bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A virtual-pinhole PET device for improving contrast recovery and enhancing lesion detectability of a one-meter-long PET scanner: a simulation study
Authors: Jiang Jianyong , Hua Jianlang , Wang Haihao , Yuan Ziquan , Meng Yuan , Lu Haoyu , Liu Steven , Chen Yunlai , Tai Yuan-Chuan 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
This paper presents a simulation study to demonstrate that the contrast recovery coefficients (CRC) and detectability of small lesions of a one-meter-long positron emission tomography (PET) scanner can be further enhanced by the integration of high resolution virtual-pinhole (VP) PET devices. The scanner under investigation is a Siemens Biograph Vision Quadra which has an axial field-of-view (FOV) of 106 cm. The VP-PET devices contain two high-resolution flat panel detectors, each composed of 2 × 8 detector modules each of which consists of 32 × 64 lutetium-oxyorthosilicate crystals (1.0 × 1.0 × 10.0 mm3 each). Two configurations for the VP-PET device placement were evaluated: (1) place the two flat-panel detectors at the center of the scanner’s axial FOV below the patient bed; (2) place one flat-panel detector at the center of the first and the last quarter of the scanner’s axial FOV below the patient bed. Sensitivity profiles were measured by moving a point 22Na source stepwise across the scanner’s FOV axially at different locations. To assess the improvement in CRC and lesion detectability by the VP-PET devices, an elliptical torso phantom (31.6 × 22.8 × 106 cm3) was first imaged by the native scanner then subsequently by the two VP-PET geometry configurations. Spherical lesions (4 mm in diameter) having 5:1 lesion-to-background radioactivity concentration ratio were grouped and placed at nine regions in the phantom to analyze the dependence of the improvement in plane. Average CRCs and their standard deviations of the 7 tumors in each group were computed and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the improvement in lesion detectability by the VP-PET device over the native long axial PET scanner. The fraction of coincidence events between the inserts and the scanner detectors was 13%–16% (out of the total number of coincidences) for VP-PET configuration 1 and 2, respectively. The VP-PET systems provide higher CRCs for lesions in all regions in the torso, with more significant enhancement at regions closer to the inserts, than the native scanner does. For any given false positive fraction, the VP-PET systems offer higher true positive fraction compared to the native scanner. This work provides a potential solution to further enhance the image resolution of a long axial FOV PET scanner to maximize its lesion detectability afforded by its super high effective sensitivity.
Optically stimulated luminescence detectors for dosimetry and LET measurements in light ion beams
Authors: Christensen Jeppe Brage , Muñoz Iván Domingo , Bassler Niels , Stengl Christina , Bossin Lily , Togno Michele , Safai Sairos , Jäkel Oliver , Yukihara Eduardo Gardenali 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Objective. This work investigates the use of Al2O3:C and Al2O3:C,Mg optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) detectors to determine both the dose and the radiation quality in light ion beams. The radiation quality is here expressed through either the linear energy transfer (LET) or the closely related metric Q
eff, which depends on the particle’s speed and effective charge. The derived LET and Q
eff values are applied to improve the dosimetry in light ion beams. Approach. OSL detectors were irradiated in mono-energetic 1H-, 4He-, 12C-, and 16O-ion beams. The OSL signal is associated with two emission bands that were separated using a pulsed stimulation technique and subjected to automatic corrections based on reference irradiations. Each emission band was investigated independently for dosimetry, and the ratio of the two emission intensities was parameterized as a function of fluence- and dose-averaged LET, as well as Q
eff. The determined radiation quality was subsequently applied to correct the dose for ionization quenching. Main results. For both materials, the Q
eff determinations in 1H- and 4He-ion beams are within 5 % of the Monte Carlo simulated values. Using the determined radiation quality metrics to correct the nonlinear (ionization quenched) detector response leads to doses within 2 % of the reference doses. Significance. Al2O3:C and Al2O3:C,Mg OSL detectors are applicable for dosimetry and radiation quality estimations in 1H- and 4He-ions. Only Al2O3:C,Mg shows promising results for dosimetry in 12C-ions. Across both materials and the investigated ions, the estimated Q
eff values were less sensitive to the ion types than the estimated LET values were. The reduced uncertainties suggest new possibilities for simultaneously estimating the physical and biological dose in particle therapy with OSL detectors.
Investigation of TL and OSL detectors in ultra-high dose rate electron beams
Authors: Motta S , Christensen J B , Frei F , Peier P , Yukihara E G 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Objective. This work aims at investigating the response of various thermally stimulated luminescence detectors (TLDs) and optically stimulated luminescence detectors (OSLDs) for dosimetry of ultra-high dose rate electron beams. The study was driven by the challenges of dosimetry at ultra-high dose rates and the importance of dosimetry for FLASH radiotherapy and radiobiology experiments. Approach. Three types of TLDs (LiF:Mg,Ti; LiF:Mg,Cu,P; CaF2:Tm) and one type of OSLD (Al2O3:C) were irradiated in a 15 MeV electron beam with instantaneous dose rates in the (1–324) kGy s−1 range. Reference dosimetry was carried out with an integrating current transformer, which was calibrated in absorbed dose to water against a reference ionization chamber. Additionally, dose rate independent BeO OSLDs were employed as a reference. Beam non-uniformity was addressed using a matrix of TLDs/OSLDs. Main results. The investigated TLDs were shown to be dose rate independent within the experimental uncertainties, which take into account the uncertainty of the dosimetry protocol and the irradiation uncertainty. The relative deviation between the TLDs and the reference dose was lower than 4 % for all dose rates. A decreasing response with the dose rate was observed for Al2O3:C OSLDs, but still within 10 % from the reference dose. Significance. The precision of the investigated luminescence detectors make them suitable for dosimetry of ultra-high dose rate electron beams. Specifically, the dose rate independence of the TLDs can support the investigation of the beam uniformity as a function of the dose rate, which is one of the challenges of the employed beam. Al2O3:C OSLDs provided high precision measurements, but the decreasing response with the dose rate needs to be confirmed by additional experiments.
On the Nature of Jets from a Main Sequence Companion at the Onset of Common Envelope Evolution
Authors: Soker Noam 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
I consider a flow structure by which main sequence companions that enter a common envelope evolution (CEE) with giant stars might launch jets even when the accreted gas has a sub-Keplerian specific angular momentum. I first show that after a main sequence star enters the envelope of a giant star the specific angular momentum of the accreted gas is sub-Keplerian but still sufficiently large for the accreted gas to avoid two conical-like openings along the two opposite polar directions. I suggest that the high-pressure zone that the accreted gas builds around the main sequence equatorial plane accelerates outflows along these polar openings. Most of the inflowing gas is deflected to the polar outflows, i.e., two oppositely directed jets. The actual mass that the main sequence star accretes is only a small fraction, ≈0.1, of the inflowing gas. However, the gravitational energy that this gas releases powers the inflow-outflow streaming of gas and adds energy to the common envelope ejection. This flow structure might take place during a grazing envelope evolution if it occurs, during the early CEE and possibly in some post-CEE cases. This study increases the parameter space for main sequence stars to launch jets. Such jets might shape some morphological features in planetary nebulae, add energy to mass removal in CEE and power some intermediate luminosity optical transients.
Toroidal modeling of plasma flow damping and density pump-out by RMP during ELM mitigation in HL-2A
Authors: Zhang N. , Liu Y.Q. , Yu D.L. , Liu Yi , Hao G.Z. , Liu L. , He X.X. , Sun T.F. , Ji X.Q. , Wang S. , Dong G.Q. , Bai X. , Wei Y.L. , Chen W.J. , Sun Y.W. , Jiang M. , Zhang Y.P. , Shi Z.B. , Zhong W.L. , Xu M. 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Reduction of both the plasma density and toroidal flow speed, due to application of the predominantly n = 1 (n is the toroidal mode number) resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) for controlling the edge localized mode in the HL-2A tokamak, is numerically investigated utilizing the quasi-linear initial-value code MARS-Q (Liu et al 2013 Phys. Plasmas
20 042503). Simulation results reveal that the neoclassical toroidal viscosity (NTV) due to three dimensional fields plays the key role in modifying the plasma momentum and particle transport in the HL-2A discharge. By comparing the modeling results with the measured density pump-out in the experiment, the electron NTV particle flux model, in combination with the free-boundary condition for the axisymmetric change of the density at the plasma edge, is found to yield the best agreement in terms of both the pump-out level and the overall time scale. Further sensitivity studies show that the simulated density pump-out level is reasonably robust against variations in the model assumptions, including the particle diffusion model and the non-ambipolar versus ambipolar NTV particle flux. The latter however affects the time scale for reaching the steady state solution. Finally, it is found that the plasma edge-peeling response, the NTV torque, as well as the plasma momentum and particle transport, all are sensitive to the toroidal phase difference between the upper and lower rows of the RMP coil currents in HL-2A, with the 30∘ coil phasing producing the minimal side effects on the plasma.
The entropy production of stationary diffusions
Authors: Da Costa Lancelot , Pavliotis Grigorios A 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
The entropy production rate is a central quantity in non-equilibrium statistical physics, scoring how far a stochastic process is from being time-reversible. In this paper, we compute the entropy production of diffusion processes at non-equilibrium steady-state under the condition that the time-reversal of the diffusion remains a diffusion. We start by characterising the entropy production of both discrete and continuous-time Markov processes. We investigate the time-reversal of time-homogeneous stationary diffusions and recall the most general conditions for the reversibility of the diffusion property, which includes hypoelliptic and degenerate diffusions, and locally Lipschitz vector fields. We decompose the drift into its time-reversible and irreversible parts, or equivalently, the generator into symmetric and antisymmetric operators. We show the equivalence with a decomposition of the backward Kolmogorov equation considered in hypocoercivity theory, and a decomposition of the Fokker-Planck equation in GENERIC form. The main result shows that when the time-irreversible part of the drift is in the range of the volatility matrix (almost everywhere) the forward and time-reversed path space measures of the process are mutually equivalent, and evaluates the entropy production. When this does not hold, the measures are mutually singular and the entropy production is infinite. We verify these results using exact numerical simulations of linear diffusions. We illustrate the discrepancy between the entropy production of non-linear diffusions and their numerical simulations in several examples and illustrate how the entropy production can be used for accurate numerical simulation. Finally, we discuss the relationship between time-irreversibility and sampling efficiency, and how we can modify the definition of entropy production to score how far a process is from being generalised reversible.
Mix proportion optimization and early strength development in modified foam concrete: an experimental study
Authors: Shi Minghui , Yin Guansheng , Wei Pengfei , Zhang Jintao , Yang Zhaotong 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
The influence of the single polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE) and blending it mixed hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) on hardening moulding quality and surface pulverisation of foam concrete was investigated. An orthogonal experimental design was employed to determine the optimum combination of parameters for four property indexes (PIs) in this paper. A multi-index matrix analysis method was used to evaluate the parameter combinations and obtain the overall optimal performance for the PIs. The effect of calcium formate (CaF) on the early compressive strength of modified foam concrete with the most optimal combination in different density grades was also studied. The results indicate that the incomplete cement hydration reaction is the essential cause of pulverisation, which can be alleviated by adding a suitable PCE. Defoaming and precipitation occur when the PCE incorporated exceeds 0.1%, which can be mitigated by the addition of 0.02 to 0.06% HPMC. The orthogonal analysis indicates that the anti-cracking agent has a more substantial effect on the strength of the foam concrete than the thickening agent. The most significant factor of mechanical properties is PP fiber followed by dispersible latex powder (DLP). The optimal combination of foam concrete is 0.06% HPMC, 0.3% DLP, and 0.5% PP fiber. The early compressive strength of foam concrete can be significantly enhanced by increasing the CaF content. However, increasing the density level results in a decrease in the 28-day compressive strength of the foam concrete.
Acute Experiences of Negative Interpersonal Interactions: Examining the Dynamics of Negative Mood and Ambulatory Blood Pressure Responses Among Black and Hispanic Urban Adults
Authors: Zawadzki Matthew J , Graham-Engeland Jennifer E , Robles Patrick L , Hussain Maryam , Fair Emily V , Tobin Jonathan N , Cassells Andrea , Brondolo Elizabeth 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background
Negative interpersonal interactions are associated with acute increases in ambulatory blood pressure (ABP). Yet, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear.

Purpose
This study tested whether negative interpersonal interactions predict higher ABP both in the moment and during subsequent observations, and whether increases in negative mood mediate these relations. These associations were tested among Black and Hispanic urban adults who may be at higher risk for negative interpersonal interactions as a function of discrimination. Race/ethnicity and lifetime discrimination were tested as moderators.

Methods
Using a 24-hr ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design, 565 Black and Hispanic participants (aged 23–65, M = 39.06, SD = 9.35; 51.68% men) had their ABP assessed every 20 min during daytime accompanied by an assessment of negative interpersonal interactions and mood. This produced 12,171 paired assessments of ABP and self-reports of participants’ interpersonal interactions, including how much the interaction made them feel left out, harassed, and treated unfairly, as well as how angry, nervous, and sad they felt.

Results
Multilevel models revealed that more intense negative interpersonal interactions predicted higher momentary ABP. Mediation analyses revealed that increased negative mood explained the relationship between negative interpersonal interactions and ABP in concurrent and lagged analyses. Discrimination was associated with more negative interpersonal interactions, but neither race/ethnicity nor lifetime discrimination moderated findings.

Conclusions
Results provide a clearer understanding of the psychobiological mechanisms through which interpersonal interactions influence cardiovascular health and may contribute to health disparities. Implications include the potential for just-in-time interventions to provide mood restoring resources after negative interactions.
Impact of in-hospital postoperative complications on quality of life up to 12 months after major abdominal surgery
Authors: Downey Candice L , Bainbridge Jamie , Jayne David G , Meads David M 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Background
Postoperative complications are common, but there are limited data regarding their implications on patients’ quality of life. This study aimed to address this gap in the literature by analysing the impact of postoperative complications on patients’ health-related quality of life.

Methods
Data from the Perioperative Quality Improvement Programme were analysed, and included patient-level data for 19 685 adults who underwent elective major abdominal procedures in England since 2016. Postoperative complications were graded using the Clavien–Dindo classification. Quality of life was assessed by responses to the EuroQol five-dimension five-levels-of-response (EQ-5D-5L™) questionnaire before surgery, and at 6 and 12 months after operation. Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the association between Clavien–Dindo grades and quality of life. Tobit and ordinary least squares regression analyses were used to estimate the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) loss resulting from postoperative complications between admission and 12 months after surgery.

Results
At 6 and 12 months after surgery, increasingly severe postoperative complications were significantly associated with poorer health-related quality of life. The effect of postoperative complications on quality of life was sustained until at least 12 months after operation. Between admission and 12 months after surgery, 0.012, 0.026, 0.033, and 0.086 QALYs were lost for those experiencing a grade I, II, III, or IV postoperative complication respectively.

Conclusion
Postoperative complications have a significant and sustained effect on patients’ quality of life after surgery; this effect worsens as the severity of the complications increases.
Evolution of cold tolerance in the highly stress-tolerant samphires and relatives (Salicornieae: Amaranthaceae)
Authors: Cousins-Westerberg Ruben , Dakin Nicole , Schat Laura , Kadereit Gudrun , Humphreys Aelys M 
Published: June 2023

AbstractLow temperature constitutes one of the main barriers to plant distributions, confining many clades to their ancestrally tropical biome. However, recent evidence suggests that transitions from tropical to temperate biomes may be more frequent than previously thought. Here, we study the evolution of cold and frost tolerance in the globally distributed and highly stress-tolerant Salicornieae (Salicornioideae, Amaranthaceae s.l.). We first generate a phylogenetic tree comprising almost all known species (85-90%), using newly generated (n = 106) and published nuclear-ribosomal and plastid sequences. Next, we use geographical occurrence data to document in which clades and geographical regions cold-tolerant species occur and reconstruct how cold tolerance evolved. Finally, we test for correlated evolution between frost tolerance and the annual life form. We find that frost tolerance has evolved independently in up to four Northern Hemisphere lineages but that annuals are no more likely to evolve frost tolerance than perennials, indicating the presence of different strategies for adapting to cold environments. Our findings add to mounting evidence for multiple independent out-of-the-tropics transitions among close relatives of flowering plants and raise new questions about the ecological and physiological mechanism(s) of adaptation to low temperatures in Salicornieae.
Dispersal patterns of Reeves’s pheasant based on genetic and behavioral evidence
Authors: Lu Shuai , Hou Xian , Tian Shan , Liu Zhengxiao , Wang Yunqi , Jin Ting , Li Jianqiang , Wang Pengcheng , Xu Jiliang 
Published: June 2023

Abstract
Dispersal is an important life history trait that plays a crucial role in avoiding inbreeding. Uncovering the dispersal pattern of a threatened species facilitates conservation efforts. Most species of Galliformes are forest-dwelling terrestrial birds with a weak dispersal ability and high conservation priorities. However, little is known about the dispersal behavior and dispersal pattern of Galliformes species such as Reeves’s pheasant Syrmaticus reevesii, a globally vulnerable species endemic to China. Here, we integrated behavioral and genetic analyses to investigate the dispersal pattern of Reeves’s pheasant. Our results revealed that both females and males would disperse, although the overall dispersal pattern was more likely to be male-biased. Reeves’s pheasant population had a low level of genetic diversity and a mild level of inbreeding. Speculation low genetic diversity was resulted from fragmented habitat, and male-biased dispersal may reduce the opportunity of inbreeding. Our research indicated that sex-biased dispersal patterns may be a behavioral mechanism adopted by wildlife to avoid inbreeding in a fragmented habitat.
Changes in left ventricular systolic function for 1 year in patients with acute heart failure &lt;50 years of age
Authors: Kim H J , Kim M A 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: None.

Background
Though old age is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease including heart failure (HF), HF can develop in young patients and can have a greater impact on a quality of life because they are active individuals.

Purpose
We evaluated the clinical characteristics and prognosis according to change of left ventricular (LV) function in younger patients with acute HF.

Methods
Study data were obtained from a multicenter cohort that included patients hospitalized for acute HF. Patients who were under 50 years of age and had available data regarding baseline and one-year follow-up left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were included in this analysis. Patient were classified into two groups according changes in LVEF: the improved or stationary group whose LVEF improved or maintained at one-year follow-up; the aggravated LVEF group whose LVEF deteriorated at one-year follow-up.

Results
Among 437 patients, 14.6% of patients had experienced worsening of LVEF at the one-year follow-up. The patients in aggravated LVEF group had a worse clinical profile than patients with improved or stationary LVEF. During follow-up (median 1946 days), a total of 56 patients (12.8%) died. Among them, the aggravated LVEF group had higher incidence of all-cause death (32.8% vs. 9.4%, p &lt; 0.001). The aggravated LVEF group showed significant lower cumulative all-cause death free survival rate than improved or stationary LVEF group (Figure). In addition, the aggravated LVEF group had significantly higher incidence of cardiac death (14.1% vs. 2.9%, p &lt; 0.001), readmission (76.6% vs. 55.5%, p = 0.002), readmission due to cardiac cause (57.8% vs.30.8%, p &lt; 0.001), and HF readmission (51.6% vs. 26.0%, p &lt; 0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors, Cox regression analysis showed that use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors at discharge was independently associated with 63% reduced risk of aggravated LVEF (Odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.168–0.791, p = 0.001).

Conclusions
Poor clinical prognosis is expected if LVEF worsens after 1 year in young patients with HF. Clinicians need to be aware of the deteriorating characteristics of young HF patients and provide delicate treatment.