bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A semi‐supervised learning‐based quality evaluation system for digital chest radiographs
Authors: Wei Shuoyang , Qiu Rui , Pu Yanheng , Hu Ankang , Niu Yantao , Wu Zhen , Zhang Hui , Li Junli 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundDigital radiography is the most commonly utilized medical imaging technique worldwide, and the quality of radiographs plays a crucial role in accurate disease diagnosis. Therefore, evaluating the quality of radiographs is an essential step in medical examinations. However, manual evaluation can be time‐consuming, labor‐intensive, and prone to interobserver differences, making it less reliable.PurposeTo alleviate the workload of radiographic technologists and enhance the efficiency of radiograph quality evaluation, it is crucial to develop rapid and reliable quality evaluation methods and establish a set of quantitative evaluation standards. To address this, we have proposed a quality evaluation system for digital radiographs that utilizes deep learning techniques to achieve fast and precise evaluation.MethodsThe evaluation of frontal chest radiograph quality involves assessing patient positioning through semantic segmentation and foreign body detection. For lung, scapula, and clavicle segmentation in digital chest radiographs, a residual connection‐based convolutional neural network π‐ResUNet, was proposed. Criteria for patient positioning evaluation were established based on the segmentation and manual evaluation results. A convolutional neural network, FasterRCNN, was utilized to detect and localize foreign bodies in digital chest radiographs. To enhance the performance of both neural networks, a semi‐supervised learning (SSL) strategy was implemented by incorporating a consistency loss that leverages a large number of unlabeled digital radiographs. We also trained the network using the fully supervised learning (FSL) strategy and compared their performance on the test set. The ChestXRay‐14 and object‐CXR datasets were used throughout the process.ResultsBy comparing with the manual annotation, the proposed network, trained using the SSL method, achieved a high Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of 0.96, 0.88, and 0.88 for lung, scapula, and clavicle segmentation, respectively, outperforming the network trained with the FSL method. In addition, for foreign body detection, the proposed SSL method was superior to the FSL method, achieving an AUC (Area under receiver operating characteristic curve, Area under ROC curve) of 0.90 and an FROC (Free‐response ROC) of 0.77 on the test dataset.ConclusionsThe experimental results show that our proposed system is well‐suited for radiograph quality evaluation, with the semi‐supervised learning method further improving the network's performance. The proposed method can evaluate the quality of a chest radiograph from two aspects—patient positioning and foreign body detection—within 1 s, offering a promising tool in radiograph quality evaluation.
Categorisation of cats: Managing boundary felids in Aotearoa New Zealand and Britain
Authors: Palmer Alexandra , Thomas Virginia 
Published: August 2023

Abstract

Management of domestic and wild animals is an integral part of conservation and is often based on how an animal is categorised. For example, feral cats are often killed, while valued companion cats and native wildcats are protected.

Drawing on qualitative research and using the concept of boundary‐work, this paper examines the complex categorisation and management of cats within conservation in Britain and Aotearoa, New Zealand (NZ). We examine how, both in theory and in practice, valued companion and wildcats are distinguished from unprotected feral cats, and in‐between categories of stray and hybrid cats.

We demonstrate that stakeholders draw boundaries between cat categories differently. These differences in boundary‐drawing reflect the inherent blurriness of category boundaries, practical challenges and, importantly, differences in values, in particular whether priority is placed on the life of the cat or the cat's potential victim, particularly native or game birds. This can mean that laws outlining protections for specific categories of animals have limited effect if, in practice, those encountering cats draw boundaries differently.

This paper also reports on important differences between the two case studies. In NZ, even cat advocates support the humane killing of unambiguously feral cats while this is less true in Britain. Furthermore, due to the nature of the contexts, conservationists in NZ are more inclined to assume that ambiguous cats are feral whereas conservationists in Britain are more inclined to assume that they are wildcats.

This paper demonstrates that values not only shape people's perceptions and treatment of animals but also how they draw boundaries between them. This finding may have important implications for understanding other controversies in conservation and animal management.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Club‐like cells in proliferative inflammatory atrophy of the prostate
Authors: Huang Franklin W , Song Hanbing , Weinstein Hannah NW , Xie Jamie , Cooperberg Matthew R , Hicks Jessica , Mummert Luke , De Marzo Angelo M , Sfanos Karen S 
Published: August 2023

AbstractClub cells are a type of bronchiolar epithelial cell that serve a protective role in the lung and regenerate damaged lung epithelium. Single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) of young adult human prostate and urethra identified cell populations in the prostatic urethra and collecting ducts similar in morphology and transcriptomic profile to lung club cells. We further identified club cell‐like epithelial cells by scRNA‐seq of prostate peripheral zone tissues. Here, we aimed to identify and spatially localize club cells in situ in the prostate, including in the peripheral zone. We performed chromogenic RNA in situ hybridization for five club cell markers (CP, LTF, MMP7, PIGR, SCGB1A1) in a series of (1) nondiseased organ donor prostate and (2) radical prostatectomy specimens from individuals with prostate cancer. We report that expression of club cell genes in the peripheral zone is associated with inflammation and limited to luminal epithelial cells classified as intermediate cells in proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA). Club‐like cells were enriched in radical prostatectomy specimens compared to nondiseased prostates and associated with high‐grade prostate cancer. We previously reported that luminal epithelial cells in PIA can rarely harbor oncogenic TMPRSS2:ERG (ERG+) gene fusions, and we now demonstrate that club cells are present in association with ERG+ PIA that is transitioning to early adenocarcinoma. Finally, prostate epithelial organoids derived from prostatectomy specimens demonstrate that club‐like epithelial cells can be established in organoids and are sensitive to anti‐androgen‐directed treatment in vitro in terms of decreased androgen signaling gene expression signatures compared to basal or hillock cells. Overall, our study identifies a population of club‐like cells in PIA and proposes that these cells play an analogous role to that of club cells in bronchiolar epithelium. Our results further suggest that inflammation drives lineage plasticity in the human prostate and that club cells in PIA may be prone to oncogenic transformation. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Morbidity and healthcare use among mothers of children with cancer: A population‐based study
Authors: Desai Aditi , Sutradhar Rinku , Lau Cindy , Widger Kim , Lee Douglas S. , Nathan Paul C. , Gupta Sumit 
Published: August 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe impact of a child's cancer diagnosis on subsequent maternal physical health is unclear.MethodsWe identified all Ontario children diagnosed less than 18 years with cancer between 1992 and 2017. Linkage to administrative databases identified mothers who were matched to population controls. We identified physical health conditions, acute healthcare use, and preventive healthcare use through validated algorithms using healthcare data, and compared them between exposed (child with cancer) and unexposed mothers. Predictors of health outcomes were assessed among exposed mothers.ResultsWe identified 5311 exposed mothers and 19,516 matched unexposed mothers. For exposed mothers, median age at last follow‐up was 48 years, (interquartile range: 42–53). Exposed mothers had an increased risk of cancer (hazard ratio [HR] 1.2, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.0–1.5, p = .03), but not of any other adverse physical outcomes or of increased acute healthcare use. Exposed mothers were more likely to receive influenza vaccinations (odds ratio 1.4, 95% CI: 1.3–1.5, p < .0001), and underwent cancer screening at the same rate as unexposed mothers. Among exposed mothers, bereavement was associated with a subsequent increased risk of cancer (HR 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.5, p = .004) and death (HR 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2–4.1, p = .01).ConclusionMothers of children with cancer are at increased risk of developing cancer, but not of other adverse physical health outcomes, and were equally or more likely to be adherent to preventive healthcare practices. Bereaved mothers were at increased risk of subsequent cancer and death. Interventions targeting specific subpopulations of mothers of children with cancer or focused on screening for specific cancers may be warranted.
Mechanical properties, thermal stability, and mechanism of main‐chain polybenzoxazine composites fabricated based on multi‐scale effects and surface functionalization of graphene oxide nanosheets
Authors: Li Xin Kang , Jiang Bing , Wei Cong , Lin Hai Lan , Zhao Wei , Ni Ke Yang , Mu Yan Xiao , Bian Jun , Chen Dai Qiang 
Published: August 2023

AbstractPolybenzoxazine (PBZ) has been recognized as a potential substitute for traditional phenolic resin. However, poor flexibility and low heat resistance limited obviously the application of PBZ. Herein, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet and its amino‐rich derivatives (fGO‐g‐SiO2) with multi‐scale surfaces were designed, synthesized and incorporated into main‐chain PBZ through in‐situ polymerization to fabricate PBZ composites. The morphology, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of the composites were systematically investigated using x‐ray diffraction (XRD), contact angle tests, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), tensile and impact tests, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR and XRD analyses confirmed the multi‐scale surfaces of GO derivatives and ordered structures, respectively. The size of the in‐situ grown SiO2and the thickness of GO coated on PBZ were estimated as 6.5 and 19.07 nm, respectively. The contact angle test revealed thatfGO‐g‐SiO2and BZ had the closest solid surface energy of 32.002 and 43.519 mN/m, respectively, among the components of the composites. The impact and tensile evaluation revealed the highest impact, tensile strength and Young's modulus of 16.75 kJ/m2, 107.24 MPa and 3.17 GPa, respectively for 1.2%fGO‐g‐SiO2/PBZ composite. The modified Halpin‐Tsai equation was also utilized to develop a predictive function for the tensile strength. FESEM offGO‐g‐SiO2/PBZ composites indicated that the multi‐scale effect and amination effectively improved the restriction of GO derivatives on crack propagation in PBZ composites and played a more significant role in crack deflection and bridging. In addition, the highest thermal decomposition activation energy of 166.94 kJ/mol was achieved for 1.2%fGO‐g‐SiO2/PBZ composite.HighlightsGraphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were incorporated into main‐chain polybenzoxazine (PBZ) to improve its mechanical properties and heat resistance.GO with multi‐scale structure and amino‐rich interface were designed, synthesized to improve the interface interactions with PBZ matrix.The GO with multi‐scale structure and amino‐rich interface showed excellent similarity in the term of solid surface energy with benzoxazine oligomers.The morphology, mechanical and thermal stability of resulting PBZ composites was systematically investigated by using experimental and mathematical model to elucidate the relationships between the structure and properties.The composites exhibited excellent mechanical and thermal properties, and it is expected to be used as advanced engineering material in demanding environments.
Structural design of conjugated polymers for fluorescence bioimaging in the second near‐infrared window
Authors: Terayama Kosuke , Habuchi Satoshi , Michinobu Tsuyoshi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractFluorescence imaging in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) region has become one of the most powerful tools in clinical diagnosis and therapy assessment because of its high spatial resolution, rapid feedback, radiation safety, and low cost. Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (Pdots) based on donor‐acceptor (D‐A) polymers are some of the most promising fluorescent probes which have many superior characteristics, such as a high fluorescence brightness, good photostability, facile functionalization, and low cytotoxicity. While there has been tremendous progress in developing fluorescent polymers for use in the NIR‐II wavelength range, the types of monomer structures used as building blocks for NIR‐II fluorophores are still limited compared to those for organic solar cells and organic transistors. This review summarizes the NIR‐II fluorescent polymers reported in the past few decades. The donor/acceptor unit structures of the polymers are systematically classified and discussed, which will provide new insights into the logical molecular design of donor/acceptor units for the development of high‐brightness NIR‐II Pdots.
Reliability analysis of standby provision multi‐unit machining systems with varied failures, degradations, imperfections, and delays
Authors: Shekhar Chandra , Devanda Mahendra , Kaswan Suman 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis prospective study focuses on analyzing the reliability characteristics of multi‐unit systems with standby provisioning, accounting for failures, degradation, random delays, and probabilistic imperfections. The investigation sheds light on how these unreliable attributes hinder the performance and availability of machining systems. Given the frequent occurrence of these negative attributes within machining systems, their impact on production flow, performance, and resource utilization is significant. Moreover, these unfavorable attributes hinder the adoption of advanced technologies that rely on the continuous availability of machining systems. Thorough research on operational traits serves as a foundation for developing solutions to enhance machining system efficiency and elucidates the underlying causes of machining system failures throughout their performance lifecycle. The reliability analysis employs a state‐of‐the‐art queue‐theoretic approach. In order to model the stochastic behavior of the investigated machine repair problem in a systematic manner, we consider various statistically independent failure modes, including active/standby unit failure, degraded failure, switching failure, and common‐cause failure. The unreliable characteristics of machining systems are further compounded by factors such as imperfect fault coverage, reboot delay, and imperfect repair, necessitating a comprehensive examination to strategically implement preventive, corrective, and predictive measures. The seamless operation of multi‐unit machining systems is essential for the successful integration of advanced technologies such as cloud computing, industry 4.0, and IoT. Failures, delays, degradation, and imperfections within machining systems have detrimental effects on their efficiency and availability, demanding in‐depth investigation. To facilitate numerical experimentation and sensitivity analysis of the reliability aspects of the proposed machining system, we develop performance indices such as system reliability, mean‐time‐to‐failure, and failure frequency. These metrics provide valuable insights for decision‐makers seeking to implement measures that ensure uninterrupted availability of the machining system.
The impact of Japanese knotweed on river discharge at the watershed scale in New Jersey, USA
Authors: Galster Joshua C. , Vanderklein Dirk 
Published: August 2023

AbstractRecently, New Jersey has experienced several droughts and declared several critical water shortage areas, spurring interest in reducing freshwater resource depletion. Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica Houtt.) is an invasive plant species that may have a significant effect on stream water loss. In order to assess the impact of this species on river‐level water flow, we estimated total knotweed distribution along two tributaries of the Passaic River in New Jersey, USA using a combination of field measurements and GIS to calculate total daily water loss to the atmosphere from three stands of knotweed along these rivers. We measured total leaf area of each stand and transpiration rates across each stand from sun‐up to sun‐down. The average water loss was 8.5 L wate/day/m2 of ground area covered in knotweed. Knowing the total distribution of knotweed along each river, the amount of river length covered by knotweed stands and the total water lost to the atmosphere per amount of knotweed along each river we were able to estimate the total amount of water transpired to the atmosphere by knotweed per river on a daily basis during its growing season. These results were compared to summer low flow rates to assess the impact on river flow during the growing season for Japanese knotweed. Our results suggest that knotweed along these rivers is reducing total flow by an average of 8% (approximately 800,000–1,400,000 L/day) during the summer months. This is important as the impact of invasive species on water resources in temperate areas is currently under‐studied in ecohydrology.
Stabilizing highly active atomically dispersed NiN4Cl sites by Cl‐doping for CO2 electroreduction
Authors: Li Zhao , Qi Xueqiang , Wang Junjie , Zhu Zhaozhao , Jiang Jinxia , Niu Xiaobin , Cabot Andreu , Chen Jun Song , Wu Rui 
Published: August 2023

AbstractNickel‐nitrogen‐carbon single‐atom catalysts have attracted widespread interest for CO2 electroreduction but they suffer from poor stability. Herein, we report on the preparation of Cl‐ and N‐doped porous carbon nanosheets with atomically dispersed NiN4Cl active sites (NiN4Cl‐ClNC) through a molten‐salt‐assisted pyrolysis strategy. The optimized NiN4Cl‐ClNC catalyst delivers exceptional CO2 conversion activity with outstanding stability for over 220 h at −0.7 V versus RHE and a high CO Faradaic efficiency of 98.7% at a CO partial current density of 12.4 mA cm‒2. Moreover, NiN4Cl‐ClNC displays a remarkable CO partial current density of approximately 349.4 mA cm−2 in flow‐cell, meeting the requirements of industrial applications. Operando attenuated total reflectance surface‐enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations are used to understand the outstanding activity and stability. Results reveal that the introduced axial Ni‐Cl bond on the Ni center and Cl─C bond on the carbon support synergetically induce electronic delocalization, which not only stabilizes Ni against leaching but also facilitates the formation of the COOH* intermediate that is found to be the rate‐determining step.
David S. Saunders: man of insects and photoperiodism (1935–2023)
Authors: Helfrich-Förster Charlotte 
Published: August 2023

AbstractDavid S. Saunders was an outstanding scientist, who devoted his life to his family and to insects. He has made many fundamental contributions to our understanding of how insects reproduce and adapt their reproduction and development to the seasonal changes on our planet. Most importantly, he was a pioneer in demonstrating the role of the circadian clock in insect photoperiodic time measurement, first in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis, and later in varies species of flies. His books on biological rhythms and insect clocks are important undergraduate, graduate and research reference literature. David was also a brilliant teacher and mentor and played a major role in establishing and teaching a series of successful Erasmus-funded Chronobiology Summer Schools in Europe. He leaves behind a legacy, both professionally and personally.
Association between nutrient intake related to the one-carbon metabolism and colorectal cancer risk: a case–control study in the Basque Country
Authors: Martín-Fernández-de-Labastida Silvia , Alegria-Lertxundi Iker , de Pancorbo Marian M. , Arroyo-Izaga Marta 
Published: August 2023

Abstract
Purpose
Epidemiologic evidence for the association between methyl-donor nutrient intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk remains inconclusive. We aimed to examine the relationship between intake of vitamins of the B group, methionine, total choline and betaine and CRC risk, in a population from the CRC screening programme in the Basque Country.

Design
This observational study included 308 patients with CRC and 308 age- and sex-matched subjects as controls. During recruitment, dietary, anthropometric, lifestyle, socioeconomic, demographic, and health status information was collected. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for CRC risk.

Results
The adjusted ORs for CRC risk decreased with higher intakes of choline and betaine (p < 0.05). After further adjustment for folate, high intake of choline and betaine remained associated with a reduced CRC risk (adjusted model for choline, OR third tertile vs first tertile = 0.45, 95% CI 0.26–0.80, p = 0.006; for betaine, OR third tertile vs first tertile = 0.27, 95% CI 0.16–0.47, p < 0.001). Regarding the other nutrients, our findings indicated a non-significant decrease in CRC risk with the high level of intake.

Conclusions
Our data suggest that choline and betaine intake influence CRC risk in the studied population.
A modelling approach to disentangle the factors limiting muscle oxygenation in smokers
Authors: Degens Hans , Venckunas Tomas , Wüst Rob Cl 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCigarette smoking is associated with a lower exercise capacity and lower muscle fatigue resistance. This is at least partly attributable to carboxyhaemoglobin (HbCO) in the blood that via reduction in the oxygen-carrying capacity, and the left-shift of the Hb-dissociation curve would reduce tissue oxygenation. On the other hand, a reduced oxygen uptake due to mitochondrial dysfunction would result in improved oxygenation. We used previously collected capillarisation, myoglobin and estimated cellular maximal muscle oxygen consumption data derived from succinate dehydrogenase-stained sections from the vastus lateralis muscle from six smokers and five non-smokers. These data were fed into an expanded Krogh tissue oxygenation model to assess whether an impaired muscle fatigue resistance in smokers is primarily due to HbCO or impaired mitochondrial respiration. The model showed that in smokers with 6% and 20% HbCO (causing a left-shift of the Hb-dissociation curve) average muscle oxygenation was reduced by 1.9% and 7.2%, respectively. Muscle oxygenation was increased by 13.3% when maximal mitochondrial respiration was reduced by 29%. A combination of a 29% reduction in maximal mitochondrial respiration and 20% HbCO led to no significant difference in muscle oxygenation from that in non-smokers. This indicates that while HbCO may explain the reduced exercise capacity after just one smoking session, in chronic smokers impaired mitochondrial respiration appears more important in reducing oxygen extraction and exercise capacity with only a small contribution of the left-shift of the Hb-dissociation curve.