bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A time‐staggered second order conservative time scheme for variable density flow
Authors: Amino Hector , Flageul Cédric , Benhamadouche Sofiane , Tiselj Iztok , Carissimo Bertrand , Ferrand Martin 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn this study, we present a robust conservative time‐staggered scheme for variable density flow. This pressure correction scheme uses the compressible Navier–Stokes equations and is implemented in the collocated finite‐volume open‐source computational fluid dynamics solver code_saturne. The Helmholtz equation is solved for the pressure increment, taking the thermodynamic pressure into account and avoiding the acoustic time step limitation. The internal energy equation is used and completed by a source term derived from the discrete kinetic energy equation, thus enforcing total energy conservation and consistency for irregular solutions. A numerical analysis providing conditions ensuring the positivity of the thermodynamic variables is proposed. The scheme is verified and validated against analytical and experimental test cases. Its ability to reproduce the pressure variation while conserving the mass is demonstrated. Its conservative property and time convergence order are also verified. An irregular shock solution is studied, emphasizing the importance of the source term in the internal energy equation. Finally, the scheme is validated against reference numerical results on a two‐dimensional natural convection cavity and experimental data on a three‐dimensional ventilation test case. The comparison against experimental data is made using first‐and second‐order turbulent simulations.
Functional neuroanatomy of English word reading in early bilingual and monolingual adults
Authors: Brignoni‐Pérez Edith , Jamal Nasheed I. , Eden Guinevere F. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractSkilled reading is important in daily life. While the understanding of the neurofunctional organization of this uniquely human skill has advanced significantly, it does not take into consideration the common bilingual experiences around the world. To examine the role of early bilingualism on the neural substrates supporting English word processing, we compared brain activity, as well as functional connectivity, in Spanish‐English early bilingual adults (N = 25) and English monolingual adults (N = 33) during single‐word processing. Activation analysis revealed no significant differences between the two groups. A seed‐to‐voxel analysis using eight a priori selected seed‐regions (placed in regions known to be involved in reading) revealed relatively stronger functional connectivity in bilinguals between two sets of regions: left superior temporal gyrus seed positively with left lingual gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus seed negatively with left anterior cingulate cortex. Together these results suggest that an early Spanish‐English bilingual experience does not modulate local brain activity for English word reading. It does, however, have some influence on the functional intercommunication between brain regions during reading, specifically in two regions associated with reading, which are functionally connected to those inside and outside of the reading network. We conclude that brain regions involved in processing English words are not that different in Spanish‐English early bilingual adults relative to monolingual adult users of English.
Development of a framework and decision tool for the evaluation of health technologies based on surrogate endpoint evidence
Authors: Ciani Oriana , Grigore Bogdan , Taylor Rod S. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn the drive toward faster patient access to treatments, health technology assessment (HTA) agencies and payers are increasingly faced with reliance on evidence based on surrogate endpoints, increasing decision uncertainty. Despite the development of a small number of evaluation frameworks, there remains no consensus on the detailed methodology for handling surrogate endpoints in HTA practice. This research overviews the methods and findings of four empirical studies undertaken as part of COMED (Pushing the Boundaries of Cost and Outcome Analysis of Medical Technologies) program work package 2 with the aim of analyzing international HTA practice of the handling and considerations around the use of surrogate endpoint evidence. We have synthesized the findings of these empirical studies, in context of wider contemporary body of methodological and policy‐related literature on surrogate endpoints, to develop a web‐based decision tool to support HTA agencies and payers when faced with surrogate endpoint evidence. Our decision tool is intended for use by HTA agencies and their decision‐making committees together with the wider community of HTA stakeholders (including clinicians, patient groups, and healthcare manufacturers). Having developed this tool, we will monitor its use and we welcome feedback on its utility.
Are firms with ‘deep pockets’ more responsive to tort liability? Evidence from nursing homes
Authors: Brickley James A. , Lu Susan F. , Wedig Gerard J. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractWe provide time series evidence of tort reform's impact on inputs and quality in the nursing home industry. Between 2000 and 2010, 11 state reforms capped noneconomic damages for health care services. Small chain and unaffiliated nursing homes enjoyed “judgment proof standing” and were less apt to be sued, prior to reform. We find that the managers of such homes were relatively unresponsive to the implementation of state caps on noneconomic damages. Large “deep‐pocketed” chain‐affiliated homes lacked judgment proof standing and implemented greater reductions in their nursing inputs in the aftermath of tort relief. However, we find little evidence of service quality erosion across four measured dimensions of care outcomes. Our findings are consistent with a “defensive care” model in which large chain homes employ unproductive inputs in an effort to meet a negligence standard of care.
Can a global budget improve health care efficiency? Experimental evidence from China
Authors: Zhang Hao , Zhang Luying , Xu Roman , Pan Jay , Hu Min , Jian Weiyan , Yip Winnie 
Published: May 2022

AbstractHealth care in China suffers from substantial allocative inefficiency in the delivery system and technical inefficiency within hospitals. To ameliorate this problem in rural areas, the Analysis of Provider Payment Reforms on Advancing China's Health (APPROACH) project shifted the payment method of China's rural health insurance scheme for county hospitals from fee‐for‐service to a novel global budget. In particular, APPROACH global budget incentivized system‐level allocative efficiency by reimbursing county hospitals at higher tariffs for gatekeeping and averting out‐of‐county (OOC) admissions among local patients they could treat. APPROACH conducted a large‐scale randomized controlled trial of the global budget in 56 counties (22 million enrollees) of Guizhou province during 2016–2017. Applying randomization inference to claims data, we find a significant shift of inpatient utilization and expenditure from OOC hospitals to county hospitals. At county hospitals, average expenditure per admission and length of stay decreased, though not significantly. Effects on readmissions show no clear sign of compromised quality. We further find limited effect heterogeneity with respect to treatment and hospital characteristics. Overall, APPROACH global budget may offer a framework for improving health care efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Workforce culture diversity and compliance costs in the global banking sector
Authors: Bai Min , Hou Greg , Scrimgeour Frank 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBusiness cultural diversity is particularly important in the Banking sector. Using 2002 to 2018 data from 516 banks across the globe, this study provides evidence–both board diversity and workforce diversity have a significant negative relationship with ethics compliance costs, implying that enhancing diversity in the board room and employee workforce improves the ethical performance of banks. And, the results show a significant positive relationship between diversity compliance costs and ethics compliance costs. We further demonstrate a significant inverse U‐shape between diversity in the workforce and costs of business unethical behavior in the banking sector. The results remain statistically and quantitatively unchanged from further robustness tests and endogeneity estimates. Overall, this paper sheds light and highlights the important role of diversity in shaping banks' ethics activities and performance.
PyFREC 2.0: Software for excitation energy transfer modeling
Authors: Kosenkov Dmitri 
Published: May 2022

AbstractExcitation energy transfer is a ubiquitous process of fundamental importance for understanding natural phenomena, such as photosynthesis, as well as advancing technologies ranging from photovoltaics to development of photosensitizers and fluorescent probes used to explore molecular interactions inside living cells. The current version of PyFREC 2.0 is an advancement of the previously reported software (D. Kosenkov, J. Comput. Chem. 2016, 37, 1847–1854). The current update is primarily focused on providing a computational tool based on Förster theory for bridging a gap between theoretically calculated molecular properties (e.g., electronic couplings, orientation factors, etc.) and experimentally measured emission and absorption spectra of molecules. The software is aimed to facilitate deeper understanding of photochemical mechanisms of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in donor–acceptor pairs. Specific updates of the software include implementations of overlap integrals between donor emission and acceptor absorption spectra of FRET pairs, estimation of Strickler–Berg fluorescence lifetimes, calculation of Förster radii, energy transfer efficiency, and radiation zones that, in particular, determine applicability of the Förster theory.
Deep inspiratory breath‐hold radiotherapy for left‐sided breast cancer: Initial experience with Active Breathing Coordinator™ in a regional hospital
Authors: Kim Bomi , Little David , Groen Julie , Yi Ma , James Melissa 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIntroductionDeep inspiratory breath‐hold (DIBH) has become standard in radiotherapy for left‐sided breast cancer to reduce the heart dose. This study evaluated breath‐hold stability and reproducibility using Elekta's Active Breathing Coordinator™ (ABC) and its effectiveness and feasibility in left‐sided breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.MethodsEligible patients were planned with free breathing (FB) and DIBH protocols. DIBH treatment was considered if the mean heart dose (MHD) was ≥2 Gy on the FB plan. Those who proceeded with DIBH treatment were enrolled for the pilot study. Electronic portal images of DIBH treatment beams were taken using the movie‐exposure mode for breath‐hold stability and reproducibility analysis. DIBH effectiveness in heart dose reduction and impact on simulation and treatment durations were compared with FB protocol.ResultsOut of 56 eligible patients, 15 proceeded with DIBH treatment. The mean difference of patient setup within a single breath‐hold was 0.4 mm; between different breath‐holds of the same beam 1.1 mm and between different days 2.6 mm. DIBH reduced the MHD by 47% and the mean left anterior descending artery (LAD) dose by 35%. DIBH took longer time than FB in simulation and treatment. At least 14% of the eligible patients did not tolerate DIBH during simulation.ConclusionsABC leads to stable and reproducible breath‐holds and results in significant heart dose reductions. It may not be tolerated by all patients and has resource implications.
Design of graphene‐constituted Frequency Selective Surface‐based perfect absorbers in THz regime—A circuit analysis approach
Authors: Das Priyanka , Mandal Kaushik 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn this article, novel designs of two different types of graphene‐based absorbers of arbitrary geometry have been investigated. The first absorber uses a graphene sheet and an array of metallic patches on silicon substrate for dual‐band absorption without the application of chemical potential. The second absorber is formed of a combination of graphene and metallic patches on the same substrate and is tunable over the frequency range 6.2–6.6 THz. Tunability is employed by electrostatic biasing of graphene patches from 0.4 to 1 eV. Using only a single layer of patterned graphene patches of two different sizes loaded around a square‐shaped metallic patch on SiO2 substrate, an absorption bandwidth of 500 GHz is exhibited. The proposed absorbers are analyzed rigorously by an equivalent circuit model (ECM). The validation of ECM analysis is done through full‐wave simulations in CST 2021.
An inner filter effect‐based nitrogen‐doped carbon dots–CoOOH nanoflakes fluorescence probe for detection of ascorbic acid by chemical redox modulation
Authors: Lan Wei , Hai Chengying , Shi Qiong , Wang Shuo , Deng Gaoqiong , Chen Hengye , Wang Youyou , Yang Jian , Fu Haiyan 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBACKGROUNDAscorbic acid (AA) is an essential nutrient for humans, which must be obtained from vegetables, fruits, and other foods. The content of AA has become an important standard to evaluate the quality and nutritional value of food. The fluorescence sensing method based on nanomaterials is a good alternative for the rapid detection of AA. In this study, we developed an inner filter effect‐based fluorescent probe that hybridized nitrogen‐doped carbon dots (NCDs) with cobalt oxyhydroxide nanoflakes (CoOOH NFs).RESULTSAn optimal NCDs was successfully selected because it has a strong fluorescence at 430 nm and the most significant quenching phenomenon with CoOOH NFs due to the inner filter effect. When adding AA into the NCDs–CoOOH NFs probe solution, a specific redox reaction will occur between the enediol group of AA and the CoOOH NFs to interfere with the quenching ability of CoOOH NFs and recover the fluorescence of NCDs. The recovered fluorescence intensities demonstrated a linear relationship with the concentrations of AA. The assay based on the NCDs–CoOOH NFs probe allows AA to be tested in a wide range of 5–200 μmol L−1 with a detection limit of 2.31 nmol L−1. Furthermore, to evaluate its practical application, the NCDs–CoOOH NFs fluorescence probe was utilized to analyze AA in vegetable, fruit, and serum matrixes with satisfactory results.CONCLUSIONAn inner filter effect‐based fluorescence probe for the rapid detection of AA was developed, and it has a good potential to be applied in both food and clinical testing. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Isolation, identification and sensory evaluation of kokumi peptides from by‐products of enzyme‐modified butter
Authors: Yang Zhijie , Wang Jiao , Han Zhaosheng , Blank Imre , Meng Fanyu , Wang Bei , Cao Yanping , Tian Huaixiang , Chen Chen 
Published: May 2022

AbstractBackgroundEnzyme‐modified butter is used as a common raw material to obtain a natural milk flavor. Butter protein is a by‐product in butter processing that can be used as substrate to produce taste‐active peptides, which can create additional value and new application opportunities, making the method more environmentally friendly.ResultsPutative kokumi peptides from hydrolysates of protein by‐products were isolated by gel filtration chromatography and reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography. The isolated peptide fraction with the most pronounced kokumi taste was screened by sensory evaluation and electronic tongue analysis. Eleven peptides were identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry. Six peptides were synthesized to verify their taste characteristics. Five synthetic peptides (FTKK, CKEVVRNANE, EELNVPG, VPNSAEER and YPVEPFTER) showed different intensity levels of kokumi taste. Of these peptides, the decapeptide CKEVVRNANE had the highest kokumi intensity.ConclusionThe newly identified kokumi peptides increased the kokumi taste intensity and showed some synergistic effect with umami taste. Both termini of the peptides seem to play an important role in taste characteristic. Glu residue at both termini can increase the kokumi taste intensity. This work indicated that it was feasible to produce kokumi peptides by enzymatic hydrolysis of the protein by‐products of butter. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Fast‐Dip Layer‐by‐Layer Self‐Assembly of Polyelectrolytes as a Low‐Cost Biosensing Platform
Authors: Boranna Rakshith , Vishwaraj Naik Parrikar , Pahal Suman , Nataraj Chandrika Thondagere , Jagannath Raviprasad Kogravalli , Nanjunda Shivananju Bannur , Prashanth Gurusiddappa R. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPolyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films fabricated using Layer‐by‐Layer (LbL) self‐assembly are most versatile for numerous surface tailoring applications. Physicochemical customization of PEM at a nanometer scale is possible by choice of incorporated materials, assembly parameters, and assembly techniques. Conventional dip (CDip) (10–15 min dip time) coating dominates the PEM fabrication due to its simple, geometry‐independent, and economical coating capabilities. Deposition of the PEM in CDip‐LbL happens in two phases, that is, the initial adsorption phase followed by rearrangement of the complementary polyelectrolyte chains. By shortening the prolonged rearrangement phase, thicker stratified PEM films can form with a reduced dipping time (1 min), called Fast Dip (FDip). This reduction in the dipping time is studied in situ using Etched Fiber Bragg Grating‐based sensors. To define the practical utility of the FDip deposited PEM, bio‐molecular loading studies are performed using biotin and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). FDip‐LbL is as effective as CDip‐LbL self‐assembly and also better than spin‐LbL. Thus, the FDip deposition prompts a scalable LbL self‐assembly process for quick fabrication of the biosensing platforms.
Miniaturization of a wideband magnetoelectric dipole antenna by folding
Authors: Li Jie , Chen Xing , Hao Shu‐Ji , Cui Yu‐Guo 
Published: May 2022

AbstractIn this Letter, we investigate a wideband magnetoelectric dipole antenna miniaturized by folding. In the proposed design, a folded L‐shaped electric dipole is used instead of the conventional half‐wavelength horizontal electric dipole, and a pair of vertically folded shorted patches act as a magnetic dipole, producing a miniaturized radiator. Furthermore, a small‐size U‐shaped reflector replaces the traditional large‐size planar reflector, resulting in a decrease in the low end of the frequency band, while the high end of the frequency band remains almost unchanged. A better impedance matching is also obtained over the entire operating frequency band. Ultimately, a miniaturized overall structure and a wide bandwidth are obtained simultaneously. The overall size of the proposed antenna is only (where is the longest operating wavelength), which is 82% smaller than the size of the original design, but the proposed antenna can still obtain a large bandwidth of 120% (1–4 GHz) for VSWR < 2. Furthermore, stable radiation patterns are realized with an average gain of 5 dBi within the operating frequency band.
Improving the efficiency of small animal 3D‐printed compensator IMRT with beamlet intensity total variation regularization
Authors: Liu Xinmin , Van Slyke Alexander L. , Pearson Erik , Shoniyozov Khayrullo , Redler Gage , Wiersma Rodney D. 
Published: May 2022

AbstractPurposeThere is growing interest in the use of modern 3D printing technology to implement intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) on the preclinical scale that is analogous to clinical IMRT. However, current 3D‐printed IMRT methods suffer from complex modulation patterns leading to long delivery times, excess filament usage, and less accurate compensator fabrication. In this work, we have developed a total variation regularization (TVR) approach to address these issues.MethodsTVR‐IMRT was used to optimize the beamlet intensity map, which was then converted to a thickness of the corresponding compensator attenuation region in copper‐doped polylactic acid (PLA) filament. IMRT and TVR‐IMRT heart and lung plans were generated for two different mice using three, five, or seven gantry angles. The total compensator thickness, total variation of compensator beamlet thicknesses, total variation of beamlet intensities, and exposure time were compared. The individual field doses and composite dose were delivered to film for one plan and gamma analysis was performed.ResultsIn total, 12 mice heart and lung plans were generated for both IMRT and TVR‐IMRT cases. Across all cases, it was found that TVR‐IMRT reduced the total variation of compensator beamlet thicknesses and beamlet intensities by and on average when compared to standard 3D‐printed compensator IMRT. On average, the total mass of compensator material consumed and radiation beam‐on time were reduced by and , respectively, whereas dose metrics remained comparable. Heart plan compensators were printed and delivered to film and subsequent gamma analysis performed for each of the single fields as well as the composite dose. For the composite delivery, a passing rate of 89.1% for IMRT and 95.4% for TVR‐IMRT was achieved for a mm criterion.ConclusionsTVR can be applied to small animal IMRT beamlet intensities to produce fluence maps and subsequent 3D‐printed compensator patterns with significantly less complexity while still maintaining similar dose conformity to traditional IMRT. This can simplify/accelerate the 3D printing process, reduce the amount of filament required, and reduce overall beam‐on time to deliver a plan.
A Slice‐Low‐Rank Plus Sparse (slice‐L + S) Reconstruction Method for k‐t Undersampled Multiband First‐Pass Myocardial Perfusion MRI
Authors: Sun Changyu , Robinson Austin , Wang Yu , Bilchick Kenneth C. , Kramer Christopher M. , Weller Daniel , Salerno Michael , Epstein Frederick H. 
Published: May 2022

PurposeThe synergistic use of k‐t undersampling and multiband (MB) imaging has the potential to provide extended slice coverage and high spatial resolution for first‐pass perfusion MRI. The low‐rank plus sparse (L + S) model has shown excellent performance for accelerating single‐band (SB) perfusion MRI.MethodsA MB data consistency method employing ESPIRiT maps and through‐plane coil information was developed. This data consistency method was combined with the temporal L + S constraint to form the slice‐L + S method. Slice‐L + S was compared to SB L + S and the sequential operations of split slice‐GRAPPA and SB L + S (seq‐SG‐L + S) using synthetic data formed from multislice SB images. Prospectively k‐t undersampled MB data were also acquired and reconstructed using seq‐SG‐L + S and slice‐L + S.ResultsUsing synthetic data with total acceleration rates of 6–12, slice‐L + S outperformed SB L + S and seq‐SG‐L + S (N = 7 subjects) with respect to normalized RMSE and the structural similarity index (P < 0.05 for both). For the specific case with MB factor = 3 and rate 3 undersampling, or for SB imaging with rate 9 undersampling (N = 7 subjects), the normalized RMSE values were 0.037 ± 0.007, 0.042 ± 0.005, and 0.031 ± 0.004; and the structural similarity index values were 0.88 ± 0.03, 0.85 ± 0.03, and 0.89 ± 0.02 for SB L + S, seq‐SG‐L + S, and slice‐L + S, respectively (P < 0.05 for both). For prospectively undersampled MB data, slice‐L + S provided better image quality than seq‐SG‐L + S for rate 6 (N = 7) and rate 9 acceleration (N = 7) as scored by blinded experts.ConclusionSlice‐L + S outperformed SB‐L + S and seq‐SG‐L + S and provides 9 slice coverage of the left ventricle with a spatial resolution of 1.5 mm × 1.5 mm with good image quality.