bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Energy-efficient process for low-temperature recycling of oil sludge waste
Authors: Abdeev E R , Meshalkin V P , Saitov R I , Abdeev R G , Fatykhov M A 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
The existing methods of processing of hydrocarbon wastes have significant drawbacks. The installation and functional models of petrochemical apparatuses for studying the microwave effect on the water-in-oil emulsion of oil sludge waste were developed in this article. An empirical dependence of the sedimentation rate of water globules in oil products under microwave radiation and a numerical model were obtained. The method of intensifying the stratification of oil products, which allows to save on other ways of impact and to solve environmental problems was substantiated
Measurement of specular surfaces using electrically tunable lens in digital holography
Authors: Barak Neelam , Kumari Vineeta , Sheoran Gyanendra 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
In the field of industrial metrology, the 3D nondestructive imaging of reflective metallic surfaces is a delicate task. In this work, we propose a novel application of the electrically tunable lens (ETL) in digital holography for imaging specularly reflecting objects. The precise surface profile of the microscopic step height at different axial depths is obtained by tuning the liquid lens at different currents. Initially, the ETL’s focal length is set by tuning its control current to image the specular reflection observed from the surface of the reflecting sample. The current of the ETL is tuned accordingly as the sample is moved to different z-positions. In order to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed setup, the object is kept at multiple axial distances within the depth of field of the ETL. The step height measurements are carried out and a measurement uncertainty of 0.083 µm is calculated for step height measurements at different axial positions ranging from 2 cm–21 cm. The axial range of the setup is validated by keeping two specularly reflecting samples in the field of view of the ETL. The experimental results demonstrate the ETL’s efficiency in a digital holographic system for accurately imaging specularly reflecting objects present at multiple axial depths. The setup is useful for precise step height measurements and for obtaining surface profiles of microstructures.
Nanoscale insights into the structure of solution-processed graphene by x-ray scattering
Authors: Yan Zhengyu , Guimarey María J G , Parvez Khaled , Dun Chaochao , Read Oliver , Forrest Thomas , Urban Jeffrey J , Abdelkader Amor , Casiraghi Cinzia , Mirihanage Wajira 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Chemical exfoliation is an attractive approach for the synthesis of graphene due to its low cost and simplicity. However, challenges still remain in the characterization of solution-processed graphene, in particular with atomic resolution. Through this work we demonstrate the x-ray pair distribution function as a novel approach to study solution-processed graphene or other 2D materials with atomic resolution, directly in solution, produced by liquid-phase and electrochemical exfoliations. The results show the disappearance of long-range atomic correlations, in both cases, confirming the production of single and few-layer graphene. In addition, a considerable ring distortion has been observed as compared to graphite, irrespective of the solvent used: the normal surface angle to the sheet of the powder sample should be less than 6°, compatible with ripples formation observed in suspended graphene. We attribute this effect to the interaction of solvent molecules with the graphene nanosheets.
Hypoxia adapted relative biological effectiveness models for proton therapy: a simulation study
Authors: Garrido-Hernandez Guillermo , Henjum Helge , Høiskar Marte Kåstad , Dahle Tordis Johnsen , Redalen Kathrine Røe , Ytre-Hauge Kristian Smeland 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
In proton therapy, a constant relative biological effectiveness (RBE) factor of 1.1 is applied although the RBE has been shown to depend on factors including the Linear Energy Transfer (LET). The biological effectiveness of radiotherapy has also been shown to depend on the level of oxygenation, quantified by the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER). To estimate the biological effectiveness across different levels of oxygenation the RBE-OER-weighted dose (ROWD) can be used. To investigate the consistency between different approaches to estimate ROWD, we implemented and compared OER models in a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation tool. Five OER models were explored: Wenzl and Wilkens 2011 (WEN), Tinganelli et al 2015 (TIN), Strigari et al 2018 (STR), Dahle et al 2020 (DAH) and Mein et al 2021 (MEI). OER calculations were combined with a proton RBE model and the microdosimetric kinetic model for ROWD calculations. ROWD and OER were studied for a water phantom scenario and a head and neck cancer case using hypoxia PET data for the OER calculation. The OER and ROWD estimates from the WEN, MEI and DAH showed good agreement while STR and TIN gave higher OER values and lower ROWD. The WEN, STR and DAH showed some degree of OER-LET dependency while this was negligible for the MEI and TIN models. The ROWD for all implemented models is reduced in hypoxic regions with an OER of 1.0–2.1 in the target volume. While some variations between the models were observed, all models display a large difference in the estimated dose from hypoxic and normoxic regions. This shows the potential to increase the dose or LET in hypoxic regions or reduce the dose to normoxic regions which again could lead to normal tissue sparing. With reliable hypoxia imaging, RBE-OER weighting could become a useful tool for proton therapy plan optimization.
A meta-analysis of the relationship between climate change experience and climate change perception
Authors: Xia Ziqian , Ye Jinquan , Zhou Yongan , Howe Peter D , Xu Ming , Tan Xianchun , Tian Xi , Zhang Chao 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Will climate change experience shape people’s climate change perception? To examine the evidence, we performed a pre-registered meta-analysis using data from 302 studies, covering 351,378 observations. Our results find that climate change experience only has a weak positive correlation with climate change awareness in general (r = 0.098, 95% CI 0.0614, 0.1348), and the effect sizes vary considerably across different climate events. General hazard and temperature anomalies experiences have significant correlations, but other events exhibit no or neglectable effects. The moderator analysis showed that self-reported studies result in higher correlations, whereas studies based on victims’ actual experiences report lower effect sizes. Our study suggests that people’s climate change experiences may not be effective in shaping their awareness of climate change, which is likely due to people’s attribution style and adaptability. The importance of proactive education thus is further emphasized to raise the awareness of climate change.
Beyond classification: directly training spiking neural networks for semantic segmentation
Authors: Kim Youngeun , Chough Joshua , Panda Priyadarshini 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Spiking neural networks (SNNs) have recently emerged as the low-power alternative to artificial neural networks (ANNs) because of their sparse, asynchronous, and binary event-driven processing. Due to their energy efficiency, SNNs have a high possibility of being deployed for real-world, resource-constrained systems such as autonomous vehicles and drones. However, owing to their non-differentiable and complex neuronal dynamics, most previous SNN optimization methods have been limited to image recognition. In this paper, we explore the SNN applications beyond classification and present semantic segmentation networks configured with spiking neurons. Specifically, we first investigate two representative SNN optimization techniques for recognition tasks (i.e., ANN-SNN conversion and surrogate gradient learning) on semantic segmentation datasets. We observe that, when converted from ANNs, SNNs suffer from high latency and low performance due to the spatial variance of features. Therefore, we directly train networks with surrogate gradient learning, resulting in lower latency and higher performance than ANN-SNN conversion. Moreover, we redesign two fundamental ANN segmentation architectures (i.e., Fully Convolutional Networks and DeepLab) for the SNN domain. We conduct experiments on three semantic segmentation benchmarks including PASCAL VOC2012 dataset, DDD17 event-based dataset, and synthetic segmentation dataset combined CIFAR10 and MNIST datasets. In addition to showing the feasibility of SNNs for semantic segmentation, we show that SNNs can be more robust and energy-efficient compared to their ANN counterparts in this domain.
Nationwide assessment of ambient monthly fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the associations with total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality in the United States
Authors: Rau Austin , Abadi Azar , Fiecas Mark B , Gwon Yeongjin , Bell Jesse E , Berman Jesse D 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
High air pollution events spanning multiple months and caused by environmental perturbations such as droughts and wildfires are increasing in frequency, intensity and duration due to climate change. While both daily and annual exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have regulatory standards in the United States, mid-scale exposure at the monthly interval remains unregulated and the public health impacts of mid-duration ambient air pollution exposure are poorly understood. These present a new public health challenge in mitigating harmful effects of persistent ambient air pollution on community health. We executed an ecological study of the associations between monthly mean PM2.5 exposure with total, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality counts, stratified by age, sex and race, in 698 counties in the conterminous United States from 1999 to 2018. A two-stage model was used to estimate the risk and number of deaths associated with this exposure timescale reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and absolute risk differences per million persons (ARDs). Increased mortality of all types was positively associated with a 10 μg m−3 monthly change in PM2.5 exposure (total mortality IRR: 1.011, 95% confidence interval (CI): (1.009, 1.013), ARD: 8.558, 95% CI: (6.869, 10.247); cardiovascular mortality IRR: 1.014, 95% CI: (1.011, 1.018), ARD: 3.716, 95% CI: (2.924, 4.509); respiratory mortality IRR: 1.016, 95% CI: (1.011, 1.023), ARD: 1.676, 95% CI: (1.261, 2.091)). Our results suggest elderly, non-black minorities and males to be the most impacted subgroups along with metropolitan and highly socially vulnerable communities. Heterogeneities in the magnitude and direction of association were also detected across climate regions of the United States. These results elucidate potential effects of monthly PM2.5 on mortality and demonstrate a need for future health policies for this currently unregulated interval of ambient air pollution exposure.
Associations of Air Pollution and Genetic Risk With Incident Dementia: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Zilong , Chen Lan , Wang Xiaojie , Wang Chongjian , Yang Yin , Li Haitao , Cai Miao , Lin Hualiang 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Evidence on the association between air pollution and dementia is accumulating but still inconclusive, and the potential effect modification by genetics is unclear. We investigated the joint effects of air pollution exposure and genetic risk on incident dementia in a prospective cohort study, the UK Biobank study. Land use regression models were used to estimate exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) in 3 fraction sizes (PM with diameter &lt; 2.5 μm (PM2.5), coarse particles (PM with diameter 2.5–10 μm (PMc)), and PM with diameter &lt; 10 μm (PM10)), PM2.5 absorbance, nitrogen dioxide levels, and nitrogen oxide levels at each individual’s baseline residence. A polygenic risk score was calculated as a quantitative measure of genetic dementia risk. Incident cases of dementia were ascertained through linkage to health administrative data sets. Among the 227,840 participants included in the analysis, 3,774 incident dementia cases (including 1,238 cases of Alzheimer disease and 563 cases of vascular dementia) were identified. After adjustment for a variety of covariates, including genetic factors, positive associations were found between exposure to air pollution—particularly PM10, PM2.5 absorbance, and nitrogen dioxide—and incident all-cause dementia and Alzheimer disease but not vascular dementia. No significant interaction between air pollution and genetics was found, either on the multiplicative scale or on the additive scale. Exposure to air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing dementia regardless of genetic risk.
A rapid bacterial pathogen and antimicrobial resistance diagnosis workflow using Oxford nanopore adaptive sequencing method
Authors: Cheng Hang , Sun Yuhong , Yang Qing , Deng Minggui , Yu Zhijian , Zhu Gang , Qu Jiuxin , Liu Lei , Yang Liang , Xia Yu 
Published: October 2022

Abstract
Metagenomic sequencing analysis (mNGS) has been implemented as an alternative approach for pathogen diagnosis in recent years, which is independent of cultivation and is able to identify all potential antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, current mNGS methods have to deal with low amounts of prokaryotic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and high amounts of host DNA in clinical samples, which significantly decrease the overall microbial detection resolution. The recently released nanopore adaptive sampling (NAS) technology facilitates immediate mapping of individual nucleotides to a given reference as each molecule is sequenced. User-defined thresholds allow for the retention or rejection of specific molecules, informed by the real-time reference mapping results, as they are physically passing through a given sequencing nanopore. We developed a metagenomics workflow for ultra-sensitive diagnosis of bacterial pathogens and ARGs from clinical samples, which is based on the efficient selective ‘human host depletion’ NAS sequencing, real-time species identification and species-specific resistance gene prediction. Our method increased the microbial sequence yield at least 8-fold in all 21 sequenced clinical Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) samples (4.5 h from sample to result) and accurately detected the ARGs at species level. The species-level positive percent agreement between metagenomic sequencing and laboratory culturing was 100% (16/16) and negative percent agreement was 100% (5/5) in our approach. Further work is required for a more robust validation of our approach with large sample size to allow its application to other infection types.
Criminal Court Sentencing: The Case for Specialist ‘Young Adult’ Courts
Authors: Ward Jennifer , Spence Ruth 
Published: October 2022

AbstractTreating young adults (18–25 year olds) as a distinct group within the criminal justice system is receiving growing support. This article asks three specific questions. Should specialist young adult courts be introduced so that young age and developing maturity are considered with more consistency across court sentencing; should social background factors be taken into account when appraising culpability and have the 2019 ‘sentencing guidelines’ that give judicial direction for sentence mitigation gone far enough? The article argues significant gains in sentencing policy have been made, but a specialist young adult court model would ensure a dedicated response to this age group and would foster a shared courts working culture that pursues the common goals of rehabilitation and social pedagogic interventions.
Assessment Of Left and Right Ventricular Functions In Overweight and Obese Females by Different Echo-Doppler Modalities
Authors: Mohamed Layla A , Agiba Nadia A , Bassuony Samar M 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Aim of work
Assessment of left and right ventricular functions in overweight and obese females using different echo-Doppler modalities.

Methods
This study included 32 obese females (group I), 26 overweight females (group II) -both of them have no chronic illnesses- in addition to 25 healthy females (group III) as a control group. All of them had hsCRP level measured. The following parameters were measured using 2D echocardiography: LA, Ao, LA/Ao ratio, LV measures included LV dimensions, 2D LVEF, 2D LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), average LV Sm, Em, Am, LV E/Em ratio, LV E, A and LV E/A ratio. RV measures included LV dimensions, RV FAC, RV Tei index, TAPSE, RV Sm, Em, Am, Em/Am ratio, RV E, A, E/A ratio and PASP.

Results
hsCRP, LA, Ao, LV dimensions, Average LV Am, E/Em, RVD1, RV Tei and PASP were significantly higher in group I compared to group III, but group I had significantly lower LV E/A, LV Sm, Em, LVGLS, RV E/A, Em/Am and RVGLS compared to group III. Group II had significantly higher hsCRP, Ao and RV Tei and significantly lower LV E/A ratio and LV Em compared to group III. On the other hand, group, I had significantly lower average Sm, LVGLS and RVGLS than group II but no significant difference detected between two groups as regard LV and RV diastolic function. Pulse, BMI, BSA, waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, hsCRP were negatively correlated with LVGLS and RVGLS. Cut-off values for BMI showed good sensitivity and specificity to predict impaired LVGLS and RVGLS. Cut-off point 31.9 kg/m2 for impaired LVGLS with sensitivity 80%, specificity 76.81% and p value &lt;0.001, cut-off point &gt;30.73kg/m2 for impaired RVGLS with sensitivity 80%, specificity 69.57% and p value 0.001.
Waist circumference was the most sensitive predictor for impaired LVGLS and hsCRP for impaired RVGLS.

Conclusion
Isolated obesity and overweight are independent predisposing factors for impaired LV and RV systolic and diastolic dysfunctions. TDI and 2D STE are good echo-Doppler modalities to detect subclinical effects on LV and RV functions.

Additional Content
An author video to accompany this abstract is available on https://academic.oup.com/eurheartjsupp. Please click on the arrow next to ‘More Content’ and then click on ‘Author videos’.
Impact of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) on the Severity of Mitral Regurgitation in Dilated Cardiomyopathy Patients
Authors: Magdy Gehan , Zaki Amr , Abdelwahab Ramzeya Mohamed , Sanhoury Mohamed 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Aim
Functional Mitral regurge in advanced Heart failure dilated cardiomyopathy patients is a strong predictor to mortality, this arouses studying the impact of Cardiac resynchronization therapy on functional MR in DCM.

Methods and results
This is a prospective observational study of Twenty-five patients with advanced heart failure DCM with sinus rhythm LBBB wide QRS≥ 130 ms with at least moderate MR, subjected to CRT implantation at Alexandria main university Hospital and followed up by Echocardiography after CRT by 1 week and 10 weeks and comparing between improved MR (Group 1) and stable MR group patients (Group 2). FMR improvement was observed in 15 patients (60%) ‘Group 1’ (p value &lt;0.001) vs 10 patients (40%) show stable MR ‘Group 2’. Evidence of early response to CRT was observered in 9 patients (36%). MR improvement among responders to CRT was observed in 7 patients (77.8%) and was higher among early echocardiographic responders (48%) than among early clinical responders (40%). MR improvement was significantly associated with percent of reduction in QRS width in surface ECG. (P value: 0.026).

Conclusions
CRT improves the degree of severity of functional MR among DCM patients. Improvement of MR severity is significantly associated with baseline QRS width and percent of reduction in QRS width.

Additional Content
An author video to accompany this abstract is available on https://academic.oup.com/eurheartjsupp. Please click on the arrow next to ‘More Content’ and then click on ‘Author videos’.
Management of st-segment elevation myocardial infarction in comparison to european society of cardiology guidelines in alexandria university hospitals
Authors: Madkour Moustafa , Zaki Amr , Abdelaty Ahmed , kamal Amr 
Published: October 2022

Abstract

Aim
The aim of this study was to determine the major contributors to reperfusion delay in ST- elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in Alexandria University hospitals and the adherence to ESC clinical practice guidelines.

Methods and results
Prospective cohort of all patients presented with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with chest pain or discomfort between March 2020 and February 2021 in Alexandria university hospitals. A total of 436 patients were enrolled, 280 patients (64.2%) underwent PPCI, 32 patients (7.3%) had thrombolytic therapy and 124 patients (28.4%) had conservative strategy. In regard to the demographics and risk factors, the mean age of our cohort was 55.2 years. The majority were males (80.9%) and smokers (72.2%). Hypertension was a risk factor in 41.5% of our population, diabetes in 33.5%, and a family history was present in 14.2%, while 7.3% had renal impairment.
The median pre-hospital delay was 360 minutes; mainly due to delay in seeking medical care which was the cause in 45.6%, whereas the mean ER time delay was 48.24 ± 89.30 minutes. The median time from CCU admission to wire crossing was 40.0 minutes with a mean value 53.86 ±49.0 minutes. The total ischemic time was 372 minutes (6.2 hours) with a mean ischemic time of 408 minutes (6.8 hours). The rate of reperfusion therapy (PPCI or thrombolysis) was 71.5 percent among all STEMI patients who presented within 12 hours, with achievement of timely reperfusion according to ESC guidelines for management of STEMI in 35.0%. The majority of our patients (70.7%) had door to wire crossing time of less than 90 minutes.
In-hospital overall mortality was 5.5%. The PPCI group had a mortality rate of 2.9 percent, whereas the conservative management group had a mortality rate of 12.9 percent, with a statistically significant difference (P&lt;0.001) between the two groups. In-hospital overall MACE was 27.3%. The PPCI group had MACE rate of 15%, the thrombolytic group had MACE rate of 28.1%, and the conservative management group had MACE rate of 54.8%, with a statistically significant difference (P&lt;0.001) between the three groups.

Conclusions
Regardless of the financial and technical limitations in our center, timely reperfusion rate and performance are not far from meeting ESC 2017 guidelines for the management of STEMI. Primary PCI was the most frequently used treatment modality, and the associated total in- hospital mortality was below 5%. An enormous increase in the total ischemic time is a major concern due.

Additional Content
An author video to accompany this abstract is available on https://academic.oup.com/eurheartjsupp. Please click on the arrow next to ‘More Content’ and then click on ‘Author videos’.