bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A ratiometric near‐infrared fluorescent probe for the detection and monitoring of hypochlorous acid in rheumatoid arthritis model and real water samples
Authors: Shang Zhuye , Yang Xinyi , Meng Qingtao , Tian Shengye , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: March 2023

Recent studies revealed that the increased level of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) may be deemed to be one of the signs of chronic inflammatory joint disease. Accordingly, the development of effective methods for rapid and accurate detection or monitoring of HOCl in vivo is of great significance for further understanding the role of HOCl in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein, a ratiometric near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (PTA) was reported for the detection and monitoring of HOCl. In the presence of HOCl, the electron‐rich S atom and C=C double bond of probe PTA were oxidized in sequence, resulting in the significant hypochromatic shift and decline of absorption spectra. Simultaneously, the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process of PTA is inhibited, causing the intrinsic fluorescence emission of PTA shift from 680 to 550 nm. PTA‐based test paper strips were successfully prepared and applied to determinate HOCl in actual water samples by “naked eye” colorimetric method. PTA features NIR emission, large Stokes shift (200 nm), low cytotoxicity, high sensitivity (33.9 nM), and short response time (45 s), which enable it to be successfully utilized for imaging endogenous and exogenous HOCl in living zebrafish and mice. More importantly, PTA shows remarkable effectiveness for the monitoring of HOCl‐mediated treatment response to RA. Consequently, PTA provides a new approach to further understand the role of HOCl in RA and evaluate the drug treatment efficiency of RA.
Facile Side Chains Optimization of Y‐series Acceptor Enables High Performance Binary Non‐halogenated Solvent‐Processed Organic Solar Cells with Excellent Fill Factor of 79%
Authors: Shi Jingyu , Chen Zhenyu , Qiu Yi , Luo Ming , Zhang Xiaoli , Ge Ziyi
Published: March 2023

Most cutting‐edge performance binary bulk heterojunction organic solar cells (OSCs) with high power conversion efficiency (PCE) over 18% generally use harmful halogenated solvent systems to guarantee the optimal morphology of active layers, urging more investigations on the non‐halogenated solvent processed OSCs and their further large‐scale devices fabrication. Herein, two BTP‐eC9 analogs, BTP‐eC9‐EH and BTP‐eC9‐HD, were synthesized to investigate the effect of alkyl chain length on the solubility and photovoltaic properties systematically. Despite the subtle side‐chain engineering, the PM6: BTP‐eC9‐HD based device exhibited an outstanding PCE of 17.5% and a remarkable fill factor of 79% in the toluene processing binary blend system, which precedes the toluene processing PM6: BTP‐eC9 based binary blend system (17.1%). The combined investigation provides a valuable insight into the modulation of branched alkyl chains, which can serve as an effective approach for adjusting the aggregation and molecular packing of A‐DA′DA‐type Y‐series based non‐fullerene acceptors to balance the materials solubility and solvents selection, thereby achieving high‐performance large‐scale OSCs processed from non‐halogenated solvents.
A novel reversible data hiding scheme for VQ codebooks
Authors: Wang Xu , Liu Jui‐Chuan , Chang Chin‐Chen
Published: March 2023

Vector quantization (VQ) technique is widely used in digital image compression. Some reversible data hiding schemes have been proposed to embed secret data (eg, password, timestamp, and watermark) into a VQ index table. In real application scenarios, users usually train codebooks on their own data sets instead of using the public codebooks directly. Therefore, different from the conventional schemes, in this paper we propose a novel reversible data hiding scheme for VQ codebooks instead of VQ index tables. All permutation operation is adopted to a sorted codebook to find usable codewords and embeds secret data. Experimental results demonstrate that the embedding rates of our proposed scheme for different‐sized codebooks are appreciable. The embedded codebook can also be directly applied to decompress images.
Constrained Equilibrium Reactions in a Low Carbon Steel During Heat Treatments Below the MS
Authors: Castro Cerda Felipe M. , Goulas Constantinos , Hernández Eliseo I. , Sanhueza Juan P. , Ros-Yanez Tanya , Petrov Roumen H.
Published: March 2023

Isothermal heat treatments below the martensite start temperature are carried out in a 0.25C‐1.4Mn‐1.4Si‐0.32Mo steel (in wt%). The microstructural observation reveals a combination of tempered lath and plate martensite, accompanied by bainite and retained austenite. The temperature variation of the austenitic carbon content under different constrained equilibrium models is calculated and compared with experimental measurements. Neither of the existing models seems to predict the behavior of the measured austenitic carbon content in the temperature range studied. The results suggest that the diffusional formation of bainite governs the carbon content of austenite at temperatures nearby the MS.
Study on spalling and cracking behavior of MWCNTs concrete exposed to high temperatures
Authors: Gao Fangfang , Tian Wei , Cheng Xu
Published: March 2023

This study aims to investigate the effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the spalling and cracking behavior of concrete exposed to high temperatures, and also consider the mechanism of different cooling methods (including natural air cooling, spray cooling, and quench cooling) on its performance after high temperature. Meanwhile, the change rules of mechanical properties and pore structure of MWCNTs reinforced concrete during high temperature and cooling were explored by x‐ray computed tomography. The results demonstrated that spalling and cracking behavior of the concrete specimens exposed to high temperatures was effectively controlled by adding MWCNTs. Consequently, the thermal resistance and residual mechanical properties of concrete exposed to high temperatures were significantly improved. Moreover, the mesoscopic and microscopic observation showed that the MWCNTs have a favorable impact on reducing the porosity of the concrete specimens below 600°C. However, when the temperature exceeded 600°C, MWCNTs reached the burning point and lost the bridging effect. No trace of MWCNTs was observed in the concrete specimen, but the cumulative mitigation decreased the possibility of cracking and spalling of concrete at 800°C. Additionally, considering the influence of cooling methods, it is found that the spalling and cracking of the concrete specimens after high temperature caused by quench cooling were the most serious, while that of caused by spray cooling were the least.
Stress–Strain and Fluid Flow
Authors: Steinbach Ingo , Salama Hesham
Published: March 2023

In this chapter first a multi-phase-field model considering transformation strain and elastic energy is developed. It utilizes the expansion into multiple phases of the multi-phase-field model. In particular, the treatment of the diffuse interface region as an effective medium is discussed in the context of homogenization theory. The model is applied to martensitic transformation within finite strain framework. In the second part of the lecture coupling for solute transport by melt flow is discussed. The model is applied to equiaxed dendritic solidification of MgAl in a shear flow.
Definitions of entwinement
Authors: Craps Ben , De Clerck Marine , López Alejandro Vilar
Published: March 2023

Abstract

Entwinement was first introduced as the CFT dual to extremal, non-minimal geodesics of quotiented AdS3 spaces. It was heuristically meant to capture the entanglement of internal, gauged degrees of freedom, for instance in the symmetric product orbifold CFT of the D1/D5 brane system. The literature now contains different, and sometimes inequivalent, field theory definitions of entwinement. In this paper, we build a discretized lattice model of symmetric product orbifold CFTs, and explicitly construct a gauge-invariant reduced density matrix whose von Neumann entropy agrees with the holographic computation of entwinement. Refining earlier notions, our construction gives meaning to the entwinement of an interval of given size within a long string of specific length. We discuss similarities and differences with previous definitions of entwinement.
Exact quantization and analytic continuation
Authors: Gabai Barak , Yin Xi
Published: March 2023

Abstract

In this paper we give a streamlined derivation of the exact quantization condition (EQC) on the quantum periods of the Schrödinger problem in one dimension with a general polynomial potential, based on Wronskian relations. We further generalize the EQC to potentials with a regular singularity, describing spherical symmetric quantum mechanical systems in a given angular momentum sector. We show that the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) equations that govern the quantum periods undergo nontrivial monodromies as the angular momentum is analytically continued between integer values in the complex plane. The TBA equations together with the EQC are checked numerically against Hamiltonian truncation at real angular momenta and couplings, and are used to explore the analytic continuation of the spectrum on the complex angular momentum plane in examples.
Holographic open quantum systems: toy models and analytic properties of thermal correlators
Authors: Loganayagam R. , Rangamani Mukund , Virrueta Julio
Published: March 2023

Abstract

We present a unified picture of open quantum systems, the theory of a system probing a noisy thermal environment, distilling lessons learnt from previous holographic analyses. Our treatment is applicable both when the system is coupled to short-lived (Markovian), and long-lived (non-Markovian) environmental degrees of freedom. The thermal environment is modeled using an asymptotically AdS black hole, and the systems of interest are simple probe field theories. The effective stochastic dynamics of the system is governed by real-time thermal correlators, which we compute using the gravitational Schwinger-Keldysh (grSK) geometry. We describe the structure of arbitrary tree-level contact and exchange Witten diagrams in the grSK geometry. In particular, we argue, that all such diagrams reduce to integrals supported on a single copy of the exterior of the black hole. The integrand is obtained as a multiple discontinuity of a function comprising ingoing boundary-bulk propagators, monodromy functions which appear as radial Boltzmann weights, and vertex factors. These results allow us to deduce the analytic structure of real-time thermal n-point functions in holographic CFTs. We illustrate the general statements by a two-dimensional toy model, dual to fields in the BTZ background, which we argue captures many of the essential features of generic open holographic QFTs.
An upper bound of the density for packing of congruent hyperballs in hyperbolic $$3-$$space
Authors: Szirmai Jenö
Published: March 2023

In Szirmai (Ars Math Contemp 16:349–358, 2019) we proved that to each saturated congruent hyperball packing there exists a decomposition of the 3-dimensional hyperbolic space$$\mathbb {H}^3$$H3into truncated tetrahedra. Therefore, in order to get a density upper bound for hyperball packings, it is sufficient to determine the density upper bound of hyperball packings in truncated simplices. In this paper we prove, using the above results and results of the papers Miyamoto (Topology 33(4): 613–629, 1994) and Szirmai (Mat Vesn 70(3): 211–221, 2018), that the density upper bound of the saturated congruent hyperball (hypersphere) packings related to the corresponding truncated tetrahedron cells is realized in regular truncated tetrahedra with density$$\approx 0.86338$$≈0.86338. Furthermore, we prove that the density of locally optimal congruent hyperball arrangement in a regular truncated tetrahedron is not a monotonically increasing function of the height (radius) of the corresponding optimal hyperball, unlike the ball (sphere) and horoball (horosphere) packings.
The variability of iridomyrmecin, the venom of the Argentine ant, in its native and invasive ranges
Authors: Salado Isabel , Álvarez-Blanco Paloma , Boulay Raphaël , Blight Olivier , Abril Sílvia , Cerdá Xim , Angulo Elena
Published: March 2023

The Argentine ant is one of the five worst invasive ants. Recently it has been shown that one of the main compounds of its pygidial gland, iridomyrmecin, is used as a venom against competitors and enemies. Here, we explore the variability in the quantities of iridomyrmecin of individual workers, along a range of locations pertaining to both its native and invasive ranges, in order to know whether its venom could have contributed to the differential invasion success of European supercolonies. We specifically compared the amount of iridomyrmecin among supercolonies in the native range and among three invasive supercolonies: the Main supercolony (the most extended worldwide), the Corsican and the Catalonian supercolonies (both with a restricted distribution in Europe). Our main result is that the variability of the iridomyrmecin is very high. Looking at mean values, we found that the amount of iridomyrmecin of the Main supercolony was the lowest while the highest corresponded to the Corsican supercolony, with the Catalonian and the native range supercolonies having intermediate values. However, variability in the values within each supercolony was similar between supercolonies. This suggests that the success of a given invasive supercolony may not be explained by higher quantities of this defensive compound. Our results open the way for exploring the connection between defensive compounds and the invasion success of this global invader.
A mini review on green nanotechnology and its development in biological effects
Authors: Salem Salem S.
Published: March 2023

The utilization of living organisms for the creation of inorganic nanoscale particles is a potential new development in the realm of biotechnology. An essential milestone in the realm of nanotechnology is the process of creating dependable and environmentally acceptable metallic nanoparticles. Due to its increasing popularity and ease, use of ambient biological resources is quickly becoming more significant in this field of study. The phrase “green nanotechnology” has gained a lot of attention and refers to a variety of procedures that eliminate or do away with hazardous compounds to repair the environment. Green nanomaterials can be used in a variety of biotechnological sectors such as medicine and biology, as well as in the food and textile industries, wastewater treatment and agriculture field. The construction of an updated level of knowledge with utilization and a study of the ambient biological systems that might support and revolutionize the creation of nanoparticles (NPs) are presented in this article.
Intrinsic Diophantine approximation for overlapping iterated function systems
Authors: Baker Simon
Published: March 2023

In this paper we study a family of limsup sets that are defined using iterated function systems. Our main result is an analogue of Khintchine’s theorem for these sets. We then apply this result to the topic of intrinsic Diophantine Approximation on self-similar sets. In particular, we define a new height function for an element of $${\mathbb {Q}}^d$$

Q

d

contained in a self-similar set in terms of its eventually periodic representations. For limsup sets defined with respect to this height function, we obtain a detailed description of their metric properties. The results of this paper hold in arbitrary dimensions and without any separation conditions on the underlying iterated function system.
Highlighting the Phototherapeutical Potential of Fungal Pigments in Various Fruiting Body Extracts with Informed Feature-Based Molecular Networking
Authors: Hammerle Fabian , Quirós-Guerrero Luis , Wolfender Jean-Luc , Peintner Ursula , Siewert Bianka
Published: March 2023

Fungal pigments are characterized by a diverse set of chemical backbones, some of which present photosensitizer-like structures. From the genus Cortinarius, for example, several biologically active photosensitizers have been identified leading to the hypothesis that photoactivity might be a more general phenomenon in the kingdom Fungi. This paper aims at testing the hypothesis. Forty-eight fruiting body-forming species producing pigments from all four major biosynthetic pathways (i.e., shikimate-chorismate, acetate-malonate, mevalonate, and nitrogen heterocycles) were selected and submitted to a workflow combining in vitro chemical and biological experiments with state-of-the-art metabolomics. Fungal extracts were profiled by high-resolution mass spectrometry and subsequently explored by spectral organization through feature-based molecular networking (FBMN), including advanced metabolite dereplication techniques. Additionally, the photochemical properties (i.e., light-dependent production of singlet oxygen), the phenolic content, and the (photo)cytotoxic activity of the extracts were studied. Different levels of photoactivity were found in species from all four metabolic groups, indicating that light-dependent effects are common among fungal pigments. In particular, extracts containing pigments from the acetate-malonate pathway, e.g., extracts from Bulgaria inquinans, Daldinia concentrica, and Cortinarius spp., were not only efficient producers of singlet oxygen but also exhibited photocytotoxicity against three different cancer cell lines. This study explores the distribution of photobiological traits in fruiting body forming fungi and highlights new sources for phototherapeutics.
Improved tibiofemoral contact restoration after transtibial reinsertion of the anterior root of the lateral meniscus compared to in situ repair: a biomechanical study
Authors: Espejo-Reina Alejandro , Prado-Novoa Maria , Espejo-Baena Alejandro , Estebanez Belen , Perez-Blanca Ana
Published: March 2023

Purpose

To compare biomechanical behaviour of the anterior root of the lateral meniscus (ARLM) after a transtibial repair (TTR) and after an in situ repair (ISR), discussing the reasons for the efficacy of the more advantageous technique.

Methods

Eight cadaveric human knees were tested at flexion angles from 0° to 90° in four conditions of their ARLM: intact, detached, reinserted using TTR, and reinserted using ISR. Specimens were subjected to 1000 N of compression, and the contact area (CA), mean pressure (MP), and peak pressure (PP) on the tibial cartilage were computed. For the TTR, traction force on the sutures was registered.

Results

ARLM detachment significantly altered contact biomechanics, mainly at shallow flexion. After ISR, differences compared to the healthy group persisted (extension, CA 22% smaller (p = 0.012); at 30°, CA 30% smaller (p = 0.012), MP 21%, and PP 32% higher (both p = 0.017); at 60°, CA 28% smaller (p = 0.012), MP 32%, and PP 49% higher (both p = 0.025). With TTR, alterations significantly decreased compared to the injured group, with no statistical differences from the intact ones observed, except for CA at extension (15% decrease, p = 0.012) and at 30° (12% decrease, p = 0.017). The suture tension after TTR, given as mean(SD), was 36.46(11.75)N, 44.32(11.71)N, 40.38(14.93)N, and 43.18(14.89)N for the four tested flexion angles.

Conclusions

Alterations caused by ARLM detachment were partially restored with both ISR and TTR, with TTR showing better results on recovering CA, MP, and PP in the immediate postoperative period. The tensile force was far below the value reported to cause meniscal cut-out in porcine models.
Diagnostic yield, indications, and outcomes of cranial imaging in AML patients admitted for intensive induction or consolidation chemotherapy: a single-center experience
Authors: Koschade Sebastian E. , Stratmann Jan A. , Zeiner Pia S. , Finkelmeier Fabian , Chromik Jörg , Steffen Björn , Serve Hubert , Brandts Christian H. , Ballo Olivier
Published: March 2023

Cranial imaging (CI) is a widely used diagnostic procedure, especially in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with suspected bleeding or infection. However, common clinical decision rules to guide CI do not apply to AML patients and the diagnostic yield and outcomes of CI for AML patients are largely unknown. We retrospectively evaluated all CI from newly diagnosed non-promyelocytic AML patients receiving intensive induction or consolidation chemotherapy between 2007 and 2019 for imaging indications, diagnostic yield, and consequences. A total of 110 of 462 patients (24%) received CI for 152 imagings in distinct clinical situations. Forty-four patients (40%) had at least one new and acute pathological finding. Main indication was focal neurologic deficit, craniocerebral trauma, and suspected cerebral hypertension. The most common new finding was intracranial hemorrhage (13% of all imagings), followed by sinusitis (9%). CI led to therapy change in 21 patients. There were no clear associations between indications, laboratory values, and a positive imaging. Positive imaging was associated with adverse overall survival. Our study suggests that the overall rate of ordered CI was appropriate and that CI should generally be performed at a low threshold. A systematized approach to CI may further increase diagnostic yield but is complicated by variable clinical presentation.
CT texture analysis reliability in pulmonary lesions: the influence of 3D vs. 2D lesion segmentation and volume definition by a Hounsfield-unit threshold
Authors: Adelsmayr Gabriel , Janisch Michael , Kaufmann-Bühler Ann-Katrin , Holter Magdalena , Talakic Emina , Janek Elmar , Holzinger Andreas , Fuchsjäger Michael , Schöllnast Helmut
Published: March 2023

Objective

Reproducibility problems are a known limitation of radiomics. The segmentation of the target lesion plays a critical role in texture analysis variability. This study’s aim was to compare the interobserver reliability of manual 2D vs. 3D lung lesion segmentation with and without pre-definition of the volume using a threshold of − 50 HU.

Methods

Seventy-five patients with histopathologically proven lung lesions (15 patients each with adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell lung cancer, carcinoid, and organizing pneumonia) who underwent an unenhanced CT scan of the chest were included. Three radiologists independently segmented each lesion manually in 3D and 2D with and without pre-segmentation volume definition by a HU threshold, and shape parameters and original, Laplacian of Gaussian–filtered, and wavelet-based texture features were derived. To assess interobserver reliability and identify the most robust texture features, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for different segmentation settings were calculated.

Results

Shape parameters had high reliability (64–79% had excellent and good ICCs). Texture features had weak reliability levels, with the highest ICCs (38% excellent or good) found for original features in 3D segmentation without the use of a HU threshold. A small proportion (4.3–11.5%) of texture features had excellent or good ICC values at all segmentation settings.

Conclusion

Interobserver reliability of texture features from CT scans of a heterogeneous collection of manually segmented lung lesions was low with a small proportion of features demonstrating high reliability independent of the segmentation settings. These results indicate a limited applicability of texture analysis and the need to define robust texture features in patients with lung lesions.

Key Points

• Our study showed a low reproducibility of texture features when 3 radiologists independently segmented lung lesions in CT images, which highlights a serious limitation of texture analysis.

• Interobserver reliability of texture features was low regardless of whether the lesion was segmented in 2D and 3D with or without a HU threshold.

• In contrast to texture features, shape parameters showed a high interobserver reliability when lesions were segmented in 2D vs. 3D with and without a HU threshold of − 50.
Nonparametric estimation for a functional-circular regression model
Authors: Meilán-Vila Andrea , Crujeiras Rosa M. , Francisco-Fernández Mario
Published: March 2023

Changes on temperature patterns, on a local scale, are perceived by individuals as the most direct indicators of global warming and climate change. As a specific example, for an Atlantic climate location, spring and fall seasons should present a mild transition between winter and summer, and summer and winter, respectively. By observing daily temperature curves along time, being each curve attached to a certain calendar day, a regression model for these variables (temperature curve as covariate and calendar day as response) would be useful for modeling their relation for a certain period. In addition, temperature changes could be assessed by prediction and observation comparisons in the long run. Such a model is presented and studied in this work, considering a nonparametric Nadaraya–Watson-type estimator for functional covariate and circular response. The asymptotic bias and variance of this estimator, as well as its asymptotic distribution are derived. Its finite sample performance is evaluated in a simulation study and the proposal is applied to investigate a real-data set concerning temperature curves.
Osband’s principle for identification functions
Authors: Dimitriadis Timo , Fissler Tobias , Ziegel Johanna
Published: March 2023

Given a statistical functional of interest such as the mean or median, a (strict) identification function is zero in expectation at (and only at) the true functional value. Identification functions are key objects in forecast validation, statistical estimation and dynamic modelling. For a possibly vector-valued functional of interest, we fully characterise the class of (strict) identification functions subject to mild regularity conditions.
Preoperative stiffness is the most important predictor of postoperative patient’s satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Abdelhameed Mohammed Anter , Abdelnasser Mohammad Kamal , Zaky Bishoy Raafat , Bakr Hatem M. , Aziz Mirette , Mahran Mohamed
Published: March 2023

Purpose

To predict the most important preoperative factor affecting the patient satisfaction after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in trial to improve patient counselling process.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent primary TKA from January 1, 2018, to January 31, 2019, with minimum one-year follow-up for the previously collected patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) as Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for joint replacement (KOOS, JR) preoperative, 6 months and 12 months postoperative.

Results

By using Oxford knee score at 12 months as dependent variable, we found a negative moderate spearman correlation between age and Oxford knee score at 12 months postoperative. Moderate negative spearman correlation was also found between Oxford knee score at 12 months postoperative and KOOS pain, stiffness and function scores at preoperative and 6 months postoperative, denoting higher satisfaction at 12 months with less perceived stiffness, pain and limited function at baseline and 6 months postoperative. A multivariate regression analysis was done using the oxford knee score at 12 months as dependent variable to detect the predictors of oxford knee score at 12 months postoperatively and showed that younger age and less perception of stiffness at baseline were significant predictors of higher Oxford knee score: higher satisfaction at 12 months postoperative.

Conclusion

Preoperative stiffness can predict the postoperative satisfaction score more than any other factor. We also address the importance of combining more than one PROM in assessing patients as OKS and KOOS, JR.
Statistical analysis of extreme temperatures in India in the period 1951–2020
Authors: Vieira Flavio Ferraz , Oliveira Manuela , Sanfins Marco Aurélio , Garção Eugénio , Dasari Hariprasad , Dodla Venkata , Satyanarayana G. C. , Costa Joaquim , Borges José G.
Published: March 2023

Extreme temperatures are directly related to the occurrence of atmospheric extreme events, such as draughts, wildfires, and pollution level increases in urban areas. Policy makers, as well as society, can address such phenomenon by developing and applying methods which estimate and anticipate maximum temperature occurrences. In this research, we aim to develop a spatiotemporal model which analyzes maximum temperature trends values in the Indian 543 microregions between 1951 and 2020. In 27% of those, a maximum temperature above 45∘C was observed, at least in a year. Our analysis indicates further that 80% microregions have maximum temperatures above above 40∘C. Additionally, the results unveiled that East, Southwest, and Northwest microregions were the ones where the maximum temperatures had a higher increase with 2∘C being the average. The model developed is based on a Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) methodology, to estimate the maximum temperature values from 20 and 50 years. The projection for 20 years showed that in 15.83% of those microregions, at least one occurrence of a maximum temperature above 45∘C would occur; while in 50 years, it would happen in 21.54% of the microregions analyzed.
Identifying patterns of substance use and mental health concerns among adolescents in an outpatient mental health program using latent profile analysis
Authors: Halladay Jillian , Georgiades Katholiki , MacKillop James , Lipman Ellen , Pires Paulo , Duncan Laura
Published: March 2023

Though mental health and substance use concerns often co-occur, few studies have characterized patterns of co-occurrence among adolescents in clinical settings. The current investigation identifies and characterizes these patterns among adolescents presenting to an outpatient mental health service in Ontario, Canada. Data come from cross-sectional standardized patient intake assessments from 916 adolescents attending an outpatient mental health program (January 2019–March 2021). Latent profile analysis identified patterns of substance use (alcohol, cannabis, (e-) cigarettes) and emotional and behavioral disorder symptoms. Sociodemographic and clinical correlates of these patterns were examined using multinomial regression. Three profiles were identified including: 1) low substance use and lower frequency and/or severity (relative to other patients in the sample) emotional and behavioral disorder symptoms (26.2%), 2) low substance use with higher emotional and behavioral disorder symptoms (48.2%), and 3) high in both (25.6%). Profiles differed in sociodemographic and clinical indicators related to age, gender, trauma, harm to self, harm to others, and service use. Experiences of trauma, suicide attempts, and thoughts of hurting others increased the odds of adolescents being in the profile high in both substance use and symptoms compared to other profiles. These findings further document the high rates of substance use in adolescents in mental health treatment and the profiles generally map onto three out of four quadrants in the adapted four-quadrant model of concurrent disorders, indicating the importance of assessing and addressing substance use in these settings.
Time Scales of Ecosystem Impacts and Recovery Under Individual and Serial Invasions
Authors: Karatayev Vadim A. , Rudstam Lars G. , Karatayev Alexander Y. , Burlakova Lyubov E. , Adamovich Boris V. , Zhukava Hanna A. , Holeck Kristen T. , Hetherington Amy L. , Jackson James R. , Balogh Csilla , Serfőző Zoltán , Hotaling Christopher W. , Zhukova Tatyana V. , Mikheyeva Tamara M. , Kovalevskaya Raisa Z. , Makarevich Oleg A. , Kruk Darya V.
Published: March 2023

The impacts of species invasions can subside over time as ecosystems ‘adapt’ and invaders decline or increase over time as additional species invade. The character and timescales of invasion impacts provide important insights into ecosystem dynamics and management. Yet long-term studies of invasion impacts remain rare and often confound invasive species impacts with coincident environmental change. One way to address this challenge is to ask: what ecological changes over time since invasion are recapitulated in ecosystems that span a range of conditions, are located in different regions, and were invaded in different decades? We synthesize many-decade time series across seven ecosystems to resolve shared changes in seven key ecosystem features following invasion by zebra mussels and subsequent invasion by quagga mussels. These two congeners are among the most widespread invasive species that re-engineer and increasingly co-invade freshwater ecosystems. Seven polymictic shallow lakes with long-term data sets reveal remarkably similar trends, with the strongest ecosystem impacts occurring within 5–10 years of zebra mussel invasion. Surprisingly, plankton communities then exhibited a partial, significant recovery. This recovery was absent, and impacts of initial invasion amplified, in four lakes where quagga mussels outcompeted zebra mussels and more completely depleted phytoplankton. Thus, we show that the ecosystem impacts of invasive species can subside over time but amplify with serial introductions of competing, even closely similar, taxa.
Phase III study of long-term prognosis of estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant endocrine therapy with/without adjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Iwata Hiroji , Yamamoto Yutaka , Sakai Takehiko , Hasegawa Yoshie , Nakamura Rikiya , Akabane Hiromitsu , Ohtani Shoichiro , Kashiwaba Masahiro , Taira Naruto , Toyama Tatsuya , Fujisawa Tomomi , Masuda Norikazu , Shibahara Yukiko , Sasano Hironobu , Yamaguchi Takuhiro
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is a treatment option for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) postmenopausal early breast cancer (EBC). This phase III trial evaluated the prognosis of EBC patients treated with/without chemotherapy (CT) following NET.

Methods

ER+/HER2−, T1c-2, and clinically node-negative EBC patients were enrolled in 2008–2013 and treated with endocrine therapy (ET) in weeks 24–28. All patients, excluding those with progressive disease (PD) during NET or ≥ 4 positive lymph nodes after surgery, were randomized to ET for 4.5–5 years with/without CT. The primary endpoint was disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary endpoints included distant DFS (DDFS), overall survival (OS), and DFS/DDFS/OS according to clinical response to NET.

Results

Of 904 patients, 669 were randomized to CT+ET (n = 333) or ET alone (n = 336). The median follow-up was 7.8 years. DFS (CT+ET, 47 events; ET alone, 70 events) and DDFS did not reach the planned numbers of events. Eight-year DFS/DDFS rates were 86%/93% and 83%/92%, respectively. DFS was significantly better in CT+ET than ET alone in subgroups aged < 60 years (P = 0.016), T2 (P = 0.013), or Ki67 > 20% (P = 0.026). Progesterone receptor and histological grade were predictive markers for clinical responses to NET.

Conclusion

NET may be used as standard treatment for patients with ER+EBC. Although it is difficult to decide whether to administer adjuvant CT based solely on the effect of NET, the response to NET may help to inform this decision.

Trial registration

This study was registered at the UMIN Clinical Trials Registry under UMIN000001090 (registered 20 March 2008).
Legionella anisa or Legionella bozemanii? Traditional and molecular techniques as support in the environmental surveillance of a hospital water network
Authors: De Giglio Osvalda , D’Ambrosio Marilena , Spagnuolo Valentina , Diella Giusy , Fasano Fabrizio , Leone Carla Maria , Lopuzzo Marco , Trallo Valeria , Calia Carla , Oliva Marta , Pazzani Carlo , Iacumin Lucilla , Barigelli Sofia , Petricciuolo Maya , Federici Ermanno , Lisena Francesco Paolo , Minicucci Anna Maria , Montagna Maria Teresa
Published: March 2023

Understanding the actual distribution of differentLegionellaspecies in water networks would help prevent outbreaks. Culture investigations followed by serological agglutination tests, with poly/monovalent antisera, still represent the gold standard for isolation and identification ofLegionellastrains. However, also MALDI-TOF andmip-gene sequencing are currently used. This study was conducted to genetically correlate strains ofLegionella non pneumophila(L-np) isolated during environmental surveillance comparing different molecular techniques. Overall, 346 water samples were collected from the water system of four pavilions located in a hospital of the Apulia Region of Italy. Strains isolated from the samples were then identified by serological tests, MALDI-TOF, andmip-gene sequencing. Overall, 24.9% of water samples were positive forLegionella, among which the majority wereLegionella pneumophila(Lpn) 1 (52.3%), followed byLpn2-15 (20.9%),L-np(17.4%),Lpn1 + Lpn2-15 (7.1%), andL-np + Lpn1 (2.3%). Initially,L-npstrains were identified asL. bozemaniiby monovalent antiserum, while MALDI-TOF andmip-gene sequencing assigned them toL. anisa. More cold water than hot water samples were contaminated byL. anisa(p < 0.001). PFGE, RAPD, Rep-PCR, and SAU-PCR were performed to correlateL. anisastrains. Eleven out of 14 strains identified in all four pavilions showed 100% of similarity upon PFGE analysis. RAPD, Rep-PCR, and SAU-PCR showed greater discriminative power than PFGE.
Constructive Electroactive 2D/2D MoS2-N-rGO and 1D/2D Bi2S3-N-rGO Heterostructure for Excellent Mo-Bi Supercapattery Applications
Authors: Elkatlawy Saeid M. , Sakr Abdelhamid A. , Wang John , Elshahawy Abdelnaby M.
Published: March 2023

Metal sulfides including MoS2 and Bi2S3 materials, have been considered as a strong candidate for supercapacitor applications. However, the short-term stability and low surface area have limited the establishment of such eco-friendly materials in energy storage. In this work, an effective strategy is designed to in-situ combine transition metal sulfides with nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide hydrogels and improve the overall supercapattery properties. Precisely, MoS2-N-rGO and Bi2S3-N-rGO hydrogels have been developed via hydrothermal route. The morphological analysis manifests two-dimensional 2D/2D heterostructure for the MoS2-N-rGO and 1D/2D heterostructure for the Bi2S3-N-rGO. The cyclic voltammetry studies showed a battery-like electrochemical behavior for the synthesized hydrogels. The calculated capacitance for MoS2-N-rGO and Bi2S3-N-rGO are about 438 F/g and 342 F/g @ 1 A/g with 50% and 41% of their capacitance initial values @ 20 A/g, respectively. The cycling performance showed that MoS2-N-rGO and Bi2S3-N-rGO can maintain 90% and 98% of their original specific capacitance after 1000 cycles life. Furthermore, the supercapattery device was fabricated using MoS2-N-rGO as cathode and Bi2S3-N-rGO as anode. The hybrid device is capable of offering 33.4 Wh/kg energy density, at 0.85 kW/kg power density, with 44.7% retention at 20 A/g. Notably, the overall electrochemical behavior of Mo-Bi supercapattery device is remarkable among the pointed behaviors for other hybrid devices.
Analysis of facial emotion expression in eating occasions using deep learning
Authors: Yildirim Elif , Akbulut Fatma Patlar , Catal Cagatay
Published: March 2023

Eating is experienced as an emotional social activity in any culture. There are factors that influence the emotions felt during food consumption. The emotion felt while eating has a significant impact on our lives and affects different health conditions such as obesity. In addition, investigating the emotion during food consumption is considered a multidisciplinary problem ranging from neuroscience to anatomy. In this study, we focus on evaluating the emotional experience of different participants during eating activities and aim to analyze them automatically using deep learning models. We propose a facial expression-based prediction model to eliminate user bias in questionnaire-based assessment systems and to minimize false entries to the system. We measured the neural, behavioral, and physical manifestations of emotions with a mobile app and recognize emotional experiences from facial expressions. In this research, we used three different situations to test whether there could be any factor other than the food that could affect a person’s mood. We asked users to watch videos, listen to music or do nothing while eating. This way we found out that not only food but also external factors play a role in emotional change. We employed three Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures, fine-tuned VGG16, and Deepface to recognize emotional responses during eating. The experimental results demonstrated that the fine-tuned VGG16 provides remarkable results with an overall accuracy of 77.68% for recognizing the four emotions. This system is an alternative to today’s survey-based restaurant and food evaluation systems.
Reference Standards to Support Quality of Synthetic Peptide Therapeutics
Authors: McCarthy Diane , Han Ying , Carrick Kevin , Schmidt Dale , Workman Wesley , Matejtschuk Paul , Duru Chinwe , Atouf Fouad
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Peptides are an important class of therapeutics. Their quality is evaluated using a series of analytical tests, many of which depend on well-characterized reference standards to determine identity, purity, and strength.

Objective

Discuss approaches to producing peptide reference standards, including vialing, lyophilization, analytical testing and stability studies.

Methods

Case studies are used to illustrate analytical approaches to characterize reference standards, including methods for value assignment, content uniformity, and identity testing. Methods described include NMR, mass spectrometry, and chromatography techniques for identity testing and HPLC and GC methods for assessing peptide content and impurities.

Results

This report describes the analytical strategy used to establish peptide reference standard and illustrates how results from multiple labs are integrated to assign a value to the final lyophilized vial. A two-step process for value assignment is described, which uses a mass balance approach to assign a quantitative value to a bulk peptide material. The bulk material is then used as a standard to assign a final value to the vialed material. Testing to confirm peptide identity and to ensure consistency of the vialed material is also described. Considerations for addressing variability, identifying outliers, and implementing stability studies are also presented.

Conclusion

The methods and case studies described provide a benchmark for best practices in establishing the preparation, analytical testing, handling, and storage of peptide reference standards for the pharmaceutical industry. Some peptide features, such as chiral or isobaric amino acids, may require additional techniques to ensure a full characterization of the peptide reference standard.
Integrating the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) into a Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE) Approach to Conduct Mixed-Method Evaluations of Diabetes Prevention and Management Programs Reaching Underresourced Populations and Communities
Authors: Jacobs Sara R. , Glasgow LaShawn , Amico Peter , Farris Kimberly D. , Rutledge Gia , Smith Bryce D.
Published: March 2023

Diabetes is a significant population health threat. Evidence-based interventions, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program and diabetes self-management education and support programs, can help prevent, delay, or manage the disease. However, participation is suboptimal, especially among populations who are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. Evaluations of programs reaching populations who are medically underserved or people with lower incomes can help elucidate how best to tailor evidence-based interventions, but it is also important for evaluations to account for cultural and contextual factors. Culturally responsive evaluation (CRE) is a framework for centering an evaluation in the culture of the programs being evaluated. We integrated CRE with implementation and outcome constructs from the Adapted Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to ensure that the evaluation produced useful evidence for putting evidence-based diabetes interventions to use in real-world settings, reaching populations who are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. The paper provides an overview of how we integrated CRE and CFIR approaches to conduct mixed-methods evaluations of evidence-based diabetes interventions.
Sexual quality of life in young gynaecological cancer survivors: a qualitative study
Authors: Roussin Melanie , Lowe John , Hamilton Anita , Martin Lisa
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on sexual quality of life (SQoL) is a significant and often neglected issue in the treatment and survivorship period of young gynaecological cancer survivors (YGCS). This study sought to explore women’s lived experiences to understand how to protect and improve SQoL.

Methods

A qualitative study with women aged 18–45 and pre- or perimenopausal at diagnosis (n = 15). A thematic analysis was performed in NVivo. Participants also completed a pre-interview questionnaire and The Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R).

Results

YGCS experienced high psychosexual distress. Notably, seven themes were identified: adjustment, confidence, fear, loss, shame, trauma, and communication. Gynaecological cancer (GC) treatment interfered with everyday life and had a long-term impact on mental, physical, and emotional health, with many reporting an altered sense of self, body image and sexual identity. Single women felt vulnerable in new relationships, while partnered women reported low sexual desire and guilt about sexual difficulties. Open communication, emotional intimacy, and an acceptance of the ‘new normal’ buffered the trauma of cancer and were vital to relationship satisfaction. Lastly, absent, or blunt patient-clinician communication contributed to psychosexual distress.

Conclusion

GC interferes with sexual function, partner relationships, psychosexual wellbeing, and quality of life. A better understanding of the lived experiences of YGCS can help healthcare providers to adopt a holistic, patient-centric, and multidisciplinary approach to SQoL. YGCS want psychosexual communication and support, across all stages of treatment and care. Healthcare providers should initiate and normalise conversations on the impact of treatment on SQoL.
Are Rights of Nature Manifesto Rights (And is That a Problem)?
Authors: Baard Patrik
Published: March 2023

That nature, including insentient entities such as trees, rivers, or ecosystems, should be recognized as right-holders is an enticing thought that would have substantial practical repercussions. But the position finds little support from moral conceptions of rights and moral distinctions that have judicial relevance in the sense of providing normative reasons for legislation and assessing existing laws. An alternative to viewing rights of nature as proper rights resting on valid moral claims that ought to be legally recognized is to regard them as ‘manifesto’ rights. Such rights are based on political demands and hold even if there is no one with a corresponding duty to fulfill them. I investigate whether rights of nature can be considered manifesto rights. Some objections to regarding rights of nature as manifesto rights will be considered, such as difficulties of delimiting the borders of an environmental entity and making successful analogies with existing (human) rights based on interests and needs. It will be suggested that while some of those challenges can be mitigated by custodianship, it is not clear what needs of insentient entities in nature would justify such claims. It is found that rights of nature depend substantially on legitimate custodians both for delineation of the entity in question and for establishing interest-like characteristics. But rights of nature are not manifesto rights when there is a legitimate custodian having the possibility of evoking duties in others. However, the need for a legitimate custodian in delimitation and establishing normatively relevant characteristics of specific environmental entities defeats universal appeals to rights of nature.