bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Superb Microvascular Imaging in Pediatric Focal Nodular Hyperplasia
Authors: Hwang Sook Min , Yoo So-Young , Jeong Woo Kyoung , Lee Min Woo , Jeon Tae Yeon , Kim Ji Hye
Published: February 2024

Objective:

To investigate superb microvascular imaging (SMI), a novel Doppler ultrasound technique that can visualize low-velocity microvascular flow, for assessing pediatric focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH).

Patients and Methods:

Nine FNH lesions in 6 patients were enrolled. On SMI and color Doppler imaging (CDI), intralesional vascularity was assessed visually and categorized as typical spoke-wheel pattern (central vessel radiating from the center to the periphery), multifocal spoke-wheel pattern, and nonspecific pattern. We compared the vascular features of the lesions between SMI and CDI and evaluated vascular patterns according to lesion size.

Results:

In terms of vascularity pattern, the typical spoke-wheel pattern of FNH was noted more frequently on SMI (67%) than on CDI (11%; P < 0.05). In addition, a multifocal spoke-wheel pattern was noted in all remaining lesions (33%) on SMI. On the contrary, a nonspecific vascular pattern was detected in the majority (78%) of CDI. Regarding the lesion size and vascularity on SMI, the typical spoke-wheel pattern was seen more frequently in the small FNH group than in the large FNH group. The intralesional vascular signal was detected more frequently on SMI (100%) than on CDI (89%).

Conclusion:

SMI is feasible in evaluating FNH in children and has a greater ability to demonstrate the spoke-wheel pattern than CDI.
Recurrent Nontraumatic Subgaleal Hematomas in a Pediatric Patient With Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Sheikh Irtiza N. , Okeleji Olayinka , Afzal Rabya , Bonfante Eliana , Kodakandla Monica , Menon Neethu M.
Published: February 2024

Spontaneous subgaleal hematoma in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) is a rare occurrence that can present with symptoms mimicking ischemic stroke, a known complication of SCD. However, unlike ischemic stroke, subgaleal hematoma is nonlethal and can be managed conservatively without major sequelae. Here, we present the case of an adolescent with SCD who presented with 2 episodes of subgaleal and epidural hematomas, 2 years apart. The latter episode occurred while on crizanlizumab, an anti-P-selectin antibody, approved for use in SCD in 2019 to reduce the number of acute pain crises. We demonstrate the diagnosis of subgaleal hematoma and outline steps to conservative management which were safe and did not lead to focal neurologic deficits.
B-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in Children: A Case Series From a Single Institution
Authors: Devine Kaitlin J. , Trivedi Hirva , Reilly Anne F.
Published: February 2024

Background:

Pediatric B-lymphoblastic lymphoma is an uncommon subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Studies regarding the biology, clinical course, and approach to relapse are limited.

Observations:

We present a series of children with B-lymphoblastic lymphoma to describe the clinical course at diagnosis and relapse as well as the role of tumor cytogenetics, immunotherapy, and hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

Conclusions:

The prognostic significance of cytogenetic changes in B-lymphoblastic lymphoma is not well described but may offer improved risk stratification. Immunotherapy may offer salvage options for relapsed disease and can serve as a bridge to transplant.
Comparative Analysis of Skip Metastasis in Pediatric Osteosarcoma: Clinical Features and Outcomes
Authors: Halalsheh Hadeel , Amer Shrouq , Omari Zaid , Shawagfeh Munir , Boheisi Mohammad , Sultan Iyad
Published: February 2024

Background:

Skip metastasis (SM) is a synchronous regional bone metastasis. Using new imaging modalities, the detection of SM is easier and possibly more common. We reviewed patients with SM and compared their characteristics and outcomes to other patients with osteosarcoma treated at our center.

Methods:

We reviewed retrospectively children (<18 years) with newly diagnosed osteosarcoma who presented from June 2006 to March 2022. Patients’ characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes were analyzed. All cases were discussed in a multidisciplinary clinic that included 2 experienced radiologists.

Results:

We identified 155 patients with osteosarcoma, among which 13 (8.3%) patients had SM detected by MRI. Patients with SM had a median age at diagnosis of 11.2 years (range 7 to 17). Three patients had lung metastasis at diagnosis. Bone scan was positive for the SM in 8 patients (62%). All patients underwent primary tumor resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (amputation in 5, limb salvage surgery in 8). Five had postchemotherapy necrosis ≥90% in primary tumor. Seven patients relapsed/progressed (1 local and 6 in the lung), all relapsed patients died of disease. Compared to the rest of the patients, those with SM had similar clinical features to patients without SM; outcomes were similar with no significant differences in event-free survival and overall survival (P=0.7 and 0.3, respectively).

Conclusion:

In this study, we observed a percentage of patients with SM comparable to previous reports. Patients with SM exhibited clinical features akin to the rest of our patients. Thorough evaluation of imaging studies and multidisciplinary care, coupled with meticulous surgical planning, are crucial for achieving a cure, which remained unjeopardized in our patients with SM.
Effective Treatment of Anlotinib Combined With Chemotherapy in Children With Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor: A Case Series in a Single-center and Literature Review
Authors: Jing Xiao-Yu , Shen Cheng-Qi , He Guo-Qian , Xu Rong-Rong , Gao Ju , Guo Xia
Published: February 2024

Introduction:

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a highly aggressive primitive sarcoma with a 5-year survival rate estimated at only 15% to 30%. Although few curative treatment options exist, patients are most often treated with a combination of aggressive chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Targeted therapy inhibitors of platelet-derived growth factor A, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2, which are almost uniformly overexpressed in DSRCT, have largely failed in clinical trials. Anlotinib is a multitarget receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1-3, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1-4, platelet-derived growth factor receptor α/β, c-Kit, and Met. In this study, we presented 3 cases of DSRCT treated effectively with anlotinib combined with chemotherapy.

Case Presentation:

Three children DSRCT patients were enrolled from September 2020 to December 2021 and monitored until August 30, 2022. The clinical data were prospectively studied. The peritoneal cancer index classified all 3 patients as stage IV. After surgery, all 3 patients received anlotinib in combination with chemotherapy and reacted to the medication. For all 3 patients, clinical symptoms were substantially eased, and the size of the masses was reduced. Patient 1 and patient 3’s progression-free survival had been extended, and anlotinib was continued as a maintenance medication in the 2 patients who were in good health at the end of the follow-up. Patient 2 died of postoperative complications 1 month after second-stage surgery. The main side effects of anlotinib were fatigue and hypertension. However, its toxicity was controllable and tolerable in children patients.

Conclusions:

This is the first report that anlotinib is effective in children with DSRCT. This report may provide an additional option for the treatment of metastatic DSRCT.
A Rare Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome Disclosed by Reanalysis of the Exome Data of a Patient Evaluated for Cytopenia and Dysmorphic Features
Authors: Durmaz Durmus , Aslanger Ayca Dilruba , Yavas Abali Zehra , Yilmaz Yasin , Karaman Volkan , Yesil Sayin Gozde , Toksoy Guven , Unuvar Aysegul , Uyguner Zehra Oya
Published: February 2024

Background:

Multisystemic findings of inherited bone marrow failure syndromes may cause difficulty in diagnosis. Exome sequencing (ES) helps to define the etiology of rare diseases and reanalysis offers a valuable new diagnostic approach. Herein, we present the clinical and molecular characteristics of a girl who was referred for cytopenia and frequent infections.

Case report:

A 5-year-old girl with cytopenia, dysmorphism, short stature, developmental delay, and myopia was referred for genetic counseling. Reanalysis of the ES data revealed a homozygous splice-site variant in the DNAJC21 (NM_001012339.3:c.983+1G>A), causing Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS). It was shown by the RNA sequencing that exon 7 was skipped, causing an 88-nucleotide deletion.

Conclusions:

Precise genetic diagnosis enables genetic counseling and improves patient management by avoiding inappropriate treatment and unnecessary testing. This report would contribute to the clinical and molecular understanding of this rare type of SDS caused by DNAJC21 variants and expand the phenotypic features of this condition.
Doula Services and Birth Outcomes
Authors: Saigh Jiana , Roche Lacey , Longacre Margaret L.
Published: February 2024

Background:

Doulas offer support and advice to some women during the childbirth process, however access to doula care is not available to all due to availability and cost.

Methods:

This scoping review synthesizes literature related to the use of doula services and the experiences and outcomes of those who used the services. Eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed studies conducted in the United States and published between 2010 and 2022 that specified use of doulas and assessed maternal experiences and outcomes. Articles were accessed through PubMed, Google Scholar, and PsycInfo.

Results:

Nineteen articles met the criteria and were included in the review. Findings across eligible articles included qualitative analyses related to psychosocial aspects of experience and quantitative findings on birth experience, complications, breastfeeding initiation, and emotional health.

Discussion:

Findings suggest having doula support can improve experiences and outcomes. However, further implementation and evaluation is needed as well as greater access to doula services among the childbearing population who are historically marginalized and minoritized.
Talkin' 'bout my(opia) generation: The impact of Optometry and Vision Science
Authors: Zadnik Karla
Published: February 2024

VIRTUAL ISSUE EDITORIAL

This editorial fronts the first virtual issue forOptometry & Vision Science. Virtual issues are a collection of papers from previously published issues of the journal that are brought together in a single, online publication. They highlight the important contribution the journal has made in supporting myopia research. All the papers referenced and previously published inOptometry & Vision Sciencewill be made free access for 1-month. The collection can be accessed here: https://journals.lww.com/optvissci/pages/collectiondetails.aspx?TopicalCollectionId=16
Impact of Chronic HIV Infection on Acute Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Opsteen Skye , Fram Tim , Files Jacob K. , Levitan Emily B. , Goepfert Paul , Erdmann Nathaniel
Published: February 2024

There is mounting evidence that HIV infection is a risk factor for severe presentations of COVID-19. We hypothesized that the persistent immune activation associated with chronic HIV infection contributes to worsened outcomes during acute COVID-19. The goals of this study were to provide an in-depth analysis of immune response to acute COVID-19 and investigate relationships between immune responses and clinical outcomes in an unvaccinated, sex- and race-matched cohort of people with HIV (PWH, n = 20) and people without HIV (PWOH, n = 41). We performed flow cytometric analyses on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from PWH and PWOH experiencing acute COVID-19 (≤21-day postsymptom onset). PWH were younger (median 52 vs 65 years) and had milder COVID-19 (40% vs 88% hospitalized) compared with PWOH. Flow cytometry panels included surface markers for immune cell populations, activation and exhaustion surface markers (with and without SARS-CoV-2–specific antigen stimulation), and intracellular cytokine staining. We observed that PWH had increased expression of activation (eg, CD137 and OX40) and exhaustion (eg, PD1 and TIGIT) markers as compared to PWOH during acute COVID-19. When analyzing the impact of COVID-19 severity, we found that hospitalized PWH had lower nonclassical (CD16+) monocyte frequencies, decreased expression of TIM3 on CD4+ T cells, and increased expression of PDL1 and CD69 on CD8+ T cells. Our findings demonstrate that PWH have increased immune activation and exhaustion as compared to a cohort of predominately older, hospitalized PWOH and raises questions on how chronic immune activation affects acute disease and the development of postacute sequelae.
Saudi Population Nasal Anthropometric Study: Local and International Comparison
Authors: Aldosari Badi
Published: February 2024

Anthropometric measurements are essential for diagnosing and treating various craniofacial disorders during nasal reconstruction and esthetic surgery. Different people have unique individual esthetic features that are a mixture of different races and backgrounds. This study aimed to compare 12 different anthropometric measurements in the Saudi Arabian population with those in other local and international studies. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 420 volunteers from December 2022 to August 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Study samples were drawn from the general population, and 12 nasal anthropometric variables were measured, including 7 linear and 5 angular variables, by taking digital photographs from frontal and lateral views. Anthropometric landmarks and measurements were obtained as previously described by Farkas et al. Photographs were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop CS4 software, and facial landmarks were identified. Data were analyzed using an independent sample t test to assess the mean and SD with differences (P<0.05 indicated a significant value). After statistical analysis, the results were compared with previously published standards for other races. Exactly 420 Saudi Arabian volunteers were examined to compare nasal anthropometric variables. All 12 nasal anthropometric variables differed significantly between male and female individuals. Anthropometry of the nose has an enormous miscellaneous relationship between sexes and populations of different geographic areas. It is important to create average anthropometric measurements for different groups for successful plastic surgery and rhinoplasty.
Clinical Study of Rh-bFGF Combined With Collagen Sponge in the Treatment of Maxillofacial Deep Ⅱ Degree Burn
Authors: Wang Qian , Yang Xiaolan , Wang Longfeng , Lin Tianlai , Wei Zhiyi
Published: February 2024

Objectives:

To observe the clinical effect of recombinant human alkaline fibroblast growth factor (rh-bFGF) combined with collagen sponge in the treatment of maxillofacial deepⅡ degree burn.

Methods:

From January 2019 to January 2022, 96 patients with maxillofacial deep Ⅱ degree burns were randomly divided into a control group (N=48) and an observation group (N=48). The observation group was treated with rh-bFGF and collagen sponge after debridement, whereas the control group was treated with silver sulfadiazine ointment after debridement. The healing rate and healing time of the wounds were observed, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-10, epidermal growth factor (EGF), endothelial growth factor growth factor (VEGF), and metalloproteinase tissue inhibitor 1 (TIMP-1) were measured. Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) was used to evaluate the local scar at 6 months after wound healing in both groups.

Results:

On the 10th, 14th, and 21st day of treatment, the wound healing rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), the wound healing time in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and on the 14th day of treatment, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of IL-10 in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of EGF, VEGF, and TIMP-1 in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the scores of VSS in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

Rh-bFGF combined with collagen sponge can decrease the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and increase the levels of IL-10, which can control the inflammation effectively, at the same time, it can increase the level of EGF, VEGF, and TIMP-1, promote wound healing, and reduce scar hyperplasia. The treatment protocol is simple, safe, effective, and suitable for clinical application.
Using Auricular Cartilage-fascia Composite Tissue Free Grafting Technique to Improve Cartilage Survival Outcomes
Authors: Li Chuan , Ma Lun-Kun , Zhang Ze-Ya , Tang Xiao-Jun , Liu Wei , Xu Xi , Feng Shi , Zhao Shan-Baga , Zhang Zhi-Yong
Published: February 2024

Objectives:

Auricular cartilage graft has a wide range of applications in plastic and reconstructive surgery. However, there is still a risk of absorption of the grafts over time. Intrinsic postauricular fascia (IPF) with a rich vascular network may play an important role in the nutrition and repair of auricular cartilage. This study aimed to investigate the effect of IPF on the survival viability of free auricular cartilage grafts.

Methods:

24 auricular cartilages were obtained from 6 New Zealand white rabbits which were divided into the cartilage-fascia composite graft group (FC group, n=12) and the cartilage without fascia group (C group, n=12). Two groups of cartilage were implanted into each side of the subcutaneous pocket of the rabbit’s dorsum. The rabbits were sacrificed after 3 months and all cartilage grafts were obtained. Macroscopic observation, histopathological staining, and biomechanical testing were performed on all specimens.

Results:

There were significant differences between the 2 groups regarding proliferating chondrocytes, apoptotic chondrocytes, vascularization, and matrix collagen. Compared to the auricular cartilage grafts without fascia, the auricular cartilage-fascia composite grafts had more neovascularization, proliferative chondrocytes, and type II collagen, with a homogeneous cartilage matrix and no obvious areas of heterogeneous staining. Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength of cartilage were reduced in both groups compared to pretransplantation, but the composite graft group was superior to the fascia-free group.

Conclusions:

Auricular cartilage-fascial composite tissue free graft could improve cartilage survival outcomes with higher viability and mechanical properties.
Sophora flavescens alcohol extract ameliorates insomnia and promotes PI3K/AKT/BDNF signaling transduction in insomnia model rats
Authors: Wu Yanyan , Yao Chenhang , Zhang Lan , Wu Guoqing
Published: February 2024

Active ingredient of Sophora flavescens is reported to promote non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. However, the role of Sophora flavescens alcohol extract in insomnia is elusive, which is addressed in this study, together with the exploration on its potential mechanism. An insomnia model of rats was established by para-chlorophenylalanine induction and further treated with SFAE or Zaoren Anshen capsule (ZRAS; positive control drug). Sleep quality and sleep architecture of rats were evaluated by the sleep test, electroencephalogram and electromyogram. The levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in rat hypothalamus were determined using ELISA, and the transduction of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the brain tissues of rats was examined by Western blot. SFAE and ZRAS increased the sleeping time and decreased the sleep latency of insomnia rats. SFAE reduced waking time and increased NREM and REM time, while changing power density of wakefulness, NREM sleep, and REM sleep in insomnia rats. SFAE and ZRAS upregulated levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and downregulated those of norepinephrine and dopamine in insomnia rats. Besides, SFAE and ZRAS elevated BDNF expression as well as the ratios of phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT. The role of SFAE in insomnia model rats was similar with that of ZRAS. SFAE reduces insomnia and enhances the PI3K/AKT/BDNF signaling transduction in insomnia model rats, which can function as a drug candidate for insomnia.
Gender differences in pedestrian hazard perception: evidence from an event-related potential study
Authors: Zhu Peng , Ma Min
Published: February 2024

Objective

Gender differences in pedestrian hazard perception were investigated using the event-related potential technique.

Methods

The study utilized images of two types of real traffic situations as test materials: hazard situations and nonhazard situations. The presence of hazards in the displayed situations was determined by 30 adult subjects (including 17 females), who indicated their observations by pressing a button.

Results

The results revealed that females exhibited a shorter N1 latency in hazard situations, while males exhibited a larger P3 amplitude compared to females.

Conclusion

These results indicate that females are more sensitive to hazard situations during the early visual processing stage, while males give more attention to traffic situations during the late attention allocation stage.
Adaptation-induced sharpening of orientation tuning curves in the mouse visual cortex
Authors: Ouelhazi Afef , Bharmauria Vishal , Molotchnikoff Stéphane
Published: February 2024

Objective

Orientation selectivity is an emergent property of visual neurons across species with columnar and noncolumnar organization of the visual cortex. The emergence of orientation selectivity is more established in columnar cortical areas than in noncolumnar ones. Thus, how does orientation selectivity emerge in noncolumnar cortical areas after an adaptation protocol? Adaptation refers to the constant presentation of a nonoptimal stimulus (adapter) to a neuron under observation for a specific time. Previously, it had been shown that adaptation has varying effects on the tuning properties of neurons, such as orientation, spatial frequency, motion and so on.

Basic methods

We recorded the mouse primary visual neurons (V1) at different orientations in the control (preadaptation) condition. This was followed by adapting neurons uninterruptedly for 12 min and then recording the same neurons postadaptation. An orientation selectivity index (OSI) for neurons was computed to compare them pre- and post-adaptation.

Main results:

We show that 12-min adaptation increases the OSI of visual neurons (n = 113), that is, sharpens their tuning. Moreover, the OSI postadaptation increases linearly as a function of the OSI preadaptation.

Conclusion

The increased OSI postadaptation may result from a specific dendritic neural mechanism, potentially facilitating the rapid learning of novel features.
Neural correlates of processing active and passive sentences: proficiency-dependent event-related potential evidence in Chinese English foreign language learners
Authors: Wang Tao , Yin Keyi , Wang Xing , Wang Man
Published: February 2024

We explored whether and to what extent the neural mechanisms of second language sentence processing resemble those of native speakers by investigating the temporal dynamics of syntactic processing in terms of active or passive voice in reading English sentences by Chinese English Foreign Language (EFL) learners with high or low English proficiency. Participants were divided into two groups based on their proficiency levels in English. Three types of sentences (active, passive and ungrammatical) were presented to participants when their event-related potential responses were recorded at the verbs and the final words. The results showed that high-proficiency participants exhibited a greater anterior negativity at the verb position for ungrammatical sentences compared to active sentences. Furthermore, passive sentences elicited a larger frontal positivity than active sentences at the final word position. Additionally, greater P600 effects were observed for both passive and ungrammatical sentences than active sentences at the final word. The low-proficiency group exhibited a greater anterior negativity at the verb (but not the final word) position. In conclusion, these findings emphasize the role of proficiency as a modulating factor in the processing of English active and passive sentences among Chinese EFL learners. Furthermore, the processing of English active and passive sentences by these learners can be conceptualized as a three-stage process: prediction, correction and integration, representing the underlying cognitive mechanisms. This study provides novel insights into the understanding of the cognitive mechanism involved in second language sentence processing.
Valence and interactions in judicial voting
Authors: Lee Edward D. , Cantwell George T.
Published: February 2024

The collective statistics of voting on judicial courts present hints about their inner workings. Many approaches for studying these statistics, however, assume that judges’ decisions are conditionally independent: a judge reaches a decision based on the case at hand and his or her personal views. In reality, judges interact. We develop a minimal model that accounts for judge bias, depending on the context of the case, and peer interaction. We apply the model to voting data from the US Supreme Court. We find strong evidence that interaction is an important factor across natural courts from 1946 to 2021. We also find that, after accounting for interaction, the recovered biases differ from highly cited ideological scores. Our method exemplifies how physics and complexity-inspired modelling can drive the development of theoretical models and improved measures for political voting.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘A complexity science approach to law and governance’.
Scaling laws: legal and social complexity in US localities
Authors: Ash Elliott , Goessmann Christoph , Naidu Suresh
Published: February 2024

Law sets out the rules for society and the economy, particularly important for interactions between strangers. Legal code is a form of non-rival infrastructure, a public good important for investment and innovation. This paper investigates whether legal code complexity scales with population size in US localities. We analyse a corpus of municipal codes from 3259 cities and measure legal complexity using various metrics, including number of words, bytes, and compressed bytes. We find that legal complexity scales geometrically with jurisdiction population, with a scaling parameter of approximately 0.2 and an

R

2

of approximately 0.2. The estimated scaling parameter is similar to gross domestic product
per
capita
, consistent with an interpretation of legal codes as regulating social interactions
per capita
in cities.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘A complexity science approach to law and governance’.
Large language models as tax attorneys: a case study in legal capabilities emergence
Authors: Nay John J. , Karamardian David , Lawsky Sarah B. , Tao Wenting , Bhat Meghana , Jain Raghav , Lee Aaron Travis , Choi Jonathan H. , Kasai Jungo
Published: February 2024

Better understanding of Large Language Models' (LLMs) legal analysis abilities can contribute to improving the efficiency of legal services, governing artificial intelligence and leveraging LLMs to identify inconsistencies in law. This paper explores LLM capabilities in applying tax law. We choose this area of law because it has a structure that allows us to set up automated validation pipelines across thousands of examples, requires logical reasoning and maths skills, and enables us to test LLM capabilities in a manner relevant to real-world economic lives of citizens and companies. Our experiments demonstrate emerging legal understanding capabilities, with improved performance in each subsequent OpenAI model release. We experiment with retrieving and using the relevant legal authority to assess the impact of providing additional legal context to LLMs. Few-shot prompting, presenting examples of question–answer pairs, is also found to significantly enhance the performance of the most advanced model, GPT-4. The findings indicate that LLMs, particularly when combined with prompting enhancements and the correct legal texts, can perform at high levels of accuracy but not yet at expert tax lawyer levels. As LLMs continue to advance, their ability to reason about law autonomously could have significant implications for the legal profession and AI governance.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘A complexity science approach to law and governance’.
Identification of a novel CG307 sub-clade in third-generation-cephalosporin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae causing invasive infections in the USA
Authors: Selvaraj Anand Selvalakshmi , Wu Chin-Ting , Bremer Jordan , Bhatti Micah , Treangen Todd J. , Kalia Awdhesh , Shelburne Samuel A. , Shropshire William C.
Published: February 2024

Despite the notable clinical impact, recent molecular epidemiology regarding third-generation-cephalosporin-resistant (3GC-R) Klebsiella pneumoniae in the USA remains limited. We performed whole-genome sequencing of 3GC-R K. pneumoniae bacteraemia isolates collected from March 2016 to May 2022 at a tertiary care cancer centre in Houston, TX, USA, using Illumina and Oxford Nanopore Technologies platforms. A comprehensive comparative genomic analysis was performed to dissect population structure, transmission dynamics and pan-genomic signatures of our 3GC-R K. pneumoniae population. Of the 178 3GC-R K. pneumoniae bacteraemias that occurred during our study time frame, we were able to analyse 153 (86 %) bacteraemia isolates, 126 initial and 27 recurrent isolates. While isolates belonging to the widely prevalent clonal group (CG) 258 were rarely observed, the predominant CG, 307, accounted for 37 (29 %) index isolates and displayed a significant correlation (Pearson correlation test P value=0.03) with the annual frequency of 3GC-R K. pneumoniae bacteraemia. Interestingly, only 11 % (4/37) of CG307 isolates belonged to the commonly detected ‘Texas-specific’ clade that has been observed in previous Texas-based K. pneumoniae antimicrobial-resistance surveillance studies. We identified nearly half of our CG307 isolates (n=18) belonged to a novel, monophyletic CG307 sub-clade characterized by the chromosomally encoded bla
SHV-205 and unique accessory genome content. This CG307 sub-clade was detected in various regions of the USA, with genome sequences from 24 additional strains becoming recently available in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) SRA database. Collectively, this study underscores the emergence and dissemination of a distinct CG307 sub-clade that is a prevalent cause of 3GC-R K. pneumoniae bacteraemia among cancer patients seen in Houston, TX, and has recently been isolated throughout the USA.
Embedding memory-efficient stochastic simulators as quantum trajectories
Authors: Elliott Thomas J. , Gu Mile
Published: February 2024

By exploiting the complexity intrinsic to quantum dynamics, quantum technologies promise a host of computational advantages. One such advantage lies in the field of stochastic modeling, where it has been shown that quantum stochastic simulators can operate with a lower memory overhead than their best classical counterparts. This advantage is particularly pronounced for continuous-time stochastic processes; however, the corresponding quantum stochastic simulators heretofore prescribed operate only on a quasi-continuous-time basis and suffer an ever-increasing circuit complexity with increasing temporal resolution. Here, by establishing a correspondence with quantum trajectories (a method for modeling open quantum systems), we show how truly continuous-time quantum stochastic simulators can be embedded in such open quantum systems, bridging this gap and obviating previous constraints. We further show how such an embedding can be made for discrete-time stochastic processes, which manifest as jump-only trajectories, and discuss how viewing the correspondence in the reverse direction provides a means of studying structural complexity in quantum systems themselves.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Assessing trajectory-dependent electronic energy loss of keV ions by a binary collision approximation code
Authors: Holeňák R. , Ntemou E. , Lohmann S. , Linnarsson M. , Primetzhofer D.
Published: February 2024

The inelastic energy deposition of energetic ions is a decisive quantity for numerous industrial-scale applications, such as sputtering and ion implantation, yet the underlying physics being governed by dynamic many-particle processes is commonly only qualitatively understood. Recently, transmission experiments on single-crystalline targets (Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 096601 & Phys. Rev. A 102, 062803) revealed a complex energy scaling of the inelastic energy loss of low-energy ions heavier than protons along different trajectories. We use a Monte Carlo like binary collision approximation code equipped with an impact-parameter-dependent modeling of the inelastic energy losses to assess the role of local contributions to electronic excitations in these cases. We compare angular intensity distributions of calculated trajectories with experimental results for 50-keV 4He and 100-keV 29Si ions transmitted in a time-of-flight setup through single-crystalline silicon (001) foils with nominal thicknesses of 200 and 50 nm, respectively. In these calculations, we employ different models of electronic energy loss, i.e., local and nonlocal forms for light and heavy projectiles. We find that the vast number of projectiles are eventually channeled along their trajectories, regardless of the alignment of the crystal with respect to the incident beam. It is, however, only when local electronic energy loss is considered that the simulated two-dimensional maps and energy distributions show excellent agreement with the experimental results, where channeling leads to significantly reduced stopping, especially for heavier projectiles. We demonstrate the relevance of these effects for ion implantations by assessing the nonlinear and nonmonotonic scaling of the ion range with the thickness of a random surface layer.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Phase structure of the on-shell parametrized
2+1
flavor Polyakov quark-meson model
Authors: Rai Suraj Kumar , Tiwari Vivek Kumar
Published: February 2024

Augmenting the improved chiral effective potential of the on-shell renormalized 2+1 flavor quark-meson (RQM) model with the Polyakov-loop potential that accounts for the deconfinement transition, we get the quantum chromodynamics (QCD)-like framework of the renormalized Polyakov quark-meson (RPQM) model. When the divergent quark one-loop vacuum term is included in the effective potential of the quark-meson (QM) model, its tree-level parameters, or the parameters fixed by the use of meson curvature masses, become inconsistent as the curvature masses involve the self-energy evaluations at zero momentum. Using the modified minimal subtraction method, the consistent chiral effective potential for the RQM model has been calculated after relating the counterterms in the on-shell scheme to those in the MS¯ scheme and finding the relations between the renormalized parameters of both the schemes where the physical (pole) masses of the π, K, η, and η′ pseudoscalar mesons and the scalar σ meson, the pion and kaon decay constants, have been put into the relation of the running couplings and mass parameter. Using the RPQM model and the PQM model with different forms for the Polyakov-loop potentials in the presence or the absence of the quark backreaction, we have computed and compared the effect of the consistent quark one-loop correction and the quark backreaction on the scaled chiral order parameter, the QCD phase diagrams, and the different thermodynamic quantities. The results have been compared with the 2+1 flavor lattice QCD data from the Wuppertal-Budapest Collaboration [ 73, ] and the HotQCD Collaboration [].

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Collective synchronization through noise cancellation
Authors: Worsfold Jeremy , Rogers Tim
Published: February 2024

After decades of study, there are only two known mechanisms to induce global synchronization in a population of oscillators: Deterministic coupling and common forcing. The inclusion of independent noise in these models typically serves to drive disorder, increasing the stability of the incoherent state. Here we show that the reverse is also possible. We propose and analyze a simple general model of purely noise coupled oscillators. In the first explicit choice of noise coupling, we find the linear response around incoherence is identical to that of the paradigmatic Kuramoto model but exhibits binary phase locking instead of full coherence. We characterize the phase diagram, stationary states, and approximate low-dimensional dynamics for the model, revealing the curious behavior of this mechanism of synchronization. In the second minimal case we connect the final synchronized state to the initial conditions of the system.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Quantum algorithm for the Vlasov simulation of the large-scale structure formation with massive neutrinos
Authors: Miyamoto Koichi , Yamazaki Soichiro , Uchida Fumio , Fujisawa Kotaro , Yoshida Naoki
Published: February 2024

Investigating the cosmological implication of the fact that neutrino has finite mass is of importance for fundamental physics. In particular, massive neutrino affects the formation of the large-scale structure (LSS) of the universe, and, conversely, observations of the LSS can give constraints on the neutrino mass. Numerical simulations of the LSS formation including massive neutrino along with conventional cold dark matter is thus an important task. For this, calculating the neutrino distribution in the phase space by solving the Vlasov equation is a suitable approach, but it requires solving the PDE in the (6+1)-dimensional space and is thus computationally demanding: Configuring ngr grid points in each coordinate and nt time grid points leads to O(ngr6) memory space and O(ntngr6) queries to the coefficients in the discretized PDE. We propose a quantum algorithm for this task. Linearizing the Vlasov equation by neglecting the relatively weak self-gravity of the neutrino, we perform the Hamiltonian simulation to produce quantum states that encode the phase-space distribution of neutrino. We also propose a way to extract the power spectrum of the neutrino density perturbations as classical data from the quantum state by quantum amplitude estimation with accuracy ε and query complexity of order Õ[(ngr+nt)/ε]. Our method also reduces the space complexity to O[polylog(ngr/ε)] in terms of the qubit number, while using quantum random access memories with O(ngr3) entries. As far as we know, this is the first quantum algorithm for the LSS simulation that outputs the quantity of practical interest with guaranteed accuracy.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Enhanced persistent orientation of asymmetric-top molecules induced by cross-polarized terahertz pulses
Authors: Xu Long , Tutunnikov Ilia , Prior Yehiam , Averbukh Ilya Sh.
Published: February 2024

We investigate the persistent orientation of asymmetric-top molecules induced by time-delayed THz pulses that are either collinearly or cross polarized. Our theoretical and numerical results demonstrate that the orthogonal configuration outperforms the collinear one, and a significant degree of persistent orientation—approximately 10% at 5 K and nearly 3% at room temperature—may be achieved through parameter optimization. The dependence of the persistent orientation factor on temperature and field parameters is studied in detail. The proposed application of two orthogonally polarized THz pulses is both practical and efficient. Its applicability under standard laboratory conditions lays a solid foundation for future experimental realization of THz-induced persistent molecular orientation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Variational quantum simulation of U(1) lattice gauge theories with qudit systems
Authors: Popov Pavel P. , Meth Michael , Lewestein Maciej , Hauke Philipp , Ringbauer Martin , Zohar Erez , Kasper Valentin
Published: February 2024

Lattice gauge theories are fundamental to various fields, including particle physics, condensed matter, and quantum information theory. Recent progress in the control of quantum systems allows for studying Abelian lattice gauge theories in table-top experiments. However, several challenges remain, such as implementing dynamical fermions in higher spatial dimensions and magnetic field terms. Here, we map U(1) Abelian lattice gauge theories in arbitrary spatial dimensions onto qudit systems with local interactions. We propose a variational quantum simulation scheme for the qudit system with a local Hamiltonian, that can be implemented on a universal qudit quantum device as the one developed in []. We describe how to implement the variational imaginary-time evolution protocol for ground-state preparation as well as the variational real-time evolution protocol to simulate nonequilibrium physics on universal qudit quantum computers, supplemented with numerical simulations. Our proposal can serve as a way of simulating lattice gauge theories, particularly in higher spatial dimensions, with minimal resources, regarding both system sizes and gate count.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Accelerated variational quantum eigensolver with joint Bell measurement
Authors: Cao Chenfeng , Yano Hiroshi , Nakagawa Yuya O.
Published: February 2024

The variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) stands as a prominent quantum-classical hybrid algorithm for near-term quantum computers to obtain the ground states of molecular Hamiltonians in quantum chemistry. However, due to the noncommutativity of the Pauli operators in the Hamiltonian, the number of measurements required on quantum computers increases significantly as the system size grows, which may hinder practical applications of VQE. In this work, we present a protocol termed (JBM-VQE) to reduce the number of measurements and speed up the VQE algorithm. Our method employs joint Bell measurements, enabling the simultaneous measurement of the absolute values of all expectation values of Pauli operators present in the Hamiltonian. In the course of the optimization, JBM-VQE estimates the absolute values of the expectation values of the Pauli operators for each iteration by the joint Bell measurement, while the signs of them are measured less frequently by the conventional method to measure the expectation values. Our approach is based on the empirical observation that the signs do not often change during optimization. We illustrate the speed-up of JBM-VQE compared to conventional VQE by numerical simulations for finding the ground states of molecular Hamiltonians of small molecules, and the speed-up of JBM-VQE at the early stage of the optimization becomes increasingly pronounced in larger systems. Our approach based on the joint Bell measurement is not limited to VQE and can be utilized in various quantum algorithms whose cost functions are expectation values of many Pauli operators.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Constraints on scalar-induced gravitational waves up to third order from a joint analysis of BBN, CMB, and PTA data
Authors: Wang Sai , Zhao Zhi-Chao , Zhu Qing-Hua
Published: February 2024

Recently, strong evidence for a gravitational-wave background has been reported by collaborations of pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). In the framework of scalar-induced gravitational waves, we concurrently investigate the second- and third-order gravitational waves by jointly analyzing PTA data alongside big-bang nucleosynthesis and cosmic microwave background datasets. We determine the primordial curvature spectral amplitude as 0.021<Aζ<0.085 and the spectral peak frequency as 10−7.3Hz<f*<10−6.3Hz at a 95% confidence interval, pointing towards a mass range for primordial black holes of 10−4.5M⊙<mPBH<10−2.5M⊙. Our findings suggest that third-order gravitational waves contribute more significantly to the integrated energy density than the second-order ones when Aζ≳0.06. Furthermore, we expect future PTA projects to validate these findings and provide robust means to investigate the genesis and evolution of the universe, especially inflation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
The moderating role of board diversity on the relationship between ownership structure and real earnings management
Authors: Akter Aklima , Wan Yusoff Wan Fadzilah , Abdul-Hamid Mohamad Ali
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to see the moderating effect of board diversity on the relationship between ownership structure and real earnings management.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses unbalanced panel data of 75 listed energy firms (346 firm-year observations) from three South Asian emerging economies (Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan) from 2015 to 2019. The two-step system GMM estimation is used for data analysis. This study also uses fixed effect regression to obtain robust findings.

Findings

The findings show that firms with a greater ownership concentration and managerial ownership significantly reduce real earnings management. In contrast, the data refute the idea that institutional and foreign ownership affect real earnings management. We also find that board diversity interacts significantly with ownership concentration and managerial ownership, meaning that board diversity moderates the negative link of the primary relationship that reduces real earnings management. On the other hand, board diversity has no interaction with institutional and foreign ownership, implying no moderating effect exists on the primary relationship.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is unique research investigating how different ownership structures affect real earnings management in the emerging nations’ energy sector, which the earlier studies overlook. More specifically, this research focuses on how board diversity moderates the relationships between ownership structure and real earnings management, which could be helpful for future investors.
Building Heroes: building bridges to support the transition from military to civilian employment in the construction industry
Authors: Meierdirk Charlotte
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Many veterans struggle with the civilian world and the loss of identity associated with leaving the service. This research investigates the Building Heroes Charity's role in assisting service leavers transitioning to civil employment, in the United Kingdom (UK) and what can be learnt from the training and support.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study design was chosen to investigate the transition from military to civilian employment. The case study consisted of 12 in-depth interviews consisting of nine veterans, who had attended the Building Heroes courses and three course tutors.

Findings

The Building Heroes Charity does have an important role to fulfill in the transition of military personnel from the service to civilian work. There are positive outcomes that complement the work done by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), but there still needs to be recognition that the needs of veterans do differ by age, transferability of competencies and the financial resources available.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this research are the sample size is small and the majority of the veterans are from the Army. This is mostly because the Army is the largest of the services.

Originality/value

Though there is limited research into the employment of veterans, there is evidence to demonstrate that veterans are more likely to suffer from depression and potential homelessness than nonservice personnel. This research is unique in investigating the role of a charity whose main purpose is to improve the employability of veterans by reducing the competency skills gap between the military and construction industry.