bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Usefulness of expanding the indications of early rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection
Authors: Shibahara Takashi , Fukasaku Yuu , Miyazaki Nozomi , Kawato Hiroaki , Minoura Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPurposeEarly rescue intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is often performed in cases in which not even a single oocyte has extruded a second polar body 6 h after insemination. We evaluated the usefulness of expanding the indications of early rescue ICSI to cases in which <80% of oocytes have extruded second polar bodies 6 h after insemination.MethodsEarly rescue ICSI was performed on oocytes that were denuded 2.5 h post‐insemination and whose extrusion of the second polar bodies had been examined 6 h post‐insemination with a PolScope.ResultsIn vitro fertilization was performed on 24 496 oocytes of 4944 cycles, and 1438 cycles had <80% rate of the second polar body extrusion. Rescue ICSI was performed on 3933 oocytes. Three pronuclei (3PN) incidence of rescue ICSI was 3.0% in oocytes with ≥50% rate of the second polar body extrusion. With respect to the second polar body extrusion rate, no differences were observed in normal fertilization, blastocyst development, implantation, miscarriage, or live birth rates for rescue ICSI.ConclusionBy expanding the indications of early rescue ICSI using the PolScope to cases in which <80% of oocytes have extruded the second polar bodies, many fertilized oocytes can be obtained without considerably increasing the 3PN rate.
Effects of post‐ovulatory aging on centromeric cohesin protection in murine MII oocytes
Authors: Shimoi Gaku , Wakabayashi Rico , Ishikawa Ryu , Kameyama Yuichi 
Published: December 2021

AbstractPurposePost‐ovulatory aging causes a high frequency of aneuploidy during meiosis II in mouse oocytes, irrespective of maternal age. In this study, we evaluated the effects of post‐ovulatory oocyte aging on the protection of chromosomal cohesion involved in aneuploidy and verified the relationship between PP2A or SGO2 expression and the phosphorylation level of REC8 in oocytes.MethodsMurine ovulated oocytes were incubated for 6 or 12 h in vitro after collection and denoted as the aged group. The oocytes examined immediately after collection were used as the control group. Immunofluorescent staining was used to detect the localization of PP2A, SGO2, BUB1, AURORA B, and MAD2 in the chromosomal centromere. Immunoblotting was used to quantify the expression of proteins describe above and REC8 in the oocytes.ResultsPP2A expression involved in the de‐phosphorylation of REC8 decreased over time in oocytes, suggesting a deficiency in PP2A in centromeres. This indicated an increase in the level of phosphorylated REC8, which destabilizes centromeric cohesion in oocytes. In contrast, SGO2 expression was significantly high in aged oocytes.ConclusionsThe findings show that post‐ovulatory aging destabilizes the centromeric cohesin protection in oocytes and can cause aneuploidy, which is often observed in aged oocytes during meiosis II.
Minimum‐time row transition control of a vision‐guided agricultural robot
Authors: Li Qiang , Xu Yunjun 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThis paper presents a vision‐based, subspace optimal controller aiming to improve the row transition performance of an agricultural robot in a strawberry field. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, only RGB cameras, instead of complicated sensor suites, are used for cross‐bed navigation and row alignment. Second, a real‐time adaptive dynamic programming‐based algorithm is designed for an optimal row transition. The conditions for row alignment are derived in an augmented pixel coordinate frame. Based on these conditions, a simple motion rule is utilized to reduce the search space dimension so that the proposed algorithm can be implemented in real‐time. Additionally, the inverse‐dynamics policy of the algorithm is updated using vision feedback at each control step to adapt to uncertainties. The proposed controller is tested in both simulations and field experiments. In a simulation comparison, the minimum‐time solution achieved using the proposed algorithm is 44.7 s, which is very close to that of a benchmark algorithm (44.4 s). However, the CPU time required by the proposed algorithm is only 4.3% of time needed by the benchmark algorithm. Twenty field experiments using the presented design were all successful in row transition, with a mean final alignment error of 0.5 cm.
Upconverting Nanoparticles in Aqueous Media: Not a Dead‐End Road. Avoiding Degradation by Using Hydrophobic Polymer Shells
Authors: Mendez‐Gonzalez Diego , Torres Vera Vivian , Zabala Gutierrez Irene , Gerke Christoph , Cascales Concepción , Rubio‐Retama Jorge , G. Calderón Oscar , Melle Sonia , Laurenti Marco 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe stunning optical properties of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have inspired promising biomedical technologies. Nevertheless, their transfer to aqueous media is often accompanied by intense luminescence quenching, partial dissolution by water, and even complete degradation by molecules such as phosphates. Currently, these are major issues hampering the translation of UCNPs to the clinic. In this work, a strategy is developed to coat and protect β‐NaYF4 UCNPs against these effects, by growing a hydrophobic polymer shell (HPS) through miniemulsion polymerization of styrene (St), or St and methyl methacrylate mixtures. This allows one to obtain single core@shell UCNPs@HPS with a final diameter of ≈60–70 nm. Stability studies reveal that these HPSs serve as a very effective barrier, impeding polar molecules to affect UCNPs optical properties. Even more, it allows UCNPs to withstand aggressive conditions such as high dilutions (5 µg mL−1), high phosphate concentrations (100 mm), and high temperatures (70 °C). The physicochemical characterizations prove the potential of HPSs to overcome the current limitations of UCNPs. This strategy, which can be applied to other nanomaterials with similar limitations, paves the way toward more stable and reliable UCNPs with applications in life sciences.
Puerarin alleviates cadmium‐induced oxidative damage to bone by reducing autophagy in rats
Authors: Tong Xishuai , Yu Gengsheng , Liu Qingyang , Zhang Xueqing , Bian Jianchun , Liu Zongping , Gu Jianhong 
Published: December 2021

AbstractAutophagy is a regulatory mechanism involved in cadmium (Cd)‐induced bone toxicity and is suppressed by various stimuli, including oxidative stress. Puerarin is an isoflavonoid compound isolated from Pueraria, a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. The underlying mechanisms of action of puerarin remain unclear. The objective of this study was to explore the mitigating effects of puerarin on cadmium‐induced oxidative damage in the bones of rats. Cadmium exposure increased oxidative damage in rat bones; this was markedly decreased by puerarin treatment, as demonstrated by changes in the activity of antioxidative enzymes. Cadmium‐induced blockage of the expression of key bone regulatory proteins, autophagy‐related markers, and signaling molecules was also alleviated by puerarin treatment. Additionally, cadmium reduced expression of the autophagic protein Rab7 and of late endosomal/lysosomal adaptor and MAPK and mTOR activator 1 (LAMTOR1); the decrease in these proteins was not restored by puerarin treatment. We speculate that puerarin relieves the inhibition of fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes that is induced by cadmium; however, this specific effect of puerarin and downstream effects on bone regulatory mechanisms require further investigation. In conclusion, puerarin alleviates cadmium‐induced oxidative damage in the bones of rats by attenuating autophagy, which is likely associated with the antioxidant activity of puerarin.
Prevalence of atrial fibrillation
Authors: Samim Daryoush , Choffat Damien , Vollenweider Peter , Waeber Gérard , Marques-Vidal Pedro , Méan Marie 
Published: December 2021

Abstract
Background
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia worldwide and is associated with increased morbi-mortality. The prevalence of AF in the Western world is increasing; however, reports on the prevalence of AF in the past decade are scarce, and whether the prevalence of AF increased during the last decade in Switzerland remains uncertain. Therefore, using data from a Swiss population-based sample, we aimed to assess the point prevalence of AF from 2014 to 2017 and to investigate determinants of AF.

Methods
A cross-sectional analysis of 4616 Caucasian participants aged 45–86 years (55% women) from a population-based sample was designed to explore the point prevalence and determinants of cardiovascular risk factors in the population of Lausanne, Switzerland. AF was assessed using electrocardiography (ECG) between 2014 and 2017.

Results
Overall, the point prevalence of AF was 0.9% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.7–1.2%) and the combined AF + atrial flutter (AFL) point prevalence was 1.1% (95% CI: 8.4–1.5%). The point prevalence of AF was higher among men (81% vs. 19% in women) and increased with age, reaching 3.1% in participants aged ≥ 80. In multivariable analysis, male gender (odds ratio and 95% CI: 4.98 [1.01–24.6]) and increasing age (2.86 [1.40–5.87] per decade) were associated with AF.

Conclusion
The point prevalence of AF and of AF + AFL, assessed between 2014 and 2017 in the city of Lausanne (Switzerland), was low but increased with age and in men.
A Sharp Version of Price’s Law for Wave Decay on Asymptotically Flat Spacetimes
Authors: Hintz Peter 
Published: December 2021

AbstractWe prove Price’s law with an explicit leading order term for solutions $$\phi (t,x)$$

ϕ
(
t
,
x
)

of the scalar wave equation on a class of stationary asymptotically flat $$(3+1)$$

(
3
+
1
)

-dimensional spacetimes including subextremal Kerr black holes. Our precise asymptotics in the full forward causal cone imply in particular that $$\phi (t,x)=c t^{-3}+{\mathcal {O}}(t^{-4+})$$

ϕ

(
t
,
x
)

=
c

t

-
3

+
O

(

t

-
4
+

)

for bounded |x|, where $$c\in {\mathbb {C}}$$

c
∈
C

is an explicit constant. This decay also holds along the event horizon on Kerr spacetimes and thus renders a result by Luk–Sbierski on the linear scalar instability of the Cauchy horizon unconditional. We moreover prove inverse quadratic decay of the radiation field, with explicit leading order term. We establish analogous results for scattering by stationary potentials with inverse cubic spatial decay. On the Schwarzschild spacetime, we prove pointwise $$t^{-2 l-3}$$

t

-
2
l
-
3

decay for waves with angular frequency at least l, and $$t^{-2 l-4}$$

t

-
2
l
-
4

decay for waves which are in addition initially static. This definitively settles Price’s law for linear scalar waves in full generality. The heart of the proof is the analysis of the resolvent at low energies. Rather than constructing its Schwartz kernel explicitly, we proceed more directly using the geometric microlocal approach to the limiting absorption principle pioneered by Melrose and recently extended to the zero energy limit by Vasy.
Interobserver agreement of estimating the extent of intestinal metaplasia in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis
Authors: Lerch Julia M. , Pai Rish K. , Brown Ian , Gill Anthony J. , Jain Dhanpat , Kővári Bence , Kushima Ryoji , Sheahan Kieran , Slavik Tomas , Srivastava Amitabh , Lauwers Gregory Y. , Langner Cord 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe extent of gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) can be used to determine the risk of gastric cancer. Eleven international gastrointestinal expert pathologists estimated the extent of GIM on haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)- and Alcian blue-Periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS)-stained slides of 46 antrum biopsies in 5% increments. Interobserver agreement was tested with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Correlation between standard deviation and extent of GIM was evaluated with the Spearman correlation. The interobserver agreement was very good (ICC = 0.983, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.975–0.990). The use of AB-PAS did not increase the agreement (ICC = 0.975, 95% CI 0.961–0.985). Cases with a higher amount of metaplastic epithelium demonstrated a higher standard deviation (rs = 0.644; p < 0.01), suggesting lower diagnostic accuracy in cases with extensive GIM. In conclusion, estimating the extent of GIM on H&E-stained slides in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis can be achieved satisfactorily with high interobserver agreement, at least among international expert gastrointestinal pathologists.
Global stability of fuzzy cognitive maps
Authors: Harmati István Á. , Hatwágner Miklós F. , Kóczy László T. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractComplex systems can be effectively modelled by fuzzy cognitive maps. Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) are network-based models, where the connections in the network represent causal relations. The conclusion about the system is based on the limit of the iteratively applied updating process. This iteration may or may not reach an equilibrium state (fixed point). Moreover, if the model is globally asymptotically stable, then this fixed point is unique and the iteration converges to this point from every initial state. There are some FCM models, where global stability is the required property, but in many FCM applications, the preferred scenario is not global stability, but multiple fixed points. Global stability bounds are useful in both cases: they may give a hint about which parameter set should be preferred or avoided. In this article, we present novel conditions for the global asymptotical stability of FCMs, i.e. conditions under which the iteration leads to the same point from every initial vector. Furthermore, we show that the results presented here outperform the results known from the current literature.
Global-local attention for emotion recognition
Authors: Le Nhat , Nguyen Khanh , Nguyen Anh , Le Bac 
Published: December 2021

AbstractHuman emotion recognition is an active research area in artificial intelligence and has made substantial progress over the past few years. Many recent works mainly focus on facial regions to infer human affection, while the surrounding context information is not effectively utilized. In this paper, we proposed a new deep network to effectively recognize human emotions using a novel global-local attention mechanism. Our network is designed to extract features from both facial and context regions independently, then learn them together using the attention module. In this way, both the facial and contextual information is used to infer human emotions, therefore enhancing the discrimination of the classifier. The intensive experiments show that our method surpasses the current state-of-the-art methods on recent emotion datasets by a fair margin. Qualitatively, our global-local attention module can extract more meaningful attention maps than previous methods. The source code and trained model of our network are available at https://github.com/minhnhatvt/glamor-net.
Alternative management of proximal aortic dissection: concept and application
Authors: Yuan Xun , Mitsis Andreas , Mozalbat David , Nienaber Christoph A. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractOpen surgery remains the mainstay of treatment for acute type A aortic dissection and should be offered to most patients. However, there are elderly patients in which surgical treatment may be deemed extremely high risk or futile. Endovascular treatment approaches have been applied to a small number of these patients and data are limited to case reports and small series. The application of endovascular therapies to ascending aorta is currently limited by anatomical and technical challenges posed by the dynamic motion of the ascending aorta and the proximity of vital structures to intended landing zones (aortic valve, coronary arteries, and supra-aortic branches) and lack of specially designed endografts to address these issues. While thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has replaced open aortic repair for a suitable lesion in distal aortic dissection, some selected patients with type A aortic dissection at high surgical may be candidates. Hence, there is potential because, in proximal (Stanford type A) dissections, 10–30% of patients are not accepted for surgery, and 30–50% are technically amenable for TEVAR. Recent experience has shown that carefully selected patients with favorable anatomical characteristics may be subject to endovascular stent-graft treatment as a last resort with mixed results. Technical improvement is necessary to offer. satisfactory endovascular options in non-surgical candidates.
AI audits for assessing design logics and building ethical systems: the case of predictive policing algorithms
Authors: Ugwudike Pamela 
Published: December 2021

AbstractOrganisations, governments, institutions and others across several jurisdictions are using AI systems for a constellation of high-stakes decisions that pose implications for human rights and civil liberties. But a fast-growing multidisciplinary scholarship on AI bias is currently documenting problems such as the discriminatory labelling and surveillance of historically marginalised subgroups. One of the ways in which AI systems generate such downstream outcomes is through their inputs. This paper focuses on a specific input dynamic which is the theoretical foundation that informs the design, operation, and outputs of such systems. The paper uses the set of technologies known as predictive policing algorithms as a case example to illustrate how theoretical assumptions can pose adverse social consequences and should therefore be systematically evaluated during audits if the objective is to detect unknown risks, avoid AI harms, and build ethical systems. In its analysis of these issues, the paper adds a new dimension to the literature on AI ethics and audits by investigating algorithmic impact in the context of underpinning theory. In doing so, the paper provides insights that can usefully inform auditing policy and practice instituted by relevant stakeholders including the developers, vendors, and procurers of AI systems as well as independent auditors.
New Hermite–Hadamard and Jensen Inequalities for Log-h-Convex Fuzzy-Interval-Valued Functions
Authors: Khan Muhammad Bilal , Abdullah Lazim , Noor Muhammad Aslam , Noor Khalida Inayat 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn the preset study, we introduce the new class of convex fuzzy-interval-valued functions which is called log-h-convex fuzzy-interval-valued functions (log-h-convex FIVFs) by means of fuzzy order relation. We have also investigated some properties of log-h-convex FIVFs. Using this class, we present Jensen and Hermite–Hadamard inequalities (HH-inequalities). Moreover, some useful examples are presented to verify HH-inequalities for log-h-convex FIVFs. Several new and known special results are also discussed which can be viewed as an application of this concept.
Multi-criteria Optimization Technique with Complex Pythagorean Fuzzy N-soft Information
Authors: Akram Muhammad , Wasim Faiza , Alcantud José Carlos R. , Al-Kenani Ahmad N. 
Published: December 2021

AbstractThe main objective of this article is to lay the foundations of a novel multi-criteria optimization technique, namely, the complex Pythagorean fuzzy N-soft VIKOR (CPFNS-VIKOR) method that is highly proficient to express a great deal of linguistic imprecision and vagueness inherent in human assessments. This strategy provides a versatile decision-making tool for the ranking-based fuzzy modeling of two-dimensional parameterized data. The CPFNS-VIKOR method integrates the ground-breaking specialities of the VIKOR method with the outstanding parametric structure of the complex Pythagorean fuzzy N-soft model. It is exclusively designed for the specification of a compromise optimal solution having maximum group utility and minimum individual regret of the opponent by analyzing their weighted proximity from ideal solutions. The developed strategy factually permits specific linguistic terms to demystify the individual perspectives of the decision-making experts regarding the efficacy of the alternatives and the priorities of the applicable criteria. We comprehensively assemble these independent appraisals of all the experts using the complex Pythagorean fuzzy N-soft weighted averaging operator. Moreover, we calibrate the ranking measure by utilizing group utility measure and regret measure in order to specify the hierarchical outranking of the feasible alternatives. We demonstrate the systematic methodology and framework of the proposed method with the assistance of an explicative flow chart. We skilfully investigate an empirical analysis related to selection of constructive industrial robots for the modernization of a manufacturing industry which really justifies the remarkable accountability of the proposed strategy. Furthermore, we validate this technique by a comparative study with the existing complex Pythagorean fuzzy TOPSIS (CPF-TOPSIS) method, complex Pythagorean fuzzy VIKOR (CPF-VIKOR) method and Pythagorean fuzzy TOPSIS (PF-TOPSIS) method. The comparative study is exemplified with an illustrative bar chart that visually endorses the rationality of the proposed methodology by interpreting highly compatible and accurate final outcomes. Finally, we holistically analyze the functionality of the developed strategy to enlighten its merits and prominence over other available competent approaches.
Some Integral Inequalities for Generalized Convex Fuzzy-Interval-Valued Functions via Fuzzy Riemann Integrals
Authors: Khan Muhammad Bilal , Noor Muhammad Aslam , Mohammed Pshtiwan Othman , Guirao Juan L. G. , Noor Khalida Inayat 
Published: December 2021

AbstractIn this study, we introduce the new concept of $$h$$
h
-convex fuzzy-interval-valued functions. Under the new concept, we present new versions of Hermite–Hadamard inequalities (H–H inequalities) are called fuzzy-interval Hermite–Hadamard type inequalities for $$h$$
h
-convex fuzzy-interval-valued functions ($$h$$
h
-convex FIVF) by means of fuzzy order relation. This fuzzy order relation is defined level wise through Kulisch–Miranker order relation defined on fuzzy-interval space. Fuzzy order relation and inclusion relation are two different concepts. With the help of fuzzy order relation, we also present some H–H type inequalities for the product of $$h$$
h
-convex FIVFs. Moreover, we have also established strong relationship between Hermite–Hadamard–Fej´er (H–H–Fej´er) type inequality and $$h$$
h
-convex FIVF. There are also some special cases presented that can be considered applications. There are useful examples provided to demonstrate the applicability of the concepts proposed in this study. This paper's thoughts and methodologies could serve as a springboard for more research in this field.