bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body composition of adults with chronic intestinal failure receiving home parenteral nutrition: A descriptive cohort study
Authors: Korzilius Julia Wilhelmina , van Asseldonk Monique Johanna Margaretha Dorothea , Wanten Geert Jacobus Antonius , Zweers‐ van Essen Heidi Ester Emmy
Published: June 2024

Background

Chronic intestinal failure (CIF) refers to the long‐lasting reduction of gut function below the minimum necessary to absorb macronutrients, water, and/or electrolytes. Patients with CIF likely develop various forms of malnutrition and dehydration, yet studies that focus primarily on body composition are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the body composition of adult patients with CIF.

Methods

This retrospective descriptive cohort study was performed at the Radboud University Medical Center, a tertiary referral center for CIF treatment in the form of home parenteral nutrition. We collected available bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) data from routine care between 2019 and 2023. The primary outcome was body composition, which was evaluated by assessing body mass index (BMI), fat‐free mass index (FFMI), and fat percentage (fat%).

Results

Overall, 147 adult patients with CIF were included with a median (interquartile range) age of 58 (25–68) years; 69% were female. The mean (SD) BMI was 22.1 (4.3) kg/m2, FFMI was 14.2 (1.9) kg/m2 in females and 17.0 (2.0) kg/m2 in males, and fat% was 33.7% (6.8%) in females and 24.6% (6.4%) in males. 63% had an FFMI below references, and 48% had a high fat%.

Conclusion

This study found that most adult patients with CIF have an unfavorable body composition characterized by a high fat% and low FFMI despite having a normal mean BMI. These results highlight the necessity for in‐depth nutrition assessment, including BIA measurement. Moreover, future studies should focus on exercise interventions to increase FFMI and improve body composition and function.
Ultrasound Evaluation of Uterine Cavity Changes After Stimulation for In Vitro Fertilization
Authors: Peregrin‐Alvarez Irene , Roman Robert , Schenk Leah , McKenzie Laurie , Woodard Terri , Detti Laura
Published: June 2024

Objectives

Mock embryo transfer (ET) before in vitro fertilization (IVF) allows for the clinical determination of uterine cavity length (UCL) to optimize embryo placement during clinical ET. Most studies have shown that optimal pregnancy rates occur with clinical ET at a depth of 15 mm from the uterine fundus. In our study, we sought to determine the effect of ovarian stimulation and endometrial preparation on UCL using 2D transabdominal ultrasound.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study comparing documented 2D transabdominal ultrasound measurements of UCL at the time of mock ET and clinical ET. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS v. 26 with paired sample t‐test and significance determined with P < .05.

Results

Seventy patients who underwent 91 IVF‐ET cycles between 2015 and 2018 at our academic center met inclusion criteria. Patient's demographics include a median age of 34 (interquartile range [IQR]: 31, 37), gravida 1 (IQR: 0, 2), parity 0 (IQR: 0, 0), and body mass index 25.87 (IQR: 21.78, 30.01). There was a statistically significant increase in UCL by 11.9 mm after IVF stimulation (P < .001), compared to mock ET. Mean UCL at the time of mock ET was 7.66 cm (±0.98 cm) and at clinical ET was 8.85 cm (±0.98 cm).

Conclusions

The uterine cavity undergoes a significant length change during ovarian stimulation and endometrial preparation. These findings confirm the remarkable uterine plasticity in response to hormonal stimulation even before pregnancy ensues. These changes in UCL should be considered during ultrasound‐guided clinical ET to ensure optimal embryo placement.
Computer Vision Foundation Models in Endoscopy: Proof of Concept in Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Paderno Alberto , Rau Anita , Bedi Nikita , Bossi Paolo , Mercante Giuseppe , Piazza Cesare , Holsinger Floyd Christopher
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To evaluate the performance of vision transformer‐derived image embeddings for distinguishing between normal and neoplastic tissues in the oropharynx and to investigate the potential of computer vision (CV) foundation models in medical imaging.

Methods

Computational study using endoscopic frames with a focus on the application of a self‐supervised vision transformer model (DINOv2) for tissue classification. High‐definition endoscopic images were used to extract image patches that were then normalized and processed using the DINOv2 model to obtain embeddings. These embeddings served as input for a standard support vector machine (SVM) to classify the tissues as neoplastic or normal. The model's discriminative performance was validated using an 80–20 train‐validation split.

Results

From 38 endoscopic NBI videos, 327 image patches were analyzed. The classification results in the validation cohort demonstrated high accuracy (92%) and precision (89%), with a perfect recall (100%) and an F1‐score of 94%. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96.

Conclusion

The use of large vision model‐derived embeddings effectively differentiated between neoplastic and normal oropharyngeal tissues. This study supports the feasibility of employing CV foundation models like DINOv2 in the endoscopic evaluation of mucosal lesions, potentially augmenting diagnostic precision in Otorhinolaryngology.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 134:4535–4541, 2024
Quality of Life in Symptomatic Septal Perforation
Authors: Alegre Edo Berta , Rojas‐Lechuga María Jesús , Quer‐Castells Mireia , González‐Sánchez Nesly , Lopez‐Chacon Mauricio , Hopkins Claire , Alobid Isam
Published: June 2024

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of septal perforation (SP) on quality of life (QoL). SP is compared to the general population and patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) using the Sino‐Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT‐22).

Methods

Prospective single‐center study in a referral Rhinology Unit from January 2014 to March 2023.

Results

A total of 392 patients were included in three groups: controls (n = 141), CRSwNP (n = 118), and SP (n = 133). The mean score of the SNOT‐22 was significantly higher in the CRSwNP group (42.4, SD = 24.4) and SP (46.5, SD = 22) compared to the control group (6.2, SD = 8.4). Scores by either items or domains were significantly higher in the CRSwNP and SP groups compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in the mean SNOT‐22 between the CRSwNP and SP groups (p = 0.26; 95% CI −1.68–9.99). Domain‐specific analysis of overall SNOT‐22 scores revealed that patients with SP experienced higher levels of disturbances in sleep, function, and psychological domains (p ≤ 0.001).

Conclusion

SP produces a negative impact on QoL similar to CRSwNP. Moreover, sleep, psychological, and function domains are significantly worse in SP. Etiology and area of SP influence nasal and emotion domain, though more studies on SP using SNOT‐22 and specific questionnaires are needed.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 134:4480–4487, 2024
Evaluation of spatiotemporal variation and impact factors for vegetation net primary productivity in a typical open‐pit mining ecosystem in northwestern China
Authors: Wang Jinyang , Cui Kuankuan , Yang Fei , Li Jun , Zhang Chengye , Du Tianmeng , Zhang Haoran
Published: June 2024

The vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) is a key indicator for evaluating vegetation carbon sequestration. Exploring its spatiotemporal changes and impact factors is essential for coal mining and ecological restoration in open‐pit mining areas. This study utilized the Carnegie‐Ames‐Stanford‐Approach (CASA) model to calculate monthly vegetation NPP in the Xiwan mine area, a typical open‐pit mine in northwestern China. The trend, stability, and persistence analysis were conducted, along with the development of a grading method to examine the vegetation NPP spatiotemporal variation across different land cover types. Statistical grading and correlation analysis were used to explore the relationships between the topographical factors, meteorological factors, human activities, and vegetation NPP. The following results were obtained: (1) The vegetation NPP in the study area exhibited a high stability and anti‐persistent decrease in trend. NPP reached a peak of 143.49 g C/(m2 year) in 2017, but declined to a low of 118.38 g C/(m2 year) in 2021. (2) The vegetation NPP decreases with increasing elevation and slope, and a relatively strong correlation with temperature and precipitation was also observed. (3) The impact intensity of human activities on vegetation NPP exhibited a rising and fluctuating volatile trend. In 2021, the inhibition of vegetation NPP by human activities reached its peak at 166.42 g C/(m2 year), with an impact effect share of 36.9%. This research provides a comprehensive framework for vegetation NPP analysis in open‐pit mining, offering valuable insights for ecological conservation in mining ecosystems.
Effect of Compressive Modulus of Porous PVA Hydrogel Coating on the Preventing Adhesion of Polypropylene Mesh
Authors: Wei Dandan , Huang Yulin , Ren Pengfei , Liang Min , Xu Li , Yang Liuxin , Zhang Tianzhu , Ji Zhenling
Published: June 2024

PP mesh is a widely used prosthetic material in hernia repair. However, visceral adhesion is one of the worst complications of this operation. Hence, an anti‐adhesive PP mesh is developed by coating porous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel on PP surface via freezing‐thawing process method. The compressive modulus of porous PVA hydrogel coating is first regulated by the addition of porogen sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) at various quality ratios with PVA. As expected, the porous hydrogel coating displayed modulus more closely resembling that of native abdominal wall tissue. In vitro tests demonstrate the modified PP mesh show superior coating stability, excellent hemocompatibility, and good cytocompatibility. In vivo experiments illustrate that PP mesh coated by the PVA4 hydrogel that mimicked the modulus of native abdominal wall could prevent adhesion effectively. Based on this, the rapamycin (RPM) is loaded into the porous PVA4 hydrogel coating to further improve anti‐adhesive property of PP mesh. The Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson trichrome (MT) staining results verified that the resulting mesh could alleviate the inflammation response and reduce the deposition of collagen around the implantation zone. The biomimetic mechanical property and anti‐adhesive property of modified PP mesh make it a valuable candidate for application in hernioplasty.
A Shotgun Metagenomics Investigation into Labeling Inaccuracies in Widely Sold Probiotic Supplements in the USA
Authors: Gundogdu Aycan , Karis Gizem , Killpartrick Adam , Ulu‐Kilic Aysegul , Nalbantoglu Ozkan Ufuk
Published: June 2024

While probiotics are generally considered safe, concerns persist regarding the accuracy of labels on these supplements and their potential contribution to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes. Given that probiotics are predominantly ingested with a view towards obtaining particular health benefits. The objective of this study is to assess the composition of 50 widely available probiotic supplements in the USA using shotgun metagenome sequencing. The study also determines the potential resistome profile, and the functional characteristics of these products. This study finds that 67% of products does not contain any labeling inaccuracies. Antimicrobial Resistance Genes (ARGs) are identified in several products, particularly Bacillus‐based products carrying between 10 and 56 genes. The risk posed by the presence of these ARGs requires further study. Functional analysis reveals differences in metabolic profiles among probiotic supplements, indicating the importance of strain‐level selection for personalized probiotics. This study provides updated and comprehensive analysis to evaluate a snapshot of the USA market. The study demonstrates that label inaccuracies occur on approximately one third of popular dietary supplement products sold in the USA, supporting the need for improved approaches to marketing and quality control. Further, the risk of antibiotic resistance, especially in Bacillus‐based formulations, should be assessed.
Development and verification of an electron Monte Carlo engine for applications in intraoperative radiation therapy
Authors: Rank Luisa , Lysakovski Peter , Major Gerald , Ferrari Alfredo , Tessonnier Thomas , Debus Jürgen , Mairani Andrea
Published: June 2024

Background

In preparation of future clinical trials employing the Mobetron electron linear accelerator to deliver FLASH Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT), the development of a Monte Carlo (MC)‐based framework for dose calculation was required.

Purpose

To extend and validate the in‐house developed fast MC dose engine MonteRay (MR) for future clinical applications in IORT.

Methods

MR is a CPU MC dose calculation engine written in C++ that is capable of simulating therapeutic proton, helium, and carbon ion beams. In this work, development steps are taken to include electrons and photons in MR are presented. To assess MRs accuracy, MR generated simulation results were compared against FLUKA predictions in water, in presence of heterogeneities as well as in an anthropomorphic phantom. Additionally, dosimetric data has been acquired to evaluate MRs accuracy in predicting dose‐distributions generated by the Mobetron accelerator. Runtimes of MR were evaluated against those of the general‐purpose MC code FLUKA on standard benchmark problems.

Results

MR generated dose distributions for electron beams incident on a water phantom match corresponding FLUKA calculated distributions within 2.3% with range values matching within 0.01 mm. In terms of dosimetric validation, differences between MR calculated and measured dose values were below 3% for almost all investigated positions within the water phantom. Gamma passing rate (1%/1 mm) for the scenarios with inhomogeneities and gamma passing rate (3%/2 mm) with the anthropomorphic phantom, were > 99.8% and 99.4%, respectively. The average dose differences between MR (FLUKA) and the measurements was 1.26% (1.09%). Deviations between MR and FLUKA were well within 1.5% for all investigated depths and 0.6% on average. In terms of runtime, MR achieved a speedup against reference FLUKA simulations of about 13 for 10 MeV electrons.

Conclusions

Validations against general purpose MC code FLUKA predictions and experimental dosimetric data have proven the validity of the physical models implemented in MR for IORT applications. Extending the work presented here, MR will be interfaced with external biophysical models to allow accurate FLASH biological dose predictions in IORT.
A strategy for estimating radiation dose to the blood in outpatient settings in differentiated thyroid cancer therapy with 131I‐NaI
Authors: Contardi Marina Alejandra , Namías Mauro , Cragnolino Guido , Arroñada Guillermo Damián , Cragnolino Daniel Eduardo
Published: June 2024

Background

Although standard operational procedures for pre‐therapeutic dosimetry already exist for the determination of the maximum safe activity to treat differentiated thyroid cancer patients, empiric activity administration of 131I is still the most frequent way of treatment. In this way, the absorbed dose to the blood/bone marrow remains unknown.

Purpose

In this work, we present a strategy to estimate radiation dose to the blood in an outpatient setting.

Methods

A mobile application was developed, which together with an off‐the‐shelf compact semiconductor radiation detector allows the determination of whole‐body time‐integrated activity coefficients. The methodology was tested in a cohort of 79 differentiated cancer patients who received therapeutic 131I activities. Post‐therapeutic whole‐body time‐integrated activity coefficients were compared against pre‐therapeutic estimates in a subset of 13 patients.

Results

The 95% limits of agreement between pre whole‐body and post whole‐body time integrated activity coefficients were [‐14.4; 6.6] h when considering outliers and [‐6.2; 3.6] h without outliers. A high dispersion in blood dose coefficients was found, with a four‐fold difference between the highest and lower values. Blood doses were significantly higher for patients treated with dosimetrically guided activities than for empirical activities (median dose = 118 vs. 49 cGy, respectively). Blood dose coefficients were significantly lower for patients prepared with recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone (rhTSH) than for patients prepared with thyroid hormone withdrawal. A low correlation between blood dose and administered activity was found in empirically treated patients (R2 = 0.26).

Conclusions

We successfully implemented a post‐therapeutic internal dosimetry methodology for differentiated thyroid cancer therapy with 131I, which allows to estimate dose to the blood from outpatient measurements with mobile devices. The proposed methodology avoids the need of daily visits to the nuclear medicine department, thus reducing the burden for the patient and for the staff.
Rhabdomyosarcoma targeting with tuned porous silicon nanoparticles
Authors: Dominguez‐Gil Sofia , Sala Rita , Morel Victoria Judith , Nguyen Christophe , Cheikh Khaled El , Morère Alain , Durand Jean‐Olivier , Rössler Jochen , Bernasconi Michele , Cunin Frédérique , Gary‐Bobo Magali
Published: June 2024

We describe porous silicon nanoparticles (pSiNP) chemically functionalized with an analog of mannose 6‐phosphate (AMFA) and a porphyrin derivative to target aggressive pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) tumor cells. Our findings demonstrate that the pSiNP@AMFA@porphyrin nanosystems are efficiently internalized by RMS cells, which overexpress mannose 6‐phosphate receptors, and induce cytotoxicity and phototoxicity when exposed to two‐photon excitation light. These results provide an interesting potential for targeting and treating RMS pediatric tumors.
Psychometric validation of the Persian version of the ethical awareness scale for nurses working in Iranian intensive care units
Authors: Kolagari Shohreh , Moradi Reza , Milliken Aimee , Khoddam Homeira
Published: June 2024

Aim

The purpose of this study was to translate and validate the ethical awareness scale for nurses working in Iranian intensive care units.

Design

A cross‐sectional psychometric study.

Methods

The study was conducted in Oct 2020 to Sep 2021, involving the participation of 200 ICU nurses. The process included translation of the original version of the ethical awareness scale into Persian, following the World Health Organization guideline, for use in Iran. The translated version was then evaluated for reliability, face validity, content validity ratio, content validity index, convergent validity and construct validity.

Results

The initial reliability of the scale was established. In qualitative face validity, a few items changed slightly and all items were retained in the quantitative face validity assessment. Based on Lawshe's values, three items were removed from the scale during CVR assessment. All items exhibited acceptable CVI scores. Convergent validity was established with an average variance extracted greater than 0.5. The fit indices, such as CFI = 0.94, GFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.01, AGFI = 0.97 and CMIN/DF = 2.99, supported the structural model of the scale. The fit indices for the structural model of the scale were all within acceptable ranges, suggesting that the model fit the data well. Its reliability was confirmed through the test–retest method, with Cronbach's alpha = 0.84 and McDonald's omega coefficient >0.8.

Conclusion

The findings of this study indicate the Persian version of the ethical awareness scale for Iran (EAS‐IR) is comparable in content to the original version, demonstrating its validity and reliability for assessing ethical awareness among Iranian nurses in ICUs. The scale can be a valuable resource for measuring ethical awareness in the Iranian healthcare context and may contribute to improving ethical practices and decision‐making in ICU settings.

Patient or Public Contribution

In this project, no patient or public contribution was necessary, because it was not applied to our work.
Thermal behavior of polypropylene composites with segregated graphene nanoplatelet network
Authors: Jang Woo Seok , Kim Ki Hoon , Kang Jinhyeok , Nam Changwoo , Kim Seong Yun
Published: June 2024

Three‐dimensional architecture of segregated network can significantly influence thermal behaviors of polymer composites, such as the melting temperature (Tm) and degradation temperature. However, there have been few systematic studies on the thermal behaviors of polypropylene (PP) composites with a segregated network that the fillers were selectively located in the polymeric particle interfaces. In this study, we found that introduction of the segregated graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) network induced the maximum Tm of 177.6°C, extending the operating temperature by 11.5°C compared to the Tm of composites with randomly dispersed GNPs. In contrast, the thermal degradation temperature of polymer composites varied insignificantly regardless of introduction of the segregated network because the thermal degradation of the polymer matrix occurred after the PP chains melted and the segregated GNP network collapsed at temperatures above the Tm. Therefore, the incorporation of a segregated network can be an effective option for enhancing the Tm and extending the operating temperature of the polymer composites.

Highlights

Segregated network induced the remarkable increase in melting temperature.

Meanwhile, the segregated network had little effect on decomposition temperature.

Segregated composite was efficient strategy for expanding operating temperature.
Rapid and comprehensive quality evaluation of Huang‐qin from different origins by FT‐IR and NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics
Authors: Lv Kaidi , Yin Chunling , Li Fang , Chen Wenbo , Zhao Liuchuang , Liu Zhimin , Hu Leqian
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Quality evaluation of Huang‐qin is significant to ensure its clinical efficacy.

Objective

This study aims to establish an accurate, rapid and comprehensive Huang‐qin quality evaluation method to overcome the time‐consuming and laborious shortcomings of traditional herbal medicine quality assessment methods.

Methods

The contents of baicalin, baicalein and scutellarin in Huang‐qin from five different origins were analyzed by FT‐IR and NIR spectra combined with multivariate data technology. The quality of Huang‐qin from different origins was evaluated by TOPSIS and consistency analysis based on the content of three active ingredients. The correlation between ecological factors and the accumulation of active ingredients was explored.

Results

Satisfactory prediction results of PLS models were obtained. Relatively, the model based on FT‐IR combined with the PLS regression method has higher R2 and smaller RMSE than the NIR combined with the PLS method. TOPSIS and consistency analysis results showed that the quality of Huang‐qin from different geographical origins was significantly different. The results showed that the quality of Huang‐qin produced in Shanxi Province was the best among the five origins studied. The results also found that the quality of Huang‐qin in different growing areas of the same origin was not completely consistent. The correlation study showed that altitude, sunshine duration and rainfall were the main factors that caused the quality difference of medicinal materials in different geographical origins.

Conclusion

This study provides a reference for the rapid quantitative analysis of the active components of herbal medicine and the quality evaluation of them.
Regulatory roles of insulin growth factor binding protein family in neuroblastoma cell proliferation and differentiation: Potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for neuroblastoma
Authors: Huang Kai , Yang LinYu , Ma Yue , Wang Shan
Published: June 2024

Neuroblastoma (NB), as a representative of tumors of embryonic origin in children, has specific clinical features. On the one hand, a very small number of NBs may appear to regress on their own. On the other hand, highly malignant NBs can invade the surrounding blood vessels and organs and metastasize to distant bone, bone marrow, and lymph nodes in the early stages of the disease. Based on differential affinities to insulin growth factors (IGFs), insulin growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are classified into two groups: IGF binding proteins (IGFBP1‐6) with high‐affinity and IGF low‐affinity binding proteins, such as IGFBP‐related proteins (IGFBP rP1‐10). IGFBP are crucial regulators of the bioavailability and function of IGF in metabolic signaling and as modulators of IGF signaling, and their role in NB is gaining increasing attention. In this study, we investigate the involvement of IGFBP family members in the growth and differentiation of NB cells, as well as the potential of IGFBPs as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for human NB.
Resting CD4 regulatory T cell and neuroblastoma: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Wang RuiZong , Wang Shan
Published: June 2024

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common extracranial solid tumor in children, and currently our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor progression is not very thorough. In clinical practice, although the prognosis and survival rates of NB patients in the low‐risk and medium‐risk groups are still acceptable, the prognosis and survival rates of NB patients in the high‐risk group are extremely poor. Therefore, improving awareness of NB tumors is crucial for improving the treatment status of NB patients in clinical practice. So we collected common tumor exposure factors and performed multiple Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis on NB, and ultimately determined that the increase in Resting CD4 regulatory T cell was positively correlated with the occurrence and development of NB. In addition, we also used the network pharmacology algorithm proximity to screen the NB chemotherapy drug papain and reasonably speculated that there is an interaction between papain and CD4 regulatory T cell in the chemotherapy of NB patients.
Leishmaniinae: Evolutionary inferences based on protein expression profiles (PhyloQuant) congruent with phylogenetic relationships among Leishmania, Endotrypanum, Porcisia, Zelonia, Crithidia, and Leptomonas
Authors: Mule Simon Ngao , Alemán Evaristo Villalba , Rosa‐Fernandes Livia , Saad Joyce S. , de Oliveira Gilberto Santos , Martins Deivid , Angeli Claudia Blanes , Brandt‐Almeida Deborah , Cortez Mauro , Larsen Martin Røssel , Shaw Jeffrey J. , Teixeira Marta M. G. , Palmisano Giuseppe
Published: June 2024

Evolutionary relationships among parasites of the subfamily Leishmaniinae, which comprises pathogen agents of leishmaniasis, were inferred based on differential protein expression profiles from mass spectrometry‐based quantitative data using the PhyloQuant method. Evolutionary distances following identification and quantification of protein and peptide abundances using Proteome Discoverer and MaxQuant software were estimated for 11 species from six Leishmaniinae genera. Results clustered all dixenous species of the genus Leishmania, subgenera L. (Leishmania), L. (Viannia), and L. (Mundinia), sister to the dixenous species of genera Endotrypanum and Porcisia. Placed basal to the assemblage formed by all these parasites were the species of genera Zelonia, Crithidia, and Leptomonas, so far described as monoxenous of insects although eventually reported from humans. Inferences based on protein expression profiles were congruent with currently established phylogeny using DNA sequences. Our results reinforce PhyloQuant as a valuable approach to infer evolutionary relationships within Leishmaniinae, which is comprised of very tightly related trypanosomatids that are just beginning to be phylogenetically unraveled. In addition to evolutionary history, mapping of species‐specific protein expression is paramount to understand differences in infection processes, tissue tropisms, potential to jump from insects to vertebrates including humans, and targets for species‐specific diagnostic and drug development.
Improved Dielectric, Magnetic, and Multiferroic Properties of (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.7La0.3(Ti0.7Fe0.3)O3Ceramics Synthesis by the Solid‐State Combustion Technique
Authors: Kornphom Chittakorn , Somsri Widchaya , Prasertpalichat Sasipohn , Thatawong Bhoowadol , Kruea‐In Chatchai , Udeye Thanya , Rittidech Aurawan , Menkun Chanagon , Vittayakorn Naratip , Pinitsoontorn Supree , Jantaratana Pongsakorn , Chanlek Narong , Bongkarn Theerachai
Published: June 2024

Lead‐free (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.7La0.3(Ti0.7Fe0.3)O3ceramics (abbreviated as BNLTF) are synthesized by the solid‐state combustion technique using glycine as fuel. The effect of the firing temperature (calcined between 700 and 800 °C for 2 h and sintered between at 800 and 900 °C for 2 h) on the phase structure, microstructure, electrical, and magnetic properties is investigated. Pure BNLTF powders are obtained with a calcination temperature of 750 °C for 2 h and the crystal size increases from 47 to 62 nm when the calcination temperature increases from 700 to 800 °C. All sintered BNLTF ceramics show a pure perovskite structure with a rhombohedral phase. The average grain size increases with increasing sintering temperatures. A well‐packed microstructure with the highest density (5.98 g cm−3), good dielectric properties at room temperature (εr ≈ 589 and tanδ ≈ 0.572), soft ferroelectric behavior, and excellent magnetic properties (Ms ≈ 0.091 emu g−1,Mr ≈ 0.0026 emu g−1) is obtained from the ceramic sintered at 875 °C for 2 h. The multiferroic BNLTF ceramic sintered at 875 °C has a maximum magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (αE ≈ 2.08 mV cm−1 Oe−1) when the magnetic field is near 4500 Oe.
Localized Epitaxial Growth of 402 V Breakdown Voltage Quasi‐Vertical GaN‐on‐Si p‐n Diode on 200 mm‐Diameter Wafers
Authors: Kaltsounis Thomas , El Amrani Mohammed , Plaza Arguello David , El Rammouz Hala , Maurya Vishwajeet , Lafossas Matthieu , Torrengo Simona , Haas Helge , Mendizabal Laurent , Gueugnot Alain , Mariolle Denis , Jalabert Thomas , Buckley Julien , Cordier Yvon , Charles Matthew
Published: June 2024

Localized epitaxy of gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon (Si) wafers is an efficient way to relax elastically the tensile stress generated in the GaN layer after growth, allowing epitaxy of thick layers for the fabrication of vertical power devices operating at high voltage. In this study, a 4.7 μm‐thick GaN layer is grown by metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy on 200 mm‐diameter Si wafers for the fabrication of quasi‐vertical Schottky and p‐n diodes. The uniformity of the doping concentration in the layer is mapped spatially by scanning spreading resistance microscopy, while scanning capacitance microscopy illustrates the differently doped regions in the p‐n diode. The net doping concentration is extracted by capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements and it is found to be about 3 × 1016 cm−3. On a 140 μm‐diameter quasi‐vertical p‐n diode, destructive breakdown occurs at 402 V, with no periphery protection on the device, demonstrating that localized epitaxy of GaN on Si has great potential for vertical high‐power devices.
Assessment of Artificial Anisotropic Materials for Transverse Thermoelectric Generators
Authors: Löhnert Romy , Bochmann Arne , Ibrahim Ahmed , Töpfer Jörg
Published: June 2024

By alternately stacking layers of two materials that differ in their Seebeck coefficient and electrical and thermal conductivity, a composite material with artificial anisotropy of thermal and electrical transport properties is formed. Due to the transverse Seebeck effect, a thermoelectric (TE) voltage is generated perpendicular to a temperature gradient ΔT, that is applied at a certain angle φ with respect to the stacked layers (0° < φ < 90°). The TE properties of layered artificial anisotropic materials are described analytically using existing concepts and extending the available definitions to develop a consistent image of anisotropic media for TE energy generation. Based on these analytical descriptions, the TE performance of ceramic oxide–metal composites and transverse TE generators (TTEG) made of them are numerically calculated and presented in contour plots. These so‐called micro‐ and macro‐Babin plots map the influence of internal geometric parameters, i.e., the layer thickness ratio and the angle φ of the applied temperature gradient with respect to the stacked layers. Based on these diagrams, the optimal TTEG geometry can be narrowed down in a simple and fast way. In addition, the diagrams are used for a material screening to evaluate the suitability of different oxide ceramics for use in a TTEG.
First‐Principles Calculation of Basic Properties of Rhombohedral Hafnium Oxide with Space Group R3
Authors: Reznik Alexander , Konstantinov Vyacheslav , Ganykina Ekaterina , Rezvanov Askar
Published: June 2024

Structural, mechanical, and electrophysical properties of rhombohedral hafnium oxide (r‐HfO2) with space groupR3, as well as properties of HfO2, ZrO2, and Hf0.5Zr0.5O2with space groupPca21are studied using quantum chemical calculations. The characteristic diffraction peak of 2θr‐HfO2is close to the characteristic diffraction peaks of tetragonal (t‐HfO2) and orthorhombic (f‐HfO2) hafnium oxide. The value of bulk modulus is 231 GPa, which is larger than one of the orthorhombic structures. The values of high intensity peaks of Raman spectrum are 670 and 540 cm−1. The bandgap width is 5.8 eV and the average value of dielectric constant is 35.34, which is higher than one of orthorhombic hafnium oxide.
ZIF‐67‐Derived Co@Carbon Polyhedra Anchored on Reduced Graphene Oxide with Multiple Attenuation Abilities for Full X‐ and Ku‐Band Microwave Absorption
Authors: Yang Yingjie , Zhao Xiaoning , Tao Ye , Lin Ya , Wang Zhongqiang
Published: June 2024

High‐performance microwave absorption (MA) materials are attracting growing attention to solve the expanded electromagnetic interference problems. Herein, zeolitic imidazolate organic frameworks (MOF)‐67 (ZIF‐67) are grown in situ on the sheet of graphene oxide (GO) through the coordination of Co2+ with oxygen functional groups. Through carbonization in an inert atmosphere, Co@carbon polyhedra (Co@CP)‐decorated reduced GO composites (Co@CP‐rGO) with a large number of heterogeneous interfaces are successfully obtained. The composites demonstrate excellent MA performance. With a filler loading of 10 wt%, the optimal minimum reflection loss (RL) of the composite can reach −54.6 dB. More importantly, the composites with thickness of 3.5 and 2.5 mm show the effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) of 4.75 GHz (8.18–12.93 GHz) and 6.56 GHz (11.44–18 GHz), fully covering the X‐ and Ku‐band. It is proposed that the synergistic effect of multiple dielectric loss, magnetic loss, reflections and scattering contributes to the high MA performance.
Adaptive EWMA control chart by using support vector regression
Authors: Kazmi Muhammad Waqas , Noor‐ul‐Amin Muhammad
Published: June 2024

Traditional control charts depend on the process parameters that are used to monitor the shifts in the process. The adaptive control charts are used to adapt a process parameter during the online monitoring. This research introduces a support vector regression (SVR) based adaptive exponentially weighted moving average control chat to enhance the monitoring of the mean in industrial processes. The study systematically investigates the comparative efficiency of linear, radial basis function (RBF), and polynomial functions within the SVR framework. The proposed SVR‐based AEWMA control chart leverages the strengths of the RBF kernel, providing a robust mechanism for detecting shifts in the process mean by adapting the smoothing constant according to the size of the shift. To validate the efficacy of the proposed methodology, a practical application is presented by using real‐life data. The application showcases the adaptability and reliability of the SVR‐based adaptive EWMA control chart in effectively monitoring location shifts.
Azvudine versus Paxlovid in COVID‐19: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Amani Behnam , Amani Bahman
Published: June 2024

This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of azvudine versus nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The researchers conducted searches on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, medRxiv, and Google Scholar until January 2024. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was utilised to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and data analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis software. Thirteen studies, including 4949 patients, were analysed. The meta‐analysis results showed no significant difference between the azvudine and Paxlovid groups in terms of mortality rate (odds rate [OR] = 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–1.21), negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conversion time (standard mean difference [SMD] = 1.52, 95% CI: −1.07–4.11), and hospital stay (SMD = −0.39, 95% CI: −1.12–0.33). However, a significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of intensive care unit admission (OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.23–0.75) and the need for mechanical ventilation (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.44–0.86) in favour of azvudine. The incidence of adverse events in the azvudine group was significantly lower (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.43–0.99). The certainty of evidence was rated as low and moderate. Azvudine and Paxlovid demonstrated similar effectiveness in reducing mortality rates, negative PCR conversion time and hospital stay. However, azvudine showed better effectiveness in improving other outcomes. Regarding the level of certainty of evidence, further research is needed to validate or challenge these results.
Pose‐graph underwater simultaneous localization and mapping for autonomous monitoring and 3D reconstruction by means of optical and acoustic sensors
Authors: Bucci Alessandro , Ridolfi Alessandro , Allotta Benedetto
Published: June 2024

Modern mobile robots require precise and robust localization and navigation systems to achieve mission tasks correctly. In particular, in the underwater environment, where Global Navigation Satellite Systems cannot be exploited, the development of localization and navigation strategies becomes more challenging. Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) strategies have been analyzed and tested to increase navigation accuracy and take into account the entire history of the system state. In particular, a sensor fusion algorithm relying on a MAP technique for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) has been developed to fuse information coming from a monocular camera and a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) and to consider the landmark points in the navigation framework. The proposed approach can guarantee to simultaneously locate the vehicle and map the surrounding environment with the information extracted from the images acquired by a bottom‐looking optical camera. Optical sensors can provide constraints between the vehicle poses and the landmarks belonging to the observed scene. The DVL measurements have been employed to solve the unknown scale factor and to guarantee the correct vehicle localization even in the absence of visual features. Furthermore, to evaluate the mapping capabilities of the SLAM algorithm, the obtained point cloud is elaborated with a Poisson reconstruction method to obtain a smooth seabed surface. After validating the proposed solution through realistic simulations, an experimental campaign at sea was conducted in Stromboli Island (Messina), Italy, where both the navigation and the mapping performance have been evaluated.
A selective harvesting robot for cherry tomatoes: Design, development, field evaluation analysis
Authors: Rong Jiacheng , Hu Lin , Zhou Hui , Dai Guanglin , Yuan Ting , Wang Pengbo
Published: June 2024

With the aging population and increasing labor costs, traditional manual harvesting methods have become less economically efficient. Consequently, research into fully automated harvesting using selective harvesting robots for cherry tomatoes has become a hot topic. However, most of the current research is focused on individual harvesting of large tomatoes, and there is less research on the development of complete systems for harvesting cherry tomatoes in clusters. The purpose of this study is to develop a harvesting robot system capable of picking tomato clusters by cutting their fruit‐bearing pedicels and to evaluate the robot prototype in real greenhouse environments. First, to enhance the grasping stability, a novel end‐effector was designed. This end‐effector utilizes a cam mechanism to achieve asynchronous actions of cutting and grasping with only one power source. Subsequently, a visual perception system was developed to locate the cutting points of the pedicels. This system is divided into two parts: rough positioning of the fruits in the far‐range view and accurate positioning of the cutting points of the pedicels in the close‐range view. Furthermore, it possesses the capability to adaptively infer the approaching pose of the end‐effector based on point cloud features extracted from fruit‐bearing pedicels and stems. Finally, a prototype of the tomato‐harvesting robot was assembled for field trials. The test results demonstrate that in tomato clusters with unobstructed pedicels, the localization success rates for the cutting points were 88.5% and 83.7% in the two greenhouses, respectively, while the harvesting success rates reached 57.7% and 55.4%, respectively. The average cycle time to harvest a tomato cluster was 24 s. The experimental results prove the potential for commercial application of the developed tomato‐harvesting robot and through the analysis of failure cases, discuss directions for future work.
Connecting forest soil properties with ecosystem services: Toward a better use of digital soil maps—A review
Authors: Paré David , Bognounou Fidèle , Emilson Erik J. S. , Laganière Jérôme , Leach Jason , Mansuy Nicolas , Martineau Christine , Norris Charlotte , Venier Lisa , Webster Kara
Published: June 2024

The soil supports many ecosystem services (ES) essential to human well‐being. Rapid developments in digital soil mapping (DSM) allow the mapping of soil types and soil properties with improved resolution and accuracy. However, the potential of DSM to improve the assessment and mapping of ES is not fully exploited. To better understand this potential, we synthesized the peer‐reviewed literature. We examined what empirical studies reveal about the role of soil properties in the assessment of four major ES provided by the forest: (I) timber production, (II) soil carbon storage, (III) regulation of water flow and provision of clean water, and (IV) the soil as a habitat for organisms. Results revealed that soil properties are strongly related to the provision of ES. Therefore, using DSM could greatly improve the assessment of the ES provided by forests. Several variables were related to specific ES regardless of region or ecosystem types, but others were found to be situation‐specific (climate and soil type) and need to be considered at the proper scale or within a proper land classification framework. DSM products have the potential to greatly improve the assessment of ES by turning qualitative relationships between soil and ES to quantitative ones. This could also lead to the discovery of new soil–ES relationships. For this potential to be realized, progress should be made in mapping the most crucial soil parameters with greater precision and in promoting the use of soil parameters in ES assessment.
Scrutinizing the nexus: Energy, economic growth, and environmental quality: An approach toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (7, 13, and 8)
Authors: Fahad Shah , Khan Aftab , Waqas Muhammad , Luqman Muhammad
Published: June 2024

This study investigates the intricate relationship between energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental quality in Pakistan from 1990 to 2022, highlighting the critical role of natural resources rent (NRR) and renewable energy consumption (REC) in shaping carbon dioxide emissions. The study aims to understand how these variables interact and influence each other, particularly focusing on the impact of NRR and REC on CO2 emissions within the context of Pakistan's economic growth and energy consumption patterns. Given the country's rapid economic growth and increasing energy demands, there is an imperative need to investigate how these factors influence environmental quality, particularly CO2 emissions employing the autoregressive distributed lag approach with structural breaks, we analyze the long‐term interactions and causality among NRR, REC, energy use (EU), gross domestic product (GDP), and CO2 emissions. Our findings demonstrate that while NRR and REC negatively correlate with CO2 emissions, a positive association exists between EU, GDP growth, and emissions. These results underscore the potential of strategic environmental policies, aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 7, 13, and 8, to foster sustainable development pathways in Pakistan. By comparing this study's approach with existing methodologies, we highlight our study's unique contribution to the literature, offering policymakers a robust foundation to formulate effective strategies for balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability.
Solving flood problems with deep learning technology: Research status, strategies, and future directions
Authors: Li Hongyang , Zhu Mingxin , Li Fangxin , Skitmore Martin
Published: June 2024

As a frequent and devastating natural disaster worldwide, floods are influenced by complex factors. Building flood models for simulating, monitoring, and forecasting floods is crucial to reduce the risk of disasters and minimize damage to people and property. With advancements in computing power and the impressive capabilities of deep learning in such areas as classification and prediction, there has been growing interest in using this technology in flood research. There is also a growing body of research into building flood data‐driven models with deep learning. Based on this, this study adopts a mixed‐method approach of bibliometric and qualitative analyses to provide an overview of the research. The research status is revealed in a bibliometric visualization, where the research objects are defined from the flood perspective, and the research strategies are explained from the deep learning perspective to provide a comprehensive and in‐depth understanding of the flood problem and how to apply deep learning to solve it. In addition, the study reflects on the future direction of improvement and innovation needed to promote the further development and exploration of deep learning in flood research.
Business digitalisation as a driver of environmental and economic sustainability in micro, small, and medium‐sized enterprises
Authors: Miranda Luis Francisco , Saunila Minna , Cruz‐Cázares Claudio , Ukko Juhani
Published: June 2024

In this study, we examine the direct relationship between business digitalisation and improvements in economic sustainability, as well as the potential mediating role of environmental sustainability. We also examine the potential role of company size as a moderating variable in these relationships. We gathered data from micro, small and medium‐sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Finland. Contrary to initial expectations, our findings reveal that there is no direct and significant relationship between business digitalisation and the economic sustainability of enterprises; this relationship is only possible through the mediating role of environmental sustainability. We also found that, although high levels of environmental sustainability may result in improved economic outcomes, the strength of this relationship is much weaker for microenterprises than for their larger counterparts. Altogether, these results underscore the complex interplay between digitalisation and sustainability outcomes within the context of small businesses.