bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid spheroids containing mesenchymal stem cells promote therapeutic angiogenesis by increasing engraftment of co-transplanted endothelial colony-forming cells in vivo
Authors: Song Young Cheol , Park Gyu Tae , Moon Hye Ji , Choi Eun-Bae , Lim Mi-Ju , Yoon Jung Won , Lee Nayeon , Kwon Sang Mo , Lee Byung-Joo , Kim Jae Ho
Published: August 2023

Background

Peripheral artery disease is an ischemic vascular disease caused by the blockage of blood vessels supplying blood to the lower extremities. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) have been reported to alleviate peripheral artery disease by forming new blood vessels. However, the clinical application of MSCs and ECFCs has been impeded by their poor in vivo engraftment after cell transplantation. To augment in vivo engraftment of transplanted MSCs and ECFCs, we investigated the effects of hybrid cell spheroids, which mimic a tissue-like environment, on the therapeutic efficacy and survival of transplanted cells.

Methods

The in vivo survival and angiogenic activities of the spheroids or cell suspension composed of MSCs and ECFCs were measured in a murine hindlimb ischemia model and Matrigel plug assay. In the hindlimb ischemia model, the hybrid spheroids showed enhanced therapeutic effects compared with the control groups, such as adherent cultured cells or spheroids containing either MSCs or ECFCs.

Results

Spheroids from MSCs, but not from ECFCs, exhibited prolonged in vivo survival compared with adherent cultured cells, whereas hybrid spheroids composed of MSCs and ECFCs substantially increased the survival of ECFCs. Moreover, single spheroids of either MSCs or ECFCs secreted greater levels of pro-angiogenic factors than adherent cultured cells, and the hybrid spheroids of MSCs and ECFCs promoted the secretion of several pro-angiogenic factors, such as angiopoietin-2 and platelet-derived growth factor.

Conclusion

These results suggest that hybrid spheroids containing MSCs can serve as carriers for cell transplantation of ECFCs which have poor in vivo engraftment efficiency.
The modelling of urban running races
Authors: Enguiça Ricardo , Lopes Nuno D.
Published: August 2023

In this paper, we model mass running urban races, taking into consideration several conditioning factors. The main goal is to find ideal configurations of the start of the race, splitting it into several waves, reducing the density of athletes and the overall time lost, when comparing the normal race results with a race without density constraints. This model takes into account distinct realistic runners’ profiles, changes in slope and width on the race course and its influence on the running pace. Moreover, density levels, dynamics of the start of the race and time between the departure of waves are also considered.
Advanced cryopreservation engineering strategies: the critical step to utilize stem cell products
Authors: Wang Xiaohu , Wang Enyu , Zhao Gang
Published: August 2023

With the rapid development of stem cell-related therapies and regenerative medicine, the clinical application of stem cell products is on the rise. However, ensuring the effectiveness of these products after storage and transportation remains a challenge in the transformation to clinical trials. Cryopreservation technology allows for the long-term storage of cells while ensuring viability, making it a top priority for stem cell preservation. The field of cryopreservation-related engineering technologies is thriving, and this review provides an overview of the background and basic principles of cryopreservation. It then delves into the main bioengineering technologies and strategies used in cryopreservation, including photothermal and electromagnetic rewarming, microencapsulation, and synergetic ice inhibition. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects in the field of efficient cryopreservation of stem cells are summarized and discussed.
Rasch analysis of the Chinese version of the clinically useful depression outcome scale in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Zhong Jing , Ma Hai-Yan , Wang Xue-Mei , Huang Xiao-Jie , Xu Ming-Zhi
Published: August 2023

Objective

To examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Clinically Useful Depression Outcome Scale (CUDOS) in the Chinese patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) using Rasch analysis.

Methods

The sample consisted of 283 patients with MDD (69% females). The Rasch model was applied to examine the overall fit of the Chinese version of CUDOS and the fit of the 18 items. Dimensionality, item-model fit, differential item functioning (DIF), reliability, ordering of response category and targeting were tested to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of CUDOS.

Results

Rasch analysis demonstrated the unidimensionality of the Chinese version of CUDOS. Of the 18 items, three items (item 4, item 5, item 6) showed misfit in the model. After merging item 4 into item 3 and item 6 into item 5, the overall model fit improved. The person separation index (PSI) was 3.0 and the person reliability coefficient was 0.90. No evidence of significant DIF was found when associated with gender and age. No disordered category and threshold of the rating response were observed, which meant the response category setting was reasonable. The mean ability of person was − 0.53.

Conclusion

The results suggested that the Chinese version of CUDOS has acceptable psychometric properties. In order to improve the quality and applicability of the Chinese version of CUDOS, the merging of item 4 into item 3 and item 6 into item 5 are suggested.
Prediction of broken areas in murals based on MLP-fused long-range semantics
Authors: Hu Nanyu , Wu Hao , Yuan Guowu
Published: August 2023

Predicting the broken areas in murals plays a key role in mural virtual restoration. Mural damage may arise for various reasons and the broken areas also vary greatly in terms of type. The existing methods, however, are limited to predicting a single type of damage and often struggle to identify the dispersed damage with accuracy. Moreover, these methods make it difficult to capture the global information in the broken areas for their insufficient understanding of contexts. To fully use the features at different scales, we propose a novel hierarchical multi-scale encoder-decoder framework termed as Mixer of Dual Attention and Convolution (DACMixer). With the introduction of an attention-convolution dual-branch module in the encoder, DACMixer can not only improve its ability to extract intricate features of small broken areas but also capture long-range dependencies of independent broken areas. Within DACMixer, the MFF (Multi-layer perceptron-based feature fusion) module integrates both local and global information in the broken areas, facilitating efficient and explicit modeling image hierarchies in the global and local range. Contrary to the encoder, DACMixer uses only lightweight multi-level decoder to decode the features of the broken masks, thus reducing the computational cost. Additionally, DACMixer preserves skip-connection to effectively integrate features from different levels of the MFF module. Furthermore, we provide a diversified mural dataset with elaborated broken annotation, which is named YMDA [YMDA denotes our dataset Yunnan_Murals_Dataset_Aug.], to further improve DACMixer’s generalization ability to predict the broken areas. The experimental results demonstrate that DACMixer is capable of predicting the texture, edges, and details of the broken areas in murals with complex backgrounds. DACMixer outperforms the conventional methods with superb results: it achieves 78.3% broken areas IoU (Intersection over Union), 87.5% MIoU (Mean Intersection over Union), and 85.7% Dice coefficient.
A study on the spatial distribution and historical evolution of grotto heritage: a case study of Gansu Province, China
Authors: Runze Yang
Published: August 2023

Grottoes are a comprehensive art treasure trove that integrate architecture, sculpture, and murals. They showcase the historical spiritual civilization of humanity and provide a solid foundation for studying the dissemination and development of Buddhist culture. Gansu Province is an important node on the transmission route of Buddhist culture, constituting a relatively complete and rich history of Buddhist art and cultural history. This article uses GIS technology to systematically analyse the spatial distribution characteristics and spatiotemporal evolution patterns of grottoes in Gansu Province from the Wei Jin to the Ming and Qing dynasties and explores the main factors affecting their distribution. The results indicate the following: (1) the grottoes in Gansu Province exhibit clustering and uneven distribution characteristics, which form the core aggregation area of Qingyang Tianshui City and the secondary aggregation area of Wuwei and Zhangye City. (2) Spatiotemporal characteristics show significant changes in the number and focus of excavation and repair of grottoes in Gansu Province over the years. The Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui and Tang Dynasties, and Ming and Qing Dynasties had more grottoes than the Wei, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties. The overall centre of gravity shifted from northwest to southeast. Natural factors such as topography, stratigraphy, and hydrology and cultural factors such as politics and transportation significantly impacted the spatial pattern of grotto heritage in Gansu Province. Exploring and studying the spatial layout of grotto heritage from the perspective of historical geography is beneficial for understanding the cultural development and historical changes in Buddhism and is of great significance for the development of landscape environmental protection and utilization of grotto heritage.
AppChainer: investigating the chainability among payloads in android applications
Authors: Xiang Xiaobo , Jiang Yue , Guo Qingli , Zhang Xiu , Gong Xiaorui , Liu Baoxu
Published: August 2023

Statistics show that more than 80 applications are installed on each android smartphone. Vulnerability research on Android applications is of critical importance. Recently, academic researchers mainly focus on single bug patterns, while few of them investigate the relations between multiple bugs. Industrial researchers proposed a series of logic exploit chains leveraging multiple logic bugs. However, there is no general model to evaluate the chaining abilities between bugs. This paper presents a formal model to elucidate the relations between multiple bugs in Android applications. To prove the effectiveness of the model, we design and implement a prototype system named AppChainer. AppChainer automatically identifies attack surfaces of Android applications and investigates whether the payloads entering these attack surfaces are “chainable”. Experimental results on 2138 popular Android applications show that AppChainer is effective in identifying and chaining attacker-controllable payloads. It identifies 14467 chainable payloads and constructs 5458 chains both inside a single application and among various applications. The time cost and resource consumption of AppChainer are also acceptable. For each application, the average analysis time is 317 s, and the average memory consumed is 2368 MB. Compared with the most relevant work Jandroid, the experiment results on our custom DroidChainBench show that AppChainer outperforms Jandroid at the precision rate and performs equally with Jandroid at the recall rate.
Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus aureus as commensals and pathogens on murine skin
Authors: Battaglia Michael , Garrett-Sinha Lee Ann
Published: August 2023

Skin ulcers, skin dermatitis and skin infections are common phenomena in colonies of laboratory mice and are often found at increased prevalence in certain immunocompromised strains. While in many cases these skin conditions are mild, in other cases they can be severe and lead to animal morbidity. Furthermore, the presence of skin infections and ulcerations can complicate the interpretation of experimental protocols, including those examining immune cell activation. Bacterial species in the genus Staphylococcus are the most common pathogens recovered from skin lesions in mice. In particular, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus xylosus have both been implicated as pathogens on murine skin. Staphylococcus aureus is a well-known pathogen of human skin, but S. xylosus skin infections in humans have not been described, indicating that there is a species-specific difference in the ability of S. xylosus to serve as a skin pathogen. The aim of this review is to summarize studies that link S. aureus and S. xylosus to skin infections of mice and to describe factors involved in their adherence to tissue and their virulence. We discuss potential differences in mouse and human skin that might underlie the ability of S. xylosus to act as a pathogen on murine skin, but not human skin. Finally, we also describe mouse mutants that have shown increased susceptibility to skin infections with staphylococcal bacteria. These mutants point to pathways that are important in the control of commensal staphylococcal bacteria. The information here may be useful to researchers who are working with mouse strains that are prone to skin infections with staphylococcal bacteria.
Total knee arthroplasty in dialysis patients: a national in-patient sample-based study of perioperative complications
Authors: Venishetty Nikit , Wukich Dane K. , Beale Jack , Riley Martinez J. , Toutoungy Michel , Mounasamy Varatharaj , Sambandam Senthil
Published: August 2023

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing disease that affects millions of people in the USA every year. Many CKD patients progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), necessitating the use of hemodialysis to alleviate symptoms and manage kidney function. Furthermore, many of these patients have lower bone quality and experience more postoperative complications. However, there is currently limited information on hospitalization information and perioperative complications in this population following procedures such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to assess the patient characteristics, demographics, and prevalence of postoperative problems among dialysis patients who received TKA.

Methods

In this retrospective study, we used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2016 to 2019 to analyze the incidence of perioperative complications, length of stay (LOS), and the cost of care (COC) among patients undergoing TKA who were categorized as dialysis patients, compared with those who were not. Propensity matching was conducted to consider associated factors that may influence perioperative complications.

Results

From 2016 to 2019, 558,371 patients underwent TKAs, according to the National In-Sample (NIS) database. Of those, 418 patients (0.1%) were in the dialysis group, while the remaining 557,953 patients were included in the control group. The mean age of the dialysis group was 65.4 ± 9.8 years, and the mean age in the control group was 66.7 ± 9.5 years (p = 0.006). After propensity matching, dialysis group patients had a higher risk of receiving blood transfusions [odds ratio (OR): 2; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2, 3.4] and a significantly larger COC in comparison to those in the control group (91,434.3 USD versus 71,943.6 USD, p < 0.001). In addition, dialysis patients had significantly higher discharges to another facility, as compared with the control group patients.

Conclusions

The dialysis group had a significantly higher cost of care, higher rates of requiring blood transfusion, and more cases of being discharged to another facility than non-dialysis patients. This data will help providers make informed decisions about patient care and resource allocation for dialysis patients undergoing TKA.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Promote Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy Adherence Among Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Bright Emma E. , Finkelstein Lauren B. , Nealis Madeline S. , Genung Sarah R. , Wrigley Jordan , Gu Heng Chao J. , Schmiege Sarah J. , Arch Joanna J.
Published: August 2023

PURPOSE

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) adherence among breast cancer survivors is often suboptimal, leading to higher cancer recurrence and mortality. Intervention studies to promote AET adherence have burgeoned, more than doubling in number since this literature was last reviewed. The current aim is to provide an up-to-date systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to enhance AET adherence and to identify strengths and limitations of existing interventions to inform future research and clinical care.

METHODS

Systematic searches were conducted in three electronic databases. Studies were included in the systematic review if they examined an intervention for promoting AET adherence among breast cancer survivors. Studies were further included in the meta-analyses if they examined a measure of AET adherence (defined as compliance or persistence beyond initiation) and reported (or provided upon request) sufficient information to calculate an effect size.

RESULTS

Of 5,045 unique records, 33 unique studies representing 375,951 women met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Interventions that educated patients about how to manage side effects generally failed to improve AET adherence, whereas policy changes that lowered AET costs consistently improved adherence. Medication reminders, communication, and psychological/coping strategies showed varied efficacy. Of the 33 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, 25 studies representing 367,873 women met inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed statistically significant effects of the adherence interventions overall relative to study-specified control conditions (number of studies [k] = 25; odds ratio, 1.412; 95% CI, 1.183 to 1.682; P = .0001). Subgroup analyses showed that there were no statistically significant differences in effect sizes by study design (randomized controlled trial v other), publication year, directionality of the intervention (unidirectional v bidirectional contact), or intervention type.

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this is the first known meta-analysis to demonstrate a significant effect for interventions to promote AET adherence. The systematic review revealed that lowering medication costs and a subgroup of psychosocial and reminder interventions showed the most promise, informing future research, policy, and clinical directions.
Long-Term Consequences of Cushing Syndrome: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Puglisi Soraya , Perini Anna Maria Elena , Botto Cristina , Oliva Francesco , Terzolo Massimo
Published: August 2023

It is held that the condition of endogenous chronic hypersecretion of cortisol (Cushing syndrome, CS), causes several comorbidities, including cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, musculoskeletal alterations, as well as cognitive and mood impairment. Therefore, CS has an adverse impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of affected patients. What remains unclear is whether disease remission may induce a normalization of the associated comorbid conditions. In order to retrieve updated information on this issue, we conducted a systematic search using the Pubmed and Embase databases to identify scientific papers published from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2022. The initial search identified 1907 potentially eligible records. Papers were screened for eligibility and a total of 79 were included and classified by the main topic (cardiometabolic risk, thromboembolic disease, bone impairment, muscle damage, mood disturbances and quality of life, cognitive impairment, and mortality).

Although the limited patient numbers in many studies preclude definitive conclusions, most recent evidence supports the persistence of increased morbidity and mortality even after long-term remission. It is conceivable that the degree of normalization of the associated comorbid conditions depends on individual factors and characteristics of the conditions. These findings highlight the need for early recognition and effective management of patients with CS, which should include active treatment of the related comorbid conditions. In addition, it is important to maintain a surveillance strategy in all patients with CS, even many years after disease remission, and to actively pursue specific treatment of comorbid conditions beyond cortisol normalization.
Variability in the Arterial Supply of Intracranial Meningiomas: An Anatomic Study
Authors: Ahmed Abdul-Kareem , Wilhelmy Bradley , Oliver Jeffrey , Serra Riccardo , Chen Chixiang , Gandhi Dheeraj , Eisenberg Howard M. , Labib Mohamed A. , Woodworth Graeme F.
Published: August 2023

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Intracranial meningiomas are a diverse group of tumors, which vary by grade, genetic composition, location, and vasculature. Expanding the understanding of the supply of skull base (SBMs) and non–skull base meningiomas (NSBMs) will serve to further inform resection strategies. We sought to delineate the vascular supply of a series of intracranial meningiomas by tumor location.

METHODS:

A retrospective study of intracranial meningiomas that were studied using preoperative digital subtraction angiograms before surgical resection at a tertiary referral center was performed. Patient, tumor, radiologic, and treatment data were collected, and regression models were developed.

RESULTS:

One hundred sixty-five patients met inclusion criteria. The mean age was 57.1 years (SD: 12.6). The mean tumor diameter was 4.9 cm (SD: 1.5). One hundred twenty-six were World Health Organization Grade I, 37 Grade II, and 2 Grade III. Arterial feeders were tabulated by Al-Mefty's anatomic designations. SBMs were more likely to derive arterial supply from the anterior circulation, whereas NSBMs were supplied by external carotid branches. NSBMs were larger (5.61 cm vs 4.45 cm, P = <.001), were more often presented with seizure (20% vs 8%, P = .03), were higher grade (P = <.001) had more frequent peritumoral brain edema (84.6% vs 66%, P = .04), and had more bilateral feeders (47.7% vs 28%, P = .01) compared with SBMs. More arterial feeders were significantly associated with lower tumor grade (P = .023, OR = 0.59). Higher tumor grade (Grade II/III) was associated with fewer arterial feeders (P = .017, RR = 0.74).

CONCLUSION:

Meningioma location is associated with specific vascular supply patterns, grade, and patient outcomes. This information suggests that grade I tumors, especially larger tumors, are more likely to have diverse vascular supply patterns, including internal carotid branches. This study may inform preoperative embolization and surgical considerations, particularly for large skull base tumors.
Basement membrane dynamics and mechanics in tissue morphogenesis
Authors: Töpfer Uwe
Published: August 2023

The basement membrane (BM) is a thin, planar-organized extracellular matrix that underlies epithelia and surrounds most organs. During development, the BM is highly dynamic and simultaneously provides mechanical properties that stabilize tissue structure and shape organs. Moreover, it is important for cell polarity, cell migration, and cell signaling. Thereby BM diverges regarding molecular composition, structure, and modes of assembly. Different BM organization leads to various physical features. The mechanisms that regulate BM composition and structure and how this affects mechanical properties are not fully understood. Recent studies show that precise control of BM deposition or degradation can result in BMs with locally different protein densities, compositions, thicknesses, or polarization. Such heterogeneous matrices can induce temporospatial force anisotropy and enable tissue sculpting. In this Review, I address recent findings that provide new perspectives on the role of the BM in morphogenesis.
Stress in the social context: a behavioural and eco-evolutionary perspective
Authors: MacLeod Kirsty J. , English Sinead , Ruuskanen Suvi K. , Taborsky Barbara
Published: August 2023

The social environment is one of the primary sources of challenging stimuli that can induce a stress response in animals. It comprises both short-term and stable interactions among conspecifics (including unrelated individuals, mates, potential mates and kin). Social stress is of unique interest in the field of stress research because (1) the social domain is arguably the most complex and fluctuating component of an animal's environment; (2) stress is socially transmissible; and (3) stress can be buffered by social partners. Thus, social interactions can be both the cause and cure of stress. Here, we review the history of social stress research, and discuss social stressors and their effects on organisms across early life and adulthood. We also consider cross-generational effects. We discuss the physiological mechanisms underpinning social stressors and stress responses, as well as the potential adaptive value of responses to social stressors. Finally, we identify outstanding challenges in social stress research, and propose a framework for addressing these in future work.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study on Relationship between Phase Behavior and Rotational and Translational Dynamics of an Ionic Liquid with a Plastic Crystal Phase: N-Butyl-N-methylpiperidinium Hexafluorophosphate
Authors: Nishikawa Keiko , Fujii Kozo
Published: August 2023

N-butyl-N-methylpiperidinium hexafluorophosphate, [C1C4pip]PF6, is an ionic liquid with a plastic crystal (PC) phase. To investigate the dynamics of the phase transition between crystalline, plastic crystalline, and liquid phases of [C1C4pip]PF6, we measured the temperature dependences of longitudinal and transverse relaxation times (T1 and T2, respectively) for 1H and 19F using low-frequency pulse nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods. T1 and T2 changes are sensitive to the rotational and translational dynamics of ions, respectively. Since H and F atoms are only present in the cation and anion, respectively, the dynamic behaviors of each ionic molecule can be investigated separately. In the phase transition between the PC and liquid phase, the temperature-dependent curves of 1H-T1 were smoothly connected, indicating the same rotational motion for the cation occurred in both phases. The curves of 19F-T1 yielded the same conclusion for the rotational motion of the anion in both phases. The temperature-dependent curves of 1H-T2 and 19F-T2 jumped abruptly from phase to phase, indicating different modes of translational motion in each phase. We observed the appearance of a translationally mobile component in both the PC phase and the crystalline phase. This was concluded to be surface or interfacial melting.
Increasing Step Rate Reduces Peak and Cumulative Insole Force in Collegiate Runners
Authors: MADDEN THOMAS S. , HAWKINS DAVID A.
Published: August 2023

Increasing step rate has been proposed to reduce overuse injury risk in runners by reducing the magnitude of musculoskeletal loading. Although estimating structure-specific loads is challenging, during level running, changes in a runner’s vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) may provide insight to changes in their musculoskeletal loading. Further, vGRF can be approximated using force sensing insoles.

Purpose

The primary goal of this study was to examine changes in peak insole force and cumulative weighted peak force (CWPF)/km with increased step rate in collegiate runners. The secondary goal was to determine whether sacral acceleration correlates with insole force when increasing step rate.

Methods

Twelve collegiate distance runners ran 1000 m outdoors at 3.83 m·s−1 at preferred and 10% increased step rates while insole force and sacral acceleration were recorded. Cumulative weighted peak force/km was calculated from insole force based on cumulative damage models. The effects of step rate on peak insole force and CWPF·km−1 were tested using paired t tests or Wilcoxon tests. Correlation coefficients between peak axial (approximately vertical) sacral acceleration times body mass and peak insole force were calculated on cohort and individual levels.

Results

Peak insole force and CWPF·km−1 decreased (P < 0.001) with increased step rate. Peak axial sacral acceleration did not correlate with peak insole force on the cohort level (r = 0.35, P = 0.109) but did within individuals (mean, r = 0.69–0.78; P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Increasing step rate may reduce peak vGRF and CWPF·km−1 in collegiate runners. Therefore, clinicians should consider step rate interventions to reduce peak and cumulative vGRF in this population. Individual-specific calibrations may be required to assess changes in peak vGRF in response to increasing step rate using wearable accelerometers.
New species of Miradiscops (Gastropoda: Scolodontidae) from Martinique
Authors: Ravalo Lorenzo G. O. , Gargominy Olivier , Salvador Rodrigo B.
Published: August 2023

Only 17 endemic land snail species are known so far on the Lesser Antillean island of Martinique, most of which are macrogastropods that are easily visible, and thus, easily collectable. On the other hand, species of microgastropods remain undersampled and overlooked. Based on recently collected shells from Mount Vauclin, we describe a new species of Scolodontidae, Miradiscops madinina sp. nov. from Martinique. This is the first recorded incidence of Miradiscops stricto sensu from the volcanic arc of the Lesser Antilles, as well as the second species of Scolodontidae recorded from Martinique. This emphasises the importance of Mount Vauclin as a home to endemic invertebrates on the island and the need for collection efforts that includes soil and leaf litter sampling.
Facilitating accessible, rapid, and appropriate processing of ancient metagenomic data with AMDirT
Authors: Borry Maxime , Forsythe Adrian , Andrades Valtueña Aida , Hübner Alexander , Ibrahim Anan , Quagliariello Andrea , White Anna E. , Kocher Arthur , Vågene‬ Åshild J. , Bartholdy Bjørn Peare , Spurīte Diāna , Ponce-Soto Gabriel Yaxal , Neumann Gunnar , Huang I-Ting , Light Ian , Velsko Irina M. , Jackson Iseult , Frangenberg Jasmin , Serrano Javier G. , Fumey Julien , Özdoğan Kadir T. , Blevins Kelly E. , Daly Kevin G. , Lopopolo Maria , Moraitou Markella , Michel Megan , van Os Meriam , Bravo-Lopez Miriam J. , Sarhan Mohamed S. , Dagtas Nihan D. , Oskolkov Nikolay , Smith Olivia S. , Lebrasseur Ophélie , Rozwalak Piotr , Eisenhofer Raphael , Wasef Sally , Ramachandran Shreya L. , Vanghi Valentina , Warinner Christina , Fellows Yates James A.
Published: August 2023

Background: Access to sample-level metadata is important when selecting public metagenomic sequencing datasets for reuse in new biological analyses. The Standards, Precautions, and Advances in Ancient Metagenomics community (SPAAM, https://spaam-community.github.io) has previously published AncientMetagenomeDir, a collection of curated and standardised sample metadata tables for metagenomic and microbial genome datasets generated from ancient samples. However, while sample-level information is useful for identifying relevant samples for inclusion in new projects, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) library construction and sequencing metadata are also essential for appropriately reprocessing ancient metagenomic data. Currently, recovering information for downloading and preparing such data is difficult when laboratory and bioinformatic metadata is heterogeneously recorded in prose-based publications. 

Methods: Through a series of community-based hackathon events, AncientMetagenomeDir was updated to provide standardised library-level metadata of existing and new ancient metagenomic samples. In tandem, the companion tool 'AMDirT' was developed to facilitate automated metadata curation and data validation, as well as rapid data filtering and downloading. 

Results: AncientMetagenomeDir was extended to include standardised metadata of over 5000 ancient metagenomic libraries. The companion tool 'AMDirT' provides both graphical- and command-line interface based access to such metadata for users from a wide range of computational backgrounds. We also report on errors with metadata reporting that appear to commonly occur during data upload and provide suggestions on how to improve the quality of data sharing by the community.

Conclusions: Together, both standardised metadata and tooling will help towards easier incorporation and reuse of public ancient metagenomic datasets into future analyses.
Comparative evaluation of retention of record bases fabricated using conventional impression and modified digital scan for complete denture: An in vivo study
Authors: Agrawal Mahima , Borle Anjali
Published: August 2023

Background: In prosthetic dentistry, making an impression to replicate the oral health and tooth morphology is regarded as a crucial step. It is essential to ensure that the intraoral state is replicated as exactly as possible throughout this process, because any mistakes or inconsistencies could significantly impact the quality of the entire denture. In secondary impression, it’s crucial to capture the resilient oral mucosa (oral vestibule and soft palate) in order to acquire a satisfactory retention. As an alternative to conventional impression, digital scanning has been widely used in complete denture procedure. Although the digital scanning of edentulous ridges is feasible, scanning resilient oral tissues in complete denture still cannot be supported digitally. This study focuses on modifying the digital scan and comparison of retention of record bases fabricated from these modified digital scan to the record bases fabricated using conventional impression.

Objectives: To compare the retention of record base prepared from conventional impression to the retention of record base from modified digital scan.

Methodology: A total of 18 patients with edentulous maxillary arches will be recruited. A modified intraoral scan of the maxilla will be made on nine patients and on the remaining nine patients, a conventionally border moulded impression with a custom tray will be made. A record base with heat polymerized acrylic resin will be made on the definitive cast. Using the modified scanned image, the CAD-CAM bases will be milled. A dynamometer will be placed onto the record base; this will simulate the dislodging forces, thus clinically testing record base retention.

Expected outcome: The record bases from modified digital scan will show equivalent or higher retention compared to record bases from conventional impression.

Conclusions: By the end of the study, we will know whether resiliency of tissues can be recorded by modified digital scans.
Technology Enabled Intelligent Solution in Human Resource Management for Smart Cities
Authors: Vijh Garima , Agrawal Swati , Sharma Richa
Published: July 2023

The foundation of smart cities is based on an autonomous and decentralized architecture, which consists of sophisticated information and communication technologies (ICT) in convergence with technology enabled solution to improve the business management process in industry 4.0. This study tends to examine the adoption of blockchain technologies (DLT) in the human resource management (HRM) of organizations in building solutions for IOT (Internet of things) smart cities.
The current study explores a unique set of factors selected from the extensive literature and acquired information from fifteen experts having significant experience of blockchain technology in their respective organizations. An integrated fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) is applied to prioritize the identified success factors. Further, the modified decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (M-DEMATEL) method is utilized to represent the complicated causal relationships among different sub-factors on blockchain-HRM integration.
The findings show the application of blockchain will foster a paradigm change in IOT based smart communities, where recruiters verify the candidate credentials including education, skills, and work experience. The payroll managers would determine the more effective way to make work less complex and moderate, enabling timelier payments to global employees. Furthermore, DLT would enhance the employee learning records and update the real-time information in HRM database technologies. Thus, providing a detailed guide for future Industry 4.0 developers about how blockchain can improve the next generation of industrial applications.
The developed method can help the decision-makers and provide a foundational view to examine the benefits of implementing blockchain technology in the HRM setting of an organization before they choose to integrate in order to enhance Industry 4.0 technologies.
This research will be a novel attempt to synthesize the key factors and subfactors about technology enabled solution within the intelligent HRM process, shedding light to rethink HRM strategies to incorporate blockchain technology in organizations.
A Prescriptive Machine Learning Approach to Mixed-Integer Convex Optimization
Authors: Bertsimas Dimitris , Kim Cheol Woo
Published: August 2023

We introduce a prescriptive machine learning approach to speed up the process of solving mixed-integer convex optimization (MICO) problems. We solve multiple optimization instances and train a machine learning model in advance, which we use to solve new instances. Previous works have shown that the predictions of classification algorithms enable us to solve optimization problems much faster than commercial solvers. What distinguishes this paper from the previous work is that we use a prescriptive algorithm, Optimal Policy Trees (OPT), instead of classification algorithms. Whereas classification algorithms aim to predict the correct label and consider all other labels equally undesirable, a prescriptive approach takes into account all the available decision options and their counterfactuals. We first introduce an algorithm that is purely based on OPT and also its extension. We compare their performance with Optimal Classification Trees (OCT) on various MICO problems. Test problems include transportation optimization, portfolio optimization, facility location, and hybrid vehicle control. We also experiment on real-world instances taken from the Mixed Integer Programming Library. OPT-based methods have a significant edge on finding feasible solutions, whereas OCT-based methods have a slight edge on the degree of suboptimality. The proposed extension of the pure OPT algorithm improves on the suboptimality of the solutions the algorithm produces.

History: Accepted by Andrea Lodi, Area Editor for Design & Analysis of Algorithms–Discrete.

Funding: The research was funded in part by a grant from OCP to MIT.
A Computationally Efficient Benders Decomposition for Energy Systems Planning Problems with Detailed Operations and Time-Coupling Constraints
Authors: Jacobson Anna , Pecci Filippo , Sepulveda Nestor , Xu Qingyu , Jenkins Jesse
Published: August 2023

Energy systems planning models identify least-cost strategies for expansion and operation of energy systems and provide decision support for investment, planning, regulation, and policy. Most are formulated as linear programming (LP) or mixed integer linear programming (MILP) problems. Despite the relative efficiency and maturity of LP and MILP solvers, large scale problems are often intractable without abstractions that impact quality of results and generalizability of findings. We consider a macro-energy systems planning problem with detailed operations and policy constraints and formulate a computationally efficient Benders decomposition separating investments from operations and decoupling operational timesteps using budgeting variables in the master model. This novel approach enables parallelization of operational subproblems and permits modeling of relevant constraints coupling decisions across time periods (e.g., policy constraints) within a decomposed framework. Runtime scales linearly with temporal resolution; tests demonstrate substantial runtime improvement for all MILP formulations and for some LP formulations depending on problem size relative to analogous monolithic models solved with state-of-the-art commercial solvers. Our algorithm is applicable to planning problems in other domains (e.g., water, transportation networks, production processes) and can solve large-scale problems otherwise intractable. We show that the increased resolution enabled by this algorithm mitigates structural uncertainty, improving recommendation accuracy.

Funding: Funding for this work was provided by the Princeton Carbon Mitigation Initiative (funded by a gift from BP) and the Princeton Zero-carbon Technology Consortium (funded by gifts from GE, Google, ClearPath, and Breakthrough Energy).

Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoo.2023.0005 .
Contextual Inverse Optimization: Offline and Online Learning
Authors: Besbes Omar , Fonseca Yuri , Lobel Ilan
Published: August 2023

Learning from data are critical across applications. However, in many applications, past data only gives partial information about the future. In “Contextual Inverse Optimization: Offline and Online Learning,” Besbes, Fonseca, and Lobel study a general setting in which historical data are associated with observations of past optimal actions from experts in specific contexts but without the underlying rewards associated with these actions. To what extent can one “reverse engineer” the underlying decision-making process of experts and mimic them? The authors develop results that quantify the performance that is achievable given the data at hand in two types of settings: the offline setting in which data have already been collected and the online setting in which data are collected “on the fly.”
Youth relationships during the pandemic Covid-19 matter. A mediating role of social resources on e-learning burnout, well-being, and overeating behaviors
Authors: Tomaszek Katarzyna , Muchacka-Cymerman Agnieszka
Published: August 2023

Aim: Youth who are engaging themselves in overeating behaviours are at risk of numerous adverse outcomes. Overeating may be also considered as an early warning sign of additional psychological issues, e.g. poor well-being, depression and suicide ideation. Although a vast body of literature has examined pandemic Covid-19 related stressors as potential risk factors for eating problems, no studies have explored e-learning stress and burnout as a characteristic that may contribute to overeating among adolescents during this global crisis. The main goal of this study was to test the mediation effect of social resources on the associations between e-school stress and burnout, adolescents’ psychological well-being and overeating.
Method: Path analysis was conducted on the results of the E-Learning Burnout Scale, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Short Social Resource scale, and one-item scales for Overeating behaviours and Online School Stress. Cross-sectional data were collected via Google forms from 186 students (M=15.93 years; SD=1.70; 60% girls).
Results: Social resources and e-learning burnout had a significant direct effect on overeating behaviours frequency. The significant indirect effect of psychological well-being via social resources on overeating behaviours was confirmed, however the indirect effect of e-learning burnout was insignificant. Student stress had a significant indirect effect on overeating behaviours via e-learning burnout, and via social resources.
Conclusions: E-learning stress and burnout during the Covid-19 pandemic are directly related to the reduction of the individuals’ resources used to effectively cope with negative emotions and distress in everyday life, which, in turn, may heighten the risk of engaging in overeating behaviours.

Keywords: overeating behaviours, online student burnout, social resources, adolescence
Solar Grids Set to Transform Lives in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Knight Helen
Published: August 2023

Project to build sustainable and affordable means of generating electricity
Phosphorene Could Make Tech a Reality
Authors: Knight Helen
Published: August 2023

Tiny crystalline ribbons could help with energy storage and electronics
Getting Smart with New Production Techniques
Authors: Knight Helen
Published: August 2023

New capabilities in MEMS designs can provide more sensors and bigger batteries for electronic devices
Pareto H-eigenvalues of nonnegative tensors and uniform hypergraphs
Authors: Zheng Lu , Zhou Bo
Published: August 2023

The Pareto H-eigenvalues of nonnegative tensors and (adjacency tensors of) uniform hypergraphs are studied. Particularly, it is shown that the Pareto H-eigenvalues of a nonnegative tensor are just the spectral radii of its weakly irreducible principal subtensors, and those hypergraphs that minimize or maximize the second largest Pareto H-eigenvalue over several well-known classes of uniform hypergraphs are determined.
Instantaneous bandwidth expansion of photonic sampling analog-to-digital conversion for linear frequency modulation waveforms based on up-sampling and fractional Fourier transform signal processing
Authors: Li Zhengkai , Tian Huan , Lyu Weiqiang , Zhang Yaowen , Gao Fu , Xu Ziwei , Zhang Lingjie , Zhang Zhiyao , Zhang Shangjian , Li Heping , Liu Yong
Published: August 2023

An approach to expanding the instantaneous bandwidth of a photonic sampling analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for receiving linear frequency modulation waveforms (LFMWs) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated based on up-sampling and filtering in the fractional Fourier domain. Through twice zero interpolation, the equivalent sampling rate is quadrupled, which also quadruples the nominal instantaneous bandwidth of the photonic sampling ADC. In addition, with the assistance of bandpass filtering in the fraction Fourier domain, the image signals and the harmonic distortions generated in the interpolation process are filtered out. As a result, the effective instantaneous bandwidth of the photonic sampling ADC is doubled. In the experiment, the instantaneous bandwidth of a photonic sampling ADC with a sampling rate of 5 GSa/s for receiving LFMWs is increased from 2.5 GHz to 5 GHz by using the proposed method. Input LFMWs within the frequency range of 24–27 GHz and 30–33 GHz, i.e., with an instantaneous bandwidth of 3 GHz, are digitized without frequency-domain aliasing. Besides, the ability of the proposed method to enhance the ranging accuracy in a broadband radar system is demonstrated. This method reduces the hardware complexity of the photonic sampling ADC for receiving broadband LFMWs in radar systems.
PDM-OFDM 1-bit DSM 1024QAM/4096QAM signals at W-band transmission over 4.6-km wireless distance
Authors: Wei Yi , Yu Jianjun , Li Weiping , Liu Jiaxuan , Yang Xiongwei , Wang Mingxu , Zheng Tianqi , Wang Feng , Zhao Feng , Zhou Wen , Wang Kaihui , Zhao Li
Published: August 2023

In this Letter, we propose the application of delta-sigma modulation (DSM) higher-order quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) technology in long-distance transmission of W-band wireless communication, and demonstrate, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the wireless transmission of millimeter wave signals in the W-band based on 1-bit DSM quantization using polarization-division-multiplexed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (PDM-OFDM) 1024QAM/4096QAM for 4.6 km. We successfully achieved a bit error rate (BER) of 40-Gbit/s PDM-OFDM 1024QAM and 48-Gbit/s PDM-OFDM 4096QAM after 4.6-km wireless transmission, both lower than the soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) of 4.2 × 10−2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that up to 4096QAM signals have been quantized and transmitted based on 1-bit DSM in a 4.6-km-long distance W-band millimeter wave system.
Nonvolatile photonic switch with magnetic materials on a silicon photonic platform [Invited]
Authors: Shoji Yuya , Taniguchi Shohei , Yajima Shun
Published: August 2023

This study investigates the performance of a nonvolatile photonic switch driven by the magneto-optical (MO) effect. Thin-film magnets made of ferromagnetic metals have remanence and maintain the magnetization of the MO garnet. Considering integration on silicon photonic platforms, a thin-film magnet is placed beside the waveguide, and the MO garnet is bonded on the waveguide compatible with the back-end-of-line process. The results obtained demonstrate successfully the nonvolatile MO phase shift and high extinction switching.