bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Descriptive and molecular epidemiology of leishmaniasis diagnosed from clinical samples in the United States, 2021-2022
Authors: Truong Thao T. , Crawford Karissa , Wang-McGuire Ichih , Jensen Kendal , Mushtaq Aisha , Lieberman Nicole A. P. , Buckner Frederick S. , Van Voorhis Wesley C. , Cookson Brad T. , Salipante Stephen J. , Lieberman Joshua A.
Published: September 2024

Leishmaniasis is a rare disease in the United States, with an estimated annual incidence of dozens of cases occurring primarily in travelers, migrants, and military personnel. True disease incidence is unknown, since leishmaniasis is not a nationally notifiable condition. Here, we describe the results of molecular leishmaniasis over a 1-year interval (September 2021 to August 2022) when our laboratory served as the primary national reference laboratory for molecular diagnosis of civilian leishmaniasis. We tested 218 specimens submitted from 36 states yielding 94 of the 186 (50.5%) positive cases with species or species complex-level identification and 18 novel mini-exon alleles. Most species belonged to subgenus
Viannia
(75.6%) and associated with cutaneous or mucocutaneous disease. Cases were associated with recent travel (18.1%), travel timing unspecified (7.4%), migration (7.4%), remote travel (2.1%), military (1.1%), or unknown history (63.8%). These data illustrate the clinical utility of molecular testing for leishmaniasis and provide unique insight into disease epidemiology.

IMPORTANCE

Leishmaniasis is a disfiguring, neglected parasitic infection endemic to the Southern United States and the Americas. Despite significant populations at risk—travelers, military and foreign service members, and migrating persons—the epidemiology of the disease in the United States is poorly understood. Moreover, few clinical laboratories in the United States can test for the disease. Here, we present results from 1 year of testing for this disease at a major reference laboratory. These findings are particularly relevant because they coincide with a temporary “pause” on all clinical testing at the CDC. Our findings suggest at least several hundred cases occur each year in the United States. In particular, mucosal leishmaniasis may be more common than previously reported. We also highlight greater genetic diversity in
Leishmania
species endemic to the Americas than has been previously sampled, with implications for diagnostic specificity.
Enhanced Phase Stability and Reduced Bandgap for CsPbI3 Perovskite through Bi3+ and Cl– Co-Doping
Authors: Jiajia Zhang
Published: September 2024

All-inorganic perovskite CsPbI3 is emerging as a thermally more stable alternative to organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites. However, CsPbI3 perovskite suffers from poor phase stability at ambient temperature, and its bandgap is a bit too large as light-harvesting materials in both single-junction and perovskite-on-silicon tandem solar cells. In this study, we propose an electrically neutral co-doping strategy that equimolar Bi3+ (occupying the Pb site) and Cl– (occupying the interstitial site) are incorporated into CsPbI3. Unlike the individual Bi3+ or Cl– doping, the neutral co-doping can avoid stimulating the formation of the detrimental native defects. Our first-principles calculations suggest that the co-doped systems are stable at ambient temperature and possess narrower bandgaps compared with the undoped CsPbI3. Moreover, the electron and hole states are spatially separated in these multiple-ion compounds.
Impact Craters on Earth with a Diameter of More than 200 km: Numerical Modeling
Authors: Ivanov B. A.
Published: September 2024

The three largest impact craters, the remains of which have been found on Earth to date, had diameters of about 200 km immediately after formation. The search for traces of larger impact structures continues. This paper presents the results of numerical modeling of the formation of terrestrial impact craters larger than those already found. It is shown that the inferred geothermal gradient significantly influences the initial geometry of the impact melt region, which may facilitate the search for the remains of deeply eroded ancient impact structures.
Sustainability assessment of a quality improvement initiative on the management of bronchiolitis
Authors: Montejo Marta , Paniagua Natalia , Pijoan Jose Ignacio , Saiz-Hernando Carlos , Sanchez Alvaro , Rueda-Etzebarria Mikel , Benito Javier
Published: September 2024

Background

A bronchiolitis integrated care pathway (BICP) achieved an 87% reduction in the use of medications in our regional health service (RHS) during the 2019–2020 season.

Aim

This study aimed to assess the sustainability of the changes in bronchiolitis management over 3 years after implementation of the BICP.

Methods

A prospective observational study on rates of medications prescribing in children diagnosed with bronchiolitis in 135 primary care (PC) centres and eight hospital emergency departments (EDs) in the Basque Country, Spain, was conducted during the four bronchiolitis seasons between 2019 and 2023. Over this period, the deployment of BICP-related actions continued in our RHS. In addition, a strategy was designed to enhance the sustainability of the results. The main endpoint was the percentage of children prescribed salbutamol.

Results

Over the 2019–2020 to 2022–2023 epidemic waves, 12 966 infants were diagnosed with bronchiolitis in PC, and 6676 infants in EDs. Rates of salbutamol use over the four waves were 5.04%, 10.54%, 8.51% and 6.05%, respectively, in PC and 3.36%, 10.02%, 7.62% and 5.77% in EDs. Rates of concomitant administration of other medications in EDs over the four waves were 3.2%, 0.2%, 1.0% and 1.9% for epinephrine and 0.4%, 0.7%, 0.3% and 0.4% for corticosteroids, respectively. In PC, prescribing rates were 5.1% and 1.8%, 10.3% and 4.1% for antibiotics and 7.8% and 4.5%, 5.7% and 2.5% for corticosteroids, respectively.

Conclusions

Reductions in the use of medications for bronchiolitis achieved in 2019 through the implementation of our integrated clinical pathway have been sustained over the three subsequent waves.
Impact of increasing workforce racial diversity on black-white disparities in cardiovascular disease mortality
Authors: Colbeth Hilary L , Riddell Corinne A , Thomas Marilyn , Mujahid Mahasin , Eisen Ellen A
Published: September 2024

Background

Structural racism’s influence on workforce policies and practices presents possible upstream targets for assessing and reducing racial health disparities. This study is the first to examine workforce racial diversity in association with racial disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study of 39 693 hourly autoworkers from three Michigan automobile plants, includes 75 years of follow-up (1941–2015). Workforce racial diversity (per cent black autoworkers) was a plant and year level variable. Annual exposure was cumulated over each individual’s working life and divided by time since hire. This time-varying measure was categorised into low, moderate and high. We estimated age-standardised rates of CVD and Cox proportional HRs by race.

Results

CVD mortality per 100 000 person-years decreased among autoworkers over the study period; however, black workers’ rates remained higher than white workers. Among black workers, we observed a strong protective association between greater workforce racial diversity and CVD mortality. For example, at the Detroit plant, the HR for moderate exposure to racial diversity was 0.94 (0.83, 1.08) and dropped to 0.78 (0.67, 0.90) at the highest level. Among white workers, results were mixed by plant, with protective effects in plants where less than 20% of workers were black and null results where black workers became the majority.

Conclusion

Our findings provide evidence that workplace racial diversity may reduce CVD mortality risk among black workers. Workplace practices encouraging diverse hiring and retention have potential to improve all workers’ health; particularly the socially racialised groups in that workforce.
The promise of xenotransplantation: a challenge
Authors: Bobier Christopher , Omelianchuk Adam , Hurst Daniel J
Published: September 2024

According to many scholars, kidney xenotransplantation promises to mitigate the organ supply shortage. This claim has a certain obviousness to it: by flooding the market with a new source of kidneys, xenotransplantation promises to be a panacea. Our goal is to challenge this claim. We argue that xenotransplantation may increase rather than decrease demand for kidneys, may reduce kidney allotransplants, and may be inaccessible or otherwise unused. By offering the challenge, we hope to show deeper reflection is needed on how xenotransplantation will affect the dearth of available organs.
The riverscape on a chip: high-throughput qPCR enables basin-wide fishery assessments
Authors: Elmore Joanna W. , Wilcox Taylor M. , Young Michael K. , Kopp Steve M. , Carim Kellie J. , Mason Daniel H. , Franklin Thomas W. , Schwartz Michael K.
Published: September 2024

To achieve reliable detection of environmental DNA (eDNA) from multiple species, a method which combines the specificity of single-taxon assays with the broad taxonomic coverage of metabarcoding is needed. High-throughput quantitative PCR (HT-qPCR) has emerged as one such method that holds particular promise for ecological applications. Here, we present the development and validation of a HT-qPCR biochip (i.e., biochip) protocol for a suite of western North American fishes with high cultural, economic, and ecological significance. Coupling this biochip with systematically distributed eDNA samples collected by citizen scientists, we evaluated the distribution of multiple species throughout a large river basin in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Patterns of detection using the biochip were comparable to those using single-taxon qPCR (ST-qPCR; mean concordance = 0.917), despite the biochip using 90% less DNA per taxon and reducing costs by an estimated 40%. Comparisons between biochip results and distributions derived from conventional methods demonstrate that this approach not only offers more reliable and high-resolution distribution data for these species but also achieves this more efficiently than traditional sampling methods.
Vehicle stability control based on vehicle motion state and tire force estimation
Authors: Li Jing , Luo Jin , Feng Baidong , Zhang Le , Gao Min
Published: September 2024

The direct yaw moment control system is able to greatly enhance the vehicle stability when driving on challenging road surfaces. This paper introduces a direct control approach for managing the vehicle yaw moment, utilizing terminal sliding mode control and a square root cubature Kalman filter (SRCKF). Initially, the longitudinal and lateral forces acting on the vehicle’s tires are estimated through a sliding mode observer. Subsequently, the SRCKF algorithm and the four-wheel tire force are employed to accurately estimate the yaw rate and sideslip angle. Based on these estimations, additional yaw moments are determined using the terminal sliding mode control algorithm, and a combined control of yaw rate and sideslip angle is achieved through a threshold method. A rule-based braking force distribution strategy is then implemented to ensure vehicle stability control. Simulation results demonstrate that the tire force estimations from the sliding mode observer and the vehicle yaw rate and sideslip angle estimations from the SRCKF algorithm closely align with the output results from Carsim, with an error margin of less than 15%. The braking force distribution strategy, based on the direct yaw moment control using the terminal sliding mode algorithm, effectively tracks the desired yaw rate and sideslip angle.
Remarks on the light ring images and the optical appearance of hairy black holes in Einstein–Maxwell-dilaton gravity
Authors: Promsiri Chatchai , Horinouchi Weerawit , Hirunsirisawat Ekapong
Published: September 2024

The behaviors of null geodesics in the spherical symmetric black holes in Einstein–Maxwell-dilaton (EMD) theory with coupling function $$f(\Phi )=e^{-2\alpha \Phi }$$

f

(
Φ
)

=

e

-
2
α
Φ

are meticulously analyzed. We investigate the effects of coupling constant $$\alpha $$
α
on the effective potential of photon trajectories within three ranges, namely $$0<\alpha <1$$

0
<
α
<
1

, $$\alpha =1$$

α
=
1

and $$\alpha >1$$

α
>
1

. We find that the thicknesses of lensing and photon rings are smaller at larger $$\alpha $$
α
and fixed electric charge in the unit of mass q, whereas they are larger at fixed $$\alpha $$
α
and larger q. This behavior can be described by using the angular Lyapunov exponent $$\gamma $$
γ
in the vicinity of the critical curve. Remarkably, the behaviors of photon trajectories are found to be more interesting when $$\alpha >1$$

α
>
1

. Namely, the radius of the black hole shadow $$R_\text {s}$$

R
s

becomes to be smaller than the photon sphere radius $$r_\text {ph}$$

r
ph

when $$\alpha > 1$$

α
>
1

and $$q>q^*$$

q
>

q
∗

. Moreover, $$R_\text {s}$$

R
s

goes to zero as q saturates the extremal limit, beyond which the photon orbit becomes absent. Furthermore, we construct the optical appearance of black holes surrounded by optically and geometrically thin accretion disk with three cases of Gralla–Lupsasca–Marrone (GLM) emission profile. Our results indicate that the observed flux originating from the lensing and photon rings exhibits suppression as $$\alpha $$
α
increases, while it undergoes amplification with the increasing parameter q.
FRACTAL DIFFUSION IN AN ISOTROPOUS MEDIUM
Authors: LI XUEJUAN , LIU QIANNI , ALSOLAMI ABDULRAHMAN ALI , GENG XUANGE
Published: September 2024

This paper provides a comprehensive examination of fractal diffusion in an isotropic medium. This process has a fascinating temporal memory and an extremely high initial response, which are unquestionably characterized by the Caputo fractional derivative. Its spatio-symmetric property is described by the Riesz fractional derivative. To illustrate the diffusion mechanism, we present an example of a toxic gas leak in a subway station. The numerical results are extremely promising and challenging. They clearly indicate that a MEMS-based gas sensor can track a toxic gas leak immediately due to its extremely fast diffusion at the initial time. This is of great importance for public safety. Furthermore, the diffusion process is primarily contingent upon the density of the air, which we can easily control. The diffusion pattern in an isotropic medium exhibits fractal behavior, which is extremely helpful for designing an emergency system for evacuating people from the center of toxic gas leaks by changing air density or temperature. This paper presents a rigorous mathematical concept for monitoring systems and early warning systems for toxic gas leaks.
Present-day stress field, strain rate field and seismicity of the Pannonian region: overview and integrated analysis
Authors: Porkoláb Kristóf , Békési Eszter , Győri Erzsébet , Broerse Taco , Czecze Barbara , Kenyeres Ambrus , Tari Gábor , Wéber Zoltán
Published: September 2024

We present an overview of recent findings on the seismicity, stress field and strain rate field of the Pannonian region. We furthermore show new inferences for deformation mechanisms and lithospheric rheology via an integrated analysis of the datasets. The NNW motion of the Dinarides and the opposite, SW motion of the east and south Carpathians induce shortening in the western and central Pannonian Basin while leading to regional shearing around the basin's SE boundary. This induces moderate seismic activity related to strike-slip and reverse faulting. The maximum horizontal stress and geodetic shortening directions generally agree, implying that upper crustal stresses and surface deformation correspond to the same forces. 2D rheological models confirm that the shallow upper crust is the only brittle layer in the Pannonian lithosphere, while the brittle–ductile transition zone could be as shallow as 6–9.5 km in the Danube Basin. Comparison of seismic moment rates and moment rate predictions from geodetic strain rates show that deep Pannonian sub-basins accumulate major seismic deficits. This could be explained by dominantly aseismic deformation of the weak upper crust, as supported by a comparison with case studies from different geodynamic environments. Stronger mountainous regions in the study area show no to moderate seismic deficits.
Stratigraphic overview of the Neogene Transylvanian Basin, Romania
Authors: Filipescu Sorin , Silye Lóránd , Krézsek Csaba
Published: September 2024

Although the Transylvanian Basin is often referred to as part of the Miocene Pannonian Basin System, we point out important tectonic and sedimentary differences reflected in the stratigraphy. The Neogene of the Transylvanian Basin can be split into two tectonic megasequences: Lower Miocene and Middle to Upper Miocene. The Early Miocene onset of the back-arc extension in the Pannonian Basin was not observed in the Transylvanian Basin, where shallow to deep-marine sediments were deposited in a flexural basin. Diverse types of facies developed in the continental (e.g. Sânmihai) and marine (e.g. Coruș, Chechiș, Hida) Lower Miocene formations. Although these are poorly constrained to the standard biostratigraphy, recent
87
Sr–
86
Sr data support their poor correlation with the Burdigalian. The Middle Miocene extension in the Transylvanian Basin is very weak compared with that in the Pannonian Basin. As the high-resolution Middle Miocene regional biostratigraphy of the Badenian and Sarmatian was calibrated by magnetostratigraphy and radiometric dating of the volcanic tuffs up to the Serravallian/Tortonian boundary, the influence of the regional tectonics on the basin's evolution and stratigraphy can be better understood. The regional tectonics produced a progressive basin isolation starting with the late part of the Middle Miocene. The uplift of the Carpathians isolated the basin at the beginning of the Pannonian and initiated the fan delta, lacustrine and fluvial sedimentation. The basin was rapidly uplifted and eroded while post-extensional subsidence was still ongoing in the Pannonian Basin. Endemic fossil assemblages allow only regional-scale correlations for this interval. The uppermost part of the stratigraphic record is represented by the volcano-sedimentary formations generated by the late evolution of the Eastern Carpathians. The sedimentation and subsidence pattern of the Transylvanian Basin reflect the effect of retreating subduction zone in the Eastern Carpathians.
The Miocene to Quaternary evolution of the Vienna Basin (northeastern part): geodynamics, eustasy, stratigraphy and depositional systems
Authors: Kováč Michal , Csibri Tamás , Fordinál Klement , Hók Jozef , Hudáčková Natália , Jamrich Michal , Joniak Peter , Kováčová Marianna , Ruman Andrej , Šarinová Katarína , Sliva Ľubomír , Tomašových Adam , Vojtko Rastislav , Šujan Michal
Published: September 2024

Long-term research of the Vienna Basin (Central Europe) has resulted in multiple stratigraphic concepts, although these are at least in part mutually exclusive. This contribution aims to reconsider the available information on the northeastern Vienna Basin, located in Slovakia, to create a consistent stratigraphic model. Lithostratigraphic correlations based on benthic taxa – widely used elsewhere – are omitted, since these include inherently diachronous palaeoecological zones. This presumption of diachroneity is further supported by the evidence of shelf-slope scale clinoforms. The following sequences were identified: (1) the Early Miocene wedge-top basin, genetically unrelated to the subsequently formed Vienna Basin – Eggenburgian–Ottnangian cycles are still obscured, and the Karpatian includes two transgressive–regressive cycles; (2) Middle Miocene early Badenian rifting including the Kúty Fm lowstand and Lanžhot Fm, together with the Devínska Nová Ves Fm, comprising transgression and a highstand; (3) Middle Miocene late Badenian rifting including lowstand offshore Jakubov Mbr and transgressive littoral Stupava Fm, followed by the highstand offshore Studienka Mbr passing to normal regressive Matzen delta; (4) Middle Miocene Sarmatian rifting including the basal Kopčany and Radimov Mbrs, the offshore transgressive to regressive Holíč Fm and the highstand normal regressive deltaic Skalica Fm; and (5) supposed Late Miocene rifting with Lake Pannon transgression resulting in the lacustrine Bzenec Fm, followed by the highstand normal regressive deltaic Čáry and alluvial Gbely Fms.
EyeGesener: Eye Gesture Listener for Smart Glasses Interaction Using Acoustic Sensing
Authors: Sun Tao , Zhao Yankai , Xie Wentao , Li Jiao , Ma Yongyu , Zhang Jin
Published: September 2024

The smart glasses market has witnessed significant growth in recent years. The interaction of commercial smart glasses mostly relies on the hand, which is unsuitable for scenarios where both hands are occupied. In this paper, we propose EyeGesener, an eye gesture listener for smart glasses interaction using acoustic sensing. To mitigate the Midas touch problem, we meticulously design eye gestures for interaction as two intentional consecutive saccades in a specific direction without visual dwell. The proposed system is a glass-mounted acoustic sensing system with two pairs of commercial speakers and microphones to sense eye gestures. To capture the subtle movements of the eyelid and surrounding skin induced by eye gestures, we design an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)-based channel impulse response (CIR) estimation schema that allows two speakers to transmit at the same time and in the same frequency band without collision. We implement eye gesture filtering and adversarial-based eye gesture recognition to identify eye gestures for interaction, filtering out daily eye movements. To address the differences in eye size and facial structure among different users, we employ adversarial training to achieve user-independent eye gesture recognition. We evaluate the performance of our system through experiments on data collected from 16 subjects. The experimental result shows that our system can recognize eight eye gestures with an average F1-score of 0.93, and the false alarm rate of our system is 0.03. We develop an interactive real-time audio-video player based on EyeGesener and then conduct a user study. The result demonstrates the high usability of the proposed system.
IMUGPT 2.0: Language-Based Cross Modality Transfer for Sensor-Based Human Activity Recognition
Authors: Leng Zikang , Bhattacharjee Amitrajit , Rajasekhar Hrudhai , Zhang Lizhe , Bruda Elizabeth , Kwon Hyeokhyen , Plötz Thomas
Published: September 2024

One of the primary challenges in the field of human activity recognition (HAR) is the lack of large labeled datasets. This hinders the development of robust and generalizable models. Recently, cross modality transfer approaches have been explored that can alleviate the problem of data scarcity. These approaches convert existing datasets from a source modality, such as video, to a target modality, such as inertial measurement units (IMUs). With the emergence of generative AI models such as large language models (LLMs) and text-driven motion synthesis models, language has become a promising source data modality as well - as shown in proof of concepts such as IMUGPT. In this work, we conduct a large-scale evaluation of language-based cross modality transfer to determine their effectiveness for HAR. Based on this study, we introduce two new extensions for IMUGPT that enhance its use for practical HAR application scenarios: a motion filter capable of filtering out irrelevant motion sequences to ensure the relevance of the generated virtual IMU data, and a set of metrics that measure the diversity of the generated data facilitating the determination of when to stop generating virtual IMU data for both effective and efficient processing. We demonstrate that our diversity metrics can reduce the effort needed for the generation of virtual IMU data by at least 50%, which opens up IMUGPT for practical use cases beyond a mere proof of concept.
Visar: Projecting Virtual Sound Spots for Acoustic Augmented Reality Using Air Nonlinearity
Authors: Zhou Juntao , Li Yijie , Wang Yida , Ding Dian , Lu Yu , Chen Yi-Chao , Xue Guangtao
Published: September 2024

Augmented reality that integrates virtual content in real-world surroundings has attracted lots of concentration as the growing trend of the metaverse. Acoustic augmented reality (AAR) applications have proliferated due to readily available earphones and speakers. AAR can provide omnidirectional engagement through the all-around sense of spatial information. Most existing AAR approaches offer immersive experiences by playing binaural spatial audios according to head-related transfer functions (HRTF). These involve complex modeling and require the user to wear a headphone. Air nonlinearity that can reproduce audible sounds from ultrasound offers opportunities to achieve device-free and omnidirectional sound source projection in AAR. This paper proposes Visar, a device-free virtual sound spots projection system leveraging air nonlinearity. Visar achieves simultaneous tracking and sound spot generation while suppressing unintended audio leakages caused by grating lobes and nonlinear effects in mixing lobes through optimization. Considering multi-user scenarios, Visar also proposed a multi-spot scheduling scheme to mitigate the mutual interference between the spots. Extensive experiments show the tracking error is 7.83cm and the orientation estimation error is 10.06°, respectively, envisioning the considerable potential of Visar in AAR applications.
RaDro: Indoor Drone Tracking Using Millimeter Wave Radar
Authors: Abdelnasser Heba , Heggo Mohammad , Pang Oscar , Kovac Mirko , McCann Julie A.
Published: September 2024

Core to drone design is its ability to ascertain its location by utilizing onboard inertial sensors combined with GPS data. However, GPS is not always reachable, especially in challenging environments such as indoors. This paper proposes RaDro; a system that leverages millimeter-waves (mmWave) to precisely localize and track drones in indoor environments. Unlike commonly used alternative technologies, RaDro is cost-effective and can penetrate obstacles, a bonus in non-line-of-sight (NLoS) scenarios, which enhances its reliability for tracking objects in complex environments. It does this without the need for tags or anchors to be attached to the drone, achieving 3D tracking with just a single radar point, significantly streamlining the deployment process. Comprehensive experiments are conducted in different scenarios to evaluate RaDro's performance. These include employing different drone models with different sizes to execute a range of aerial manoeuvres across different flight arenas, each with its own settings and clutter, and encountering various LoS and NLoS scenarios in dynamic environments. The experiments aimed to assess the capabilities of the system to extract coarse-grained and fine-grained information for drone detection, motion recognition, and localization. The results showcase precise localization, achieving a 50% reduction in localization error compared to the conventional baseline. This localization accuracy remains resilient even when confronted with interference from other moving sources. The results also demonstrate the system's ability to accurately localize drones in NLoS scenarios where existing state-of-the-art optical technologies cannot work.
PilotAR: Streamlining Pilot Studies with OHMDs from Concept to Insight
Authors: Janaka Nuwan , Cai Runze , Ram Ashwin , Zhu Lin , Zhao Shengdong , Yong Kai Qi
Published: September 2024

Pilot studies in HCI research serve as a cost-effective approach to validate potential ideas and identify impactful findings before extensive studies. Yet, the additional requirements of AR/MR, such as multi-view observations and increased multitasking, make it challenging to conduct pilot studies effectively, hindering innovations in this field. Based on interviews with 12 AR/MR researchers, we identified the key challenges associated with conducting AR/MR pilot studies with Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (OST-HMDs, OHMDs), including the inability to observe and record in-context user interactions, increased task load, and difficulties with in-context data analysis and discussion. To tackle these challenges, we introduce PilotAR, a desktop-based tool designed iteratively to enhance OHMD-based AR/MR pilot studies. PilotAR facilitates data collection via live first-person and third-person views, multi-modal annotations, and flexible wizarding interfaces. It also accommodates multi-experimenter settings, streamlines the study process with configurable workflows and shortcuts, records annotated data, and eases results sharing. Formative testing, conducted using three case studies, has highlighted the significant benefits of PilotAR, as well as its potential for further development and refinement.
Election Interference and Online Propaganda Campaigns: Dynamic Interdependencies on Facebook, Google Trends, and the New York Times
Authors: Esmaeili Moe , Farokhnia Hamedani Moez , Zantedeschi Daniel , Khalesi Calvin Sorush
Published: September 2024

The relationship between propaganda campaigns, news outlets, and search patterns is of significant interest to political authorities and academic scholars from various disciplines. We explore these dynamic relationships using 3,500 Facebook propaganda advertisements, 167,000 New York Times stories, and hundreds of Google Trends searches for terms from the advertisements and articles in the two years preceding the 2016 US presidential election. The data indicate that propaganda campaigns utilize random content infrequently and instead follow specific Google search patterns. Depending on the subject matter, Facebook advertisements can anticipate the New York Times. In the contexts of immigration, racism, and the LGBT community, such patterns of content adaptation are more prominent. We use the results to provide policy and research recommendations.
Heart Rate Variability Estimation Based on RFID Tag-Pair in Dynamic Environments
Authors: Wu Jiaying , Wang Chuyu , Huang Dongxu , Ning Jingyi , Xie Lei
Published: September 2024

With the rapid development of smart health care, accurate heart rate variability (HRV) estimation for the early detection of diseases has become a hot research topic. Advanced work uses the wireless signal to estimate the heartbeat in a contact-free way, which usually cannot separate multiple users or work in a dynamic environment. In this article, we propose a lightweight heartbeat-sensing method based on RFID tag pairs, which focuses on HRV extraction in a more general sensing scenario. Based on the tag-pair design, we build a novel heartbeat and respiration model to describe the signal relationship between the two tags from the time and space domains. Based on the model, we propose a Calibrated Temporal-Spatial IQ-Shaping-based signal cancellation algorithm to cancel the respiration and extract the heartbeat. To remove the interference in dynamic measurement, we build an IQ-based signal model via a Principal Component Analysis-based interference estimation. To reduce the statistical error in HRV extraction, we further design a neural network to predict the HRV index. We have implemented a system prototype in a real environment with COTS RFID devices. Extensive experiments show that our system can achieve a median RMSSD error of 7.51 ms, which satisfies the medical demand in HRV measurement.
Electrochemical Detection of Tobramycin Resistance in Escherichia Coli
Authors: Clarindo Lopes Luma , Jiang Angela , Zarychta Michael , Wiebe Kolby , Ramirez Danyel , Schweizer Frank , Kuss Sabine
Published: September 2024

The development of techniques to detect the presence of resistance in pathogens are urgently needed to face the deadly spread of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. The present work presents the electroanalytical quantification of tobramycin (TOB) retention in susceptible and resistant bacterial strains of Escherichia coli. The electrochemical characterization of TOB demonstrates the suitability of electrochemistry for drug detection. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) parameters were optimized by full factor experimental designs, which increased two-times the electrochemical current response, improving the overall sensitivity of the method. The developed assay was able to differentiate between resistant and susceptible E. coli strains within 15 min. The demonstrated methodology is expected to be applicable to both drug efflux-mediated and drug uptake inhibition-mediated resistant bacteria. Because these two mechanisms represent the most predominant reasons for drug resistance in bacteria, the reported method has a strong potential to be a reliable, fast, and cost-efficient alternative for antibiotic resistance detection.
Evaluation of Mechanical Performance and Antibacterial Efficacy of Alumina‐Silver Nanoparticle‐Reinforced Bioepoxy for Dentistry
Authors: Mohammed Mohammed Razzaq , Hadi Ahmed Namah
Published: September 2024

The lack of mechanical and antibacterial characteristics of most dental resins impedes their broader applications in dentistry. Therefore, this study aimed to enhance biocompatibility and mechanical and antibacterial features of bioepoxy (BE) to be used in dentistry. The properties of BE were assessed prior to and after reinforcing with several loading of nanoalumina (Al2O3)/nanosilver (AgNPs) particles. The mechanical characteristics were evaluated using three‐point bending and Izod impact tests. The morphologies and surface roughness of pristine BE and nanoalumina/nanosilver‐reinforced BE composites were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. The influence of these additives on the BE antibacterial properties were evaluated using the agar diffusion approach. The flexural strengths of the modified BE composites with nanoalumina/nanosilver particles were higher than those for additive‐free BE, and their values were considerably dependent on filler loading. The impact strength and flexural strength of composite materials were greater at hybrid reinforcement loading of 2 wt%. At such ratio, an increase of approximately 33.8% was obtained in the flexural strength compared with that of blank BE. On the other hand, the incorporation of higher proportions of nanoparticles led to a decrease in overall properties of composites, yet they were higher than that of additive‐free BE. The flexural strength for the composite containing 0.5 wt% AgNPs and 3.5 wt% Al2O3 was higher than the value stated for the nanoparticles‐free BE by 18.7%. Furthermore, the composite comprising 0.5 wt% of each of the nanoparticles had a great ability to alleviate the spreading of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli when compared with the resin and composites with other formula. For instance, the diameter of inhibition zone (DIZ) against Staphylococcus aureus of the aforementioned composite increased about 16% than that of additive‐free BE. All these features make this composite system a promising candidate in biomedical applications especially in dental related applications.
Sustained and Efficient Delivery of Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor by the Adeno‐associated Virus for the Treatment of Corneal Neovascularization: An Outlook for Its Clinical Translation
Authors: Xie Mengzhen , Wang Lixiang , Deng Yingping , Ma Ke , Yin Hongbo , Zhang Xiaolan , Xiang Xingye , Tang Jing
Published: September 2024

Corneal diseases represent 5.1% of all eye defects and are the fourth leading cause of blindness globally. Corneal neovascularization can arise from all conditions of chronic irritation or hypoxia, which disrupts the immune‐privileged state of the healthy cornea, increases the risk of rejection after keratoplasty, and leads to opacity. In the past decades, significant progress has been made for neovascular diseases of the retina and choroid, with plenty of drugs getting commercialized. In addition, to overcome the barriers of the short duration and inadequate penetration of conventional formulations of antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), multiple novel drug delivery systems, including adeno‐associated virus (AAV)‐mediated transfer have gone through the full process of bench‐to‐bedside translation. Like retina neovascular diseases, corneal neovascularization also suffers from chronicity and a high risk of recurrence, necessitating sustained and efficient delivery across the epithelial barrier to reach deep layers of the corneal stroma. Among the explored methods, adeno‐associated virus‐mediated delivery of anti‐VEGF to treat corneal neovascularization is the most extensively researched and most promising strategy for clinical translation although currently although, it remains predominantly at the preclinical stage. This review comprehensively examines the necessity, benefits, and risks of applying AAV vectors for anti‐VEGF drug delivery in corneal vascularization, including its current progress and challenges in clinical translation.
Perceived Barriers of Clinical Roles Towards Intensive Care Unit Mobility
Authors: Aljohani Hassan Y. , Alammar Shahad , Alnawmasi Shoug , Alfawzan Riham , Alotaibi Nouf , Mumenah Noora , Alruwaili Arwa , Algrani Saleh S. , Alotaibi Tareq F. , Alqahtani Mobarak K. , Alqahtani Mohammed M. , Alanazi Abdullah M. , Ismaeil Taha , Almalki Sarah , Alotaibi Jassas
Published: September 2024

Background: There is overwhelming evidence of improved patient outcomes as a result of early mobilization in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, several barriers of ICU mobility remain understated with reference to clinical roles. The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived barriers of early mobility of critically ill patients among ICU healthcare providers.

Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, the Mobilization Attitudes and Beliefs Survey (PMABS‐ICU) was administered to ICU healthcare providers using an online survey. The study investigated barriers related to knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding ICU mobility practices. These barriers were compared among different ICU clinical roles.

Results: The survey yielded a total number of 214 healthcare providers with 41% female and 59% male. Respiratory therapists reported the highest perceived barriers to ICU mobility (M 39, IQR 36, 43) % compared to physical therapists (who reported the lowest barriers), occupational therapists, nurses, and physicians (p ≤ 0.05). ICU healthcare providers’ behavior towards ICU mobility such as perceived benefits and safety is ranked as the primary barrier (M 49, IQR 42, 52) %. Professional experience did not significantly vary among all groups.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight that ICU healthcare providers’ perceptions, including both potential benefits and safety concerns regarding mobility, are significant barriers to implement mobility practices. ICU mobility barriers should be tackled by providing education and training. A focused effort to include RTs and nurses could advance interdisciplinary ICU mobility practice and reduce associated barriers.
Exploring the World of Smart Prisons: Barriers, Trends, and Sustainable Solutions
Authors: Imandeka Ejo , Putra Panca Oktavia Hadi , Hidayanto Achmad Nizar , Mahmud Mufti
Published: September 2024

The world of smart prisons is gaining momentum despite receiving limited attention due to the ability to maintain social order and reduce crime rates. Therefore, this research aims to synthesize the current knowledge of smart prisons, identify barriers to trend technologies, and provide valuable insights for practitioners, and policymakers. The systematic literature review (SLR) method by Kitchenham was used to collect data from Scopus from 2007 to 2023, which comprised 59 articles in the final phase. The high cost of smart technology, ineffective technology design, poor management, aging facilities, increased violence, ethical concerns, and lots more, were some of the barriers associated with the topic. The study highlights the need for targeted strategies, such as cost‐benefit analyses, phased implementation, and comprehensive staff training, to overcome these barriers. The study also reveals varied approaches to smart prison adoption across countries, influenced by differences in economic resources and policy frameworks. The study emphasizes the importance of continuous evaluation, international collaboration, and adherence to ethical standards to sustain smart prison development. The result showed that smart prisons are important in the field of corrections.
Increased RNA and Protein Degradation Is Required for Counteracting Transcriptional Burden and Proteotoxic Stress in Human Aneuploid Cells
Authors: Ippolito Marica Rosaria , Zerbib Johanna , Eliezer Yonatan , Reuveni Eli , Viganò Sonia , De Feudis Giuseppina , Shulman Eldad D. , Savir Kadmon Anouk , Slutsky Rachel , Chang Tiangen , Campagnolo Emma M. , Taglietti Silvia , Scorzoni Simone , Gianotti Sara , Martin Sara , Muenzner Julia , Mülleder Michael , Rozenblum Nir , Rubolino Carmela , Ben-Yishay Tal , Laue Kathrin , Cohen-Sharir Yael , Vigorito Ilaria , Nicassio Francesco , Ruppin Eytan , Ralser Markus , Vazquez Francisca , Santaguida Stefano , Ben-David Uri
Published: September 2024

Aneuploidy results in a stoichiometric imbalance of protein complexes that jeopardizes cellular fitness. Aneuploid cells thus need to compensate for the imbalanced DNA levels by regulating their RNA and protein levels, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we dissected multiple diploid versus aneuploid cell models. We found that aneuploid cells cope with transcriptional burden by increasing several RNA degradation pathways, and are consequently more sensitive to the perturbation of RNA degradation. At the protein level, aneuploid cells mitigate proteotoxic stress by reducing protein translation and increasing protein degradation, rendering them more sensitive to proteasome inhibition. These findings were recapitulated across hundreds of human cancer cell lines and primary tumors, and aneuploidy levels were significantly associated with the response of patients with multiple myeloma to proteasome inhibitors. Aneuploid cells are therefore preferentially dependent on several key nodes along the gene expression process, creating clinically actionable vulnerabilities in aneuploid cells.

Significance: Aneuploidy is a hallmark of cancer that is associated with poor prognosis and worse drug response. We reveal that cells with extra chromosomes compensate for their imbalanced DNA content by altering their RNA and protein metabolism, rendering them more sensitive to perturbation of RNA and protein degradation.

See related commentary by Bakhoum, p. 2315
Figure S4 from Activation of Cell-Intrinsic Signaling in CAR-T Cells via a Chimeric IL7R Domain
Authors: Vorri Stamatia C. , Holl Natalie J. , Leeming Michael , Apostolova Petya , Marple Andrew , Ravich Jonas W. , Canbaz Ata , Rahnama Ruyan , Choe Jun , Modi Arjun , Fearnow Adam D. , Walsh Scott T.R. , Pearce Erika L. , Varadhan Ravi , Bonifant Challice L.
Published: September 2024

Supplementary Figure 4
Polycythaemia vera: Ruxolitinib zeigt vielversprechende Ergebnisse in der RuxoBEAT-Studie
Authors: Simanek Ralph
Published: September 2024

Patients (pts) with polycythemia vera (PV) suffer from pruritus, night sweats, and other symptoms, as well as from thromboembolic complications and progression to post-PV myelofibrosis. Ruxolitinib (RUX) is approved for second-line therapy in high-risk PV pts with hydroxyurea intolerance or resistance. The RuxoBEAT trial (NCT02577926, registered on October 1, 2015, at clinicaltrials.gov) is a multicenter, open-label, two-arm phase-IIb trial with a target population of 380 pts with PV or ET, randomized to receive RUX or best available therapy. This pre-specified futility analysis assesses the early clinical benefit and tolerability of RUX in previously untreated PV pts (6-week cytoreduction was allowed). Twenty-eight patients were randomly assigned to receive RUX. Compared to baseline, after 6 months of treatment, there was a significant reduction of median hematocrit (46 to 41%), the median number of phlebotomies per year (4.0 to 0), and median patient-reported pruritus scores (2 to 1), and a trend for reduced night sweat scores (1.5 to 0). JAK2V617F allele burden, as part of the scientific research program, also significantly decreased. One hundred nine adverse events (AEs) occurred in 24/28 patients (all grade 1 to 3), and no pt permanently discontinued treatment because of AEs. Thus, treatment with ruxolitinib in untreated PV pts is feasible, well-tolerated, and efficient regarding the above-mentioned endpoints.
Financial Distress in Testicular Cancer Survivors and Its Impact on Cancer Survivors’ Quality of Life in the German Healthcare System
Authors: Draeger Desiree Louise , Nolting Julia , Rossberg Vanessa , Hakenberg Oliver W.
Published: September 2024

Introduction: Testicular cancer accounts for the largest proportion of solid tumors in young adult men. With an average age of onset under 40 years and a relative 5-year survival of 97%, it is one of the prognostically favorable tumors. Little is known about the relationship between the financial burden and physical and emotional health of testicular cancer survivors. We examined the association between financial problems caused by cancer and the self-reported quality of life in a cohort-based sample of testicular cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of testicular cancer patients (n = 87, average age 39 years) was performed. Self-reported data were collected on demographics, income, wealth, cost-coping strategies, out-of-pocket costs, supportive medication compliance, quality of life, and perceived social isolation. A multivariable regression model was used to examine the relationship between the degree to which cancer caused financial burdens and the patientsʼ reported quality of life. Results: The survey showed that, in addition to illness-related additional expenses, a disease-related loss of income can lead to severe financial disadvantages and impair quality of life. The study data show that concerns about the economic situation can increase the burden on patients which already results from cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this patient cohort, 32% reported financial stress. Conclusion: Financial distress affects testicular cancer survivors in unique ways. To provide support, health professionals should consider survivorsʼ developmental life stage to understand their financial stress, and ultimately, to improve quality of life.