bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Unlocking the promise of virtual care in hospitals: The Smarter Hospitals Project Protocol
Authors: Harrison Reema , Mitchell Rebecca , Walsan Ramya , Sina Maryam , Clay-Williams Robyn , Cardenas Alexander , Moscova Michelle , Baumgartner Dalal , Sarwar Mashreka , Westbrook Johanna , Manias Elizabeth , Taylor Natalie , Lawton Rebecca , Sabesan Sabe , Mumford Virginia , Badgery-Parker Tim , Bhonagiri Deepak , Nelson Craig , Chua Wei , Christian Bradley , Churruca Kate , Braithwaite Jeffrey 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background Integration of virtual and in person care across health systems is a priority to create and sustain healthy nations by improving access to services, along with healthcare experiences, efficiency, and outcomes. Our collaborative project between health services, agencies, consumers, and clinicians across Australia seeks to provide the required evidence and solutions to optimise the integration of virtual care in hospital outpatient settings.Methods Our five-year project contains three sub-studies using a multi-method approach. Firstly, linked hospitalisation data will be used to describe the patterns of virtual outpatient use and the associated health service outcomes, including for priority populations. The second sub-study will use realist evaluation to determine the context, circumstances, and populations in which virtual care is used successfully, and economic impact of virtual care. We will then test the effectiveness of a co-designed Specialised Change Methodology for improving workforce change readiness and capability for integrating virtual models of care compared to current practice within health redevelopment settings. Statistical and qualitative analytic techniques will be applied.Discussion The study will generate evidence and resources to support the successful integration of virtual care in Australian health systems. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Victorian Human Research Ethics Committee (Study 1: HREC/97793/DOH-2023-383794), and Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee (Study 2: 520231303852269; Study 3 520231586954286). Research dissemination will be channelled through established communities of practice in Australian states to reach networks of clinicians, consumers and health managers. Further targeted outputs will be devised in collaboration with the consumer, clinician and health system partners to guide the implementation and use of virtual modalities in outpatient care, with equity as a central consideration. In addition to scientific research outputs, we will develop and disseminate evidence-based Virtual Care Design Principles, Evaluation Framework and Specialised Change Methodology for improving the integration of virtual outpatient hospital care.
Benchmarking Variational Quantum Eigensolvers for Entanglement Detection in Many-Body Hamiltonian Ground States
Authors: Drinko Alexandre , Correr Guilherme Ilário , Medina Ivan , Azado Pedro Coutinho , Canabarro Askery , Soares-Pinto Diogo Oliveira 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) have emerged in recent years as a promise to obtain quantum advantage. These task-oriented algorithms work in a hybrid loop combining a quantum processor and classical optimization. Using a specific class of VQA named variational quantum eigensolvers (VQEs), we choose some parameterized quantum circuits to benchmark them at entanglement witnessing and entangled ground state detection for many-body systems described by Heisenberg Hamiltonian, varying the number of qubits and shots. Quantum circuits whose structure is inspired by the Hamiltonian interactions presented better results on cost function estimation than problem-agnostic circuits.
SGSLNet: Stratified Contextual Graph Pooling for Point Cloud Segmentation with Graph Structural Learning
Authors: Zhao Xu , Wang Xiaohong , Cong Bingge 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Recently, Graph Convolutional Neural Networks (GCNs) have demonstrated significant efficiency and flexibility in processing irregular data, exhibiting their considerable potential for point cloud segmentation. Because point cloud segmentation is essentially a point-wise classification task. However, current graph-based methods struggle to learn global structural outlines and local details effectively. Furthermore, the common application of Max pooling to aggregate point-wise features leads to a considerable loss of contextual information. To address these problems, we introduce a novel stratified graph structure learning network (SGSLNet). The main components of SGSLNet are adaptive structure-aware graph convolution (GAdaptive Conv) and stratified contextual graph pooling (SCGP). GAdaptive Conv is employed to learn local geometric structure dynamically, while SCGP applies to aggregate features and model global contextual structure. Our method not only learns global structural outlines and local details but also preserves substantial contextual information. We conduct extensive experiments on various datasets, including ShapeNetPart, S3DIS, and ScanNet v2. The results demonstrate that SGSLNet achieves state-of-the-art performance.
Ultrabroadband Integrated Electro-Optic Frequency Comb in Lithium Tantalate
Authors: Kippenberg Tobias , Zhang Junyin , Wang Chengli , Denney Connor , Riemensberger Johann , Lihachev Grigory , Hu Jianqi , Kao Wil , Blésin Terence , Kuznetsov Nikolai , Li Zihan , Churaev Mikhail , Santamaria-Botello Gabriel , Ou Xin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Integrated frequency comb generator based on Kerr parametric oscillation has led to chip-scale, gigahertz-spaced combs with new applications spanning hyperscale telecommunications, low-noise microwave synthesis, LiDAR and astrophysical spectrometer calibration. Recent progress in lithium niobate (LiNbO3) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has resulted in chip-scale electro-optic (EO) frequency combs, offering precise comb-line positioning and simple operation without relying on the formation of dissipative Kerr solitons. However, current integrated EO combs face limited spectral coverage due to the large microwave power required to drive the non-resonant capacitive electrodes and the strong intrinsic birefringence of LiNbO3. Here, we overcome both challenges with an integrated triply resonant architecture, combining monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) with PICs based on the recently emerged thin-film lithium tantalate (LiTaO3). With resonantly enhanced EO interaction and reduced birefringence in LiTaO3, we achieve a four-fold comb span extension and a 16-fold power reduction compared to the conventional non-resonant microwave design. Driven by a hybrid-integrated laser diode, the comb spans over 450 nm (>60 THz) with > 2000 lines, and the generator fits within a compact 1cm2 footprint. We additionally observe that the strong EO coupling leads to an increased comb existence range approaching the full free spectral range of the optical microresonator. The ultra-broadband comb generator, combined with detuning-agnostic operation, could advance chip-scale spectrometry and ultra-low-noise millimeter wave synthesis and unlock octave-spanning EO combs. The methodology of co-designing microwave and optical resonators can be extended to a wide range of integrated electro-optics applications.
Assessing the Influence of Air Pollution on cholelithiasis Formation and Blood Lipid Levels: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Xu Zekang , Yang Lei , Feng Yunxiang , Wu Shuting , Deng Zhengdong , Wang Jianming 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Purpose: This study used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method to explore the potential causal relationship between air quality, cholelithiasis and its related risk factor, blood lipids.
Patients and methods: This study used Mendelian randomization in European and East Asian groups, utilizing publicly available GWAS data. The main method was inverse variance weighting (IVW), with additional quality checks including weighted median, MR-Egger, simple, and weighted models. Cochran's Q test assessed heterogeneity. MR-Egger regression and MRPRESSO checked for gene pleiotropy, with sensitivity tests using leave-one-out analysis.
Results: No statistically significant association was observed between air pollution and cholelithiasis in both European and East Asian populations for all pollutants analyzed, including PM2.5 (European: p = 0.745, East Asian: p = 0.209), PM2.5–10 (European: p = 0.737), PM10 (European: p = 0.258, East Asian: p = 0.977), NO2 (European: p = 0.986, East Asian: p = 0.893), and NOx (European: p = 0.902, East Asian: p = 0.843). However, significant correlations between air pollution and blood lipids were identified. In European populations, PM2.5 was significantly correlated with triglycerides (Beta: 0.428; OR: 1.534; 95% CI: 1.058-2.225; p = 0.024). In East Asian populations, PM2.5 showed a significant association with LDL cholesterol (Beta: 0.050; OR: 1.051; 95% CI: 1.006-1.098; p = 0.026). Importantly, no evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy was detected in these associations, bolstering the credibility of our findings.
Conclusion: Our study found no clear causal link between air pollution and cholelithiasis. However, we observed significant correlations between PM2.5 and triglycerides in Europeans, and between PM2.5 and LDL cholesterol in East Asians. These results suggest that PM2.5 might affect triglyceride and LDL cholesterol metabolism differently in various populations, potentially raising the risk of cholelithiasis indirectly.
Separation of two-phase emulsions in a microchannel using wettability differences
Authors: Zamani Donya Nezhad , Kamyabi Ataallah , Derakhshan Saeed 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Microchannels are widely used in various biomedical devices and microfluidic applications. Traditionally, the fabrication of microchannels has been a difficult task using conventional manufacturing technologies. However, using PMMA can simplify the process of creating microchannels without requiring a chemical process. In this study, researchers investigated the separation of water and oil in microfluidic chips in a laboratory setting. First, a microchannel was designed and made of PMMA by laser engraving. To bond the chips together, they were placed in an oven. Then, using a syringe pump, liquids were injected into the microchannels at flow rates of 0.25, 0.38, and 0.5 mL/min, with a maximum flow rate of 1.6 mL/min. The separation efficiency was then calculated. The results showed that the separation efficiency in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic channels at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min was better than that at a flow rate of 1.6 mL/min. In the hydrophilic channel, the maximum separation efficiency was 0.92, and the minimum separation efficiency was 0.34. In the hydrophobic channel, the maximum separation efficiency was 0.92, and the minimum separation efficiency was 0.38. The results also showed that the separation efficiency decreased as the volumetric flow rate increased. At low volumetric flow rates, capillary forces are stronger and more important than other forces, resulting in better separation in terms of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity.
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Hepatitis B Virus Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal care at the Public Hospitals of Afar Regional State, Ethiopia
Authors: Sreemanara V. , Edris Hussen 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background: Hepatitis B virus is a serious global health threat, particularly in endemic regions like Ethiopia, where mother-to-child transmission is common. However, there is limited information on pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HBV. This research aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of pregnant women attending antenatal care in public hospitals in Afar, Ethiopia, concerning HBV infection.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in five public hospitals in the Afar region, Eastern Ethiopia, from August 2023 to April 2024. The study targeted pregnant women attending antenatal care. Data were collected through in-person interviews using a pretested structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software. Associations were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions, with a P-value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: Among 442 participants, 10.4% (95% CI = 7.7-13.6), 19.2% (95% CI = 15.7-23.2), and 17% (95% CI = 13.6-20.8) demonstrated good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices regarding HBV, respectively. Higher education (AOR=10.83, 95% CI: 3.97-29.6) was significantly linked to better knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Urban residence (AOR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.02-4.08) was associated with good knowledge and attitudes, while high income (AOR=5.16, 95% CI: 1.49-17.9) was strongly related to good knowledge. Conversely, small family size (AOR=0.428, 95% CI: 0.195-0.942) was associated with poorer practices.
Conclusion: Pregnant women in Afar exhibit low knowledge, poor practices, and negative attitudes towards HBV. Implementing comprehensive HBV screening and health education campaigns is essential to enhance this population's awareness and understanding of HBV infection.
Efficacy of Recent Immunotherapies in Myasthenia Gravis: A Systematic Review (2019-2024)
Authors: Alhamood Mohammed , Suleiman Hussam Al-Din , Saadeh Imad , Abbass Amin 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Background Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of voluntary muscles. The pathophysiology involves autoantibodies targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at the neuromuscular junction or muscle-specific kinase (MuSK). Recent advancements in immunotherapies have shown promise in managing MG symptoms, offering new treatment avenues and hope for patients who are refractory to conventional treatments.
Objective This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of recent immunotherapies in the treatment of MG from 2019 to 2024. The review synthesizes evidence from multiple studies to provide a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and limitations of these therapies, aiming to inform clinical practice and future research directions.
Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in several major databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library, using keywords related to Myasthenia Gravis and immunotherapy, spanning the publication years from 2019 to 2024. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria focusing on human subjects and clearly defined outcome measures. Data were extracted and analyzed using rigorous statistical methods, including meta-analyses where applicable, to provide pooled estimates of treatment effects.
Results The review includes 25 studies that met the inclusion criteria. These studies cover a range of immunotherapies, including monoclonal antibodies, complement inhibitors, and T-cell modulators. The findings suggest significant improvements in muscle strength and reduction in symptom severity with the use of specific immunotherapies. Detailed statistical analyses and subgroup assessments are presented to delineate the efficacy across different patient populations.
Conclusion Recent immunotherapies have demonstrated efficacy in managing MG, with notable improvements in clinical outcomes and quality of life for patients. However, the high cost and potential adverse effects necessitate further research to optimize treatment protocols and enhance accessibility.
Secure wireless communication of brain-computer interface and mind control of smart devices enabled by space-time-coding metasurface
Authors: Cui Tie Jun , Xiao Qiang , Fan Lin Han , Ma Qian , Ning Yu Ming , Gu Ze , Chen Long , Li Lianlin , You Jian Wei , Niu Ya Feng 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Brain-computer interface (BCI) provides an interconnected pathway between human brain and external devices and paves a potential route for mind manipulations. However, most of existing BCI technologies are based on simple signal transmission and independent of other interface devices, owing to the considerations of reliability and safety of human brain’s information interaction in the complicated wireless environment. To address the formidable limitation, we present a brain space-time-coding metasurface (BSTCM) system to deeply fuse the visual stimulation and electromagnetic manipulation for reliable and secure information transfer between human brain and external devices. Here, we innovatively integrate the BCI flashing frame and electromagnetic encoding sequence in the BSTCM system, and the STC metasurface ensures the secure wireless communications by using the harmonic-encrypted beams. We design and fabricate a proof-of-principle demonstration system and experimentally show that the proposed wireless BCI scheme could establish a remote but safeguarded paradigm for human-machine interactions, intelligent metasurfaces, and potential applications in metaverse, as a prominently scrutinized domain in the future 6G wireless communications.
Insights into the role of dopamine in rhizosphere microbiome assembly
Authors: Ding Yezhang , Vogel Hunter , Zhai Yi , Carlson Hans , Andeer Peter , Novak Vlastimil , Kim Nakian , Bowen Benjamin , Golini Amber , Kosina Suzanne , Coleman-Derr Devin , Vogel John , Northen Trent 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Dopamine plays a critical role in animal physiology and interactions with gut microbes. In plants, dopamine is known to function in plant defense and abiotic stress tolerance; however, its role in mediating plant-microbiome interactions remains unexplored. In this study, we observed that dopamine is one of the most abundant exometabolites with natural variation in root exudates across diverse Brachypodium distachyon lines, suggesting a potential role in rhizosphere microbial assembly. To further investigate this, we colonized ten natural B. distachyon lines with a 16-member bacterial synthetic community (SynCom), collected paired metabolomic and 16S rRNA sequencing data, and performed an association analysis. Our results revealed that dopamine levels in root exudates were significantly associated with the abundance of six SynCom members in a hydroponic system. In vitro growth studies demonstrated that dopamine had a significant effect on the growth of the same six bacterial isolates. Additionally, treating soil directly with dopamine enriched Actinobacteria, consistent with both the SynCom-dopamine correlations and the isolate growth results. Collectively, our study underscores the selective influence of dopamine on rhizosphere microbial communities, with implications for precision microbiome management.
Fundamentals of hydrogen production and use in a decarbonising power system
Authors: Koning Vinzenz , Kramer Gert Jan , de Graaf Wouter van 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Stand-alone hydrogen production from cheap renewable power, notably solar, has received considerable attention as a way to produce fuel and feedstock for a future climate-neutral energy system. Here we assess the integration of green hydrogen production and the deployment of electrolysers with a power system that is progressively decarbonized by the deployment of intermittent renewables, viz. wind and solar. We find that full power system decarbonisation is cost-optimal for a renewable power mix that includes a strong wind component. For this power mix, electrolyser deployment kicks in only at around 70% grid decarbonisation. Beyond this point, electrolyser build-out scales linearly with further renewables deployment. The electrolyser-to-renewables deployment ratio depends strongly on the solar and wind mix but is fairly insensitive to relative costs of electrolysers to renewables. Finally, we find a substantial cost advantage for the coproduction of green power and green hydrogen compared to stand-alone green hydrogen production.
Exploring Intrinsic Disorder in Stress Granules Proteome: Implications for Structure-Function Dynamics and Pathological Aggregation
Authors: Ahmed Sunbul S , Kumar Vijay 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

Prolonged cellular stress causes the formation of small physiological stress granules (SGs) that gradually accumulate due to chronic stress or mutations in RNA-binding proteins and form aggregations in diseased brains with progressive, age-related impairment of proteasomal and autophagic systems. These aggregations are a consequence of multivalent interactions mediated by the intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) among the SG proteins. Although several studies have focused on identifying the SGs implicated in various pathologies, their structure-function relationship remains largely unexplored. In this study, we characterized the 460 SG protein components from the mammalian stress granule proteome (MSGP) database and analysed them for the presence of IDRs and molecular recognition feature (MoRF) sites. Our study identified abundant intrinsic disorder in the SG proteome, especially among its RNA-binding proteins. Contrastingly, the intrinsic disorder is not very abundant among the autophagy-linked SG proteome with the presence of mostly structured/ordered proteins. These results have provided newer insights into their molecular interactions, functions, and transition from physiological to pathological entities. The findings will provide an important direction for further research and experimental characterization of these disordered proteins to decipher their pathological role in various human diseases.
Experimental Investigation on the Low-velocity Impact of Beetle Elytron-inspired Plates
Authors: Song Yiheng , Yang Haixia , Liu Yanlan , Chen Jinxiang 
Published: August 2024

Abstract

The elytra of beetles feature a naturally evolved sandwich structure that offers a lightweight and protective function, especially effective against falling object impacts in complex environments. Consequently, structures mimicking the design of beetle elytra hold potential applications in fields requiring resistance to low-speed impacts, such as civil automotive and aviation industries. This study investigates the impact resistance of two beetle-inspired sandwich plates, end- trabecular beetle elytron plates (EBEP) and grid beetle elytron plates (GBEP), comparing their performance with widely used honeycomb plates (HP) and grid plates (GP). Utilizing 3D printing technology and environmentally friendly polylactic acid (PLA) as the material, samples of these four types of sandwich plates were integrally fabricated and tested under a 10 J impact energy to assess their impact response, damage mode, and characteristics. The results showed that, compared to HP and GP, the average peak force of EBEP and GBEP increased by 29.38% and 17.06%, respectively. Additionally, GBEP's impact resistance indicators, including specific energy absorption (SEA), were 2.9% to 5.4% higher than those of GP, with maximum peak force (MPF), mean compressive force (Fm), and crush force efficiency (CFE) increasing by 5.0%, 24.5%, and 17.8%, respectively. For EBEP, apart from a slight decrease in CFE (2.6%), SEA was 7.8% to 9.2% higher than HP's, while MPF and Fm increased by 18.2% and 15.2%, respectively. Furthermore, damage analysis revealed that the central residual indentation depth of HP was 640% greater than that of EBEP, and GP's was 63.1% greater than that of EBEP. These experimental results validate that beetle plates have significant advantages in load-bearing capacity and impact resistance.