bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alcohol and the risk of all-cause death, atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmia, and sudden cardiac arrest
Authors: Kim Yun Gi , Kim Dong Yun , Roh Seung-Young , Jeong Joo Hee , Lee Hyoung Seok , Min Kyongjin , Choi Yun Young , Han Kyung-Do , Shim Jaemin , Choi Jong-Il , Kim Young-Hoon
Published: March 2024

The risk of having atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with alcohol intake. However, it is not clear whether sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and ventricular arrhythmia (VA) including ventricular tachycardia, flutter, or fibrillation have similar associations with alcohol. We aimed to evaluate the association of alcohol intake with all-cause death, new-onset AF, VA, and SCA using single cohort with a sufficient sample size. A total of 3,990,373 people without a prior history of AF, VAs, or SCA was enrolled in this study based on nationwide health check-up in 2009. We classified the participants into four groups according to weekly alcohol consumption, and evaluated the association of alcohol consumption with each outcome. We observed a significant association between mild (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.826; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.815–0.838) to moderate (HR = 0.930; 95% CI = 0.912–0.947) drinking with decreased risk of all-cause mortality. However heavy drinking (HR = 1.108; 95% CI = 1.087–1.129) was associated with increased all-cause death. The risk of new-onset AF was significantly associated with moderate (HR = 1.129; 95% CI = 1.097–1.161) and heavy (HR = 1.298; 95% CI = 1.261–1.337) drinking. However, the risk of SCA showed negative association with all degrees of alcohol intake: 20% (HR = 0.803; 95% CI = 0.769–0.839), 15% (HR = 0.853; 95% CI = 0.806–0.902), and 8% (HR = 0.918; 95% CI = 0.866–0.974) lower risk for mild, moderate, and heavy drinkers, respectively. Mild drinking was associated with reduced risk of VA with moderate and heavy drinking having no associations. In conclusion, the association between alcohol and various outcomes in this study were heterogeneous. Alcohol might have different influences on various cardiac disorders.
Impact of professional nursing interventions on clinical outcomes in patients with acute gastric bleeding: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Yuan Xueqin , Yu Fang , Fu Shouzhi
Published: March 2024

Acute gastric bleeding (AGB) is a common and potentially serious complication in patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Nursing interventions play a critical role in the management of acute gastric bleeding, but their impact on clinical outcomes is not well understood. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the impact of nursing interventions on clinical outcomes in patients with acute gastric bleeding. A retrospective review of medical records was conducted for 220 patients with acute gastric bleeding who were admitted to the hospital between February 2022 and February 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they received nursing interventions during their hospital stay. Clinical outcomes, including length of hospital stay, blood transfusion requirements, and mortality rates, were compared between the two groups using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. Of the 220 patients included in the study, 168 (76.4%) received nursing interventions during their hospital stay. Patients who received nursing interventions had a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (mean = 7.2 days, SD = 2.1) compared to those who did not receive nursing interventions (mean = 10.5 days, SD = 3.4, p < 0.001). Additionally, the 90-day mortality rate was lower in the group receiving professional nursing interventions (4.2% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.010). Fewer patients who received nursing interventions required blood transfusions (33.3% vs. 65.2%, p < 0.001) and mortality rates were lower (6.7% vs. 20.8%, p = 0.04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that professional nursing intervention was a protective factor for postoperative rebleeding in patients with gastric hemorrhage (OR 0.727, 95% CI 0.497–0.901, P < 0.001). The results of this retrospective analysis suggest that nursing interventions are associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute gastric bleeding. The implementation of nursing interventions, such as individualized care plans, monitoring and evaluation, and patient education, should be encouraged to optimize patient outcomes in this population. Further research is needed to identify the most effective nursing interventions and to evaluate their cost-effectiveness.
Parameters and surrounding rock control of gob-side driving under double key stratum after roof cutting
Authors: Xu Lei , Ma Yuzhao , Elmo Davide , Ding Shuxue , Zhu Hengzhong , Liu Honglin , Li Wenfeng , Chen Wen
Published: March 2024

Taking the return-airway 4204 with roof cutting in Longquan Coal Mine as the engineering background, roof structure, key parameters, and deviatoric stress evolution were studied. Conclusion: The Key Stratum within a 4–8 times mining height is considered as Near Key Stratum. Cutting the roof makes it possible to form a cantilever structure of the Key Stratum on the solid coal side, which is more conducive to the stability of gob-side roadway. During cutting angle of 90–55°, the deviatoric stress increases linearly, and the increase rate is coal pillar > solid coal > roof > floor. While cutting length from 0 to 35 m, the deviatoric stress decreases linearly, and the decreasing range: coal pillar > solid coal > roof > floor. When coal pillar width is from 30 to 4 m, the deviatoric stress of left side and floor presents a “single peak” distribution. The deviatoric stress of coal pillar changes from an asymmetric “double peak” to a bell-shaped distribution, and the deviatoric stress of roof changes from a “single peak” to an asymmetric “double peak” distribution. Under same coal pillar width, the deviatoric stress of left, coal pillar and roof after roof cutting decreases most obviously, followed by the floor. Finally, the coal pillar width is 8 m, the cutting angle is 75°, the cutting length is 20 m, and the hole spacing is 1.0 m. The support scheme is bolt + metal mesh + steel belt + anchor cable combined support. The stable period of roadway is about 10 days.
A qualitative study of pregnant women’s perceptions and decision-making regarding COVID-19 vaccination in Thailand
Authors: Chawanpaiboon Saifon , Anuwutnavin Sanitra , Kanjanapongporn Attapol , Pooliam Julaporn , Titapant Vitaya
Published: March 2024

To identify pregnant women’s attitudes towards, and acceptance and rejection of, COVID-19 vaccination. This prospective, descriptive, implementation study was conducted in the Antenatal clinic of Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. In Phase I, 40 pregnant women were interviewed. Phase II consisted of questionnaire development and data validation. In Phase III, the questionnaire was administered to 400 participants. Pregnant women’s attitudes towards and acceptance and rejection of COVID-19 vaccination. Most pregnant women were uncertain about the potential harm of vaccination to themselves or their unborn child, including risks such as miscarriage or premature birth (59–66/101 [58.4%–65.3%]; OR 2.53–8.33; 95% CI 1.23–3.60, 5.17–19.30; P < 0.001) compared to those who disagreed with vaccination. Their vaccination decisions were significantly influenced by social media information regarding vaccination complications in pregnant women (74/101 [73.3%]; OR 15.95; 95% CI 2.15–118.55; P = 0.001) compared to those who disagreed with vaccination. Most pregnant women opined that they should not receive a COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 6.57; 95% CI 2.44–17.70; P = 0.001). Most also rejected vaccination despite being aware of its benefits (AOR 17.14; 95% CI 6.89–42.62; P < 0.001). Social media messages and obligatory vaccination certifications influence maternal vaccination decisions. Pregnant women believe vaccination helps prevent COVID-19 infection and reduces its severity. Nevertheless, the primary reason for their refusal was concern about potential harm to their unborn child or themselves during pregnancy.

The Thai clinical trials registry: TCTR20211126006.
Investigation of the lattice thermal transport properties of Janus XClO (X = Cr, Ir) monolayers by first-principles calculations
Authors: Gao Peng , Chen Xihao , Liu Zonghang , Li Jiwen , Wang Ning
Published: March 2024

Heat transport mechanism within Janus XClO (X = Cr, Ir) was elucidated via first-principles calculations. A correlation between its heat transport efficiency and the concentration of doped magnetic atoms was revealed.
Hierarchical submicrosized Y zeolites prepared by sequential desilication–dealumination post-synthesis modification and their catalytic performance in vacuum gas oil hydrocracking
Authors: Manrique Cecilia , Solano Roger , Mendoza Carlos , Amaya Sandra , Echavarría Adriana
Published: March 2024

The desilication-dealumination process allowed the production of structurally more stable submicrometric Y zeolites with hierarchical porosity and high crystallinity.
Experimental and theoretical insights into the supercapacitive performance of interconnected WS2 nanosheets
Authors: Sengupta Shilpi , Peters Silda , Sadhukhan Tumpa , Kundu Manab
Published: March 2024

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are fascinating and prodigious considerations in the electrochemical energy storage sector because of their two dimensional chemistry as well as heterogeneous characteristics.
La fusion nucléaire par confinement magnétique : avancées, défis et perspectives
Authors: Bonhomme Gérard
Published: March 2024

La maitrise de l’énergie de fusion offrirait une ressource énergétique bas carbone d’un intérêt majeur. Avec ITER, réacteur expérimental en construction à Cadarache, les recherches vont pouvoir entrer dans une phase décisive. Dans cet article, sont décrits les principes de la fusion nucléaire par confinement magnétique, les étapes franchies jusqu’au projet ITER, et ses objectifs. L’avenir de la fusion dépend d’autres recherches en cours, qui concernent en particulier le choix de la configuration magnétique optimale. La mise en œuvre de technologies de rupture, en particulier dans le domaine des matériaux, pourrait aussi se révéler décisive pour l’avenir de la fusion.
L’électricité intermittente met-elle en cause la stabilité des réseaux ?
Authors: Sapy Georges
Published: March 2024

Les sources d’électricité intermittentes (solaire photovoltaïque et éolien) alimentent les réseaux électriques selon des modalités très différentes de celles des sources pilotables (hydrauliques, centrales nucléaires ou centrales thermiques brulant des combustibles fossiles). Cet article précise ces spécificités et donne quelques indications sur les solutions qui devront être mises en œuvre pour garantir l’équilibre des réseaux en cas de fort développement des sources intermittentes.
Le solaire thermique
Authors: Flamant Gilles , Tamain Bernard
Published: March 2024

Le solaire à concentration permet de chauffer à haute température un fluide caloporteur. Le chaleur obtenue peut être ou bien utilisée directement, ou bien convertie en énergie électrique en utilisant un cycle thermodynamique. Un avantage des centrales solaires est de pouvoir améliorer, grâce à un couplage avec des systèmes de stockage thermique, les possibilities de régulation de la production en fonction de la demande.

Dans cet article, les performances actuelles et les perspectives d’évolution de ces centrales sont rapidement présentées.
Sense of community and residential well-being among rural-urban migrants in China
Authors: Guan Ming , Guan Hongyi
Published: March 2024

This paper aims to provide an empirical prediction of residential well-being (RWB) and sense of community (SoC) among Chinese rural-urban migrants (RUMs). Multiple linear regressions are used with survey data derived from a representative sample of 15 migrant villages located in three major urban regions of China in order to evaluate the contributions of socioeconomic factors, living conditions, and neighborhood conditions to the SoC score and RWB score. The majority of the sample consists of middle-aged, married men who live in shared housing, are registered in the agricultural Hukou (household registration) system, and have subpar housing. Empirical analyses show that, after adjusting for socioeconomic factors, living conditions, and community neighborhood conditions, Hukou status (urban or rural) significantly influences the RWB score rather than the SoC score. In the simultaneous equation models, the following factors can predict the SoC score and RWB score: age, gender, educational attainment, home ownership, number of housing facilities, monthly household income, number of living rooms, number of problem-solving channels, and converted residences. The SoC score and RWB score have a moderately strong correlation. Therefore, improving the living, institutional, socioeconomic, and neighborhood conditions will help to improve the SoC and RWB of RUMs.
Entropy constraints for ground energy optimization
Authors: Fawzi Hamza , Fawzi Omar , Scalet Samuel O.
Published: March 2024

We study the use of von Neumann entropy constraints for obtaining lower bounds on the ground energy of quantum many-body systems. Known methods for obtaining certificates on the ground energy typically use consistency of local observables and are expressed as semidefinite programming relaxations. The local marginals defined by such a relaxation do not necessarily satisfy entropy inequalities that follow from the existence of a global state. Here, we propose to add such entropy constraints that lead to tighter convex relaxations for the ground energy problem. We give analytical and numerical results illustrating the advantages of such entropy constraints. We also show limitations of the entropy constraints we construct: they are implied by doubling the number of sites in the relaxation and as a result they can at best lead to a quadratic improvement in terms of the matrix sizes of the variables. We explain the relation to a method for approximating the free energy known as the Markov Entropy Decomposition method.
Existence of solution for a class of fractional Hamiltonian-type elliptic systems with exponential critical growth in R
Authors: Deng Shengbing , Yu Junwei
Published: March 2024

In this paper, using the linking theorem and variational methods, we establish the existence of at least one positive solution for a class of fractional Hamiltonian-type elliptic systems with exponential critical growth in R.
Active stabilization of an open-access optical microcavity for low-noise operation in a standard closed-cycle cryostat
Authors: Fisicaro M. , Witlox M. , van der Meer H. , Löffler W.
Published: March 2024

Open-access optical microcavities are Fabry–Perot type cavities consisting of two micrometer-size mirrors, separated by an air (or vacuum) gap typically of a few micrometers. Compared to integrated microcavities, this configuration is more flexible as the relative position of the two mirrors can be tuned, allowing for easy changes in parameters such as cavity length and mode volume and the selection of specific transverse cavity modes. These advantages come at the expense of the mechanical stability of the cavity itself, which is particularly relevant in noisy closed-cycle cryostats. Here, we show an open-access optical microcavity based on scanning-probe microscope design principles. When operated at 4 K in a tabletop optical closed-cycle cryostat without any dedicated mechanical low-pass filter, we obtain stabilities of 5.7 and 10.6 pm rms in the quiet and full periods of the cryocooler cycle, respectively. Our device has free-space optical access, essential, for instance, for full polarization control.
Chiral resolution based on non-adiabatic holonomic quantum control via a transmon qutrit
Authors: Xu Luojia , Li Yiwen , Xu Jianwen , Lan Dong , Tan Xinsheng , Yu Yang
Published: March 2024

Once the concept of chiral molecules was proposed, the task of chiral resolution has accompanied around in the related area. Naturally, scientists need fast and accurate methods to distinguish different chiralities. Here, we show a feasible method based on non-adiabatic holonomic quantum computation (NHQC), which can achieve over 99% discrimination of different chiralities. Based on the original scheme, we studied the modified version, NHQC+. The experimental data proved that it has better robustness than the original protocol, indicating a promising development in the relevant fields.
On the nature of two-photon transitions for a collection of molecules in a Fabry–Perot cavity
Authors: Zhou Zeyu , Chen Hsing-Ta , Sukharev Maxim , Subotnik Joseph E. , Nitzan Abraham
Published: March 2024

We investigate the effect of a cavity on nonlinear two-photon transitions of a molecular system and we analyze how such an effect depends on the cavity quality factor, the field enhancement, and the possibility of dephasing. We find that the molecular response to strong light fields in a cavity with a variable quality factor can be understood as arising from a balance between (i) the ability of the cavity to enhance the field of an external probe and promote multiphoton transitions more easily and (ii) the fact that the strict selection rules on multiphoton transitions in a cavity support only one resonant frequency within the excitation range. Although our simulations use a classical level description of the radiation field (i.e., we solve Maxwell–Bloch or Maxwell–Liouville equations within the Ehrenfest approximation for the field–molecule interaction), based on experience with this level of approximation in the past studies of plasmonic and polaritonic systems, we believe that our results are valid over a wide range of external probing.
Effective improvement of the micro-discharge threshold and environmental stability in microwave devices based on carbon/silver/titanium composite films
Authors: Zhao Yanan , Zhou Zicong , Meng Xiangzhao , Han Lin , Yao Yufei , Zhu Shukai , Cui Wanzhao , Peng Bin , Hu Zhongqiang , Liu Ming
Published: March 2024

The micro-discharge effect limits the development of high-frequency microwave power components to miniaturization and integration. Therefore, it has become a focus of research to effectively suppress the micro-discharge effect, increase the micro-discharge threshold, and strengthen the environmental stability of high-frequency microwave devices. In this study, different elemental ratios of carbon (C)/silver (Ag)/titanium (Ti) composite films were obtained by multi-target magnetron co-sputtering technology and then systematically analyzed for micro-discharge effects. When the doping ratio of C/Ag/Ti was 3.538/1/0.013, the corresponding maximum secondary electron emission coefficient (δmax) decreased to 1.01 owing to the suppression of secondary electron emission by the increase in the content of sp2 hybrid bond. The micro-discharge threshold of Ku band waveguide filters coated with moderate C/Ag/Ti composite films showed an optimal performance of 10 000−12 500 W, which was increased by approximately 20 times. Moreover, the microstructure of the composite films exhibited higher density and flatness with a tiny increase in the titanium doping ratio, representing good environmental stability. Thus, the effective suppression of the secondary electron emission yield, significant improvement in the micro-discharge threshold, and enhancement of the environment stability of microwave components could be realized simultaneously by reasonably controlling the content of titanium in silver and titanium co-doped carbon-based composite films.
Modification of the van der Waals and Platteeuw model for gas hydrates considering multiple cage occupancy
Authors: Fiedler Felix , Vinš Václav , Jäger Andreas , Span Roland
Published: March 2024

This study reviews available van der Waals- and Platteeuw-based hydrate models considering multiple occupancy of cavities. Small guest molecules, such as hydrogen and nitrogen, are known to occupy lattice cavities multiple times. This phenomenon has a significant impact on hydrate stability and thermodynamic properties of the hydrate phase. The objective of this work is to provide a comprehensive overview and required correlations for the implementation of a computationally sufficient cluster model that considers up to five guest molecules per cavity. Two methodologies for cluster size estimation are evaluated by existing nitrogen hydrate models showing accurate results for phase equilibria calculations. Furthermore, a preliminary hydrogen hydrate model is introduced and compared with the results of other theoretical studies, indicating that double occupancy of small sII cavities is improbable and four-molecule clusters are predominant in large sII cavities for pressures above 300 MPa. This work lays the foundation for further exploration and optimization of hydrate-based technologies for small guest molecules, e.g., storage and transportation, emphasizing their role in the future landscape of sustainable energy solutions.
Effects of chain resolution on the configurational and rheological predictions of dilute polymer solutions in flow fields with hydrodynamic interactions
Authors: Kumar Praphul , Krishna S. V. Siva , Sharma Bharatkumar , Saha Dalal Indranil
Published: March 2024

In a recent study, the resolution of a polymer chain model was shown to significantly affect rheological predictions from Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations [Kumar and Dalal, “Effects of chain resolution on the configurational and rheological predictions from Brownian dynamics simulations of an isolated polymer chain in flow,” J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 315, 105017 (2023)], even in the absence of hydrodynamic interactions (HI) and excluded volume. In this study, we investigate the effects of chain resolution in the presence of HI. Toward this, we perform BD simulations of a long polymer chain, with the discretization level varying from a single Kuhn step (bead–rod model) to several tens of Kuhn-steps (bead–spring model). The chain models were subjected to flow fields of uniaxial extension (purely stretching) and steady shear (equal rates of stretching and rotation). Broadly, our results indicate an amplification of the differences observed between the differently resolved bead–rod and bead–spring models, in the presence of HI. Interestingly, all rheological predictions qualitatively fall in two groups for extensional flow, with the predictions from the bead–spring model with HI being close to those of the bead–rod model without HI. This indicates significantly reduced sensitivity of coarser bead–spring models to HI, relative to the one resolved to a single Kuhn step. However, in shear flow, the bead–spring rheological predictions fall between those of the bead–rod model with and without HI, forming a third group. This is linked to the presence of stretched and coiled states in the ensemble for shear flow. HI effects are large for the coiled states and weak for the stretched states, thereby yielding predictions that are intermediate between those for no HI and dominant HI. Thus, quite surprisingly, the quality of predictions of the bead–spring models is strongly affected by the physics of the flow field, irrespective of the parameterization.
Interface structures of Al0.85Sc0.15N-on-Si thin films grown by reactive magnetron sputtering upon post-growth cyclic rapid thermal annealing
Authors: Huang Xiaohu , Yong Anna Marie , Lin Ming , Teo Siew Lang , Cao Jing , Meng Tzee Luai , Ng Yee , Karyappa Rahul , Liu Hailong , Tan Chee Kiang Ivan , Suwardi Ady , Zhu Qiang , Liu Hongfei
Published: March 2024

Al0.85Sc0.15N thin films, about 920 nm thick, have been deposited on the Si (001) substrate by reactive magnetron sputtering at 600 °C. X-ray diffraction and pole-figure measurements revealed [0002]-oriented texture structures of the nitride films without any phase separations before and after cyclic annealing at 600–900 °C for up to 48 min. Cross-sectional studies by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis revealed an intermediate Al0.85Sc0.15N layer of ∼24.6 nm thick with smaller grains and tilted [0002]-orientations compared to its overlayer, i.e., a nucleation layer (NL), on the Si substrate. After annealing, apparent morphological changes have been observed at the near-interface regions, including the NL, the NL/Si interface, and the Si substrate, rather than in the Al0.85Sc0.15N overlay. Undesired oxygen has been observed in the nitride film and its composition increased during post-growth thermal annealing without forming oxides. These observations shed new light on crystal growth and post-growth thermal annealing of AlScN toward their high-performance piezoelectric applications.
A molecular dynamics study on the boundary between homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation
Authors: Men Hua
Published: March 2024

The large discrepancy among the nucleation kinetics extracted from experimental measurements and computer simulations and the prediction of the classical nucleation theory (CNT) has stimulated intense arguments about its origin in the past decades, which is crucially relevant to the validity of the CNT. In this paper, we investigate the atomistic mechanism of the nucleation in liquid Al in contact with amorphous substrates with atomic-level smooth/rough surfaces, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This study reveals that the slightly distorted local fcc/hcp structures in amorphous substrates with smooth surfaces can promote heterogeneous nucleation through a structural templating mechanism, and on the other hand, homogeneous nucleation will occur at a larger undercooling through a fluctuation mechanism if the surface is rough. Thus, some impurities, previously thought to be impotent, could be activated in the homogeneous nucleation experiments. We further find that the initial growth of the nucleus on smooth surfaces of amorphous substrates is one order of magnitude faster than that in homogeneous nucleation. Both these factors could significantly contribute to the discrepancy in the nucleation kinetics. This study is also supported by a recent study of the synthesis of high-entropy alloy nanoparticles assisted with the liquid metal Ga [Cao et al., Nature 619, 73 (2023)]. In this study, we established that the boundary existed between homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, i.e., the structural templating is a general mechanism for heterogeneous nucleation, and in its absence, homogeneous nucleation will occur through the fluctuation mechanism. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the nucleation theory and experiments.
Magnetic dynamics of strained non-collinear antiferromagnet
Authors: He Zhiping , Liu Luqiao
Published: March 2024

In this work, we theoretically study the switching and oscillation dynamics in strained non-collinear antiferromagnet (AFM) Mn3X (X = Sn, Ge, etc.). Using the perturbation theory, we identify three separable dynamic modes—one uniform and two optical modes, for which we analytically derive the oscillation frequencies and effective damping. We also establish a compact, vector equation for describing the dynamics of the uniform mode, which is in analogy to the conventional Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert (LLG) equation for ferromagnet but captures the unique features of the cluster octuple moment. Extending our model to include spatial inhomogeneity, we are able to describe the excitations of dissipative spin wave and spin superfluidity state in the non-collinear AFM. Furthermore, we carry out numerical simulations based on coupled LLG equations to verify the analytical results, where good agreements are reached. Our treatment with the perturbative approach provides a systematic tool for studying the dynamics of non-collinear AFM and is generalizable to other magnetic systems in which the Hamiltonian can be expressed in a hierarchy of energy scales.
Adaptive myelination causes slow oscillations in recurrent neural loops
Authors: Klinshov Vladimir V. , Nekorkin Vladimir I.
Published: March 2024

The brain is known to be plastic, i.e., capable of changing and reorganizing as it develops and accumulates experience. Recently, a novel form of brain plasticity was described which is activity-dependent myelination of nerve fibers. Since the speed of propagation of action potentials along axons depends significantly on their degree of myelination, this process leads to adaptive change of axonal delays depending on the neural activity. To understand the possible influence of the adaptive delays on the behavior of neural networks, we consider a simple setup, a neuronal oscillator with delayed feedback. We show that introducing the delay plasticity into this circuit can lead to the occurrence of slow oscillations which are impossible with a constant delay.
Development and validation of a general-purpose ReaxFF reactive force field for earth material modeling
Authors: Zhang Yingchun , Liu Xiandong , van Duin Adri C. T. , Lu Xiancai , Meijer Evert Jan
Published: March 2024

ReaxFF reactive force field bridges the gap between nonreactive molecular simulations and quantum mechanical calculations and has been widely applied during the past two decades. However, its application to earth materials, especially those under high T-P conditions relevant to Earth’s interior, is still limited due to the lack of available parameters. Here, we present the development and validation of a ReaxFF force field containing several of the most common elements in Earth’s crust, i.e., Si/Al/O/H/Na/K. The force field was trained against a large data set obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations, including charges, bond/angle distortion curves, equation of states, ion migration energy profiles, and condensation reaction energies. Different coordination environments were considered in the training set. The fitting results showed that the current force field can well reproduce the DFT data (the Pearson correlation coefficient, Rp, is 0.95). We validated the force field on mineral–water interfaces, hydrous melts/supercritical geofluids, and bulk crystals. It was found that the current force field performed excellently in predicting the structural, thermodynamic, and transport properties of various systems (Rp = 0.95). Moreover, possible applications and future development have been discussed. The results obtained in this study suggest that the current force field holds good promise to model a wide range of processes and thus open opportunities to advance the application of ReaxFF in earth material modeling.
MetaCerberus: distributed highly parallelized HMM-based processing for robust functional annotation across the tree of life
Authors: Figueroa III Jose L , Dhungel Eliza , Bellanger Madeline , Brouwer Cory R , White III Richard Allen
Published: March 2024

Motivation

MetaCerberus is a massively parallel, fast, low memory, scalable annotation tool for inference gene function across genomes to metacommunities. MetaCerberus provides an elusive HMM/HMMER-based tool at a rapid scale with low memory. It offers scalable gene elucidation to major public databases, including KEGG (KO), COGs, CAZy, FOAM, and specific databases for viruses, including VOGs and PHROGs, from single genomes to metacommunities.

Results

MetaCerberus is 1.3× as fast on a single node than eggNOG-mapper v2 on 5× less memory using an exclusively HMM/HMMER mode. In a direct comparison, MetaCerberus provides better annotation of viruses, phages, and archaeal viruses than DRAM, Prokka, or InterProScan. MetaCerberus annotates more KOs across domains when compared to DRAM, with a 186× smaller database, and with 63× less memory. MetaCerberus is fully integrated for automatic analysis of statistics and pathways using differential statistic tools (i.e. DESeq2 and edgeR), pathway enrichment (GAGE R), and pathview R. MetaCerberus provides a novel tool for unlocking the biosphere across the tree of life at scale.

Availability and implementation

MetaCerberus is written in Python and distributed under a BSD-3 license. The source code of MetaCerberus is freely available at https://github.com/raw-lab/metacerberus compatible with Python 3 and works on both Mac OS X and Linux. MetaCerberus can also be easily installed using bioconda: mamba create -n metacerberus -c bioconda -c conda-forge metacerberus.
Ribotin: automated assembly and phasing of rDNA morphs
Authors: Rautiainen Mikko
Published: March 2024

Motivation

The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) arrays are highly repetitive and homogenous regions which exist in all life. Due to their repetitiveness, current assembly methods do not fully assemble the rDNA arrays in humans and many other eukaryotes, and so variation within the rDNA arrays cannot be effectively studied.

Results

Here, we present the tool ribotin to assemble full length rDNA copies, or morphs. Ribotin uses a combination of highly accurate long reads and extremely long nanopore reads to resolve the variation between rDNA morphs. We show that ribotin successfully recovers the most abundant morphs in human and nonhuman genomes. We also find that genome wide consensus sequences of the rDNA arrays frequently produce a mosaic sequence that does not exist in the genome.

Availability and implementation

Ribotin is available on https://github.com/maickrau/ribotin and as a package on bioconda.
A simple, clinically usable whole-body MRI system of joint assessment in adolescents and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Choida Varvara , Bray Timothy J P , van Vucht Niels , Abbasi Maaz Ali , Bainbridge Alan P , Parry Thomas , Mallett Sue , Ciurtin Coziana , Hall-Craggs Margaret A
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To introduce and evaluate a simple method for assessing joint inflammation and structural damage on whole-body MRI (WBMRI) in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), which is usable in clinical practice.

Methods

The proposed system utilizes post-contrast Dixon WBMRI scans. Joints are assessed for synovitis (grade 0–2) and structural damage (present/absent) at 81 sites. The synovitis grading is based on features including above-normal intensity synovial enhancement, synovial hypertrophy, joint effusion, subarticular bone marrow oedema and peri-articular soft tissue oedema.

This system was evaluated in a prospective study of 60 young people (47 patients with JIA and 13 controls with non-inflammatory musculoskeletal pain) who underwent a WBMRI. Three readers (blinded to diagnosis) independently reviewed all images and re-reviewed 20 individual scans. The intra- and inter-reader overall agreement (OA) and the intra- and inter-reader Gwet’s agreement coefficients 2 (GAC2) were measured for the detection of a) participants with ≥1 joint with inflammation or structural damage and b) joint inflammation or structural damage for each joint.

Results

The inter-reader OA for detecting patients with ≥1 joint with inflammation, defined as grade 2 synovitis (G2), and ≥1 joint with structural damage were 80% and 73%, respectively. The intra-reader OA for readers 1–3 was 80–90% and 75–90%, respectively. The inter-reader OA and GAC2 for joint inflammation (G2) at each joint were both ≥85% for all joints but were lower if grade 1 synovitis was included as positive.

Conclusion

The intra- and inter-reader agreements of this WBMRI assessment system are adequate for assessing objective joint inflammation and damage in JIA.
Decision for Carpal Tunnel Surgery: High-deductible Health Plans versus Traditional Health Plans
Authors: Sanders Hayley M. , Tong Yanlin , Hooper Rachel C. , Wang Lu , Chung Kevin C.
Published: March 2024

Background:

Delay in surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may result in long-term decreased functional outcomes. Few investigators have examined the relationship between type of health insurance plan and time to definitive treatment of CTS following diagnosis. We investigated the relationship between insurance type, treatment decision, and the time between diagnosis and surgery across groups.

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study using the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database 2011–2020. We used χ2 tests, linear regression, and logistic regression models to analyze demographic data and the time lag interval between CTS diagnosis and treatment.

Results:

Overall, 28% of high-deductible health plan (HDHP) patients underwent carpal tunnel release, compared with 20% of traditional insurance patients (P < 0.001). HDHPs are defined by the internal revenue service as a deductible of $1400 for an individual or $2800 for a family per year. The odds of undergoing surgery versus no treatment for HDHP patients were 47% higher than traditional patients (P < 0.001). Among the patients who underwent surgery, HDHP patients underwent surgery 65 days earlier on average following diagnosis compared with traditional patients (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Patients with HDHPs who receive a diagnosis of CTS are more likely to undergo surgery, with a shorter time lag between diagnosis and surgery. The results from this study call attention to differences in surgical decision-making between patients enrolled in different insurance plans.
Designing a minimum dataset for autism spectrum disorder registry in Iran
Authors: Shayestehfar Monir , Jahandideh Pardis , Hariri Rabeeh , Shayestehfar Malihe , Memari Amirhossein
Published: March 2024

Introduction:

The reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been showing a marked increase over the past 20 years. Therefore, a uniform data gathering system for ASD registration could prominently enhance plans for managing ASD worldwide. So, in the current investigation the authors aimed to design and validate the Persian version of a minimum dataset (MDS) for being administered in the national ASD registries.

Methods:

The current study is a mixed-method study with both quantitative and qualitative methods providing and validating a form of MDS in four phases according to Delphi method. The proposed MDS consisted of 11 categories containing coding responses. Content validity (CV) was evaluated based on 20 expert’s suggestions and opinions. Item-CV Index (I-CVI) and Scale-CVI were administered to evaluate and validate the items and questions in the proposed MDS.

Results:

Twenty researchers from different disciplines scored each question and item. By taking into account the scores, the validity appraisal was provided for each item by computing the I-CVI value. Results showed that 41 out of 76 items had the value I-CVI less than 0.78 and were kept as relevant; 35 items were eliminated due to a value below 0.70. The Scale-CVI /Ave of the relevance for the entire form was 0.9396.

Conclusion:

The Persian version of MDS for ASD registry was found to be valid. Such MDS can be utilitarian for health cares and policymaking purposes by gathering and updating standard data for developing local and national registries.
Analysis of 358 histopathological reports of oral and maxillofacial lesions in elderly patients from Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Sohal Karpal S. , Kalyanyama Boniphace M. , Agbor Ashu M.
Published: March 2024

Background and Objective:

In Tanzania, roughly 6% of the total population is elderly, which is the age group that is vulnerable to several diseases in the orofacial region. This study aimed to determine the incidence of oral and maxillofacial lesions in elderly Tanzanian patients.

Material and Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study of histopathological results of patients with oral and maxillofacial lesions attended at Muhimbili National Hospital. All patients aged 60 years and above diagnosed with oral and maxillofacial lesions between 2016 and 2021 were included in the study. The information gathered included the age and sex of the patients, histopathological diagnosis, and anatomical location of the lesion. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 26 computer program was used for data analysis.

Results:

A total of 348 histopathological reports of 348 elderly patients with oral and maxillofacial lesions were obtained. There was an equal distribution by sex. Majority (78.2%) of the lesions were malignant, followed by benign ones (12.6%). The frequently affected site was the tongue (18.1%) and the mandible (15.4%). Squamous cell carcinoma was the most (60.3%) frequently encountered lesion. Others included adenoid cystic carcinoma (5.5%) and ameloblastoma (3.7%).

Conclusions:

The burden of oral and maxillofacial lesions among the elderly Tanzanian population was substantial. There was no sex predilection. A majority of the lesions were malignant, and the tongue was the frequently involved site.
Lactiplantibacillus paraxiangfangensis sp. nov., isolated from traditional Chinese pickle
Authors: Wang Ting-Yu , Gu Chun Tao
Published: March 2024

Three Gram-stain-positive bacterial strains (designated 231-9T, 142-6 and 463-4) were isolated from traditional Chinese pickle, and were characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strains 231-9T, 142-6 and 463-4 were phylogenetically related to the type strains of Lactiplantibacillus xiangfangensis, Lactiplantibacillus garii, Lactiplantibacillus carotarum, Lactiplantibacillus plajomi and Lactiplantibacillus modestisalitolerans, having 98.6–99.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. Strains 231-9T, 142-6 and 463-4 were most closely related to the type strain of L. xiangfangensis, having 99.9 % 16S rRNA gene, 95.6 % pheS, 99.4 % rpoA and 98.2 % concatenated pheS and rpoA sequence similarities. Relatively low pheS (95.6 %) sequence similarity indicated that strain 231-9T should be further identified. Strain 231-9T shared 99.7–99.9 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 98.8–98.9 % digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values with strains 142-6 and 463-4, indicating that they belonged to the same species. The ANI and dDDH values between strain 231-9T and L. xiangfangensis LMG 26013T were 92.4–92.9 and 49.6 %, respectively, less than the threshold for species demarcation (95–96% ANI and 70 % dDDH values, respectively), indicating that strains 231-9T, 142-6 and 463-4 represented a novel species within the genus Lactiplantibacillus. Acid production from d-ribose, d-adonitol, d-galactose and lactose, activity of β-galactosidase and β-glucosidase, Voges–Proskauer reaction, hydrolysis of hippurate, resistance to 5 µg ml–1 erythromycin, 100 µg ml–1 tetracycline hydrochloride, 50 µg ml–1 bacitracin, 300 µg ml–1 each of gentamicin sulphate, streptomycin sulphate and neomycin sulphate, tolerance to 6 % NaCl could distinguish strains 231-9T, 142-6 and 463-4 from L. xiangfangensis 3.1.1T. Based upon the data of polyphasic characterization obtained in the present study, a novel species, Lactiplantibacillus paraxiangfangensis sp. nov., is proposed and the type strain is 231-9T (=JCM 36258T=CCTCC AB 2023133T).
An Anatomical and Physiological Basis for Flexible Coincidence Detection in the Auditory System
Authors: Kreeger Lauren J , Honnuraiah Suraj , Maeker Sydney , Shea Siobhan , Fishell Gord , Goodrich Lisa V
Published: March 2024

Animals navigate the auditory world by recognizing complex sounds, from the rustle of a predator to the call of a potential mate. This ability depends in part on the octopus cells of the auditory brainstem, which respond to multiple frequencies that change over time, as occurs in natural stimuli. Unlike the average neuron, which integrates inputs over time on the order of tens of milliseconds, octopus cells must detect momentary coincidence of excitatory inputs from the cochlea during an ongoing sound on both the millisecond and submillisecond time scale. Here, we show that octopus cells receive inhibitory inputs on their dendrites that enhance opportunities for coincidence detection in the cell body, thereby allowing for responses both to rapid onsets at the beginning of a sound and to frequency modulations during the sound. This mechanism is crucial for the fundamental process of integrating the synchronized frequencies of natural auditory signals over time.
Efficient Transgenesis in African Turquoise Killifish Using a Gibson Assembly–Based Tol2 Transposon System
Authors: Lou Yufei , Lin Weifeng , Wang Wei
Published: March 2024

The short-lived African killifishNothobranchius furzeriis an attractive genetic model for vertebrate aging and regeneration studies. The utilization of genetically modified animals is a common strategy for unveiling molecular mechanisms responsible for a biological phenomenon. Here, we report a highly efficient protocol for generating transgenic African killifish using the Tol2 transposon system, which creates random insertions in the genome. Transgenic vectors carrying gene-expression cassettes of interest and an eye-specific marker for transgene identification can be quickly assembled through Gibson assembly. The development of this new pipeline will facilitate transgenic reporter assays and gene-expression-related manipulations in African killifish.
Global supply chains security: a comparative analysis of emerging threats and traceability solutions
Authors: Gokkaya Betul , Karafili Erisa , Aniello Leonardo , Halak Basel
Published: March 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to increase awareness of current supply chain (SC) security-related issues by providing an extensive analysis of existing SC security solutions and their limitations. The security of SCs has received increasing attention from researchers, due to the emerging risks associated with their distributed nature. The increase in risk in SCs comes from threats that are inherently similar regardless of the type of SC, thus, requiring similar defence mechanisms. Being able to identify the types of threats will help developers to build effective defences.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, we provide an analysis of the threats, possible attacks and traceability solutions for SCs, and highlight outstanding problems. Through a comprehensive literature review (2015–2021), we analysed various SC security solutions, focussing on tracking solutions. In particular, we focus on three types of SCs: digital, food and pharmaceutical that are considered prime targets for cyberattacks. We introduce a systematic categorization of threats and discuss emerging solutions for prevention and mitigation.

Findings

Our study shows that the current traceability solutions for SC systems do not offer a broadened security analysis and fail to provide extensive protection against cyberattacks. Furthermore, global SCs face common challenges, as there are still unresolved issues, especially those related to the increasing SC complexity and interconnectivity, where cyberattacks are spread across suppliers.

Originality/value

This is the first time that a systematic categorization of general threats for SC is made based on an existing threat model for hardware SC.