prevalent sickness symptom, followed by anxiety and depressive symptoms. Predictors of these symptoms included demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors, and health-related quality of life was the most researched outcome. Future research should use common data elements to phenotype sickness symptoms, include biological markers, and employ sophisticated statistical methods to identify potential clustering of sickness symptoms in KT recipients.
The Predynastic Egyptian Fibrous Ware (Second Half of the Fourth Millennium BC): A Reassessment Based on New Analysis
Authors: Bajeot Jade , Buchez Nathalie
Published: November 2022

This paper presents the results of a reassessment of the Predynastic Egyptian Fibrous Ware (Naqada IIA–B–Naqada IIIA2–B) diffused in Egypt and beyond. Fibrous Ware is characterised by a particular temper made of long fibres and has been defined as a typical Lower Egyptian ceramic production. The present study is based on the technological analysis of pottery samples from Tell el-Iswid, Tell el-Samara and Tell el-Fara’in/Buto, as well as on bibliographical research into the chronological and geographical diffusion of this ware. The results have shown that Fibrous Ware is characterised by its own unique technological tradition, which differs from the tradition identified for the Lower Egyptian production and is therefore not part of the latter. Finally, as a working hypothesis to be developed in the future, we propose to view this ceramic as the representation of mobile or semi-mobile groups who were located at the fringes of the western Nile Delta.
CO2 Laser Therapy as an Effective Solution for Stubborn Perioral Wrinkling in Smokers
Authors: Sussman Sarah M. , Sagalow Emily S. , Landers Kathryn , Christopher Vanessa , Holand Katie , Stanek Joel , D’Souza Glen , Krein Howard , Heffelfinger Ryan
Published: November 2022

Studies have shown an association between cigarette smoking and premature aging. The objective is to compare severity of facial wrinkling in smokers and nonsmokers after rhytidectomy with concurrent procedures. Patients who underwent rhytidectomy at a single academic institution between 2009 and 2020 were identified. The main outcome measure was the Merz wrinkle scale for preoperative and postoperative photos at 3 and 12 months. Of the 155 patients included, 66 (43%) patients had a smoking history: 7 current and 59 former smokers. Average packs per day was 0.70 and pack-years was 16. All patients showed significant improvement in midface wrinkles postoperatively ( P < .001). At baseline and 3 months, smokers had significantly worse lip wrinkle scores ( P < .01). All patients who received CO2 laser at time of rhytidectomy (with and without fat transfer) showed significantly greater improvement in lip wrinkle scores at both 3 and 12 months postop ( P < .02). Severity of facial wrinkling is greater in smokers, especially around the lips. Concurrent use of CO2 laser significantly improved perioral wrinkling, and the greatest results were seen when combined with fat transfer.
Therapeutic innovation in high-prevalence chronic diseases: Challenges and opportunities for specialist care models
Authors: Tozzi Valeria D , Boscolo Paola R , Cinelli Gianmario , Ferrara Lucia , Petracca Francesco , Zazzera Angelica
Published: November 2022

Therapeutic innovation is expected to change if not disrupt present care models for several chronic diseases in the coming years, as suggested by recent clinical trials. New drugs that anticipate and possibly delay the full expression of a disease will likely face some common challenges, such as the need of designing and implementing large scale interventions; the necessary engagement of multiple specialties for both diagnosis and treatment; the shift from specialist to non-specialist interventions and secondary prevention. Building on the case of HCV and other innovation in hepatology, we discuss common challenges caused by disruptive change that other chronic conditions faced in the past. The recent history of hepatology shows interesting examples of disruptive innovations that completely reverted traditional treatment approaches. As we learned from the slow early diffusion of antiviral drugs, without a clear information and a prompt design of the appropriate delivery modalities, the effectiveness of new treatments is undermined and care risk to be postponed for long time. This implies the definition of (i) new service models diversified by care phases and patients’ target; (ii) horizontal integration: to go beyond the professional boundaries to build solid alliances; (iii) vertical integration between primary and secondary care.
Online position correction approach of an industrial robot by using a new photogrammetric measurement system
Authors: Garcia Luis , Bielke Uwe , Neumann Cornelius , Hageney Theo , Banzhaf Klaus , Wiedenmann Ernst , Börret Rainer
Published: November 2022

Six-axis industrial robots are widely used, mainly because of their versatility. However, they have one drawback: they are not as accurate as conventional machine tools. There are currently a number of approaches to increase the accuracy of these robots. This paper reports on the online correction of an ABB IRB 120 industrial robot using a novel photogrammetric measurement device, the Multi Aperture Positioning System (MAPS). As described by Luhmann, multi-camera solutions were previously required for the online measurement of the six degrees of freedom (6DOF = position and orientation in 3D space) of the robot TCP. MAPS offers the advantages of a single-camera system and at the same time the features and accuracy of a multi-camera system. To increase the accuracy of the robot, a correction algorithm is developed. It uses the measured values from MAPS to calculate the deviation of the robot Tool Center Point (TCP) position from the planned position and corrects it online if necessary. In this paper, three experiments are presented and their results discussed. Two to determine the position and trajectory accuracy of the robot and one to determine its z-stability on a trajectory in the xy plane. In each of these experiments, the robot end effector is tracked with the MAPS measurement device. After the actual state of the robot was recorded, all experiments were performed again, this time with the online correction. In all experiments, a significant increase in the accuracy of the robot can be observed. For example, the mean absolute error (MAE) of the position accuracy improved by a factor of 7 from 0.0207 to 0.0029 mm and the path accuracy (MAE) from 0.1140 to 0.0151 mm.
Experimental research on short electric arc milling machining based on the mechanical-fluid coupling effect
Authors: Li Xuezhi , Li Zewen , Wu Tianbo , Zhou Jianping
Published: November 2022

Short electric arc milling (SEAM) involves the complex coupling between the high-density heat output of the arc, the high-speed rotation of the tool electrode, and the high-pressure flushing fluid inside the tubular electrode. To improve the arc discharge utilization, this study investigates the effects of mechanical action, fluid action, and mechanical-fluid coupling action on the arc breakage of short arcs via experiments. It is found that the high-speed rotation of the electrode reduces the adsorption of the working fluid to the electrode surface, which can help to reduce the recast of molten metal on the workpiece surface and improve the surface quality. The coupling of the two makes a greater contribution to arc breaking and molten metal removal, while also improving the spatial continuity of the arc discharge. Moreover, after SEAM based on the mechanical-fluid coupling effect, the nickel-based alloy GH4169 is found to have lower surface roughness, lower tool electrode wear, a higher material removal rate, and a thinner recast layer.
A novel hardware configuration method of contact R-test based on performance-constrained model
Authors: Zhou Yongbing , Ding Guofu , Zhang Yuexinkai , Jiang Lei
Published: November 2022

R-test is widely used to measure the rotary axis errors of five-axis machine tools due to its accuracy and convenience. There are some deficiencies in the research on the customized design of contact R-test under certain requirements of measuring range and accuracy. A novel hardware configuration method of contact R-test is proposed in this paper to realize customized configuration of hardware parameters of R-test. Firstly, a theoretical measurement model is established according to the structural characteristics of the contact R-test and is used as the evaluation model for measuring accuracy. Secondly, the influence of hardware parameters on the performance indexes is analyzed and the corresponding performance-constrained model is established. Thirdly, the configuration method of hardware parameters based on constraint models is proposed using the exhaustive search method and variable parameter method respectively. Finally, a prototype based on the configuration method is developed and calibrated on the Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), then the measuring performance evaluation and on-machine error measuring experiment are performed. The results show that the configuration method satisfies certain measuring requirements without range and precision waste. The proposed methods can guide the customized design of contact R-test.
Model updating and vibration control of membrane Antenna spacecraft based on on-orbit modal identification
Authors: Liu Xiang , Cai Guoping , You Chaolan , Yao Saijin
Published: November 2022

In this paper, on-orbit modal identification of membrane antenna spacecraft is investigated. Based on the modal identification results, dynamic model of the spacecraft is updated, and a vibration controller is designed. First of all, the rigid-flexible coupling dynamic model of the membrane antenna spacecraft is established by using Lagrange equation. Then, the covariance driven stochastic subspace identification (SSI-COV) method, which only relies on output measurements of the system under ambient excitation, is adopted to identify the modal parameters. By using the modal identification results, the model updating is performed based on sensitivity analysis, and vibration controller is designed to suppress the vibration caused by attitude maneuver based on the component synthesis vibration suppression (CSVS) method. Simulation results show that the SSI-COV method can identify the modal parameters of the membrane antenna spacecraft effectively, the updated dynamic model produces obvious improvements over the original model, and the vibration suppression effect of the CSVS controller is improved significantly after model updating.
Analysis of passenger’s injuries caused by sidewall impact during train-overturn derailments
Authors: Wang Shiming , Wang Xinghua , Peng Yong , Hou Lin , Xu Tuo
Published: November 2022

The contact between passenger and the vehicle interior especially sidewall in train overturn derailment accident cause extremely serious injuries to passenger. It is regrettable that there are few relevant studies that account for overturning accidents and passenger injuries. In this study, the impact responses subject to sidewall and passenger injuries during train-overturn derailments are investigated. First, a theoretical model and a practical accident are used to validate the overturning multi-body dynamic model of an 8-car Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) coupled with a passenger. And then, the passenger’s kinematic responses of baseline models with tray tables put back and put down are studied. The results of simulation cases with different train speeds (V), friction coefficients, chair distances (D), and passenger positions (P) show that V and D have a positive impact on passenger injuries. While the friction coefficient has an overall negative influence on the passenger’s injuries, there are some irregular fluctuations. Generally, the sitting position farther away from the sidewall tends to be more dangerous for passengers. And the tray table plays an important role in protecting passengers under the same conditions. This study provides referential value for the study of train overturning accidents and guidance for the protection of passengers.
Skill learning approach based on impedance control for spine surgical training simulators with haptic playback
Authors: Brahmi Brahim , Bojairami Ibrahim El , Ghomam Jawher , Habibur Rahman Mohammad , Kovecses Jozsef , Driscoll Mark
Published: November 2022

In this article, a robust adaptive impedance control based on the modified function approximation technique, and augmented with a novel integral nonsingular terminal sliding mode control, is proposed for a surgical haptic system. The haptic device is maneuvered by surgeons, whereby the mode of action, motion path, and haptic dynamics are rendered as unknowns. The inclusion of integral nonsingular terminal sliding mode control leverages the capability of ensuring consistent tracking of system’s trajectories performance, fast transient response, finite-time convergence, improved robustness, and reduced chattering. However, the modified function approximation technique strategy allows to estimate model’s dynamics regardless of the availability of dynamic uncertainties’ lower and upper bounds. In addition, an estimate of the intended motion mode and path is integrated in the evolved adaptive impedance control, via radial basis function neural network, permitting the haptic arm to track the target impedance model. Finally, using the haptic arm, controlled experimental cases and comparative study were done, after which the proposed surgical simulator adopted the results for real-time validation.