bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preliminary design and structural assessment of DTT in-vessel coil supports
Authors: Belardi V G , Calabrò G , Fanelli P , Giorgetti F , Lombroni R , Ramogida G , Trupiano S , Vivio F 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The present work regards the design methodologies for a crucial component of the new thermonuclear fusion energy machine named “Divertor Tokamak Test facility” (DTT). The purpose of this experimental facility is the investigation of the thermal exhaust issue, a critical aspect in the view of DEMO construction, and future nuclear fusion reactors for commercial use. The construction of DTT machine is starting in the ENEA Site, Frascati, Italy. The poloidal magnet system in the proposed DTT includes a central solenoid divided into 6 independent modules, plus 6 external coils. The poloidal field system also includes six copper in-vessel coils, namely two in-vessel coils for radial and vertical plasma stabilization and control, and four out of six in-vessel divertor coils for magnetic control of scrape-off layer and strike point sweeping. This work aims to provide a preliminary design of the supports for the 6 in-vessel coils considering the Electromagnetic (EM) loads due to a plasma Downward (DW) Vertical Displacement Event (VDE) at the flat-top of plasma reference single null scenario. During a DW VDE a huge amount of current flows in the in-vessel coils (circumferential direction), whose interaction with the poloidal EM field generates strong EM forces. The electromagnetic loads have been calculated with MAXFEA, a two-dimensional finite elements code for the simulation of plasma equilibrium, and then applied to homogenized in-vessel coils in the structural analysis.
Characterization of normal and deformed red blood cells using simulated differential photoacoustic cross-section spectral data
Authors: Kaushik Anuj , Saha Ratan K 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Frequency dependent differential photoacoustic cross-section (DPACS) over a large frequency band (100–1000 MHz) has been computed and subsequently, morphological parameters of photoacoustic (PA) source have been quantified. Green’s function method has been employed for computing the DPACS for a series of ellipsoidal droplets (with varying aspect ratio), Chebyshev particles (with different waviness (n) and deformation (ϵ) parameters), healthy red blood cell (RBC) and cells suffering from hereditary disorders (spherocytosis, elliptocytosis and stomatocytosis). The tri-axial ellipsoid form factor (TAEFF), finite cylinder form factor (CFF) and toroid form factor (TFF) models have been used to fit the DPACS spectrum to obtain size and shape information of the PA source. The TAEFF model estimates the shape parameters of the ellipsoidal droplets accurately (error < 5%). It is found that volume estimation is better (error < 10%) for lower order (n = 2, ϵ = ± 0.25) and very higher order (n = 35, 45, ϵ = ± 0.05) Chebyshev particles compared to those of n = 4, 6 and ϵ = ± 0.25. The TAEFF model predicts shape parameters of stomatocyte with volume error ≈15% but it is ≤6% for other cells. The opposite trend is observed for the CFF model. The TFF model is able to estimate the shape parameters efficiently for normal erythrocyte and stomatocyte but gives relatively large errors (>15%) for other deformed RBCs. The inverse problem framework may motivate to develop a PA-based technology to assess single cell morphology.
Accelerating the development of new solar absorbers by photoemission characterization coupled with density functional theory
Authors: Veal Tim D , Scanlon David O , Kostecki Robert , Arca Elisabetta 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The expectation to progress towards Terawatts production by solar technologies requires continuous development of new materials to improve efficiency and lower the cost of devices beyond what is currently available at industrial level. At the same time, the turnaround time to make the investment worthwhile is progressively shrinking. Whereas traditional absorbers have developed in a timeframe spanning decades, there is an expectation that emerging materials will be converted into industrially relevant reality in a much shorter timeframe. Thus, it becomes necessary to develop new approaches and techniques that could accelerate decision-making steps on whether further research on a material is worth pursuing or not. In this review, we will provide an overview of the photoemission characterization methods and theoretical approaches that have been developed in the past decades to accelerate the transfer of emerging solar absorbers into efficient devices.
Nigerian Soldiers On The War Against Boko Haram
Authors: Oriola Temitope B 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
This study explores two main questions: What are the experiences of soldiers who have fought against Boko Haram? What can these experiences teach us about the seeming incapacity of the Nigerian military to defeat Boko Haram? Six major themes are explored. These are perspectives on the mission, morale of troops, military equipment and weapons, suicide and murder–suicide among troops, intelligence leaks, and relationships of troops with the Civilian Joint Task Force, an extralegal militia. Soldiers’ discourses on the mission against Boko Haram reveal three overlapping dimensions. First, there are suspicions about the sponsors and political godfathers of Boko Haram. This suggests a belief that Boko Haram is a conspiracy involving the government and top brass of the military. Second, the patronage system involved in deployment into key positions on the war front. Third, participants believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged because it is a moneymaking machinery for the political and military elites. The evidence suggests that availability of weapons varies by unit and the agency of commanders—their networks and influence within the military and willingness to disobey orders from superiors if their demands are not met. This situation produces radically variegated wartime experiences among troops. Non-commissioned soldiers believe senior commissioned officers perpetrate intelligence leaks and are responsible for the protracted war. Senior Army Generals interviewed in this study support this perspective. The study has major policy implications for successful operations against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin area and the broader war against terrorism in the Sahel.
A Single-Center Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerability of Four Microneedling Treatments on Fine Lines and Wrinkles of Facial and Neck Skin in Subjects With Fitzpatrick Skin Types I-IV: An Objective Assessment Using Noninvasive Devices and 0.33-mm Microbiopsies
Authors: Wamsley Christine E , Kislevitz Mikaela , Barillas Jennifer , Basci Deniz , Kandagatla Vishal , Hitchcock Thomas , Akgul Yucel , Kenkel Jeffrey 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
Although ablative techniques are the standard of care for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles, microneedling offers a minimally invasive alternative.

Objectives
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of microneedling on facial and neck fine lines and wrinkles.

Methods
Thirty-five subjects between 44 and 65 years old with Fitzpatrick skin types I to IV received 4 monthly microneedling treatments over the face and neck. Subjects returned 1 and 3 months posttreatment. At every visit, high-resolution ultrasonography and optical coherence tomography were performed, and transepidermal water loss and skin elasticity were measured. Microbiopsies (0.33 mm) were collected pretreatment, before the fourth treatment and 3 months posttreatment.

Results
Thirty-two subjects (30 females, 2 males) completed all 7 visits. Facial dermal and epidermal density increased 101.86% and 19.28%, respectively, from baseline at 3 months posttreatment. Facial elasticity increased 28.2% from baseline at 3 months posttreatment. Facial attenuation coefficient increased 15.65% and 17.33% at 1 and 3 months posttreatment, respectively. At study completion, blood flow at a depth of 300 µm decreased 25.8% in the face and 42.3% in the neck. Relative collagen type III and elastin gene expression was statistically higher 3 months posttreatment. However, total elastin protein levels were unchanged from baseline values. Dermal muscle formation was observed in 58% of biopsies extracted 3 months posttreatment compared with 15.3% at baseline.

Conclusions
The results illustrate the effects of microneedling treatments. Noninvasive measurements and biopsy data showed changes in skin architecture and collagen/elastin gene expression, suggesting skin rejuvenation, with new extracellular matrix production and muscle formation.

Level of Evidence: 3
DisBalance: a platform to automatically build balance-based disease prediction models and discover microbial biomarkers from microbiome data
Authors: Yang Fenglong , Zou Quan 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
How best to utilize the microbial taxonomic abundances in regard to the prediction and explanation of human diseases remains appealing and challenging, and the relative nature of microbiome data necessitates a proper feature selection method to resolve the compositional problem. In this study, we developed an all-in-one platform to address a series of issues in microbiome-based human disease prediction and taxonomic biomarkers discovery. We prioritize the interpretation, runtime and classification accuracy of the distal discriminative balances analysis (DBA-distal) method in selecting a set of distal discriminative balances, and develop DisBalance, a comprehensive platform, to integrate and streamline the workflows of disease model building, disease risk prediction and disease-related biomarker discovery for microbiome-based binary classifications. DisBalance allows the de novo model-building and disease risk prediction in a very fast and convenient way. To facilitate the model-driven and knowledge-driven discoveries, DisBalance dedicates multiple strategies for the mining of microbial biomarkers. The independent validation of the models constructed by the DisBalance pipeline is performed on seven microbiome datasets from the original article of DBA-distal. The implementation of the DisBalance platform is demonstrated by a complete analysis of a shotgun metagenomic dataset of Ulcerative Colitis (UC). As a free and open-source, DisBlance can be accessed at http://lab.malab.cn/soft/DisBalance. The source code and demo data for Disbalance are available at https://github.com/yangfenglong/DisBalance.
Conditional canonical correlation estimation based on covariates with random forests
Authors: Alakuş Cansu , Larocque Denis , Jacquemont Sébastien , Barlaam Fanny , Martin Charles-Olivier , Agbogba Kristian , Lippé Sarah , Labbe Aurélie 
Published: March 2021

AbstractMotivationInvestigating the relationships between two sets of variables helps to understand their interactions and can be done with canonical correlation analysis (CCA). However, the correlation between the two sets can sometimes depend on a third set of covariates, often subject-related ones such as age, gender or other clinical measures. In this case, applying CCA to the whole population is not optimal and methods to estimate conditional CCA, given the covariates, can be useful.ResultsWe propose a new method called Random Forest with Canonical Correlation Analysis (RFCCA) to estimate the conditional canonical correlations between two sets of variables given subject-related covariates. The individual trees in the forest are built with a splitting rule specifically designed to partition the data to maximize the canonical correlation heterogeneity between child nodes. We also propose a significance test to detect the global effect of the covariates on the relationship between two sets of variables. The performance of the proposed method and the global significance test is evaluated through simulation studies that show it provides accurate canonical correlation estimations and well-controlled Type-1 error. We also show an application of the proposed method with EEG data.Availability and implementationRFCCA is implemented in a freely available R package on CRAN (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=RFCCA).Supplementary informationSupplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Differentially Private Publication For Correlated Non-Numerical Data
Authors: Wang Hao , Wang Huan 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Differential privacy has made a significant progress in numerical data preserving. Compared with numerical data, non-numerical data (e.g. entity object) are also widely applied in intelligent processing tasks. But non-numerical data may reveal more user’s privacy. Recently, researchers attempt to take advantage of the exponential mechanism of differential privacy to solve this challenge. Nonetheless, exponential mechanism has a drawback in correlated data protection, which can not achieve expected privacy degree. To remedy this issue, in this paper, an effective correlated non-numerical data release mechanism is proposed by defining the notion of Correlation-Indistinguishability and designing a correlated exponential mechanism to realize Correlation-Indistinguishability in practice. Inspired by the concept of indistinguishability, Correlation-Indistinguishability can guarantee the correlations of the probability distributions between the output distribution and original data the same to an adversary. In addition, we would rather let two Gaussian white samples pass through a designed filter, to realize the definition of Correlation-Indistinguishability, than using independent exponential variables. Experimental evaluation demonstrates that our mechanism outperforms current schemes in terms of security and utility for frequent items mining.
A New Code-Based Blind Signature Scheme
Authors: Chen Siyuan , Zeng Peng , Choo Kim-Kwang Raymond 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Blind signature is an important cryptographic primitive with widespread applications in secure e-commerce, for example to guarantee participants’ anonymity. Existing blind signature schemes are mostly based on number-theoretic hard problems, which have been shown to be solvable with quantum computers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began in 2017 to specify a new standard for digital signatures by selecting one or more additional signature algorithms, designed to be secure against attacks carried out using quantum computers. However, none of the third-round candidate algorithms are code-based, despite the potential of code-based signature algorithms in resisting quantum computing attacks. In this paper, we construct a new code-based blind signature (CBBS) scheme as an alternative to traditional number-theoretic based schemes. Specifically, we first extend Santoso and Yamaguchi’s three pass identification scheme to a concatenated version (abbreviated as the CSY scheme). Then, we construct our CBBS scheme from the CSY scheme. The security of our CBBS scheme relies on hardness of the syndrome decoding problem in coding theory, which has been shown to be NP-complete and secure against quantum attacks. Unlike Blazy et al.’s CBBS scheme which is based on a zero-knowledge protocol with cheating probability $2/3$, our CBBS scheme is based on a zero-knowledge protocol with cheating probability $1/2$. The lower cheating probability would reduce the interaction rounds under the same security level and thus leads to a higher efficiency. For example, to achieve security level $2^{-82}$, the signature size in our CBBS scheme is $1.63$ MB compared to $3.1$ MB in Blazy et al.’s scheme.
Association between multimodality measures of aortic stenosis severity and quality-of-life improvement outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement
Authors: Catalano Michael A , Saba Shahryar G , Rutkin Bruce , Maurer Greg , Berg Jacinda , Esposito Rick , Hartman Alan R , Yu Pey-Jen 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Aims
Up to 40% of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) present with discordant grading of AS severity based on common transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) measures. Our aim was to evaluate the utility of TTE and multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) measures in predicting symptomatic improvement in patients with AS undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods and results
A retrospective review of 201 TAVR patients from January 2017 to November 2018 was performed. Pre- and post-intervention quality-of-life was measured using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ-12). Pre-intervention measures including dimensionless index (DI), stroke volume index (SVI), mean transaortic gradient, peak transaortic velocity, indexed aortic valve area (AVA), aortic valve calcium score, and AVA based on hybrid MDCT-Doppler calculations were obtained and correlated with change in KCCQ-12 at 30-day follow-up. Among the 201 patients studied, median KCCQ-12 improved from 54.2 pre-intervention to 85.9 post-intervention. In multivariable analysis, patients with a mean gradient &gt;40 mmHg experienced significantly greater improvement in KCCQ-12 at follow-up than those with mean gradient ≤40 mmHg (28.1 vs. 16.4, P = 0.015). Patients with MDCT-Doppler-calculated AVA of ≤1.2 cm2 had greater improvements in KCCQ-12 scores than those with computed tomography-measured AVA of &gt;1.2 cm2 (23.4 vs. 14.1, P = 0.049) on univariate but not multivariable analysis. No association was detected between DI, SVI, peak velocity, calcium score, or AVA index and change in KCCQ-12.

Conclusion
Mean transaortic gradient is predictive of improvement in quality-of-life after TAVR. This measure of AS severity may warrant greater relative consideration when selecting the appropriateness of patients for TAVR.
Long-term outcomes of right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit insertion in adults with congenital heart disease: survival analysis by National Death Index
Authors: Thuraisingam Amalan , Skillington Peter , Ludhani Prakash , Wijayarathne Pasangi Madhuka , Menahem Samuel , Larobina Marco , Grigg Leeanne , Wilson Will 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term outcomes following right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery (RV-to-PA) conduit insertion of Medtronic Freestyle® porcine valve (MFV) or pulmonary allograft valve (PAV) in adult patients with congenital heart disease.

METHODS
Retrospective medical record review of consecutive RV-to-PA conduit insertion, using either PAV or MFV from 1991 to 2017. Perioperative data and clinic reports were collected. Cause and date of death were obtained from the Australian National Death Index to obtain survival function.

RESULTS
In total, 232 patients (median age 31.5 years, interquartile range 25–41 years) underwent RV-to-PA conduit insertion (PAV = 84 and MFV = 148) and were eligible for inclusion [63.8% tetralogy of Fallot (TOF); 11.6% congenital pulmonary stenosis (PS); 24.6% other diagnoses]. The overall median follow-up time was 9.1 years (interquartile range 5.3–12.6 years). The mean gradient was 11.8 ± 7.1 mmHg in PAV and 16.6 ± 9.6 mmHg in MFV patients. Congenital PS patients had 100% survival at 20 years, TOF patients at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years had 99%, 97%, 96% and 96% survival, respectively. Patients with other primary diagnoses at 5, 10, 15 and 20 years had 93%, 91%, 87% and 87% respectively. Freedom from reintervention did not differ significantly at 5 and 10 years between pulmonary allograft (98.6%, 98.6%) and Freestyle® porcine bioprosthesis (97.5%, 93%).

CONCLUSIONS
Both valves perform equally well with regard to patients’ freedom from reoperation, although transvalvular gradient was higher for Freestyle® patients. Congenital PS and TOF patients had better survival than patients with other primary diagnoses.
Mid-adolescent ethnic variations in overweight prevalence in the UK Millennium Cohort Study
Authors: Stennett Michelle , Blokland Alex , Watt Richard G , Heilmann Anja 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Background
There are stark ethnic inequalities in the prevalence of UK childhood obesity. However, data on adolescent overweight in different ethnic groups are limited. This study assessed ethnic inequalities in overweight prevalence during mid-adolescence using body mass index (BMI) and explored the contribution of socioeconomic and behavioural factors.

Methods
We analyzed data from 10 500 adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years who participated in sweep six of the Millennium Cohort Study. Ethnic inequalities in overweight and mean BMI were assessed using multiple regression models. Results were stratified by sex and adjusted for socioeconomic and behavioural factors.

Results
Black Caribbean males had significantly higher BMI than White males after full adjustment [excess BMI 2.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.70–5.19] and were over three times more likely to be overweight [odds ratio (OR): 3.32, 95% CI 1.95–5.66]. Black Africans females had significantly higher BMI compared with White females (excess BMI 1.86, 95% CI 0.89–2.83; OR for overweight 2.74, 95% CI 1.64–4.56), while Indian females had significantly lower BMI compared with White females (reduced BMI −0.73, 95% CI −1.37 to −0.09). Socioeconomic and behavioural factors often considered to be associated with overweight were more prevalent in some ethnic minority groups (lower socioeconomic position, lack of breakfast consumption, low fruit and vegetable intake, high sugar-sweetened beverage and fast-food consumption, and infrequent physical activity), but adjustment for these factors did not fully explain ethnic differences in overweight/BMI.

Conclusion
Ethnic inequalities in overweight prevalence are evident in mid-adolescence and vary according to sex. Differences in overweight/BMI between ethnic groups were not fully accounted for by socioeconomic or behavioural factors.
First palaeointensity data from the cryogenian and their potential implications for inner core nucleation age
Authors: Lloyd Simon J , Biggin Andrew J , Halls Henry , Hill Mimi J 
Published: March 2021

SUMMARY
The timing of inner core nucleation is a hugely significant event in Earth's evolution and has been the subject of intense debate. Some of the most recent theoretical estimates for the age of nucleation fall throughout the Neoproterozoic era; much younger than previously thought. A young inner core requires faster recent core cooling rates and a likely hotter early core; knowledge of its age would be invaluable in understanding Earth's thermal history and total energy budget. Predictions generated by numerical dynamo models need to be tested against such data, but records are currently much too sparse to constrain the event to a precise period of time. Here, we present results from 720 Ma dolerite dykes (and one sill) from the Franklin Large Igneous Province, which fall within a crucial 300 Myr gap in palaeointensity records. This study uses three independent techniques on whole rocks from 11 sites spread across High Arctic Canada and Greenland to produce virtual dipole moments ranging from 5 to 20 ZAm2 (mean 11 ZAm2); almost one order of magnitude lower than the present-day field. These weak-field results agree with recent ultralow palaeointensity data obtained from Ediacaran rocks formed ∼150 Myr later and may support that the dynamo was on the brink of collapse in the Neoproterozoic prior to a young inner core formation date.