9,962 results on '"Leach, A. P."'
Search Results
102. Navigating the uncertainty: the impact of a student-centered final year project allocation mechanism on student performance
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Hang Yuan, Wenwen Yuan, Sixuan Duan, Ruiqi Yong, Keran Jiao, Yan Wei, Mark Leach, Na Li, Xiaojun Zhang, Eng Gee Lim, and Pengfei Song
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History of scholarship and learning. The humanities ,AZ20-999 ,Social Sciences - Abstract
Abstract The Final Year Project (FYP) is one of the most important courses for every undergraduate student, and the effective operation of the FYPs in higher education still faces challenges, such as uneven resource distribution and limited efficiency. This study reports a mixed-methods approach to study the impact of a student-centered FYP allocation mechanism on student performance. This research aims to investigate how aligning students’ FYP choices with their interests can inspire motivation and enhance academic performance. More importantly, this mechanism improves students’ academic resilience, enabling them to navigate unexpected contextual factors. The study’s findings take into account various aspects, including student satisfaction with the allocation process, future improvement methods, and the relationship between interest and context. The outcomes observed in this study support our hypotheses, indicating the improvements in students’ academic performance as well as the pass and completion rates. Moreover, this research contributes to ‘resilience theory’ by exploring students’ adaptability to contextual changes and their enhancement of academic resilience. This study proposes recommendations for cultivating a dynamic student-centered classroom environment. Future work could pay attention to addressing the limitations of this study, exploring other factors influencing FYP allocation, and integrating more quantitative measures for a comprehensive assessment of its impact.
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- 2024
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103. Multidisciplinary, multicomponent interventions to reduce frailty among older persons in residents of residential care facilities: a scoping review
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R. C. Ambagtsheer, M. J. Leach, L. M. O’Brien, J. Tyndall, J. Wardle, and J. Beilby
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Frailty ,Residential care facilities ,Model of care ,Multidisciplinary ,Multicomponent ,Medicine - Abstract
Abstract Background Frailty reduction and reversal have been addressed successfully among older populations within community settings. However, these findings may not be applicable to residential care settings, largely due to the complex and multidimensional nature of the condition. Relatively, few attempts at frailty prevention exist in residential settings. This review aims to identify and describe best practice models of care for addressing frailty among older populations in residential care settings. This research also sets out to explore the impact of multidisciplinary health service delivery models on health outcomes such as mortality, hospitalisations, quality of life, falls and frailty. Methods A scoping review of the literature was conducted to address the project objectives. Reference lists of included studies, bibliographic databases and the grey literature were systematically searched for literature reporting multidisciplinary, multidimensional models of care for frailty. Results The scoping review found no interventions that met the inclusion criteria. Of the 704 articles screened, 664 were excluded as not relevant. Forty articles were fully assessed, and while no eligible studies were found, relevant data were extracted from 10 near-eligible studies that reported single disciplines or single dimensions rather than a model of care. The physical, nutritional, medicinal, social and cognitive aspects of the near eligible studies have been discussed as playing a key role in frailty reduction or prevention care models. Conclusion This review has identified a paucity of interventions for addressing and reducing frailty in residential care settings. High-quality studies investigating novel models of care for addressing frailty in residential care facilities are required to address this knowledge gap. Similarly, there is a need to develop and validate appropriate screening and assessment tools for frailty in residential care populations. Health service providers and policy-makers should also increase their awareness of frailty as a dynamic and reversible condition. While age is a non-modifiable predictor of frailty, addressing modifiable factors through comprehensive care models may help manage and prevent the physical, social and financial impacts of frailty in the ageing population.
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- 2024
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104. Heatwave attribution based on reliable operational weather forecasts
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Nicholas J. Leach, Christopher D. Roberts, Matthias Aengenheyster, Daniel Heathcote, Dann M. Mitchell, Vikki Thompson, Tim Palmer, Antje Weisheimer, and Myles R. Allen
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Science - Abstract
Abstract The 2021 Pacific Northwest heatwave was so extreme as to challenge conventional statistical and climate-model-based approaches to extreme weather attribution. However, state-of-the-art operational weather prediction systems are demonstrably able to simulate the detailed physics of the heatwave. Here, we leverage these systems to show that human influence on the climate made this event at least 8 [2–50] times more likely. At the current rate of global warming, the likelihood of such an event is doubling every 20 [10–50] years. Given the multi-decade lower-bound return-time implied by the length of the historical record, this rate of change in likelihood is highly relevant for decision makers. Further, forecast-based attribution can synthesise the conditional event-specific storyline and unconditional event-class probabilistic approaches to attribution. If developed as a routine service in forecasting centres, it could provide reliable estimates of human influence on extreme weather risk, which is critical to supporting effective adaptation planning.
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- 2024
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105. Edible mycelium as proliferation and differentiation support for anchorage-dependent animal cells in cultivated meat production
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Minami Ogawa, Alex S. Kermani, Mayrene J. Huynh, Keith Baar, J. Kent Leach, and David E. Block
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Nutrition. Foods and food supply ,TX341-641 ,Food processing and manufacture ,TP368-456 - Abstract
Abstract Cultivated meat production requires bioprocess optimization to achieve cell densities that are multiple orders of magnitude higher compared to conventional cell culture techniques. These processes must maximize resource efficiency and cost-effectiveness by attaining high cell growth productivity per unit of medium. Microcarriers, or carriers, are compatible with large-scale bioreactor use, and offer a large surface-area-to-volume ratio for the adhesion and proliferation of anchorage-dependent animal cells. An ongoing challenge persists in the efficient retrieval of cells from the carriers, with conflicting reports on the effectiveness of trypsinization and the need for additional optimization measures such as carrier sieving. To surmount this issue, edible carriers have been proposed, offering the advantage of integration into the final food product while providing opportunities for texture, flavor, and nutritional incorporation. Recently, a proof of concept (POC) utilizing inactivated mycelium biomass derived from edible filamentous fungus demonstrated its potential as a support structure for myoblasts. However, this POC relied on a model mammalian cell line combination with a single mycelium species, limiting realistic applicability to cultivated meat production. This study aims to advance the POC. We found that the species of fungi composing the carriers impacts C2C12 myoblast cell attachment—with carriers derived from Aspergillus oryzae promoting the best proliferation. C2C12 myoblasts effectively differentiated on mycelium carriers when induced in myogenic differentiation media. Mycelium carriers also supported proliferation and differentiation of bovine satellite cells. These findings demonstrate the potential of edible mycelium carrier technology to be readily adapted in product development within the cultivated meat industry.
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- 2024
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106. Retraction Note: Thermodynamic effect in Darchy–Forchheimer nanofluid flow of a single-wall carbon nanotube/multi-wall carbon nanotube suspension due to a stretching/shrinking rotating disk: Buongiorno two-phase model
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Nayak, M. K., Agbaje, T. M., Mondal, S., Sibanda, P., and Leach, P. G. L.
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- 2024
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107. A method for the ethical analysis of brain-inspired AI
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Farisco, Michele, Baldassarre, G., Cartoni, E., Leach, A., Petrovici, M.A., Rosemann, A., Salles, A., Stahl, B., and van Albada, S. J.
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- 2024
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108. Health selection, family division of labour and labour market participation of migrant and Australian born couples
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Doan, Tinh, Banwell, Cathy, Leach, Liana, and Strazdins, Lyndall
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- 2024
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109. Adherence to dietary guidelines and associated factors among rural Australian cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study
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Leach, Michael James, Barber, Georgina, Monacella, Stephanie, Jamieson, Philip, Trinh, Thi, Vo, Ngan, Schmidt, Ulla, Byrne, Anny, and Ristevski, Eli
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- 2024
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110. Ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm elongation occurs in parallel with dilatation in a nonsurgical population
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Gulati, Arushi, Zamirpour, Siavash, Leach, Joseph, Khan, Amir, Wang, Zhongjie, Xuan, Yue, Hope, Michael D, Saloner, David A, Guccione, Julius M, Ge, Liang, and Tseng, Elaine E
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Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Cardiovascular Medicine and Haematology ,Clinical Sciences ,Cardiovascular ,Biomedical Imaging ,Clinical Research ,Humans ,Dilatation ,Aortic Aneurysm ,Thoracic ,Aorta ,Thoracic ,Aorta ,Tomography ,X-Ray Computed ,Dilatation ,Pathologic ,Retrospective Studies ,Risk Factors ,Aortography ,Aortic aneurysms ,Type A dissection ,Aortic elongation ,Aortic diameter ,Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology ,Respiratory System ,Cardiovascular medicine and haematology - Abstract
ObjectivesRapid diameter growth is a criterion for ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm repair; however, there are sparse data on aneurysm elongation rate. The purpose of this study was to assess aortic elongation rates in nonsyndromic, nonsurgical aneurysms to understand length dynamics and correlate with aortic diameter over time.MethodsPatients with
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- 2023
111. Method for estimation of apoptotic cell fraction of cytotherapy using in vivo fluorine-19 magnetic resonance: pilot study in a patient with head and neck carcinoma receiving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes labeled with perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion
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Ahrens, Eric T, Helfer, Brooke M, O’Hanlon, Charles F, Lister, Deanne R, Bykowski, Julie L, Messer, Karen, Leach, Benjamin I, Chen, Jiawen, Xu, Hongyan, Daniels, Gregory A, and Cohen, Ezra EW
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Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Oncology and Carcinogenesis ,Immunology ,Cancer ,Liver Disease ,Biomedical Imaging ,Rare Diseases ,Digestive Diseases ,Humans ,Lymphocytes ,Tumor-Infiltrating ,Pilot Projects ,Fluorine ,Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ,Fluorocarbons ,Head and Neck Neoplasms ,Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ,Carcinoma ,Squamous Cell ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Apoptosis ,Immunotherapy ,Immunologic Techniques ,Lymphocytes ,Tumor-Infiltrating ,T-Lymphocytes ,Oncology and carcinogenesis - Abstract
BackgroundAdoptive transfer of T cells is a burgeoning cancer therapeutic approach. However, the fate of the cells, once transferred, is most often unknown. We describe the first clinical experience with a non-invasive biomarker to assay the apoptotic cell fraction (ACF) after cell therapy infusion, tested in the setting of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). A patient with HNSCC received autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) labeled with a perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanoemulsion cell tracer. Nanoemulsion, released from apoptotic cells, clears through the reticuloendothelial system, particularly the Kupffer cells of the liver, and fluorine-19 (19F) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the liver was used to non-invasively infer the ACF.MethodsAutologous TILs were isolated from a patient in their late 50s with relapsed, refractory human papillomavirus-mediated squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil, metastatic to the lung. A lung metastasis was resected for T cell harvest and expansion using a rapid expansion protocol. The expanded TILs were intracellularly labeled with PFC nanoemulsion tracer by coincubation in the final 24 hours of culture, followed by a wash step. At 22 days after intravenous infusion of TILs, quantitative single-voxel liver 19F MRS was performed in vivo using a 3T MRI system. From these data, we model the apparent ACF of the initial cell inoculant.ResultsWe show that it is feasible to PFC-label ~70×1010 TILs (F-TILs) in a single batch in a clinical cell processing facility, while maintaining >90% cell viability and standard flow cytometry-based release criteria for phenotype and function. Based on quantitative in vivo 19F MRS measurements in the liver, we estimate that ~30% cell equivalents of adoptively transferred F-TILs have become apoptotic by 22 days post-transfer.ConclusionsSurvival of the primary cell therapy product is likely to vary per patient. A non-invasive assay of ACF over time could potentially provide insight into the mechanisms of response and non-response, informing future clinical studies. This information may be useful to developers of cytotherapies and clinicians as it opens an avenue to quantify cellular product survival and engraftment.
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- 2023
112. Electroconductive agarose hydrogels modulate mesenchymal stromal cell adhesion and spreading through protein adsorption
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Casella, Alena, Panitch, Alyssa, and Leach, J Kent
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Biochemistry and Cell Biology ,Biological Sciences ,Engineering ,Biomedical Engineering ,Materials Engineering ,Regenerative Medicine ,Bioengineering ,Humans ,Sepharose ,Hydrogels ,Adsorption ,Biocompatible Materials ,Electric Conductivity ,Mesenchymal Stem Cells ,conductive hydrogel ,electroactive biomaterial ,mesenchymal stromal cells ,PEDOT ,PSS ,protein adsorption ,PEDOT:PSS ,Chemical Sciences ,Biological sciences ,Chemical sciences - Abstract
Electrically conductive biomaterials direct cell behavior by capitalizing on the effect of bioelectricity in tissue homeostasis and healing. Many studies have leveraged conductive biomaterials to influence cells and improve tissue healing, even in the absence of external stimulation. However, most studies using electroactive materials neglect characterizing how the inclusion of conductive additives affects the material's mechanical properties, and the interplay between substrate electrical and mechanical properties on cell behavior is poorly understood. Furthermore, mechanisms dictating how electrically conductive materials affect cell behavior in the absence of external stimulation are not explicit. In this study, we developed a mechanically and electrically tunable conductive hydrogel using agarose and the conductive polymer PEDOT:PSS. Under certain conditions, we observed that the hydrogel physical and electrical properties were decoupled. We then seeded human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) onto the hydrogels and observed enhanced adhesion and spreading of MSCs on conductive substrates, regardless of the hydrogel mechanical properties, and despite the gels having no cell-binding sites. To explain this observation, we measured protein interaction with the gels and found that charged proteins adsorbed significantly more to conductive hydrogels. These data demonstrate that conductivity promotes cell adhesion, likely by facilitating increased adsorption of proteins associated with cell binding, providing a better understanding of the mechanism of action of electrically conductive materials.
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- 2023
113. Multisized Photoannealable Microgels Regulate Cell Spreading, Aggregation, and Macrophage Phenotype through Microporous Void Space
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Lowen, Jeremy M, Bond, Gabriella C, Griffin, Katherine H, Shimamoto, Nathan K, Thai, Victoria L, and Leach, J Kent
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Engineering ,Biomedical Engineering ,Microgels ,Hydrogels ,Polyethylene Glycols ,hydrogels ,photoanneal ,porosity ,macrophage polarization ,microgels ,Medicinal and Biomolecular Chemistry ,Medical Biotechnology ,Medical biotechnology ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
Microgels are an emerging platform for in vitro models and guiding cell fate due to their inherent porosity and tunability. This work describes a light-based technique for rapidly annealing microgels across a range of diameters. Utilizing 8-arm poly(ethylene) glycol-vinyl sulfone, the number of arms available for crosslinking, functionalization, and annealing is stoichiometrically controlled. Small and large microgels are fabricated to explore how microgel diameter impacts void space and the role of porosity on cell spreading, cell aggregation, and macrophage polarization. Mesenchymal stromal cells spread rapidly in both formulations, yet the smaller microgels permit a higher cell density. When seeded with macrophages, the smaller microgels promote an M1 phenotype, while larger microgels promote an M2 phenotype. As another application, the inherent porosity of annealed microgels is leveraged to induce cell aggregation. Finally, the microgels are implanted to examine how different size microgels influence endogenous cell invasion and macrophage polarization. The use of ultraviolet light allows for microgels to be noninvasively injected into a desired mold or wound defect before annealing, and microgels of different properties combined to create a heterogeneous scaffold. This approach is clinically relevant given its tunability and fast annealing time.
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- 2023
114. Correction: Cryo-Fluorescence Tomography as a Tool for Visualizing Whole-Body Inflammation Using Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsion Tracers
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Leach, Benjamin I., Lister, Deanne, Adams, Stephen R., Bykowski, Julie, Schwartz, Amy B., McConville, Patrick, Dimant, Hemi, and Ahrens, Eric T.
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- 2024
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115. Correction to: Cryo-Fluorescence Tomography as a Tool for Visualizing Whole-Body Inflammation Using Perfluorocarbon Nanoemulsion Tracers
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Leach, Benjamin I., Lister, Deanne, Adams, Stephen R., Bykowski, Julie, Schwartz, Amy B., McConville, Patrick, Dimant, Hemi, and Ahrens, Eric T.
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- 2024
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116. Academic Return-on-Investment (AROI) and Budget Decision-Making: A Research Brief
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Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky), Leach, Stephen M., and Yan, Bo
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The evidence-based decision-making emphasis in education has largely focused on the adoption of new practices for which evidence of effectiveness exists. Following adoption, however, the focus shifts to improvement and the appropriate evidence needed to support budget decisions must be local, timely, and relevant. Existing evidence used to support adoption rarely meets these requirements, thus the critical task for educators at the improvement stage is to produce the necessary evidence. Since 2018, we have investigated the viability of Academic Return-on-Investment (AROI) as both a framework and a practical metric for informing budget decisions aimed at improvement. As a decision-making framework, AROI relies on the notions of scrutiny and return to provide supporting evidence for leaders' efforts to obtain the greatest academic benefits for each dollar invested. As a metric, AROI is a ratio of effectiveness to costs, weighted by the number of participants, typically interpreted as the change in outcome per unit cost. Although our practical AROI metric compared well with more rigorous cost-effectiveness and value-added analytic results for informing budget decisions, we note the adaptability within a general AROI framework to tailor the research design and methodology to a particular situation and to answer the pertinent decision-oriented research question(s). Based on our findings, we view AROI as a flexible approach to generating evidence that is local, timely, and relevant to inform budget decisions in the improvement phase of an investment. Developing the necessary organizational and data infrastructure to support AROI implementation requires top leadership support and patience. Because AROI results are informative rather than definitive, close collaboration with investment item owners is crucial to engender trust and guide improvement efforts.
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- 2021
117. Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
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Adams, C., Alfonso, K., Andreoiu, C., Angelico, E., Arnquist, I. J., Asaadi, J. A. A., Avignone, F. T., Axani, S. N., Barabash, A. S., Barbeau, P. S., Baudis, L., Bellini, F., Beretta, M., Bhatta, T., Biancacci, V., Biassoni, M., Bossio, E., Breur, P. A., Brodsky, J. P., Brofferio, C., Brown, E., Brugnera, R., Brunner, T., Burlac, N., Caden, E., Calgaro, S., Cao, G. F., Cao, L., Capelli, C., Cardani, L., Fernandez, R. Castillo, Cattadori, C. M., Chana, B., Chernyak, D., Christofferson, C. D., Chu, P. -H., Church, E., Cirigliano, V., Collister, R., Comellato, T., Dalmasson, J., D'Andrea, V., Daniels, T., Darroch, L., Decowski, M. P., Demarteau, M., Peixoto, S. De Meireles, Detwiler, J. A., DeVoe, R. G., Di Domizio, S., Di Marco, N., di Vacri, M. L., Dolinski, M. J., Efremenko, Yu., Elbeltagi, M., Elliott, S. R., Engel, J., Fabris, L., Fairbank, W. M., Farine, J., Febbraro, M., Figueroa-Feliciano, E., Fields, D. E., Formaggio, J. A., Foust, B. T., Franke, B., Fu, Y., Fujikawa, B. K., Gallacher, D., Gallina, G., Garfagnini, A., Gingras, C., Gironi, L., Giuliani, A., Gold, M., Gornea, R., Grant, C., Gratta, G., Green, M. P., Grinyer, G. F., Gruszko, J., Guan, Y., Guinn, I. S., Guiseppe, V. E., Gutierrez, T. D., Hansen, E. V., Hardy, C. A., Hauptman, J., Heffner, M., Heeger, K. M., Henning, R., Hergert, H., Aguilar, D. Hervas, Hodak, R., Holt, J. D., Hoppe, E. W., Horoi, M., Huang, H. Z., Inoue, K., Jamil, A., Jochum, J., Jones, B. J. P., Kaizer, J., Karapetrov, G., Kharusi, S. Al, Kidd, M. F., Kishimoto, Y., Klein, J. R., Kolomensky, Yu. G., Kontul, I., Kornoukhov, V. N., Krause, P., Krucken, R., Kumar, K. S., Lang, K., Leach, K. G., Lenardo, B. G., Leonhardt, A., Li, A., Li, G., Li, Z., Licciardi, C., Lindsay, R., Lippi, I., Liu, J., Macko, M., MacLellan, R., Macolino, C., Majidi, S., Mamedov, F., Masbou, J., Massarczyk, R., Mastbaum, A. T., Mayer, D., Mazumdar, A., Mei, D. M., Mei, Y., Meijer, S. J., Mereghetti, E., Mertens, S., Mistry, K., Mitsui, T., Moore, D. C., Morella, M., Nattress, J. T., Neuberger, M., Ngwadla, X. E., Nones, C., Novosad, V., Nygren, D. R., Ondze, J. C. Nzobadila, O'Donnell, T., Gann, G. D. Orebi, Orrell, J. L., Ortega, G. S., Ouellet, J. L., Overman, C., Pagani, L., Palusova, V., Para, A., Pavan, M., Perna, A., Pertoldi, L., Pettus, W., Piepke, A., Piseri, P., Pocar, A., Povinec, P., Psihas, F., Pullia, A., Radford, D. C., Ramonnye, G. J, Rasiwala, H., Redchuk, M., Riboldi, S., Richardson, G., Rielage, K., Rogers, L., Rowson, P. C., Rukhadze, E., Saakyan, R., Sada, C., Salamanna, G., Salamida, F., Saldanha, R., Salvat, D. J., Sangiorgio, S., Schaper, D. C., Schoenert, S., Schwarz, M., Schwartz, S. E., Shitov, Y., Simkovic, F., Singh, V., Slavickova, M., Sousa, A. C., Spadoni, F. L., Speller, D. H., Stekl, I., Sumathi, R. R., Surukuchi, P. T., Tayloe, R., Tornow, W., Torres, J. A., Totev, T. I., Triambak, S., Tyuka, O. A., Vasilyev, S. I., Velazquez, M., Viel, S., Vogl, C., von Strum, K., Wang, Q., Waters, D., Watkins, S. L., Watts, M., Wei, W. -Z., Welliver, B., Wen, Liangjian, Wichoski, U., Wilde, S., Wilkerson, J. F., Winslow, L., Wiseman, C., Wu, X., Xu, W., Yang, H., Yang, L., Yu, C. H., Zeman, J., Zennamo, J., and Zuzel, G.
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Nuclear Experiment ,Nuclear Theory - Abstract
This White Paper, prepared for the Fundamental Symmetries, Neutrons, and Neutrinos Town Meeting related to the 2023 Nuclear Physics Long Range Plan, makes the case for double beta decay as a critical component of the future nuclear physics program. The major experimental collaborations and many theorists have endorsed this white paper., Comment: white paper submitted for the Fundamental Symmetries, Neutrons, and Neutrinos Town Meeting in support of the US Nuclear Physics Long Range Planning Process
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- 2022
118. Status of the X17 search in Montreal
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Azuelos, G., Broerman, B., Bryman, D., Chen, W. C., da Luz, H. N., Doria, L., Gupta, A., Hamel, L-A., Laurin, M., Leach, K., Lefebvre, G., Martin, J-P., Robinson, A., Starinski, N., Sykora, R., Tiwari, D., Wichoski, U., and Zacek, V.
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Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors ,Nuclear Experiment - Abstract
At the Montreal Tandem accelerator, an experiment is being set up to measure internal pair creation from the decay of nuclear excited states using a multiwire proportional chamber and scintillator bars surrounding it from the DAPHNE experiment. The acceptance covers a solid angle of nearly 4$\pi$. Preamplifiers and the data acquisition hardware have been designed and tested. The water-cooled $^7$LiF target, mounted on an Al foil is in a thin carbon fiber section of the beamline. The experiment will focus at first on a measurement of the internal pair creation from the 18.15 MeV state of $^8$Be. Assuming the ATOMKI evaluation of the electron-pair production rate from X17, a Geant4 simulation predicts observation of a clear signal after about two weeks of data taking with a 2 $\mu$A proton beam. The IPC measurement could eventually be extended to the giant dipole resonance of $^8$Be, as well as to other nuclei, in particular to $^{10}$B., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, Proceedings contribution, TRIUMF Ariel Workshop, May 25-27 2022
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- 2022
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119. Augmenting Task-Oriented Dialogue Systems with Relation Extraction
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Lee, Andrew, Chen, Zhenguo, Leach, Kevin, and Kummerfeld, Jonathan K.
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Computer Science - Computation and Language ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
The standard task-oriented dialogue pipeline uses intent classification and slot-filling to interpret user utterances. While this approach can handle a wide range of queries, it does not extract the information needed to handle more complex queries that contain relationships between slots. We propose integration of relation extraction into this pipeline as an effective way to expand the capabilities of dialogue systems. We evaluate our approach by using an internal dataset with slot and relation annotations spanning three domains. Finally, we show how slot-filling annotation schemes can be simplified once the expressive power of relation annotations is available, reducing the number of slots while still capturing the user's intended meaning., Comment: DSTC 10 AAAI22 Workshop Paper
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- 2022
120. Video super-resolution for single-photon LIDAR
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Martín, Germán Mora, Scholes, Stirling, Ruget, Alice, Henderson, Robert K., Leach, Jonathan, and Gyongy, Istvan
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Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing ,Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Physics - Optics - Abstract
3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) image sensors are used widely in applications such as self-driving cars, Augmented Reality (AR) and robotics. When implemented with Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs), compact, array format sensors can be made that offer accurate depth maps over long distances, without the need for mechanical scanning. However, array sizes tend to be small, leading to low lateral resolution, which combined with low Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) levels under high ambient illumination, may lead to difficulties in scene interpretation. In this paper, we use synthetic depth sequences to train a 3D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for denoising and upscaling (x4) depth data. Experimental results, based on synthetic as well as real ToF data, are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the scheme. With GPU acceleration, frames are processed at >30 frames per second, making the approach suitable for low-latency imaging, as required for obstacle avoidance., Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables
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- 2022
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121. Collision-Induced Dissociation at TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science
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Jacobs, A., Andreoiu, C., Bergmann, J., Brunner, T., Dickel, T., Dillmann, I., Dunling, E., Flowerdew, J., Graham, L., Gwinner, G., Hockenbery, Z., Kootte, B., Lan, Y., Leach, K. G., Leistenschneider, E., Lykiardopoulou, E. M., Monier, V., Mukul, I., Paul, S. F., Plaß, W. R., Reiter, M. P., Scheidenberger, C., Thompson, R., Tracy, J. L, Will, C., Wieser, M. E., Yavor, M., Dilling, J., and Kwiatkowski, A. A.
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Nuclear Experiment ,Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors - Abstract
The performance of high-precision mass spectrometry of radioactive isotopes can often be hindered by large amounts of contamination, including molecular species, stemming from the production of the radioactive beam. In this paper, we report on the development of Collision-Induced Dissociation (CID) as a means of background reduction for experiments at TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN). This study was conducted to characterize the quality and purity of radioactive ion beams and the reduction of molecular contaminants to allow for mass measurements of radioactive isotopes to be done further from nuclear stability. This is the first demonstration of CID at an ISOL-type radioactive ion beam facility, and it is shown that molecular contamination can be reduced up to an order of magnitude., Comment: 7 pages 7 figures
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- 2022
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122. Evaluating Out-of-Distribution Performance on Document Image Classifiers
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Larson, Stefan, Lim, Gordon, Ai, Yutong, Kuang, David, and Leach, Kevin
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Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Computer Science - Computation and Language - Abstract
The ability of a document classifier to handle inputs that are drawn from a distribution different from the training distribution is crucial for robust deployment and generalizability. The RVL-CDIP corpus is the de facto standard benchmark for document classification, yet to our knowledge all studies that use this corpus do not include evaluation on out-of-distribution documents. In this paper, we curate and release a new out-of-distribution benchmark for evaluating out-of-distribution performance for document classifiers. Our new out-of-distribution benchmark consists of two types of documents: those that are not part of any of the 16 in-domain RVL-CDIP categories (RVL-CDIP-O), and those that are one of the 16 in-domain categories yet are drawn from a distribution different from that of the original RVL-CDIP dataset (RVL-CDIP-N). While prior work on document classification for in-domain RVL-CDIP documents reports high accuracy scores, we find that these models exhibit accuracy drops of between roughly 15-30% on our new out-of-domain RVL-CDIP-N benchmark, and further struggle to distinguish between in-domain RVL-CDIP-N and out-of-domain RVL-CDIP-O inputs. Our new benchmark provides researchers with a valuable new resource for analyzing out-of-distribution performance on document classifiers. Our new out-of-distribution data can be found at https://github.com/gxlarson/rvl-cdip-ood., Comment: NeurIPS D&B 2022
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- 2022
123. Ultra-Wide Bandgap Ga$_2$O$_3$-on-SiC MOSFETs
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Song, Yiwen, Bhattacharyya, Arkka, Karim, Anwarul, Shoemaker, Daniel, Huang, Hsien-Lien, Roy, Saurav, McGray, Craig, Leach, Jacob H., Hwang, Jinwoo, Krishnamoorthy, Sriram, and Choi, Sukwon
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Condensed Matter - Materials Science ,Physics - Applied Physics - Abstract
Ulta-wide bandgap semiconductors based on $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ offer the potential to achieve higher power switching performance, efficiency, and lower manufacturing cost than today's wide bandgap power semiconductors. However, the most critical challenge to the commercialization of Ga$_2$O$_3$ electronics is overheating, which impacts the device's performance and reliability. We fabricated a Ga$_2$O$_3$/4H-SiC composite wafer using a fusion-bonding method. A low temperature ($\le$ 600 $^{\circ}$C) epitaxy and device processing approach based on low-temperature (LT) metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy is developed to grow a Ga$_2$O$_3$ epitaxial channel layer on the composite wafer and subsequently fabricate into Ga$_2$O$_3$ power MOSFETs. This LT approach is essential to preserve the structural integrity of the composite wafer. These LT-grown epitaxial Ga$_2$O$_3$ MOSFETs deliver high thermal performance (56% reduction in channel temperature), high voltage blocking capabilities up to 2.45 kV, and power figures of merit of $\sim$ 300 MW/cm$^2$, which is a record high for any heterogeneously integrated Ga$_2$O$_3$ devices reported to date. This work is the first realization of multi-kilovolt homoepitaxial Ga$_2$O$_3$ power MOSFETs fabricated on a composite substrate with high heat transfer performance which delivers state-of-the-art power density values while running much cooler than those on native substrates. Thermal characterization and modeling results reveal that a Ga$_2$O$_3$/diamond composite wafer with a reduced Ga$_2$O$_3$ thickness ($\sim$ 1 $\mu$m) and thinner bonding interlayer ($<$ 10 nm) can reduce the device thermal impedance to a level lower than today's GaN-on-SiC power switches., Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures
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- 2022
124. Pre-Training Representations of Binary Code Using Contrastive Learning
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Zhang, Yifan, Huang, Chen, Cao, Kevin, Zhang, Yueke, Andersen, Scott Thomas, Shao, Huajie, Leach, Kevin, and Huang, Yu
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Computer Science - Software Engineering ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Compiled software is delivered as executable binary code. Developers write source code to express the software semantics, but the compiler converts it to a binary format that the CPU can directly execute. Therefore, binary code analysis is critical to applications in reverse engineering and computer security tasks where source code is not available. However, unlike source code and natural language that contain rich semantic information, binary code is typically difficult for human engineers to understand and analyze. While existing work uses AI models to assist source code analysis, few studies have considered binary code. In this paper, we propose a COntrastive learning Model for Binary cOde Analysis, or COMBO, that incorporates source code and comment information into binary code during representation learning. Specifically, we present three components in COMBO: (1) a primary contrastive learning method for cold-start pre-training, (2) a simplex interpolation method to incorporate source code, comments, and binary code, and (3) an intermediate representation learning algorithm to provide binary code embeddings. Finally, we evaluate the effectiveness of the pre-trained representations produced by COMBO using three indicative downstream tasks relating to binary code: algorithmic functionality classification, binary code similarity, and vulnerability detection. Our experimental results show that COMBO facilitates representation learning of binary code visualized by distribution analysis, and improves the performance on all three downstream tasks by 5.45% on average compared to state-of-the-art large-scale language representation models. To the best of our knowledge, COMBO is the first language representation model that incorporates source code, binary code, and comments into contrastive code representation learning and unifies multiple tasks for binary code analysis.
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- 2022
125. Simulating single-photon detector array sensors for depth imaging
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Scholes, Stirling, Mora-Martín, Germán, Zhu, Feng, Gyongy, Istvan, Soan, Phil, and Leach, Jonathan
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Electrical Engineering and Systems Science - Image and Video Processing ,Computer Science - Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition ,Physics - Optics - Abstract
Single-Photon Avalanche Detector (SPAD) arrays are a rapidly emerging technology. These multi-pixel sensors have single-photon sensitivities and pico-second temporal resolutions thus they can rapidly generate depth images with millimeter precision. Such sensors are a key enabling technology for future autonomous systems as they provide guidance and situational awareness. However, to fully exploit the capabilities of SPAD array sensors, it is crucial to establish the quality of depth images they are able to generate in a wide range of scenarios. Given a particular optical system and a finite image acquisition time, what is the best-case depth resolution and what are realistic images generated by SPAD arrays? In this work, we establish a robust yet simple numerical procedure that rapidly establishes the fundamental limits to depth imaging with SPAD arrays under real world conditions. Our approach accurately generates realistic depth images in a wide range of scenarios, allowing the performance of an optical depth imaging system to be established without the need for costly and laborious field testing. This procedure has applications in object detection and tracking for autonomous systems and could be easily extended to systems for underwater imaging or for imaging around corners.
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- 2022
126. Home-based EXercise and motivAtional programme before and after Liver Transplantation (EXALT): study protocol for phase II two-centre, randomised controlled trial
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Gemma Slinn, Peter Brocklehurst, Clare Melikian, Chiemelie Ngonadi, Yongzhong Sun, Samir Mehta, Francesca Gowing, Alice Freer, Wendy Osborne, Karen Rockell, Nicholas Adams, Sukhwant Sehmi, Matthew J. Armstrong, Sharon Augustt, Shahida Begum, Liam Botfield, Dawn Brant, Emily Clibbens, Nigel Cope, Joan L. Duda, Sally A.M. Fenton, David J. Garside, Ashlea Hargreaves, William Leach, Daniel S. Martin, Don Milliken, Sonia Murray, Christian Price, Felicity R. Williams, and Shu Xiaoyi
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Diseases of the digestive system. Gastroenterology ,RC799-869 - Abstract
Introduction Physical frailty is associated with increased mortality and poor quality of life (QoL) before and after liver transplantation (LT). Evidence is lacking on how to tailor exercise and behavioural techniques in this patient population.Methods and analysis Home-based EXercise and motivAtional programme before and after Liver Transplantation (EXALT) is a phase 2b, open-label, two-centre randomised controlled clinical trial designed to investigate whether a remotely monitored ‘home-based exercise and theory-based motivation support programme (HBEP)’ before and after LT improves QoL in LT recipients. Adult patients awaiting a primary LT will be assessed for eligibility at two LT centres (Birmingham, Royal Free London). Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either an HBEP while on the LT waiting list through to 24 weeks after LT (Intervention) or a patient exercise advice leaflet (Control). Using a standard method of difference in means (two-sided significance level 0.05; power 0.90) and accounting for a 35% attrition/withdrawal rate, a minimum of 133 patients will be randomised to each treatment group. The primary outcome measure will be assessed using intention-to-treat analysis of the difference in the Physical Component Score of Short form-36 version 2.0 health-related QoL questionnaire between the groups at 24 weeks post-LT.Ethics and dissemination The protocol was approved by the South Central-Hampshire A National Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment into the EXALT trial started in May 2022 and is due to end in June 2024, with 217/266 patients randomised to date. The intervention follow-up is due to finish in May 2026. The findings of this trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences and social media.Trial registration number ISRCTN13476586.
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- 2024
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127. Exploring student preferences for implementing a digital mental health intervention in a university setting: Qualitative study within a randomised controlled trial
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Hayley M Jackson, Amelia Gulliver, Penelope Hasking, Liana Leach, Philip J Batterham, Alison L Calear, and Louise M Farrer
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Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics ,R858-859.7 - Abstract
Objective Digital interventions can be effective in preventing and treating common mental health conditions among university students. Incorporating student experiences and perspectives in the design and implementation of these programmes may improve uptake and engagement. This qualitative study explored university students’ perspectives of a low-intensity video-based mental health intervention, their recommendations for implementing the programme in university settings, and their views and recommendations to address barriers to engagement. Methods Participants (N = 115) were students (mean = 20.63 years, SD = 2.10) with elevated distress from 31 Australian universities drawn from a randomised controlled trial of the Uni Virtual Clinic-Lite (UVC-Lite). Data from students randomised to the intervention condition were collected via semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and open-ended questions during post-intervention surveys (n = 103). Data were analysed using content analysis. Results Participants generally reported positive views of the intervention, and most felt it should be offered to students as a universal intervention. Multiple methods of disseminating the intervention were suggested, including through university counselling, official platforms (e.g. student support services) and informal channels (e.g. word-of-mouth promotion). Difficulty integrating the programme into everyday life, pre-existing beliefs about mental health and technology-related factors were highlighted as barriers to engagement. Conclusion A low-intensity video-based mental health intervention was generally considered to be acceptable and appropriate for students with mild to moderate distress. Participants provided several suggestions to encourage uptake of the intervention and possible pathways to disseminate the intervention to students. The effectiveness of these should be examined in future trials.
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- 2024
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128. Adventure and mental health: an ecological perspective
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Eric Brymer, Vinathe Sharma-Brymer, Royce Willis, and Matthew Leach
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adventure ,mental health ,ecological psychology ,nature ,spiritual ,transformation ,Psychology ,BF1-990 - Abstract
In this paper, we explore the concept of outdoor adventure in the context of mental health, proposing an ecological perspective to redefine adventure beyond its traditional associations with risk and physical challenge. We critically examine current frameworks and definitions of adventure, which often emphasise specific activities and natural environments yet overlook the individual’s experience and potential mental health benefits. From an ecological perspective, we emphasise the dynamic interplay between the individual, the activity, and the environment. This approach, grounded in ecological psychology, considers the multi-dimensional nature of adventure, including social, psychological, physical, and spiritual aspects. The paper challenges the traditional risk-focused view of adventure, advocating for a broader definition that includes diverse experiences and interactions, as well as the transformative potential of adventure in various environments, including urban settings. We highlight the changing demographics and motivations of adventure participants, moving away from the stereotypical young male risk-seeker, to more diverse and inclusive participant profiles. We argue that adventure facilitates the realisation of fundamental human affordances, often untapped in daily life, thereby enhancing mental health and wellbeing. This ecological perspective opens new avenues for understanding the role of adventure in mental health and wellbeing, offering a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to adventure activities as therapeutic interventions. This redefined understanding of adventure emphasises its potential as a powerful tool for enhancing human wellbeing, harmonising the relationship between people, tasks, and the environment, and offering profound implications for mental health contexts.
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- 2024
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129. Characterization and engineering of the type 3 secretion system needle monomer from Salmonella through the construction and screening of a comprehensive mutagenesis library
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Lisa Ann Burdette, Samuel Alexander Leach, Nolan Kennedy, Bon C. Ikwuagwu, Jordan S. Summers, and Danielle Tullman-Ercek
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protein secretion ,type-3 secretion ,Salmonella ,mutagenesis ,protein engineering ,Microbiology ,QR1-502 - Abstract
ABSTRACT Protein production strategies in bacteria are often limited due to the need for cell lysis and complicated purification schemes. To avoid these challenges, researchers have developed bacterial strains capable of secreting heterologous protein products outside the cell, but secretion titers often remain too low for commercial applicability. Improved understanding of the link between secretion system structure and its secretory abilities can help overcome the barrier to engineering higher secretion titers. Here, we investigated this link with the PrgI protein, the monomer of the secretory channel of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) of Salmonella enterica. Despite detailed knowledge of the PrgI needle’s assembly and structure, little is known about how its structure influences its secretory capabilities. To study this, we recently constructed a comprehensive codon mutagenesis library of the PrgI protein utilizing a novel one-pot recombineering approach. We then screened this library for functional T3SS assembly and secretion titer by measuring the secretion of alkaline phosphatase using a high-throughput activity assay. This allowed us to construct a first-of-its-kind secretion fitness landscape to characterize the PrgI needle’s mutability at each position as well as the mutations which lead to enhanced T3SS secretion. We discovered new design rules for building a functional T3SS as well as identified hypersecreting mutants. This work can be used to increase understanding of the T3SS’s assembly and identify further targets for engineering. This work also provides a blueprint for future efforts to engineer other complex protein assemblies through the construction of fitness landscapes.IMPORTANCEProtein secretion offers a simplified alternative method for protein purification from bacterial hosts. However, the current state-of-the-art methods for protein secretion in bacteria are still hindered by low yields relative to traditional protein purification strategies. Engineers are now seeking strategies to enhance protein secretion titers from bacterial hosts, often through genetic manipulations. In this study, we demonstrate that protein engineering strategies focused on altering the secretion apparatus can be a fruitful avenue toward this goal. Specifically, this study focuses on how changes to the PrgI needle protein from the type 3 secretion system from Salmonella enterica can impact secretion titer. We demonstrate that this complex is amenable to comprehensive mutagenesis studies and that this can yield both PrgI variants with increased secretory capabilities and insight into the normal functioning of the type 3 secretion system.
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- 2024
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130. Androgen receptor modulatory miR-1271-5p can promote hormone sensitive prostate cancer cell growth
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Foteini Kalofonou, Damien A. Leach, Sue M. Powell, Jonathan Waxman, Claire E. Fletcher, and Charlotte L. Bevan
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microRNAs (miRs) ,antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) ,apoptosis ,enzalutamide ,prostate cancer ,Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens ,RC254-282 - Abstract
In most patients with advanced prostate cancer treated with hormonal therapy, androgen independence eventually emerges, leading to death. Androgen receptor signalling remains an important prostate cancer driver, even in the advanced disease stage. MicroRNAs (miRs), non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by inhibiting translation and/or promoting degradation of target mRNAs, can act as tumour suppressors or “oncomiRs” and modulate tumour growth. Because of their stability in tissues and in circulation, and their specificity, microRNAs have emerged as potential biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets in cancer. We identified miR-1271–5p as an androgen receptor modulatory microRNA and we show it can promote hormone sensitive prostate cancer cell growth. Inhibition or overexpression of miR-1271–5p levels affects prostate cancer cell growth, apoptosis and expression of both androgen receptor target genes and other genes that are likely direct targets, dependent on androgen receptor status, and tumour stage. We conclude that miR-1271–5p has the potential to drive progression of hormone-dependent disease and that the use of specific inhibitors of miR-1271–5p may have therapeutic potential in prostate cancer.
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- 2024
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131. Case Report: A rare presentation of rapidly progressive moyamoya disease refractory to unilateral surgical revascularization
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Daniel Friel Leach, Srivikram Margam, Aaron Gustin, Paul J. Gustin, Mohamad N. Jajeh, Yhana C. Chavis, Kristin V. Walker, and Joshua S. Bentley
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moyamoya disease ,ischemic stroke ,cervicocerebral catheter angiography ,pre-operative Suzuki angiography staging ,surgical revascularization ,post-operative Matsushima grade ,Surgery ,RD1-811 - Abstract
Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic, occlusive cerebrovasculopathy typified by progressive steno-occlusive disease of the intracranial internal carotid arteries (ICAs) and their proximal branches. Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) categorizes patients with characteristic MMD plus associated conditions. As such, the most usual presentations are those that occur with cerebral ischemia, specifically transient ischemic attack, acute ischemic stroke, and seizures. Hemorrhagic stroke, headaches, and migraines can also occur secondary to the compensatory growth of fragile collateral vessels propagated by chronic cerebral ischemia. While the pathophysiology of MMD is unknown, there remain numerous clinical associations including radiation therapy to the brain, inherited genetic syndromes, hematologic disorders, and autoimmune conditions. We describe the case of a 31-year-old woman who presented with recurrent ischemic cerebral infarcts secondary to rapidly progressive, bilateral MMD despite undergoing early unilateral surgical revascularization with direct arterial bypass. She had numerous metabolic conditions and rapidly decompensated, ultimately passing away despite intensive and aggressive interventions. The present case highlights that progression of moyamoya disease to bilateral involvement can occur very rapidly, within a mere 6 weeks, a phenomenon which has not been documented in the literature to our knowledge.
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- 2024
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132. A Transdiagnostic Video-Based Internet Intervention (Uni Virtual Clinic-Lite) to Improve the Mental Health of University Students: Randomized Controlled Trial
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Louise M Farrer, Hayley M Jackson, Amelia Gulliver, Alison L Calear, Liana Leach, Penelope Hasking, Natasha Katruss, and Philip J Batterham
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Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics ,R858-859.7 ,Public aspects of medicine ,RA1-1270 - Abstract
BackgroundNumerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of digital interventions for improving the mental health of university students. However, low rates of engagement with these interventions are an ongoing challenge and can compromise effectiveness. Brief, transdiagnostic, web-based video interventions are capable of targeting key mental health and related issues affecting university students and may be more engaging and accessible for this population. ObjectiveThis study used a 2-arm randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of Uni Virtual Clinic-Lite (UVC-Lite), a fully automated, transdiagnostic, web-based video intervention, relative to an attention-control condition. The primary outcomes were symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety disorder. The secondary outcomes included psychological distress, social anxiety symptoms, body appreciation, quality of life, well-being, functioning, general self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and help seeking. Program use (intervention uptake and engagement) and satisfaction were also assessed. MethodsUniversity students (n=487) with mild to moderate symptoms of distress were recruited from universities across Australia and randomly allocated to receive access to the UVC-Lite intervention or an attention-control condition targeting general health for a period of 6 weeks. UVC-Lite includes 12 modules, each comprising a brief animated video and an accompanying exercise. Of the 12 modules, 7 also included a brief symptom screening quiz. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, postintervention, and 3- and 6-months postintervention. ResultsThe primary and secondary outcomes were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis using mixed models repeated measures ANOVA. The intervention was not found to be effective relative to the control condition on any of the primary or secondary outcomes. While 67.9% (114/168) of participants accessed at least 1 module of the intervention, module completion was extremely low. Subgroup analyses among those who engaged with the program (completed at least 1 video) and those with higher baseline distress (Distress Questionnaire-5 score ≥15) did not reveal any differences between the conditions over time. However, uptake (accessing at least 1 video) and engagement (completing at least 1 video) were higher among those with higher baseline symptoms. Satisfaction with the intervention was high. ConclusionsThe UVC-Lite intervention was not effective relative to a control program, although it was associated with high satisfaction among students and was not associated with symptom deterioration. Given the challenges faced by universities in meeting demand for mental health services, flexible and accessible interventions such as UVC-Lite have the potential to assist students to manage symptoms of mental health problems. However, low uptake and engagement (particularly among students with lower levels of symptomatology) are significant challenges that require further attention. Future studies should examine the effectiveness of the intervention in a more highly symptomatic sample, as well as implementation pathways to optimize effective engagement with the intervention. Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621000375853; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380146
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- 2024
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133. Impacts of daily household activities on indoor particulate and NO2 concentrations; a case study from oxford UK
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Ajit Singh, Suzanne E. Bartington, Pedro Abreu, Ruth Anderson, Nicole Cowell, and Felix C.P. Leach
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Indoor air quality ,PM ,NO2 ,Low-cost sensor ,COVID-19 ,Science (General) ,Q1-390 ,Social sciences (General) ,H1-99 - Abstract
This study explores indoor air pollutant (PM1, PM2.5 and NO2) concentrations over a 15-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic in a typical suburban household in Oxford, UK. A multi-room intensive monitoring study was conducted in a single dwelling using 10 air quality sensors measuring real-time pollutant concentrations at 10 second intervals to assess temporal and spatial variability in PM1, PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations, identify pollution-prone areas, and investigate the impact of residents' activities on indoor air quality. Significant spatial variations in PM concentrations were observed within the study dwelling, with highest hourly concentrations (769.0 & 300.9 μg m−3 for PM2.5, and PM1, respectively) observed in the upstairs study room, which had poor ventilation. Cooking activities were identified as a major contributor to indoor particulate pollution, with peak concentrations aligning with cooking events. Indoor NO2 levels were typically higher than outdoor levels, particularly in the kitchen where a gas-cooking appliance was used. There was no significant association observed between outdoor and indoor PM concentrations; however, a clear correlation was evident between kitchen PM emissions and indoor levels. Similarly, outdoor NO2 had a limited influence on indoor air quality compared to kitchen activities. Indoor sources were found to dominate for both PM and NO2, with higher Indoor/Outdoor (I/O) ratios observed in the upstairs bedroom and the kitchen. Overall, our findings highlight the contribution of indoor air pollutant sources and domestic activities to indoor air pollution exposure, notably during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were typically spending more time in domestic settings. Our novel findings, which suggest high levels of pollutant concentrations in upstairs (first floor) rooms, underscore the necessity for targeted interventions. These interventions include the implementation of source control measures, effective ventilation strategies and occupant education for behaviour change, all aimed at improving indoor air quality and promoting healthier living environments.
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- 2024
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134. Understanding the roles of economy and society in the relative risks of zoonosis emergence from livestock
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Stephen Hinchliffe, Alex Blanchette, Kin Wing (Ray) Chan, Chris Degeling, Jody Emel, Melissa Leach, Ian Scoones, and Michael Winter
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pandemics ,risk ,agriculture ,social science ,Science - Abstract
The emergence of zoonotic infections that can develop into pathogens of pandemic potential is a major concern for public health. The risks of emergence and transmission relate to multiple factors that range from land use to human–non-human animal contacts. Livestock agriculture plays a potentially significant role in those risks, shaping landscapes and providing hosts that can act as the source or amplifiers of emergent pathogens. The relative risks will be contingent upon the nature of those systems, with comparisons often made between intensive, indoor, biosecure systems and more extensive, outdoor, insecure systems. Microbiological, ecological and veterinary sciences provide useful entry points in specifying and modelling some of the relative risks. Yet, they often do so with little regard for social science inputs and by making assumptions about social and economic conditions. In this article, we respond to recent analyses of relative risks by raising the importance of social and economic drivers of risk. We chart social science insights and research that materially alter the zoonotic risks associated with livestock production. Our purpose is to emphasize the requirement for full appreciation of the social, economic and political components of zoonotic and pandemic risk.
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- 2024
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135. Do Measures of Real-World Physical Behavior Provide Insights Into the Well-Being and Physical Function of Cancer Survivors? Cross-Sectional Analysis
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Shelby L Bachman, Emma Gomes, Suvekshya Aryal, David Cella, Ieuan Clay, Kate Lyden, and Heather J Leach
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Neoplasms. Tumors. Oncology. Including cancer and carcinogens ,RC254-282 - Abstract
BackgroundAs the number of cancer survivors increases, maintaining health-related quality of life in cancer survivorship is a priority. This necessitates accurate and reliable methods to assess how cancer survivors are feeling and functioning. Real-world digital measures derived from wearable sensors offer potential for monitoring well-being and physical function in cancer survivorship, but questions surrounding the clinical utility of these measures remain to be answered. ObjectiveIn this secondary analysis, we used 2 existing data sets to examine how measures of real-world physical behavior, captured with a wearable accelerometer, were related to aerobic fitness and self-reported well-being and physical function in a sample of individuals who had completed cancer treatment. MethodsOverall, 86 disease-free cancer survivors aged 21-85 years completed self-report assessments of well-being and physical function, as well as a submaximal exercise test that was used to estimate their aerobic fitness, quantified as predicted submaximal oxygen uptake (VO2). A thigh-worn accelerometer was used to monitor participants’ real-world physical behavior for 7 days. Accelerometry data were used to calculate average values of the following measures of physical behavior: sedentary time, step counts, time in light and moderate to vigorous physical activity, time and weighted median cadence in stepping bouts over 1 minute, and peak 30-second cadence. ResultsSpearman correlation analyses indicated that 6 (86%) of the 7 accelerometry-derived measures of real-world physical behavior were not significantly correlated with Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General total well-being or linked Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Physical Function scores (Ps≥.08). In contrast, all but one of the physical behavior measures were significantly correlated with submaximal VO2 (Ps≤.03). Comparing these associations using likelihood ratio tests, we found that step counts, time in stepping bouts over 1 minute, and time in moderate to vigorous activity were more strongly associated with submaximal VO2 than with self-reported well-being or physical function (Ps≤.03). In contrast, cadence in stepping bouts over 1 minute and peak 30-second cadence were not more associated with submaximal VO2 than with the self-reported measures (Ps≥.08). ConclusionsIn a sample of disease-free cancer survivors, we found that several measures of real-world physical behavior were more associated with aerobic fitness than with self-reported well-being and physical function. These results highlight the possibility that in individuals who have completed cancer treatment, measures of real-world physical behavior may provide additional information compared with self-reported and performance measures. To advance the appropriate use of digital measures in oncology clinical research, further research evaluating the clinical utility of real-world physical behavior over time in large, representative samples of cancer survivors is warranted. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03781154; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03781154
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- 2024
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136. First Evidence of Axial Shape Asymmetry and Configuration Coexistence in Zn74: Suggestion for a Northern Extension of the N=40 Island of Inversion
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Rocchini, M, Garrett, PE, Zielińska, M, Lenzi, SM, Dao, DD, Nowacki, F, Bildstein, V, MacLean, AD, Olaizola, B, Ahmed, ZT, Andreoiu, C, Babu, A, Ball, GC, Bhattacharjee, SS, Bidaman, H, Cheng, C, Coleman, R, Dillmann, I, Garnsworthy, AB, Gillespie, S, Griffin, CJ, Grinyer, GF, Hackman, G, Hanley, M, Illana, A, Jones, S, Laffoley, AT, Leach, KG, Lubna, RS, McAfee, J, Natzke, C, Pannu, S, Paxman, C, Porzio, C, Radich, AJ, Rajabali, MM, Sarazin, F, Schwarz, K, Shadrick, S, Sharma, S, Suh, J, Svensson, CE, Yates, D, and Zidar, T
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Nuclear and Plasma Physics ,Synchrotrons and Accelerators ,Physical Sciences ,Mathematical Sciences ,Engineering ,General Physics ,Mathematical sciences ,Physical sciences - Abstract
The excited states of N=44 ^{74}Zn were investigated via γ-ray spectroscopy following ^{74}Cu β decay. By exploiting γ-γ angular correlation analysis, the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, 0_{2}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states in ^{74}Zn were firmly established. The γ-ray branching and E2/M1 mixing ratios for transitions deexciting the 2_{2}^{+}, 3_{1}^{+}, and 2_{3}^{+} states were measured, allowing for the extraction of relative B(E2) values. In particular, the 2_{3}^{+}→0_{2}^{+} and 2_{3}^{+}→4_{1}^{+} transitions were observed for the first time. The results show excellent agreement with new microscopic large-scale shell-model calculations, and are discussed in terms of underlying shapes, as well as the role of neutron excitations across the N=40 gap. Enhanced axial shape asymmetry (triaxiality) is suggested to characterize ^{74}Zn in its ground state. Furthermore, an excited K=0 band with a significantly larger softness in its shape is identified. A shore of the N=40 "island of inversion" appears to manifest above Z=26, previously thought as its northern limit in the chart of the nuclides.
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- 2023
137. Searches for Massive Neutrinos with Mechanical Quantum Sensors
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Carney, Daniel, Leach, Kyle G, and Moore, David C
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Nuclear and Plasma Physics ,Particle and High Energy Physics ,Quantum Physics ,Physical Sciences - Published
- 2023
138. Cortisol awakening response and developmental outcomes at 6–7 years in children born extremely preterm
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Jobe, Alan H, Caplan, Michael S, Polin, Richard A, Laptook, Abbot R, Hensman, Angelita M, Vieira, Elisa, Little, Emilee, Johnson, Katharine, Alksninis, Barbara, Keszler, Mary Lenore, Knoll, Andrea M, Leach, Theresa M, McGowan, Elisabeth C, Watson, Victoria E, Walsh, Michele C, Fanaroff, Avroy A, Payne, Allison, Wilson-Costello, Deanne E, Newman, Nancy S, Siner, Bonnie S, Zadell, Arlene, DiFiore, Julie, Bhola, Monika, Friedman, Harriet G, Yalcinkaya, Gulgun, Goldberg, Ronald N, Cotten, C Michael, Gustafson, Kathryn E, Goldstein, Ricki F, Ashley, Patricia, Auten, Kathy J, Fisher, Kimberley A, Foy, Katherine A, Freedman, Sharon F, Lohmeyer, Melody B, Malcolm, William F, Wallace, David K, Carlton, David P, Stoll, Barbara J, Adams-Chapman, Ira, Buchter, Susie, Piazza, Anthony J, Carter, Sheena, Fritz, Sobha, Hale, Ellen C, Hutchinson, Amy K, LaRossa, Maureen Mulligan, Loggins, Yvonne, Bottcher, Diane, Higgins, Rosemary D, Archer, Stephanie Wilson, Poindexter, Brenda B, Sokol, Gregory M, Harmon, Heidi M, Papile, Lu-Ann, Hines, Abbey C, Wilson, Leslie D, Herron, Dianne E, Smiley, Lucy, Granger, Douglas A, Kennedy, Kathleen A, Tyson, Jon E, Duncan, Andrea F, Dempsey, Allison G, John, Janice, Jones, Patrick M, Lillie, M Layne, Siddiki, Saba, Sperry, Daniel K, Blaisdell, Carol J, Das, Abhik, Wallace, Dennis, Gantz, Marie G, O’Donnell Auman, Jeanette, Hammond, Jane A, Newman, Jamie E, Poole, W Kenneth, Van Meurs, Krisa P, Stevenson, David K, Ball, M Bethany, DeAnda, Maria Elena, Goodlin, Gabrielle T, Frantz, Ivan D, Fiascone, John M, Kurfiss, Anne, MacKinnon, Brenda L, Nylen, Ellen, Brussa, Ana, Sibley, Cecelia, Carlo, Waldemar A, Ambalavanan, Namasivayam, Collins, Monica V, Cosby, Shirley S, Phillips, Vivien A, Domanovich, Kristy, Whitley, Sally, Smith, Leigh Ann, Kiser, Carin R, and Finer, Neil N
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Paediatrics ,Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Basic Behavioral and Social Science ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Mind and Body ,Mental Health ,Neurosciences ,Clinical Research ,Pediatric ,2.3 Psychological ,social and economic factors ,Aetiology ,Mental health ,Child ,Female ,Humans ,Infant ,Newborn ,Executive Function ,Hydrocortisone ,Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ,Infant ,Extremely Premature ,Pituitary-Adrenal System ,SUPPORT NEURO School-Age Study Subcommittee of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Neonatal Research Network ,Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine ,Public Health and Health Services ,Pediatrics - Abstract
BackgroundExtremely preterm (EPT) birth has been related to dysregulation of stress responses and behavioral/learning problems at school age. Early adverse experiences can blunt HPA axis reactivity. We hypothesized that an attenuated cortisol awakening response would be associated with developmental and behavioral problems at school age in EPT children.MethodsThis secondary analysis of a sub-cohort of the SUPPORT study included children born between 24 and 27 weeks, evaluated at 6-7 years with a neurodevelopmental battery and cortisol measures. Differences were tested between EPT and a term-born group. Relationships of cortisol awakening response to test scores were analyzed.ResultsCortisol was measured in 110 EPT and 29 term-born 6-7 year olds. Unadjusted WISC-IV and NEPSY-II scores were significantly worse among EPT children only. Conners Parent Rating Scale behavior scores were significantly worse among EPT children. After adjusting for covariates, blunted cortisol awakening responses were found to be associated with poorer scores on memory tests and greater problems with inattention for the EPT group (p
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- 2023
139. A bioactive material with dual integrin-targeting ligands regulates specific endogenous cell adhesion and promotes vascularized bone regeneration in adult and fetal bone defects
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Hao, Dake, Liu, Ruiwu, Fernandez, Tomas Gonzalez, Pivetti, Christopher, Jackson, Jordan Elizabeth, Kulubya, Edwin Samuel, Jiang, Hong-Jiang, Ju, Hai-Yang, Liu, Wen-Liang, Panitch, Alyssa, Lam, Kit S, Leach, J Kent, Farmer, Diana L, and Wang, Aijun
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Engineering ,Biomedical Engineering ,Bioengineering ,Regenerative Medicine ,Biotechnology ,Stem Cell Research - Nonembryonic - Human ,Stem Cell Research - Nonembryonic - Non-Human ,Stem Cell Research ,Dental/Oral and Craniofacial Disease ,Transplantation ,5.2 Cellular and gene therapies ,Integrin-based ligands ,Endogenous stem cells ,Bone formation ,Vascularization ,Adult and fetal bone defects ,Medicinal and biomolecular chemistry ,Biomedical engineering ,Materials engineering - Abstract
Significant progress has been made in designing bone materials capable of directing endogenous cells to promote vascularized bone regeneration. However, current strategies lack regulation of the specific endogenous cell populations for vascularized bone regeneration, thus leading to adverse tissue formation and decreased regenerative efficiency. Here, we engineered a biomaterial to regulate endogenous cell adhesion and promote vascularized bone regeneration. The biomaterial works by presenting two synthetic ligands, LLP2A and LXW7, explicitly targeting integrins α4β1 and αvβ3, respectively, expressed on the surfaces of the cells related to bone formation and vascularization, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), osteoblasts, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), and endothelial cells (ECs). In vitro, the LLP2A/LXW7 modified biomaterial improved the adhesion of MSCs, osteoblasts, EPCs, and ECs via integrin α4β1 and αvβ3, respectively. In an adult rat calvarial bone defect model, the LLP2A/LXW7 modified biomaterial enhanced bone formation and vascularization by synergistically regulating endogenous cells with osteogenic and angiogenic potentials, such as DLX5+ cells, osteocalcin+ cells, CD34+/CD45- cells and CD31+ cells. In a fetal sheep spinal bone defect model, the LLP2A/LXW7 modified biomaterial augmented bone formation and vascularization without any adverse effects. This innovative biomaterial offers an off-the-shelf, easy-to-use, and biologically safe product suitable for vascularized bone regeneration in both fetal and adult disease environments.
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- 2023
140. Opportunities to Breed Diverse Sweetpotato Varieties for California Organic Production
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Parker, Travis, Leach, Kristyn, Stoddard, C Scott, Roser, Laura, Palkovic, Antonia, Williams, Troy, Lo, Sassoum, Gepts, Paul, La Bonte, Don, Chung, Ga Young, and Brummer, E Charles
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Agricultural ,Veterinary and Food Sciences ,Horticultural Production ,Zero Hunger ,sweetpotato ,Ipomoea batatas ,organic ,crop biodiversity ,Asian ,Pacific Islander ,AAPI ,breeding ,culinary ,agronomic ,Agriculture ,Land and Farm Management ,Agriculture ,land and farm management ,Crop and pasture production - Abstract
Sweetpotatoes are a major crop in California, ranking sixth in value among organic commodities in the state. In recent years, there has been growing consumer interest in diverse specialty varieties, particularly purple types and those associated with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, some of which are currently imported into the state. In this study, we screened 45 diverse sweetpotato varieties and breeding lines under California organic conditions in a preliminary characterization of their agronomic performance. We then conducted culinary evaluations with a tasting panel of students primarily identifying as Asian/Asian American to determine the preference for each type in terms of flavor and culinary appeal. Our results indicated that major tradeoffs exist among existing germplasm, with no variety or line excelling across all agronomic and culinary traits. These results suggest that sweetpotato breeding could be an effective mechanism to combine superior agronomic traits of major commercial classes with the high culinary quality of diverse materials that are not adapted to California organic production. These results provide a strong justification for the value of sweetpotato breeding to ultimately promote a more profitable, sustainable, and just food system in the region.
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- 2023
141. Macromolecular crowding and decellularization method increase the growth factor binding potential of cell-secreted extracellular matrices
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Fok, Shierly W, Gresham, Robert CH, Ryan, Weston, Osipov, Benjamin, Bahney, Chelsea, and Leach, J Kent
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Biotechnology ,Generic health relevance ,macromolecular crowding ,decellularization ,BMP-2 ,bone ,growth factors ,Other Biological Sciences ,Biomedical Engineering ,Medical Biotechnology - Abstract
Recombinant growth factors are used in tissue engineering to stimulate cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Conventional methods of growth factor delivery for therapeutic applications employ large amounts of these bioactive cues. Effective, localized growth factor release is essential to reduce the required dose and potential deleterious effects. The endogenous extracellular matrix (ECM) sequesters native growth factors through its negatively charged sulfated glycosaminoglycans. Mesenchymal stromal cells secrete an instructive extracellular matrix that can be tuned by varying culture and decellularization methods. In this study, mesenchymal stromal cell-secreted extracellular matrix was modified using λ-carrageenan as a macromolecular crowding (MMC) agent and decellularized with DNase as an alternative to previous decellularized extracellular matrices (dECM) to improve growth factor retention. Macromolecular crowding decellularized extracellular matrix contained 7.7-fold more sulfated glycosaminoglycans and 11.7-fold more total protein than decellularized extracellular matrix, with no significant difference in residual DNA. Endogenous BMP-2 was retained in macromolecular crowding decellularized extracellular matrix, whereas BMP-2 was not detected in other extracellular matrices. When implanted in a murine muscle pouch, we observed increased mineralized tissue formation with BMP-2-adsorbed macromolecular crowding decellularized extracellular matrix in vivo compared to conventional decellularized extracellular matrix. This study demonstrates the importance of decellularization method to retain endogenous sulfated glycosaminoglycans in decellularized extracellular matrix and highlights the utility of macromolecular crowding to upregulate sulfated glycosaminoglycan content. This platform has the potential to aid in the delivery of lower doses of BMP-2 or other heparin-binding growth factors in a tunable manner.
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- 2023
142. The Black Angel deposit, Greenland: a Paleoproterozoic evaporite-related Mississippi Valley-type Zn–Pb deposit
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Rosa, Diogo, Leach, David, Guarnieri, Pierpaolo, and Bekker, Andrey
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Life Below Water ,MVT Zn-Pb deposits ,Paleoproterozoic ,Evaporites ,Greenland ,Paleoproterozoic seawater sulfate level ,Geochemistry ,Geology ,Geophysics - Abstract
AbstractThe Paleoproterozoic Mârmorilik Formation in the Karrat basin of West Greenland hosts the Black Angel Zn–Pb deposit. Chlorine-rich scapolite, zones with vuggy porosity and quartz nodules in the ore-bearing marble are herein interpreted to represent metamorphosed, vanished, and replaced evaporites, respectively. Mineralization is closely associated with anhydrite with δ34S values (5.2–12.6‰) broadly comparable to published values for Paleoproterozoic seawater sulfate. Considering the fundamental attributes of the mineralization and host sequence, a Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) model is the most obvious explanation for mineralization. Overlying the ore-bearing sequence are organic-rich semipelites and massive calcitic marbles, which may have served as seals for hydrocarbon or reduced sulfur and acted as chemical traps for deposition of the sulfidic ore. The Mârmorilik Formation contained an interlayered sulfate-rich evaporite-carbonate sequence, a common setting for MVT deposits in the late Neoproterozoic and Phanerozoic, but unique among the few known MVT deposits in the Paleoproterozoic. This ca. 1915 Ma evaporite-carbonate platform is younger than sulfate evaporites deposited during and immediately after the ca. 2220–2060 Ma Lomagundi carbon isotope excursion and records a significant seawater sulfate level during a time interval when it was assumed that it had been too low to form extensive evaporite deposits. Therefore, MVT and clastic-dominated (CD) Zn–Pb deposits in the geological record might progressively fill the apparent gap in marine sulfate evaporites and provide unique insights into Proterozoic seawater sulfate level. Considering the sequence of tectonic events that affected the Karrat basin, the mineralization took place between Nagssugtoqidian collision (
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- 2023
143. How can diverse national food and land-use priorities be reconciled with global sustainability targets? Lessons from the FABLE initiative
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Mosnier, Aline, Schmidt-Traub, Guido, Obersteiner, Michael, Jones, Sarah, Javalera-Rincon, Valeria, DeClerck, Fabrice, Thomson, Marcus, Sperling, Frank, Harrison, Paula, Pérez-Guzmán, Katya, McCord, Gordon Carlos, Navarro-Garcia, Javier, Marcos-Martinez, Raymundo, Wu, Grace C, Poncet, Jordan, Douzal, Clara, Steinhauser, Jan, Monjeau, Adrian, Frank, Federico, Lehtonen, Heikki, Rämö, Janne, Leach, Nicholas, Gonzalez-Abraham, Charlotte E, Ghosh, Ranjan Kumar, Jha, Chandan, Singh, Vartika, Bai, Zhaohai, Jin, Xinpeng, Ma, Lin, Strokov, Anton, Potashnikov, Vladimir, Orduña-Cabrera, Fernando, Neubauer, Rudolf, Diaz, Maria, Penescu, Liviu, Domínguez, Efraín Antonio, Chavarro, John, Pena, Andres, Basnet, Shyam, Fetzer, Ingo, Baker, Justin, Zerriffi, Hisham, Reyes Gallardo, René, Bryan, Brett Anthony, Hadjikakou, Michalis, Lotze-Campen, Hermann, Stevanovic, Miodrag, Smith, Alison, Costa, Wanderson, Habiburrachman, AHF, Immanuel, Gito, Selomane, Odirilwe, Daloz, Anne-Sophie, Andrew, Robbie, van Oort, Bob, Imanirareba, Dative, Molla, Kiflu Gedefe, Woldeyes, Firew Bekele, Soterroni, Aline C, Scarabello, Marluce, Ramos, Fernando M, Boer, Rizaldi, Winarni, Nurul Laksmi, Supriatna, Jatna, Low, Wai Sern, Fan, Andrew Chiah Howe, Naramabuye, François Xavier, Niyitanga, Fidèle, Olguín, Marcela, Popp, Alexander, Rasche, Livia, Godfray, Charles, Hall, Jim W, Grundy, Mike J, and Wang, Xiaoxi
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Life on Land ,Zero Hunger ,Food system ,Land use ,Sustainability ,Integrated models ,Trade ,Climate change ,Environmental Sciences - Abstract
There is an urgent need for countries to transition their national food and land-use systems toward food and nutritional security, climate stability, and environmental integrity. How can countries satisfy their demands while jointly delivering the required transformative change to achieve global sustainability targets? Here, we present a collaborative approach developed with the FABLE—Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land, and Energy—Consortium to reconcile both global and national elements for developing national food and land-use system pathways. This approach includes three key features: (1) global targets, (2) country-driven multi-objective pathways, and (3) multiple iterations of pathway refinement informed by both national and international impacts. This approach strengthens policy coherence and highlights where greater national and international ambition is needed to achieve global goals (e.g., the SDGs). We discuss how this could be used to support future climate and biodiversity negotiations and what further developments would be needed.
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- 2023
144. Performance of novel VUV-sensitive Silicon Photo-Multipliers for nEXO
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Gallina, G., Guan, Y., Retiere, F., Cao, G., Bolotnikov, A., Kotov, I., Rescia, S., Soma, A. K., Tsang, T., Darroch, L., Brunner, T., Bolster, J., Cohen, J. R., Franco, T. Pinto, Gillis, W. C., Smalley, H. Peltz, Thibado, S., Pocar, A., Bhat, A., Jamil, A., Moore, D. C., Adhikari, G., Kharusi, S. Al, Angelico, E., Arnquist, I. J., Arsenault, P., Badhrees, I., Bane, J., Belov, V., Bernard, E. P., Bhatta, T., Brodsky, J. P., Brown, E., Caden, E., Cao, L., Chambers, C., Chana, B., Charlebois, S. A., Chernyak, D., Chiu, M., Cleveland, B., Collister, R., Cvitan, M., Dalmasson, J., Daniels, T., Deslandes, K., DeVoe, R., di Vacri, M. L., Ding, Y., Dolinski, M. J., Dragone, A., Echevers, J., Eckert, B., Elbeltagi, M., Fabris, L., Fairbank, W., Farine, J., Fu, Y. S., Gallacher, D., Gautam, P., Giacomini, G., Gingras, C., Goeldi, D., Gornea, R., Gratta, G., Hardy, C. A., Hedges, S., Heffner, M., Hein, E., Holt, J., Hoppe, E. W., Hößl, J., House, A., Hunt, W., Iverson, A., Jiang, X. S., Karelin, A., Kaufman, L. J., Krücken, R., Kuchenkov, A., Kumar, K. S., Larson, A., Leach, K. G., Lenardo, B. G., Leonard, D. S., Lessard, G., Li, G., Li, S., Li, Z., Licciardi, C., Lindsay, R., MacLellan, R., Mahtab, M., Majidi, S., Malbrunot, C., Margetak, P., Martel-Dion, P., Martin, L., Masbou, J., Massacret, N., McMichael, K., Mong, B., Murray, K., Nattress, J., Natzke, C. R., Ngwadla, X. E., Ondze, J. C. Nzobadila, Odian, A., Orrell, J. L., Ortega, G. S., Overman, C. T., Parent, S., Perna, A., Piepke, A., Pletskova, N., Pratte, J. F., Radeka, V., Raguzin, E., Ramonnye, G. J., Rao, T., Rasiwala, H., Raymond, K., Rebeiro, B. M., Richardson, G., Ringuette, J., Riot, V., Rossignol, T., Rowson, P. C., Rudolph, L., Saldanha, R., Sangiorgio, S., Shang, X., Spadoni, F., Stekhanov, V., Sun, X. L., Tidball, A., Totev, T., Triambak, S., Tsang, R. H. M., Tyuka, O. A., Vachon, F., Vidal, M., Viel, S., Visser, G., Wagenpfeil, M., Walent, M., Wamba, K., Wang, Q., Wang, W., Wang, Y., Watts, M., Wei, W., Wen, L. J., Wichoski, U., Wilde, S., Worcester, M., Wu, W. H., Wu, X., Xie, L., Yan, W., Yang, H., Yang, L., Zeldovich, O., Zhao, J., and Ziegler, T.
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Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors - Abstract
Liquid xenon time projection chambers are promising detectors to search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0$\nu \beta \beta$), due to their response uniformity, monolithic sensitive volume, scalability to large target masses, and suitability for extremely low background operations. The nEXO collaboration has designed a tonne-scale time projection chamber that aims to search for 0$\nu \beta \beta$ of \ce{^{136}Xe} with projected half-life sensitivity of $1.35\times 10^{28}$~yr. To reach this sensitivity, the design goal for nEXO is $\leq$1\% energy resolution at the decay $Q$-value ($2458.07\pm 0.31$~keV). Reaching this resolution requires the efficient collection of both the ionization and scintillation produced in the detector. The nEXO design employs Silicon Photo-Multipliers (SiPMs) to detect the vacuum ultra-violet, 175 nm scintillation light of liquid xenon. This paper reports on the characterization of the newest vacuum ultra-violet sensitive Fondazione Bruno Kessler VUVHD3 SiPMs specifically designed for nEXO, as well as new measurements on new test samples of previously characterised Hamamatsu VUV4 Multi Pixel Photon Counters (MPPCs). Various SiPM and MPPC parameters, such as dark noise, gain, direct crosstalk, correlated avalanches and photon detection efficiency were measured as a function of the applied over voltage and wavelength at liquid xenon temperature (163~K). The results from this study are used to provide updated estimates of the achievable energy resolution at the decay $Q$-value for the nEXO design.
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- 2022
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145. A rapid nanometre-precision autocorrelator
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Morland, Imogen, Zhu, Feng, Dalgarno, Paul, and Leach, Jonathan
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Physics - Optics - Abstract
The precise measurement of a target depth has applications in biophysics and nanophysics, and non-linear optical methods are sensitive to intensity changes on very small length scales. By exploiting the high sensitivity of an autocorrelator's dependency on path length, we propose a technique that achieves $\approx$30 nm depth resolution for each pixel in 30 seconds. Our method images up-converted pulses from a non-linear crystal using a sCMOS camera and converts the intensity recorded by each pixel to a delay. By utilising statistical estimation theory and using the data from a set of 32$\times$32 pixels, the standard error of the detected delay falls below 1 nm after 30 seconds of measurement. Numerical simulations show that this result is extremely close to what can be achieved with a shot-noise-limited source and is consistent with the precision that can be achieved with a sCMOS camera.
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- 2022
- Full Text
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146. ASTRO: An AST-Assisted Approach for Generalizable Neural Clone Detection
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Zhang, Yifan, Yang, Junwen, Dong, Haoyu, Wang, Qingchen, Shao, Huajie, Leach, Kevin, and Huang, Yu
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Computer Science - Software Engineering ,Computer Science - Machine Learning - Abstract
Neural clone detection has attracted the attention of software engineering researchers and practitioners. However, most neural clone detection methods do not generalize beyond the scope of clones that appear in the training dataset. This results in poor model performance, especially in terms of model recall. In this paper, we present an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) assisted approach for generalizable neural clone detection, or ASTRO, a framework for finding clones in codebases reflecting industry practices. We present three main components: (1) an AST-inspired representation for source code that leverages program structure and semantics, (2) a global graph representation that captures the context of an AST among a corpus of programs, and (3) a graph embedding for programs that, in combination with extant large-scale language models, improves state-of-the-art code clone detection. Our experimental results show that ASTRO improves state-of-the-art neural clone detection approaches in both recall and F-1 scores.
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- 2022
147. A Survey of Intent Classification and Slot-Filling Datasets for Task-Oriented Dialog
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Larson, Stefan and Leach, Kevin
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Computer Science - Computation and Language - Abstract
Interest in dialog systems has grown substantially in the past decade. By extension, so too has interest in developing and improving intent classification and slot-filling models, which are two components that are commonly used in task-oriented dialog systems. Moreover, good evaluation benchmarks are important in helping to compare and analyze systems that incorporate such models. Unfortunately, much of the literature in the field is limited to analysis of relatively few benchmark datasets. In an effort to promote more robust analyses of task-oriented dialog systems, we have conducted a survey of publicly available datasets for the tasks of intent classification and slot-filling. We catalog the important characteristics of each dataset, and offer discussion on the applicability, strengths, and weaknesses of each. Our goal is that this survey aids in increasing the accessibility of these datasets, which we hope will enable their use in future evaluations of intent classification and slot-filling models for task-oriented dialog systems.
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- 2022
148. Searches for massive neutrinos with mechanical quantum sensors
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Carney, Daniel, Leach, Kyle G., and Moore, David C.
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High Energy Physics - Experiment ,High Energy Physics - Phenomenology ,Nuclear Experiment ,Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors ,Quantum Physics - Abstract
The development of quantum optomechanics now allows mechanical sensors with femtogram masses to be controlled and measured in the quantum regime. If the mechanical element contains isotopes that undergo nuclear decay, measuring the recoil of the sensor following the decay allows reconstruction of the total momentum of all emitted particles, including any neutral particles that may escape detection in traditional detectors. As an example, for weak nuclear decays the momentum of the emitted neutrino can be reconstructed on an event-by-event basis. We present the concept that a single nanometer-scale, optically levitated sensor operated with sensitivity near the standard quantum limit can search for heavy sterile neutrinos in the keV-MeV mass range with sensitivity significantly beyond existing constraints. We also comment on the possibility that mechanical sensors operated well into the quantum regime might ultimately reach the sensitivities required to provide an absolute measurement of the mass of the light neutrino states., Comment: 11 pages + refs, 7 figures. v2: published version (+ an appendix containing a quantum model of the 3-body decay in a nanosphere)
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- 2022
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149. Simultaneously sorting overlapping quantum states of light
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Goel, Suraj, Tyler, Max, Zhu, Feng, Leedumrongwatthanakun, Saroch, Malik, Mehul, and Leach, Jonathan
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Quantum Physics - Abstract
The efficient manipulation, sorting, and measurement of optical modes and single-photon states is fundamental to classical and quantum science. Here, we realise simultaneous and efficient sorting of non-orthogonal, overlapping states of light, encoded in the transverse spatial degree of freedom. We use a specifically designed multi-plane light converter (MPLC) to sort states encoded in dimensions ranging from $d = 3$ to $d = 7$. Through the use of an auxiliary output mode, the MPLC simultaneously performs the unitary operation required for unambiguous discrimination and the basis change for the outcomes to be spatially separated. Our results lay the groundwork for optimal image identification and classification via optical networks, with potential applications ranging from self-driving cars to quantum communication systems.
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- 2022
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150. Ensuring a ‘Responsible’ AI future in India: RRI as an approach for identifying the ethical challenges from an Indian perspective: Driving Responsible AI in the world’s largest society: RRI as a tool for identifying the ethical challenges of AI in India
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Bhalla, Nitika, Brooks, Laurence, and Leach, Tonii
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- 2023
- Full Text
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