bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review on lung disease recognition by acoustic signal analysis with deep learning networks
Authors: Sfayyih Alyaa Hamel , Sulaiman Nasri , Sabry Ahmad H.
Published: June 2023

Recently, assistive explanations for difficulties in the health check area have been made viable thanks in considerable portion to technologies like deep learning and machine learning. Using auditory analysis and medical imaging, they also increase the predictive accuracy for prompt and early disease detection. Medical professionals are thankful for such technological support since it helps them manage further patients because of the shortage of skilled human resources. In addition to serious illnesses like lung cancer and respiratory diseases, the plurality of breathing difficulties is gradually rising and endangering society. Because early prediction and immediate treatment are crucial for respiratory disorders, chest X-rays and respiratory sound audio are proving to be quite helpful together. Compared to related review studies on lung disease classification/detection using deep learning algorithms, only two review studies based on signal analysis for lung disease diagnosis have been conducted in 2011 and 2018. This work provides a review of lung disease recognition with acoustic signal analysis with deep learning networks. We anticipate that physicians and researchers working with sound-signal-based machine learning will find this material beneficial.
Detecting unregistered users through semi-supervised anomaly detection with similarity datasets
Authors: Heo Dong Hyuk , Park Sung Ho , Kang Soon Ju
Published: June 2023

Recent research has focused on exploring systems that incorporate anomaly detection models to automate the addition of users in user recognition systems. Anomaly detection, a method used to distinguish between new and existing users by identifying abnormal images, has gained significant attention. Researchers have been actively investigating the Semi-Supervised Learning method, which utilizes only existing user data to differentiate between existing and new users. However, existing semi-supervised learning based anomaly detection models exhibit high performance on datasets with low similarity but experience a sharp decline in performance on datasets with high similarity. Furthermore, their large model size makes it challenging to execute them on edge nodes. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a model that can be executed on edge nodes and guarantees good performance on both low and high similarity datasets. The proposed model utilizes the LeNet-5, a user recognition model with fewer weights and multiple images as input, for classifying new users. This study compared the existing anomaly detection models with the proposed model using three datasets with varying similarities. The performance evaluation involved comparing the accuracy, ROC curve, and AUC of each model on a training server. Subsequently, the top three models were optimized for execution on the edge node (STM32F207ZG MCU) and further evaluated by comparing their accuracy, inference speed, and model size. The results revealed that the proposed model achieved an approximate 53% improvement in accuracy compared to the existing anomaly detection models. Furthermore, when executed on the edge node, the proposed model demonstrated significant memory savings, with a maximum reduction of approximately 530% and approximately 40% reduction in flash memory usage compared to the existing models.
Exploring the general practitioners’ point of view about clinical scores: a qualitative study
Authors: Pautrat Maxime , Palluau Remy , Druilhe Loic , Lebeau Jean Pierre
Published: June 2023

Background

Clinical scores help physicians to make clinical decisions, and some are recommended by health authorities for primary care use. As an increasing number of scores are becoming available, there is a need to understand general practitioner expectations for their use in primary care. The aim of this study was to explore general practitioner opinions about using scores in general practice.

Method

This qualitative study, with a grounded theory approach, used focus groups with general practitioners recruited from their own surgeries to obtain verbatim. Two investigators performed verbatim analysis to ensure data triangulation. The verbatim was double-blind labeled for inductive categorization to conceptualize score use in general practice.

Results

Five focus groups were planned, 21 general practitioners from central France participated. Participants appreciated scores for their clinical efficacy but felt that they were difficult to use in primary care. Their opinions revolved around validity, acceptability, and feasibility. Participants have little regard for score validity, they felt many scores are difficult to accept and do not capture contextual and human elements. Participants also felt that scores are unfeasible for primary care use. There are too many, they are hard to find, and either too short or too long. They also felt that scores were complex to administer and took up time for both patient and physician. Many participants felt learned societies should choose appropriate scores.

Discussion

This study conceptualizes general practitioner opinions about score use in primary care. The participants weighed up score effectiveness with efficiency. For some participants, scores helped make decisions faster, others expressed being disappointed with the lack of patient-centeredness and limited bio-psycho-social approach.
Sensing as the key to the safety and sustainability of new energy storage devices
Authors: Yi Zhenxiao , Chen Zhaoliang , Yin Kai , Wang Licheng , Wang Kai
Published: June 2023

New energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors are widely used in various fields because of their irreplaceable excellent characteristics. Because there are relatively few monitoring parameters and limited understanding of their operation, they present problems in accurately predicting their state and controlling operation, such as state of charge, state of health, and early failure indicators. Poor monitoring can seriously affect the performance of energy storage devices. Therefore, to maximize the efficiency of new energy storage devices without damaging the equipment, it is important to make full use of sensing systems to accurately monitor important parameters such as voltage, current, temperature, and strain. These are highly related to their states. Hence, this paper reviews the sensing methods and divides them into two categories: embedded and non-embedded sensors. A variety of measurement methods used to measure the above parameters of various new energy storage devices such as batteries and supercapacitors are systematically summarized. The methods with different innovative points are listed, their advantages and disadvantages are summarized, and the application of optical fiber sensors is emphasized. Finally, the challenges and prospects for these studies are described. The intent is to encourage researchers in relevant fields to study the early warning of safety accidents from the root causes.
Effect of fermentation process on hygiene and perceived quality of lait caillé, an ethnic milk product from Burkina Faso
Authors: Bayili Geoffroy Romaric , Konkobo-Yaméogo Charlotte , Diarra Sinaly , Diawara Bréhima , Jespersen Lene , Sawadogo-Lingani Hagretou
Published: June 2023

Lait caillé is a traditional fermented milk product in Burkina Faso. The objective of this study was to contribute to consumer acceptance of lait caillé. For this purpose, the production practices in rural and urban areas were identified through semi-structured interviews, while the perceived quality of lait caillé in urban area was investigated through a survey. Then, microbiological and physico-chemical parameters were analysed on samples from rural and urban sites. Finally, an attempt to improve the hygiene of the traditional processing was proposed by use of Lactococcus lactis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides stains as starter. These were previously isolated from traditional lait caillé. The results on the manufacturing processes revealed from the raw milk practices of spontaneous fermentation, backslopping and contact with bacterial biofilms attached to container. The survey on perceived quality indicated that traditional lait caillé possessed a niche market which could be enlarged by implementation of good manufacturing practices in the production sites. The microbiota of the end product was characterised by high loads of Enterococcus spp., Enterobacteria and Pichia spp. Fermented milks by starter cultures showed improved hygienic quality and a positive sensory appreciation. However, the use of selected strains might be followed by loss of some features of traditional lait caillé, which scientists should work to resolve.
Study on systematic errors of BDS-3 broadcast ephemeris and their effects with Helmert transformation
Authors: Li Min , Zhang Jiangnan , Chen Guo , Chen Liang , Zhao Qile
Published: June 2023

Previous studies have not evaluated the systematic errors implied in the third generation of BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) broadcast ephemeris. In this paper we evaluate the systematic pattern described by the Helmert transformation parameters, including translations, rotations, and scale. BDS-3 broadcast and precise ephemerides from December 2019 to 2022 are collected, and the characteristics of the transformation parameters as well as their effects on the signal in space error are analysed. The annual variation in the z-translation is obtained, and the similar amplitudes of 5.5 cm and phases of approximate 300 days are obtained for different years. When the rotation parameters are considered in the orbit comparison, the Root Mean Square (RMS) errors of the along- and cross-track orbital differences decrease from 29.1 to 12.5 cm and from 30.6 to 9.2 cm, respectively, because the three rotation parameters compensate for the majority of the errors in the BDS-3 broadcast ephemeris. Moreover, the high correlations in the obtained rotation parameters among the three orbital planes suggest that the orientation of the BDS-3 broadcast ephemeris is influenced by common model errors, i.e., uncertainty of Earth Rotation Parameters (ERPs). Further research is required because an offset of 1.5 × 10–9 for the scale parameter is observed. A degraded User Range Error (URE) for epochs of up to 84% is attained when the systematic pattern is considered, though the impact of the systematic pattern indicated by the z-translation and rotation parameters on the URE is less than 5.0 cm. With the refinement of the ERPs implemented in the new generation of broadcast ephemeris, we anticipate that the broadcast ephemeris performance of BDS-3 will be improved.
What’s beyond breast asymmetry? Comparative study between artificial intelligence and contrast-enhanced spectral mammography in the assessment of various types of breast asymmetries
Authors: Sobhi Aalaa , Mohammed Nada A. , Ali Engy A.
Published: June 2023

Background

Breast asymmetries are prevalent findings in mammograms and are commonly caused by variations in normal breast tissue. However, they may imply significant underlying causes in some cases. Such cases necessitate further assessment by adding further mammography views, targeted ultrasound, and investigations to exclude underlying pathology.

Objectives

To investigate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) compared to contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) in the assessment of breast asymmetries and their performance as diagnostic modality among different types of breast asymmetries as well as the additive value of AI software to mammography in these cases.

Methods

Sixty-four female patients were diagnosed with breast asymmetries by standard mammography (MMG) on both craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO). Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) may have been added. After evaluating the breast asymmetry by MMG and complementary breast ultrasound (US), both CESM and AI were performed for all cases and analyzed, then the interpreted results were compared accordingly either by histopathology from suspected lesions scored as BI-RADS 4 or 5 or through further close follow-up by single-view mammography in benign cases scored as BI-RADS 2 or 3.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of CESM in the assessment of breast asymmetry in correlation with pathological data/follow-up results were 100% and 60% (p < 0.001). The corresponding values for AI were 70.83% and 75%; however, the estimated overall accuracy for both CESM and AI was close to each other measuring 75% and 73.44%, respectively (p < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of CESM to detect malignant causes of breast asymmetry was 100%; however, the detection of benign causes of breast asymmetry was 40%. The corresponding values for AI were 70.83% and 25%, respectively, with significant p-value (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The CESM was more sensitive; however, the AI was more specific in the assessment of different breast asymmetries. Although the diagnostic accuracy of both is close to each other. Therefore, AI-aided reading can replace CESM in most cases, especially for those contraindicated to do CESM. AI also can reduce the radiation exposure hazards of a second dose of radiation for CESM and its financial cost as well. AI-aided reading in breast screening programs can reduce the recall of patients, unnecessary biopsies, and short-interval follow-up exams.
Celiac plexus neurolysis in pancreatic neoplasm with celiacomesenteric trunk: a case report
Authors: Paul Sounak , Mazumder Suparna , Mandal Sandip Swarup , Thakkar Dhaval Bhaveshkumar , Kukreja Prachi
Published: June 2023

Background

Celiac plexus neurolysis is an effective mode of long-term palliation of somatic pain in inoperable upper gastro-intestinal neoplasm. CT guidance is the most accepted method of localising the tip of the needle, through which, the neurolytic agent, commonly Absolute Alcohol, is introduced along the celiac ganglion. Three dimensional assessment of the retroperitoneal anatomy avoids injury to adjacent viscera and vascular structures. Para-aortic needle tip position between the origins of celiac and superior mesenteric arteries is an accepted position to inject neurolytic agent. We report a case of successful celiac plexus neurolysis in a patient with a celiacomesenteric trunk. Till date no such case has been reported, primarily due to the Low incidence of celiacomesenteric trunk.

Case presentation

A 63-year-old man developed progressive icterus and severe abdominal pain over 3 months. The pain severity was 6/10. An Ultrasonography and contrast enhanced CT of the abdomen revealed inoperable carcinoma of head of pancreas and a celiacomesenteric trunk. The pancreatic mass extended along the right lateral border of the celiacomesenteric trunk, not extending upto the aorta. Considering the severity of pain, poor compliance to opioid pain medication, and a possibility of early tumour extension upto the aortic margin, celiac plexus neurolysis was considered. The procedure was performed under CT guidance and local anaesthesia, using a mixture of absolute alcohol, Bupivacaine and diluted iodinated contrast. Bilateral paravertebral antecrural access was performed, using 22 gauge Chiba needles, after localisation on preprocedural CT-scan. On the left, hydrodissection was performed using normal saline, to displace the left renal parenchyma from the trajectory of the needle to be used for neurolysis. The patient’s pain visual analogue scale score reduced to 0/10, immediately after the procedure. He had a post procedural hypotension, managed conservatively by complete bed rest for 1 day and intravenous fluid administration.

Conclusions

Celiac plexus neurolysis can safely be done in aberrant upper abdominal vascular anatomy, under CT guidance and local anaesthesia. To avoid periprocedural complications, hydrodissection may be effectively used to displace normal anatomical structures from the trajectory of the access needle, through which a mixture of absolute alcohol and local anaesthetic may be delivered.
Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Unanticipated Admission Following Nonotolaryngologic Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery
Authors: Willer Brittany L. , Petkus Holly , Manupipatpong Katherine , Tram Nguyen , Nafiu Olubukola O. , Tobias Joseph D. , Mpody Christian
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND:

Approximately 2% of ambulatory pediatric surgeries require unanticipated postoperative admission, causing parental dissatisfaction and suboptimal use of hospital resources. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs in nearly 8% of children and is known to increase the risk of perioperative adverse events in children undergoing otolaryngologic procedures (eg, tonsillectomy). However, whether OSA is also a risk for unanticipated admission after nonotolaryngologic surgery is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the association of OSA with unanticipated admission after pediatric nonotolaryngologic ambulatory surgery and to explore trends in the prevalence of OSA in children undergoing nonotolaryngologic ambulatory surgery.

METHODS:

We used the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) Database to evaluate a retrospective cohort of children (<18 years) undergoing nonotolaryngologic surgery scheduled as ambulatory or observation status from January 1, 2010, to August 31, 2022. We used International Classification of Diseases codes to identify patients with OSA. The primary outcome was unanticipated postoperative admission lasting ≥1 day. Using logistic regression models, we estimated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for unanticipated admission comparing patients with and without OSA. We then estimated trends in the prevalence of OSA during the study period using the Cochran-Armitage test.

RESULTS:

A total of 855,832 children <18 years underwent nonotolaryngologic surgery as ambulatory or observation status during the study period. Of these, 39,427 (4.6%) required unanticipated admission for ≥1 day, and OSA was present in 6359 (0.7%) of these patients. Among children with OSA, 9.4% required unanticipated admission, compared to 5.0% among those without. The odds of children with OSA requiring unanticipated admission were more than twice that in children without OSA (adjusted OR, 2.27; 95% CI, 1.89–2.71; P < .001). The prevalence of OSA among children undergoing nonotolaryngologic surgery as ambulatory or observation status increased from 0.4% to 1.7% between 2010 and 2022 (P trends < .001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Children with OSA were significantly more likely to require unanticipated admission after a nonotolaryngologic surgery scheduled as ambulatory or observation status than those without OSA. These findings can inform patient selection for ambulatory surgery with the goal of decreasing unanticipated admissions, increasing patient safety and satisfaction, and optimizing health care resources related to unanticipated admission.
Art, Graffiti, and the Deskilled Work of the Novelist: The Forgotten 1970s in Don DeLillo’s Underworld
Authors: Strombeck Andrew
Published: June 2023

This article reads Don DeLillo’s Underworld (1997) as scrutinizing the relationship between art and deskilled labor in the period from 1973 through 1997. Examining a relatively understudied set of chapters set in the 1970s, it considers them in the context of theoretical work by Harry Braverman, Kathi Weeks, Luc Boltanski, Eve Chiapello, and John Roberts. Depicting artist Klara Sax’s project as rooted in her 1970s observations of the remnants of skilled labor, and her embrace of what she calls the “graffiti instinct,” DeLillo suggests, pace Roberts, that the vestiges of lost working-class skill appear in the art groups in the novel’s present. Such valorizations of the artist’s labor are offset both by the absorption of the former artist Jesse Detwiler into Nick Shay’s corporate workplace and by the novel’s neglect of gentrification. In turn, with Underworld’s representations of the Bronx in the 1950s, DeLillo scrutinizes his own working-class origins.
The Symptomatological Imagination
Authors: Baasch Kyle
Published: June 2023

Cultural and literary critics have begun to abandon a long-standing commitment to poststructuralist and deconstructive interpretative methods in favor of an ostensibly Marxist aspiration to comprehend cultural phenomena as symptomatic expressions of a social totality. This essay identifies some of the advantages and shortcomings of this symptomatological mode of interpretation by returning to a dispute in the German scientific establishment around the turn of the twentieth century concerning the applicability of biological conceptions of organic wholeness in cultural and social analysis. The dispute culminates in Max Weber’s nuanced defense of biological metaphors as indispensable heuristic devices for cultural inquiry that can nevertheless result in dangerous consequences when they are inappropriately employed. This essay ultimately argues that Weber’s contribution to cultural analysis remains an underappreciated and vital methodological resource for researchers who wish to rehabilitate the concept of totality today.
The Horrible Work of History
Authors: Toscano Alberto
Published: June 2023

This article critically surveys Georges Bataille’s multiple engagements with G. W. F. Hegel from the early 1930s to the 1950s. It homes in on how Bataille’s conceptual, experiential, and parodic demarcation from Hegel targets not the German philosopher’s aspiration to totality but (via Bataille’s dialogue with Alexandre Kojève) his action-centered framing of the movement of history and the character of actuality. Against the dialectical mastery of history, Bataille seeks to articulate an unpolitical image of sovereignty and play that is ultimately poetic or literary in kind.
Abolish theOikos
Authors: Sorentino Sara-Maria
Published: June 2023

Apparent similarities between Marxism and Afro-pessimism on questions of abstraction, social reproduction, and abolition have curiously not marked the beginning of a conversation. To gauge the dimensions of this halted conversation, this article explores the uses of the oikos in theorizing the demands of the present. Drawing from conflictual interpretations of Aristotle’s Metaphysics and Politics and reading against the grain of Marxist feminism, this article proposes a general theory of incapacity that identifies the role of capacity in reproducing the problem of slavery, the tensions of the oikos, and the inadequacies of capitalist critique. Afro-pessimism both mimics the capitalist totality by replacing it with slavery and exceeds that totality by staying with the dissolving quality that the slave qua incapacity comes to impossibly represent. This article argues that the collapse of race into a form of “reduced capacity,” like class or gender, is the way antiblackness articulates itself for political economy, but the slave’s incapacity cannot then be reducible to capital or critical reconfigurations of social reproduction. The oikos, in this reading, becomes a generative terrain for thinking tensions in intersectionality as well as antagonistic figures of liberation, from the abolition of the value-form, gender, and the family to the proposition of the “end of the world.”
High-Flow Bypass and Clip Trapping of a Giant Fusiform Middle Cerebral Artery (M1) Aneurysm: Technical Case Instruction
Authors: Shenoy Varadaraya Satyanarayan , Miller Charles , Sen Rajeev D. , McAvoy Malia , Montoure Andrew , Kim Louis J. , Sekhar Laligam N.
Published: June 2023

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE:

Giant intracranial aneurysms have a poor natural history with mortality rates of 68% and 80% over 2-year and 5-year, respectively. Cerebral revascularization can provide flow preservation while treating complex aneurysms requiring parent artery sacrifice. In this report, we describe the microsurgical clip trapping and high-flow bypass revascularization for a giant middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION:

A 19-year-old man was diagnosed with a giant left MCA aneurysm after he suffered a left hemispheric capsular stroke 6 months ago. Since then, the patient recovered from the right hemiparesis and dysarthria with residual symptoms. Neuroimaging demonstrated a giant fusiform aneurysm encompassing the entire M1 segment. The bilobed aneurysm measured 37 × 16 × 15 mm. Endovascular treatment options included partial coiling of the aneurysm followed by deployment of flow-diverting stent spanning from the M2 branch—through the aneurysm neck—into the internal carotid artery. Because of the high risk of lenticulostriate artery stroke with endovascular treatment, the patient opted for microsurgical clip trapping and bypass. The patient consented to the procedure. High-flow bypass from internal carotid artery to M2 MCA was performed using radial artery graft, followed by aneurysm clip trapping using 3 clips.

CONCLUSION:

We demonstrate the successful microsurgical treatment for a complex case of giant M1 MCA aneurysm with fusiform morphology. High-flow revascularization using radial artery graft helped in achieving good clinical outcome with complete aneurysm occlusion with flow preservation despite the challenging morphology and location. Cerebral bypass continues to be a useful tool to tackle complex intracranial aneurysms.
Management and Quality Management Principles in Ancient Greece and their Reflection Today
Authors: Aspridis George , Poulianou Louisa , Koukoumpliakos Ioannis
Published: June 2023

The work of ancient Greek philosophers is, to say the least, timeless, multifarious and continues to be cited all over the world. Among all issues they highlighted the significance of management and the way in which the State as well as private affairs were organized. This proves that the prevailing view arguing that Management Science is the result of the industrial revolution and especially in Anglo-Saxon countries is not consistent with reality.

In ancient Greece the structure of city-states has proven that an effective management function had been established, and by extension its application to all aspects of public life as well. Xenophon is considered by many the father of Management Science. The Oeconomicus by Xenophon refers to the art of household management, while the definition of management is introduced as well. The Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle is widely considered a classical work which could be taught today in the Faculties of Management and Economics and particularly emphasizes on ethics, leadership and education. Aristotle laid the foundations of the scientific method and introduced the definition of Science.

Through the Socratic method (maieutics), Socrates is considered the philosopher who established the concept of guidance, and regards management as a special skill, distinct from experience and knowledge.  Plato referred to leadership and general culture as well as issues of ethics.

Many political and military leaders (such as Cleisthenes, Miltiades, Thucydides, Solon and many others) engaged in state affairs management or took the lead in the military sector.

The aim of the proposal under evaluation is to present the classical theories and the way they are incorporated into the modern management of both public and private sector in the era of globalization, multi-culturalism, diversity, electronic government and digital transformation.

The proposal under evaluation has adopted the qualitative research method and specifically the tool of literature review. The aim is the holistic approach and analysis of the subject under research. Through the survey of literature, the researchers wish to present the timeless views on Management Science, as well as form new and modern ideas. For this reason, secondary publications relevant to the subject have been selected, such as the works of ancient Greek philosophers, studies, articles, reports, electronic books, texts from websites, etc.

The conclusions of the proposal under evaluation are particularly significant and, whatever their utilization may be, can substantially contribute to the upgrading of Management Science in Greece. Ideally, these classical works could be taught in University Faculties at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

 

JEL Classifications: M00, N01

Key words: Quality Management, Administrative Science, Ethics, Management, Education
Corporate Social Responsibility in the Greek Mining and Quarrying companies
Authors: Fragkoulis Dimitrios , Koemtzi Maria
Published: June 2023

This paper aims to investigate the diffusion of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the degree of implementation of CSR practices among the Greek Mining and Quarrying Companies. A research study was conducted through a structured questionnaire among the ISO 9001 certified Greek Mining and Quarrying Companies. CSR appears to be very important for large companies which are able to allocate resources for the required CSR actions. Results show that most of the financial resources available for CSR actions are related to the environment and that respondents expect that through CSR actions they gain better relationships with the local community and the general business environment, they achieve improved employee performance, and they attract and maintain high-potential employees. Participants in the research consider bureaucracy, lack of knowledge, the small size of business and the implementation costs as the main inhibitors for the achievement of the CSR principles.

The research of this work was limited to the Greek mining companies that are certified according to ISO 9001. Future research could be conducted on the CSR awareness of the non-certified companies as well. The study may help managers of the mining companies to focus on specific CSR elements when they decide to follow CSR principles. The implementation of the CSR principles in the mining industry has attracted considerable attention in the CSR literature and this study is an attempt to assess the concept and the benefits of CSR within Greek mining sector.

JEL Classification code: M14.

Key words: Corporate Social Responsibility; CSR; Mining and Quarrying; Greece
Impact of sodium fluoride and nano silver fluoride-based varnishes on remineralisation of enamel caries: an in-vitro study
Authors: Deulkar Pranjali Vilas , Rathi Nilesh , Thosar Nilima , Deshpande Meghana Ajay , Bane Sphurti Pramod
Published: June 2023

Background: The aim of this study was to perform a comparative evaluation of 5% Sodium fluoride varnish, neutral nano silver fluoride (NSF) varnish and acidulated nano silver fluoride varnish in remineralising artificially induced enamel caries of primary teeth.

Methods: 39 primary anterior teeth were sectioned 2mm below the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and mounted in acrylic resin blocks. Incipient enamel caries were induced on the samples artificially and primary Vicker’s surface microhardness (SMH) was assessed. Samples were divided equally and applied varnishes; Group 1: 5% Sodium fluoride varnish; Group 2: Neutral NSF varnish, and Group 3: Acidulated NSF varnish. A pH cycling protocol of 7 days was followed, and second Surface microhardness (SMH) testing was carried out. One sample from each group was observed for Scanning electron microscopy and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM EDS). Statistical analysis was conducted using HSD Tukey and one way ANOVA tests.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the pre-treatment and post-treatment values of all three groups. The difference in SMH after applying 5% Sodium fluoride varnish and acidulated NSF varnish was statistically significant (p<0.01). Similarly, neutral NSF varnish and acidulated NSF varnish also showed statistical significance (p<0.01). However, SMH after application of 5% Sodium fluoride varnish and neutral NSF varnish was statistically not significant.

The SEM EDS analysis revealed the presence of an even fine granular layer of minerals on the surface of treated enamel in the acidulated NSF group whereas other groups showed uneven deposits of minerals. EDS showed fluoride and silver in groups containing NSF.

Conclusions: Acidulated NSF varnish has the highest efficacy followed by neutral NSF varnish and 5% Sodium fluoride in remineralisation of enamel caries in primary teeth.
The genome sequence of the Ashy Button, Acleris sparsana (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Authors: Boyes Douglas , Lees David C. , Hammond James ,   University of Oxford and Wytham Woods Genome Acquisition Lab,   Natural History Museum Genome Acquisition Lab,   Darwin Tree of Life Barcoding collective,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Tree of Life programme,   Wellcome Sanger Institute Scientific Operations: DNA Pipelines collective,   Tree of Life Core Informatics collective,   Darwin Tree of Life Consortium
Published: June 2023

We present a genome assembly from an individual male Acleris sparsana (the Ashy Button; Arthropoda; Insecta; Lepidoptera; Tortricidae). The genome sequence is 589.5 megabases in span. Most of the assembly is scaffolded into 30 chromosomal pseudomolecules, including the Z sex chromosome. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 16.4 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly on Ensembl identified 22,123 protein coding genes.
Ancillary Services in Targeted Advertising: From Prediction to Prescription
Authors: Borenstein Alison , Mangal Ankit , Perakis Georgia , Poninghaus Stefan , Singhvi Divya , Skali Lami Omar , Wei Lua Jiong
Published: June 2023

Problem definition: Online retailers provide recommendations of ancillary services when a customer is making a purchase. Our goal is to predict the net present value (NPV) of these services, estimate the probability of a customer subscribing to each of them depending on what services are offered to them, and ultimately prescribe the optimal personalized service recommendation that maximizes the expected long-term revenue. Methodology/results: We propose a novel method called cluster-while-classify (CWC), which jointly groups observations into clusters (segments) and learns a distinct classification model within each of these segments to predict the sign-up propensity of services based on customer, product, and session-level features. This method is competitive with the industry state of the art and can be represented in a simple decision tree. This makes CWC interpretable and easily actionable. We then use double machine learning (DML) and causal forests to estimate the NPV for each service and, finally, propose an iterative optimization strategy—that is, scalable and efficient—to solve the personalized ancillary service recommendation problem. CWC achieves a competitive 74% out-of-sample accuracy over four possible outcomes and seven different combinations of services for the propensity predictions. This, alongside the rest of the personalized holistic optimization framework, can potentially result in an estimated 2.5%–3.5% uplift in the revenue based on our numerical study. Managerial implications: The proposed solution allows online retailers in general and Wayfair in particular to curate their service offerings and optimize and personalize their service recommendations for the stakeholders. This results in a simplified, streamlined process and a significant long-term revenue uplift.

History: This paper has been accepted as part of the 2021 Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Practice-Based Research Competition.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2020.0491 .
Mobilizing Conceptual Spaces: How Word Embedding Models Can Inform Measurement and Theory Within Organization Science
Authors: Aceves Pedro , Evans James A.
Published: June 2023

Word embedding models are a powerful approach for representing the multidimensional conceptual spaces within which communicated concepts relate, combine, and compete with one another. This class of models represent a recent advance in machine learning allowing scholars to efficiently encode complex systems of meaning with minimal semantic distortion based on local and global word co-occurrences from large-scale text data. Although their use has the potential to broaden theoretical possibilities within organization science, embeddings are largely unknown to organizational scholars, where known they have only been mobilized for a narrow set of uses, and they remain unlinked to a theoretical scaffolding that can enable cumulative theory building within the organizations community. Our goal is to demonstrate the promise embedding models hold for organization science by providing a practical roadmap for users to mobilize the methodology in their research and a theoretical guide for consumers of that research to evaluate and conceptually link embedded representations with theoretical significance and potential. We begin by explicitly defining the notions of concept and conceptual space before proceeding to show how these can be represented and measured with word embedding models, noting strengths and weaknesses of the approach. We then provide a set of embedding measurements along with their theoretical interpretation and flexible extension. Our aim is to extract the operational and conceptual significance from technical treatments of word embeddings and place them within a practical, theoretical framework to accelerate research committed to understanding how individuals, teams, and broader collectives represent, communicate, and deploy meaning in organizational life.

Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2023.1686 .
RS3PE syndrome with subsequent PMR caused by long-term DPP-4 inhibitor use
Authors: Takahashi Yuichi , Deshpande Gautam , Kanai Yoshinori , Yang Kwang-Seok , Naito Toshio
Published: June 2023

Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting oedema (RS3PE) syndrome has been reported in patients treated with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i). We experienced a case of RS3PE syndrome in a 73-year-old man with a history of type 2 diabetes, who developed RS3PE as a side effect of vildagliptin. Further to this, the patient developed polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), the first such case associated with long-term DPP-4i use.
Successful treatment of intractable rectal varices with Gelfoam slurry embolisation and coiling
Authors: Chinnappan Justine Auxilia Irene , Shabbir Murtaza , Deliwala Smit , Bansal Anish
Published: June 2023

A 57-year-old male with heart failure and decompensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis presented with recurrent haematochesia due to rectal varices. After multiple failed therapy with endoscopic band ligation and surgical sclerotherapy, a discussion with an interventional radiologist was arranged. A transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) was deferred due to a history of heart failure. A shared decision to proceed with transhepatic Gelfoam® slurry embolisation with coiling was made. During the procedure, a variant anatomy of the superior rectal vein was identified. The superior rectal vein was found to drain directly into the left portal vein with no connectivity between the inferior mesenteric vein and the rectal varices. As planned, Gelfoam slurry embolisation and coiling was done to the left and right superior rectal vein along with the common trunk it drains. The patient did not develop any further episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding or worsening ascites on follow-up after 6 months. This case represents a successful treatment of bleeding rectal varices when TIPS is contraindicated.
Why is milk so dangerous in rural areas?
Authors: Yiğit Yasemin Demir , Yiğit Ebral
Published: June 2023

Objective:

In this study, hot milk burns observed in paediatric patients were examined, and the results were compared with those obtained from other types of scalding burns.

Method:

A 10-year retrospective study was conducted with paediatric patients hospitalised for hot milk burns at the Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital Burn Center, Turkey.

Results:

Of the 87 patients included in the study, 49 (56.3%) were male and 38 (43.7%) were female, with a male/female ratio of 1.29:1. Patients were aged two months to 18 years, with a mean age of 3.62±2.82 years. The highest rate of burn injury was observed in patients aged 0–4 years (n=67, 77.0%). The upper (n=56, 64.4%) and lower extremities (n=75, 86.2%) were the most frequently affected areas. Of the total number of patients examined, 25 (28.7%) exhibited second-degree burns, while 62 (71.3%) exhibited third-degree major burns. The mean hospitalisation time was 6.28±5.04 days. None of the patients died or underwent amputation.

Conclusion:

Scalding is the most common cause of burns in the paediatric population in Turkey. Hot milk burns attract attention due to their higher infection rates and length of hospital stay.
Noise suppression in the reconstructed image of digital holography based on the BEMDV method using improved particle swarm optimization
Authors: Chen Yuan , Liu Dengxue , Liang Shaonan , Ma Hongwei , Wang Zhongyang , Dong Ming , Wan Xiang
Published: June 2023

In digital holography, the speckle noise caused by the coherent nature of the light source and the light scattering generated by the light path system degrade the quality of the reconstructed image seriously. Therefore, in this paper, we propose what we believe to be is a novel noise reduction method combining bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) with the variational method, termed BEMDV. The reconstructed image is first decomposed into a series of bidimensional intrinsic mode function (BIMF) components with different frequencies using the BEMD method, and then a certain number of BIMF components are selected for noise reduction by the variational method. An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is adopted to optimize the key parameters of the proposed method, so as to further improve its noise reduction performance. A reflective off-axis digital holographic imaging system is used to collect the holograms of the coin and optical resolution plate, and the experimental research on noise reduction is carried out. The results with qualitative and quantitative analyses show that the proposed method achieves a better performance on noise reduction and detail preservation than other general methods, enormously enhancing the image quality of holographic reconstruction.
Eye movements in patients with post-COVID condition
Authors: Vinuela-Navarro Valldeflors , Goset Joan , Aldaba Mikel , Mestre Clara , Rovira-Gay Cristina , Cano Neus , Ariza Mar , Delàs Bàrbara , Garolera Maite , Vilaseca Meritxell
Published: June 2023

Eye movement control is impaired in some neurological conditions, but the impact of COVID-19 on eye movements remains unknown. This study aims to investigate differences in oculomotor function and pupil response in individuals who suffer post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) with cognitive deficits. Saccades, smooth pursuit, fixation, vergence and pupillary response were recorded using an eye tracker. Eye movements and pupil response parameters were computed. Data from 16 controls, 38 COVID mild (home recovery) and 19 COVID severe (hospital admission) participants were analyzed. Saccadic latencies were shorter in controls (183 ± 54 ms) than in COVID mild (236 ± 83 ms) and COVID severe (227 ± 42 ms) participants (p = 0.017). Fixation stability was poorer in COVID mild participants (Bivariate Contour Ellipse Area of 0.80 ± 1.61°2 vs 0.36 ± 0.65 °2 for controls, p = 0.019), while percentage of pupil area reduction/enlargement was reduced in COVID severe participants (39.7 ± 12.7%/31.6 ± 12.7% compared to 51.7 ± 22.0%/49.1 ± 20.7% in controls, p < 0.015). The characteristics of oculomotor alterations found in PCC may be useful to understand different pathophysiologic mechanisms.
Optical injection locking of a THz quantum-cascade VECSEL with an electronic source
Authors: Curwen Christopher A. , Kim Anthony D. , Karasik Boris S. , Kawamura Jonathan H. , Williams Benjamin S.
Published: June 2023

Optical injection locking of a metasurface quantum-cascade (QC) vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL) is demonstrated at 2.5 THz using a Schottky diode frequency multiplier chain as the injection source. The spectral properties of the source are transferred to the laser output with a locked linewidth of ∼1 Hz, as measured by a separate subharmonic diode mixer, and a locking bandwidth of ∼300 MHz is achieved. The large locking range is enabled by the microwatt power levels available from modern diode multipliers. The interplay between the injected signal and feedback from external reflections is studied and demonstrated to increase or decrease the locking bandwidth relative to the classic locking range depending on the phase of the feedback.
Backscattering enhancement of a chessboard metasurface based on the orbital angular momentum detection approach
Authors: Zhang Di , Chen Jianwen , He Changhui , Zou Xiong , Chen Qiang , Zhang Lin , Zhu Zhenbo , Yu Fangli
Published: June 2023

In recent years, metasurfaces have been widely employed in stealth technology, which brings great challenges for radar target detection. In order to address this issue, a novel detection approach for metasurface-stealth-target (MST) based on orbital angular momentum (OAM) vortex wave is proposed in this paper. Compared to a conventional plane wave detection system, the transmitting wave of the proposed approach is OAM-modulated, of which the wavefront is helical along the beam axis. Thus, the differentiated exciting source is introduced to different parts of MST. According to the established scattering model and full-wave simulation, the echo of MST has a strong correlation with OAM order l, which exhibits quite different scattering characteristics from the plane wave illumination. A chessboard metasurface (CM) is taken as an example to be irradiated by an OAM vortex wave of l=±2. The backscattering is significantly boosted compared to plane-wave detection, which is against the stealth ability of CM. This phenomenon is also verified by experiments. The results reveal that OAM detection is a promising approach for MST detection..
Real-time computer-generated integral imaging light field displays: revisiting the point retracing rendering method from a signal processing point of view
Authors: Qin Zong , Cheng Yunfan , Dong Jiaqi , Qiu Yuqing , Yang Wenchao , Yang Bo-Ru
Published: June 2023

Integral imaging light field displays (InIm-LFDs) can provide realistic 3D images by showing an elemental image array (EIA) under a lens array. However, it is always challenging to computationally generate an EIA in real-time with entry-level computing hardware because the current practice that projects many viewpoints to the EIA induces heavy computations. This study discards the viewpoint-based strategy and revisits the early point retracing rendering method, and then proposes that InIm-LFDs and regular 2D displays share two similar signal processing phases: sampling and reconstructing. An InIm-LFD is demonstrated to create a finite number of static voxels for signal sampling. And each voxel is invariantly formed by homogeneous pixels for signal reconstructing. We obtain the static voxel-pixel mapping through arbitrarily accurate raytracing in advance and store it as a lookup table (LUT). Our EIA rendering method first resamples input 3D data with the pre-defined voxels and then assigns every voxel’s value to its homogeneous pixels through the LUT. As s result, the proposed method reduces the computational complexity by several orders of magnitude. The experimental rendering speed is as fast as 7 ms for a full-HD EIA frame on an entry-level laptop. Finally, considering a voxel may not be perfectly integrated by its homogeneous pixels, called the sampling error, the proposed and conventional viewpoint-based methods are analyzed in the Fourier domain. We prove that even with severe sampling errors, the two methods negligibly differ in the output signal’s frequency spectrum. The proposed method breaks the long-standing tradeoff among rendering speed, accuracy, and system complexity for computer-generated integral imaging (CGII), expected to remove the hinder for real-time CGII.