bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of intravenous lidocaine on the ED50 of propofol induction dose in elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, controlled study
Authors: Tang Lili , Lv Wenhui , Sun Jingjing , Chen Lijian 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Intravenous lidocaine could be a potential alternative adjuvant to propofol-based sedation for gastroscopy in elderly patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of intravenous lidocaine on the median effective dose (ED50) of propofol induction dose in elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.

Methods
The study included 70 patients aged ≥ 60 years undergoing painless gastroscopy with 64 randomly assigned to either group L (2% lidocaine 1.5 mg/kg, n = 31) or group N (equal volume normal saline, n = 33). All patients received propofol induction following 0.1 μg/kg intravenous sufentanil. The Dixon “up-and-down” sequential method was used, with a 1.5 mg/kg initial induction dose of propofol followed by a 0.1 mg/kg sequential variable dose. The primary endpoint was the ED50 of the propofol induction dose. The total propofol dose, recovery time, adverse events, and local anesthetic intoxication reactions were also recorded.

Results
The ED50 of propofol induction dose was 0.670 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.216–0.827) mg/kg in group L and 1.118 (95% CI 0.803–1.232) mg/kg in group N. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.001). The incidence of hypotension and propofol injection pain were lower in group L than in group N (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the orientation recovery time in group L was shorter compared to group N (p < 0.05). None of the participants in group L observed local anesthetic intoxication reactions after receiving lidocaine.

Conclusions
The administration of intravenous lidocaine to elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy resulted in a significant 40% reduction in the ED50 of propofol induction dose, which may be related to the decreased incidence of hypotension and injection pain, as well as the improved post-gastroscopy orientation recovery.

Trial registration
ChiCTR, ChiCTR2200065530. Registered on 08 November 2022.
Effectiveness of Biological Mortars with Bacterial Glycocalyx on Service Life of Concrete Structures Exposed to Salt Attack
Authors: Yoon Hyun-Sub , Yang Keun-Hyeok , Kwon Seung-Jun , Hwang Ji-Won , Lee Sang-Seob , Van Tuan Nguyen 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study investigated the effectiveness and limitations of newly developed biological mortars regarding chloride ion diffusion resistance. Through several tests on the glycocalyx production capacity and growth potentials of bacteria cells under marine environments, Bacillus licheniformis was isolated and immobilized in the expanded vermiculites together with a bacterial culture medium for producing biological mortars. The chloride ion diffusion coefficient of the mortars up to 91 days was determined through natural diffusion cell tests. Subsequently, the service life of RC structure repaired with biological mortars under chloride attack was evaluated considering multilayer theory and time-dependent diffusion. The addition of expanded vermiculites immobilizing Bacillus licheniformis significantly reduced the chloride ion diffusion coefficient. When its addition increased from 10 to 30%, the chloride ion diffusion coefficient decreased by 50–90% compared to that of mortars without bacteria. The service life of reinforced concrete structures repaired with biological mortars containing 30% expanded vermiculite concentration and thickness of 50 mm was evaluated to be six times longer than that of repaired with conventional mortar. Overall, this novel approach holds significant potential in addressing the salt-induced deterioration challenges faced by RC structures.
Optimization of fungicidal and acaricidal metabolite production by endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. SPH2
Authors: Reyes Castillo Nicolas , Díaz Carmen E. , Andres M. Fe , Imperial Juan , Valcárcel Félix , González Coloma Ana Azucena 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThe endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. SPH2 was isolated from the stems of the endemic plant Bethencourtia palmensis and its extracts were found to have strong fungicidal effects against Botrytis cinerea and ixodicidal effects against Hyalomma lusitanicum at different fermentation times. In this study, the fungus was grown using three different culture media and two methodologies, Microparticulate Enhancement Cultivation (MPEC) and Semi-Solid-State Fermentation (Semi-SSF), to increase the production of secondary metabolites during submerged fermentation. The addition of an inert support to the culture medium (Semi-SSF) resulted in a significant increase in the extract production. However, when talcum powder was added to different culture media, unexpected results were observed, with a decrease in the production of the biocompounds of interest. Metabolomic analyses showed that the production of aspergillic, neoaspergillic, and neohydroxyaspergillic acids peaked in the first few days of fermentation, with notable differences observed among the methodologies and culture media. Mellein production was particularly affected by the addition of an inert support to the culture medium. These results highlight the importance of surface properties and morphology of spores and mycelia during fermentation by this fungal species.
Graphical Abstract
Cross subject emotion identification from multichannel EEG sub-bands using Tsallis entropy feature and KNN classifier
Authors: Patel Pragati , Balasubramanian Sivarenjani , Annavarapu Ramesh Naidu 
Published: March 2024

AbstractHuman emotion recognition remains a challenging and prominent issue, situated at the convergence of diverse fields, such as brain–computer interfaces, neuroscience, and psychology. This study utilizes an EEG data set for investigating human emotion, presenting novel findings and a refined approach for EEG-based emotion detection. Tsallis entropy features, computed for q values of 2, 3, and 4, are extracted from signal bands, including theta-θ (4–7 Hz), alpha-α (8–15 Hz), beta-β (16–31 Hz), gamma-γ (32–55 Hz), and the overall frequency range (0–75 Hz). These Tsallis entropy features are employed to train and test a KNN classifier, aiming for accurate identification of two emotional states: positive and negative. In this study, the best average accuracy of 79% and an F-score of 0.81 were achieved in the gamma frequency range for the Tsallis parameter q = 3. In addition, the highest accuracy and F-score of 84% and 0.87 were observed. Notably, superior performance was noted in the anterior and left hemispheres compared to the posterior and right hemispheres in the context of emotion studies. The findings show that the proposed method exhibits enhanced performance, making it a highly competitive alternative to existing techniques. Furthermore, we identify and discuss the shortcomings of the proposed approach, offering valuable insights into potential avenues for improvements.
Correlation of ultrasound features in the TIRADS scoring system with cytological findings in the FNAC of thyroid nodules and their association with the metabolic status
Authors: Hussein Maha Assem , Elesawy Yasmine Fathy , Ghoweba Dina Esam Abd Al-Rahman , Mousa Shrook 
Published: March 2024

Abstract
Background
Thyroid nodules were widely encountered in the population, and the selection of thyroid nodules for fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) remains confusing. It is essential to investigate the risk factors associated with thyroid nodules.

Aim of work
This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the American College of Radiology-Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR-TIRADS) scoring system in distinguishing malignant thyroid nodules from benign ones and its association with cytological examination of the FNAC of the thyroid nodules. Additionally, we seek to investigate any potential association between thyroid nodules and some metabolic derangements.

Patients and methods
The study included 111 Egyptian patients with euthyroid nodules whom were subjected to history taking, clinical examination, and laboratory investigations including thyroid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and lipid profile. Thyroid ultrasound and FNAC were done for all patients. Categorization of each nodule was done according to the TIRADS. Cytopathological diagnosis was done by Bethesda system cytology classification.

Results
There were 19 malignant and 92 benign nodules. There was a statistically significant difference between benign and malignant nodules regarding TIRADS classification, taller-than-wide shape, solidity, border, presence of peripheral calcifications, or punctuate echogenic foci (p < 0.05). Taller-than-wide shape had the highest specificity followed by irregular margin (94.6% and 92.6%, respectively). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for ACR-TIRADS versus cytopathology were 73.7%, 57.6%, 26.4%, and 91.4% respectively with overall accuracy of 60.4%. The high sensitivity and NPV of the US-based TIRADS classification system have excellent utility for correctly classifying nodules as positive for malignant disease. As regards risks for thyroid nodules, results showed that most of the study population were obese [Body Mass Index (BMI) = 31.6 ± 6.3, Waist circumference (WC) = 107.4 ± 13.9]. TSH and hypercholesterolemia did not show a significant association with thyroid malignancy.

Conclusion
ACR-TIRADS classification is of high significant value in classifying nodules as positive for malignant disease and for predicting the absence of malignant disease, reducing unnecessary nodule FNAC. Hypercholesterolemia and TSH value were not significantly associated with malignant thyroid nodules.
Vectorial liquid-crystal holography
Authors: Wang Ze-Yu , Zhou Zhou , Zhang Han , Wei Yang , Yu Hong-Guan , Hu Wei , Chen Wei , Dai Hai-Tao , Ma Ling-Ling , Qiu Cheng-Wei , Lu Yan-Qing 
Published: March 2024

AbstractVectorial optics with fine inhomogeneous polarization control are highly desired. Metasurfaces have been captivated a promising candidate, but their static post-fabrication geometry largely limits the dynamic tunability. Liquid crystal (LC) is usually employed as an additional index-changing layer together with metasurfaces. Unfortunately, most of the reported LCs only impart a varying but uniform phase on top of that from the metasurface, which we term “scalar” LC optics. Here, we pixelate a single-layer LC to display versatile and tunable vectorial holography, in which the polarization and amplitude could be arbitrarily and independently controlled at varying spatial positions. Furthermore, the subtle and vectorial LC-holography highlights the broadband and electrically-switchable functionalities. Our vectorial LC holography reveals significant opportunities for advanced cryptography, super-resolution imaging, and many other applications.
Evaluation of microwave square ring metamaterial-based resonator for glucose detection
Authors: Mustafa Kamal Muhammad Hakimi , Qureshi Suhail Asghar , Zainal Abidin Zuhairiah , Majid Huda A. , See Chan Hwang 
Published: March 2024

AbstractThis study presents a biosensor working at a frequency of 3.5 GHz, which is designed as a square ring metamaterial resonator. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of blood amount on the metamaterial-based resonator sensor’s sensitivity. The structure was constructed using Rogers-RT5880 material, with an overall area of 85.71 mm × 85.71 mm2. The simulation of the design involved modelling the blood samples using Debye 1st-order equations. The empirical results observed a noticeable shift towards a lower frequency range in the response and changes in the magnitude, corresponding to an increase in the blood sample’s glucose concentration and thickness. Following this, the experiment was designed to corroborate the simulated results. The sensor achieved the highest sensitivity of 0.23 dB per 100 mg/dl change in glucose level when the thickness of blood was 0.1 mm. It was concluded from the results that the increase in the volume of blood increases the sensor’s sensitivity. However, a trade-off mark is necessary in which an optimum sensitivity is achieved with blood volume as minimum as possible so that a noninvasive biosensor can be designed.
Development and External Validation of a Home-based Risk Prediction Model of Natural Onset of Menopause—Teuta
Authors: Kastrati Lum , Vidal Pedro Marques , Dhana Klodian , Bally Lia , Lambrinoudaki Irene , Groothof Dion , Bakker Stephan J L , Eisenga Michele F , Muka Taulant 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Objective
To develop and externally validate a 10-year risk prediction model of natural onset of menopause using ready-to-use predictors.

Design
Population-based prospective cohort study.

Participants
Community-dwelling, premenopausal women aged 28 years and older enrolled in the Swiss (CoLaus) and Dutch (PREVEND) study.

Main outcome measure
Incidence of self-reported natural menopause.

Model development
Based on existing literature, 11 predictors were tested in this study. The CoLaus cohort was used to develop the model by applying the backward-elimination approach and Bayesian Model Averaging. Internal validation was performed by bootstrapping. External validation was performed using data from the PREVEND cohort and recalibrating the baseline survival estimate. C-statistics, calibration slopes, and expected/observed probabilities were calculated as measures of model internal and/or external performances.

Results
The final analysis included 750 and 1032 premenopausal women from the CoLaus and the PREVEND cohorts, respectively. Among them, 445 (59%) from CoLaus and 387 (38%) from PREVEND experienced menopause over a median follow-up of 10.7 and 9 years, respectively. The final model included age, alcohol consumption, smoking status, education level, and systolic blood pressure. Upon external calibration in the PREVEND cohort, the model exhibited good discrimination, with a C-statistic of 0.888 and an expected/observed probability of 0.82.

Conclusion
We present the first internally and externally validated prediction model of natural menopause onset using readily available predictors. Validation of our model to other populations is needed.
Analytical Validation of a Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) Promoter Mutation Assay
Authors: Iyer Priyanka C , Dadu Ramona , Barque Anna , Zanelli Cleslei , Zheng Xingyu , Jiang Huimin , Walsh P Sean , Hao Yangyang , Huang Jing , Klopper Joshua P , Kloos Richard T , Cabanillas Maria 
Published: March 2024

Abstract

Context
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter-mutated thyroid cancers are associated with a decreased rate of disease-free and disease-specific survival. High-quality analytical validation of a diagnostic test promotes confidence in the results that inform clinical decision-making.

Objective
This work aimed to demonstrate the analytical validation of the Afirma TERT promoter mutation assay.

Methods
TERT promoter C228T and C250T variant detection in genomic DNA (gDNA) was analyzed by assessing variable DNA input and the limit of detection (LOD) of variant allele frequency (VAF). The negative and positive percentage agreement (NPA and PPA) of the Afirma TERT test was examined against a reference primer pair as was the analytical specificity from potential interfering substances (RNA and blood gDNA). Further, the intrarun, interrun, and interlaboratory reproducibility of the assay were tested.

Results
The Afirma TERT test is tolerant to variation in DNA input amount (7-13 ng) and can detect expected positive TERT promoter variants down to 5% VAF LOD at 7 ng DNA input with greater than 95% sensitivity. Both NPA and PPA were 100% against the reference primer pair. The test remains accurate in the presence of 20% RNA or 80% blood gDNA for an average patient sample that typically has 30% VAF. The test also demonstrated a 100% confirmation rate when compared with an external next-generation sequencing–based reference assay executed in a non-Veracyte laboratory.

Conclusion
The analytical robustness and reproducibility of the Afirma TERT test support its routine clinical use among thyroid nodules with indeterminate cytology that are Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier suspicious or among Bethesda V/VI nodules.
Dziedzictwo geomorfologiczne Geoparku Świętokrzyskiego i jego znaczenie dla geoturystyki
Authors: Poros Michał , Urban Jan , Ludwikowska-Kędzia Małgorzata 
Published: March 2024

Geopark Świętokrzyski to pierwszy Światowy Geopark UNESCO funkcjonujący w całości na terytorium Polski. Geopark położony jest w południowo-zachodniej części Gór Świętokrzyskich, na obszarze charakteryzującym się zróżnicowaną budową geologiczną, która odzwierciedla się także w specyfice rzeźby terenu. Ewolucja morfologiczna tego obszaru uwarunkowana została głównie zróżnicowaną budową litologiczną i strukturalną podłoża podczwartorzędowego oraz oddziaływaniem różnych procesów morfogenetycznych wynikających ze zmian klimatycznych zachodzących w kenozoiku. Obecne ukształtowanie terenu Geoparku stanowi wypadkową wszystkich tych uwarunkowań oraz antropopresji związanej m.in. z dawną i współczesną eksploatacją surowców mineralnych. W granicach Geoparku Świętokrzyskiego modelowym obszarem, na którym można obserwować te zależności jest Chęcińsko-Kielecki Park Krajobrazowy. Dziedzictwo geomorfologiczne rozumiane jako część dziedzictwa geologicznego związanego z formami ukształtowania terenu, decyduje o wysokim potencjale geoturystycznym tego obszaru. Praktyczne wykorzystanie tego potencjału dla zrównoważonego rozwoju społeczno-gospodarczego obszaru objętego granicami Geoparku jest przedmiotem działań realizowanych przez samorządy lokalne we współpracy z instytucjami naukowymi, organizacjami pozarządowymi oraz organami administracji publicznej.
Angular uniformity improvement of diffractive waveguide display based on region geometry optimization
Authors: Li Ziyin , Gao Chen , Li Haifeng , Wu Rengmao , Liu Xu 
Published: March 2024

Augmented reality (AR) near-eye displays have significantly progressed due to advances in nanostructure fabrication. However, for diffractive waveguide AR displays requiring exit pupil expansion, the angular uniformity of each exit pupil position still needs to improve. In this paper, an angular uniformity improvement method based on region geometry optimization is proposed. This optimization method essentially introduces the interaction number of the light with the grating as one of the variables to manipulate the energy distribution. This distribution is obtained by the rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) method and ray tracing process and is further optimized by a multi-objective genetic algorithm. A model is built, and the feasibility of the proposed method is verified. The diffractive waveguide system has a 10mm×10mm exit pupil size at the eye relief of 25 mm and a field of view (FOV) of 21∘×12∘. After the optimization, the overall optical efficiency of the central field and the angular uniformity at the center exit pupil position increased from 0.9% and 66% to 3.1% and 80%, respectively.
Ultralow noise microwave synthesis via difference frequency division of a Brillouin resonator
Authors: Loh William , Gray Dodd , Irion Reed , May Owen , Belanger Connor , Plant Jason , Juodawlkis Paul W. , Yegnanarayanan Siva 
Published: March 2024

Low phase noise microwave oscillators are at the center of a multitude of applications that span the gamut of photonics and electronics. Within this space, optically derived approaches to microwave frequency synthesis are particularly compelling owing to their unique combination of ultrawideband frequency access and the potential for resiliency to temperature and environmental perturbation via common-mode noise rejection. We demonstrate here an optical frequency divider that uses the 30 terahertz frequency gap between two stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) lasers as the basis for frequency division. The resulting microwave signal, centered at 10 GHz frequency, exhibits exceptionally low phase noise levels of −95dBc/Hz and −110dBc/Hz at 10 Hz and 100 Hz frequency offset, respectively. Moreover, the two SBS lasers, generated from a common fiber resonator, exhibit a high degree of correlated noise cancellation in their frequency difference. We measure 16.1 dB of noise rejection against intentionally applied vibrations, thus showcasing a promising pathway towards portable and robust ultralow noise photonic-microwave synthesis.
Der Einfluss von KI auf die Rolle von Vertriebspersonen im B2B
Authors: Markic Mihael , Knickrehm Charlotte , Ahlfeld Christian 
Published: March 2024

ZusammenfassungDer technische Vertrieb im Business-to-Business (B2B) galt bislang als schwer zu automatisieren, da dieser durch komplexe und individuelle Produkte mit langen Lebenszyklen sowie durch einen hohen Beratungsbedarf und intensive Kundenbeziehungen gekennzeichnet ist. Die zunehmenden Fähigkeiten digitaler Technologien, insbesondere der künstlichen Intelligenz, werfen jedoch die Frage auf, welche Rolle der Mensch in einem immer stärker von künstlicher Intelligenz geprägten Geschäftsumfeld einnehmen wird.Auf Basis einer qualitativen Studie mit 13 Interviews wird der Einfluss von künstlicher Intelligenz auf die Rolle von Personen im technischen B2B-Vertrieb untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Rollenveränderung aus einer operativen (Veränderung der Aufgaben und der Verantwortungen), einer kognitiven (Veränderung der Fähigkeiten) und einer psychologischen Komponente (Veränderung der Selbstwahrnehmung) besteht. Es zeigt sich aber auch, dass sich die Rolle der Vertriebspersonen durch den Einsatz von künstlicher Intelligenz zwar verändert, sie im technischen B2B-Vertrieb aber weiterhin eine zentrale bleibt, da menschliche Fähigkeiten und Eigenschaften auch zukünftig die wesentlichen Differenzierungsmerkmale im Wettbewerb darstellen.