bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using community science data to assess the association between urbanization and the presence of invasive Aedes species in Hungary
Authors: Garamszegi László Zsolt , Soltész Zoltán , Kurucz Kornélia , Szentiványi Tamara
Published: May 2023

Background

Urbanization can be a significant contributor to the spread of invasive mosquito vector species, and the diseases they carry, as urbanized habitats provide access to a great density of food resources (humans and domestic animals) and offer abundant breeding sites for these vectors. Although anthropogenic landscapes are often associated with the presence of invasive mosquito species, we still have little understanding about the relationships between some of these and the built environment.

Methods

This study explores the association between urbanization level and the occurrence of invasive Aedes species, specifically Aedes albopictus, Aedes japonicus, and Aedes koreicus, in Hungary, using data from a community (or citizen) science program undertaken between 2019 and 2022.

Results

The association between each of these species and urbanized landscapes within an extensive geographic area was found to differ. Using the same standardized approach, Ae. albopictus showed a statistically significant and positive relationship with urbanization, whereas Ae. japonicus and Ae. koreicus did not.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the importance of community science to mosquito research, as the data gathered using this approach can be used to make qualitative comparisons between species to explore their ecological requirements.

Graphical Abstract
Molecular identification of non-tuberculous mycobacterial species isolated from extrapulmonary samples using real-time PCR and rpoB sequence analysis
Authors: Hashemzadeh Mohammad , Dezfuli Aram Asarehzadegan , Khosravi Azar Dokht , Bandbal Maryam Moradi , Ghorbani Atousa , Hamed Mahtab , Dezfuli Soolmaz Khandan
Published: May 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of mortality among infectious diseases and accounts for a serious health hazard wordwide. Apart from TB, the members of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), which includes around 170 species, may also cause different diseases in humans. Therefore this study aimed to investigate the distribution of NTM strains isolated from extrapulmonary (EP) samples by Real-Time PCR and PCR-sequencing methods in Southwest Iran. Three hundred and twenty-five suspected EP samples were collected from patients referred to the referral hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran. The isolates were initially screened by acid fast staining and identified by phenotypic culture and biochemical tests. The Real-Time PCR and rpoB- based PCR methods were performed followed by sequence analysis of rpoB gene. From 124 samples, 77 (62%) were positive for NTM by culture and rpoB sequence analysis. M. fortuitum was the most commonly isolated NTM in present study. In Real-Time PCR, only 69 (55.64%) isolates showed more homology with standard NTM isolates. In general, the growing trend of EPNTM infections in Iran needs specific programs and resources to get a better diagnosis. PCR sequencing is a reliable method, it can be used for definitive identification of positive cultures for identification of NTM species.
Robust identification of regulatory variants (eQTLs) using a differential expression framework developed for RNA-sequencing
Authors: Marrella Mackenzie A. , Biase Fernando H.
Published: May 2023

Background

A gap currently exists between genetic variants and the underlying cell and tissue biology of a trait, and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) studies provide important information to help close that gap. However, two concerns that arise with eQTL analyses using RNA-sequencing data are normalization of data across samples and the data not following a normal distribution. Multiple pipelines have been suggested to address this. For instance, the most recent analysis of the human and farm Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project proposes using trimmed means of M-values (TMM) to normalize the data followed by an inverse normal transformation.

Results

In this study, we reasoned that eQTL analysis could be carried out using the same framework used for differential gene expression (DGE), which uses a negative binomial model, a statistical test feasible for count data. Using the GTEx framework, we identified 35 significant eQTLs (P < 5 × 10–8) following the ANOVA model and 39 significant eQTLs (P < 5 × 10–8) following the additive model. Using a differential gene expression framework, we identified 930 and six significant eQTLs (P < 5 × 10–8) following an analytical framework equivalent to the ANOVA and additive model, respectively. When we compared the two approaches, there was no overlap of significant eQTLs between the two frameworks. Because we defined specific contrasts, we identified trans eQTLs that more closely resembled what we expect from genetic variants showing complete dominance between alleles. Yet, these were not identified by the GTEx framework.

Conclusions

Our results show that transforming RNA-sequencing data to fit a normal distribution prior to eQTL analysis is not required when the DGE framework is employed. Our proposed approach detected biologically relevant variants that otherwise would not have been identified due to data transformation to fit a normal distribution.
Genetic structure of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) populations in China and relationship with the knockdown resistance mutations
Authors: Shan Wenqi , Yuan Hao , Chen Hanming , Dong Haowei , Zhou Qiuming , Tao Feng , Bai Jie , Chen Huiying , Ma Yajun , Peng Heng
Published: May 2023

Background

Mosquito control is needed to prevent dengue fever, which is mainly spread by Aedes albopictus in China. Application of insecticides is one of the main mosquito control methods; however, this approach can fail due to the knockdown resistance (kdr) gene mutation that causes decreased sensitivity to insecticides in Ae. albopictus. The kdr mutation patterns among different regions in China differ significantly. However, the underlying mechanism and factors that influence kdr mutation remain unclear. To explore the potential influence of genetic background on the development of insecticide resistance in Ae. albopictus, we analyzed the genetic structure of Ae. albopictus populations in China and its correlation with major kdr mutations.

Methods

We collected Ae. albopictus from 17 sites in 11 provinces (municipalities) across China from 2016 to 2021 and extracted the genomic DNA from individual adult mosquitoes. We selected eight microsatellite loci for genotyping, and based on microsatellite scores, we estimated intraspecific genetic diversity, population structure, and effective population size. The association between the intrapopulation genetic variation and F1534 mutation rate was evaluated by the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results

Based on variation analysis of the microsatellite loci of 453 mosquitoes representing 17 populations throughout China, more than 90% of the variation occurred within individuals, whereas only about 9% of the variation occurred among populations, indicating that field populations of Ae. albopictus are highly polymorphic. The northern populations tended to belong to gene pool I (BJFT 60.4%, SXXA 58.4%, SDJN 56.1%, SXYC 46.8%), the eastern populations tended to belong to pool III (SH 49.5%, JZHZ 48.1%), and the southern populations tended to belong to three different gene pools. Moreover, we observed that the greater the fixation index (FST), the lower the wild-type frequency of F1534 of VSGC.

Conclusions

The degree of genetic differentiation among Ae. albopictus populations in China was low. These populations were divided into three gene pools, in which the northern and eastern pools are relatively homogeneous, while the southern gene pool is heterogeneous. The possible correlation between its genetic variations and kdr mutations is also noteworthy.

Graphical Abstract
Targeting serine-glycine-one-carbon metabolism as a vulnerability in cancers
Authors: Sun Wei , Liu Ruochen , Gao Xinyue , Lin Zini , Tang Hongao , Cui Hongjuan , Zhao Erhu
Published: May 2023

The serine-glycine-one-carbon (SGOC) metabolic pathway is critical for DNA methylation, histone methylation, and redox homeostasis, in addition to protein, lipid, and nucleotide biosynthesis. The SGOC pathway is a crucial metabolic network in tumorigenesis, wherein the outputs are required for cell survival and proliferation and are particularly likely to be co-opted by aggressive cancers. SGOC metabolism provides an integration point in cell metabolism and is of crucial clinical significance. The mechanism of how this network is regulated is the key to understanding tumor heterogeneity and overcoming the potential mechanism of tumor recurrence. Herein, we review the role of SGOC metabolism in cancer by focusing on key enzymes with tumor-promoting functions and important products with physiological significance in tumorigenesis. In addition, we introduce the ways in which cancer cells acquire and use one-carbon unit, and discuss the recently clarified role of SGOC metabolic enzymes in tumorigenesis and development, as well as their relationship with cancer immunotherapy and ferroptosis. The targeting of SGOC metabolism may be a potential therapeutic strategy to improve clinical outcomes in cancers.
Identical tau filaments in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Authors: Qi Chao , Hasegawa Masato , Takao Masaki , Sakai Motoko , Sasaki Mayasuki , Mizutani Masashi , Akagi Akio , Iwasaki Yasushi , Miyahara Hiroaki , Yoshida Mari , Scheres Sjors H. W. , Goedert Michel
Published: May 2023

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) occurs in some individuals after measles infection, following a symptom-free period of several years. It resembles chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which happens after repetitive head impacts or exposure to blast waves, following a symptom-free period. As in CTE, the neurofibrillary changes of SSPE are concentrated in superficial cortical layers. Here we used electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) of tau filaments from two cases of SSPE to show that the tau folds of SSPE and CTE are identical. Two types of filaments were each made of two identical protofilaments with an extra density in the β-helix region. Like in CTE, the vast majority of tau filaments were Type I, with a minority of Type II filaments. These findings suggest that the CTE tau fold can be caused by different environmental insults, which may be linked by inflammatory changes.
Dynamic connectedness and network in the high moments of cryptocurrency, stock, and commodity markets
Authors: Hanif Waqas , Ko Hee-Un , Pham Linh , Kang Sang Hoon
Published: May 2023

This study examines the connectedness in high-order moments between cryptocurrency, major stock (U.S., U.K., Eurozone, and Japan), and commodity (gold and oil) markets. Using intraday data from 2020 to 2022 and the time and frequency connectedness models of Diebold and Yilmaz (Int J Forecast 28(1):57–66, 2012) and Baruník and Křehlík (J Financ Econom 16(2):271–296, 2018), we investigate spillovers among the markets in realized volatility, the jump component of realized volatility, realized skewness, and realized kurtosis. These higher-order moments allow us to identify the unique characteristics of financial returns, such as asymmetry and fat tails, thereby capturing various market risks such as downside risk and tail risk. Our results show that the cryptocurrency, stock, and commodity markets are highly connected in terms of volatility and in the jump component of volatility, while their connectedness in skewness and kurtosis is smaller. Moreover, jump and volatility connectedness are more persistent than that of skewness and kurtosis connectedness. Our rolling-window analysis of the connectedness models shows that connectedness varies over time across all moments, and tends to increase during periods of high uncertainty. Finally, we show the potential of gold and oil as hedging and safe-haven investments for other markets given that they are the least connected to other markets across all moments and investment horizons. Our findings provide useful information for designing effective portfolio management and cryptocurrency regulations.
Safety of equine tetanus antitoxin for prophylactic use in Ethiopia: a retrospective multi-center study
Authors: Joseph Michele , Woldeamanuel Yimtubeznash , Medhin Girmay , Manyazewal Tsegahun , Fekadu Abebaw , Makonnen Eyasu
Published: May 2023

Background

Tetanus remains a severe life-threatening infectious disease and neurological disorder in many parts of the world, where immunization programs are suboptimal. Any human injury or trauma has the possibility of getting infected with Clostridium tetani which is the sole causative bacterium of tetanus. Evidence is available that TAT may cause anaphylaxis and late serum sickness, while there has been no study conducted in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health standard treatment guideline recommends tetanus prophylaxis for all tetanus-prone wounds. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of TAT administration in adults exposed to tetanus-prone wounds in Ethiopia.

Methods

The target product of this study was the equine tetanus antitoxin developed and manufactured by the ViNS Bioproducts Limited, India (Code: 130202084, A.W.No: 15/AAW/PI/02.00, DT: 25.04.2016). The product is delivered with the dose of 1000/1500 IU intramuscularly or subcutaneously to individuals at risk of tetanus infection for prophylactic purposes. The study was carried out in 11 healthcare facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that had a relatively high clients load for tetanus-prone wounds. Medical records of patients with tetanus-prone wounds who received the equine TAT were reviewed retrospectively for any adverse events following immunization according to the World Health Organization (WHO) definition for adverse events following immunization (AEFI).

Results

There were more than 20,000 patients treated for trauma in the facilities from 2015 to 2019. Upon revision of available registration books, we identified 6000 charts to be eligible for the study, of which 1213 charts that had complete and reliable data on the AEFI profile of the TAT were included in the final analysis. The median age of the study participants was 26 years (IQR = 11 years, age range: 18–91 years) and 78% (949) were male. The tetanus-prone wounds resulted mainly from stab (44%, 535) and blunt force (30%, 362), and the most common sites of wounds were hand (22%, 270) and head (21%, 253). The most and least frequently occurring types of wounds were open wounds (77%, 930) and organ system injury (0.003%, 4), respectively. The mean time of presenting at health facilities from the onset of trauma was 2.96 h. Of the total 1231 participants, one male participant who presented within 3 h after experiencing a wound on his nose at the workplace had a severe local reaction immediately after injection of the TAT. No AEFI was recorded for the other participants.

Conclusions

The adverse event following immunization of the equine tetanus antitoxin produced by the ViNS Bioproducts Limited was very rare. A regular review of the product’s safety performance and systematic collection and analysis of adverse event reports are important to ensure the safety of the product.
Semiautomated Pipeline to Quantify Tumor Evolution From Real-World Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging
Authors: Abler Daniel , Courlet Perrine , Dietz Matthieu , Gatta Roberto , Girard Pascal , Munafo Alain , Wicky Alexandre , Jreige Mario , Guidi Monia , Latifyan Sofiya , De Micheli Rita , Csajka Chantal , Prior John O. , Michielin Olivier , Terranova Nadia , Cuendet Michel A.
Published: May 2023

PURPOSE

A semiautomated pipeline for the collection and curation of free-text and imaging real-world data (RWD) was developed to quantify cancer treatment outcomes in large-scale retrospective real-world studies. The objectives of this article are to illustrate the challenges of RWD extraction, to demonstrate approaches for quality assurance, and to showcase the potential of RWD for precision oncology.

METHODS

We collected data from patients with advanced melanoma receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors at the Lausanne University Hospital. Cohort selection relied on semantically annotated electronic health records and was validated using process mining. The selected imaging examinations were segmented using an automatic commercial software prototype. A postprocessing algorithm enabled longitudinal lesion identification across imaging time points and consensus malignancy status prediction. Resulting data quality was evaluated against expert-annotated ground-truth and clinical outcomes obtained from radiology reports.

RESULTS

The cohort included 108 patients with melanoma and 465 imaging examinations (median, 3; range, 1-15 per patient). Process mining was used to assess clinical data quality and revealed the diversity of care pathways encountered in a real-world setting. Longitudinal postprocessing greatly improved the consistency of image-derived data compared with single time point segmentation results (classification precision increased from 53% to 86%). Image-derived progression-free survival resulting from postprocessing was comparable with the manually curated clinical reference (median survival of 286 v 336 days, P = .89).

CONCLUSION

We presented a general pipeline for the collection and curation of text- and image-based RWD, together with specific strategies to improve reliability. We showed that the resulting disease progression measures match reference clinical assessments at the cohort level, indicating that this strategy has the potential to unlock large amounts of actionable retrospective real-world evidence from clinical records.
An Iodine Balance Study in Chinese School-age Children
Authors: Guo Wenxing , Yang Ying , Jiang Wen , Cheng Yuangui , Wu Wen , Pan Ziyun , Zhang Dingyan , Li Shaohan , Ren Zhiyuan , Zhang Naifan , Zhang Kexin , Pearce Elizabeth N , Chen Wen , Zhang Wanqi
Published: May 2023

Context

Few iodine balance studies have been conducted in school-age children.

Objective

This study aimed to conduct an iodine balance study in school-age children.

Methods

We measured daily iodine intake, excretion, and retention for 3 consecutive days without any dietary interventions in school-age children. Linear mixed-effects models were used to fit the relationship between total iodine intake and iodine retention.

Results

29 children aged 7-12 years (mean age 10.2 ± 1.4 years) with normal thyroid function and thyroid volume were recruited. The 0 balance value (iodine intake = iodine excretion, iodine retention = 0 μg/day) shifted with iodine intake in an iodine sufficient population. The 0 balance value for school-age children with an iodine intake of 235 (133, 401) μg/day is 164 μg/day. Children aged 7-12 years with iodine intake >400 μg/day were almost all in a positive iodine state.

Conclusion

An iodine intake of 235 (133, 401) μg/day for children aged 7-10 years achieved a 0 balance value of 164 μg/day. Long-term iodine intake of >400 μg/day is not recommended.
Protocol for a randomized study of the efficacy of ibandronic acid plus eldecalcitol in patients with gastric cancer after gastrectomy: A comparative study of different routes of administration of ibandronic acid
Authors: Aiba Hisaki , Suzuki Nobuyuki , Sagawa Hiroyuki , Hashimoto Hiroya , Kimura Hiroaki , Inoue Jumpei , Usami Takuya , Goto Yuta , Mizuno Yuichiro , Okubo Tomotaka , Ito Sunao , Takiguchi Shuji , Murakami Hideki
Published: May 2023

Background: Patients who undergo gastrectomy for gastric cancer are susceptible to osteoporosis. To prevent a decrease in bone mineral density, an appropriate prophylaxis is considered important to adjust the post-gastrectomy condition. In this study, we will compare two different routes of administration of ibandronic acid (oral or intravenous) plus eldecalcitol as a potentially more suitable treatment for patients at a high risk of fragile fracture.

Protocol: This study protocol describes a randomized, active-controlled, non-blind, single-center, phase II trial. For patients in the investigational arm (Group A), sodium ibandronate hydrate will be administered intravenously once a month with daily oral intake of eldecalcitol; for those in the control arm (Group B), sodium ibandronate hydrate will be administered orally once a month with daily oral intake of eldecalcitol. We will recruit patients aged 45–85 years who have undergone gastrectomy for gastric cancer and are at a risk of fragility fractures. The study will include patients with existing vertebral fractures and/or femoral proximal fractures, or with lumbar and/or proximal femur bone mineral density of less than 80% of the young adult mean. The primary outcome of this study will be the change in lumbar bone mineral density. We will also evaluate the changes in femur bone mineral density, bone metabolism markers, health-related quality of life as evaluated using the EuroQol 5 Dimension (EQ-5D), and digestive symptoms as evaluated using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale after 52 weeks of treatment.

Conclusions: We believe that appropriate treatments that are adjusted to the condition of patients after gastrectomy are important for the prevention of bone mineral loss.

Registration: This study was accepted by the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT1041200059, November 6, 2021).
Management of the Post-Merger Business Transformation Program (on the Example of a Co-Branded M&A-Deal)
Authors: Petrov I.
Published: May 2023

The article deals with the issues of organizing works after business transformation based on a software-project approach as a result of a co-branding M&A-deal concluded between major players in the market for the production of air conditioners and split systems - American Carrier Refrigeration and Japanese Toshiba. The material presents a successfully implemented case of a three-year transition from one business model to another, analyzes various aspects of transnational integration, including possible risks that inevitably accompany such transactions, notes the importance of understanding and combining corporate cultures and etiquette norms as well as the need for a real business transformation at all levels to obtain a stable infrastructure with the possibility of increasing the value of a company with a new portfolio of brands and directions as a result of co-branding transformation.
Case report: Pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 with severe myocardial dysfunction. Is there any hope in immunotherapy?
Authors: Tokarek Julita , Budny Emilian , Szmigielska Renata
Published: May 2023

Pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS) develops in a small percentage of children after COVID-19, however, it might cause severe myocardial dysfunction. The pathogenesis of this disease includes systemic hyper-inflammation with cytokine storm. This case report concerns a 12-year-old boy with PIMS-TS who presented severe respiratory and circulatory failure with increased inflammatory markers and significant reduction of left ventricle ejaculatory fraction (LVEF) from 65% to 35%. The recommended therapy with the use of vasopressors, corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins and mechanical ventilation was introduced and his condition gradually improved. However, after few days, aggravation of cardiac symptoms occurred again and among other treatment, the therapy with the use of anakinra - the human interleukin 1 receptor antagonist protein was introduced. This case highlights a satisfactory regression of cardiac disturbances and generally favorable outcome of the treatment in patients with PIMS-TS with the use of immunomodulatory therapy.
Longing for Life-Giving Organisational Development
Authors: Geveke Onno , Holliday Michelle
Published: May 2023

This is the story of OD for Life, an emerging movement within the field of Organisational Development. It is a story of appreciation, inquiry and stewardship; of being guided by life’s principles; and of imagining a future where the explicit purpose of OD is to cultivate a more thrivable world.
An Appreciative Aesthetic: Recasting the Minor Gesture in a World Already Lost
Authors: Traeger James
Published: May 2023

This is a partial, tentative account that explores how we can be renewed when the world may already be lost. What can we say about the world when we aren’t losing just it, but we are losing our minds? How can an aesthetic of appreciation renew us? The mind that got us here isn’t going to be the one that saves us.
Edición de literatura en Colombia, 1944-2016: setenta años de Ediciones Espiral, Tercer Mundo Editores y Norma
Authors: Agudelo Ochoa Ana María , Vargas Castro Nancy , Penagos Jaramillo Danilo
Published: May 2023

Por su contribución aldesarrollo y establecimiento de la industria editorial en Colombia, loscatálogos de Ediciones Espiral, Tercer Mundo y Editorial Norma permiten hacerun sumario de la transformación del espacio editorial durante la segunda mitaddel siglo XX y principios del siglo XXI, y son hitos de la historia editorialen Colombia. El estudio comparativo de las estrategias editoriales de estasempresas da cuenta de la evolución del sistema literario colombiano. Esta obramuestra cómo han sido los procesos de selección, producción, circulación yrecepción de literatura; quiénes han sido los agentes vinculados con dichosprocesos (editores, escritores, traductores y críticos), y cuáles han sido lasdinámicas de la actividad editorial en relación con lo literario. Sereconstruye el catálogo de Ediciones Espiral, descubriendo el valor de esteproyecto, dirigido por Clemente Airó, al promocionar a jóvenes escritoresnacionales en un contexto poco favorable para desarrollar una políticaeditorial de este tipo. Se delimita el trabajo de Tercer Mundo, con una apuestapor las colecciones de narrativa colombiana dentro un mercado más diversificadoy nuevos públicos lectores. Se hace un acercamiento a las políticas detraducción y publicación en cinco colecciones del Grupo Editorial Norma en unmercado editorial internacional. Y, finalmente, se presenta una lecturatransversal de las políticas editoriales de los cuatro proyectos, donde sedestacan puntos de encuentro y desencuentro a lo largo de los más de sesentaaños abordados.
If You Love Your Agents, Set Them Free: Task Discretion in Online Workplaces
Authors: Kostami Vasiliki
Published: May 2023

In manufacturing and service operations, flexibility is beneficial for matching supply with demand, but it comes at a cost. In modern digital workplaces, agents have different skills associated with corresponding and variable task preferences. Some are inclined to give up part of their payment to avoid unfavorable matches, and the platform manager, in turn, gains extra freedom in allocating tasks by possibly charging servers for favorable assignments. Innovative marketplaces facilitate task discretion and seek novel and beneficial implementations in the platform design. This naturally leads to the problem of exploring and optimizing the task allocation process. We introduce an innovative mechanism for task assignment in the workplace and compare it to the traditional mechanism in which task routing is solely the platform’s decision. To improve the welfare of all users, agents are allowed some task discretion in exchange for a fee. In a multiserver system, a server may request flexibility and, considering the other agents’ behavior, choose the costly to the platform option, which may or may not be beneficial for the platform when the agents’ and the platform’s preferences are misaligned. We model different working environments and server preferences via different distributions and study how the agents’ preferences, task costs, and flexibility fee affect the equilibrium assignment. In every case, through pricing and offering flexibility, the platform can do at least as well as a scheme with no flexibility. An important conclusion is that pricing task discretion can often improve the agents’ welfare and the labor platform’s profit.

This paper was accepted by Victor Martínez-de-Albéniz, operations management.
Growing the midwifery workforce
Authors: Leader Claire
Published: May 2023

Claire Leader discusses the three-year delivery plan for maternal and neonatal services in England, focusing on the goal to grow the maternity workforce
Osteosarcoma cells/cell lines are not appropriate for studies on bone regeneration in vitro
Authors: Xu Chunfeng , Liu Yuelian
Published: May 2023

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(5):311–312.
Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of a Non Contacting Elastohydrodynamic Sealing
Authors: Scherrer Matthias , Scheidl Rudolf
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a novel elastohydrodynamic sealing concept for the contactless sealing of spool valves. The basic goal is that the spool and the sleeve can be manufactured with standard mechanical engineering precision. High initial gaps are compensated for the elastic deformation of an elastomer seal driven by a self-regulating hydrodynamic effect. The final gap reveals a small leakage within the range normal for precisely manufactured spool valves and also features a low friction since a direct, solid contact between the seal and the sleeve is prevented. This sought-after behavior in ideal conditions is compared with imperfect situations by means of a simulation study and experiments. The simulation uses a Finite Element model which takes the seal‘s elastic deformation, the mechanical contact, the sealing gap pressure and the surface roughness into account. A simple prototype of the sealing system was produced to test its functionality in real conditions. Leakages of QLeak <= 18 ml/min @180 bar were recorded. However, an unexpectedly high friction occurred indicating an actual contact between the seal and the sleeve. The component roughness was identified as the cause of this behavior.
Investigating the Design Parameters’ Influence in a Fast Switching Valve – An Approach to Simplify the Design Process
Authors: Pedersen Henrik C. , Bender Niels Christian , Andersen Torben O.
Published: May 2023

Designing Fast Switching Valves (FSVs) for digital displacement units is a complicated process pushing the technology to the limit. The system dynamics and the interaction of the fluid, mechanical structure, actuator and control hence calls for advanced modelling, including CFD and FEA, to capture, e.g. fluid stiction effects, end-damping and impact contact stresses. Unfortunately, this essentially renders optimization processes infeasible due to the computational burden involved, although this is precisely what is required for this type of complex multi-domain problem.
Therefore, the focus of the current article is on how a complex mechatronic design problem, like designing an FSV, may be aided by considering decomposing and simplification through sensitivity analysis and analyzing correlations between the design and output parameters. This is done to significantly reduce the original design problem without compromising the investigated design space. The paper focuses specifically on the results related to an FSV and the flow delivering part of this, showing the influence of the various design parameters. However, the approach and considerations may be generalized to an other areas as well.
Image Hashing Robust Against Cropping and Rotation
Authors: Steinebach Martin , Berwanger Tiberius , Liu Huajian
Published: May 2023

Image recognition is an important mechanism used in various scenarios. In the context of multimedia forensics, its most significant task is to automatically detect already known child and adolescent pornography in a large set of images. When fighting disinformation, it is used to identify images taken out of context or image montages. For this purpose, numerous methods based on robust hashing and feature extraction are already known, and recently also supported by machine learning. However, in general, these methods are either only partially robust to changes such as rotation and pruning, or they require a large amount of data and computation. We present a method based on a simple block hash that is efficient to compute and memory efficient. To be robust against cropping and rotation, we combine the method with image segmentation and a method to normalize the rotation of the objects. Our evaluation shows that the method produces results comparable to much more complex approaches, but requires fewer resources.
Block-Hash Signature (BHS) for Transaction Validation in Smart Contracts for Security and Privacy using Blockchain
Authors: Bhatnagar Sonika , Dayal Mohit , Singh Deepti , Upreti Shitiz , Upreti Kamal , Kumar Jitender
Published: May 2023

Some of the well-known signature techniques like Winternitz and Lamport are not considered to be very appropriate for the usage of hashing or smart contracts in Blockchains security because of their size O(n2), which is prominently too high. Although in Blockchain, the security concern is on the top priority because of its distributed P2P design still, the security enhancement is required to sign and verify the documents forwarded to the peers, especially in Hyperledger Fabric. Here, this paper presents a new signature technique “Block-Hash” to enhance Blockchain security by using it in smart contracts as well as hashing with size 3Xn bits (n=256, generally for SHA-256 Hashing) and which can score 112 bits security. The proposed signature can be used appropriately for signing a smart contract by the endorser or committer node. Also, it can be used with a hash algorithm in forming a Merkle tree. Apart from the description and implementation of Block-Hash Signature, this paper has covered the analysis of its security and correctness measures with a table for result comparison.
Study on phenolic content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity of extracts from Lansium parasiticum (Osbeck)
Authors: Pithonah Nurul Fatihah Muhamad , Rohin Mohd Adzim Khalili , Jailani Nor Aishah Fatiha , Ridzwan Norhaslinda , Jumli Mimie Noratiqah , Abd Hadi Norhayati , Ishak Ruziana , Amin Baig Atif
Published: May 2023

Lansium parasiticum (Osbeck) or its synonym Epicharis parasitica is from the Meliaceae family and has traditionally been used for various medical applications. This study aimed to determine the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity of different duku extracts. A total of four different solvents, 50% ethanol, 100% aqueous, 100% acetone, and 100% chloroform, were used to extract duku flesh. The total phenolic and flavonoid content was determined using the Folin-Ciocaltealuminumminium chloride colorimetric method. The DPPH and ABTS method evaluated the antioxidant activity. The result showed that 50% ethanol presented the highest extraction yield, 10.81% ± 0.004. It is also revealed that aqueous extract exhibited the highest amount of total phenolic content of 152.910 mg GAE/100 g ± 22.143, total flavonoid content of 1669.723 ± 370.091 mg QE/100 g, and antioxidant activity DPPH of 68.51 % ± 2.730 and ABTS of 6.063 U/ml ± 0.721 compared to other extracts. The correlation between total phenolic content and ABTS (r = 0.719, p = 0.029) showed a statistically significant result. Therefore, the extracts of this fruit have promising potential as cheap sources of future natural antioxidant agents in the food industry. Researchers will further these results for future in-vitro or in-vivo biological studies.
Synthesis, characterization and crystal structure of a dodeca-nuclear cobalt (II)cube-octahedron
Authors: Elmehdawi Ramadan Mohamed
Published: May 2023

The new cobalt (II) complex, [Co12 (cpip)12(H2O)12].18.56H2O where H2cpip = 2-(carboxy-phenyl) amino-propanoic acid, was isolated as pink-like prism crystals from the reaction of Co(NO3)2.6H2O and H2cpip in an ethanolic solution. The complex was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The symmetric unit of the title complex contains twelve cobalt atoms arranged in a cube-octahedron. Each divalent cation of cobalt is iso-octahedrally coordinated to four oxygen atoms of two cpip2- ligands in the equatorial plane. The axial plane is occupied by an amino nitrogen atom of one of the cpip2- ligands and an oxygen atom of a water molecule. The lattice water molecule in the metallocycle cavity involved OH­­­O hydrogen bonding with the coordinated water molecules.
Design and synthesis of novel anti-cancer curcumin derivatives: Investigation of anti-cancer properties against HepG2 cell line
Authors: Ranjbar Fatemeh , Mosaddegh Elaheh , Hassankhani Asadollah , Torkzadeh-Mahani Masoud
Published: May 2023

The new anti-cancer and water-soluble curcumin derivatives have been synthesized solvent-freely by functionalizing the phenolic group of curcumin with various NH compounds to increase water solubility and cancerous properties. The biological applications of the new drugs have been investigated against the highly potent HepG2 carcinoma cell line. The studies showed that new curcumin derivatives could be used in low concentrations (µM/l<1) to avoid the anti-apoptotic properties against the cancerous cell. Also, the designed molecules with concentrations below 1 µM/l showed a good percentage of viability of 31.5, 45.3, and 66.7% against HepG2 cells. Furthermore, FTIR and 1H, and 13CNMR spectroscopy fully characterized the new curcumin derivatives.
Electrochemical behavior of Metronidazole (MNZ) at glassy carbon electrode at different concentrations
Authors: Das Ratnesh , Chanderiya Aayushi , Roy Atish , Kashaw Sushil K.
Published: May 2023

A robust and straightforward electrochemical methodology based on electrochemical detection of Metronidazole (MNZ) at glassy carbon electrodes was suggested to determine. MNZ formed well-defined reversible cyclic voltammograms on the glassy carbon electrode in the Britton Robinson buffer solution. Various parameters' effects on voltammetric results were also evaluated. For MNZ determination, a differential pulse voltammetric model was introduced and developed. Excellent recovery results for spiked MNZ in pharmaceutical tablet samples were obtained, with recovery rates ranging from 97.44 to 97.51 percent.
High-performance end-to-end deep learning IM/DD link using optics-informed neural networks
Authors: Roumpos Ioannis , Marinis Lorenzo De , Kirtas Manos , Passalis Nikolaos , Tefas Anastasios , Contestabile Giampiero , Pleros Nikos , Moralis-Pegios Miltiadis , Vyrsokinos Konstantinos
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we introduce optics-informed Neural Networks and demonstrate experimentally how they can improve performance of End-to-End deep learning models for IM/DD optical transmission links. Optics-informed or optics-inspired NNs are defined as the type of DL models that rely on linear and/or nonlinear building blocks whose mathematical description stems directly from the respective response of photonic devices, drawing their mathematical framework from neuromorphic photonic hardware developments and properly adapting their DL training algorithms. We investigate the application of an optics-inspired activation function that can be obtained by a semiconductor-based nonlinear optical module and is a variant of the logistic sigmoid, referred to as the Photonic Sigmoid, in End-to-End Deep Learning configurations for fiber communication links. Compared to state-of-the-art ReLU-based configurations used in End-to-End DL fiber link demonstrations, optics-informed models based on the Photonic Sigmoid show improved noise- and chromatic dispersion compensation properties in fiber-optic IM/DD links. An extensive simulation and experimental analysis revealed significant performance benefits for the Photonic Sigmoid NNs that can reach below BER HD FEC limit for fiber lengths up to 42 km, at an effective bit transmission rate of 48 Gb/s.
Auxiliary differential equation (ADE) method based complying-divergence implicit FDTD method for simulating the general dispersive anisotropic material
Authors: Xie Guoda , Hou Guilin , Feng Naixing , Song Kaihong , Fang Ming , Li Yingsong , Wu Xianliang , Huang Zhixiang
Published: May 2023

The preceding works introduced the leapfrog complying divergence implicit finite-difference time-domain (CDI-FDTD) method, which exhibits high accuracy and unconditional stability. In this study, the method is reformulated to simulate general electrically anisotropic and dispersive media. The auxiliary differential equation (ADE) method is employed to solve the equivalent polarization currents, which are then integrated into the CDI-FDTD method. The iterative formulae are presented, and the calculation method is similar to that of the traditional CDI-FDTD method. Additionally, the Von Neumann method is utilized to analyze the unconditional stability of the proposed method. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, three numerical cases are conducted. These include calculating the transmission and reflection coefficients of a monolayer graphene sheet and a monolayer magnetized plasma, as well as the scattering properties of a cubic block plasma. The numerical results obtained by the proposed method demonstrate its accuracy and efficiency in simulating general anisotropic dispersive media, compared to both the analytical method and the traditional FDTD method.
Airy-type X-ray states generated using 3/2 flat diffractive optics
Authors: Zhang Han , Dai Haitao , Hao Xichen , Wang Yuhan , Xing Chunzi , Lu Qieni , Li Jia , Fu Yikai , Gao Meini , Chen Zhenda , Cao Yaxian , Zhu Jingtao
Published: May 2023

X-rays have developed into an essential tool in variety of fields, such as biology, materials, chemistry, and physics etc. Numerous X-ray types, including the orbital angular momentum (OAM), the Laguerre–Gauss, and the Hermite–Gauss states, have been proposed. This greatly enhances the depth of application of X-ray. The X-ray states described above are mostly produced by binary amplitude diffraction elements. In light of this, this paper proposes a flat X-ray diffraction grating based on caustic theory to generate Airy-type X-ray. It is proved by the simulation of multislice method that the proposed grating can generate the Airy beam in the X-ray field. The results show that the generated beams have a secondary parabolic trajectory deflection with the propagation distance, which is consistent with the theory. Inspired by the success of Airy beam in light-sheet microscope, the Airy-type X-ray can be anticipated to enable novel image capability for bio or nanoscience.
2.5D+ plasma etching for a continuously adjustable sidewall angle in SiO2
Authors: Behrens Arne , Sinzinger Stefan
Published: May 2023

We present a systematic investigation of an SiO2 etching process using a standard fluorocarbon chemistry ICP-RIE etch tool with a cryogenically cooled electrode. Our goal is to enable the control of the SiO2 feature morphology, i.e., the sidewall angle, in order to add a degree of freedom for the design of resonant micro-/nanooptical elements. For such elements as e.g., whispering gallery mode resonators with specific mode profiles, it is essential to maintain low surface roughness. To this end, we investigate a variety of gas compositions. For statistical evaluation, we use a surface response methodology for several parameters and investigate the influence of the substrate temperature on the sidewall angle. Different hypotheses from the literature for the cause of non-anisotropic etch behavior are discussed for our specific case. Various investigations based on the prior hypothesis are presented, which provide more information about the pseudo-isotropic etch profile. Finally, we present two use cases: firstly, a classical anisotropic etch with a high aspect ratio and very low roughness (<1 nm), and secondly, an etch process for the fabrication of whispering gallery mode resonators that confine the light at the bottom of the resonator.
Multimode squeezing in soliton crystal microcombs
Authors: Guidry Melissa A. , Lukin Daniil M. , Yang Ki Youl , Vučković Jelena
Published: May 2023

Soliton microcombs are self-organized pulses of light sustained in driven Kerr microresonators, intensively studied for applications in integrated photonic technologies and for their rich nonlinear dynamics. In this work, we theoretically study the collective dynamics of the quantum fluctuations of soliton microcombs. We find that the mean field of a dissipative Kerr soliton crystal is accompanied by pulses of squeezed multimode vacuum and derives its operational stability from the strong detuning of the below-threshold parametric process. We present a photonic architecture that enables independent control of the above- and below-threshold states and achieves a high degree of squeezing (>15dB) in the output waveguide with realistic losses. Our work elucidates the quantum dynamics of formation and annihilation in dissipative Kerr soliton systems, and establishes a pathway for the realization of a practical integrated source of multimode squeezed light.
Progression of a large syphilis outbreak in rural North Carolina through space and time: Application of a Bayesian Maximum Entropy graphical user interface
Authors: Fox Lani C. , Miller William C. , Gesink Dionne , Doherty Irene , Hampton Kristen H. , Leone Peter A. , Williams Delbert E. , Akita Yasuyuki , Dunn Molly , Serre Marc L.
Published: May 2023

In 2001, the primary and secondary syphilis incidence rate in rural Columbus County, North Carolina was the highest in the nation. To understand the development of syphilis outbreaks in rural areas, we developed and used the Bayesian Maximum Entropy Graphical User Interface (BMEGUI) to map syphilis incidence rates from 1999–2004 in seven adjacent counties in North Carolina. Using BMEGUI, incidence rate maps were constructed for two aggregation scales (ZIP code and census tract) with two approaches (Poisson and simple kriging). The BME maps revealed the outbreak was initially localized in Robeson County and possibly connected to more urban endemic cases in adjacent Cumberland County. The outbreak spread to rural Columbus County in a leapfrog pattern with the subsequent development of a visible low incidence spatial corridor linking Roberson County with the rural areas of Columbus County. Though the data are from the early 2000s, they remain pertinent, as the combination of spatial data with the extensive sexual network analyses, particularly in rural areas gives thorough insights which have not been replicated in the past two decades. These observations support an important role for the connection of micropolitan areas with neighboring rural areas in the spread of syphilis. Public health interventions focusing on urban and micropolitan areas may effectively limit syphilis indirectly in nearby rural areas.