bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A seat for all: Advancing racial equity in scholarly publishing of health policy and health services research
Authors: Watts Vabren L. , Sweet Patti , Odai‐Afotey Patrick , Ashby‐Rosellon Arronoel , Dey Annesa
Published: February 2023

Key points

Racial bias, either unconcious or concious, can be present in practices and procedures within scholarly publishing.

To address racial biases, enterprises within scholarly publishing can create a thoughtful and sustainable strategy to course correct racial bias.

Advancing and sustaining aspects of equity or health equity requires time and financial allocations. Hiring a staff member(s) to lead and implement strategy is imperative. It is also important to curate an adivsory council of non‐staff experts in equity to help guide strategy.

Make the journal's equity goals public for social accountability.

Be open to modifying or appending equity strategy. As strategies are implemented other inequities might be exposed.
“Out‐of‐the‐box” Granular Gel Bath Based on Cationic Polyvinyl Alcohol Microgels for Embedded Extrusion Printing
Authors: Zeng Jinfeng , Xie Zhengtian , Dekishima Yasumasa , Kuwagaki Setsuka , Sakai Norihito , Matsusaki Michiya
Published: February 2023

Embedded extrusion printing provides a versatile platform for fabricating complex hydrogel‐based biological structures with living cells. However, the time‐consuming process and rigorous storage conditions of current support baths hinder their commercial application. This work reports a novel “out‐of‐the‐box” granular support bath based on chemically crosslinked cationic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) microgels, which is ready to use by simply dispersing the lyophilized bath in water. Notably, with ionic modification, PVA microgels yield reduced particle size, uniform distribution, and appropriate rheological properties, contributing to high‐resolution printing. Following by the lyophilization and re‐dispersion process, ion‐modified PVA baths recover to its original state, with unchanged particle size, rheological properties, and printing resolution, demonstrating its stability and recoverability. Lyophilization facilitates the long‐term storage and delivery of granular gel baths, and enables the application of “out‐of‐the‐box” support materials, which will greatly simplify experimental procedures, avoid labor‐intensive and time‐consuming operations, thus accelerating the broad commercial development of embedded bioprinting.
Modified design of x‐ray protective clothing to enhance radiation protection for interventional radiologists
Authors: Choi Tae Won , Chung Jin Wook , Kwon Yohan
Published: February 2023

Background

In interventional radiology procedures, the operator typically stands on the right side of the patient's right thigh to manipulate devices through the femoral sheath. Because the standard x‐ray protective clothing is designed as sleeveless and scatter radiations from the patient are mainly incident from the left‐anterior direction to the operator, the arm hole of the clothing may be a significant unprotected area, contributing to an increase in the operator's organ doses and effective dose.

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the organ doses and effective dose received by the interventional radiologist when wearing the standard x‐ray protective clothing and when wearing the modified clothing with an additional shoulder guard.

Methods

The experimental setup aimed to simulate actual clinical practice in interventional radiology. The patient phantom was located at the beam center to generate scatter radiation. An adult female anthropomorphic phantom loaded with 126 nanoDots (Landauer Inc., Glenwood, IL) was used to measure organ and effective doses to the operator. The standard wrap‐around type x‐ray protective clothing offered 0.25‐mm lead‐equivalent protection, and the frontal overlap area offered 0.50‐mm lead‐equivalent protection. The shoulder guard was custom‐made with a material providing x‐ray protection equivalent to lead of 0.50 mm thickness. The organ and effective doses were compared between the operator wearing the standard protective clothing and the one wearing the modified clothing with a shoulder guard.

Results

After adding the shoulder guard, doses to the lungs, bone marrow, and esophagus decreased by 81.9%, 58.6%, and 58.7%, respectively, and the effective dose to the operator decreased by 47.7%.

Conclusions

Widespread use of modified x‐ray protective clothing with shoulder guards can significantly decrease the overall occupational radiation risk in interventional radiology.
Preparation of novel Polyvinylidene fluoride/boehmite composite membrane made using nonsolvent induced phase separation method for arsenate ion removal from water
Authors: Kumar Anil , Ghosh Uttam Kumar
Published: February 2023

Polyvinylidene fluoride/boehmite composite membranes with hydrophilic surfaces were prepared using the nonsolvent induced phase inversion technique (NIPS) method to remove arsenate ions from water. The nanoparticles were added with different boehmite filler content. The contact angle of the bare membrane is 850, and it is reduced to 530, imparting hydrophilicity due to the presence of boehmite nanoparticles. The mechanical characteristics of the membranes have significantly improved. The BET and SEM results have shown that the average pore diameter gets reduced with boehmite addition, and surface area increases. Additionally, the use of nanoparticles enhanced the membranes' thermal stability. The nanofiltration unit is used to filter the arsenic‐contaminated water. The transmembrane pressure of ~4 bar is applied to all the membranes, and arsenic rejection; the flux of the membranes was calculated. The membrane has shown the highest rejection of 55% with a flux of 3.5659 L/m2.h.
Transpulmonary amino acid metabolism in the sugen hypoxia model of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Philip Nicolas , Pi Hongyang , Gadkari Mahin , Yun Xin , Huetsch John , Zhang Cissy , Harlan Robert , Roux Aurelie , Graham David , Shimoda Larissa , Le Anne , Visovatti Scott , Leary Peter J. , Gharib Sina A. , Simpson Catherine , Santhanam Lakshmi , Steppan Jochen , Suresh Karthik
Published: February 2023

In pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), emerging evidence suggests that metabolic abnormalities may be contributing to cellular dysfunction in PAH. Metabolic abnormalities such as glycolytic shift have been observed intracellularly in several cell types in PAH, including microvacular endothelial cells (MVECs). Concurrently, metabolomics of human PAH samples has also revealed a variety of metabolic abnormalities; however the relationship between the intracellular metabolic abnormalities and the serum metabolome in PAH remains under investigation. In this study, we utilize the sugen/hypoxia (SuHx) rodent model of PAH to examine the RV, LV and MVEC intracellular metabolome (using targeted metabolomics) in normoxic and SuHx rats. We additionally validate key findings from our metabolomics experiments with data obtained from cell culture of normoxic and SuHx MVECs, as well as metabolomics of human serum samples from two different PAH patient cohorts. Taken together, our data, spanning rat serum, human serum and primary isolated rat MVECs reveal that: (1) key classes of amino acids (specifically, branched chain amino acids—BCAA) are lower in the pre‐capillary (i.e., RV) serum of SuHx rats (and humans); (2) intracellular amino acid levels (in particular BCAAs) are increased in SuHx‐MVECs; (3) there may be secretion rather than utilization of amino acids across the pulmonary microvasculature in PAH and (4) an oxidized glutathione gradient is present across the pulmonary vasculature, suggesting a novel fate for increased glutamine uptake (i.e., as a source of glutathione). in MVECs in PAH. In summary, these data reveal new insight into the shifts in amino acid metabolism occurring across the pulmonary circulation in PAH.
Environmental justice: An evolving concept in a dynamic era
Authors: Knoble Charles , Yu Danlin
Published: February 2023

Studies of environmental justice in the United States started more than four decades ago when an African American dominant community was chosen as the site of a hazardous landfill. Many works have emerged since then, evolving around the concepts of distribution justice, representation justice, and recognition justice. Scholars attempt to address the environmental justice topic from a wide range of angles with multiple modern research methods. As an important aspect of sustainable development, we conducted a literature review in an attempt to summarize the progress of environmental justice studies in recent years. Under the broad framework of sustainable development, we investigate the origin of environmental justice studies, the traditional and modern approaches scholars applied to investigate the subject, and the applications of the concepts in recent years, especially in the era of a global pandemic. We also explore the application of environmental justice in recent planning practices. The purposes of the study are to further exploration of environmental justice, and analyze theories and explanations on what causes environmental justice and injustice. This study will pave a way for future advancements in sustainability science that will provide new opportunities and tools to be used by academics, policymakers, and urban planners alike.
The Hairdex Quality of Life Instrument—A Translation and Psychometric Validation in Patients with Alopecia Areata
Authors: Fhager Johan , Svensson Åke , Örmon Karin , Fischer Tobias W. , Sjöström Karin
Published: February 2023

Background

The German Hairdex quality of life (QoL) instrument is specific to hair and scalp diseases, developed for self-rating and consists of 48 statements divided into five domains: Symptoms, Functioning, Emotions, Self-confidence and Stigmatisation. There was a need of a Swedish reliability tested, validated hair and scalp specific QoL instrument why the German Hairdex was chosen to be translated and reliability tested in a systematic way.

Objectives

To make a translation, a reliability test of stability, and validation of the German Hairdex QoL instrument among 100 Swedish patients with a dermatological ICD-10 diagnosis of alopecia areata (AA).

Methods

An eight-step method by Gudmundsson was used as a model with a forward and backward translation and with comments from an expert panel. A statistical test–retest (ICC (2,1)) analysis was made, followed by an internal consistency analysis. A comparison between the German and Swedish Hairdex-S constructs by a principal component analysis was performed.

Results

The Hairdex-S was very well accepted by patients. The ICC(2,1) test–retest showed a good to excellent correlation of 0.91 (CI [0.85–0.95]). Internal consistency was α = 0.92. Like the original Hairdex, Hairdex-S showed good factorability with a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of 0.82 and with one component explaining 70% of the variance: original Hairdex instrument (69%). When tested on patients with AA, the domains Functioning and Emotions had the strongest loadings, followed by Stigmatisation and Self-confidence. Younger AA patients at self-assessment and patients who reported to be younger at the onset of AA, scored statistically significantly higher on the Hairdex-S, indicating an overall lower QoL on domains Emotions and Functioning, respectively.

Conclusions

The Hairdex-S is very well accepted by AA patients, shows very good psychometric properties, and a very good agreement with the original Hairdex. The Swedish Hairdex instrument can be recommended for evaluation of patients QoL as well as for research purposes.
A Facile Synthesis of BiO(ClBr)0.5−x/2Ix Microsphere Assembly as High‐efficiency Visible‐light Driven Photocatalyst
Authors: Thi Lan Nguyen , Huu Ha Tran , Ngoc Tri Nguyen , Phan Thi Thuy Trang , Vuong Nguyen Minh , Van Thang Nguyen , Dinh Thanh Khan , Tan Lam Nguyen , Vo Vien
Published: February 2023

Using a facile refluxing synthesis, a series of BiO(ClBr)0.5−x/2Ix solid solutions was prepared and applied as photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants. The synthesized solid solutions crystallized in microspheres are constructed by nanoplates which transform into nanosheets for increasing iodine ions contents. Furthermore, introducing iodine ions significantly decreased the optical bandgap of the obtained solid solutions. The photocatalytic activity of these samples over the degradation of Rhodamine B indicates the highest performance of the solid‐solution at x=0.2 with a decomposition efficiency of 92.6 % for 120 mins of reaction under the light emission diode (LED) irradiation which is much higher than that of pure sample and BiOCl0.5Br0.5. This enhancement in photocatalytic performance was attributed to the effective separation of photo‐induced electron‐hole pairs.
Computational and Retrosynthetic Investigation of Isoxazole‐Bearing Chalcones as Antioxidant Activate Compounds
Authors: Moukhliss Youness , Koubi Yassine , Alaqarbeh Marwa , Muzzammel Rehman Hafiz , Maghat Hamid , Sbai Abdelouahid , Bouachrine Mohammed , Lakhlifi Tahar
Published: February 2023

Peroxiredoxin 5 (1HD2) is an antioxidant enzyme that catalyzes the decrease of peroxide, and act as a regulator of Redox signaling. It is a potential target for working on new antioxidants. 3D‐QSAR method was applied to a set of isoxazoles by using the comparative analysis of molecular fields (CoMFA and CoMSIA). Five new drug candidates (Pr1–Pr5) have been proposed. The study of the interactions between the drug candidate and antioxidant receptor 1HD2 was done by molecular docking. The results of the ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion) showed that these drug candidates are orally bioavailable and have high gastrointestinal absorption and good permeability. Molecular dynamics was used at 100 ns to study the stability of the MA‐1HD2 and Pr5‐1HD2 complexes obtained after molecular docking. Using the retrosynthesis approach, we have proposed a pathway for synthesizing the drug candidates. This study provides useful information on the antioxidant activity of isoxazole‐based compounds.
Randomly Disassembled Nanostructure for Wide Angle Light Extraction of Top‐Emitting Quantum Dot Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: An Kunsik , Kim Chaewon , Kim Sunkuk , Lee Taesoo , Shin Dongyeol , Lim Jaemin , Hahm Donghyo , Bae Wan Ki , Kim Jun Young , Kwak Jeonghun , Kim Jaehoon , Kang Kyung‐Tae
Published: February 2023

The quantum dot light‐emitting diode (QLED) represents one of the strongest display technologies and has unique advantages like a shallow emission spectrum and superior performance based on the cumulative studies of state‐of‐the‐art quantum dot (QD) synthesis and interfacial engineering. However, research on managing the device's light extraction has been lacking compared to the conventional LED field. Moreover, relevant studies on top‐emitting QLEDs (TE‐QLEDs) have been severely lacking compared to bottom‐emitting QLEDs (BE‐QLEDs). This paper demonstrates a novel light extraction structure called the randomly disassembled nanostructure (RaDiNa). The RaDiNa is formed by detaching polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) film from a ZnO nanorod (ZnO NR) layer and laying it on top of the TE‐QLED. The RaDiNa‐attached TE‐QLED shows significantly widened angular‐dependent electroluminescence (EL) intensities over the pristine TE‐QLED, confirming the effective light extraction capability of the RaDiNa layer. Consequently, the optimized RaDiNa‐attached TE‐QLED achieves enhanced external quantum efficiency (EQE) over the reference device by 60%. For systematic analyses, current–voltage–luminance (J–V–L) characteristics are investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical simulation based on COMSOL Multiphysics. It is believed that this study's results provide essential information for the commercialization of TE‐QLEDs.
Bioinspired Aerogel with Vertically Ordered Channels and Low Water Evaporation Enthalpy for High‐Efficiency Salt‐Rejecting Solar Seawater Desalination and Wastewater Purification
Authors: Wang Zhong‐Yi , Zhu Ying‐Jie , Chen Yu‐Qiao , Yu Han‐Ping , Xiong Zhi‐Chao
Published: February 2023

Solar energy‐driven water evaporation is a promising sustainable strategy to purify seawater and contaminated water. However, developing solar evaporators with high water evaporation rates and excellent salt resistance still faces a great challenge. Herein, inspired by the long‐range ordered structure and water transportation capability of lotus stem, a biomimetic aerogel with vertically ordered channels and low water evaporation enthalpy for high‐efficiency solar energy‐driven salt‐resistant seawater desalination and wastewater purification is developed. The biomimetic aerogel consists of ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires as heat‐insulating skeletons, polydopamine‐modified MXene as a photothermal material with broadband sunlight absorption and high photothermal conversion efficiency, polyacrylamide, and polyvinyl alcohol as reagents to lower the water evaporation enthalpy and as glues to enhance the mechanical performance. The honeycomb porous structure, unidirectionally aligned microchannels, and nanowire/nanosheet/polymer pore wall endow the biomimetic aerogel with excellent mechanical properties, rapid water transportation, and excellent solar water evaporation performance. The biomimetic aerogel exhibits a high water evaporation rate (2.62 kg m−2 h−1) and energy efficiency (93.6%) under one sun irradiation. The superior salt‐rejecting ability of the designed water evaporator enables stable and continuous seawater desalination, which is promising for application in water purification to mitigate the global water crisis.
Z‐Scheme Modulated Charge Transfer on InVO4@ZnIn2S4 for Durable Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Zuo Gancheng , Ma Sisi , Yin Zhizhen , Chen Wuyang , Wang Yuting , Ji Qiuyi , Xian Qiming , Yang Shaogui , He Huan
Published: February 2023

The charge transfer within heterojunction is crucial for the efficiency and stability of photocatalyst for overall water splitting (OWS). Herein, InVO4 nanosheets have been employed as a support for the lateral epitaxial growth of ZnIn2S4 nanosheets to produce hierarchical InVO4@ZnIn2S4 (InVZ) heterojunctions. The distinct branching heterostructure facilitates active site exposure and mass transfer, further boosting the participation of ZnIn2S4 and InVO4 for proton reduction and water oxidation, respectively. The unique Z‐scheme modulated charge transfer, visualized by simulation and in situ analysis, has been proved to promote the spatial separation of photoexcited charges and strengthen the anti‐photocorrosion capability of InVZ. The optimized InVZ heterojunction presents improved OWS (153.3 µmol h−1 g−1 for H2 and 76.9 µmol h−1 g−1 for O2) and competitive H2 production (21090 µmol h−1 g−1). Even after 20 times (100 h) of cycle experiment, it still holds more than 88% OWS activity and a complete structure.
Uni‐ and Bidirectional Rotation and Speed Control in Chiral Photonic Micromotors Powered by Light
Authors: Ussembayev Yera Ye. , De Witte Noah , Liu Xiaohong , Belmonte Alberto , Bus Tom , Lubach Sjoukje , Beunis Filip , Strubbe Filip , Schenning Albert P. H. J. , Neyts Kristiaan
Published: February 2023

Liquid crystalline polymers are attractive materials for untethered miniature soft robots. When they contain azo dyes, they acquire light‐responsive actuation properties. However, the manipulation of such photoresponsive polymers at the micrometer scale remains largely unexplored. Here, uni‐ and bidirectional rotation and speed control of polymerized azo‐containing chiral liquid crystalline photonic microparticles powered by light is reported. The rotation of these polymer particles is first studied in an optical trap experimentally and theoretically. The micro‐sized polymer particles respond to the handedness of a circularly polarized trapping laser due to their chirality and exhibit uni‐ and bidirectional rotation depending on their alignment within the optical tweezers. The attained optical torque causes the particles to spin with a rotation rate of several hertz. The angular speed can be controlled by small structural changes, induced by ultraviolet (UV) light absorption. After switching off the UV illumination, the particle recovers its rotation speed. The results provide evidence of uni‐ and bidirectional motion and speed control in light‐responsive polymer particles and offer a new way to devise light‐controlled rotary microengines at the micrometer scale.
Performance Enhancement of Lead‐Free 2D Tin Halide Perovskite Transistors by Surface Passivation and Its Impact on Non‐Volatile Photomemory Characteristics
Authors: Chao I‐Hsiang , Yang Yu‐Ting , Yu Ming‐Hsuan , Chen Chiung‐Han , Liao Chwen‐Haw , Lin Bi‐Hsuan , Ni I‐Chih , Chen Wen‐Chang , Ho‐Baillie Anita W. Y. , Chueh Chu‐Chen
Published: February 2023

Two‐dimensional (2D) tin (Sn)‐based perovskites have recently received increasing research attention for perovskite transistor application. Although some progress is made, Sn‐based perovskites have long suffered from easy oxidation from Sn2+ to Sn4+, leading to undesirable p‐doping and instability. In this study, it is demonstrated that surface passivation by phenethylammonium iodide (PEAI) and 4‐fluorophenethylammonium iodide (FPEAI) effectively passivates surface defects in 2D phenethylammonium tin iodide (PEA2SnI4) films, increases the grain size by surface recrystallization, and p‐dopes the PEA2SnI4 film to form a better energy‐level alignment with the electrodes and promote charge transport properties. As a result, the passivated devices exhibit better ambient and gate bias stability, improved photo‐response, and higher mobility, for example, 2.96 cm2 V−1 s−1 for the FPEAI‐passivated films—four times higher than the control film (0.76 cm2 V−1 s−1). In addition, these perovskite transistors display non‐volatile photomemory characteristics and are used as perovskite‐transistor‐based memories. Although the reduction of surface defects in perovskite films results in reduced charge retention time due to lower trap density, these passivated devices with better photoresponse and air stability show promise for future photomemory applications.
Critical review of household water treatment in Southeast Asian countries
Authors: Lawrencia Dora , Maniam Geetha , Chuah Lay Hong , Poh Phaik Eong
Published: February 2023

Worldwide, an average gap of 32% was observed between urban and rural populations in terms of access to safe drinking water. Worryingly, 50% of the Southeast Asia population resides in rural areas, making the region highly vulnerable to threats from not having access to safe drinking water. The sparse population density and infrastructural complexities in rural areas have made centralized water treatment systems very challenging in terms of implementation and significantly increased cost. Hence, adopting a household water treatment (HWT) system would be a more suitable co‐existing water provision solution. However, data on the sustainability of HWT in Southeast Asia is still lacking. Therefore, this review aims to provide a critical overview of water poverty and current HWT implemented in Southeast Asian countries. The factors associated with feasibility and potentially sustained implementation of the HWT in Southeast Asian countries covering user preferences, user perception towards water safety, education and training, economic feasibility, collaborations, and supportive policy environment were also discussed. In a nutshell, there is a need for co‐designing the HWT with the targeted community before its implementation for better sustainability.

This article is categorized under:

Human Water > Rights to Water

Science of Water > Water Quality

Human Water > Methods
Computational framework of hydrodynamic stagnation point flow of nanomaterials with natural convection configured by a heated stretching sheet
Authors: Ali Bilal , AlBaidani Mashael M. , Jubair Sidra , Ganie Abdul Hamid , Abdelmohsen Shaimaa A. M.
Published: February 2023

This communication studies the importance of convective heat transfer is intensified remarkably in various disciplines of modern engineering sciences and technological development such as heat exchangers, refrigeration, air conditioning, food processing, damage to crops, and many more. The main focus of this study is to develop mathematical modeling of the 2D stagnation point flow of configured by an extended heated stretchable sheet subject to nonlinear thermal radiation with the revised nanofluid model. Moreover, the influence of Newtonian heating, MHD flow, and Brownian movement features are invoked for analysis. The essential nonlinear PDEs of this assessment are modeled with the aid of boundary layer theory and then renovated into nonlinear ODEs by invoking appropriate similarity solutions with help of MATHEMATICA 11.0 programming language. The physical insight of relevant flow parameters is highlighted through graphical illustration. Finally, this investigation greatly impacts engineering and industrial applications of the materials, mainly in geophysical and geothermal systems, storage devices, space science, and several other disciplines.
Three-point energy correlators and the celestial block expansion
Authors: Chang Cyuan-Han , Simmons-Duffin David
Published: February 2023

Abstract

We study the three-point energy correlator (EEEC), defined as a matrix element of a product of three energy detectors at different locations on the celestial sphere. Lorentz symmetry implies that the EEEC can be decomposed into special functions called celestial blocks. We compute three-point celestial blocks in an expansion around the collinear limit, where the three detectors approach each other on the celestial sphere. The leading term is a traditional d – 2-dimensional four-point conformal block, and thus the collinear EEEC behaves like a conformally-invariant four-point function in d – 2 dimensions. We obtain the coefficients of the conformal block decomposition for the collinear EEEC at leading nontrivial order in weakly-coupled 𝒩 = 4 SYM and QCD. These data allow us to make certain all-orders predictions for the collinear EEEC in various kinematic limits, including the OPE limit and the double lightcone limit. We also study Ward identities satisfied by the EEEC and compute contact terms in the EEEC in weakly-coupled 𝒩 = 4 SYM. Finally, we study the celestial block expansion of the EEEC in planar 𝒩 = 4 SYM at strong coupling, determining celestial block coefficients to leading and first subleading order at large λ.
On the 4d superconformal index near roots of unity: bulk and localized contributions
Authors: Cabo-Bizet Alejandro
Published: February 2023

Abstract

We study the expansion near roots of unity of the superconformal index of 4d SU(N) 𝒩 = 4 SYM. In such an expansion, middle-dimensional walls of non-analyticity are shown to emerge in the complex analytic extension of the integrand. These walls intersect the integration contour at infinitesimal vicinities and come from both, the vector and chiral multiplet contributions, and combinations thereof. We will call these intersections vector and chiral bits, and the complementary region bulk, and show that, in the corresponding limit, the integrals along the infinitesimal bits include, among other contributions, factorized products of either Chern-Simons and 3d topologically twisted partition functions.

In particular, we find that the leading asymptotic contribution to the index, which comes from collecting all contributions coming from vector bits, reduces to an average over a set of N copies of three-dimensional SU(N) Chern-Simons partition functions in Lens spaces L(m, 1) with m > 1, in the presence of background $$ {\mathbb{Z}}_m^{N-1} $$

ℤ
m

N
−
1

flat connections. The average is taken over the background connections, which are the positions of individual vector bits along the contour. We also find there are other subleading contributions, a finite number of them at finite N, which include averages over products of Chern-Simons and/or topologically A-twisted Chern-Simons-matter partition functions in three-dimensional manifolds. This shows how in certain limits the index of 4d SU(N) 𝒩 = 4 SYM organizes, via an unambiguously defined coarse graining procedure, into averages over a finite number of lower dimensional theories.
How broad is a neutrino?
Authors: Banks Hannah , Kelly Kevin J. , McCullough Matthew
Published: February 2023

Abstract

Canonical neutrino oscillations arise due to the propagation of three mass eigenstates from production to detection. We aspire to capture, in one simple framework, a broad range of new physics effects on neutrino propagation beyond this canonical picture — this can be done by promoting the neutrino propagators to the general Källén-Lehmann form. In this work we demonstrate how models predicting additional light propagating species of neutrino are naturally accommodated in this language and propose a simple model spectrum composed of just three ‘broadened’ states as a flexible ansatz by which to explore the phenomenology of new physics in neutrino propagation. Reinterpreting existing neutrino oscillation measurements, we illustrate how this framework provides the capacity to probe deviations from the standard three-neutrino scenario systematically and generally. Whilst current data allows for relatively strong constraints on broadened neutrinos, we find the upcoming JUNO experiment will yield significant improvements, particularly for the heaviest neutrino, paving the way to a clearer understanding of how neutrinos propagate in vacuum.
Value-Added Products Derived from 15 Years of High-Quality Surface Solar Radiation Measurements at Xianghe, a Suburban Site in the North China Plain
Authors: Liu Mengqi , Fan Xuehua , Xia Xiang’ao , Zhang Jinqiang , Li Jun
Published: February 2023

Surface solar radiation (SSR) is a key component of the energy budget of the Earth’s surface, and it varies at different spatial and temporal scales. Considerable knowledge of how and why SSR varies is crucial to a better understanding of climate change, which surely requires long-term measurements of high quality. The objective of this study is to introduce a value-added SSR dataset from Oct 2004 to Oct 2019 based on measurements taken at Xianghe, a suburban site in the North China Plain; two value-added products based on the 1-minute SSR measurements are developed. The first is clear sky detection by using a machine learning model. The second is cloud fraction estimation derived from an effective semi-empirical method. A “brightening” of global horizontal irradiance (GHI) was revealed and found to occur under both clear and cloudy conditions. This could likely be attributed to a reduction in aerosol loading and cloud fraction. This dataset could not only improve our knowledge of the variability and trend of SSR in the North China Plain, but also be beneficial for solar energy assessment and forecasting.
Analysis of adverse events related to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation from a nationwide database of patient-safety accidents in Japan
Authors: Hadano Hiroki , Kamio Tadashi , Fukaguchi Kiyomitsu , Sato Mizuki , Tsunano Yumiko , Koyama Hiroshi
Published: February 2023

Although adverse events related to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation have been reported, epidemiological data on life-threatening events are insufficient to study the causes of such adverse events. Data from the Japan Council for Quality Health Care database were retrospectively analyzed. The adverse events extracted from this national database included events associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation reported between January 2010 and December 2021. We identified 178 adverse events related to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. At least 41 (23%) and 47 (26%) accidents resulted in death and residual disability, respectively. The most common adverse events were cannula malposition (28%), decannulation (19%), and bleeding (15%). Among patients with cannula malposition, 38% did not undergo fluoroscopy-guided or ultrasound-guided cannulation, 54% required surgical treatment, and 18% required trans-arterial embolization. In this epidemiological study in Japan, 23% of the adverse events related to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation had fatal outcomes. Our findings suggest that a training system for cannulation techniques may be needed, and hospitals offering extracorporeal membrane oxygenation should perform emergency surgeries.
Physiological and genomic insights into abiotic stress of halophilic archaeon Natrinema altunense 4.1R isolated from a saline ecosystem of Tunisian desert
Authors: Najjari Afef , Boussetta Ayoub , Youssef Noha , Linares-Pastén Javier A. , Mahjoubi Mouna , Belloum Rahma , Sghaier Haitham , Cherif Ameur , Ouzari Hadda Imene
Published: February 2023

Halophilic archaea are polyextremophiles with the ability to withstand fluctuations in salinity, high levels of ultraviolet radiation, and oxidative stress, allowing them to survive in a wide range of environments and making them an excellent model for astrobiological research. Natrinema altunense 4.1R is a halophilic archaeon isolated from the endorheic saline lake systems, Sebkhas, located in arid and semi-arid regions of Tunisia. It is an ecosystem characterized by periodic flooding from subsurface groundwater and fluctuating salinities. Here, we assess the physiological responses and genomic characterization of N. altunense 4.1R to UV-C radiation, as well as osmotic and oxidative stresses. Results showed that the 4.1R strain is able to survive up to 36% of salinity, up to 180 J/m2 to UV-C radiation, and at 50 mM of H2O2, a resistance profile similar to Halobacterium salinarum, a strain often used as UV-C resistant model. In order to understand the genetic determinants of N. altunense 4.1R survival strategy, we sequenced and analyzed its genome. Results showed multiple gene copies of osmotic stress, oxidative stress, and DNA repair response mechanisms supporting its survivability at extreme salinities and radiations. Indeed, the 3D molecular structures of seven proteins related to responses to UV-C radiation (excinucleases UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC, and photolyase), saline stress (trehalose-6-phosphate synthase OtsA and trehalose-phosphatase OtsB), and oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase SOD) were constructed by homology modeling. This study extends the abiotic stress range for the species N. altunense and adds to the repertoire of UV and oxidative stress resistance genes generally known from haloarchaeon.
Real-world treatment response in Japanese patients with cancer using unstructured data from electronic health records
Authors: Araki Kenji , Matsumoto Nobuhiro , Togo Kanae , Yonemoto Naohiro , Ohki Emiko , Xu Linghua , Hasegawa Yoshiyuki , Inoue Hirofumi , Yamashita Sakiko , Miyazaki Taiga
Published: February 2023

Purpose

We generated methods for evaluating clinical outcomes including treatment response in oncology using the unstructured data from electronic health records (EHR) in Japanese language.

Methods

This retrospective analysis used medical record database and administrative data of University of Miyazaki Hospital in Japan of patients with lung/breast cancer. Treatment response (objective response [OR], stable disease [SD] or progressive disease [PD]) was adjudicated by two evaluators using clinicians’ progress notes, radiology reports and pathological reports of 15 patients with lung cancer (training data set). For assessing key terms to describe treatment response, natural language processing (NLP) rules were created from the texts identified by the evaluators and broken down by morphological analysis. The NLP rules were applied for assessing data of other 70 lung cancer and 30 breast cancer patients, who were not adjudicated, to examine if any difference in using key terms exist between these patients.

Results

A total of 2,039 records in progress notes, 131 in radiology reports and 60 in pathological reports of 15 patients, were adjudicated. Progress notes were the most common primary source data for treatment assessment (60.7%), wherein, the most common key terms with high sensitivity and specificity to describe OR were “reduction/shrink”, for SD were “(no) remarkable change/(no) aggravation)” and for PD were “(limited) effect” and “enlargement/grow”. These key terms were also found in other larger cohorts of 70 patients with lung cancer and 30 patients with breast cancer.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that assessing response to anticancer therapy using Japanese EHRs is feasible by interpreting progress notes, radiology reports and Japanese key terms using NLP.
Vascular dysregulation in glaucoma: retinal vasoconstriction and normal neurovascular coupling in altitudinal visual field defects
Authors: Zhou Wanshu , Sabel Bernhard A.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Vision loss in glaucoma is not only associated with elevated intraocular pressure and neurodegeneration, but vascular dysregulation (VD) is a major factor. To optimize therapy, an improved understanding of concepts of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (3PM) is needed which is based on a more detailed understanding of VD pathology. Specifically, to learn if the root cause of glaucomatous vision loss is of neuronal (degeneration) or vascular origin, we now studied neurovascular coupling (NVC) and vessel morphology and their relationship to vision loss in glaucoma.

Methods

In patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 22), NVC was studied using dynamic vessel analyzer to quantify retinal vessel diameter before, during, and after flicker light stimulation to evaluate the dilation response following neuronal activation. Vessel features and dilation were then related to branch level and visual field impairment.

Results

Retinal arterial and venous vessels had significantly smaller diameters in patients with POAG in comparison to controls. However, both arterial and venous dilation reached normal values during neuronal activation despite their smaller diameters. This was largely independent of visual field depth and varied among patients.

Conclusions

Because dilation/constriction is normal, VD in POAG can be explained by chronic vasoconstriction which limits energy supply to retinal (and brain) neurons with subsequent hypo-metabolism (“silent” neurons) or neuronal cell death. We propose that the root cause of POAG is primarily of vascular and not neuronal origin. This understanding can help to better personalize POAG therapy of not only targeting eye pressure but also vasoconstriction to prevent low vision, slowing its progression and supporting recovery and restoration.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, # NCT04037384 on July 3, 2019.
Italian guidance on Dementia Day Care Centres: A position paper
Authors: Mossello Enrico , Baccini Marco , Caramelli Francesca , Biagini Carlo Adriano , Cester Alberto , De Vreese Luc Pieter , Darvo Gianluca , Vampini Claudio , Gotti Mabel , Fabbo Andrea , Marengoni Alessandra , Cavallini Maria Chiara , Gori Guido , Chattat Rabih , Marini Monica , Ceron Davide , Lanzoni Alessandro , Pizziolo Paolo , Mati Andrea , Zilli Iole , Cantini Claudia , Caleri Veronica , Tonon Elisabetta , Simoni David , Mecocci Patrizia , Ungar Andrea , Masotti Giulio ,   the Italian Group on Dementia Day Care Centres
Published: February 2023

Dementia Day Care Centres (DDCCs) are defined as services providing care and rehabilitation to people with dementia associated with behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) in a semi-residential setting. According to available evidence, DDCCs may decrease BPSD, depressive symptoms and caregiver burden. The present position paper reports a consensus of Italian experts of different disciplines regarding DDCCs and includes recommendations about architectural features, requirements of personnel, psychosocial interventions, management of psychoactive drug treatment, prevention and care of geriatric syndromes, and support to family caregivers. DDCCs architectural features should follow specific criteria and address specific needs of people with dementia, supporting independence, safety, and comfort. Staffing should be adequate in size and competence and should be able to implement psychosocial interventions, especially focused on BPSD. Individualized care plan should include prevention and treatment of geriatric syndromes, a targeted vaccination plan for infectious diseases including COVID-19, and adjustment of psychotropic drug treatment, all in cooperation with the general practitioner. Informal caregivers should be involved in the focus of intervention, with the aim of reducing assistance burden and promoting the adaptation to the ever-changing relationship with the patient.
Bayes Factors for Mixed Models: a Discussion
Authors: van Doorn Johnny , Haaf Julia M. , Stefan Angelika M. , Wagenmakers Eric-Jan , Cox Gregory Edward , Davis-Stober Clintin P. , Heathcote Andrew , Heck Daniel W. , Kalish Michael , Kellen David , Matzke Dora , Morey Richard D. , Nicenboim Bruno , van Ravenzwaaij Don , Rouder Jeffrey N. , Schad Daniel J. , Shiffrin Richard M. , Singmann Henrik , Vasishth Shravan , Veríssimo João , Bockting Florence , Chandramouli Suyog , Dunn John C. , Gronau Quentin F. , Linde Maximilian , McMullin Sara D. , Navarro Danielle , Schnuerch Martin , Yadav Himanshu , Aust Frederik
Published: February 2023

van Doorn et al. (2021) outlined various questions that arise when conducting Bayesian model comparison for mixed effects models. Seven response articles offered their own perspective on the preferred setup for mixed model comparison, on the most appropriate specification of prior distributions, and on the desirability of default recommendations. This article presents a round-table discussion that aims to clarify outstanding issues, explore common ground, and outline practical considerations for any researcher wishing to conduct a Bayesian mixed effects model comparison.
Astaxanthin- Enriched Fraction from the Microalga Haematococcus pluvialis Mitigates Kidney Injury via Modulation of Nrf2/Keap1 and MAPK/ERK Pathways in Rats
Authors: El-Baz Farouk K. , Ali Sami I. , Salama Abeer , Elgohary Rania
Published: February 2023

Acute kidney injury is a complication of using gentamicin in high doses and is associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Astaxanthin, the red xanthophyll carotenoid pigment, has an antioxidant power higher than 100 times that of vitamin E and 10 times more than that of β-carotene, making it one of the strongest bioactive carotenoids. Haematococcus pluvialis, Haematococcaceae, microalga produces high amounts of astaxanthin in the form of astaxanthin esters besides adequate amounts of free astaxanthin. We attempted to explore the potential therapeutic effects of astaxanthin- and astaxanthin ester–enriched fractions from H. pluvialis against acute kidney injury induced by gentamicin and their mechanisms of action in rats. Adult male Wister albino rats were injected with gentamicin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) for seven consecutive days to induce acute kidney injury, and these rats were treated daily with astaxanthin ester–enriched fractions (30 mg/kg; p.o.) for 14 days. LC/ESI–MS analysis revealed the presence of different isomers of free astaxanthin, astaxanthin monoesters, and astaxanthin diesters in the astaxanthin- and astaxanthin ester–enriched fractions. Astaxanthin and its esters ameliorated kidney dysfunction, modulated nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2/Kelch-like erythroid associated protein 1/hypoxia-inducible factor-alpha, and suppressed mitogen-activated protein kinases/extracellular signal-regulated kinases/renin-angiotensin system expression. Astaxanthin and its ester improved early acute kidney injury via modulation of the Nrf2/Keap1 antioxidant defense pathway and MAPK/ERK signaling cascade.

Graphical Abstract
A Comparative Study on Language Teacher Immunity: Samples from Qatar and Turkey
Authors: Canbay Mehmet Orkun , Sönmez Görsev
Published: February 2023

This study investigated the language teacher immunity with samples from two educational settings. Using quantitative ways of data collection, the research precisely focused on whether language teacher immunity manifests itself in different ways considering the place of work and years of experience with the language teachers in Qatar and Turkey (n = 130). The findings revealed that language teacher immunity shows significant differences according to the place of work and years of experience with few constructs.
Competition Law in South Asia
Authors: Darr Amber
Published: February 2023

In the last twenty years, South Asian countries have increasingly engaged with modern competition legislation. Yet, apart from India and Pakistan, the countries in this region have had little success enforcing these laws. Competition Law in South Asia analyses the mechanisms and institutions through which Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Maldives Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan have engaged with modern competition legislation. The book argues that the success (or failure) of competition reform in these countries is inextricably linked to the unique interplay of mechanisms and legal and political institutions through which these countries have engaged with competition legislation. The book provides an in-depth comparative analysis of the adoption and implementation continuum in India and Pakistan, the compatibility and legitimacy generated by the adoption process, and its impact on implementation. Taking a far-reaching, comparative approach, the book draws lessons not only for countries in South Asia but also for emerging economies across the globe.
Predictors of successful diversion of cats and dogs away from animal shelter intake: Analysis of data from a self-rehoming website
Authors: Ly Lexis H , Protopopova Alexandra
Published: February 2023

As animals experience distress in animal shelters, leaders call for increased efforts to divert intake of companion animals away from shelters. One novel intake diversion strategy is supported self-rehoming, where owners find new homes for their animals without surrendering to a physical shelter. This study aimed to identify predictors of successful diversion of animals through the AdoptaPet.com ‘Rehome’ online platform. Data for dogs (n = 100,342) and cats (n = 48,484) were analysed through logistic regression to assess the association of animal- and owner-related factors and outcome. Overall, 87.1% of dogs and 85.7% of cats were successfully diverted from animal shelters, out of which, 37.8% of dogs and 35.3% of cats were kept by their original owner. Multiple animal-related factors predicted increased odds of diversion (e.g. younger, smaller). Dog and cat owners who set a longer rehoming deadline (i.e. > 8 weeks) were over twice as likely to keep or adopt out their animal. Dog owners who surrendered for owner-related reasons had increased odds of diversion in comparison to animal behaviour issues. We conclude that online-supported, self-rehoming platforms provide pet owners with an alternative to relinquishment that may reduce the intake of animals to shelters; however, owners with animals that are not preferred by adopters may have to decide whether to keep their animal or relinquish their animal to a shelter or rescue. These results provide guidance for animal shelter professionals on the likelihood of successful diversion programmes given certain animal and owner characteristics.
Lotze on Comparison and the Unity of Consciousness
Authors: Textor Mark
Published: February 2023

Hermann Lotze argued that the fact that consciousness simultaneously “holds objects together as well as apart” such that they can be compared implies (a) that there is a simple thinker and (b) that consciousness is an ‘indivisible unity.’ I offer a reconstruction and evaluation of Lotze’s Argument from Comparison. I contend that it does not deliver (a) but makes a good case for (b). I will relate Lotze’s argument to the contemporary debate between “top-down” and “bottom-up” views of the unity of consciousness and locate it in its historical context. (Kant and Herbart figure prominently here.)