Neighboring metal nanoparticles influence photovoltaic and photocatalytic behavior of semiconductor nanostructures either through Fermi level equilibration by accepting electrons or inducing ...localized surface plasmon effects. By employing SiO(2)- and TiO(2)-capped Au nanoparticles we have identified the mechanism with which the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) is influenced by the neighboring metal nanoparticles. The efficiency of an N719 dye-sensitized solar cell (9.3%) increased to 10.2% upon incorporation of 0.7% Au@SiO(2) and to 9.8% upon loading of 0.7% Au@TiO(2) nanoparticles. The plasmonic effect as monitored by introducing Au@SiO(2) in DSSC produces higher photocurrent. However, Au nanoparticles undergo charge equilibration with TiO(2) nanoparticles and shift the apparent Fermi level of the composite to more negative potentials. As a result, Au@TiO(2) nanoparticle-embedded DSSC exhibit higher photovoltage. A better understanding of these two effects is crucial in exploiting the beneficial aspects of metal nanoparticles in photovoltaics.
PurposePrior studies on major customer relationships (i.e. embedded ties) focus mostly on the ties between a focal firm and its immediate customers, hindering the understanding of the influence of ...indirect ties (both upstream and downstream) on a focal firm's operational performance. In this study, the authors analyze how a focal firm's upstream and downstream connectedness and network location affect its productive efficiency.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing Compustat segment files, the authors constructed large-scale major customer networks covering the period 2007–2013. The authors applied a fixed-effect panel stochastic frontier model to conduct estimation. Moreover, the authors applied an endogenous panel stochastic frontier model to ensure the robustness of the main analysis.FindingsThe authors found that a focal firm's upstream and downstream connectedness both have a positive influence on a firm's productive efficiency, whereas a focal firm's centeredness in the major customer network has a negative influence on productive efficiency. Moreover, it was found that centeredness lessens the positive influences of upstream and downstream connectedness on productive efficiency. The post hoc analysis further confirmed that a focal firm's indirect ties, both upstream and downstream, positively influence a focal firm's productive efficiency.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by evaluating the relative effectiveness of a focal firm's direct and indirect major customer ties, both upstream and downstream. More importantly, this study suggests potential exploitation–exploration trade-offs (i.e. productive efficiency vs. innovation) triggered by a firm's network location.
People living with HIV (PLWH) had a higher prevalence and incidence rate of bone fracture compared to general population. Although several studies have explored this phenomenon, the prevalence and ...incidence rate of fracture were varied. The aim of the study is to determine and analyze the pooled prevalence, incidence rate of fracture and fracture risk factors among people living with HIV (PLWH). PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL with full Text, and Medline databases for studies published up to August 2019 were searched. Studies reporting the prevalence or incidence of fracture among PLWH were included. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) appraisal tool. A meta-analysis with random-effects model was performed to determine pooled estimates of prevalence and incidence rates of fracture. A meta-regression was performed to determine the source of heterogeneity. The pooled estimated prevalence of fracture among PLWH was 6.6% (95% CI: 3.8-11.1) with pooled odds ratio of 1.9 (95%CI: 1.1-3.2) compared to the general population. The pooled estimates of fracture incidence were 11.3 per 1000 person-years (95% CI: 7.9-14.5) with incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.5 (95% CI: 1.3-1.8) compared to the general population. Risk factors for fracture incidence were older age (aHR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.3-1.6), smoking (aHR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.5), HIV/HCV co-infection (aHR 1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-1.9), and osteoporosis (aHR 3.3, 95% CI: 2.2-5.1). Our finding highlights a higher risk of fracture among PLWH compared to the general population. Osteoporosis, smoking and HIV/HCV coinfection as the significant modifiable risk factors should be prioritized by the HIV health providers when care for PLWH.
To evaluate ways to improve the generalizability of a deep learning algorithm for identifying glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) using a limited number of fundus photographs, as well as the key ...features being used for classification.
A total of 944 fundus images from Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) were retrospectively collected. Clinical and demographic characteristics, including structural and functional measurements of the images with GON, were recorded. Transfer learning based on VGGNet was used to construct a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify GON. To avoid missing cases with advanced GON, an ensemble model was adopted in which a support vector machine classifier would make final classification based on cup-to-disc ratio if the CNN classifier had low-confidence score. The CNN classifier was first established using TVGH dataset, and then fine-tuned by combining the training images of TVGH and Drishti-GS datasets. Class activation map (CAM) was used to identify key features used for CNN classification. Performance of each classifier was determined through area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and compared with the ensemble model by diagnostic accuracy.
In 187 TVGH test images, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the CNN classifier were 95.0%, 95.7%, and 94.2%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.992 compared to the 92.8% accuracy rate of the ensemble model. For the Drishti-GS test images, the accuracy of the CNN, the fine-tuned CNN and ensemble model was 33.3%, 80.3%, and 80.3%, respectively. The CNN classifier did not misclassify images with moderate to severe diseases. Class-discriminative regions revealed by CAM co-localized with known characteristics of GON.
The ensemble model or a fine-tuned CNN classifier may be potential designs to build a generalizable deep learning model for glaucoma detection when large image databases are not available.
Existing network studies pay much attention to the benefits of structural embeddedness. However, Uzzi (1996) points out the marginal benefits of structural embeddedness may follow a pattern of ...diminishing returns. Using major customer disclosure data from Compustat, this study investigates the curvilinear relationships between multiple aspects of structural embeddedness and productive efficiency. Applying both Wang and Ho (2010) and Chen and Lin (2009) stochastic frontier models, we confirm the diminishing returns of eigenvector and betweenness centralities with a partial support for interconnectedness. Implications from our findings can help decision makers better understand the effects of structural embeddedness and help devise network structural change strategies for productive efficiency.
•We investigate the effects of structural embeddedness on productive efficiency.•We estimate the results using fixed-effect panel stochastic frontier model.•Chen and Lin (2009) model is applied to ensure the robustness of results.•The positive effects of structural embeddedness are subject to diminishing returns.
Dentists may be at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) because of their use of frequent wrist and vibratory instruments at work; however, this issue remains unclear. Therefore, ...we conducted this study to clarify it.
Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database was used for this nationwide population-based study. We identified 11,084 dentists, 74,901 non-dentist healthcare professionals (HCPs), and identical number of age- and sex-matched participants from the general population. Participants who had the diagnosis of CTS before 2007 were excluded. Between 2007 and 2011, the risk of developing CTS among dentists, non-dentist HCPs, and the general population was compared by following their medical histories.
The cumulative incidence rate of CTS among dentists was 0.5% during the 5-year follow-up period. In dentists, the risk was higher in women (women: 0.7%; men: 0.4%) and older individuals (≥60 years: 1.0%; <60 years: 0.4%). After adjusting for age, sex, and underlying comorbidities, dentists had a lower risk of CTS than the general population (adjusted odds ratio AOR: 0.65, 95% confidence interval CI: 0.45-0.92). Dentists had a higher risk for CTS compared with non-dentist HCPs, although the difference was not statistically significant (AOR: 1.21; 95% CI: 0.90-1.64).
In CTS, dentists had a lower risk than the general population and a trend of higher risk than non-dentist HCPs. The difference between dentists and non-dentist HCPs suggests that we should pay attention to dentists for potential occupational risk of this disease. However, further studies are warranted to better clarify it.
Analyzing volleyball videos based on 3D ball trajectories was relatively overlooked before. In this brief, we focus on how ball trajectories can benefit volleyball video analysis. Based on videos ...captured by two cameras from different viewpoints, we detect the volleyball and construct 3D ball trajectories. We then propose a trajectory segmentation and classification method based on BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representation for Transformer). The volleyball at each frame can be categorized into one of six trajectory classes, e.g., serve and attack, and a long ball trajectory showing the ball being hit back and forth is appropriately segmented. We believe that this is a very first study adopting the language model technique to analyze ball trajectories, and results of trajectory segmentation and classification can enable more advanced volleyball analysis.
Effects of Indoxyl Sulfate on Pulmonary Vein and Atrial Arrhythmogenesis
Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with a higher incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) with unclear ...mechanisms. Indoxyl sulfate (IS) accumulates in CKD patients. IS increases oxidative stress, which contributes to the genesis of AF. The arrhythmogenic effect of IS is unclear.
Methods
Conventional microelectrodes recorded the action potentials (AP) of isolated rabbit left atrium (LA), right atrium (RA), pulmonary vein (PV), and sinoatrial nodes (SANs) before and after treatment with IS with and without an antioxidant (ascorbic acid). Confocal microscopy with fluorescence and whole‐cell patch clamp were used to evaluate intracellular calcium in isolated PV cardiomyocytes with and without IS.
Results
Compared to the control, IS induced more PV delayed afterdepolarizations at 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μM, and induced more PV burst firings at 1, 10, and 100 μM. In contrast, IS (10 and 100 μM) reduced the SAN spontaneous beating rate. IS (100 μM) significantly shortened LA AP durations, but not RA. IS (100 μM)‐treated PV cardiomyocytes had a similar calcium transient and sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium content, but a larger calcium leak than control PV cardiomyocytes. Burst pacing and isoproterenol induced a greater AF occurrence (50% vs. 100%; P = 0.009) and a longer AF duration (26 ± 9 vs. 5 ± 3 seconds; P < 0.05) in the LA (n = 8) with IS (100 μM) than without IS. Moreover, ascorbic acid (1 mM) attenuated the effects of IS on the LA, PV, and SANs.
Conclusion
IS increases PV and atrial arrhythmogenesis through oxidative stress. They may contribute to the occurrence of AF in CKD patients.
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