bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantum yield optimization of carbon dots using response surface methodology and its application as control of Fe3+ion levels in drinking water
Authors: Alkian Ilham , Sutanto Heri , Hadiyanto  
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Early detection of heavy metals in drinking water is a fundamental step that must be taken to prevent adverse effects on health. This research aims to develop a heavy metal ion detector by utilizing the fluorescence properties of carbon dots. Cdots were synthesized using the microwave irradiation method based on the central composite design: urea mass 0.31–3.68 gr; reactor power 200–1000 W; synthesis time is 13–46 min, and the response is quantum yield. Material characterization includes PL, TEM, UV-VIS, XRD, and FTIR. The selectivity and sensitivity of Cdots as detectors were tested for Ag+, Bi3+, Ni2+, Al3+, Co2+, Pb2+, Fe3+, Zn2+, Zr4+, and Hg2+ ions at concentrations of 0–10 μM. The results showed that Cdots were successfully synthesized by fluorescent light green at 544 nm. An adequate response model is quadratic with the formulation QY = +58.36 + 10.41X1 + 14.06X2 +13.59X3–5.57X2X3–4.89X1
2−8.60X2
2–5.40X3
2. The best Cdots were obtained in the formulation of R9 (3 g, 800 W, 40 min), which resulted in a QY of 74.39%. The characteristics of Cdots are spherical, diameter 6.6 nm, the bandgap of 2.53 eV, and having an amorphous structure. The surface of Cdots contains various functional groups such as O–H, C–H, C=O, C–N, and C=C. In the heavy metal detection test, Cdots showed specific sensitivity to Fe3+ ions. The addition of Fe3+ concentration and the extinction of Cdots fluorescence intensity formed a linear correlation F0/F = 0.08894[Fe3+]+0.99391 (R2 = 0.99276). The detection ability of Cdots for Fe3+ ions reaches a concentration of 0.016 ppm, much lower than the regulatory threshold limit of SNI, WHO, and IBWA. The detection of Fe3+ ions in drinking water uses a fluorescence technique consistent with the SSA and ICP-OES. Based on these results, the fluorescence technique using Cdots can be an instrument for quality control of the final drinking water product.
Bias-voltage dependent operational characteristics of a fully spectroscopic pixelated cadmium telluride detector system within an experimental benchtop x-ray fluorescence imaging setup
Authors: Moktan Hem , Panta Raj Kumar , Cho Sang Hyun 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Commercially available fully spectroscopic pixelated cadmium telluride (CdTe) detector systems have been adopted lately for benchtop x-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging/computed tomography (XFCT) of objects containing metal nanoprobes such as gold nanoparticles (GNPs). To date, however, some important characteristics of such detector systems under typical operating conditions of benchtop XRF/XFCT imaging systems are not well known. One important but poorly studied characteristic is the effect of detector bias-voltage on photon counting efficiency, energy resolution, and the resulting material detection limit. In this work, therefore, we investigated these characteristics for a commercial pixelated detector system adopting a 1-mm-thick CdTe sensor (0.25-mm pixel-pitch), known as HEXITEC, incorporated into an experimental benchtop cone-beam XFCT system with parallel-hole detector collimation. The detector system, operated at different bias-voltages, was used to acquire the gold XRF/Compton spectra from 1.0 wt% GNP-loaded phantom irradiated with 125 kVp x-rays filtered by 1.8-mm Tin. At each bias-voltage, the gold XRF signal, and the full-width-at-half-maximum at gold Kα
2 XRF peak (∼67 keV) provided photon counting efficiency and energy resolution, respectively. Under the current experimental conditions, the detector photon counting efficiency and energy resolution improved with increasing bias-voltage by ∼41 and ∼29% at −300V; ∼54 and ∼35% at −500V, respectively, when compared to those at −100V. Consequently, the GNP detection limit improved by ∼26% at −300V and ∼30% at −500V. Furthermore, the homogeneity of per-pixel energy resolution within the collimated detector area improved by ∼34% at −300V and ∼54% at −500V. These results suggested the gradual improvements in the detector performance with increasing bias-voltage up to −500V. However, at and beyond −550V, there were no discernible improvements in photon counting efficiency and energy resolution. Thus, the bias-voltage range of −500 to −550V was found optimal under the current experimental conditions that are considered typical of benchtop XRF/XFCT imaging tasks.
Phantom assessment of three-dimensional geometric distortion of a dedicated wide-bore MR-simulator for radiotherapy
Authors: Law Max W K , Yuan Jing , Wong Oilei O L , Ding Abby Y , Zhou Yihang , Cheung Kin Y , Yu Siu K 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
This study evaluated the machine-dependent three-dimensional geometric distortion images acquired from a 1.5T 700 mm-wide bore MR-simulator based on a large geometric accuracy phantom. With the consideration of radiation therapy (RT) application requirements, every sequence was examined in various combinations of acquisition-orientations and receiver-bandwidths with console-integrated distortion correction enabled. Distortion was repeatedly measured over a six-month period. The distortion measured from the images acquired at the beginning of this period was employed to retrospectively correct the distortion in the subsequent acquisitions. Geometric distortion was analyzed within the largest field-of-view allowed. Six sequences were examined for comprehensive distortion analysis—VIBE, SPACE, TSE, FLASH, BLADE and PETRA. Based on optimal acquisition parameters, their diameter-sphere-volumes (DSVs) of CT-comparable geometric fidelity (where 1 mm distortion was allowed) were 333.6 mm, 315.1 mm, 316.0 mm, 318.9 mm, 306.2 mm and 314.5 mm respectively. This was a significant increase from 254.0 mm, 245.5 mm, 228.9 mm, 256.6 mm, 230.8 mm and 254.2 mm DSVs respectively, when images were acquired using un-optimized parameters. The longitudinal stability of geometric distortion and the efficacy of retrospective correction of console-corrected images, based on prior distortion measurements, were inspected using VIBE and SPACE. The retrospectively corrected images achieved over 500 mm DSVs with 1 mm distortion allowed. The median distortion was below 1 mm after retrospective correction, proving that obtaining prior distortion map for subsequent retrospective distortion correction is beneficial. The systematic evaluation of distortion using various combinations of sequence-type, acquisition-orientation and receiver-bandwidth in a six-month time span would be a valuable guideline for optimizing sequence for various RT applications.
A new cure kinetics model to simulate thermomechanical behavior of polymeric sealants for automotive applications
Authors: Choi Jae-Hyuk , Shim Wonbo , Rhie Chul Hong , Yu Woong-Ryeol 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Accurate prediction of the cure level of thermoset polymers is essential to simulate the thermomechanical behavior of polymeric thermoset sealants, which is strongly dependent on cure level. Conventional cure kinetics models, however, fail to accurately predict the cure levels of thermoset sealants subjected to a complex temperature program. Herein, we propose a new cure kinetics model that greatly enhances cure level predictability by considering temperature derivatives. The validity of our model was verified by simulating the thermomechanical behavior of a polymeric sealant using a user material subroutine (UMAT) of ABAQUS software. Experimental results from an appropriately designed thermomechanical test were compared with simulation results obtained from the UMAT.
Design of high speed 2-stage OTA for high capacitive load of 120 pF and 2.96 V
Authors: Ghatikar Rohit S , Nithin M 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
High speed operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) is used to drive high capacitive loads to reduce the charging time while providing adequate gain and stability. A 2-stage amplifier is proposed to provide high slew rate and sufficient gain and stability. 45 nm process technology is used to compare performance with differential and telescopic amplifier designs. Resistive feedback and noise-gain compensation techniques are used to drive 120 pF load of a row driver circuit used in an active pixel sensor and provide 2.96 V at output for a high slew rate of 2.2 V/μs.
Building high accuracy emulators for scientific simulations with deep neural architecture search
Authors: Kasim M F , Watson-Parris D , Deaconu L , Oliver S , Hatfield P , Froula D H , Gregori G , Jarvis M , Khatiwala S , Korenaga J , Topp-Mugglestone J , Viezzer E , Vinko S M 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Computer simulations are invaluable tools for scientific discovery. However, accurate simulations are often slow to execute, which limits their applicability to extensive parameter exploration, large-scale data analysis, and uncertainty quantification. A promising route to accelerate simulations by building fast emulators with machine learning requires large training datasets, which can be prohibitively expensive to obtain with slow simulations. Here we present a method based on neural architecture search to build accurate emulators even with a limited number of training data. The method successfully emulates simulations in 10 scientific cases including astrophysics, climate science, biogeochemistry, high energy density physics, fusion energy, and seismology, using the same super-architecture, algorithm, and hyperparameters. Our approach also inherently provides emulator uncertainty estimation, adding further confidence in their use. We anticipate this work will accelerate research involving expensive simulations, allow more extensive parameters exploration, and enable new, previously unfeasible computational discovery.
A convolutional neural network for segmentation of yeast cells without manual training annotations
Authors: Kruitbosch Herbert T , Mzayek Yasmin , Omlor Sara , Guerra Paolo , Milias-Argeitis Andreas 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Motivation
Single-cell time-lapse microscopy is a ubiquitous tool for studying the dynamics of complex cellular processes. While imaging can be automated to generate very large volumes of data, the processing of the resulting movies to extract high-quality single-cell information remains a challenging task. The development of software tools that automatically identify and track cells is essential for realizing the full potential of time-lapse microscopy data. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are ideally suited for such applications, but require great amounts of manually annotated data for training, a time-consuming and tedious process.

Results
We developed a new approach to CNN training for yeast cell segmentation based on synthetic data and present (i) a software tool for the generation of synthetic images mimicking brightfield images of budding yeast cells and (ii) a convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) for yeast segmentation that was trained on a fully synthetic dataset. The Mask R-CNN performed excellently on segmenting actual microscopy images of budding yeast cells, and a density-based spatial clustering algorithm (DBSCAN) was able to track the detected cells across the frames of microscopy movies. Our synthetic data creation tool completely bypassed the laborious generation of manually annotated training datasets, and can be easily adjusted to produce images with many different features. The incorporation of synthetic data creation into the development pipeline of CNN-based tools for budding yeast microscopy is a critical step toward the generation of more powerful, widely applicable and user-friendly image processing tools for this microorganism.

Availability and implementation
The synthetic data generation code can be found at https://github.com/prhbrt/synthetic-yeast-cells. The Mask R-CNN as well as the tuning and benchmarking scripts can be found at https://github.com/ymzayek/yeastcells-detection-maskrcnn. We also provide Google Colab scripts that reproduce all the results of this work.

Supplementary information
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
When idiopathic male infertility is rooted in maternal malnutrition during the perinatal period in mice
Authors: Muranishi Yuki , Parry Laurent , Vachette-Dit-Martin Mélanie , Saez Fabrice , Coudy-Gandilhon Cécile , Sauvanet Pierre , Volle David H , Tournayre Jérémy , Bottari Serge , Carpentiero Francesca , Martinez Guillaume , Muroňová Jana , Escoffier Jessica , Bruhat Alain , Maurin Anne-Catherine , Averous Julien , Arnoult Christophe , Fafournoux Pierre , Jousse Céline 
Published: December 2021

AbstractInfertility represents a growing burden worldwide, with one in seven couples presenting difficulties conceiving. Among these, 10–15% of the men have idiopathic infertility that does not correlate with any defect in the classical sperm parameters measured. In the present study, we used a mouse model to investigate the effects of maternal undernutrition on fertility in male progeny. Our results indicate that mothers fed on a low-protein diet during gestation and lactation produce male offspring with normal sperm morphology, concentration, and motility but exhibiting an overall decrease of fertility when they reach adulthood. Particularly, in contrast to control, sperm from these offspring show a remarkable lower capacity to fertilize oocytes when copulation occurs early in the estrus cycle relative to ovulation, due to an altered sperm capacitation. Our data demonstrate for the first time that maternal nutritional stress can have long-term consequences on the reproductive health of male progeny by affecting sperm physiology, especially capacitation, with no observable impact on spermatogenesis and classical quantitative and qualitative sperm parameters. Moreover, our experimental model could be of major interest to study, explain, and ultimately treat certain categories of infertilities.
The impact of perfluoroalkyl substances on pregnancy, birth outcomes, and offspring development: a review of data from mouse models
Authors: Aghaei Zahra , Steeves Katherine L , Jobst Karl J , Cahill Lindsay S 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) are persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate in wildlife and humans, potentially causing adverse health effects at all stages of life. Studies from human pregnancy have shown that exposure to these contaminants are associated with placental dysfunction and fetal growth restriction; however, studies in humans are confounded by genetic and environmental factors. Here, we synthesize the available results from mouse models of pregnancy to show the causal effects of prenatal exposure to PFOA and PFOS on placental and fetal development and on neurocognitive function and metabolic disorders in offspring. We also propose gaps in the present knowledge and provide suggestions for future research studies.
Long-term effect of COVID-19 infection on hemodialysis patients: Should we follow hemodialysis patients more closely?
Authors: Demiray Atalay , Kanbay Asiye , Kanbay Mehmet 
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT
During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, hemodialysis patients constitute one of the most vulnerable patient populations as they have more significant comorbidities and need to visit healthcare settings frequently even under pandemic conditions. It was also largely demonstrated that hemodialysis patients have high mortality rates with severe to fatal disease due to COVID-19 during their initial hospitalization. Even though the functional decline and fatigue after severe infections are not a novel entity, some long-term effects of COVID-19 have drawn attention with their prolonged effects even after discharge. A recent prospective, observational study by Carriazo et al. provided the first evidence to compare long-term mortality rates of hemodialysis patients with and without COVID-19. Carriazo et al. stated a hazard ratio of 3.00 for the mortality rates of hemodialysis patients over a 1-year follow-up period after their COVID-19 diagnosis. They emphasized that the high mortality rates of hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 are not limited to the initial hospitalization period but also continue after discharge, especially in the first 3 months. In light of this study, it can be recommended that hemodialysis patients with COVID-19 should be monitored closely and continuously, and hemodialysis patients should be prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19 with close follow-up for their antibody levels.
Oral Language Acquisition in Preschool Children Who are Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing
Authors: Werfel Krystal L , Reynolds Gabriella , Fitton Lisa 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare developmental trajectories of oral language acquisition of children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) and children with typical hearing across the preschool years. Thirty children who are DHH who use amplification and spoken language and 31 children with typical hearing completed an early language and literacy assessment battery every six months from age 4 to age 6. The developmental trajectories of each group’s language skills were examined via growth curve analysis. Oral language skills were lower for children who are DHH than for children with typical hearing at study entry. For vocabulary, children who are DHH demonstrated growth over the two years but did not close the gap in performance over time. For morphosyntax, specifically verb tense marking, children who are DHH demonstrated growth over preschool, becoming more adult-like in their productions.
Health care provider trust in vaccination: a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis
Authors: Ahmad Mobeen , Akande Adebisi , Majid Umair 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Background
Vaccine hesitancy is a growing issue globally amongst various populations, including health care providers. This study explores the factors that influence vaccine hesitancy amongst nurses and physicians.

Methods
We performed a qualitative meta-synthesis of 22 qualitative and mixed-method studies exploring the factors that may contribute to vaccine hesitancy amongst nurses and physicians. We included all articles that mentioned any aspect of trust concerning vaccination, including how trust may influence or contribute to vaccine hesitancy in nurses and physicians.

Results
Our findings revealed that vaccine hesitancy amongst nurses stemmed predominantly from two factors: distrust in health authorities and their employers, and distrust in vaccine efficacy and safety. Both nurses and physicians had a precarious relationship with health authorities. Nurses felt that their employers and health authorities did not prioritize their health over patients’ health, provided inaccurate and inconsistent vaccine information, and were mistrustful of pharmaceutical company motives. Like nurses, physicians were also skeptical of pharmaceutical company motives when it came to vaccination. Additionally, physicians also held doubts regarding vaccine efficacy and safety.

Conclusions
The relationship health care providers or their patients have with health authorities and other providers regarding vaccination serves as unsystematic clinical experiences that may bolster vaccine hesitancy. Providing accurate and tangible information to emphasize the safety and efficacy of vaccines to health care providers may help address their specific concerns that may ultimately increase vaccine uptake.
‘Victory or Siberia’: Imaginings of Siberia and the Memory of German POWs in the USSR
Authors: Grunewald Susan 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
This article explores the memory of German prisoners of war (POWs) from the Second World War in the USSR. The article first identifies the trope of Siberian captivity, which it refutes using two digital humanities methods: geographic information system (GIS) mapping and text analysis. The article then raises a series of factors, covering both experiences, memoirs and novels of First World War captivity in Russia and also Nazi propaganda, to show a long-standing association between Siberia and German captivity in Russia and the Soviet Union. Finally, the article explores West German politics and memory culture to argue ultimately that the trope of Siberian captivity persisted as a result of West German anti-Communist policies and an attempt to displace blame and complicity for the war. While German memory changed between the 1950s and the present and although scholars have worked to expose many misrepresentations of the war that started in West Germany in the 1950s, this is the first study to examine the idea of Siberian captivity and its links to POWs in the USSR.
Neighborhood Characteristics, Neighborhood Satisfaction, and Loneliness Differences Across Ethnic–Migrant Groups in Australia
Authors: Lam Jack 
Published: December 2021

Abstract

Objectives
Loneliness is an important concern for older adults. Studies have linked demographic characteristics with loneliness, showing that it varies by ethnic and migrant statuses in countries in Europe and North America. Characteristics of the physical environment in which older adults are embedded have also received some attention, though prior studies have not fully investigated whether older adults from different ethnic–migrant backgrounds may report variation in loneliness because of characteristics of, or satisfaction with, their neighborhoods, which may shape their social interactions.

Methods
Drawing on up to 4 waves of data from the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia Surveys and random-effects models, I examine whether loneliness differs across ethnic/migrant groups in the Australian context. Furthermore, I examine whether neighborhood characteristics (its conditions and sociality) and satisfaction with the neighborhood (with its safety, with the neighborhood itself, and with “feeling part of the local community”) may be mediators for the association between ethnic–migrant status and loneliness.

Results
Findings show migrants from non-English-speaking countries report higher levels of loneliness, as compared with native-born, non-Indigenous Australians. More favorable neighborhood characteristics and higher levels of satisfaction with different aspects of the neighborhood are consistently associated with lower levels of loneliness. Neighborhood sociality and satisfaction with aspects of the neighborhood partially mediated the association between ethnicity status and loneliness for migrants from non-English-speaking countries.

Discussion
This study showed loneliness differs across older Australians of different ethnic and migrant backgrounds. It also showed how loneliness differences are explained by different mechanisms.