bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pack it up: impact of message frames, perceived benefits and green consumer values for apparel product packaging on brand attitude
Authors: Kolacz Michelle , Bhaduri Gargi
Published: August 2024

Purpose

While the fashion industry is beginning to comprehend the commercial imperative for sustainability, it is struggling to address the issues of overconsumption and accompanying packaging. Research indicates that framing of marketing messages makes an impact on consumers’ choices, particularly when it comes to supporting sustainable initiatives from brands. This study aims to investigate the impact of message framing, reference to perceived benefits and green consumer values on their choice of packaging reduction initiatives in the context of online retailing and the subsequent impact on brand attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2 (frame: gain/loss) × 2 (reference to perceived benefits: personal/societal) × 2 (green consumer value: high/low) mixed method online experiment was conducted.

Findings

Results indicated that how the message is referenced in terms of benefits (personal gain/loss or societal gain/loss) and green consumer values act as moderators between message frame and attitude toward the packaging initiatives, which in turn impact brand attitude.

Originality/value

Overall, the findings contribute to message architecture, insight on consumer behavior, and add to the business case for sustainable packaging for fashion/apparel companies.
Five days per month? A remote/hybrid work policy
Authors: Risavy Stephen D. , Liang Lindie H. , Zhao Yilin , Zur Elana
Published: August 2024

Research methodology

The main data used to develop this case were remote, synchronous interviews with the three characters in the case. The authors conducted two interviews with the main character in the case, Geoff Brown, specifically: (1) an initial 30 min interview to determine the fit and focus of the case and to help create the interview protocol for the full case interview (this initial interview was conducted on March 12, 2024); and (2) an hour-long interview to ask targeted questions to fully develop the case narrative (this interview was conducted on March 28, 2024). Geoff Brown was also involved in reviewing drafts of the case, approving the final version of the case and reviewing the assignment questions in this instructors’ manual (IM).
Surveillance of alcohol use through population surveys in the Americas from 2010 to 2019
Authors: Jaswal Harpreet , Sohi Ivneet , Chrystoja Bethany , Imtiaz Sameer , Franklin Ari , Wettlaufer Ashley , Rehm Jürgen , Monteiro Maristela , Shield Kevin
Published: August 2024

Aims

The aims of this study were to identify alcohol‐related population surveys administered in the Americas, determine which alcohol‐related measures are examined and identify coverage gaps regarding alcohol‐related measures.

Methods

As part of the Global Information System on Alcohol and Health study, a systematic search was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses criteria to identify regionally or nationally representative survey reports of the general population from 1 January 2010 to 6 August 2019. Alcohol‐related measures extracted from surveys were categorized into 10 domains: alcohol consumption status; alcohol consumption; unrecorded alcohol consumption; drinking patterns; symptoms of dependence and/or harmful use; drinking during pregnancy; treatment coverage; second‐hand harms; economic; and other.

Results

The systematic search identified 7417 survey reports, 94 of which were new and included in this study, with an additional 11 studies included from a previous systematic study of alcohol surveys. In total, 94 unique surveys and 161 unique survey waves were located, representing 105 unique survey questionnaires covering 30 countries. No population surveys were found for five member states; namely, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Haiti, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Kitts and Nevis. All countries with population‐based alcohol surveys had had a population survey probing alcohol use in the past year/month. Questions regarding heavy episodic drinking, alcohol use disorders, treatment‐seeking for alcohol use, drinking during pregnancy, harms to others and the amounts spent on alcohol were asked in 26, 25, 10, 6, 22 and 11 countries, respectively.

Conclusions

The heterogeneity in alcohol‐related population surveys in the Americas from 2010 to 2019 limits their comparability throughout countries and over time. Future surveys should implement a standardized set of core questions to provide consistency in the monitoring of alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related harms.
Editorial: Repeatability data on vibration‐controlled transient elastography and magnetic resonance elastography and their relevance for drug development and clinical practice in patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Petroff David , Messer Eva , Karlas Thomas , Wiegand Johannes
Published: August 2024

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Siddiqi et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.18118
Do I have to blame the perpetrator if I can't blame the victim anymore? Bystander responsibility in contact sexual violence scenarios
Authors: Beam Adam J. , Jordan Lauren N. , Purdom Katherine E. , Smith C. Veronica
Published: August 2024

Sexual violence is far too common in the U.S. and across the world (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Bystander interventions are one type of intervention that aim to reduce contact sexual violence incidence as well as other problematic features of sexual violence like victim blame. Despite bystander intervention popularity, research has yet to address what people think about bystanders themselves and if people blame them in sexual violence scenarios. Across three sets of studies (N = 887), participants read a simple vignette that explicitly stated a man had raped/sexually assaulted a woman and participants were then asked to allocate blame to the perpetrator, victim, and bystanders. In some studies, bystanders were not explicitly mentioned, and participants had to self‐nominate others who they thought could be responsible. In other studies, possible bystanders were listed by the researchers. Our results replicated across all sets of studies and indicated that people rarely thought to allocate blame to bystanders when they were not explicitly mentioned. When bystanders were explicitly mentioned, participants gave some blame to the bystanders and consequently reduced blame to the perpetrator. Our results have important implications for both legal settings and sexual assault prevention.
Impact of labially inclined implant axes on immediate implant placement and provisionalization in anterior maxilla: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Ren Shuxin , Guo Houzuo , Yi Chun , Lin Ye , Di Ping , Jiang Xi
Published: August 2024

Objectives

To investigate whether a labially inclined implant axis compromises the clinical outcomes of immediate implant placement and provisionalization (IIPP) in the anterior maxilla.

Materials and Methods

Patients with unsalvageable central or lateral maxillary incisors were enrolled. IIPP with simultaneous connective tissue graft (CTG) was performed in all participants. In the control group, the alveolar ridge had a long axis aligned with the tooth, which ensured that the immediate implant was aimed at the incisor edge or the cingulum of future restoration. The test group had a large angle between the axes of the ridge and tooth. To avoid bone fenestration, the implants were placed labially inclined and emerged from the labial side of future restoration. Intra‐oral scanning and cone‐beam computed tomography were performed to record soft and hard tissue profiles at baseline and 1 year later. Soft tissue stability, bone remodeling, and pink esthetic score (PES) were evaluated and compared between two groups.

Results

Thirty‐nine participants (19 tests and 20 controls) completed the study. At 1‐year post‐surgery, the mid‐facial gingival margin migrations were 0.85 ± 0.37 mm (test) and 0.81 ± 0.33 mm (control), without significant differences. No differences were identified in buccal profile alteration, linear ridge reduction, buccal bone thickness, or PES scores. The test group demonstrated thinner buccal soft tissue at the crestal level than the control group.

Conclusions

When large tooth‐ridge angulation presented, labially inclined implant, avoiding buccal ridge fenestration in IIPP with CTG, did not compromise the clinical outcome in short term.
Tortuosity of the left anterior descending artery is associated with hypertension and is not independently related to physical performance: A cardiac computed tomography study
Authors: Sharfo Alaa , Wandall‐Holm Malthe Faurschou , Linde Jesper James , Hæsum Ida , Graversen Peter Laursen , Kofoed Klaus Fuglsang , Hove Jens Dahlgaard
Published: August 2024

Background

Coronary tortuosity (CorT) is frequently observed in invasive angiography, though its aetiology and clinical significance remain ambiguous. Prior research has indicated possible links between CorT and factors such as hypertension, age, and calcium scores in the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. The aim of this study was to examine and optimize the usage of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) with vessel tracking to explore these associations.

Methods

Observational sub‐study of the single centre randomised controlled CATCH‐trial. From the original study 600 participants, who underwent CCTA, 250 were randomly selected. Clinical data and patient risk factors were sourced from medical records and structured interviews. Tortuosity of the LAD was quantified by calculating the ratio of the actual vessel‐length to the straight‐line distance.

Results

The final study population comprised 194 patients (56 patients were excluded due to poor image quality or inability to perform adequate vessel tracking). After adjusting for confounding variables, tortuosity was significantly associated with hypertension (p < 0.001), female gender (p = 0.01), and increasing age (p = 0.045). No significant correlation was observed between CorT and calcium scores. Univariate analysis indicated that higher CorT levels were linked to lower metabolic equivalents of task (METs) in bicycle tests (p = 0.003); however, this relationship became nonsignificant (p = 0.97) upon adjustment for age, gender, and hypertension.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that increased CorT is most prevalent in patients with hypertension, advancing age, and female gender. Although higher tortuosity levels did not significantly impact METs during physical activity, further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms of this relationship.
Integrated diagnostics, complex biomarkers, and a new frontier for tissue pathology
Authors: Salto‐Tellez Manuel , Eloy Catarina , Laurinavicius Arvydas , Fraggetta Filippo
Published: August 2024

What will be the next disruptive technology that will change pathology's routine practice again? In this editorial we make a case for the need of more complex biomarkers in oncology diagnostics, to match the inherent complexity of cancer biology. This complexity will be achieved by the validation of technology able to generate more meaningful biological datapoints (epitomized in tissue pathology by technologies such as multiplex immunofluorescence) and, more important, by the systematic analysis of multimodal technology outputs with artificial intelligence tools, which is the essence of integrated diagnostics. While describing these processes, the authors highlight the pivotal role that histopathology will play, once again, in yet another transformation in diagnostics.
Unveiling the complexity of L2 learners’ emotions and emotion regulation: A retrodictive qualitative modeling study
Authors: Ranjbar Mostafa , Hassanzadeh Mohammad , Roghanian Amin
Published: August 2024

Second/foreign language (L2) learners often go through a gamut of conflicting experiences embedded within their emotional system, which can be managed through emotion regulation (ER). Motivated by complex dynamic systems theory (CDST), this qualitative study aimed to explore the signature dynamics of positive and negative emotions among six Iranian adolescent English language learners. Additionally, the study investigated how learners manage their emotions in the L2 classroom. Using the CDST as its main theoretical framework and retrodictive qualitative modeling as its main methodology, the current investigation revealed that the learners’ emotional systems were mediated by internal and external contexts, as well as dynamicity. It was further discovered that ER strategies were driven by multiple simultaneous factors influencing emotional systems and the adaptability of those systems to new situations. In the end, we discuss how policymakers, teachers, and researchers can adopt the findings to provide some well‐needed support for classroom‐based L2 learners.
Nanobody‐based heavy chain antibodies and chimeric antibodies
Authors: Koch‐Nolte Friedrich
Published: August 2024

Nanobodies are the products of an intriguing invention in the evolution of immunoglobulins. This invention can be traced back approximately 45 million years to the common ancestor of extant dromedaries, camels, llamas, and alpacas. Next to conventional heterotetrameric H2L2 antibodies, these camelids produce homodimeric nanobody‐based heavy chain antibodies, composed of shortened heavy chains that a lack the CH1 domain. Nanobodies against human target antigens are derived from immunized animals and/or synthetic nanobody libraries. As a robust, highly soluble, single immunoglobulin domain, a nanobody can easily be fused to another protein, for example to another nanobody and/or the hinge and constant domains of other immunoglobulins. Nanobody‐derived heavy chain antibodies hold promise as a new form of immunotherapeutics.
Lending discrimination and the role of community banks
Authors: Tran Arthur M. , Winters Drew B.
Published: August 2024

First‐time minority borrowers often receive less desirable outcomes than first‐time White borrowers. Relationship lenders, who use both hard information and soft (community) information about new borrowers, can gain insights into a borrower's creditworthiness even without an existing bank–borrower relationship and provide more loan opportunities for new minority borrowers than transactional lenders. Our results show that borrowing from a relationship lender reduces lending outcome discrepancies between new minority borrowers and new White borrowers, not only in loan acceptance rates but also in borrower perceptions. These results suggest that borrowers' soft information is an important part of relationship lenders' decision‐making process.
2D and 3D microstructural analysis of the iliotibial tract
Authors: Manon Julie , Gallant Laurie , Gérard Paul , Fievé Lies , Schneidewind Pierre , Pyka Grzegorz , Kerckhofs Greet , Lengelé Benoît , Cornu Olivier , Behets Catherine
Published: August 2024

The fascial system has gained recognition for its integral role in connecting skin, superficial and deep fasciae, and underlying muscles. However, consensus on its microstructure depending on its topography remains elusive as well as its implications in clinical practices, such as reconstructive surgery and physiotherapy techniques. This study focuses on the iliotibial tract (ITT) implicated in the iliotibial band syndrome. The goal is to describe microstructural characteristics using classical 2D histology and cryogenic contrast‐enhanced microcomputed tomography (cryo‐CECT) such as the total thickness, number of layers, layer thickness, fibre orientation and tortuosity, according to the specific topography. The total thickness of the ITT varied across topographic regions, with the superior part being on average thicker but non‐significantly different from the other regions. The inferior part showed heterogeneity, with the anterior region (AI) being the thinnest and the posterior one (PI) the thickest. The ITT exhibited 1–3 layers, with no significant differences among regions. Most commonly, it consisted of two layers, except for the antero‐superior (AS) and antero‐middle (AM) regions, which sometimes had only one layer. The posterior regions frequently had 2 or 3 layers, with the PI region having the highest mean (2.7 layers). The intermediate layer was the thickest one, varying from the AI region (0.368 mm ± 0.114) to the PI region (0.640 mm ± 0.305). The superficial layer showed regional variability, with the AS region being the thinnest. The deep layer appeared thinner than the superficial one. Fibre orientation analysis indicated that the intermediate layer mainly consisted of oblique longitudinal fibres, orientated downward and forward, while the superficial and deep layers had transversal or oblique transversal fibres. Cryo‐CECT 3D observations confirmed these findings, revealing distinct orientations for different layers. Fibre tortuosity exhibited differences based on orientation. Transversal fibres (>65°) were significantly less tortuous than longitudinal fibres (<25°) and oblique intermediate fibres (25°–65°), aligning with 3D plot observations. This quantitative study highlights various microstructural characteristics of the ITT, offering insights into its regional variations. The analysis accuracy is increased due to the novel technology of cryo‐CECT which emerges as a valuable tool for precise assessment of 3D fibre orientation and tortuosity. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the ITT structure, useful in clinical practices, such as reconstructive surgery and physiotherapy, and future research endeavours.
Relations between adolescent perceptions of household chaos and externalizing and internalizing behaviors in low‐ and middle‐income families
Authors: Hunter‐Rue Daniesha S. , Miller Portia , Hanson Jamie L. , Votruba‐Drzal Elizabeth
Published: August 2024

A large body of literature has established that chaos in the home environment, characterized by high levels of disorganization, lack of household routine, crowding, noise, and unpredictability, undermines social–emotional and behavioral development in early childhood. It is less clear whether household chaos is linked to elevated risk for behavior problems in adolescence. The aims of this study were 3fold: (1) characterize the variability of adolescent and caregiver reports of household chaos over time; (2) examine associations among caregiver and adolescent reports of chaos over a 9‐month period; (3) consider how between‐ and within‐ individual variability in household chaos predicts adolescent externalizing and internalizing problems. This study drew data from the Family Income Dynamics study, a 9‐month longitudinal study. Participants included 104 adolescents between 14 and 16 years old (55% female; M age = 14.85) and their caregiver (92% female) from low‐ and middle‐income families. Results showed that adolescent‐reports of household chaos were more variable over time compared to caregivers' reports. Adolescent‐reports of household chaos had positive within‐ and between‐level associations with externalizing problems and between‐level associations with internalizing, while caregiver‐reports of chaos had no links to behavior. This work highlights the importance of adolescents' own perceptions of household chaos when considering its links to adolescent development.
Improved estimation of dynamic models of conditional means and variances
Authors: Wang Weining , Wooldridge Jeffrey M. , Xu Mengshan
Published: August 2024

Using ‘working’ assumptions on conditional third and fourth moments of errors, we propose a method of moments estimator that can have improved efficiency over the popular Gaussian quasi‐maximum likelihood estimator (GQMLE). Higher‐order moment assumptions are not needed for consistency – we only require the first two conditional moments to be correctly specified – but the optimal instruments are derived under these assumptions. The working assumptions allow both asymmetry in the distribution of the standardized errors as well as fourth moments that can be smaller or larger than that of the Gaussian distribution. The approach is related to the generalized estimation equations (GEE) approach – which seeks the improvement of estimators of the conditional mean parameters by making working assumptions on the conditional second moments. We derive the asymptotic distribution of the new estimator and show that it does not depend on the estimators of the third and fourth moments. A simulation study shows that the efficiency gains over the GQMLE can be non‐trivial.
Exploring resource patch occupancy: patch size, but not connectivity, explains the abundance of spider kleptoparasites in golden orb webs
Authors: Gregorič M. , Quiñones‐Lebrón S. G. , Kuntner M. , Agnarsson I.
Published: August 2024

The ideal free distribution (IFD) theory predicts that individuals are free to move among habitat patches and distribute among them “ideally,” in order to maximize individual evolutionary fitness. Size and quality of habitat patches then should directly impact the number of individuals occupying them, and connectivity of habitat patches likely plays a role if dispersal is limited. However, habitat patches can be distributed so that movement no longer can be considered free, for example, when patches are isolated. Challenges stemming from patch delimitation and detection rate of occupants further complicate efforts attempting to resolve such patterns. Here, we utilize as habitat patches the orb webs of four different populations belonging to three golden orb weaver spider species, Nephila pilipes (Fabricius, 1793), Nephilingis livida (Vinson, 1863), and Trichonephila clavipes (Linnaeus, 1767), and the obligate spider kleptoparasites (Argyrodinae, Theridiidae) that are associated with their webs. We examine how the IFD predicts the abundance of kleptoparasites under different patterns of patch size and distribution. We found that larger host webs, that is, habitat patches that contain more resources, are occupied by a higher number of kleptoparasitic spiders, regardless of their degree of isolation. Although the free movement prediction is often violated in natural systems, we find no evidence for habitat patch connectivity affecting the abundance of kleptoparasites, indicating that their dispersal ability facilitates the location and colonization of habitat patches regardless of their isolation. Therefore, our results support the interaction between argyrodine kleptoparasitic spiders and the webs of golden orb weavers to be a suitable natural system for studying the IFD.
Reproductive health from hair: Validation and utility of hair progesterone analysis in the Asian black bear, Ursus thibetanus
Authors: Shimamoto T. , Taki T. , Kumaki A. , Motohashi A. , Tamatani H. , Oshima G. , Tanaka J. , Yamamoto T.
Published: August 2024

Hair hormone analysis has received increasing attention in the fields of wildlife management and conservation over the last decade. However, few studies focused on sex steroid hormones, even though hair sex steroid hormone analysis has the potential to provide information on an individual's reproductive health, leading to a better understanding of animal reproductive biology and the assessment of individual and population health. Here, we tested the assay validation and examined whether hair progesterone concentration (HPC) differs between different sexes and age classes in the Asian black bear, Ursus thibetanus. We also investigated the effects of reproductive condition, age, and body condition index (BCI) on HPC to determine the utility of hair progesterone analysis in bears. The assay validation was reported in our study. We found a significantly higher HPC in adult females than in juvenile females and juvenile and adult males. In addition, we found no effects of age and BCI on HPC but a significant positive effect of reproductive condition, as the HPC in breeding adult females was significantly higher than in nonbreeding adult females. These results suggest that hair progesterone analysis has the potential to evaluate the reproductive condition of Asian black bears.
Optimizing pediatric tonsillectomy outcomes with an opioid sparing anesthesia protocol: Learning and continuously improving with real‐world data
Authors: Chiem Jennifer L. , Franz Amber M. , Hansen Elizabeth E. , Verma Shilpa T. , Stanzione Taylor F. , Bezzo Leah K. , Richards Michael J. , Parikh Sanjay R. , Dahl John P. , Low Daniel K. , Martin Lynn D.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

This quality improvement initiative is a continued pursuit to optimize outcomes by iteratively improving our opioid sparing anesthesia protocol for tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy at our pediatric ambulatory surgical center through data driven Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act cycles.

Methods

From 1/2015 through 12/2023, our standardized tonsillectomy protocol underwent nine procedure‐specific perioperative Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act cycles, three procedure‐specific postoperative prescription Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act cycles, and four general ambulatory surgical center enhanced recovery Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act cycles. We analyzed data from the medical record using statistical process control charts. The primary outcome measure was the percent of patients requiring intravenous opioid in the post anesthesia care unit. Secondary outcomes included maximum post anesthesia care unit pain score, the percent of patients requiring treatment for nausea and/or vomiting in the post anesthesia care unit, and the number of postoperative opioid prescription dosages. Balancing measures were average post anesthesia care unit length of stay, percent of patients with prolonged Post Anesthesia Care Unit length of stay (>120 min), and 30‐day reoperation rate.

Results

A total of 5654 tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy cases were performed at our ambulatory surgical center from 2015 to 2023. The incidence of intravenous opioid administered in the post anesthesia care unit initially rose with opioid free anesthesia launch, but subsequently decreased below the target of 10%. Maximum post anesthesia care unit pain scores rose from mean 3.6 to 4.5, but subsequently returned to the baseline of 3.5, while the incidence of postoperative nausea and/or vomiting improved. The average post anesthesia care unit length of stay increased by 10 min with opioid free anesthesia; however, prolonged post anesthesia care unit stay and 30‐day reoperation rates were unchanged.

Conclusions

The continued refinement of our opioid sparing anesthesia protocol has led to reduced perioperative and home opioid use, stable maximum post anesthesia care unit pain scores, and improved postoperative nausea and vomiting rates, with only a slight increase in mean post anesthesia care unit length of stay.
Global Financial Factors and the COVID-19 Pandemic: What Drove the Degree of (In)Efficiency of the Brazilian Stock Market in the Recent Period?
Authors: Monte Edson Zambon
Published: August 2024

This study gauges the possible drivers of the degree of (in)efficiency of the Brazilian stock market (IBOVESPA). It used daily data from 01 January, 2016 to 31 December, 2023, the time-varying fractionally integrated parameter, and the quantile regression. The results showed that the degree of (in)efficiency varies over time, and the level of persistence is higher for volatility than for returns. Notably, the degree of market (in)efficiency over time was not related to specific global financial factors (Standard & Poor's 500, exchange rate, WTI oil price, USA stock market uncertainty, USA economic policy uncertainty), but to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic positively and significantly affected the degree of (in)efficiency across all quantiles and asymmetrically.
En torno a la comunicación pública de la ciencia tocante a temas multidisciplinarios
Authors: Sánchez-Mora María del Carmen , Crúz-Mena Javier , Sánchez Mora Ana María
Published: August 2024

Este texto aborda una de las cuestiones aún no resueltas en la formación de comunicadores de la ciencia: cuál puede ser el método más adecuado para comunicar temas multidisciplinarios, atendiendo al requisito de que los productos de la comunicación pública de la ciencia (CPC) contengan ciencia, es decir que manejen no solo datos y resultados, sino también los razonamientos y argumentos basados en evidencia empírica necesarios para llegar a explicaciones científicas. Para proponer cómo abordar la CPC en este caso, utilizamos la idea de paradigma y las diferencias entre sus cuatro tipos principales: positivista, realista, hermenéutico e interaccionista; intentamos mostrar la utilidad que revisten para enmarcar la comunicación de temas multidisciplinarios, pues todos ellos permiten acercamientos diferentes para conocer diversos aspectos de la realidad.
Design and Analysis of an Automotive Crash Box Using Strut-Based Lattice Structures
Authors: K Sai Susanth , Murugan Ramu , S Chidambara Raja , Doutre Pierre-Thomas , Vignat Frederic
Published: August 2024

Crash boxes play a crucial role in cars by serving as energy-absorbing components, typically located at the front end. They are intentionally designed to collapse in a controlled manner during frontal collisions. The objective of this research is to enhance the energy absorption capabilities of crash boxes through the integration of strut-based lattice patterns. Initially, crash boxes of various geometries suitable for lattice insertion were selected and optimized by analyzing their energy absorption capacity using Abaqus software. The analysis revealed that the square crash box exhibited the highest energy absorption. Subsequently, the procedure entailed integrating various unit cell-based lattice patterns into square crash box. These constructed models were subjected to simulations to evaluate their specific energy absorption (SEA) performance, which is ratio of energy absorbed to its mass. The simulation outcomes conclusively determined the body-centered cubic (BCC) crash box as the most effective among the considered structures. During optimization, fine-tuning the BCC crash box has been done by adjusting unit cell dimensions and strut diameter, which boosts energy absorption by 30.16% compared to the initial square crash box. While comparing present structures with honeycomb structures, the peak load values in present structures are lower than those in honeycomb structures.
Development of a Virtual Patient Generator for Simulation of Vasopressor Resuscitation
Authors: Kao Yi-Ming , Chalumuri Yekanth Ram , Sampson Catherine M. , Shah Syed A. , Salsbury John R. , Tivay Ali , Kinsky Michael , Kramer George C. , Hahn Jin-Oh
Published: August 2024

This paper presents a virtual patient generator (VPG) intended to be used for preclinical in silico evaluation of autonomous vasopressor administration algorithms in the setting of experimentally induced vasoplegia. Our VPG consists of two main components: (i) a mathematical model that replicates physiological responses to experimental vasoplegia (induced by sodium nitroprusside (SNP)) and vasopressor resuscitation via phenylephrine (PHP) and (ii) a parameter vector sample generator in the form of a multidimensional probability density function (PDF) using which the parameters characterizing the mathematical model can be sampled. We developed and validated a mathematical model capable of predicting physiological responses to the administration of SNP and PHP. Then, we developed a parameter vector sample generator using a collective variational inference method. In a blind testing, the VPG developed by combining the two could generate a large number of realistic virtual patients (VPs), which could simulate physiological responses observed in all the experiments: on the average, 98.1% and 74.3% of the randomly generated VPs were physiologically legitimate and adequately replicated the test subjects, respectively, and 92.4% of the experimentally observed responses could be covered by the envelope formed by the subject-replicating VPs. In sum, the VPG developed in this paper may be useful for preclinical in silico evaluation of autonomous vasopressor administration algorithms.
A Practical Model of Balloon/Tissue Contact in Pulmonary Vein Isolation with Cryoballoon Ablation
Authors: Smith David J. , Murthy Sam , Liao Yu
Published: August 2024

Effective treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with pulmonary vein isolation via cryoballoon ablation is dependent on effective contact with the targeted tissue surface. A computational method for determining contact area between the inflated cryoballoon and a given left atrial anatomy (including the pulmonary veins which return blood to the left atrium) was developed to evaluate the potential benefit of multiple balloon sizes in any left atrial anatomical shape acquired by medical imaging (e.g. X-ray computed tomography). The balloon geometry and material properties were obtained from 3D scanning and material testing of a commercial cryoballoon (POLARx™ FIT cryoballoon catheter, Boston Scientific). The tissue model consists of a primary continuous layer of elastic material conforming to the inside surface of the left atrium and a support array of massless, stiff surfaces conforming to the tissue shape and connected to linear spring elements. A sensitivity study shows robustness of model outputs (e.g. balloon/tissue contact area proximal edge location) to a relevant range of balloon and tissue model parameters. Application of the model to post-procedure comparison of contact area for two different balloon sizes based on cine and X-ray CT imaging is discussed. The balloon/tissue contact model provides a balance between realistic prediction of tissue deformation and model complexity, offering potential for near-real-time application to clinical procedure planning.
Evaluation of Pressure Sensors in a Novel Neonatal Multifunctional Gastric Feeding Tube Capable of Vital Sign Monitoring
Authors: Salafian Iman , Dana Lynn El , Englert Angie , Li Wei , Groves Alan , Rylander Christopher G.
Published: August 2024

Premature births, a significant global health challenge, often result in various health complexities that require specialized neonatal intensive care. Traditional vital sign monitoring methods pose risks to the delicate skin and the overall health of premature infants. Non-invasive respiratory modalities in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure and High-flow Nasal Cannula, have notable drawbacks that limit their performance in providing effective respiratory support for these delicate patients. To overcome these challenges, we developed a multifunctional neonatal catheter that integrates feeding, vital sign monitoring, and internal respiratory feedback into a single, less invasive device. An air pressure sensor is a key component of this catheter. This study focuses on the preliminary testing of multiple pressure sensors as potential options for this catheter. Sensors underwent day-long drift and noise level analysis under varying air pressure conditions. Signal analysis was performed to enhance data clarity and find potential noise sources. Results indicated variations in sensor performance, with certain sensors demonstrating superior stability, minimal drift, and minimal noise levels, making them suitable for integration into the catheter. The findings can help to narrow down the options for the most viable sensor. More comprehensive studies are needed to evaluate the performance of the selected options for clinical use.
Micro Computed Tomography Imaging and Subsequent Quantifications of the Associated Changes in Cardiac Anatomies Relative to Various Methods of Specimen Fixation
Authors: DeVos Amanda N. , Iaizzo Paul A.
Published: August 2024

Various research studies utilize formalin to preserve cardiac tissues, which are then used to investigate and quantify cardiac anatomies and/or device-tissue interactions. However, it is known that various fixation processes will alter cardiac anatomies. One needs to quantify such and determine which fixation method may minimize these changes. To do so, human hearts were scanned fresh and then again after formalin fixation in an end-diastolic state using one of three different methods, including submerging, submerging while perfusing the coronaries, and submerging while pressurizing all four chambers. High resolution computational 3D models from micro computed tomography (micro-CT) scans were generated, and measurements of the aorta, right and left ventricle (RV and LV) lateral walls and septum thicknesses were performed and compared. The ventricular wall and septum thickness tended to increase after fixation; however, the degree of change was relatively inconsistent. Yet, pressurizing all four chambers internally seems to minimize the ventricular wall thickening and reduction in blood volume. Though, additional studies are needed to determine if this method will consistently reduce anatomical changes and if the changes are constant or predictable over a large sample size. Regardless of the fixation method, an average 1.4 mm of LV and 4 mm of RV wall thickening were observed, which may contribute to potential error in anatomical measurements within fixed hearts. Therefore, one needs to consider fixation methods of study specimens and how it changes the given cardiac anatomies when performing pre-clinical studies on formalin fixed human hearts.
XPS study of electroless NiP coating on iron substrate
Authors: Biggio Deborah , Elsener Bernhard , Fantauzzi Marzia , Rossi Antonella
Published: August 2024

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray-induced Auger electron spectroscopy analyses were performed to characterize NiP coating on the iron substrate. This electroless coating is commonly used for its outstanding corrosion resistance, but it is currently of interest as a hydrogen permeation barrier (HPB) for green hydrogen storage and transportation; thus, NiP coatings are relevant for energy and for the environment.
Spatiotemporal evolution of molar fraction in acoustic-resonance tube filled with He-Ar mixture
Authors: Sekimoto Satoshi , Yamagishi Yuji , Otomo Takeru , Ueda Yuki
Published: August 2024

This study proposes a time-evolution method to simulate acoustic gas-mixture separation. The proposed method can calculate the separation process without any arbitrary parameters except for space and time resolutions. The molar-fraction distribution within the system during the separation can be calculated, and the results show that a large molar-fraction gradient occurs in the separation tube, while a distribution also occurs in the resonance tube. Although the simulation results for the case with a high-pressure amplitude diverge from that of the experiment during the process of the separation, the simulation results for the case with a low-pressure amplitude agree well with those of the experiment.
Reversibly photoswitchable protein assemblies with collagen affinity for in vivo photoacoustic imaging of tumors
Authors: Chen Shuai , Li Kaixin , Chen Xin , Lei Shan , Lin Jing , Huang Peng
Published: August 2024

Recent advancements in photoacoustic (PA) imaging have leveraged reversibly photoswitchable chromophores, known for their dual absorbance states, to enhance imaging sensitivity through differential techniques. Yet, their deployment in tumor imaging has faced obstacles in achieving targeted delivery with high efficiency and specificity. Addressing this challenge, we introduce innovative protein assemblies, DrBphP-CBD, by genetically fusing a photosensory module from
Deinococcus radiodurans
bacterial phytochrome (DrBphP) with a collagen-binding domain (CBD). These protein assemblies form sub-100-nanometer structures composed of 24 DrBphP dimers and 12 CBD trimers, presenting 24 protein subunits. Their affinity for collagens, combined with impressive photoswitching contrast, markedly improves PA imaging precision. In various tumor models, intravenous administration of DrBphP-CBD has demonstrated enhanced tumor targeting and retention, augmenting contrast in PA imaging by minimizing background noise. This strategy underscores the clinical potential of DrBphP-CBD as PA contrast agents, propelling photoswitchable chromoproteins to the forefront of precise cancer diagnosis.
Direct amplitude-only hologram realized by broken symmetry
Authors: Yang Daeho , Lee Hong-Seok
Published: August 2024

Holographic displays have been a long-standing ambition for decades to realize true-to-life reconstruction. However, their practical adoption is hindered by their subpar image quality compared to two-dimensional displays, which is fundamentally limited by restricted spatial frequency bandwidth and artifacts. We address the limitation by using a symmetry-broken amplitude-only spatial light modulator, demonstrating image quality comparable to that of two-dimensional displays. The broken conjugate symmetry induced by phase noise of modulators eliminates conjugate image that causes issues in amplitude-only holograms and allows direct reconstruction without additional optical elements. The proposed method provides enhanced robustness against artifacts caused by sub-pixel structures of modulators, enabling experimental reconstruction of high-quality holograms. The full bandwidth and the robustness result in a 5-decibel improvement in peak signal-to-noise ratio compared to state-of-the-art holograms. Furthermore, the hologram has 24 times higher optical efficiency and a smaller volume than the traditional amplitude-only holograms while real-time synthesis is enabled by using a neural network.
Amylum forms typical self-assembled amyloid fibrils
Authors: Chibh Sonika , Singh Ashmeet , Finkelstein-Zuta Gal , Koren Gil , Sorkin Raya , Beck Roy , Rencus-Lazar Sigal , Gazit Ehud
Published: August 2024

Amyloid fibril formation is a central biochemical process in pathology and physiology. Over decades, substantial advances were made in elucidating the mechanisms of amyloidogenesis, its links to disease, and the production of functional supramolecular structures. While the term “amyloid” denotes starch-like features of these assemblies, no evidence of amyloidogenic behavior of polysaccharides has been so far reported. Here, we investigate the potential of amylum (starch) not only to self-assemble into hierarchical fibrillar structures but also to exhibit canonical amyloidogenic properties. Ordered amylum structures were formed through a sigmoidal growth process with characteristic amyloid features including typical nanofibril morphology, binding to indicative dyes, inherent luminescence, apple-green birefringence upon Congo red staining, and notable mechanical rigidity. These findings shed light on polysaccharide self-assembly and expand the generic amyloid phenomenon.
Entanglement-induced collective many-body interference
Authors: Faleo Tommaso , Brunner Eric , Webb Jonathan W. , Pickston Alexander , Ho Joseph , Weihs Gregor , Buchleitner Andreas , Dittel Christoph , Dufour Gabriel , Fedrizzi Alessandro , Keil Robert
Published: August 2024

Entanglement and interference are both hallmark effects of quantum physics. Particularly rich dynamics arise when multiple (at least partially) indistinguishable particles are subjected to either of these phenomena. By combining both entanglement and many-particle interference, we propose an interferometric setting through which
N
-particle interference can be observed, while any interference of lower orders is strictly suppressed. We experimentally demonstrate this effect in a four-photon interferometer, where the interference is nonlocal, in principle, as only pairs of photons interfere at two separate and independent beam splitters. A joint detection of all four photons identifies a high-visibility interference pattern varying as a function of their collective four-particle phase, a genuine four-body property.
Bacterial community composition of wheat aboveground compartments correlates with yield during the reproductive phase
Authors: Fu Xiao , Ma Yuying , Yang Teng , He Shuobing , Wang Daozhong , Jin Lin , Zhan Linchuan , Guo Zhibin , Fan Kunkun , Li Jiasui , Chu Haiyan
Published: August 2024

Plant-associated microbial communities play important roles in agricultural productivity, and their composition has been shown to vary across plant compartments and developmental stages. However, the response of microbial communities within different plant compartments and at different developmental stages to diverse long-term fertilization treatments, as well as their linkages with crop yields, remains underexplored. This study analyzed wheat-associated bacterial communities within various soil and plant compartments under three fertilization treatments throughout the vegetative and reproductive phases. The variance in bacterial community was primarily attributed to compartments, followed by fertilization treatments and developmental stages. The composition of belowground bacterial communities (bulk soil, rhizosphere soil, and root) exhibited stronger responses to fertilization treatments than aboveground compartments (stem and leaf). The composition of belowground bacterial communities responded to fertilization treatments at all developmental stages, and it was significantly correlated with crop yields during the vegetative phase, whereas the aboveground community composition only showed a response to fertilization during the reproductive phase, at which point it was significantly correlated with crop yields. Moreover, during this reproductive phase, the co-occurrence network of aboveground bacterial communities exhibited enhanced complexity, and it contained an increased number of keystone species associated with crop yields, such as
Sphingomonas
spp.,
Massilia
spp., and
Frigoribacterium
spp. Structural equation modeling indicated that augmenting total phosphorus levels in aboveground compartments could enhance crop yields by increasing the relative abundance of these keystone species during the reproductive phase. These findings highlight the pivotal role of aboveground bacterial communities in wheat production during the reproductive phase.

IMPORTANCE

The developmental stage significantly influences crop-associated bacterial communities, but the relative importance of bacterial communities in different compartments to crop yields across various stages is still not well understood. This study reveals that belowground bacterial communities during the vegetative phase are significantly correlated with crop yields. Notably, during the reproductive phase, the composition of aboveground bacterial communities was significantly correlated with crop yields. During this phase, the complexity and enriched keystone species within the aboveground co-occurrence network underscore their role in boosting crop production. These results provide a foundation for developing microbiome-based products that are phase-specific and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
16S rRNA gene sequencing of microbiota from the preen oil and cloaca of chipping sparrows (
Spizella passerina
)
Authors: Van Laar Tricia A. , Greenberg Jonathan M. , Theis Kevin R. , Whittaker Danielle J. , Slade Joel W. G.
Published: August 2024

We present the results of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of the microbiota from preen oil and the cloaca of chipping sparrows (
Spizella passerina
) collected near Mountain Lake Biological Station in Pembroke, VA.
Supplemental Material: Prolonged reducing and ferruginous oceanic conditions and abrupt global seawater oxidation after OAE1a oceanic anoxic event 1a
Authors: Matsumoto Hironao , et al.
Published: August 2024

Figs. S1–S4 and Table S1.