bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal Selection of Microbial Communities and Preservation of Microbial Function in Guaymas Basin Hydrothermal Sediments
Authors: Su Lei , Teske Andreas P. , MacGregor Barbara J. , McKay Luke J. , Mendlovitz Howard , Albert Daniel , Ma Zhonglin , Li Jiangtao
Published: February 2023

Hydrothermal vent sites have been widely studied to investigate novel bacteria and archaea that are adapted to these extreme environments. However, community-level analyses of hydrothermal microbial ecosystems look beyond the presence and activity of particular types of microbes and examine to what extent the entire community of bacteria and archaea is adapted to hydrothermal conditions; these include elevated temperatures, hydrothermally generated carbon sources, and inorganic electron donors and acceptors that are characteristic for hydrothermal environments.
Effect and Mechanism of Eliminating Staphylococcus aureus by Electron Beam Irradiation and Reducing the Toxicity of Its Metabolites
Authors: Chang Guanhong , Luo Zonghong , Zhang Yao , Xu Xu , Zhou Ting , Wang Xin
Published: February 2023

Electron beam irradiation of >1 kGy damaged the cytoplasmic membrane, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) penetrated the cells. Electron beam irradiation of >4 kGy reduces the combined toxicity of virulent proteins produced by
Staphylococcus aureus
. Electron beam irradiation of >4 kGy can be used to inactivate
Staphylococcus aureus
and biofilms on milk.
The First Lanthipeptide from Lactobacillus iners, Inecin L, Exerts High Antimicrobial Activity against Human Vaginal Pathogens
Authors: Li Lili , Zhang Jie , Zhou Liyan , Shi Haijuan , Mai Hong , Su Junchang , Ma Xingwang , Zhong Jin
Published: February 2023

The human vaginal microbiota plays essential roles in preventing pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses from invading. The dominant vaginal
Lactobacillus
species show great potential to be developed as probiotics.
Complex Signaling Networks Control Coxiella burnetii
Authors: Thomas David R. , Newton Hayley J.
Published: February 2023

A recent study by S. Wachter, C. L. Larson, K. Virtaneva, K. Kanakabandi, et al. (J Bacteriol 205:e00416-22, 2023,
https://doi.org/10.1128/JB.00416-22
) utilizes new technologies to examine the role of two-component systems in
Coxiella burnetii
. This research demonstrates that the zoonotic pathogen
C. burnetii
mediates complex transcriptional control, throughout different bacterial phases and environmental conditions, with relatively few regulatory elements.
A Survey of Two-Component Systems in Coxiella burnetii Reveals Redundant Regulatory Schemes and a Requirement for an Atypical PhoBR System in Mammalian Cell Infection
Authors: Wachter Shaun , Larson Charles L. , Virtaneva Kimmo , Kanakabandi Kishore , Darwitz Benjamin , Crews Ben , Storrud Keelee , Heinzen Robert A. , Beare Paul A.
Published: February 2023

C. burnetii
is an obligate intracellular bacterium with a spore-like stability allowing it to survive long periods of time in the environment. This stability is likely due to its biphasic developmental cycle, whereby it can transition from an environmentally stable small-cell variant (SCV) to a metabolically active large-cell variant (LCV).
A Novel Circular Rep-Encoding Single-Stranded DNA from Holstein Calves
Authors: Marino Stephen F.
Published: February 2023

A novel, circular DNA molecule was identified in the serum of 4-week-old Holstein calves via Illumina sequencing. Comparisons with the NCBI nucleotide data bank indicate that the sequence is unique. The circle contains one predicted open reading frame (ORF), whose translated protein sequence shows high similarity to bacterial Rep proteins.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Preterm Infant-Derived Isolate of Candida parapsilosis
Authors: James Steve A. , Telatin Andrea , Baker David , Evans Rhiannon , Clarke Paul , Hall Lindsay J. , Carding Simon R.
Published: February 2023

Candida parapsilosis
is a human fungal pathogen of increasing incidence and causes invasive candidiasis, notably in preterm or low-birthweight neonates. Here, we present the genome sequence of
C. parapsilosis
NCYC 4289, a fecal isolate from a preterm male infant.
From the Sunlit to the Aphotic Zone: Assembly Mechanisms and Co-Occurrence Patterns of Protistan-Bacterial Microbiotas in the Western Pacific Ocean
Authors: Sun Ping , Wang Ying , Zhang Yifan , Logares Ramiro , Cheng Peng , Xu Dapeng , Huang Bangqin
Published: February 2023

We know little about the assembly processes and association patterns of microbial communities below the photic zone in marine pelagic systems. We discovered that community assembly processes differed between photic and aphotic zones, with all three microbial groups studied (protists and FL and PA bacteria) being more influenced by stochastic processes than in the photic zone.
Soil Properties Correlate with Microbial Community Structure in Qatari Arid Soils
Authors: Skariah Sini , Abdul-Majid Sara , Hay Anthony G. , Acharya Anushree , Kano Noora , Al-Ishaq Raghad Khalid , de Figueiredo Paul , Han Arum , Guzman Adrian , Dargham Soha Roger , Sameer Saad , Kim Gi Eun , Khan Sabiha , Pillai Priyamvada , Sultan Ali A.
Published: February 2023

Soil microbes perform a multitude of essential biological functions, including organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and soil structure preservation. Qatar is one of the most hostile and fragile arid environments on earth and is expected to face a disproportionate impact of climate change in the coming years.
Evaluation of a Semiautomated System for the Quantitation of Human Adenovirus DNA from Clinical Samples
Authors: Mah Jordan , Huang Chun Hong , Sahoo Malaya K. , Pinsky Benjamin A.
Published: February 2023

Accurate quantification of human adenovirus DNA in the peripheral blood plays a critical role in the management of adenovirus infections in transplant recipients. Many laboratories utilize in-house laboratory-based PCR assays for the quantification of human adenovirus, as there are few commercial options available.
Randomised controlled trial of adjunctive triamcinolone acetonide in eyes undergoing vitreoretinal surgery following open globe trauma: The ASCOT study
Authors: Casswell Edward J , Cro Suzie , Cornelius Victoria R , Banerjee Philip J , Zvobgo Tapiwa M , Tudor Edwards Rhiannon , Ezeofor Victory , Anthony Bethany , Shahid Syed Mohammed , Bunce Catey , Kelly Joanna , Murphy Caroline , Robertson Elizabeth , Charteris David
Published: February 2023

Background/aims

To investigate the clinical effectiveness of adjunctive triamcinolone acetonide (TA) given at the time of vitreoretinal surgery following open globe trauma (OGT).

Methods

A phase 3, multicentre, double-masked randomised controlled trial of patients undergoing vitrectomy following OGT comparing adjunctive TA (intravitreal and subtenons) against standard care (2014–2020). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with at least 10 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter improvement in corrected visual acuity (VA) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included: change in ETDRS, retinal detachment (RD) secondary to PVR, retinal reattachment, macular reattachment, tractional RD, number of operations, hypotony, elevated intraocular pressure and quality of life.

Results

280 patients were randomised over 75 months, of which 259 completed the study. 46.9% (n=61/130) of patients in the treatment group had a 10-letter improvement in VA compared with 43.4% (n=56/129) of the control group (difference 3.5% (95% CI −8.6% to 15.6%), OR=1.03 (95% CI 0.61 to 1.75), p=0.908)). Secondary outcome measures also failed to show any treatment benefit. For two of the secondary outcome measures, stable complete retinal and macular reattachment, outcomes were worse in the treatment group compared with controls, respectively, 51.6% (n=65/126) vs 64.2% (n=79/123), OR=0.59 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.99), and 54.0% (n=68/126) vs 66.7% (n=82/123), OR=0.59 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.98), for TA vs control.

Conclusion

The use of combined intraocular and sub-Tenons capsule TA is not recommended as an adjunct to vitrectomy surgery following OGT.

Trial registration number

NCT02873026.
A case–control study on predicting population risk of suicide using health administrative data: a research protocol
Authors: Wang JianLi , Gholi Zadeh Kharrat Fatemeh , Pelletier Jean-François , Rochette Louis , Pelletier Eric , Lévesque Pascale , Massamba Victoria , Brousseau-Paradis Camille , Mohammed Mada , Gariépy Geneviève , Gagné Christian , Lesage Alain
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Suicide has a complex aetiology and is a result of the interaction among the risk and protective factors at the individual, healthcare system and population levels. Therefore, policy and decision makers and mental health service planners can play an important role in suicide prevention. Although a number of suicide risk predictive tools have been developed, these tools were designed to be used by clinicians for assessing individual risk of suicide. There have been no risk predictive models to be used by policy and decision makers for predicting population risk of suicide at the national, provincial and regional levels. This paper aimed to describe the rationale and methodology for developing risk predictive models for population risk of suicide.

Methods and analysis

A case–control study design will be used to develop sex-specific risk predictive models for population risk of suicide, using statistical regression and machine learning techniques. Routinely collected health administrative data in Quebec, Canada, and community-level social deprivation and marginalisation data will be used. The developed models will be transformed into the models that can be readily used by policy and decision makers. Two rounds of qualitative interviews with end-users and other stakeholders were proposed to understand their views about the developed models and potential systematic, social and ethical issues for implementation; the first round of qualitative interviews has been completed. We included 9440 suicide cases (7234 males and 2206 females) and 661 780 controls for model development. Three hundred and forty-seven variables at individual, healthcare system and community levels have been identified and will be included in least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression for feature selection.

Ethics and dissemination

This study is approved by the Health Research Ethnics Committee of Dalhousie University, Canada. This study takes an integrated knowledge translation approach, involving knowledge users from the beginning of the process.
Evaluation of an implementation package to deliver the COPD CARE service
Authors: Portillo Edward , Lehmann Molly , Hagen Timothy , Maurer Martha , Kettner Jordyn , Bhardwaj Sonia , Goodrich David , McFarland M Shawn , Virrueta Natasha , Henderson Blake , Birstler Jen , Chui Michelle A
Published: February 2023

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide and is estimated to be the leading cause of death in the next 15 years. Patients with COPD suffer from persistent chronic cough, sputum production and exacerbations leading to deteriorating lung function, worsening quality of life and loss of independence. While evidence-based interventions exist to improve the well-being of patients with COPD, incorporation of these interventions into routine clinical care is challenging. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Coordinated Access to Reduce Exacerbations (COPD CARE) is a team-based, coordinated care transitions service integrating evidence-based interventions for COPD management within the patient care delivery model to reduce readmissions. This evaluation considers the process of scaling the COPD CARE service across medical facilities using an implementation package designed for service expansion. The implementation package was developed at the United States Veterans Health Administration and implemented at two medical centres. Core dissemination and implementation science methods were applied to guide design and delivery of the implementation package.

The aims of this evaluation were to (1) evaluate the impact of the implementation package on use of evidence-based interventions for COPD management and (2) explore clinician perceptions of the implementation package. This prospective mixed-methods quality improvement project included two Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycles conducted over a 24-month period. Electronic health record data demonstrated significant improvements in the count of evidence-based interventions incorporated into routine clinical care after training completion (p<0.001), offering preliminary effectiveness of the package to improve uptake of best practices for COPD management. Clinician perceptions of the implementation package, measured by questionnaire at multiple time points, demonstrated significant improvements for all scales at the end of the final PDCA cycle. Clinicians described the implementation package as positively impacting clinician confidence, interprofessional collaboration and patient care delivery.
Development and acceptance of a new adherence monitoring package to identify non-adherent patients with polypharmacy in primary care: a feasibility study
Authors: Dietrich Fine , Zeller Andreas , Allemann Samuel , Arnet Isabelle
Published: February 2023

Background

Adherence to pharmacotherapy is crucial to prevent symptom deterioration in chronic diseases. However, non-adherence to chronic treatments is prevalent, especially in polypharmacy. Practical tools to assess adherence to polypharmacy in primary care are missing.

Aims

We aimed to develop an Adherence Monitoring Package (AMoPac) for general practitioners (GPs) to identify patient non-adherence. We tested the feasibility and acceptance of AMoPac in the primary healthcare setting.

Methods

AMoPac was developed based on peer-reviewed literature. It consists in (1) electronic monitoring of patients’ medication intakes for 4 weeks, (2) receiving feedback on intake behaviour by the pharmacist and (3) generating an adherence report to communicate to the GPs. A feasibility study was conducted with heart failure patients. GPs’ acceptance of AMoPac was explored with semistructured interviews. Electronic transmission of the reports into the GP’s electronic health record along with laboratory reports stating N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels was analysed.

Results

We developed AMoPac and tested its feasibility with six GPs and seven heart failure patients. GPs were satisfied with the adherence report including the pharmaceutical-clinical recommendations. Integrated transmission of adherence reports to GPs was not feasible due to technical incompatibilities. Mean taking adherence was 86.4%±12.8% and three patients had low correct dosing-days (69%, 38% and 36%, respectively). NT-proBNP ranged from 102 to 8561 pg/mL and four patients had elevated values (>1000 pg/mL).

Conclusion

AMoPac is feasible in the primary healthcare setting, excluding the integrated transmission of adherence reports to GPs. The procedure was highly accepted by GPs and patients. AMoPac fills a gap by combining clinical values with adherence data, and therefore, delivers a multifaceted picture of the patient’s behaviour. In case of unmet adherence, our tool might facilitate the selection of patient-centred approaches to optimise pharmacological therapies in chronic heart failure patients.

Trial registration number

NCT04326101.
Safe implementation of surgical innovation: a prospective registry of the Versius Robotic Surgical System
Authors: Soumpasis Ilias , Nashef Samer , Dunning Joel , Moran Paul , Slack Mark
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To describe a new, international, prospective surgical registry developed to accompany the clinical implementation of the Versius Robotic Surgical System by accumulating real-world evidence of its safety and effectiveness.

Interventions

This robotic surgical system was introduced in 2019 for its first live-human case. With its introduction, cumulative database enrollment was initiated across several surgical specialties, with systematic data collection via a secure online platform.

Main outcome measures

Pre-operative data include diagnosis, planned procedure(s), characteristics (age, sex, body mass index and disease status) and surgical history. Peri-operative data include operative time, intra-operative blood loss and use of blood transfusion products, intra-operative complications, conversion to an alternative technique, return to the operating room prior to discharge and length of hospital stay. Complications and mortality within 90 days of surgery are also recorded.

Results

The data collected in the registry are analyzed as comparative performance metrics, by meta-analyses or by individual surgeon performance using control method analysis. Continual monitoring of key performance indicators, using various types of analyses and outputs within the registry, have provided meaningful insights that help institutions, teams and individual surgeons to perform most effectively and ensure optimal patient safety.

Conclusions

Harnessing the power of large-scale, real-world registry data for routine surveillance of device performance in live-human surgery from first use will enhance the safety and efficacy outcomes of innovative surgical techniques. Data are crucial to driving the evolution of robot-assisted minimal access surgery while minimizing risk to patients.

Trial registration number

CTRI/2019/02/017872.
Mental health-related healthcare service utilisation and psychotropic drug dispensation trends in British Columbia during COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based study
Authors: Zandy Moe , El Kurdi Sylvia , Samji Hasina , McKee Geoff , Gustafson Reka , Smolina Kate
Published: February 2023

Background

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health is vital for informing public health policy and decision-making. However, information on mental health-related healthcare service utilisation trends beyond the first year of the pandemic is limited.

Aims

We examined mental health-related healthcare service utilisation patterns and psychotropic drug dispensations in British Columbia, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prepandemic period.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective population-based secondary analysis using administrative health data to capture outpatient physician visits, emergency department visits, hospital admissions and psychotropic drug dispensations. We examined time trends of mental health-related healthcare service utilisation and psychotropic drug dispensations between January to December 2019 (prepandemic period) and January 2020 to December 2021 (pandemic period). In addition, we calculated age-standardised rates and rate ratios to compare mental health-related healthcare service utilisation before and during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, stratified by year, sex, age and condition.

Results

By late 2020, except for emergency department visits, utilisation of healthcare services recovered to prepandemic levels. Between 2019 and 2021, the monthly average rate for overall mental health-related outpatient physician visits, emergency department visits and psychotropic drug dispensations increased significantly by 24%, 5% and 8%, respectively. Notable and statistically significant increases were observed among 10–14 year-olds (44% in outpatient physician visits, 30% in emergency department visits, 55% in hospital admissions and 35% in psychotropic drug dispensations) and 15–19 year-olds (45% in outpatient physician visits, 14% in emergency department visits, 18% in hospital admissions and 34% in psychotropic drug dispensations). Additionally, these increases were more prominent among females than males, with some variation for specific mental health-related conditions.

Conclusions

The increase in mental health-related healthcare service utilisation and psychotropic drug dispensations during the pandemic likely reflects significant societal consequences of both the pandemic and pandemic management measures. Recovery efforts in British Columbia should consider these findings, especially among the most affected subpopulations, such as adolescents.
Mortality Rates and autopsy findings in fat embolism syndrome complicating sickle cell disease
Authors: Samaee Sayna , Samaee Sepideh , Mihalca Diana , Fitzgerald Laura , Ahmed Adeel , Hall John , Tsitsikas Dimitris A
Published: February 2023

Fat embolism syndrome is a rare but underdiagnosed complication of sickle cell disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. It affects predominantly patients with a previously mild course of their illness and those of non-SS genotypes while there is possibly an association with infection with human parvovirus B19 (HPV B19). Here, we present the mortality rates and autopsy findings of all reported cases to date. A systematic review has revealed 99 published cases in the world literature with a mortality rate of 46%. Mortality varied greatly according to the time of reported cases with no survivors in the 1940s, 1950s or 1960s and no deaths since 2020. 35% of cases had previously undiagnosed sickle cell disease and the latter was only identified at autopsy after developing fat embolism with a fatal outcome. 20% of cases reported after 1986 tested positive for HPV B19 with an associated mortality of 63% whereas in cases that have not documented HPV B19 infection the mortality was 32%. The organs most often staining positive for fat were the kidneys, lungs, brain and heart whereas ectopic haematopoietic tissue was found in 45% of the examined lung specimens.
Synergistic therapeutic combination with a CAF inhibitor enhances CAR-NK-mediated cytotoxicity via reduction of CAF-released IL-6
Authors: Lee Young Eun , Go Ga-Yeon , Koh Eun-Young , Yoon Han-Na , Seo Minkoo , Hong Seung-Mo , Jeong Ji Hye , Kim Jin-Chul , Cho Duck , Kim Tae Sung , Kim Song Cheol , Jun Eunsung , Jang Mihue
Published: February 2023

Background

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) contribute to an impaired functionality of natural killer (NK) cells that have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality. The interaction between CAFs and NK cells within the TME exerts major inhibitory effects on immune responses, indicating CAF-targeted therapies as potential targets for effective NK-mediated cancer killing.

Methods

To overcome CAF-induced NK dysfunction, we selected an antifibrotic drug, nintedanib, for synergistic therapeutic combination. To evaluate synergistic therapeutic efficacy, we established an in vitro 3D Capan2/patient-derived CAF spheroid model or in vivo mixed Capan2/CAF tumor xenograft model. The molecular mechanism of NK-mediated synergistic therapeutic combination with nintedanib was revealed through in vitro experiments. In vivo therapeutic combination efficacy was subsequently evaluated. Additionally, the expression score of target proteins was measured in patient-derived tumor sections by the immunohistochemical method.

Results

Nintedanib blocked the platelet-derived growth factor receptor β (PDGFRβ) signaling pathway and diminished the activation and growth of CAFs, markedly reducing CAF-secreted IL-6. Moreover, coadministration of nintedanib improved the mesothelin (MSLN) targeting chimeric antigen receptor-NK-mediated tumor killing abilities in CAF/tumor spheroids or a xenograft model. The synergistic combination resulted in intense NK infiltration in vivo. Nintedanib alone exerted no effects, whereas blockade of IL-6 trans-signaling ameliorated the function of NK cells. The combination of the expression of MSLN and the PDGFRβ+-CAF population area, a potential prognostic/therapeutic marker, was associated with inferior clinical outcomes.

Conclusion

Our strategy against PDGFRβ+-CAF-containing pancreatic cancer allows improvements in the therapy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
PD-L1 gene amplification and focality: relationship with protein expression
Authors: Jardim Denis Leonardo , Murugesan Karthikeyan , Elvin Julia A. , Huang Richard S. P. , Kurzrock Razelle
Published: February 2023

PD-L1 (CD274) amplification occurs in a small subset of malignancies and may predict anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy responsiveness. We hypothesized that both copy number (CN) and focality of cancer-related PD-L1 amplifications impact protein expression, and, thus, analyzed solid tumors that underwent comprehensive genomic profiling between March 2016 and February 2022 at Foundation Medicine. PD-L1 CN alterations were detected using a comparative genomic hybridization-like method. PD-L1 CN changes were correlated with PD-L1 protein expression (DAKO 22C3 antibody) by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Overall, 60,793 samples were analyzed (most frequent histologies: lung adenocarcinoma (20%), colon adenocarcinoma (12%), lung squamous carcinoma (8%)). Using a definition of CD274 CN ≥ specimen ploidy +4 (6 copies), 1.21% of tumors (738/60,793) were PD-L1 amplified. Focality category distribution was as follows: <0.1 mB (n=18 (2.4%)), ≥0.1 to <4 mB (n=230 (31.1%)), ≥4 to <20 mB (n=310 (42%)), ≥20mB (n=180 (24.4%)). Lower levels of PD-L1 amplification (below specimen ploidy +4) were more frequently non-focal amplifications compared to higher levels. In addition, more focal amplification (<0.1 mB) correlated with higher PD-L1 IHC expression. Median tumor proportion score (TPS) for samples with PD-L1 amplification (ploidy ≥+4) according to focality were 87.5% (<0.1 mB), 80% (≥0.1 to <4 mB), 40% (≥4 to <20 mB), 1% (≥20mB). In specimens with PD-L1 ploidy less than +4, but highly focal (<0.1 mB), the 75th percentile of PD-L1 expression by TPS was 80%. Conversely, non-focal (≥20 mB) PD-L1 amplification (ploidy ≥+4) can present high PD-L1 expression (TPS≥50%), albeit infrequently (0.09% of our cohort). In conclusion, PD-L1 expression measured by IHC is influenced by PD-L1 amplification level and focality. Further correlation between amplification, focality, protein expression and therapeutic outcome for PD-L1 and other targetable genes warrants exploration.
Null surface thermodynamics in topologically massive gravity
Authors: Taghiloo Vahid
Published: February 2023

We study three dimensional topologically massive gravity (TMG) in presence of a generic codimension one null boundary. The existence of the boundary is accounted for by enlarging the Hilbert space of the theory by degrees of freedom which only reside at the boundary, the boundary degrees of freedom. The solution phase space of this theory in addition to bulk massive chiral gravitons of the TMG, involves boundary modes which are labeled by surface charges associated with large diffeomorphisms. We show boundary degrees of freedom obey a local thermodynamic description over the solution phase space, null surface thermodynamics, described by a local version of the first law, a local Gibbs–Duhem equation, and local zeroth law. Due to the expansion of the boundary and also the passage of the bulk mode through the boundary, our null surface thermodynamics describes an open boundary system that is generically out of thermal equilibrium.
Thermal performance of aqueous alumina–titania hybrid nanomaterials dispersed in rotating channel
Authors: Ullah Ikram , Shukat Saira , Albakri Ashwag , Khan Hamid , Galal Ahmed M. , Jamshed Wasim
Published: February 2023

The extension of nanoliquid obtained by adding nano-powder composite or various nanoparticles in regular liquid is term as hybrid nanofluid. Hybrid nanofluids are more potential materials that significantly uplift the thermophysical feature and capacity of heat transportation instead of single nanoparticle nanoliquid. Hence, the paramount interest of this paper is to model theoretically the flow of aqueous alumina–titania hybrid nanoliquid across a rotating channel. Temperature-based viscosity is addressed. This analysis further contributes the impact of heat source and dissipation phenomena. Additionally, two different shapes of nanoparticles, namely, bricks- and needle-shaped are included. Similarity variables dimensionless the governing problem. The obtained system is solved by employing Mathematica-based NDSolve approach. The impact of various embedded variables is elucidated graphically. The presence of hybrid nanocomposite greatly affects the temperature and Nusselt number than nanoparticles. Further outcomes declared that rotation and heat source variables significantly increase the thermal field for hybrid nanophase when compared with nanophase.
Solitary wave solutions of a generalized scale-invariant analog of the Korteweg–de Vries equation via applications of four mathematical methods
Authors: Seadawy Aly R. , Ali Asghar
Published: February 2023

In this paper, we have studied a generalized scale-invariant analog of the well-known Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equation. The generalized scale-invariant analog of the Korteweg–de Vries (SIdV) plays as a bridge between the KdV equation. The generalized SIdV model was discovered recently, and shares the same one-soliton solution as the KdV equation. By employing four mathematical methods, several types of exact and solitary wave solutions are established. For the physical behavior of the model, some solutions are plotted graphically by imparting specific values to the parameters under constrain condition. Hence, reconnoitered elucidations have profitable rewards in the field of mathematical physics.
Simultaneous improvement of Z-coordinate and overcut in EDM of titanium grade 5 alloy using a carbon-coated micro-tool electrode
Authors: Huu Phan Nguyen , Duc Toan Nguyen , Shirguppikar Shailesh
Published: February 2023

Depth of machining and dimensional accuracy are important parameters in assessing the quality of microelectrical discharge machining (EDM); therefore, enhancement of these two entities is highly essential. The optimal process parameters in microEDM are significantly influenced by the electrode material, which directly affects the machining quality. In this study, depth of machining ([Formula: see text] co-ordinate) and overcut (OVC) in microEDM with carbon-coated electrode were selected; and capacitance ([Formula: see text]), voltage ([Formula: see text]), and rotary tool (RT) were the process parameters. The experimental work was performed on a titanium alloy (Ti-6 Al-4 V) with a thin film-coated microtool electrode. The surface of the tungsten carbide microtool electrode was coated with carbon and the thickness of the coating was approximately five microns. The results show that the Taguchi–multi-objective optimization based on ratioanalysis (MOORA) — analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is the best combination for performing a simple and concise calculation in the machining process; and [Formula: see text] V results in higher machining efficiency with [Formula: see text] pF and [Formula: see text] rpm. Our results show that the quality of the machined surface and machining accuracy in microEDM using coated electrode at optimal parameters are good.
An efficient approach for traffic sign detection, classification, and localization applied for autonomous intelligent vehicles
Authors: Nguyen Ha X. , Ngo Tung T. , Nguyen Tai V. , Pham An D. , Nguyen Duc-Toan
Published: February 2023

In this paper, an efficient approach for traffic sign detection, classification, and localization is introduced. An integration of the tiling technique with the RetinaFace model and the MobileNetV1-SSD was proposed for traffic detection and classification. The combination of the extraction of the region of interest with a depth estimation model, namely the AANet+, was introduced for the traffic sign localization task. All models were developed based on the transfer learning technique and existing datasets, including the Zalo and ApolloScape datasets. The accuracy and the computational efficiency of the approach are evaluated. Experimental results show that the novel traffic sign detection and classification method outperform the existing ones with an average precision of 77.2%. Moreover, the computing performance achieved is 5 FPS on Jetson Nano and 50 FPS on Jetson Xavier. For the traffic sign localization, the relative error can be reduced to 3.78%, and the computing time is 1.965 s/pair on Jetson Nano and 0.128 s/pair on Jetson Xavier, while the existing method has lower accuracy and is more time-consuming.
Large-scale 3D object segmentation employing conditional angular clustering technique
Authors: Nguyen Thanh-Hung , Pham Duc-An , Nguyen Xuan-Thuan
Published: February 2023

This paper aims to develop an automatic 3D object segmentation method for the large-scale point clouds. Given a range image, the preprocessing is first applied to get the optimal 3D point cloud. A [Formula: see text]-nearest neighbor is built, and a segmentation algorithm based on the conditional angular clustering technique is used to segment the objects from the point cloud. The algorithm is tested on the real point cloud datasets. The experiment results demonstrated that the developed segmentation method can be used to localize the object with the relative uncertainty of 0.27%.
Minimum roughness value in PMEDM with low-frequency vibration applied to workpiece
Authors: Huu Phan Nguyen , Duc Toan Nguyen , Quang Dung Le
Published: February 2023

In powder-mixed electrical discharge machining (PMEDM), the application of low-frequency vibrations to a workpiece is considered beneficial to the machining quality. This study evaluates the average surface roughness (Ra) of SKD61 steel workpieces subjected to low-frequency vibrations during PMEDM using a Cu electrode and titanium powder. Specifically, Taguchi’s L25 experimental design method is used to evaluate the influence of the following process parameters: current, pulse-on time, concentration, push pressure, frequency, and amplitude. The analysis of variance technique is used to determine the minimum Ra (Ra[Formula: see text]) value. The results show that Ra is most and least strongly influenced by [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively. Further, Ra[Formula: see text] is found to be 1.03 [Formula: see text]m.
A new approach for mobile robot path planning based on RRT algorithm
Authors: Nguyen Thanh-Hung , Nguyen Xuan-Thuan , Pham Duc-An , Tran Ba-Long , Bui Dinh-Ba
Published: February 2023

A novel route planning method based on the RRT algorithm is proposed in this study. To enhance the structure of the state tree, a general-purpose pseudorandom number generator is inserted into RRT. In addition, the proposed method includes a distance restriction that helps reduce the number of possible candidate nodes. MATLAB has been utilized to examine the efficacy of the proposed technique using three different types of maps. The simulation results demonstrate that the revised method is advantageous for route planning due to its superior convergence and efficacy over the original.
Impact strength and fracture behavior of Halloysite nanotube (HNT)-modified carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) based on the electrophoretic dispersion (EPD) process
Authors: Kim Se-Yoon , Park Soo-Jeong , Kumar Sanjay , Kim Yun-Hae
Published: February 2023

Because particles that accumulate without movement can lead to a deposition gradient, the formation of a stable suspension is essential for the electrophoretic dispersion (EPD) process. The hydrophobic properties of Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were easily dispersed in many nonpolar polymers without further deformation steps. However, the uniform dispersion of HNTs in aqueous solutions is a pre-EPD process task. The zeta potential controls the main parameters of EPD processes, such as the density of deposits, particle orientation and velocity, and repulsive interactions between particles, which determine the stability of the suspension. In this study, the solution stability range for the addition of nanoparticles was measured and the optimal dispersion range was determined. In addition, an HNT-reinforced composite material was created by determining the optimal dispersion stability range of HNT, and the impact strength and fracture mechanism of the interface were analyzed. The solution stability and dispersion were the best between pH 6.6 and 6.8, and the highest impact strength was confirmed at 0.7 wt%. The HNT confirmed the interfacial dispersion of the EPD-fibers using scanning electron microscopy and dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).
Routability Optimization of Extreme Aspect Ratio Design through Non-uniform Placement Utilization and Selective Flip-flop Stacking
Authors: Hyun Daijoon , Koh Sunwha , Jung Younggwang , Kim Taeyoung , Shin Youngsoo
Published: February 2023

Circuits that are placed with very low (or high) aspect ratio are susceptible to routing overflows. Such designs are difficult to close and usually end up with larger area with low area utilization. In this article, we propose two routability optimization methods to implement designs even with very low (or high) aspect ratio and high area utilization. First, we find the best assignment of non-uniform placement utilization through convolutional neural network model, and cell placement is performed while respecting the placement utilization. This allows many cells to be spread out over the entire design rather than being centered. The experiments show that most overflows of 16.5% occurring in cell placement are removed with 23.1% reduction in wire length; this is the result of further improving overflow of 9.8% compared to a conventional method. In the second, some flip-flops are selectively stacked to reduce the routing resources used for clock routing. U-Net model is built with graph attention network to predict the congestion after clock-tree synthesis, and the flip-flops in highly congested areas are selected for stacking. The proposed method improves the overflows, which occurs after clock-tree synthesis, by 22.1%.
Geometric Optimisation Via Spectral Shifting
Authors: Poya Roman , Ortigosa Rogelio , Kim Theodore
Published: February 2023

We present a geometric optimisation framework that can recover fold-over free maps from non-injective initial states using popular flip-preventing distortion energies. Since flip-preventing energies are infinite for folded configurations, we propose a new regularisation scheme that shifts the singular values of the deformation gradient. This allow us to re-use many existing algorithms, especially locally injective methods for initially folded maps. Our regularisation is suitable for both singular value- and invariant-based formulations, and systematically contributes multiple stabilisers to the Hessian. In contrast to proxy-based techniques, we maintain second-order convergence. Compact expressions for the energy eigensystems can be obtained for our extended stretch invariants, enabling the use of fast projected Newton solvers. Although spectral shifting in general has no theoretical guarantees that the global minimum is an injection, extensive experiments show that our framework is fast and extremely robust in practice, and capable of generating high-quality maps from severely distorted, degenerate and folded initialisations.
Compliance Checking of Cloud Providers: Design and Implementation
Authors: Barati Masoud , Adu-Duodu Kwabena , Rana Omer , Aujla Gagangeet Singh , Ranjan Rajiv
Published: February 2023

The recognition of capabilities supplied by cloud systems is presently growing. Collecting or sharing healthcare data and sensitive information especially during the Covid-19 pandemic has motivated organizations and enterprises to leverage the upsides coming from cloud-based applications. However, the privacy of electronic data in such applications remains a significant challenge for cloud vendors to adapt their solutions with existing privacy legislation standards such as general data protection regulation (GDPR). This article first proposes a formal model and verification for data usage requests of providers in a cloud composite service using a model checking tool. A cloud pharmacy scenario is presented to illustrate the connectivity of providers in the composite service and the stream of their requests for both collection and movement of patient data. A set of verifications is then undertaken over the pharmacy service in accordance with three significant GDPR obligations, namely user consent, data access, and data transfer. Following that, the article designs and implements a cloud container virtualization based on the verified formal model realizing GDPR requirements. The container makes use of some enforcement smart contracts to only proceed with the providers’ requests that are compliant with GDPR. Finally, several experiments are provided to investigate the performance of our approach in terms of time, memory, and cost.
Data Block Matrix and Hyperledger Implementation: Extending Distributed Ledger Technology for Privacy Requirements
Authors: Roberts Joshua D. , Defranco Joanna F. , Kuhn D. Richard
Published: February 2023

Distributed ledger technology (DLT)
, including blockchain, has a number of properties that make it useful for distributed systems. However, the immutability of blockchain and most forms of DLT make it impossible to delete data, as is required for compliance with many privacy rules regarding personally identifiable information. Thus, there is a need for DLT that can provide the integrity-preserving property of DLT while also allowing support for privacy rules. The
data block matrix (DBM)
is a variant of distributed ledger technology. It provides the integrity assurance of blockchain but allows for controlled revision or deletion of data. This property is essential for using DLT in applications that must guarantee privacy requirements by the deleting of a user's private data at their request. The DBM design solves the blockchain privacy conflict thus expanding the range of blockchain applications by also allowing exception management. It has been implemented and is available (
https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/redactable-distributed-ledger
) as a configurable option for
Hyperledger Fabric (HF)
, with a proof-of-concept application for data sharing in a health care environment. Other potential applications include logistics management and digital currency. This paper will cover the DBM properties and data structure, the DBM implementation in HF, and a use case and application design of the DBM implementation using the pharmaceutical industry supply chain.
The Strategy of Surface Oxygen Vacancy Stabilization for High-Performance Lithium-rich Cathode Materials
Authors: Zhang Ronggang , Wang Yajing , Fan Jingmin , Zheng Mingsen , Dong Quanfeng
Published: February 2023

Lithium-rich materials exhibit high capacity and high voltage properties due to the charge compensation mechanism, but the disadvantages such as material voltage decay and poor cycling stability limit their practical application. The fixation and stabilizations of surface lattice oxygen is considered the most challenging problem the materials. We have successfully prepared a lithium-rich cathode material with a triad of oxygen vacancies, surface spinel and polyanionic SO4
2− doping by a mild surface pre-activation treatment, and systematically investigated the stabilization mechanism of surface oxygen vacancies in the materials. The VS-LR0.25 material with multiple stabilizations of oxygen vacancies exhibited excellent cycling stability and rate performance, with an initial Coulomb efficiency of 82.7%, and capacity retention of 95.1% after 200 cycles at 1 C.
A Novel Quick Screening Method for the Second Usage of Parallel-connected Lithium-ion Cells Based on the Current Distribution
Authors: He Kun , Tao Shengyu , Fu Shiyi , Fan Hongtao , Tao Yulin , Wang Yu , Sun Yaojie
Published: February 2023

Battery screening is the key segment of secondary applications. The benchmark for conventional methods is mainly based on the series connection and makes parameter difference as the screening index a gold standard. However, because of self-balancing current in parallel connection, the existence of a certain degree of parameter difference is allowed and parameter difference may not be the best option, which leads to lower screening efficiency due to the higher uniform of parameters. This work firstly identifies the boundary of parameter difference and provides the ideal working point (IWP), which is related to maximum capacity utilization efficiency, as a novel screening index for parallel connection derived from the current distribution. A modified shepherd model is employed to calculate the IWPs and is verified that the maximum dynamic error is below 1.1%. Therefore, it is quick to achieve screening by judging whether the IWP falls within the normal working range. The results show that the maximum capacity utilization efficiency always occurs at the load current close to the IWP, which verifies the validity of IWP. Compared with the conventional method, the proposed method is validated based on a case study to improve screening efficiency and provides different ideas for flexible grouping.
Humidity Sensing Mechanism and Respiration Monitoring of WO3 Nanoplates with a Monoclinic Crystal Phase
Authors: Tripathi Shubham , Tripathi Divya , Chauhan Pratima
Published: February 2023

Functioning of hydrothermally synthesized WO3 nanoplates was investigated for humidity sensing and respiration monitoring under different breathing conditions. The monoclinic phase was identified by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The average crystallite size was calculated by Williamson-Hall (W–H) plot (27 nm) and modified Scherrer equation (24 nm). The optical band gap was calculated as 2.7 eV using UV–visible spectroscopy. The field emission electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) micrographs of readied WO3 have confirmed the formation of microstructured nanoplates having an average diameter of 216 nm. Fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate was used for the deposition of film and also used as an electrode. The investigation of humidity was carried out at different relative humidity (RH)−11%, 33%, 44%, 54%, 74%, and 95%. The fabricated humidity sensor has shown excellent reversibility, stability and very small humidity hysteresis (<2%) at room temperature. The maximum response was observed as 41.95% at 95% RH with response and recovery time as 2 s and 134 s respectively. During the 30 d of observation, only a 0.4% decrease in response was observed. The fabricated WO3-based humidity sensor was investigated for human respiration having respiration rates of 2.51 min−1, 3.09 min−1 and 3.74 min−1.
Potential usages of A-to-I RNA editing patterns as diagnostic biomarkers
Authors: Rodriguez Morales David , Ilieva Mirolyuba , Rennie Sarah , Uchida Shizuka
Published: February 2023

Adenosine to inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is one of the most frequent RNA modifications found in the mammalian transcriptome. Recent studies clearly indicate that RNA editing enzymes, adenosine deaminase acting on RNAs (ADARs), are upregulated in stressed cells and under disease conditions, suggesting that monitoring RNA editing patterns might be useful as diagnostic biomarkers of various diseases. Here, we provide an overview of epitranscriptomics, and focus particularly on the detection and analysis of A-to-I RNA editing using bioinformatic tools in RNA-seq data sets, as well as briefly reviewing the existing evidence about its involvement in disease progressions. Finally, we argue for the detection of RNA editing patterns as part of the routine analysis in RNA-based data sets, with the aim of accelerating the identification of RNA editing targets linked to disease.