bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental and Numerical Investigations on the Heat Transfer Performance of a New Type of Energy Pile
Authors: Rong Huimin , Zhou Xun , Wang Lizhi , Zheng Jia , Li Qimin
Published: July 2023

The ground‐source heat pump heating and cooling system is currently the most important development and utilization method of shallow geothermal resources, but its key component is the ground heat exchanger system. Herein, a new type of ground heat exchanger, the soil‐cement energy pile, is proposed. The similarity model comparison experiments of the soil‐cement energy piles and the soil energy pile in summer and winter were conducted respectively, and the 3D numerical models of heat transfer of the two kinds of energy piles are established, their related thermal properties are verified. Then the heat transfer calculation methods of the soil‐cement energy pile are presented and validated. The research has shown that the soil‐cement energy pile has good thermodynamic performance, which effectively reduces the largest thermal resistance in the heat transfer system of the energy pile, the thermal resistance of pile body material, and the heat transfer per linear meter of the soil‐cement energy pile is 21.20%–55.60% higher than that of the soil energy pile. The soil‐cement energy pile is of great significance to improve the thermal efficiency of the ground‐source heat pump system and can reduces the overall project cost.
Rh promoted Ni over yttria–zirconia supported catalyst for hydrogen‐rich syngas production through dry reforming of methane
Authors: Al‐Fatesh Ahmed S. , Acharya Kenit , Osman Ahmed I. , Fakeeha Anish H. , Ibrahim Ahmed A. , Abahussain Abdulaziz A. M. , Bagabas Abdulaziz , Abasaeed Ahmed E. , Kumar Rawesh
Published: July 2023

Rh‐promoted YZr‐supported Ni catalyst (5Ni/YZr) is investigated for DRM and characterized with X‐ray diffraction, Raman, infrared spectroscopy, cyclic reduction–oxidation–reduction temperature programmed experiment, thermogravimetry, and transmission electron microscope. Over 5Ni/YZr, some active sites become inactive under the CO2 stream and limit H2 yield to ∼71%. Upon 4 wt% Rh addition over 5Ni/YZr; more than one type of stable active sites (Rh and Ni) generates, moderate basic sites are enhanced, wide ranges of CO2‐interacted surface species (especially bidentate CO2‐adsorbed species) are grown and graphitic carbon proportion over spent catalyst declines. This resulted in 87.35% H2 yield and 86.73% CO yield up to 420 min. 5Ni4Rh/YZr catalyst maintains ∼80% H2 yield at the end of 27 h of DRM reaction.
Regularized Poisson regressions predict regional innovation output
Authors: Xiang Li , Xuemei Hu , Junwen Yang
Published: July 2023

Regional innovation output is influenced by many factors such as macroeconomic environments, residents consumption, fixed asset investment, foreign trade, fiscal revenue and expenditure, education, and research and development (R&D) input. Correctly predicting regional innovation output is an important subject in the economic field. In this paper, we propose four regularized Poisson regressions to forecast regional innovation output for 31 provinces in China. Firstly, we screen out 20 important factors and combine with four penalties: ridge penalty , least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalty (LASSO), smoothly clipped absolute deviation penalty (SCAD), and minimax concave penalty (MCP) to construct four regularized Poisson regressions. Secondly, we introduce the cyclic coordinate descent (CCD) algorithm and the training set to complete variable selection and obtain the least squares weighted iterative estimators and make model selection by introducing three criterions to compare goodness of fit to different models. Finally, we apply the testing set and the learned regressions to exhibit the prediction performances and found that SCAD/MCP regularized Poisson regression predicts better than /LASSO regularized Poisson regression in terms of root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). In particular, MCP regularized Poisson regression outperforms the other three regularized Poisson regressions in predicting the number of granted patents in the three regions.
Microglial depletion after brain injury prolongs inflammation and impairs brain repair, adult neurogenesis and pro‐regenerative signaling
Authors: Palsamy Kanagaraj , Chen Jessica Y. , Skaggs Kaia , Qadeer Yusuf , Connors Meghan , Cutler Noah , Richmond Joshua , Kommidi Vineeth , Poles Allison , Affrunti Danielle , Powell Curtis , Goldman Daniel , Parent Jack M.
Published: July 2023

The adult zebrafish brain, unlike mammals, has a remarkable regenerative capacity. Although inflammation in part hinders regeneration in mammals, it is necessary for zebrafish brain repair. Microglia are resident brain immune cells that regulate the inflammatory response. To explore the microglial role in repair, we used liposomal clodronate or colony stimulating factor‐1 receptor (csf1r) inhibitor to suppress microglia after brain injury, and also examined regeneration in two genetic mutant lines that lack microglia. We found that microglial ablation impaired telencephalic regeneration after injury. Microglial suppression attenuated cell proliferation at the intermediate progenitor cell amplification stage of neurogenesis. Notably, the loss of microglia impaired phospho‐Stat3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) and ß‐Catenin signaling after injury. Furthermore, the ectopic activation of Stat3 and ß‐Catenin rescued neurogenesis defects caused by microglial loss. Microglial suppression also prolonged the post‐injury inflammatory phase characterized by neutrophil accumulation, likely hindering the resolution of inflammation. These findings reveal specific roles of microglia and inflammatory signaling during zebrafish telencephalic regeneration that should advance strategies to improve mammalian brain repair.
The robustness of persistent homology of brain networks to data acquisition‐related non‐neural variability in resting state fMRI
Authors: Kumar Sidharth , Shovon Ahmedur Rahman , Deshpande Gopikrishna
Published: July 2023

There is increasing interest in investigating brain function based on functional connectivity networks (FCN) obtained from resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). FCNs, typically obtained using measures of time series association such as Pearson's correlation, are sensitive to data acquisition parameters such as sampling period. This introduces non‐neural variability in data pooled from different acquisition protocols and MRI scanners, negating the advantages of larger sample sizes in pooled data. To address this, we hypothesize that the topology or shape of brain networks must be preserved irrespective of how densely it is sampled, and metrics which capture this topology may be statistically similar across sampling periods, thereby alleviating this source of non‐neural variability. Accordingly, we present an end‐to‐end pipeline that uses persistent homology (PH), a branch of topological data analysis, to demonstrate similarity across FCNs acquired at different temporal sampling periods. PH, as a technique, extracts topological features by capturing the network organization across all continuous threshold values, as opposed to graph theoretic methods, which fix a discrete network topology by thresholding the connectivity matrix. The extracted topological features are encoded in the form of persistent diagrams that can be compared against one another using the earth‐moving metric, also popularly known as the Wasserstein distance. We extract topological features from three data cohorts, each acquired at different temporal sampling periods and demonstrate that these features are statistically the same, hence, empirically showing that PH may be robust to changes in data acquisition parameters such as sampling period.
Clinical utility of diaphragmatic ultrasonography for mechanical ventilator weaning in adults: A study protocol for systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Tashiro Naonori , Hasegawa Takeshi , Nishiwaki Hiroki , Ikeda Takashi , Noma Hisashi , Levack William , Ota Erika
Published: July 2023

Background and Aims

Mechanical ventilation is associated with several risks, including barotrauma, ventilator‐associated pneumonia, and ventilator‐induced diaphragmatic dysfunction. A delay in weaning from mechanical ventilation increases these risks, and prolonged weaning has been shown to increase hospital mortality. Various tools have been used in clinical practice to predict successful weaning from mechanical ventilation; however, they have a low prognostic accuracy. The use of ultrasonography in intensive care units is an area of growing interest since it is a noninvasive, convenient, and safe modality. Since ultrasonography can provide real‐time assessment of diaphragmatic morphology and function, it may have clinical utility in predicting successful mechanical ventilator weaning. This study aimed to describe a protocol to assess the effectiveness of diaphragmatic ultrasonography in the decision‐making process for ventilator weaning in terms of its impact on clinical outcomes.

Methods

This systematic review of published analytical research will use an aggregative thematic approach according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis Protocols guidelines. We will perform a comprehensive search for studies on the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases. Two authors will independently perform abstract and full‐text screening and data extraction. Additionally, a meta‐analysis and the risk of bias evaluation will be conducted, as appropriate.

Conclusion

Systematic reviews on the effectiveness of diaphragmatic ultrasonography in the decision‐making process for ventilator weaning in terms of its impact on clinical outcomes are lacking. The results of this systematic review may serve as a basis for future clinical trials. Systematic review registration: This protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/cn8xf.
Adenine nucleotide carrier protein dysfunction in human disease
Authors: Mishra Gargi , Coyne Liam P. , Chen Xin Jie
Published: July 2023

Adenine nucleotide translocase (ANT) is the prototypical member of the mitochondrial carrier protein family, primarily involved in ADP/ATP exchange across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Several carrier proteins evolutionarily related to ANT, including SLC25A24 and SLC25A25, are believed to promote the exchange of cytosolic ATP‐Mg2+ with phosphate in the mitochondrial matrix. They allow a net accumulation of adenine nucleotides inside mitochondria, which is essential for mitochondrial biogenesis and cell growth. In the last two decades, mutations in the heart/muscle isoform 1 of ANT (ANT1) and the ATP‐Mg2+ transporters have been found to cause a wide spectrum of human diseases by a recessive or dominant mechanism. Although loss‐of‐function recessive mutations cause a defect in oxidative phosphorylation and an increase in oxidative stress which drives the pathology, it is unclear how the dominant missense mutations in these proteins cause human diseases. In this review, we focus on how yeast was productively used as a model system for the understanding of these dominant diseases. We also describe the relationship between the structure and function of ANT and how this may relate to various pathologies. Particularly, mutations in Aac2, the yeast homolog of ANT, were recently found to clog the mitochondrial protein import pathway. This leads to mitochondrial precursor overaccumulation stress (mPOS), characterized by the toxic accumulation of unimported mitochondrial proteins in the cytosol. We anticipate that in coming years, yeast will continue to serve as a useful model system for the mechanistic understanding of mitochondrial protein import clogging and related pathologies in humans.
Effects of polycaprolactone degradation products on the water flea, Daphnia magna: Carbodiimide additives have acute and chronic toxicity
Authors: Matsumoto Megumi , Ito Haruka , Tateishi Ayaka , Kobayashi Yasuaki , Satoh Kotaro , Numata Keiji , Miyakawa Hitoshi
Published: July 2023

Plastics have benefited our lives in many ways, but their long persistence in the environment causes serious problems. Rapid decomposition and detoxification of plastics after use are significant challenges. As a possible solution, biodegradable plastics have attracted attention, and for environmental risk assessment research on polymer toxicity, use of indicator organisms, like water fleas and fish, has increased globally. However, such research often focuses on standardized substances without considering changes in toxicity due to plastic degradation products. Additionally, tests generally focus on acute toxicity, while long‐term effects on organismal reproduction and lifespan are largely unknown. Understanding the impact of degraded polymers on biological activities is crucial for accurate risk assessment. In this study, we investigated the biological toxicity of substances generated during degradation of polycaprolactone (PCL), a common biodegradable plastic, using the indicator organism, Daphnia magna. We examined PCL, oligocaprolactones (OCLs), and monomers resulting from polymer cleavage, as well as carbodiimides, added during polyester synthesis. As a result, PCL, which is insoluble in water, reduced individual survival and total number of offspring at an exposure concentration of 100 mg/L, while no toxicity was observed for water‐soluble degradation products, OCLs, and monomers. Furthermore, carbodiimides, which are expected to be released during PCL degradation, showed strong toxicity, significantly reducing individual survival and total number of offspring at 0.1–10 mg/L. These findings suggest that changes in physical properties due to polymer degradation and release of additives can significantly alter their toxicity.
Associations between indoor air pollution for cooking and heating with muscle and sarcopenia in Chinese older population
Authors: Hu Zhigang , Tian Yufeng , Song Xinyu , Zeng Fanjun , Yang Ailan
Published: July 2023

Background

Exposure to air pollution brings the advent effect for various diseases, but study about the relationship between air pollution and ageing is scant. We aimed to determine the associations between household air pollution for cooking and heating with muscle and sarcopenia in Chinese older population by a nationally representative study.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included individuals aged 60 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study between 2011 and 2015. The diagnosis of sarcopenia was defined by low muscle mass with low muscle strength and/or reduced physical performance. Generalized additive analyses and dose‐dependent analyses with three models were used to assess the effects of different pattern of cooking and heating on muscle and sarcopenia.

Results

A total of 8126 Chinese older individuals with predominant male (53.7%) and mean age of 67.3 ± 6.0 years were included in our study. Solid fuel use in cooking showed significant declines in muscle strength (β = −0.424, 95% CI: −0.767, −0.082, P = 0.01 in model 3) and mass (β = −0.034, 95% CI: −0.051, −0.017, P < 0.01 in model 3), when compared with clean fuel use in cooking, respectively. Solid fuel for heating was correlated with lower muscle strength (β = −0.637, 95% CI: −1.033, −0.241, P < 0.01 in model 3) than clean fuel for heating. The joint use of solid fuel for cooking and heating was associated with reduced muscle strength (β = −0.835, 95% CI: −1.306, −0.365, P < 0.01 in model 3) and mass (β = −0.038, 95% CI: −0.061, −0.015, P < 0.01 in model 3) than clean fuel for cooking and heating. Solid fuel for cooking was associated with significantly increased risk of low muscle strength (adjusted OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.50, P < 0.01 in model 3) and mass (adjusted OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.61, P < 0.01 in model 3), possible sarcopenia (adjusted OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.48, P < 0.01 in model 3) and sarcopenia (adjusted OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.72, P < 0.01 in model 3) compared with clean fuel for cooking. Solid fuel for heating had a significant correlation with low muscle strength (adjusted OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.56, P < 0.01 in model 3) and possible sarcopenia (adjusted OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.70, P < 0.01 in model 3). Dose‐dependent manner was shown in the associations between the number of solid fuel with low muscle strength and possible sarcopenia. Clean fuel for cooking and solid fuel for heating was positively associated with the prevalence of possible sarcopenia than clean fuel for cooking and heating (adjusted OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.57, P < 0.01 in model 3).

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that solid fuel for cooking and the number of solid fuel use potentially facilitates the onset and progression of muscle loss and sarcopenia.
Multiyear versus single‐year El Niño events: Contrasting their impacts on South American seasonal precipitation
Authors: Mamani Jimenez Leonardo C. , Andreoli Rita V. , Kayano Mary Toshie , de Souza Rodrigo Augusto Ferreira , Ceron Wilmar L.
Published: July 2023

Differences in the seasonal distribution of precipitation over South America (SA) associated with single‐year (SY) and multiyear (MY) El Niño (EN) events were analysed based on reanalysis data for the 1901–2012 period. The results suggest that Pacific Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies associated with MY EN events interact with the tropical Atlantic and Indian Oceans SST from austral fall to spring, after the event's first year, affecting SA precipitation distribution in subsequent seasons. Compared to SY EN events, which reproduce well the north–south dipolar precipitation anomaly pattern over SA, the MY EN events show differences in the intensity and positioning of precipitation anomalies. Precipitation decreases over northern SA during all seasons are observed for SY and MY EN events except for differences in magnitudes. Variations in the position and longitudinal extension of the downward motions of Walker circulation in response to these events explain these differences. Over southern and southeastern SA, differences in anomaly positioning are more evident. The positive precipitation anomalies over these regions in the austral spring and summer are weakened and southward shifted during the MY EN in relation to those during SY EN events. These variations are associated with the Rossby‐wave train pattern path that depends on the EN and season. Consequently, the associated local atmospheric circulation patterns also depend on the season. The intense (weak) South American low‐level jet (SALLJ) for the first year of MY EN contrasts with the weak or inexistence (intense) SALLJ for the SY EN during summer (springer). Complementary to previous studies, the results indicate that the differences in the intensity and duration of the SY and MY EN events contribute to changes in the EN‐related atmospheric teleconnection pattern that impacts SA precipitation. The results can be useful for climate prediction and monitoring purposes.
Study on chemical constituents and fingerprints of Phellodendron amurense Rupr. based on ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole–time‐of‐flight–mass spectrometry
Authors: Feng Yuan , Zheng Yuguang , Xin Xiaodong , Guo Qiuhong , Hao Ying , Li Chunhua , Zhang Qingqing
Published: July 2023

The chemical constituents from Phellodendron amurense Rupr. were characterized systematically by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography—quadrupole–time‐of‐flight–mass spectrometry method for collecting mass spectrometry data, and the fingerprints method was established, providing reference for its quality control. The chromatographic column was ACQUITY UPLC BEH‐C18 (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 μm). The mobile phase was acetonitrile‐0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and the compounds from P. amurense Rupr. were identified by Qualitative Analysis 10.0 software, reference substance, retention time, mass spectrometry fragmentation pattern and database retrieval. Meanwhile, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry fingerprint methods of P. amurense Rupr. and Phellodendron chinense Schneid. were established by using the similarity evaluation system of chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (2012 edition), and the differences were analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis methods. A total of 105 compounds were identified, including 102 alkaloids, two phenolic acids, and one lactone compound. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry fingerprint method was established with ideal precision, stability and repeatability, and 12 quality differential markers were recognized between the above two herbs. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method can be used for qualitative analysis of the constituents of Phellodendron amurense Rupr., providing reference for clarifying the material basis and promoting the clinical precision medication and quality evaluation of P. amurense Rupr.
Automated Identification of Patent Ductus Arteriosus Using a Computer Vision Model
Authors: Erno Jason , Gomes Thomas , Baltimore Christopher , Lineberger John P. , Smith D. Hudson , Baker G. Hamilton
Published: July 2023

Objectives

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a vascular defect common in preterm infants and often requires treatment to avoid associated long‐term morbidities. Echocardiography is the primary tool used to diagnose and monitor PDA. We trained a deep learning model to identify PDA presence in relevant echocardiographic images.

Methods

Echocardiography video clips (n = 2527) in preterm infants were reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist and those relevant to PDA diagnosis were selected and labeled (PDA present/absent/indeterminate). We trained a convolutional neural network to classify each echocardiography frame of a clip as belonging to clips with or without PDA. A novel attention mechanism that aggregated predictions for all frames in each clip to obtain a clip‐level prediction by weighting relevant frames.

Results

In early model iterations, we discovered training with color Doppler echocardiography clips produced the best performing classifier. For model training and validation, 1145 such clips from 66 patients (661 PDA+ clips, 484 PDA− clips) were used. Our best classifier for clip level performance obtained sensitivity of 0.80 (0.83–0.90), specificity of 0.77 (0.62–0.92) and AUC of 0.86 (0.83–0.90). Study level performance obtained sensitivity of 0.83 (0.72–0.94), specificity of 0.89 (0.79–1.0) and AUC of 0.93 (0.89–0.98).

Conclusions

Our novel deep learning model demonstrated strong performance in classifying echocardiography clips with and without PDA. Further model development and external validation are warranted. Ultimately, integration of such a classifier into auto detection software could streamline PDA imaging workflow. This work is the first step toward semi‐automated, bedside detection of PDA in preterm infants.
1550‐nm Band Soliton Microcombs in Ytterbium‐Doped Lithium‐Niobate Microrings
Authors: Yang Chen , Yang Shuo , Du Fan , Zeng Xianhong , Wang Beichen , Yang Zijiao , Luo Qiang , Ma Rui , Zhang Ru , Jia Di , Hao Zhenzhong , Li Yongnan , Yang Qifan , Yi Xu , Bo Fang , Kong Yongfa , Zhang Guoquan , Xu Jingjun
Published: July 2023

Micro‐optical frequency combs are miniaturized coherent light sources exhibiting a tremendous influence on precision spectroscopy, optical clocks, and high‐speed optical communications. The rare‐earth‐doped lithium niobate (LN) is a promising platform to integrate the lasers and comb sources on the same chip of single material. However, microcombs generated in rare‐earth‐doped LN thin film (LNTF) have not yet been fully explored. To explore the protocols of generating optical combs in ytterbium‐doped LNTF, the comb‐like laser is studied in the 1060 nm band, and the dissipative Kerr soliton is experimentally demonstrated in the telecom band in a Z‐cut wafer. The over‐coupled fundamental transverse electric mode with anomalous dispersion is excited at an on‐chip pump power of 75.7 mW to generate the robust bright soliton. The broadband spectrum of the Kerr soliton ranges from 1480 to 1660 nm with 110 comb lines, whose repetition rate is 197.8 GHz. The mode‐locking of the soliton can be achieved as a result of the photorefractive effect of ytterbium‐doped LNTF instead of complex feedback schemes. Numerical simulations are highly accordant with the experimental results. This work expands the microcomb‐generating platform and increases the potential for integrated on‐chip applications including precision ranging and frequency division.
Stimuli‐Responsive Delivery of Antimicrobial Peptides Using Polyelectrolyte Complexes
Authors: Antropenko Alexander , Caruso Frank , Fernandez‐Trillo Paco
Published: July 2023

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are antibiotics with the potential to address antimicrobial resistance. However, their translation to the clinic is hampered by issues such as off‐target toxicity and low stability in biological media. Stimuli‐responsive delivery from polyelectrolyte complexes offers a simple avenue to address these limitations, wherein delivery is triggered by changes occurring during microbial infection. The review first provides an overview of pH‐responsive delivery, which exploits the intrinsic pH‐responsive nature of polyelectrolytes as a mechanism to deliver these antimicrobials. The examples included illustrate the challenges faced when developing these systems, in particular balancing antimicrobial efficacy and stability, and the potential of this approach to prepare switchable surfaces or nanoparticles for intracellular delivery. The review subsequently highlights the use of other stimuli associated with microbial infection, such as the expression of degrading enzymes or changes in temperature. Polyelectrolyte complexes with dual stimuli‐response based on pH and temperature are also discussed. Finally, the review presents a summary and an outlook of the challenges and opportunities faced by this field. This review is expected to encourage researchers to develop stimuli‐responsive polyelectrolyte complexes that increase the stability of AMPs while providing targeted delivery, and thereby facilitate the translation of these antimicrobials.
When less is more: Understanding consumers' responses to minimalist appeals
Authors: Chen Wei‐Fen , Liu Jingshi (Joyce)
Published: July 2023

Minimalism, which encourages people to live with fewer possessions, is an emerging theme in marketing communication that often appeals to the sustainable ideal of reducing consumption and waste (e.g., Patagonia's “Buy less” campaign). However, consumers' responses to this marketing approach remain under‐researched. We investigate whether consumers' responses to minimalist appeals depend on their socioeconomic status. We find that consumers with lower socioeconomic status report less favorable evaluations of brands that adopt minimalist appeals, because these consumers tend to prefer quantity over quality in daily consumption—a preference that is incongruent with minimalism. This effect is moderated by the considerations of product‐usage frequency: even consumers with low socioeconomic status can become more favorable toward minimalist brands if the benefit of minimalism, namely the increased usage of each product, is salient.
988's first anniversary reveals progress, CCBHC support and 911 partnerships
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: July 2023

July 16 marked the one‐year anniversary of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline that allows callers experiencing a mental health crisis to connect with a crisis counselor. Since its implementation, the 988 Lifeline data for May 2023 revealed an increase in overall volume compared to May 2022, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Mental Health Weekly wins APEX Award for Publication Excellence
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: July 2023

Mental Health Weekly has won an award for publication excellence in the Newsletters — Writing (Mental Health/Mental Illness) subcategory in the APEX 2023 Awards. The 35th annual APEX awards program recognizes excellence in publishing by professional communicators. The APEX 2023 award recognizes publishing editor Valerie A. Canady, contributing editor Gary Enos, and production editor Douglas Devaux. More than 1,100 entries were submitted. The APEX awards are based on excellence in editorial content, graphic design and the ability to achieve overall communications excellence. The APEX awards were announced last week. The full list of winners can be viewed at https://apexawards.com/winners‐2022.
US DOJ: South Carolina violated ADA for people with MI
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: July 2023

South Carolina has failed to provide sufficient community‐based services to prevent the institutionalization of people with mental illness (MI), and instead, has subsidized their stays in adult care homes, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this month.
Mathematical multi‐scale model of water purification
Authors: Piatnitski Andrey , Shamaev Alexey , Zhizhina Elena
Published: July 2023

In this work, we consider a mathematical model of the water treatment process and determine the effective characteristics of this model. At the microscopic length scale, we describe our model in terms of a lattice random walk in a high‐contrast periodic medium with absorption. Applying then the upscaling procedure, we obtain the macroscopic model for total mass evolution. We discuss both the dynamic and the stationary regimes and show how the efficiency of the purification process depends on the characteristics of the macroscopic model.
Simultaneous multislice EPI prospective motion correction by real‐time receiver phase correction and coil sensitivity map interpolation
Authors: Li Bo , Li Ningzhi , Wang Ze , Balan Radu , Ernst Thomas
Published: July 2023

Purpose

To improve the image reconstruction for prospective motion correction (PMC) of simultaneous multislice (SMS) EPI of the brain, an update of receiver phase and resampling of coil sensitivities are proposed and evaluated.

Methods

A camera‐based system was used to track head motion (3 translations and 3 rotations) and dynamically update the scan position and orientation. We derived the change in receiver phase associated with a shifted field of view (FOV) and applied it in real‐time to each k‐space line of the EPI readout trains. Second, for the SMS reconstruction, we adapted resampled coil sensitivity profiles reflecting the movement of slices. Single‐shot gradient‐echo SMS‐EPI scans were performed in phantoms and human subjects for validation.

Results

Brain SMS‐EPI scans in the presence of motion with PMC and no phase correction for scan plane shift showed noticeable artifacts. These artifacts were visually and quantitatively attenuated when corrections were enabled. Correcting misaligned coil sensitivity maps improved the temporal SNR (tSNR) of time series by 24% (p = 0.0007) for scans with large movements (up to ˜35 mm and 30°). Correcting the receiver phase improved the tSNR of a scan with minimal head movement by 50% from 50 to 75 for a United Kingdom biobank protocol.

Conclusion

Reconstruction‐induced motion artifacts in single‐shot SMS‐EPI scans acquired with PMC can be removed by dynamically adjusting the receiver phase of each line across EPI readout trains and updating coil sensitivity profiles during reconstruction. The method may be a valuable tool for SMS‐EPI scans in the presence of subject motion.
Messing up to clean up: Semi‐randomized frequency selective space‐filling curves to suppress physiological signal fluctuations in MRI
Authors: Seginer Amir , Schmidt Rita
Published: July 2023

Purpose

Rapid 3D steady‐state sequences are widely used but are also known to be sensitive to semi‐periodic physiological signal fluctuations due to, for example, cardiac pulsation, breathing, and eye/eyelids movement. This semi‐periodicity results in repeating artifacts in the image whose intensity depends on the scan parameters. The purpose of this study is to design a reordering of the 2D phase encodes (within the 3D acquisition) that reduces these artifacts.

Methods

A randomized order of the phase encodes can suppress repeating artifact but may also introduce its own apparent noise, for example, in cases of slow subject movement or gradual changes in eddy currents. In a new design a semi‐randomized space‐filling curve is generated by scrambling the local order of the phase encodes to achieve a controlled frequency selective effect, that is, eliminating artifacts above a chosen (fluctuation) frequency threshold while leaving lower frequencies untouched, thus overcoming the limitations of a randomized order. The method was characterized in simulations and substantiated by human brain imaging at 7 T using two steady‐state gradient echo variants that suffer from pulsation, either near blood vessels or near the ventricles.

Results

The simulations with a point source show that the maximum artifact intensity can be reduced by factors of 10–50 depending on the scan parameters. In human scanning, the new approach drastically reduced physiologically induced artifacts and was superior in this regard to both full randomization and a generalized Hilbert curve, another semi‐randomized approach.

Conclusion

The phase‐encodes reordering presented here effectively removes artifacts arising from local fluctuations.
Eigensensitivity of damped system with distinct and repeated eigenvalues by chain rule
Authors: Phuor Ty , Yoon GilHo
Published: July 2023

In this paper, a novel algorithm for computing the derivatives of eigensolutions of asymmetric damped systems with distinct and repeated eigenvalues is developed without using second‐order derivatives of the eigenequations, which has a significant benefit over the existing published methods. To achieve this, the algorithm is proposed by (1) imposing consistent normalization conditions for both left and right eigenvectors throughout the computational system, and (2) solving sensitivity problems using the chain rule. These contributions add significant value to the proposed method. Additionally, the numerical difficulty is overcome by suggesting justifying Nelson (1976)'s technique based on the normalization conditions. Even though the proposed algorithm is simple and easy to implement, the employment of chain rule with new normalization in this note has never been reported in the literature, especially for the problem of eigensensitivity. Because this new algorithm does not require the second‐order derivatives of the eigenequations, the analytical and numerical solutions for eigensensitivity offered by this method are less complicated than existing available solutions. The validity and applicability of the method are demonstrated through five numerical examples, showcasing its implementation in displacement‐ and state‐space equations (rotordynamic system). Also, verifications are found to be in reasonable agreement with the approximated method.
Metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis of cold plasma promoting biosynthesis of active substances in broccoli sprouts
Authors: Lyu Xingang , Chen Yi , Gao Shiwei , Cao Wei , Fan Daidi , Duan Zhiguang , Xia Zengrun
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Broccoli sprouts have great health and commercial value because they are rich in sulforaphane, a special bioactive compound that helps to prevent chronic diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Objective

The aim of this study was to increase the levels of active substances in broccoli sprouts and understand their metabolic mechanisms.

Methodology

Metabolomics based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and transcriptome analysis were combined to analyse the enrichment of metabolites in broccoli sprouts treated with cold plasma.

Results

After 2 min of cold plasma treatment, the contents of sulforaphane, glucosinolates, total phenols, and flavonoids, as well as myrosinase activity, were greatly improved. Transcriptomics revealed 7460 differentially expressed genes in the untreated and treated sprouts. Metabolomics detected 6739 differential metabolites, including most amino acids, their derivatives, and organic acids. Enrichment analyses of metabolomics and transcriptomics identified the 20 most significantly differentially expressed metabolic pathways.

Conclusions

Overall, cold plasma treatment can induce changes in the expression and regulation of certain metabolites and genes encoding active substances in broccoli sprouts.
Evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of a screening tool for low physical activity in independently ambulating adults with knee osteoarthritis: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Amano Tetsuya
Published: July 2023

Background and Purpose

Patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) can benefit from resistance training exercises, range of motion and flexibility maintenance, and low‐load aerobic exercises, as per the relevant clinical guidelines. However, certain patients might be unable to progress to higher physical levels despite such physical therapy programs. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a screening tool for determining physical activity levels in individuals with OA undergoing standard physical therapy regularly, using likelihood ratios and predictive values.

Method

This prospective observational study included 135 patients undergoing standard physical therapy for OA from six medical facilities. The primary outcome was low physical activity or moderate to high physical activity levels based on 1‐month Self‐Rating Frenchay activities index scores. Backward elimination was used to perform binomial logistic regression analysis after identifying the independent variables in a univariate logistic regression analysis. Among the independent variables adopted in the logistic regression model, receiver operating characteristic analysis using Youden's index was performed for quantitative variables, which were converted to binary values at the cut‐off points. Subsequently, the clinical prediction rule (CPR) was derived.

Results

According to the binomial logistic regression analysis, age, knee flexion muscle strength, and visual analog scale (VAS) were risk factors for low physical activity, and the CPR was derived from these variables. The pre‐test probability of the low physical activity group was 37.0% (50 out of 135 participants). For a total CPR score of three points (one point for each item: age ≤69 years, knee flexion muscle strength ≤0.36 Nm/kg, and VAS ≥33 mm), the positive likelihood ratio was 13.60 and the post‐test probability increased to 88.9%.

Discussion

The CPR identified patients who might not benefit from the standard physical therapy program. This screening tool could improve patient management, allowing for more tailored approaches in physical therapy programs.
A Note on Modular Invariant Species Scale and Potentials
Authors: Cribiori Niccolò , Lüst Dieter
Published: July 2023

The species scale provides an upper bound for the ultraviolet cutoff of effective theories of gravity coupled to a number of light particle species. Modular invariant (super‐)potentials provide a simple and computable expression of the species scale as a function of the moduli in toroidal orbifold compactifications of type II and heterotic string are pointed out. Due t o modular symmetry, these functions are valid over all moduli space and not only in asymptotic regions. Additive logarithmic corrections to the species scale arise from the requirement that the latter be modular invariant are observed. The moduli‐dependent expression of the species scale in terms of the gravitino mass or the scalar potential of these models are recasted and swampland conjectures such as the anti‐de Sitter distance conjecture and the gravitino conjecture are connected.
Decoding attraction: Improving vine weevil monitoring by exploiting key sensory cues
Authors: Fezza Eugenia , Roberts Joe M. , Bruce Toby J. A. , Walsh Lael E. , Gaffney Michael T. , Pope Tom W.
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Monitoring is an integral component of integrated pest management (IPM) programmes used to inform crop management decisions. Vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), continues to cause economically significant losses in horticultural crops due to an inability to reliably detect the presence of this species before crop damage occurs. To improve vine weevil monitoring we investigated the behavioural responses of adult vine weevils to visual (monitoring tool shade/colour, height and diameter as well as the effect of monitoring tool and plant density) and olfactory (host plant and conspecifics) cues under glasshouse conditions.

RESULTS

Monitoring tool shade, height and diameter all influenced monitoring tool efficacy, with individuals exhibiting a preference for black, tall and wide monitoring tools. The total number of individuals recorded in monitoring tools increased with monitoring tool density. By contrast, plant density did not influence the number of individuals recorded in monitoring tools. Yew‐baited monitoring tools retained a larger number of individuals compared to unbaited ones. Similarly, more vine weevils were recorded in monitoring tools baited with yew and conspecifics than in unbaited monitoring tools or those baited with only yew. Baiting monitoring tools with conspecifics alone did not enhance the number of vine weevils recorded in monitoring tools.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirms that visual and olfactory cues influence vine weevil behaviour. This provides information on key factors that influence vine weevil monitoring tool efficacy and can be used to inform the development of a new monitoring tool for this pest. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Field evaluation of a six‐rotor unmanned agricultural aerial sprayer: effects of application parameters on spray deposition and control efficacy against rice planthopper
Authors: Huang Zhan , Wang Changling , Wongsuk Supakorn , Qi Peng , Liu Limin , Qiao Baiyu , Zhong Ling , He Xiongkui
Published: July 2023

BACKGROUND

Unmanned Aerial Spraying System (UASS) has emerged as an advanced, precise, and efficient tool for pesticide application in numerous nations in recent years. Despite this, there is a noticeable gap in research advocating viable, quantifiable methodologies for application parameter optimization. This investigation was primarily oriented toward identifying optimal UASS application parameters. It did so by exploring the effects of varying spray volumes and flight parameters on spray performance in a comprehensive manner, and by assessing the biological potency of aerial insecticide application against Rice Planthopper (RPH) using the optimal parameters, aided by two types of nozzles in rice field settings.

RESULTS

Increased spray volume increased the spray deposition. Working height impacted the distribution of spray deposition, with a higher working height leading to superior distribution uniformity. Both spray volume and working height were observed to influence spray deposition and its percentage in tandem. Upon factor analysis, the optimal parameters determined for rice at the heading stage were an application volume of 15.0 L·ha−1, a working height of 2.0 m, and a driving speed of 5.0 m·s−1. Under these parameters, the air‐induction twin flat fan nozzle IDKT120‐015 demonstrated approximately 5% higher spray deposition than the flat fan nozzle SX11001VS, albeit with inferior distribution uniformity. Both nozzle types achieved over 93.0% control efficacy against RPH using triflumezopyrim, persisting for up to 40 days post‐treatment.

CONCLUSION

This study furnishes invaluable insights and data for controlling rice planthopper via UASS pesticide application, contributing to the progress of modern intensive and sustainable agriculture. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Model‐informed drug development of autologous CAR‐T cell therapy: Strategies to optimize CAR‐T cell exposure leveraging cell kinetic/dynamic modeling
Authors: Mc Laughlin Anna M. , Milligan Peter A. , Yee Cassian , Bergstrand Martin
Published: July 2023

Autologous Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR‐T) cell therapy has been highly successful in the treatment of aggressive hematological malignancies and is also being evaluated for the treatment of solid tumors as well as other therapeutic areas. A challenge, however, is that up to 60% of patients do not sustain a long‐term response. Low CAR‐T cell exposure has been suggested as an underlying factor for a poor prognosis. CAR‐T cell therapy is a novel therapeutic modality with unique kinetic and dynamic properties. Importantly, “clear” dose‐exposure relationships do not seem to exist for any of the currently approved CAR‐T cell products. In other words, dose increases have not led to a commensurate increase in the measurable in vivo frequency of transferred CAR‐T cells. Therefore, alternative approaches beyond dose titration are needed to optimize CAR‐T cell exposure. In this paper, we provide examples of actionable variables – design elements in CAR‐T cell discovery, development, and clinical practice, which can be modified to optimize autologous CAR‐T cell exposure. Most of these actionable variables can be assessed throughout the various stages of discovery and development as part of a well‐informed research and development program. Model‐informed drug development approaches can enable such study and program design choices from discovery through to clinical practice and can be an important contributor to cell therapy effectiveness and efficiency.
Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Nanofiber Dielectric Layer Enriched through Novel Zinc Phthalocyanine Carrying Four O‐Carboranyl Units
Authors: Ozen Abdurrahman , Karabiber Abdulkerim , Sener Sevil , Ipek Osman , Ozel Faruk
Published: July 2023

Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology is one of the new, low‐cost, and simple methods used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Despite having so many advantages, the energy efficiency of this technology is extremely low. Therefore, their current performance needs to be improved so that they can be used more in daily life. Nanofibers (NFs) are one of the most important material groups that can be used for this technology due to their large surface area–volume ratio, easy production, low cost, and simplicity. Herein, Nylon 6.6 and polyacrylonitrile are used as tribopositive and tribonegative dielectric layers, respectively. To increase the output performances of the TENG system, different weight ratios (1, 2, 3 wt%) of phthalocyanine containing zinc‐based carborane units (ZnPc) are added into the Nylon 6.6 NFs. In accordance with the obtained results, the maximum open circuit voltage and power are measured as 228 V and 7.76 mW, respectively. These results correspond for the TENG system with 1% by weight ZnPc doped into the NFs. These results show that high‐efficiency TENG systems can be obtained with nanofiber‐based dielectric layers and can be used effectively in self‐powered systems.