bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on fatigue identification methods based on low-load wearable ECG monitoring devices
Authors: Wang Huiquan , Han Mengting , Avouka Tasmia , Chen Ruijuan , Wang Jinhai , Wei Ran
Published: April 2023

The identification of fatigue in personal workers in particular environments can be achieved through early warning techniques. In order to prevent excessive fatigue of medical workers staying in infected areas in the early phase of the coronavirus disease pandemic, a system of low-load wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) devices was used as intelligent acquisition terminals to perform a continuous measurement ECG collection. While machine learning (ML) algorithms and heart rate variability (HRV) offer the promise of fatigue detection for many, there is a demand for ever-increasing reliability in this area, especially in real-life activities. This study proposes a random forest-based classification ML model to identify the four categories of fatigue levels in frontline medical workers using HRV. Based on the wavelet transform in ECG signal processing, stationary wavelet transform was applied to eliminate the main perturbation of ECG in the motion state. Feature selection was performed using ReliefF weighting analysis in combination with redundancy analysis to optimize modeling accuracy. The experimental results of the overall fatigue identification achieved an accuracy of 97.9% with an AUC value of 0.99. With the four-category identification model, the accuracy is 85.6%. These results proved that fatigue analysis based on low-load wearable ECG monitoring at low exertion can accurately determine the level of fatigue of caregivers and provide further ideas for researchers working on fatigue identification in special environments.
Lateral instability in fruit flies is determined by wing–wing interaction and wing elevation kinematics
Authors: Perl Illy , Maya Roni , Sabag Oron , Beatus Tsevi
Published: April 2023

Understanding the uncontrolled passive dynamics of flying insects is important for evaluating the constraints under which the insect flight control system operates and for developing biomimetic robots. Passive dynamics is typically analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods, relying on the separation of the linearized hovering dynamics into longitudinal and lateral parts. While the longitudinal dynamics are relatively understood across several insect models, our current understanding of the lateral dynamics is lacking, with a nontrivial dependence on wing–wing interaction and on the details of wing kinematics. Particularly, the passive stability of the fruit fly, D. melanogaster, which is a central model in insect flight research, has so far been analyzed using simplified quasi-steady aerodynamics and synthetic wing kinematics. Here, we perform a CFD-based lateral stability analysis of a hovering fruit fly, using accurately measured wing kinematics, and considering wing–wing interaction. Lateral dynamics are unstable due to an oscillating–diverging mode with a doubling time of 17 wingbeats. These dynamics are determined by wing–wing interaction and the wing elevation kinematics. Finally, we show that the fly's roll controller, with its one wingbeat latency, is consistent with the lateral instability. This work highlights the importance of accurate wing kinematics and wing–wing interactions in stability analyses and forms a link between such passive instability and the insects' controller.
Sensing and simulation of self-inductance of a flat, circular coil in the presence of four water-based nanofluids
Authors: Rapp Brittany , Hussam Abul
Published: April 2023

Inductive sensors (ISs) are extremely sensitive sensing platforms that offer high resolution and currently serve as a relatively popular sensing platform for the detection of metals, nonmetals, and semiconductors. However, in spite of wonderful usability, there is a startling lack of IS implementation as a chemical sensor. Similarly, nanofluids (NFs) have gained more traction in the past decade since the physical properties of base fluids become heightened with the addition of nanoparticles (NPs). Regardless of these advantages, both areas lack studies regarding the behavior of NFs under a magnetic field (B-field). We show how a novel technique using a high-resolution, non-invasive inductance-to-digital converter (LDC) sensor is used to detect different NFs of varying physical properties. The LDC proves highly capable of not only serving as an extremely accurate and precise chemical sensor but also allowing us to determine how exposing several NFs to an inductor's B-field affects particle behavior in solution with extremely low signal and concentration detection limits. The four NF systems contain diamond, rutile, magnetite, and gold NPs where the sensor demonstrated superior sensitivity to gold-enhanced NFs. This exciting finding followed expected theoretical trends based on Faraday's laws of magnetism, and the experimental results were validated with finite element simulations within less than 1.0% error.
Radiation reaction and its impact on plasma-based energy-frontier colliders
Authors: Saberi Hossein , Xia Guoxing , Islam Mohammad R. , Liang Linbo , Davut Can
Published: April 2023

Energy-frontier TeV colliders based on plasma accelerators are attracting much attention due to the recent achievements in multi-stage laser acceleration as well as the remarkable advances in electron- and proton-driven plasma accelerators. Such colliders may suffer a fundamental energy loss due to the radiation reaction (RR) effect, as the electrons lose energy through betatron radiation emission. Although the RR may not be critical for low-energy accelerators, it will exert limitations on TeV-class plasma-based colliders that need to be considered. In this paper, we have provided an extensive study of the RR effect in all pathways toward such colliders, including multi-stage plasma acceleration driven by the state-of-the-art lasers and the relativistic electron beam as well as the single-stage plasma acceleration with the energetic proton beams available at the CERN accelerator complex. A single-particle Landau–Lifschitz approach is used to consider the RR effect on an electron accelerating in the plasma blow-out regime. The model determines the boundaries where RR plays an energy limiting role on such colliders. The energy gain, the radiation loss, and the validity of the model are numerically explored.
Quantum-interference origin and magnitude of 1/f noise in Dirac nodal line IrO2 nanowires at low temperatures
Authors: Chien Po-Yu , Wu Chih-Yuan , Wang Ruey-Tay , Chiu Shao-Pin , Kirchner Stefan , Yeh Sheng-Shiuan , Lin Juhn-Jong
Published: April 2023

We present 1/f noise measurements of IrO2 nanowires from 1.7 to 350 K. Results reveal that the noise magnitude (represented by Hooge parameter γ) increases at low temperatures, indicating low-frequency resistance noise from universal conductance fluctuations. The cause of this noise is determined to be due to oxygen vacancies in the rutile structure of IrO2. Additionally, the number density of these mobile defects can be calculated from the T resistance rise caused by the two-channel Kondo effect in the Dirac nodal line metal IrO2.
Superior mechanical properties of multilayer covalent-organic frameworks enabled by rationally tuning molecular interlayer interactions
Authors: Fang Qiyi , Pang Zhengqian , Ai Qing , Liu Yifeng , Zhai Tianshu , Steinbach Doug , Gao Guanhui , Zhu Yifan , Li Teng , Lou Jun
Published: April 2023

Two-dimensional (2D) covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) with a well-defined and tunable periodic porous skeleton are emerging candidates for lightweight and strong 2D polymeric materials. It remains challenging, however, to retain the superior mechanical properties of monolayer COFs in a multilayer stack. Here, we successfully demonstrated a precise layer control in synthesizing atomically thin COFs, enabling a systematic study of layer-dependent mechanical properties of 2D COFs with two different interlayer interactions. It was shown that the methoxy groups in COF
TAPB-DMTP
provided enhanced interlayer interactions, leading to layer-independent mechanical properties. In sharp contrast, mechanical properties of COF
TAPB-PDA
decreased significantly as the layer number increased. We attributed these results to higher energy barriers against interlayer sliding due to the presence of interlayer hydrogen bonds and possible mechanical interlocking in COF
TAPB-DMTP,
as revealed by density functional theory calculations.
Accessory cells precondition naïve T cells and regulatory T cells for cytokine-mediated proliferation
Authors: Sato Noriko , Bamford Richard N. , Bryant Bonita R. , Tagaya Yutaka , Waldmann Thomas A.
Published: April 2023

Naïve T cells and regulatory T cells, when purified, do not proliferate to the γ
c
-cytokines IL-2, IL-7, or IL-15, despite their expression of cognate cytokine receptors. Dendritic cells (DCs) enabled the T cell proliferation to these cytokines, through cell-to-cell contact, but independent of T cell receptor stimulation. This effect lasted after separation of T cells from DCs, enabling enhanced proliferation of the T cells in DC-depleted hosts. We propose calling this a “preconditioning effect”. Interestingly, IL-2 alone was sufficient to induce phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT5 in T cells, but could not activate MAPK and AKT pathways and failed to induce transcription of IL-2 target genes. “Preconditioning” was necessary to activate these two pathways and induced weak Ca
2+
mobilization independent of calcium release-activated channels. When preconditioning was combined with IL-2, full activation of downstream mTOR, 4E-BP1 hyperphosphorylation, and prolonged S6 phosphorylation occurred. Collectively, accessory cells provide T cell preconditioning, a unique activation mechanism, controlling cytokine-mediated proliferation of T cells.
Detection of rare mutations, copy number alterations, and methylation in the same template DNA molecules
Authors: Wang Yuxuan , Douville Christopher , Cohen Joshua D. , Mattox Austin , Curtis Sam , Silliman Natalie , Popoli Maria , Ptak Janine , Dobbyn Lisa , Nehme Nadine , Dudley Jonathan C. , Summers Mahmoud , Zhang Ming , Ho-Pham Lan T. , Tran Bich N. H. , Tran Thach S. , Nguyen Tuan V. , Bettegowda Chetan , Papadopoulos Nickolas , Kinzler Kenneth W. , Vogelstein Bert
Published: April 2023

The analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma offers great promise for the earlier detection of cancer. At present, changes in DNA sequence, methylation, or copy number are the most sensitive ways to detect the presence of cancer. To further increase the sensitivity of such assays with limited amounts of sample, it would be useful to be able to evaluate the same template molecules for all these changes. Here, we report an approach, called MethylSaferSeqS, that achieves this goal, and can be applied to any standard library preparation method suitable for massively parallel sequencing. The innovative step was to copy both strands of each DNA-barcoded molecule with a primer that allows the subsequent separation of the original strands (retaining their 5-methylcytosine residues) from the copied strands (in which the 5-methylcytosine residues are replaced with unmodified cytosine residues). The epigenetic and genetic alterations present in the DNA molecules can then be obtained from the original and copied strands, respectively. We applied this approach to plasma from 265 individuals, including 198 with cancers of the pancreas, ovary, lung, and colon, and found the expected patterns of mutations, copy number alterations, and methylation. Furthermore, we could determine which original template DNA molecules were methylated and/or mutated. MethylSaferSeqS should be useful for addressing a variety of questions relating genetics and epigenetics.
Effect of in-plane alignment on selective area grown homo-epitaxial nanowires
Authors: Nagda G , Beznasyuk D V , Nygård J , Jespersen T S
Published: April 2023

In-plane selective area growth (SAG) of III–V nanowires (NWs) has emerged as a scalable materials platform for quantum electronics and photonics applications. Most applications impose strict requirements on the material characteristics which makes optimization of the crystal quality vital. Alignment of in-plane SAG NWs with respect to the substrate symmetry is of importance due to the large substrate-NW interface as well as to obtain nanostructures with well-defined facets. Understanding the role of mis-orientation is thus important for designing devices and interpretation of electrical performance of devices. Here we study the effect of mis-orientation on morphology of selectively grown NWs oriented along the [1 1̅ 1̅] direction on GaAs(2 1 1)B. Atomic force microscopy is performed to extract facet roughness as a measure of structural quality. Further, we evaluate the dependence of material incorporation in NWs on the orientation and present the facet evolution in between two high symmetry in-plane orientations. By investigating the length dependence of NW morphology, we find that the morphology of ≈1 μm long nominally aligned NWs remains unaffected by the unintentional misalignment associated with the processing and alignment of the sample under study. Finally, we show that using Sb as a surfactant during growth improves root-mean-square facet roughness for large misalignment but does not lower it for nominally aligned NWs.
Molecular layer modulation of two-dimensional organic ferroelectric transistors
Authors: Luo Zhongzhong , Yao Yu , Liang Mingshan , Tian Fuguo , Sun Huabin , Xu Yong , Zhao Qiang , Yu Zhihao
Published: April 2023

Ferroelectric transistors hold great potential in low consumption devices. Due to the high film quality and clean system, two dimensional organic semiconductors are widely employed to fabricate high performance organic electronic devices and explore the modulation mechanism of the molecular packing on device performance. Here, we combine the ferroelectric hafnium oxide HfZrO
x
and two-dimensional molecular crystal 2,9-didecyldinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2b]thiophene (C10-DNTT) with controllable layers to study the molecular layer modulation of ferroelectric organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). The contact resistance, driving current and transconductance are directly affected by the additional access resistance across the upper molecular layers at the source/drain contact region. Simultaneously, the capacitance of Schottky junction related to the molecular layer thickness could effectively adjust the gate potential acting on the organic channel, further controlling the devices’ subthreshold swing and transconductance efficiency. This work would promote the development of low voltage and high performance OTFTs.
Degradation of I
c due to residual stress in high-performance Nb3Sn wires submitted to compressive transverse force
Authors: Senatore C , Bagni T , Ferradas-Troitino J , Bordini B , Ballarino A
Published: April 2023

Future particle colliders in search for new physics at the energy frontier require the development of accelerator magnets capable of producing fields well beyond those attainable with Nb-Ti. As the next generation of high-field accelerator magnets is presently planned to be based on Nb3Sn, it becomes crucial to establish precisely the mechanical limits at which this brittle and strain sensitive superconductor can operate safely. This paper reports on the stress dependence and the permanent reduction of the critical current under transverse compressive loads up to 240 MPa in state-of-the-art restacked-rod-process (RRP®) and powder-in-tube Nb3Sn wires. Single-wire experiments were performed at 4.2 K in magnetic fields ranging between 16 T and 19 T on resin-impregnated samples to imitate the operating conditions of a wire in the Rutherford cable of an accelerator magnet. Depending on the wire technology, we measured irreversible stress limit values—defined as the transverse stress value, leading to a permanent reduction in the critical current of 5%, assessed by convention at 19 T—ranging between 110 MPa and 175 MPa. This permanent reduction of the critical current after mechanical unload can occur for two reasons, which can be concomitant: the plastic deformation of the Cu matrix that produces residual stresses on the Nb3Sn lattice and the formation of cracks. We developed a method to identify the dominant degradation mechanism in our experiments that allowed us to predict the fraction of critical current lost due to residual stresses. Interestingly, we found that in the RRP® wires the measured reduction of Ic after unload from stresses as high as 240 MPa can be fully ascribed to residual stresses. An independent confirmation of this conclusion coming from a study combining x-ray tomography and deep learning Convolutional Neural Networks is also reported.
Can we use a machine learning approach to predict the impact of heatwaves on emergency department attendance?
Authors: Jian Le , Patel Dimpalben , Xiao Jianguo , Jansz Janis , Yun Grace , Lin Ting , Robertson Andrew
Published: April 2023

Global warming has contributed to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, which has led to increased research on the health impacts of extreme heat. However, research on heatwaves, air quality, and their spatial impact on health service demand is limited. This study used machine learning (ML) approaches to obtain the optimised model to predict health service demand associated with those risk factors for an all-age model and compared it with young children (0–4 years) model in Perth. Ten years’ data (2006–2015) on emergency department attendances (EDA), socioeconomic status (SES), heatwaves, landscape fires, and gaseous and particulate air pollutants were collected. ML approaches, including decision tree, random forest (RF), and geographical random forest (GRF) models, were used to compare and select the best model for predicting EDA and identify important risk factors. Five-hundred cross validations were performed using the testing data, and a construct validation was performed by comparing actual and predicted EDA data. The results showed that the RF model outperformed other models, and SES, air quality, and heatwaves were among the important risk factors to predict EDA. The GRF model was fitted well to the data (R2 = 0.975) and further showed that heatwaves had significant geographic variations and a joint effect with PM2.5 in the southern suburbs of the study area for young children. The RF and GRF models have satisfactory performance in predicting the impact of heatwaves, air quality, and SES on EDA. Heatwaves and air quality have great spatial heterogeneity. Spatial interactions between heatwaves, SES, and air quality measures were the most important predictive risk factors of EDA for young children in the Perth southern suburbs. Future studies are warranted to confirm the findings from this study on a wider scale.
Optimising aerosol jet printing of collagen inks for enhanced piezoelectricity and controlled surface potential
Authors: Nair Malavika , Inwald Ella , Ives Liam , See Kirsten R M , Kar-Narayan Sohini
Published: April 2023

Collagen is a highly versatile protein used in tissue engineering constructs and as a model piezoelectric biomaterial. The piezoelectricity of collagen can be enhanced through the alignment of collagen domains and fibres, although most fabrication techniques used to form dense collagenous constructs do not allow for significant collagen alignment. The use of aerosol jet printing (AJP) mitigates the limitations of using soluble collagen inks for bioprinting or extrusion-based 3D printing, particularly if microfibrillar collagen suspensions are used as a cost-effective and scalable ink source. In this work, Type I and Type II microfibrillar collagen from different anatomical sources were successfully deposited using AJP with two different atomisation methods, namely pneumatic-AJP (p-AJP) and ultrasonic-AJP (u-AJP). The printing parameters were optimised for their piezoelectric amplitude and surface potential. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the films revealed that ultrasonic atomisation did not cause notable denaturation of collagen, although the process resulted in the fractionation and preferential deposition of the oligomeric and gelatinous components within the slurry. The printed collagen samples displayed a piezoelectric response that was four times higher than the values obtained from drop-cast collagen films, and their surface potential was found to be positively correlated to the roughness of the films which can be controlled through the mode of atomisation. These results indicate the ability to enhance and control the piezoelectricity and surface potential using p-AJP and u-AJP, which offers a promising physical modulation technique to tailor cell adhesion, proliferation or differentiation for collagen-based tissue engineering constructs.
Elevated late-life blood pressure may maintain brain oxygenation and slow amyloid-β accumulation at the expense of cerebral vascular damage
Authors: Tayler Hannah M , MacLachlan Robert , Güzel Özge , Miners J Scott , Love Seth
Published: April 2023

Hypertension in midlife contributes to cognitive decline and is a modifiable risk factor for dementia. The relationship between late-life hypertension and dementia is less clear. We have investigated the relationship of blood pressure and hypertensive status during late life (after 65 years) to post-mortem markers of Alzheimer’s disease (amyloid-β and tau loads); arteriolosclerosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy; and to biochemical measures of ante-mortem cerebral oxygenation (the myelin-associated glycoprotein:proteolipid protein-1 ratio, which is reduced in chronically hypoperfused brain tissue, and the level of vascular endothelial growth factor-A, which is upregulated by tissue hypoxia); blood–brain barrier damage (indicated by an increase in parenchymal fibrinogen); and pericyte content (platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, which declines with pericyte loss), in Alzheimer’s disease (n = 75), vascular (n = 20) and mixed dementia (n = 31) cohorts. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were obtained retrospectively from clinical records. Non-amyloid small vessel disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy were scored semiquantitatively. Amyloid-β and tau loads were assessed by field fraction measurement in immunolabelled sections of frontal and parietal lobes. Homogenates of frozen tissue from the contralateral frontal and parietal lobes (cortex and white matter) were used to measure markers of vascular function by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Diastolic (but not systolic) blood pressure was associated with the preservation of cerebral oxygenation, correlating positively with the ratio of myelin-associated glycoprotein to proteolipid protein-1 and negatively with vascular endothelial growth factor-A in both the frontal and parietal cortices. Diastolic blood pressure correlated negatively with parenchymal amyloid-β in the parietal cortex. In dementia cases, elevated late-life diastolic blood pressure was associated with more severe arteriolosclerosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and diastolic blood pressure correlated positively with parenchymal fibrinogen, indicating blood–brain barrier breakdown in both regions of the cortex. Systolic blood pressure was related to lower platelet-derived growth factor receptor β in controls in the frontal cortex and in dementia cases in the superficial white matter. We found no association between blood pressure and tau. Our findings demonstrate a complex relationship between late-life blood pressure, disease pathology and vascular function in dementia. We suggest that hypertension helps to reduce cerebral ischaemia (and may slow amyloid-β accumulation) in the face of increasing cerebral vascular resistance, but exacerbates vascular pathology.
On method-of-moments modelling of electromagnetic sources connected to metallic well casings
Authors: Streich R , Swidinsky A
Published: April 2023

Metallic well casings strongly impact electromagnetic fields due to their high electrical conductivity. We can take advantage of their presence and increase the sensitivity of EM signals to deeper subsurface structure by driving electric currents down through existing casings, or using the metal as a wave guide for EM telemetry. Interpretation of such well-casing-enhanced measurements requires accurate simulation of these setups. The Method of Moments (MoM) can be used for modelling well casings without having to discretize them finely as part of the subsurface model. Extending the MoM for EM sources directly connected to well casings is straightforward in principle. However, we find that the accuracy of MoM results for such configurations depends strongly on details of the computational model definition, such as the exact position of the connection point and the discretization of the source wire. We explain those important details and provide strategies for the most accurate MoM modelling of electric currents injected into well casings.
Non-adaptive algorithms for threshold group testing with consecutive positives
Authors: Bui Thach V , Scarlett Jonathan
Published: April 2023

Given up to $d$ positive items in a large population of $n$ items ($d \ll n$), the goal of threshold group testing is to efficiently identify the positives via tests, where a test on a subset of items is positive if the subset contains at least $u$ positive items, negative if it contains up to $\ell $ positive items and arbitrary (either positive or negative) otherwise. The parameter $g = u - \ell - 1$ is called the gap. In non-adaptive strategies, all tests are fixed in advance and can be represented as a measurement matrix, in which each row and column represent a test and an item, respectively. In this paper, we consider non-adaptive threshold group testing with consecutive positives in which the items are linearly ordered and the positives are consecutive in that order. We show that by designing deterministic and strongly explicit measurement matrices, $\lceil \log _{2}{\lceil \frac {n}{d} \rceil } \rceil + 2d + 3$ (respectively, $\lceil \log _{2}{\lceil \frac {n}{d} \rceil } \rceil + 3d$) tests suffice to identify the positives in $O \left ( \log _{2}{\frac {n}{d}} + d \right )$ time when $g = 0$ (respectively, $g> 0$). The results significantly improve the state-of-the-art scheme that needs $15 \lceil \log _{2}{\lceil \frac {n}{d} \rceil } \rceil + 4d + 71$ tests to identify the positives in $O \left ( \frac {n}{d} \log _{2}{\frac {n}{d}} + ud^{2} \right )$ time, and whose associated measurement matrices are random and (non-strongly) explicit.
Time Scales of Human Mpox Transmission in The Netherlands
Authors: Miura Fuminari , Backer Jantien A , van Rijckevorsel Gini , Bavalia Roisin , Raven Stijn , Petrignani Mariska , Ainslie Kylie E C , Wallinga Jacco ,   for the Dutch Mpox Response Team, van Benthem Birgit , Brandwagt Diederik , Bos Hanna , van Bokhoven-Rombouts Colette , Bovée Lian , Rovers Chantal P , van Cleef Brigitte , van Dam Alje P , van Dael Rik , van der Eijk Annemiek A , Ellerbroek Pauline , van Ewijk Catharina , Franz Eelco , GeurtsvanKessel Corine , van der Giessen Joke , Götz Hannelore , Häger Josette M W , van den Hof Susan , Hoornenborg Elske , Hintaran Putri , de Jonge Jorgen , Joosten Rosa , Koopmans Marion , Kosterman Kevin , Lange Jente , Leenstra Tjalling , Ooms Daisy , Oorsprong Danielle , Op de Coul Eline , Reurings Demi , van Rijckevorsel Gini , Sips Gregorius J , de Stoppelaar Sacha F , Vollaard Albert , Voordouw Bettie , Vennema Harry , de Vries Henry J C , Ellen Veldkamp Karin , Weijdema Klaartje , Westerhuis Geert , te Wierik Margreet J M , Welkers Matthijs R A , Waegemaekers Toos , Wallinga Jacco , Zantkuijl Paul
Published: April 2023

Mpox has spread rapidly to many countries in nonendemic regions. After reviewing detailed exposure histories of 109 pairs of mpox cases in the Netherlands, we identified 34 pairs where transmission was likely and the infectee reported a single potential infector with a mean serial interval of 10.1 days (95% credible interval, 6.6–14.7 days). Further investigation into pairs from 1 regional public health service revealed that presymptomatic transmission may have occurred in 5 of 18 pairs. These findings emphasize that precaution remains key, regardless of the presence of recognizable symptoms of mpox.
15 000 ellipsoidal binary candidates in TESS: Orbital periods, binary fraction, and tertiary companions
Authors: Green Matthew J , Maoz Dan , Mazeh Tsevi , Faigler Simchon , Shahaf Sahar , Gomel Roy , El-Badry Kareem , Rix Hans-Walter
Published: April 2023

We present a homogeneously selected sample of 15 779 candidate binary systems with main sequence primary stars and orbital periods shorter than 5 d. The targets were selected from TESS full-frame image light curves on the basis of their tidally induced ellipsoidal modulation. Spectroscopic follow-up suggests a sample purity of 83 ± 13 per cent. Injection-recovery tests allow us to estimate our overall completeness as 28 ± 3 per cent with Porb < 3 d and to quantify our selection effects. 39 ± 4 per cent of our sample are contact binary systems, and we disentangle the period distributions of the contact and detached binaries. We derive the orbital period distribution of the main-sequence binary population at short orbital periods, finding a distribution continuous with the lognormal distribution previously found for solar-type stars at longer periods, but with a significant steepening at Porb ≲ 3 d, and a pile-up of contact binaries at Porb  ≈ 0.4 d. Companions in the period range of 1–5 d are an order of magnitude more frequent around stars hotter than $\approx 6250\, \rm K$ (the Kraft break) when compared to cooler stars, suggesting that magnetic braking shortens the lifetime of cooler binary systems. However, the period distribution in the range 1–10 d is independent of temperature. We detect resolved tertiary companions to 9.0 ± 0.2 per cent of our binaries with a median separation of 3200 au. The frequency of tertiary companions rises to 29 ± 5 per cent among the systems with the shortest ellipsoidal periods. This large binary sample with quantified selection effects will be a powerful resource for future studies of detached and contact binary systems with Porb<5 d.
The Effect of Time to Treatment With Antiarrhythmic Drugs on Survival and Neurological Outcomes in Shock Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Rahimi Mahbod , Dorian Paul , Cheskes Sheldon , Lebovic Gerald , Lin Steve
Published: April 2023

Objectives:

Examining the association of time to treatment (drug or placebo) with survival to hospital discharge and neurologic outcome.

Design:

Post hoc analysis of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium Amiodarone, Lidocaine, Placebo randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Emergency medical services enrolled patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) at multiple North American sites.

Patients:

Adults with nontraumatic OHCA and an initial rhythm of ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia refractory to at least one defibrillation attempt were included.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

We used logistic regression to examine the association of time to treatment with survival to hospital discharge and favorable neurologic status at discharge (modified Rankin Scale ≤ 3) for the three treatment groups including an interaction term between treatment and time to treatment to determine the effect of time on treatment effects. Time to treatment data were available for 2,994 out of 3,026 patients (99%). The proportion of patients who survived to hospital discharge decreased as time to drug administration increased, in amiodarone (odds ratio [OR], 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90–0.93 per min), lidocaine (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.91–0.96), and placebo (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90–0.93). Comparing amiodarone to placebo, there was improved survival at all times of drug administration (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.05–1.65). Comparing lidocaine to placebo, survival was not different with shorter times to drug administration (< 11 min), whereas survival was higher with lidocaine at longer times to drug administration with an interaction between treatment effect and time to treatment (p = 0.048). Survival with good neurologic outcome showed similar results for all analyses.

Conclusions:

Survival and favorable neurologic outcomes decreased with longer times to drug administration. Amiodarone improved survival at all time points whereas lidocaine improved survival only at later time points, compared with placebo.
Long-term clinical evidence of comparable efficacy and toxicity of nivolumab and pembrolizumab in advanced melanoma treatment
Authors: Cybulska-Stopa Bożena , Piejko Karolina , Ostaszewski Krzysztof , Dziura Robert , Galus Łukasz , Ziółkowska Barbara , Kempa-Kamińska Natasza , Ziętek Marcin , Bal Wiesław , Kamycka Agnieszka , Dudzisz-Śledź Monika , Kubiatowski Tomasz , Kamińska-Winciorek Grażyna , Suwiński Rafał , Mackiewicz Jacek , Czarnecka Anna Małgorzata , Rutkowski Piotr
Published: April 2023

Pembrolizumab and nivolumab (anty-PD-1 antibody) are commonly used for the treatment of melanoma patients. However, their efficacy and safety have never been directly compared, leaving little guidance for clinicians to select the best therapy. The study included patients with inoperable or metastatic melanoma treated in first line with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy (nivolumab or pembrolizumab). In total 1037 patients were enrolled in the study, 455 (44%) patients were treated with pembrolizumab and 582 (56%) with nivolumab. The estimated median overall survival (OS) in the pembrolizumab and nivolumab groups was 17.4 and 20.0 months [P = 0.2323; hazard ratio (HR), 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.94–1.28], respectively, whereas the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.6 and 7.5 months (P = 0.0941; HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.98–1.29), respectively. The estimated 2- and 3-year OS in the pembrolizumab and nivolumab groups were 42/34% and 47/37%, respectively, and the PFS was 25/21% and 29/23%, respectively. There were 391 (49%) immune-related adverse events (irAEs) of any grade during treatment, including 133 (42%) related to pembrolizumab treatment and 258 (53%) to nivolumab treatment. A total of 72 (9.6%) irAEs were in G3 or G4, including during pembrolizumab 29 (9%) and nivolumab 48 (11%). There were no differences in OS, PFS and overall response rates between nivolumab and pembrolizumab therapy in previously untreated patients with advanced/metastatic melanoma. There were no differences in the frequency of G1/G2 or G3/G4 irAEs. The choice of treatment should be based on the preferences of the patient and the clinician.
Exercise Performance and Quality of Life of Left Ventricular Assist Device Patients After Long-Term Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation
Authors: Schlöglhofer Thomas , Gross Christoph , Moscato Francesco , Neumayer Alexander , Kandioler Elisabeth , Leithner Daniela , Skoumal Martin , Laufer Günther , Wiedemann Dominik , Schima Heinrich , Zimpfer Daniel , Marko Christiane
Published: April 2023

Purpose:

Exercise performance and quality of life (QoL) of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patients improve after early cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of multiprofessional long term phase 3 outpatient CR, and whether cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) and 6-min walk testing (6MWT) post-LVAD implantation predict hospital readmission.

Methods:

This retrospective observational cohort study included 29 LVAD patients (58.6 ± 7.7 yr, female: 13.8%, body mass index: 29.4 ± 3.3 kg/m2). Functional performance tests (CPX, 6MWT, sit-to-stand test), QoL, and psychological surveys (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and Control Convictions about Disease and Health [KKG]) were performed at baseline and at the end of CR.

Results:

The CR was initiated at a median (IQR) of 159 (130-260) d after LVAD implantation for a duration of 340 (180-363) d with 46.8 ± 23.2 trainings. The 6MWT (408.4 ± 113.3 vs 455.4 ± 115.5 m, P = .003) and sit-to-stand test (16.7 ± 6.9 vs 19.0 ± 5.3 repetitions, P = .033) improved, but relative peak oxygen uptake (V˙o
2peak: 9.4 [8.2-14.4] vs 9.3 [7.8-13.4] mL/min/kg, P = .57) did not change. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, baseline V˙o
2peak values were associated with readmission 1-yr after CR onset (C-statistic = 0.88) with a cutoff value of V˙o
2peak < 9.15 mL/min/kg (100% sensitivity, 78% specificity, P < .001). The Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire self-efficacy and knowledge (+6.3 points), QoL (+5.0 points), and social limitation (+7.1 points) demonstrated clinically important changes. In addition, the hospital anxiety and depression scale showed a significant reduction in anxiety (4.6 ± 3.2 vs 2.6 ± 2.4, P = .03).

Conclusions:

Long-term CR is safe and LVAD outpatients showed improvement of QoL, anxiety, and submaximal exercise performance. In addition, V˙o
2peak and 6MWT have prognostic value for readmission.
Pulse train gating to improve signal generation forin vivotwo-photon fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Engelmann Shaun A. , Tomar Alankrit , Woods Aaron L. , Dunn Andrew K.
Published: April 2023

Significance

Two-photon microscopy is used routinely forin vivoimaging of neural and vascular structure and function in rodents with a high resolution. Image quality, however, often degrades in deeper portions of the cerebral cortex. Strategies to improve deep imaging are therefore needed. We introduce such a strategy using gates of high repetition rate ultrafast pulse trains to increase signal level.

Aim

We investigate how signal generation, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and signal-to-background ratio (SBR) improve with pulse gating while imagingin vivomouse cerebral vasculature.

Approach

An electro-optic modulator is used with a high-power (6 W) 80 MHz repetition rate ytterbium fiber amplifier to create gates of pulses at a 1 MHz repetition rate. We first measure signal generation from a Texas Red solution in a cuvette to characterize the system with no gating and at a 50%, 25%, and 12.5% duty cycle. We then compare signal generation, SNR, and SBR when imaging Texas Red-labeled vasculature using these conditions.

Results

We find up to a 6.73-fold increase in fluorescent signal from a cuvette when using a 12.5% duty cycle pulse gating excitation pattern as opposed to a constant 80 MHz pulse train. We verify similar increases forin vivoimaging to that observed in cuvette testing. For deep imaging we find pulse gating to result in a 2.95-fold increase in SNR and a 1.37-fold increase in SBR on average when imaging mouse cortical vasculature at depths ranging from 950 μm to 1050 μm.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that a pulse gating strategy can either be used to limit heating when imaging superficial brain regions or used to increase signal generation in deep regions. These findings should encourage others to adopt similar pulse gating excitation schemes for imaging neural structure through two-photon microscopy.
Flow and heat transfer for MHD wall jet of hybrid nanofluids: theoretical and numerical solutions
Authors: Mahros Amr M. , Aly Emad H. , Merkin John H. , Pop Ioan M.
Published: April 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to study the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wall jet of a hybrid nanofluid flow over a moving surface with a thermally convective surface, wall moving with suction/injection.

Design/methodology/approach

On using appropriate similarity transformations, the governing equations that describe the model are converted into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. These equations are solved both analytically and numerically using standard two-point boundary-value problem solvers and Chebyshev pseudospectral differentiation matrix method, respectively.

Findings

These results show that the HNF is heating/cooling with growth of the positive/negative values of the parameter measuring the velocity of the moving surface. The temperature distributions increase, where the thermal boundary layer gets thicker, as the magnetic field strengthens and with an increase in the absolute value of the Biot number.

Originality/value

The current findings for the HNFs are new and original. They generalize successfully the problems investigated previously by different researchers for the cases of fluids and also nanofluids.
Are dynamic or fixed FDG‐PET measures of disease of greater prognostic value in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma undergoing autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation?
Authors: Campbell Belinda A. , Brown Rachel , Lambertini Alessandro , Hofman Michael S. , Bressel Mathias , Seymour John F. , Wirth Andrew , MacManus Michael , Dickinson Michael
Published: April 2023

Positron emission tomography (PET) response assessment using the Deauville score has prognostic utility in relapsed/refractory (R/R) diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) undergoing autologous stem‐cell transplantation (ASCT). Improved predictive methods are required to identify patients with poor outcomes who may be better considered for other salvage options. We investigated the prognostic value of mean tumour volume (MTV) and maximum standardised uptake value (SUVmax) at pre‐salvage and pre‐ASCT time‐points, and the quantitative changes between scans (∆MTV and ∆SUVmax). One hundred and twenty‐five patients with R/R DLBCL underwent salvage immunochemotherapy and ASCT: 80 patients had pre‐salvage PET and 90 had pre‐ASCT PET available. With a median follow‐up of 5.6 years, 5‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 52% and 65%, respectively. For patients with PET‐positive residual disease after salvage therapy, pre‐ASCT MTV was a significant negative prognosticator for PFS (HR 1.19 per 100 ml, p < 0.001) and OS (HR 1.78 per 100 ml, p < 0.001). Similarly, pre‐ASCT SUVmax was negatively associated with PFS (HR 1.08, p < 0.001) and OS (HR 1.08, p < 0.001). Notably, pre‐salvage MTV and SUVmax and ∆MTV and ∆SUVmax were not associated with PFS or OS. In conclusion, pre‐ASCT MTV and SUVmax appear to be of greater predictive value than the degree of response. Potential application may exist for PET‐directed management of R/R DLBCL patients.
Piezo1 activation augments sickling propensity and the adhesive properties of sickle red blood cells in a calcium‐dependent manner
Authors: Nader Elie , Conran Nicola , Leonardo Flavia C. , Hatem Aline , Boisson Camille , Carin Romain , Renoux Céline , Costa Fernando F. , Joly Philippe , Brito Pamela L. , Esperti Sofia , Bernard Joelle , Gauthier Alexandra , Poutrel Solene , Bertrand Yves , Garcia Caroline , Saad Sara T. O. , Egée Stéphane , Connes Philippe
Published: April 2023

Haemoglobin S polymerization in the red blood cells (RBCs) of individuals with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) can cause RBC sickling and cellular alterations. Piezo1 is a mechanosensitive protein that modulates intracellular calcium (Ca2+) influx, and its activation has been associated with increased RBC surface membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) exposure. Hypothesizing that Piezo1 activation, and ensuing Gárdos channel activity, alter sickle RBC properties, RBCs from patients with SCA were incubated with the Piezo1 agonist, Yoda1 (0.1–10 μM). Oxygen‐gradient ektacytometry and membrane potential measurement showed that Piezo1 activation significantly decreased sickle RBC deformability, augmented sickling propensity, and triggered pronounced membrane hyperpolarization, in association with Gárdos channel activation and Ca2+ influx. Yoda1 induced Ca2+‐dependent adhesion of sickle RBCs to laminin, in microfluidic assays, mediated by increased BCAM binding affinity. Furthermore, RBCs from SCA patients that were homo−/heterozygous for the rs59446030 gain‐of‐function Piezo1 variant demonstrated enhanced sickling under deoxygenation and increased PS exposure. Thus, Piezo1 stimulation decreases sickle RBC deformability, and increases the propensities of these cells to sickle upon deoxygenation and adhere to laminin. Results support a role of Piezo1 in some of the RBC properties that contribute to SCA vaso‐occlusion, indicating that Piezo1 may represent a potential therapeutic target molecule for this disease.
Motion and form coherence processing in individuals with cerebral visual impairment
Authors: Merabet Lotfi B. , Manley Claire E. , Pamir Zahide , Bauer Corinna M. , Skerswetat Jan , Bex Peter J.
Published: April 2023

Aim

Using a visual psychophysical paradigm, we sought to assess motion and form coherence thresholds as indices of dorsal and ventral visual stream processing respectively, in individuals with cerebral visual impairment (CVI). We also explored potential associations between psychophysical assessments and brain lesion severity in CVI.

Method

Twenty individuals previously diagnosed with CVI (mean age = 17 years 11 months [SD 5 years 10 months]; mean Verbal IQ = 86.42 [SD 35.85]) and 30 individuals with neurotypical development (mean age = 20 years 1 month [SD 3 years 8 months]; mean Verbal IQ = 110.05 [SD 19.34]) participated in the study. In this two‐group comparison, cross‐sectional study design, global motion, and form pattern coherence thresholds were assessed using a computerized, generalizable, self‐administrable, and response‐adaptive psychophysical paradigm called FInD (Foraging Interactive D‐prime).

Results

Consistent with dorsal stream dysfunction, mean global motion (but not form) coherence thresholds were significantly higher in individuals with CVI compared to controls. No statistically significant association was found between coherence thresholds and lesion severity.

Interpretation

These results suggest that the objective assessment of motion and form coherence threshold sensitivities using this psychophysical paradigm may be useful in helping to characterize perceptual deficits and the complex clinical profile of CVI.

What this paper adds

In participants with cerebral visual impairment (CVI), motion (but not form) coherence thresholds were significantly higher compared to controls.

These psychophysical results support the notion of dorsal stream dysfunction in CVI.
Diabetes type 2 in the Berlin Aging Study II: Cross‐sectional and longitudinal data on prevalence, incidence and severity over on average seven years of follow‐up
Authors: Spieker Johanne , Vetter Valentin Max , Drewelies Johanna , Spira Dominik , Steinhagen‐Thiessen Elisabeth , Regitz‐Zagrosek Vera , Buchmann Nikolaus , Demuth Ilja
Published: April 2023

Aims

Aim of the current study was to describe the prevalence, incidence, and severity of diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2D) in a cohort of older men and women aged 60 years and above over the course of on average 7 years, since longitudinal data on this topic are scarce for this age group in Germany.

Methods

Baseline data of 1671 participants of the Berlin Aging Study II (BASE‐II; 68.8 ± 3.7 years) and follow‐up data assessed 7.4 ± 1.5 years later were analysed. The BASE‐II is an exploratory, observational study on cross‐sectional and longitudinal data of an older population. T2D was diagnosed based on self‐report, antidiabetic medication use and laboratory parameters. T2D severity was determined by the diabetes complications severity index (DCSI). Prognostic capacity of laboratory parameters was evaluated.

Results

The proportion of participants with T2D increased from 12.9% (37.3% women) at baseline to 17.1% (41.1% women) with 74 incident cases and 22.2% not being aware of the disease at follow‐up. The incidence rate is 10.7 new T2D diagnoses per 1000 person‐years. More than half of the 41 newly identified incident T2D cases were diagnosed solely by the 2 h‐plasma glucose test (OGTT) and diagnosis based on OGTT as the only criterion among incident cases was found more frequently in women (p = 0.028). T2D severity expressed by the DCSI significantly increased from baseline to follow‐up (mean DCSI 1.1 ± 1.2 vs. 2.0 ± 1.8; range 0–5 vs. 0–6). Cardiovascular complications had the highest impact (43.2% at baseline and 67.6% at follow‐up).

Conclusions

A comprehensive picture of T2D with respect to prevalence, incidence, and severity in older people of the Berlin Aging Study II is provided.