Latest Version Research Articles

STRING-ing together protein complexes: corpus and methods for extracting physical protein interactions from the biomedical literature.

Understanding biological processes relies heavily on curated knowledge of physical interactions between proteins. Yet, a notable gap remains between the information stored in databases of curated knowledge and the plethora of interactions documented in the scientific literature. To bridge this gap, we introduce ComplexTome, a manually annotated corpus designed to facilitate the development of text-mining methods for the extraction of complex formation relationships among biomedical entities targeting the downstream semantics of the physical interaction subnetwork of the STRING database. This corpus comprises 1287 documents with ∼3500 relationships. We train a novel relation extraction model on this corpus and find that it can highly reliably identify physical protein interactions (F1-score = 82.8%). We additionally enhance the model's capabilities through unsupervised trigger word detection and apply it to extract relations and trigger words for these relations from all open publications in the domain literature. This information has been fully integrated into the latest version of the STRING database. We provide the corpus, code, and all results produced by the large-scale runs of our systems biomedical on literature via Zenodo https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8139716, Github https://github.com/farmeh/ComplexTome_extraction, and the latest version of STRING database https://string-db.org/.

Abstract P405: Integrating Self-Measured Blood Pressure Device Data Into Electronic Health Records – Barriers And Solutions

Introduction: Despite clinical evidence supporting the use of self-measured blood pressure monitoring (SMBP)in improving blood pressure control, the infrastructure to enable data transfer from device to electronic health record (EHR) is complicated by policy, interoperability, and operational challenges. The National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI) engaged 350 HRSA-funded federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to improve blood pressure control leveraging SMBP devices and integrating SMBP data into EHRs. Hypothesis/Aims: FQHCs could integrate SMBP device data into their EHR with financial support and training and technical assistance (T/TA). Methods: T/TA was provided through a curriculum to support technology infrastructure self-assessment, explore effective integration options, and implement solutions. Additionally, FQHCs were offered 1:1 consultations and EHR-specific guidance documents. Results: More than half (52%) of responding FQHCs reported moving through all stages of planning, preparing, piloting, scaling, and evaluating their SMBP program during the 3-year grant, while 30% reached the scaling stage. Ultimately, 27% reported full data integration and 51% reported partial integration of SMBP device data into their EHR, while 4-12% reported no to minimal integration, respectively. Based on the five most used EHRs, numerous integrations were identified with five validated SMBP devices. Successful integration strategies included upgrading to the latest EHR version, choosing SMBP devices with verified EHR integration, utilizing EHRs with patient portal apps, and engaging with remote patient monitoring (RPM) services for pre-established integrations. Third-party integration engines emerged as complex and expensive solutions. Challenges included costly or time-consuming EHR upgrades, SMBP device purchases without prior SMBP integration assessment, limitations posed by non-cloud based EHRs or EHRs without patient portals, ability to sustain RPM subscription costs, and limited information technology expertise. Conclusion: SMBP device data can be integrated into EHRs, but the complexity, costs, and sustainability vary significantly. Several viable integration strategies with common EHRs and validated SMBP devices were verified. As the technology landscape evolves rapidly, the underlying need for education, strategic technology planning, and vendor collaboration remains.

Causal associations between COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction: a Mendelian randomization study.

In this study, we aimed to explore the potential association between COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, severe COVID-19, and erection dysfunction (ED) using the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Data pertaining to COVID-19 were extracted from the latest version of the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analyses (Round 7, April 2022), and outcome data were obtained from the Open GWAS database. We applied various MR analysis methods, including the inverse variance weighted method, weighted median method, and MR-Egger regression. Our investigation revealed a negative causal association between COVID-19 hospitalization and ED (total testosterone levels: beta = -0.026; 95% confidence interval: -0.049 to -0.001). However, no evidence supported causal relationships between COVID-19 infection, hospitalization for COVID-19, or severe COVID-19 and other ED risk factors. The results of this comprehensive MR analysis suggest a negative causal link between COVID-19 hospitalization and total testosterone levels. Nonetheless, COVID-19 (comprising infection, hospitalization, and severe illness) may not directly correlate with an increased risk of ED. These findings imply that COVID-19 may exert a distinct impact on ED through indirect pathways.

Artificial intelligence in orthopaedic education: A comparative analysis of ChatGPT and Bing AI's Orthopaedic In‐Training Examination performance

AbstractBackgroundThis study evaluated the performance of generative artificial intelligence (AI) models on the Orthopaedic In‐Training Examination (OITE), an annual exam administered to U.S. orthopaedic residency programs.MethodsChatGPT 3.5 and Bing AI GPT 4.0 were evaluated on standardised sets of multiple‐choice questions drawn from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons OITE online question bank spanning 5 years (2018–2022). A total of 1165 questions were posed to each AI system. The performance of both systems was standardised using the latest versions of ChatGPT 3.5 and Bing AI GPT 4.0. Historical data of resident scores taken from the annual OITE technical reports was used as a comparison.ResultsAcross the five datasets, ChatGPT 3.5 scored an average of 55.0% on the OITE questions. Bing AI GPT 4.0 scored higher with an average of 80.0%. In comparison, the average performance of orthopaedic residents in national accredited programs was 62.1%. Bing AI GPT 4.0 outperformed ChatGPT 3.5 and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education examinees, and analysis of variance analysis demonstrated p < 0.001 among groups. The best performance was by Bing AI GPT 4.0 on OITE 2020.ConclusionGenerative AI can provide a logical context across answer responses through its in‐depth information searches and citation of resources. This combination presents a convincing argument for the possible uses of AI in medical education as an interactive learning aid.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Italian version of the Parkinson's disease caregiver burden questionnaire (PDCB-I).

To translate and cross-culturally adapt the Parkinson's Disease Caregiver Burden questionnaire (PDBC) into Italian language and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Italian version in terms of test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. The PDBC-I was developed by forward-backward translation to establish correspondence with the original English latest version. Psychometric properties were estimated in a sample of primary caregivers of individuals with Parkinson's disease. Reliability testing included internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), test-retest reliability (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimal detectable change (MDC), also expressed as percentage (MDC%). Validity was estimated by comparing the PDBC -I to the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) (Pearson correlation coefficient). The questionnaire was administered to 65 caregivers, showing internal consistency of 0.934. ICC value was 0.811 (95% CI 0.708-0.880) for test-retest reliability, and the SEM and the MDC (MDC%) were 5.04 and 13.97 (38.21%), respectively. Low to moderate correlation with all other investigated scales (CBI: r=0.693; SF-36 physical score: r=-0.309; SF-36 mental score: r=-0.588; SF36 total score: -0.470) were found. Despite the PDCB-I holds acceptable psychometric properties to be used in clinical settings of Italian-speaking Countries as a measure of caregiver burden in caregivers of individuals with Parkinson Disease, the caregiver might require the support of a clinician to finalize the compilation of the questionnaire.

Multi‐Decadal Soil Moisture and Crop Yield Variability—A Case Study With the Community Land Model (CLM5)

AbstractWhile the impacts of climate change on global food security have been studied extensively, the capability of emerging tools that couple land surface processes and crop growth in reproducing inter‐annual yield variability at regional scale remains to be tested rigorously. In this study, we analyzed the effects of weather variations between years (1999–2019) on regional crop productivity for two agriculturally managed regions with contrasting climate and cropping conditions: the German state of North Rhine‐Westphalia (DE‐NRW) and the Australian state of Victoria (AUS‐VIC), using the latest version of the Community Land Model (CLM5) and the WFDE5 (WATCH Forcing Data methodology applied to ECMWF reanalysis version 5) reanalysis. Overall, the simulation results were able to reproduce the total annual crop yields of certain crops, while also capturing the differences in total yield magnitudes between the domains. However, the simulations showed limitations in correctly capturing inter‐annual differences of crop yield compared to official yield records, which resulted in relatively low correlation coefficients between 0.07 and 0.39 in AUS‐VIC and between 0.11 and 0.42 in DE‐NRW. The mean absolute deviation of simulated winter wheat yields was up to 4.6 times lower compared to state‐wide records from 1999 to 2019. Our results suggest the following limitations of CLM5: (a) limitations in simulating yield responses from plant hydraulic stress; (b) errors in simulating soil moisture contents compared to satellite‐derived data; and (c) errors in the representation of cropland in general, for example, crop parameterizations and human influences.

고려 후기~조선시대 발해인 영순태씨 가문 검토 - 시조(始祖) 대금취(大金就)와 현조(顯祖) 태두남(太斗南)를 중심으로

Examined and reconstructed in this article are the lives and actions of two individuals. One is Dae Geum-chwi(大金就), who is believed to have founded the Yeongsun Tae House(永順太氏), while the other is Tae Du-nam(太斗南) who is oftentimes heralded as the middle founder of the house[中興祖]. The primary focus of this endeavor is to determine what kind of lives the people from Balhae (who either came from Balhae themselves or born from them) led during the late Goryeo and early-middle periods of Joseon. In the latter half of the Goryeo period, the regions where people from Balhae were able to (or allowed to) live expanded, and one of the regions which newly appeared as one of the new habitats for them was the Yeongsun-hyeon(永順縣) region under the jurisdiction of the Sangju-mok(尙州牧) magistrate. The Balhae people (who later became to be known as members of the Yeongsun-Tae house) were incorporated into the areal community as local Hyang’ri(鄕吏) clerks at the end of the Goryeo dynasty period, and became part of the local ruling structure. One of the villagers who bore the last name Tae(太) was reportedly rewarded with the title Yeongsun-gun(永順君) for his bald action of capturing an enemy trooper, and descendants of the house came to believe that Dae Geum-chwi was that individual. Later in mid-Joseon, such belief was officialized by Tae Du-nam who lived during Joseon king Jungjong’s reign. For Tae Du-nam, who is generally recognized for his contribution of cementing the foundation of the house, there are two distinctively different observations. Records from the government, such as the Veritable records of Joseon(Shilok), only suggests that he was a mere mid-level governmental official, but the literary figures from the Yeongnam region in the latter half of the Joseon dynasty period left records of praising him as a man of integrity, courage and a moral compass. He is also known to have overseen the funeral for his master, when the master was persecuted by a powerful being in the government and no other disciple was brave enough to dare rush to the care of their fallen master. The Yecheon area where Tae Du-nam’s descendants took root was the home of many renowned houses, and they would have befriended them while becoming part of the culture. They were the ones who were able to rediscover their own heritage through Tae Du-nam’s own writings, during their efforts of compiling the latest version of the familial geneaology records.

The Determination of Criticality for Ice Shapes Based on CCAR-25

Determining the criticality of ice shapes is a necessary condition for verifying compliance with icing airworthiness regulations. However, the clear, concise, and applicable criterion based on the geometric characteristics of ice shapes has not been clearly given out by current advisory circulars. To address this problem, this paper summarizes aerodynamic performance items and recommended ice shapes the latest version of CCAR-25 and corresponding advisory circulars for a variety of flight phases, including takeoff, holding, en route, DTO, etc., instead of the single phase of holding in the previous research. Based on the geometric classification of the ice shapes, the dominant parameters of various ice shapes are clarified by the correlation between the geometric parameters and aerodynamic effects. The geometric parameters to determine the criticality of specific ice shapes are defined as the roughness height and range for the roughness ice and the total projection height in the direction of lift for the horn ice. On this basis, the detailed determination criterion of critical ice shape geometries corresponding to different flight phases and aircraft components is formulated, which will provide an operational selection methodology for determining the geometries of critical ice shapes at the airworthiness certification stage.

The surface tension of Martini 3 water mixtures.

The Martini model, a coarse-grained forcefield for biomolecular simulations, has experienced a vast increase in popularity in the past decade. Its building-block approach balances computational efficiency with high chemical specificity, enabling the simulation of organic and inorganic molecules. The modeling of coarse-grained beads as Lennard-Jones particles poses challenges for the accurate reproduction of liquid-vapor interfacial properties, which are crucial in various applications, especially in the case of water. The latest version of the forcefield introduces refined interaction parameters for water beads, tackling the well-known artifact of Martini water freezing at room temperature. In addition, multiple sizes of water beads are available for simulating the solvation of small cavities, including the smallest pockets of proteins. This work focuses on studying the interfacial properties of Martini water, including surface tension and surface thickness. Employing the test-area method, we systematically compute the liquid-vapor surface tension across various combinations of water bead sizes and for temperatures from 300 to 350K. These findings are of interest to the Martini community as they allow users to account for the low interfacial tension of Martini water by properly adjusting observables computed via coarse-grained simulations to allow for accurate matching against all-atom or experimental results. Surface tension data are also interpreted in terms of local enrichment of the various mixture components at the liquid-vapor interface by means of Gibbs' adsorption formalism. Finally, the critical scaling of the Martini surface tension with temperature is reported to be consistent with the critical exponent of the 3D Ising universality class.

Evaluation of AlphaFold 3's Protein-Protein Complexes for Predicting Binding Free Energy Changes upon Mutation.

AlphaFold 3 (AF3), the latest version of protein structure prediction software, goes beyond its predecessors by predicting protein-protein complexes. It could revolutionize drug discovery and protein engineering, marking a major step toward comprehensive, automated protein structure prediction. However, independent validation of AF3's predictions is necessary. In this work, we evaluate AF3 complex structures using the SKEMPI 2.0 database which involves 317 protein-protein complexes and 8338 mutations. AF3 complex structures when applied to the most advanced TDL model, MT-TopLap (MultiTask-Topological Laplacian), give rise to a very good Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.86 for predicting protein-protein binding free energy changes upon mutation, which is slightly less than the 0.88 achieved earlier with the Protein Data Bank (PDB) structures. Nonetheless, AF3 complex structures led to a 8.6% increase in the prediction RMSE compared to original PDB complex structures. Additionally, some of AF3's complex structures have large errors, which were not captured in its ipTM performance metric. Finally, it is found that AF3's complex structures are not reliable for intrinsically flexible regions or domains.

Optimized seismic hazard and structural vulnerability model considering macroseismic intensity measures

Macroseismic intensity measures are fundamental quantitative indicators for evaluating the vulnerability and resilience of regional building clusters. The vulnerability model of building portfolios established can provide a noteworthy reference for the development of large-scale regional earthquake risk distributions. However, there are differences in the quantitative scales of the macroseismic intensity standards used in multiple regions. The positive effects of instrument intensity and probabilistic seismic hazard theory on the vulnerability assessment of regional buildings are rarely considered, resulting in significant differences in their assessment results. This paper comprehensively considers the impact of instrument intensity and seismic hazard models on traditional macroseismic intensity. An updated macroseismic intensity measure (UCMS-20) is proposed for evaluating regional buildings, which is combined with the latest version of China's seismic intensity standards. The actual seismic damage sample dataset (31,649 buildings) of four types of building clusters in three typical earthquakes in China (Wenchuan 2008, Yushu 2010, and Jiuzhaigou 2017) has been expanded and updated. Using the UCMS-20, the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98), the Modified Mercalli intensity (MMI), and the Medvedev, Sponheuer, and Karnik Scale (MSK-64), vulnerability assessments are conducted on the extended empirical structural seismic damage dataset, and an empirical disaster matrix model considering updating damage states is established. A nonlinear vulnerability prediction model considering updated macrointensity measures is proposed, and the optimized model is validated and compared against the developed multiscale empirical structure dataset. The multiscale vulnerability index calculation model is improved, and novel optimization curves, point clouds, and matrix probability risk models are established, considering the expansion of empirical structural vulnerability databases.

The Role of Radiomics in the Prediction of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer in the PI-RADS v2 and v2.1 Era: A Systematic Review.

Early detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) has substantially improved with the latest PI-RADS versions. However, there is still an overdiagnosis of indolent lesions (iPCa), and radiomics has emerged as a potential solution. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the role of handcrafted and deep radiomics in differentiating lesions with csPCa from those with iPCa and benign lesions on prostate MRI assessed with PI-RADS v2 and/or 2.1. The literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases to select relevant studies. Quality assessment was carried out with Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2), Radiomic Quality Score (RQS), and Checklist for Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging (CLAIM) tools. A total of 14 studies were deemed as relevant from 411 publications. The results highlighted a good performance of handcrafted and deep radiomics methods for csPCa detection, but without significant differences compared to radiologists (PI-RADS) in the few studies in which it was assessed. Moreover, heterogeneity and restrictions were found in the studies and quality analysis, which might induce bias. Future studies should tackle these problems to encourage clinical applicability. Prospective studies and comparison with radiologists (PI-RADS) are needed to better understand its potential.

TNSP: A framework supporting symmetry and fermion tensors for tensor network state methods

Recent advancements have established tensor network states (TNS) as formidable tools for exploring the complex realm of strongly-correlated many-particle systems in both one and two dimensions. To tackle the challenges presented by strongly-correlated fermion systems, various fermion tensor network states (f-TNS) methodologies have been developed. However, implementing f-TNS methods poses substantial challenges due to their particularly complex nature, making development efforts significantly difficult. This complexity is further exacerbated by the lack of underlying software packages that facilitate the development of f-TNS. Previously, we developed TNSPackage, a software package designed for TNS methods [1]. Initially, this package was only capable of handling spin and boson models. To confront the challenges presented by f-TNS, TNSPackage has undergone significant enhancements in its latest version, incorporating support for both symmetry and fermion tensors. This updated version provides a uniform interface for the consistent management of tensors across boson, fermion, and various symmetry types, maintaining its user-friendly and versatile nature. This greatly facilitates the development of programs based on f-TNS. The new TNSP framework consists of two principal components: a low-level tensor package named TAT, which supports sophisticated tensor operations, and a high-level interface package called tetragono that is built upon TAT. The tetragono package is designed to significantly simplify the development of complex physical models on square lattices. The TNSPackage framework enables users to implement a wide range of physical models with greater ease, without the need to pay close attention to the underlying implementation details.

Spaln3: improvement in speed and accuracy of genome mapping and spliced alignment of protein query sequences.

Spaln is the earliest practical tool for self-sufficient genome mapping and spliced alignment of protein query sequences onto a mammalian-sized eukaryotic genomic sequence. However, its computational speed has become inadequate for the analysis of rapidly growing genomic and transcript sequence data. The dynamic programming calculation of Spaln has been sped up in two ways: (i) the introduction of the multi-intermediate unidirectional Hirschberg method and (ii) SIMD-based vectorization. The new version, Spaln3, is ∼7 times faster than the latest Spaln version 2, and its gene prediction accuracy is consistently higher than that of Miniprot. https://github.com/ogotoh/spaln.

Numerical modeling of the punching shear behavior of biaxially loaded RC footings

In this study, the punching shear behavior of footings under biaxial eccentric loads is numerically investigated. Load eccentricities usually encountered in practice were primarily investigated on flat slabs, whereby the research on footings is still limited. Since the structural behavior of thick footings is significantly different compared to that of thin ones due to fracture mechanics, further investigations are required. To gain a deep understanding of the punching shear behavior of footings under biaxial eccentric loads, a numerical investigation was conducted. A finite element model was developed and validated against multiple experimental results in terms of load-deflection behavior and crack patterns. The validated model was then employed to examine the effect of different biaxial load eccentricities, different shear spans to effective depth ratios, column sizes, and column shapes. Finally, the numerical results were used for analyzing the design approach of the latest version of Eurocode 2 (FprEC2-2023). The numerical results showed a gradual transition between a fully developed punching shear cone to a partially formed cone without shear crack formation on the less loaded side with increasing load eccentricities. Additionally, larger load eccentricities lead to significantly increased rotation of the footing accompanied by a reduction of the punching shear capacity. A more pronounced influence of the effect of unbalanced moments on the punching shear capacity was identified in footings with a larger shear span to effective depth ratio. Furthermore, the effect of column size was more pronounced in small shear spans under concentric loads, while the effect was greater in footings with a larger shear span to depth ratio under eccentric loads. However, the beneficial effect of a larger column size was more pronounced for eccentric loads compared to concentric loading. Overall, the results indicate a good agreement with the design approach of Eurocode (FprEC2) for square columns. However, in some cases, the prediction was underestimated. Modified approaches from the literature for considering the effect of load eccentricity were found to address the underestimated cases safely. The results of this study demonstrated the applicability of the new design approaches for eccentric punching shear in footings under biaxial eccentric loads.

Monte Carlo simulations for free energies of hydration: Past to present.

A summary of the development of Monte Carlo statistical mechanics simulations for the computation of free energies of hydration of organic molecules is followed by presentation of results with the latest version of the optimized potentials for liquid simulations-all atom force field and the TIP4P water model. Scaling of the Lennard-Jones interactions between water, oxygen, and carbon atoms by a factor of 1.25 is found to improve the accuracy of free energies of hydration for 50 prototypical organic molecules from a mean unsigned error of 1.0-1.2 to 0.4 kcal/mol.

Changes in the overall survival of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the era of immune-checkpoint inhibitors

BackgroundThe advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has brought about a significant transformation in the treatment of immunogenic tumors. On November 23, 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved Nivolumab to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We aimed to assess potential changes in the survival rates of patients with metastatic RCC at a population level after the approval of Nivolumab. MethodsWe used data from the latest version of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database which encompasses data up to the year 2020. We included patients with age ≥ 20 years who were diagnosed with ‘distant’ RCC from 2011 through 2020. Based on the approval of Nivolumab, the period from 2011 to 2020 was further grouped into 2011–2015 (pre-ICI era) and 2016–2020 (ICI era). ResultsThe median overall survival (OS) was 8 months in the pre-ICI era compared to 11 months in the ICI era (log-rank test, χ2 = 102.53, p < 0.001). Patients diagnosed with metastatic RCC in the ICI era had a significantly lower risk of dying [Cox proportional Hazard Ratio of 0.77, 95 % CI (0.74–0.80)] compared to patients diagnosed in the pre-ICI era. Additionally, patients under the age of 75 had a lower risk of death compared to those aged 75 years or older. Patients who received chemotherapy (systemic therapy), radiotherapy, or surgery faced a significantly lower risk of mortality. Individuals with metastasis to the brain, bone, liver, or lung had a significantly higher risk of death than those without metastasis to these locations. Marital status also played a role, as married individuals had a significantly lower risk of death compared to those who were divorced, separated, or widowed at the time of diagnosis. Furthermore, income level influenced survival, with patients earning a median annual household income of more than USD 75,000 exhibiting a significantly lower risk of mortality compared to those earning between USD 50,000 and USD 74,000. There was no significant difference in survival observed between non-Hispanic blacks and non-Hispanic whites. ConclusionThe advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors has led to a substantial improvement in the median overall survival of individuals diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Advancing scanning probe microscopy simulations: A decade of development in probe-particle models

The Probe-Particle Model combine theories designed for the simulation of scanning probe microscopy experiments, employing non-reactive, flexible tip apices to achieve sub-molecular resolution. In the article we present the latest version of the Probe-Particle Model implemented in the open-source ppafm package, highlighting substantial advancements in accuracy, computational performance, and user-friendliness. To demonstrate this we provide a comprehensive review of approaches for simulating non-contact Atomic Force Microscopy. They vary in complexity from simple Lennard-Jones potential to the latest full density-based model. We compared those approaches with ab initio calculated references, showcasing their respective merits. All parts of the ppafm package have undergone acceleration by 1-2 orders of magnitude using OpenMP and OpenCL technologies. The updated package includes an interactive graphical user interface and seamless integration into the Python ecosystem via pip, facilitating advanced scripting and interoperability with other software. This adaptability positions ppafm as an ideal tool for high-throughput applications, including the training of machine learning models for the automatic recovery of atomic structures from nc-AFM measurements. We envision significant potential for this application in future single-molecule analysis, synthesis, and advancements in surface science in general. Additionally, we discuss simulations of other sub-molecular scanning-probe imaging techniques, such as bond-resolved scanning tunneling microscopy and kelvin probe force microscopy, all built on the robust foundation of the Probe-Particle Model. Altogether this demonstrates the broad impact of the model across diverse domains of on-surface science and molecular chemistry.

Comparative Study for DC-DC Converter Output Bank’s Reliability Evaluation Using Prediction Standards MIL-HDBK-217F vs. Telcordia SR-332

In the last decade, a higher level of reliability has become a compulsory demand when it comes to modern DC-DC converters. This work addresses the main reliability metrics: in many studies, the failure rate λ and MTBF of an output capacitor bank used within a high-current low-voltage buck converter have shown that the output capacitor bank is the most critical component within the converter. Many authors dealt with this issue by performing reliability predictions. The majority of studies use only one specific standard prediction to solve the problem. Herein, the calculation was performed using both the older standard, MIL-HDBK-217, and the latest one, Telcordia SR-332, providing a benchmark comparison between the two, which is a helpful tool for output capacitor selection in early-stage design. The military standard was well accepted for decades in reliability prediction, even in industrial electronics, and is still used today in a critical manner because there have been no more updates after the latest version, MIL-HDBK-217F—Notice 2, was released in 1995. Since then, newer prediction standards have appeared in the electronics reliability market. Over time, this standard was mostly used, but it does not accurately model the reliability because of a lack of taking account of the mission profile. The above-mentioned newer standard—i.e., Telcordia SR-332—also tries to compensate for the lack of the newest component technology in the older standard (which is the first standard released on the market), supplying useful design data for design engineers who use the so-called “design with reliability in mind” concept. This provides the designer of DC-DC converters with a comparison between the reliability values when the two mentioned standards are used. This paper establishes the environmental condition for the passive components by means of a point of load (PoL) buck converter that is used for both calculation methods. The influence of temperature and several specific concepts, like reference conditions, operating conditions, ripple, and internal self-heating, were taken into account in order to display the results. The temperature for the capacitor’s capsule needed in πT stress factor calculation was derived using PSPICE simulation. High-fidelity and dedicated SPICE models provided by the manufacturer were used for MOSFETs, polymer electrolytic, and MLCC capacitors that comprise the converter.

Rising premature menopause and variations by education level in India

The proportion of women experiencing premature menopause is on the rise in India, particularly in the age groups of 30–39 years. Consequently, there is a need to understand the factors influencing the prevalence of premature menopausal status among women. Our study uses the data from 180,743 women gathered during the latest Indian version of the Demography Health Survey (National Family Health Survey-5). Our results suggest that close to 5% of women in rural areas and 3% of women in urban areas experience premature menopause, and this figure varies across Indian States. The regression results show that surgical menopause, lower levels of education, poorer wealth index, rural residence, female sterilization, and insurance coverage are key drivers of premature menopause. One of the striking factors is that the prevalence of premature menopause among those with the lowest levels of education (6.85%) is around seven times higher than those with the highest level of education (0.94%). We conducted a decomposition analysis to delve into the factors contributing to this inequality. The results show that undergoing a hysterectomy (surgical menopause) account for 73% of the gap in premature menopausal rates between women with the lowest and highest levels of education. This indicates that women with poor education are more likely to undergo hysterectomy at a younger age. This finding warrants further exploration as we would expect that women from lower socio-economic background would have limited access to surgical care, however, our results suggest otherwise. This perhaps indicates a lack of awareness, lack of alternative treatment options, and over-reliance on surgical care while neglecting conservative management. Our results have implications for addressing the diverse needs of the increasing number of women in their post-menopause phase and for focusing on conservative treatment options for these women.