bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of Non - Renewable Energy on Manufacturing Output in Nigeria
Authors: Awujola Abayomi , Ezie Obumneke , Sunday Effiong Emmanuel 
Published: October 2023

The role of energy, especially non-renewable energy in promoting manufacturing sector activities and operations in developing countries like Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized. This paper investigated the effect of non-renewable energy on textile and clothing output as a sub-sector of the manufacturing sector in Nigeria using time series data covering the period 1986 to 2021. Expost -Facto design was employed as a guide. The study used annual time series data on hydro-electricity, petroleum and gas energy respectively as components of non-renewable energy and textile and clothing manufacturing sub-sector output in Nigeria spanning from 1986 to 2022. Data used were obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Publication and the World Development Indicators (WDI) considered as reliable sources of data for econometric analysis. The ARDL regression technique was used to estimate depicting the relationship between the variables, while the econometric properties of the data were determined using the Phillip-Perron (PP) unit root test and the Bounds cointegration methods. Mean, kurtosis and skewness were employed to describe the data. Results showed among others, that textile and clothing (coefficient, 1.25449; probability value, 0. 000) has significant positive effect on output level. Coal energy consumption (CEC) (coefficient, -6.665467; p, 0.7170), while petroleum energy consumption (PEC) (coefficient, -0.090996; p-value, 0. 6910) had no significant negative effect on textile and clothing output level. Furthermore, gas energy consumption (GEC (coefficient, 19.80158, p, 0.0069) had significant positive effect on textile and clothing output in Nigeria. The Paper concluded that non-renewable energy has no significant effect on textile and clothing output in Nigeria. The study recommended among others, that alternative energy sources, particularly renewable sources should be explored by the federal ministry of petroleum for enhanced economic growth, particularly of textile and clothing output.
Location and Types of Treatment for Prostate Cancer After the Veterans Choice Program Implementation
Authors: Erickson Bradley A. , Hoffman Richard M. , Wachsmuth Jason , Packiam Vignesh T. , Vaughan-Sarrazin Mary S. 
Published: October 2023

ImportanceThe Veterans Choice Program (VCP) was implemented in 2014 to help veterans gain broader access to specialized care outside of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities by providing them with purchased community care (CC).ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence and patterns in VCP-funded purchased CC after the implementation of the VCP among veterans with prostate cancer.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study used VHA administrative data on veterans with prostate cancer diagnosed between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018. These veterans were regular VHA primary care users. Analyses were performed from March to July 2023.ExposuresDriving distance (in miles) from residence to nearest VHA tertiary care facility. The location (VHA or purchased CC) in which treatment decisions were made was ascertained by considering 3 factors: (1) location of the diagnostic biopsy, (2) location of most of the postdiagnostic prostate-specific antigen laboratory testing, and (3) location of most of the postdiagnostic urological care encounters.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe main outcome was receipt of definitive treatment and proportion of purchased CC by treatment type (radical prostatectomy [RP], radiotherapy [RT], or active surveillance) and by distance to nearest VHA tertiary care facility. Quality was evaluated based on receipt of definitive treatment for Gleason grade group 1 prostate cancer (low risk/limited treatment benefit by guidelines).ResultsThe cohort included 45 029 veterans (mean [SD] age, 67.1 [6.9] years) with newly diagnosed prostate cancer; of these patients, 28 866 (64.1%) underwent definitive treatment. Overall, 56.8% of patients received definitive treatment from the purchased CC setting, representing 37.5% of all RP care and 66.7% of all RT care received during the study period. Most patients who received active surveillance management (92.5%) remained within the VHA. Receipt of definitive treatment increased over the study period (from 5830 patients in 2015 to 9304 in 2018), with increased purchased CC for patients living farthest from VHA tertiary care facilities. The likelihood of receiving definitive treatment of Gleason grade group 1 prostate cancer was higher in the purchased CC setting (adjusted relative risk ratio, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.65-1.93).Conclusions and RelevanceThis cohort study found that the percentage of veterans receiving definitive treatment in VCP-funded purchased CC settings increased significantly over the study period. Increased access, however, may come at the cost of low care quality (overtreatment) for low-risk prostate cancer.
Clinician-Driven AI: Code-Free Self-Training on Public Data for Diabetic Retinopathy Referral
Authors: Korot Edward , Gonçalves Mariana Batista , Huemer Josef , Beqiri Sara , Khalid Hagar , Kelly Madeline , Chia Mark , Mathijs Emily , Struyven Robbert , Moussa Magdy , Keane Pearse A. 
Published: October 2023

ImportanceDemocratizing artificial intelligence (AI) enables model development by clinicians with a lack of coding expertise, powerful computing resources, and large, well-labeled data sets.ObjectiveTo determine whether resource-constrained clinicians can use self-training via automated machine learning (ML) and public data sets to design high-performing diabetic retinopathy classification models.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis diagnostic quality improvement study was conducted from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. A self-training method without coding was used on 2 public data sets with retinal images from patients in France (Messidor-2 [n = 1748]) and the UK and US (EyePACS [n = 58 689]) and externally validated on 1 data set with retinal images from patients of a private Egyptian medical retina clinic (Egypt [n = 210]). An AI model was trained to classify referable diabetic retinopathy as an exemplar use case. Messidor-2 images were assigned adjudicated labels available on Kaggle; 4 images were deemed ungradable and excluded, leaving 1744 images. A total of 300 images randomly selected from the EyePACS data set were independently relabeled by 3 blinded retina specialists using the International Classification of Diabetic Retinopathy protocol for diabetic retinopathy grade and diabetic macular edema presence; 19 images were deemed ungradable, leaving 281 images. Data analysis was performed from February 1 to February 28, 2021.ExposuresUsing public data sets, a teacher model was trained with labeled images using supervised learning. Next, the resulting predictions, termed pseudolabels, were used on an unlabeled public data set. Finally, a student model was trained with the existing labeled images and the additional pseudolabeled images.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe analyzed metrics for the models included the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and F1 score. The Fisher exact test was performed, and 2-tailed P values were calculated for failure case analysis.ResultsFor the internal validation data sets, AUROC values for performance ranged from 0.886 to 0.939 for the teacher model and from 0.916 to 0.951 for the student model. For external validation of automated ML model performance, AUROC values and accuracy were 0.964 and 93.3% for the teacher model, 0.950 and 96.7% for the student model, and 0.890 and 94.3% for the manually coded bespoke model, respectively.Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings suggest that self-training using automated ML is an effective method to increase both model performance and generalizability while decreasing the need for costly expert labeling. This approach advances the democratization of AI by enabling clinicians without coding expertise or access to large, well-labeled private data sets to develop their own AI models.
Outbreak of Bilateral Endophthalmitis After Immediate Sequential Bilateral Cataract Surgery
Authors: Bjerager Jakob , Leegaard Holm Ditte-Marie , Holm Lars , Faber Carsten , Bate Anja , Christakopoulos Christos , Solborg Bjerrum Søren 
Published: October 2023

ImportanceSince bilateral simultaneous postoperative endophthalmitis (BSPOE) after immediate sequential bilateral cataract surgery (ISBCS) can be devastating for the patient, evaluating such cases in depth is important to maintaining patient safety.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether a systemic breach of sterility was associated with an outbreak of BSPOE after ISBCSs performed on the same day at a single community-based eye clinic.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis retrospective case series included all patients diagnosed with BSPOE at ophthalmology departments in Denmark following an infectious outbreak after ISBCSs performed at a single community-based eye clinic in December 2022.ExposureBilateral simultaneous postoperative endophthalmitis acquired after ISBCS.Main Outcome and MeasuresPatient recovery from BSPOE after ISBCS was evaluated based on clinical and microbiological reports.ResultsA woman aged 71 years, a man aged 84 years, and a woman aged 79 years consecutively presented with symptoms of endophthalmitis at regional eye departments 4 to 8 days after ISBCS performed on the same date at the same eye clinic. Five of 6 infected eyes underwent vitrectomy, and all eyes received an intravitreous injection of antibiotics. The same strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis was isolated in 4 of 5 eyes that underwent vitrectomy. Contamination of viscoelastics was ruled out with repeated cultures. One eye was eviscerated due to phthisis. In another patient, the final visual acuity of the eye most severely affected was 20/63 Snellen equivalents. Visual acuity of the remaining eyes recovered to 20/25 (3 eyes in 2 patients) and 20/20 (1 eye) Snellen equivalents.Conclusions and RelevanceThe finding of the same strain of S epidermidis in all patient cultures suggests a systemic breach of sterility at the clinic on the day of ISBCS. The outcome of these cases emphasizes the need to adhere to a strict surgical methodology and sterile principles during ISBCS.
Electrically Tunable Spin Exchange Splitting in Graphene Hybrid Heterostructure
Authors: Shin Dongwon , Kim Hyeonbeom , Hong Sung Ju , Song Sehwan , Choi Yeongju , Kim Youngkuk , Park Sungkyun , Suh Dongseok , Choi Woo Seok 
Published: October 2023

AbstractGraphene, with spin and valley degrees of freedom, fosters unexpected physical and chemical properties for the realization of next‐generation quantum devices. However, the spin‐symmetry of graphene is rather robustly protected, hampering manipulation of the spin degrees of freedom for the application of spintronic devices such as electric gate‐tunable spin filters. It is demonstrated that a hybrid heterostructure composed of graphene and LaCoO3 epitaxial thin film exhibits an electrically tunable spin‐exchange splitting. The large and adjustable spin‐exchange splitting of 155.9 – 306.5 meV is obtained by the characteristic shifts in both the spin‐symmetry‐broken quantum Hall states and the Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. Strong hybridization‐induced charge transfer across the hybrid heterointerface has been identified for the observed spin exchange splitting. The substantial and facile controllability of the spin exchange splitting provides an opportunity for spintronics applications with the electrically‐tunable spin polarization in hybrid heterostructures.
Biomimetic Nanocarriers of Pro‐Resolving Lipid Mediators for Resolution of Inflammation in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Anghelache Maria , Voicu Geanina , Deleanu Mariana , Turtoi Mihaela , Safciuc Florentina , Anton Ruxandra , Boteanu Delia , Fenyo Ioana Madalina , Manduteanu Ileana , Simionescu Maya , Calin Manuela 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAtherosclerosis (ATH) is a systemic disease characterized by a chronic inflammatory process and lipid deposition in the arterial walls. The chronic inflammation within ATH lesions results, at least in part, from the failed resolution of inflammation. This process is controlled actively by specialized pro‐resolving lipid mediators (SPMs), namely lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and maresins. Herein, biomimetic nanocarriers are produced comprising a cocktail of SPMs‐loaded lipid nanoemulsions (LN) covered with macrophage membranes (Bio‐LN/SPMs). Bio‐LN/SPMs retain on their surface the macrophage receptors involved in cellular interactions and the “marker of self” CD47, which impede their recognition and uptake by other macrophages. The binding of Bio‐LN/SPMs to the surface of endothelial cells (EC) and smooth muscle cells (SMC) is facilitated by the receptors on the macrophage membranes and partly by SPMs receptors. In addition, Bio‐LN/SPMs prove functional by reducing monocyte adhesion and transmigration to/through activated EC and by stimulating macrophage phagocytic activity. After intravenous administration, Bio‐LN/SPMs accumulate in the aorta of ApoE‐deficient mice at the level of atherosclerotic lesions. Also, the safety assessment testing reveals no side effects or immunotoxicity of Bio‐LN/SPMs. Thus, the newly developed Bio‐LN/SPMs represent a reliable targeted nanomedicine for the resolution of inflammation in atherosclerosis.
Photoemission Study of the Thermoelectric Group IV‐VI van der Waals Crystals (GeS, SnS, and SnSe)
Authors: Tołłoczko Agata K. , Zelewski Szymon J. , Ziembicki Jakub , Olszowska Natalia , Rosmus Marcin , Woźniak Tomasz , Tongay Sefaattin , Kudrawiec Robert 
Published: October 2023

AbstractGroup IV‐VI van der Waals crystals (MX, where M = Ge, Sn, and X = S, Se) are receiving increasing attention as semiconducting thermoelectric materials with nontoxic, earth‐abundant composition. Among them, SnSe is considered the most promising as it exhibits a remarkably high thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT), initially attributed to its low lattice thermal conductivity. However, it has been shown that the electronic band structure plays an equally important role in thermoelectric performance. A certain band shape, described as a “pudding mold” and characteristic for all MXs, has been predicted to significantly improve ZT by combining good electrical conductivity with high Seebeck coefficient. This subtle feature is explored experimentally for GeS, SnS, and SnSe by means of angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The technique also allows for the determination of the effective mass and Fermi level position of as‐grown undoped crystals. The findings are supported by ab initio calculations of the electronic band structure. The results greatly contribute to the general understanding of the valence band dispersion of MXs and reinforce their potential as high‐performance thermoelectric materials, additionally giving prospects for designing systems consisting of van der Waals heterostructures.
Bright Transparent Scintillators with High Fraction BaCl2: Eu2+ Nanocrystals Precipitation: An Ionic‐Covalent Hybrid Network Strategy toward Superior X‐Ray Imaging Glass‐Ceramics
Authors: Liu Qunhuo , Ran Peng , Chen Weilin , Shi Nian , Zhang Wei , Qiao Xvsheng , Jiang Tingming , Yang Yang (Michael) , Ren Jinjun , Wang Zhiyu , Qian Guodong , Fan Xianping 
Published: October 2023

AbstractMetal halide crystals are bright but hygroscopic scintillator materials that are widely used in X‐ray imaging and detectors. Precipitating them in situ in glass to form glass ceramics (GCs) scintillator offers an efficient avenue for large‐scale preparation, high spatial resolution, and excellent stability. However, precipitating a high fraction of metal halide nanocrystals in glass to maintain high light yield remains a challenge. Herein, an ionic‐covalent hybrid network strategy for constructing GCs scintillator with high crystallinity (up to ≈37%) of BaCl2: Eu2+ nanocrystals is presented. Experimental data and simulations of glass structure reveal that the Ba2+‐Cl− clustering promotes the high crystallization of BaCl2 nanocrystals. The ultralow phonon energy (≈200 cm−1) of BaCl2 nanocrystals and good Eu reduction effect enable high photoluminescence inter quantum efficiency (≈80.41%) in GC. GCs with varied crystallinity of BaCl2: Eu2+ nanocrystals demonstrate efficient radioluminescence and tunable scintillator performance. They either outperform Bi4Ge3O14 single crystal by over 132% steady‐state light yield or provide impressive X‐ray imaging resolutions of 20 lp mm−1. These findings provide a new design strategy for developing bright transparent GCs scintillators with a high fraction of metal halide nanocrystals for X‐ray high‐resolution imaging applications.
Effects of crop residue incorporation on soil‐biodegradable mulch film degradation in a broccoli‐sorghum rotation system
Authors: Francioni Matteo , Hoshino Yuko Takada , Kishimoto‐Mo Ayaka Wenhong 
Published: October 2023

AbstractSoil‐biodegradable mulch films are designed to be incorporated into the soil at the end of the crop cycle, to be degraded by soil microorganisms. Despite growing scientific interest, open‐field studies about the fate of these mulch films in soils are rare, with most research conducted in laboratories. We performed an open‐field trial to evaluate the effects of soil incorporation of both a combining a commercial soil‐biodegradable mulch film and broccoli and sorghum crop residues over two cropping seasons. The mulch film was sampled after broccoli harvesting and placed inside mesh bags that were buried horizontally or vertically at different depths. Film biodegradation was assessed by direct (CO2 emissions) and indirect indicators (film mass and area loss). Three experiments were conducted to evaluate (a) how incorporating crop residues affect mulch film degradation; (b) temporal changes of soil microbial activity after the incorporation of crop residues and mulch films; and (c) possible bias in the measurement of soil CO2 emissions due to horizontal vs. vertical mesh bag orientation. Incorporation of crop residues enhanced mulch film degradation and increased the soil esterase activity. However, abundance of soil fungi and bacteria in bulk soil was not increased by mulch film presence. Mesh bag orientation did not alter the soil CO2 efflux or affect the degradation degree of mulch films. Film in mesh bags buried at 10–15 cm depth showed greater degradation than those buried at 0–5 cm. Further in‐field studies are necessary to evaluate the effects of soil incorporation of residue from different crops and impacts of other associated management practices such as various soil tillage regimes.
Pain intensity, physical function, and depressive symptoms associated with discontinuing long‐term opioid therapy in older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
Authors: Wei Yu‐Jung Jenny , Winterstein Almut G. , Schmidt Siegfried , Fillingim Roger B. , Daniels Michael J. , Solberg Laurence , DeKosky Steven T. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractINTRODUCTIONLimited evidence exists on the associations of discontinuing versus continuing long‐term opioid therapy (LTOT) with pain intensity, physical function, and depression among patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD).METHODSA cohort study among 138,059 older residents with mild‐to‐moderate ADRD and receipt of LTOT was conducted using a 100% Medicare nursing home sample. Discontinuation of LTOT was defined as no opioid refills for ≥ 60 days. Outcomes were worsening pain, physical function, and depression from baseline to quarterly assessments during 1‐ and 2‐year follow‐ups.RESULTSThe adjusted odds of worsening pain and depressive symptoms were 29% and 5% lower at the 1‐year follow‐up and 35% and 9% lower at the 2‐year follow‐up for residents who discontinued versus continued LTOT, with no difference in physical function.DISCUSSIONDiscontinuing LTOT was associated with lower short‐ and long‐term worsening pain and depressive symptoms than continuing LTOT among older residents with ADRD.Highlights
Discontinuing long‐term opioid therapy (LTOT) was associated with lower short‐ and long‐term worsening pain.
Discontinuing LTOT was related to lower short‐ and long‐term worsening depression.
Discontinuing LTOT was not associated with short‐ and long‐term physical function.
How Acyl Carrier Proteins (ACPs) Direct Fatty Acid and Polyketide Biosynthesis
Authors: Buyachuihan Lynn , Stegemann Franziska , Grininger Martin 
Published: October 2023

AbstractMegasynthases, such as type I fatty acid and polyketide synthases (FASs and PKSs), are multienzyme complexes responsible for producing primary metabolites and complex natural products. Fatty acids (FAs) and polyketides (PKs) are built by assembling and modifying small acyl moieties in a stepwise manner. A central aspect of FA and PK biosynthesis involves the shuttling of substrates between the domains of the multienzyme complex. This essential process is mediated by small acyl carrier proteins (ACPs). The ACPs must navigate to the different catalytic domains within the multienzyme complex in a particular order to guarantee the fidelity of the biosynthesis pathway. However, the precise mechanisms underlying ACP‐mediated substrate shuttling, particularly the factors contributing to the programming of the ACP movement, still need to be fully understood. This Review illustrates the current understanding of substrate shuttling, including concepts of conformational and specificity control, and proposes a confined ACP movement within type I megasynthases.
Synergistic Activation of Nitrite and Thiocarbonyl Compounds Affords NO and Sulfane Sulfur via (Per)thionitrite (SNO−/SSNO−)
Authors: Kolliyedath Gayathri , Sahana Tuhin , Johnson Silpa Mary , Kundu Subrata 
Published: October 2023

Abstract(Per)thionitrite (SNO−/SSNO−) intermediates play vital roles in modulating nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) dependent bio‐signalling processes. Whilst the previous preparations of such intermediates involved reactive H2S/HS− or sulfane sulfur (S0) species, the present report reveals that relatively stable thiocarbonyl compounds (such as carbon disulfide (CS2), thiocarbamate, thioacetic acid, and thioacetate) react with nitrite anion to yield SNO−/SSNO−. For instance, the reaction of CS2 and nitrite anion (NO2−) under ambient condition affords CO2 and SNO−/SSNO−. A detailed investigation involving UV/Vis, FTIR, HRMS, and multinuclear NMR studies confirm the formation of SNO−/SSNO−, which are proposed to form through an initial nucleophilic attack by nitrite anion followed by a transnitrosation step. Notably, reactions of CS2 and nitrite in the presence of thiol RSH show the formation of organic polysulfides R‐Sn‐R, thereby illustrating that the thiocarbonyls are capable of influencing the pool of bioavailable sulfane sulfurs. Furthermore, the availability of both NO2− and thiocarbonyl motifs in the biological context hints at their synergistic metal‐free activations leading to the generation of NO gas and various reactive sulfur species via SNO−/SSNO−.