bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study protocol of ConquerFear-HK: a randomised controlled trial of a metacognition-based, manualised intervention for fear of cancer recurrence among Chinese cancer survivors
Authors: Ng Danielle Wing Lam , Fielding Richard , Tsang Catherine , NG Carmen , Chan Joyce , Or Amy , Kong Izy Wing Man , Tang Julia Wei Chun , LI Wylie Wai Yee , Chang Amy Tien Yee , Foo Chi Chung , Kwong Ava , Ng Simon Siu-Man , Suen Dacita , Chan Miranda , Chun Oi-Kwan , Chan Karen Kar Loen , Butow Phyllis N , Lam Wendy Wing Tak
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a prevalent and frequently debilitating response to a cancer diagnosis, affecting a substantial proportion of cancer survivors. Approximately 30% of local Hong Kong Chinese cancer survivors in a recent survey reportedly experienced persistent high FCR over the first-year post-surgery. This was associated with lower levels of psychological well-being and quality of life. A manualised intervention (ConquerFear) developed primarily based on the Self-Regulatory Executive Function Model and the Rational Frame Theory, has been found to reduce FCR effectively among Caucasian cancer survivors. The intervention now has been adapted to a Chinese context; ConquerFear-HK. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate its efficacy vs a standard-survivorship-care control (BasicCancerCare) in FCR improvement in a randomised control trial (RCT).

Methods and analysis

In this RCT, using the sealed envelope method, 174 eligible Chinese cancer survivors will be randomised to either the ConquerFear-HK or BasicCancerCare intervention. Both interventions include six sessions over 10 weeks, which will be delivered via face to face or online by trained therapists. The ConquerFear-HK intervention incorporates value classification, metacognitive therapy, attentional training, detached mindfulness and psychoeducation; BasicCancerCare includes relaxation training, dietary and physical activity consultations. Participants will be assessed at prior randomisation (baseline; T0), immediately postintervention (T1), 3 months (T2) and 6 months postintervention (T3) on the measures of FCR (Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory) as a primary outcome; metacognition (30-item Metacognitions Quesionnaire) and cognitive attentional syndrome (Cognitive-attentional Syndrome Questionnaire) as process outcomes; psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), cancer-related distress (Chinese Impact of Events Scale), quality of life (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire) and treatment satisfaction are secondary outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval has been obtained from HKU/HA HKW Institutional Review Board (ref: UW19-183). The patients/participants provide their written informed consent to participate in this study. The study results will be disseminated through international peer-review publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT04568226.
Effect of the mHealth-supported Healthy Future programme delivered by community health workers on maternal and child health in rural China: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Chen Yunwei , Wu Yuju , Dill Sarah-Eve , Guo Yian , Westgard Christopher Michael , Medina Alexis , Weber Ann M , Darmstadt Gary L , Zhou Huan , Rozelle Scott , Sylvia Sean
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Millions of young rural children in China still suffer from poor health and malnutrition, partly due to a lack of knowledge about optimal perinatal and child care among rural mothers and caregivers. Meanwhile, there is an urgent need to improve maternal mental health in rural communities. Comprehensive home visiting programmes delivered by community health workers (CHWs) can bridge the caregiver knowledge gap and improve child health and maternal well-being in low-resource settings, but the effectiveness of this approach is unknown in rural China. Additionally, grandmothers play important roles in child care and family decision-making in rural China, suggesting the importance of engaging multiple caregivers in interventions. The Healthy Future programme seeks to improve child health and maternal well-being by developing a staged-based curriculum that CHWs deliver to mothers and caregivers of young children through home visits with the assistance of a tablet-based mHealth system. This protocol describes the design and evaluation plan for this programme.

Methods and analysis

We designed a cluster-randomised controlled trial among 119 rural townships in four nationally designated poverty counties in Southwestern China. We will compare the outcomes between three arms: one standard arm with only primary caregivers participating in the intervention, one encouragement arm engaging primary and secondary caregivers and one control arm with no intervention. Families with pregnant women or infants under 6 months of age are invited to enrol in the 12-month study. Primary outcomes include children’s haemoglobin levels, exclusive breastfeeding rates and dietary diversity in complementary feeding. Secondary outcomes include a combination of health, behavioural and intermediate outcomes.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval has been provided by Stanford University, Sichuan University and the University of Nevada, Reno. Trial findings will be disseminated through national and international peer-reviewed publications and conferences.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN16800789.
Cohort Profile: CArdiovascular Risk in patients with DIAbetes in NAvarra (CARDIANA cohort)
Authors: Tamayo Ibai , Librero-Lopez Julian , Galbete Arkaitz , Cambra Koldo , Enguita-Germán Mónica , Forga Luis , Goñi María José , Lecea Oscar , Gorricho Javier , Olazarán Álvaro , Arnedo Laura , Moreno-Iribas Conchi , Lafita Javier , Ibañez-Beroiz Berta
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The CArdiovascular Risk in patients with DIAbetes in Navarra (CARDIANA cohort) cohort was established to assess the effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables on the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 (T2D) diabetes, with a special focus on socioeconomic factors, and to validate and develop cardiovascular risk models for these patients.

Participants

The CARDIANA cohort included all patients with T1D and T2D diabetes registered in the Public Health Service of Navarra with prevalent disease on 1 January 2012. It consisted of 1067 patients with T1D (ages 2–88 years) and 33842 patients with T2D (ages 20–105 years), whose data were retrospectively extracted from the Health and Administrative System Databases.

Findings to date

The follow-up period for wave 1 was from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2016. During these 5 years, 9 patients (0.8%; 95% CI (0.4% to 1.6%)) in the T1D cohort developed a cardiovascular disease event, whereas for the T2D cohort, 2602 (7.7%; 95% CI (7.4% to 8.0%)) had an event. For the T2D cohort, physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events, with adjusted estimated ORs equal to 0.84 (95% CI 0.66 to 1.07) for the partially active group and 0.71 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.91) for the active group, compared with patients in the non-active group.

Future plans

The CARDIANA cohort is currently being used to assess the effect of sociodemographic risk factors on CV risk at 5 years and to externally validate cardiovascular predictive models. A second wave is being conducted in late 2022 and early 2023, to extend the follow-up other 5 years, from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2021. Periodic data extractions are planned every 5 years.
Palmerston North Interventional Rapid Avastin Treat and Extend (PIRATE) study protocol; meeting the medical retina service needs of our ageing population
Authors: Bonnet Louis Antoine , Singh Vidit , Ah-Chan John
Published: January 2023

Introduction

As the rates of age-related macular denegation exponentially increase, new innovation is required to address the challenges faced by our ageing population. The aim of the Palmerston North Interventional Rapid Avastin Treat and Extend (PIRATE) study is to establish the safety and efficacy of rapid treatment extension of bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with low-risk neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods and analysis

The PIRATE study is a monocentric, non-blinded, open-label randomised control trial. Participants over the age of 50 years with low-risk nAMD characteristics will be recruited in a prospective manner and randomised into treatment and control groups. Rapid treatment extension by 4 weeks will be applied in the treatment group, with the standard 2-week treatment extension occurring among controls. Participants will enter the trial after initial treatment induction consisting of three bevacizumab injections, 1 month apart. The primary outcome of best-corrected visual acuity will be assessed along with predetermined secondary outcomes at a study duration of 12 months (initial) and 24 months (total).

Trial registration number

ACTRN12622001246774p.
Multicentre positive deviance to reduce adverse events and length of stay after pulmonary resection
Authors: Seely Andrew J E , Ahmadzai Zubair , French Daniel G , Gingrich Molly , Jones Daniel , Anstee Caitlin , Safieddine Najib , Waddell Thomas K , Malthaner Richard , Ferri Lorenzo , Finley Christian , Darling Gail
Published: January 2023

Background

Postoperative adverse events (AEs) following pulmonary resection enormously impact patient well-being, length of stay (LOS) and healthcare costs. Standardised AE data collection can be used to identify positive outliers demonstrating positive deviance (PD) who may be helpful to inform the best practice. Here, we describe our initial experience of a novel quality improvement process using PD to reduce LOS and AEs.

Methods

AE rates and LOS were collected from four centres (2014–2020) using a common dictionary. Surgeons repeatedly participated in 60 to 90 min seminars consisting of the following process: identify outcome and procedure targeted, review relevant best evidence literature, view all data anonymised by surgeon or centre (if multicentre), choose and reveal identity of best performance PD outliers, who discuss their management principles while all receive self-evaluation reports, followed by collegial discussion to generate consensus recommendations, voted by all. We assessed overall impact on AEs and LOS using aggregate data in a before/after analysis.

Results

A total of 131 surgeons (average 12/seminar) participated in 11 PD seminars (8 local and 3 multicentre), yielding 85 consensus recommendation (average 8/seminar). Median LOS following lobectomy decreased from 4.0 to 3.0 days (p=0.04) following local PD seminars and from 4.0 to 3.5 days (p=0.11) following multicentre seminars. Trends for reductions in multiple AE rates were also observed.

Conclusion

While limited by the longitudinal design, these findings provide preliminary support for this data-driven, collegial and actionable quality improvement process to help standardise and improve patient care, and merits further more rigorous investigation.
Resilience mediates the association between alexithymia and stress in Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Zhang Yuqun , Wang Tianyu , Jin Shengji , Zhang Heng , Chen Lixia , Du Shizheng
Published: January 2023

Background

Evidence indicates that medical students have had high rates of mental health problems, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which could be affected by alexithymia—a marked dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment and interpersonal relationships—and stress. However, psychological resilience might relieve alexithymia and stress levels.

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the role of resilience in alexithymia and stress in medical students.

Methods

A total of 470 medical students completed online and offline surveys, including the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the College Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ). The data of five participants were excluded because of a lack of integrity. Mann-Whitney U test or Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare group differences in the CD-RISC scores among categorical variables. Spearman correlation analysis was employed to evaluate the associations between resilience and alexithymia and between resilience and stress. Mediation analysis was used to test the mediating effect of resilience between alexithymia and stress.

Results

Of the medical students considered in the analysis, 382 (81.28%) were female and 88 (18.72%) were male. There was a significant negative correlation between the TAS-20 scores and the total and subtotal CD-RISC scores (p<0.001). The CSSQ scores also significantly negatively correlated with the total and subtotal CD-RISC scores (p<0.001). Resilience mediated the relationship between alexithymia and stress (total effect=1.044 7, p<0.001). The indirect effect of alexithymia significantly impacted stress through resilience (effect=0.167 0, 95% CI: 0.069 to 0.281).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that resilience might effectively reduce alexithymia and stress. They also contributed to a better understanding of the mediating effects of resilience on alexithymia and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The evidence from these results encourages universities to focus on improving students’ resilience.
Bats learn about potential food sources from others: a review
Authors: Patriquin Krista J. , Ratcliffe John M.
Published: January 2023

Compared to trial-and-error learning, learning from others is often a viable means of adding new adaptive behaviours to an individual’s repertoire. This is especially true in long-lived, group-living species that encounter moderate levels of environmental heterogeneity. Here we review the social learning literature that uses bats as models under the framework of Galef (2009) and Laland (2009) to examine when, where, and from whom bats are most likely to learn socially about food and other foraging behaviour. We conclude that evidence exists for bats learning about novel foods from other bats, learning how to handle such food from other bats, and that bats often learn these ways when uncertain about the quality of different foods available. There is also evidence that young bats learn about new foods from their mothers, and that adult bats learn from other adult bats, even other bat species. However, whether bats more likely to learn from familiar individuals or learn about specific foraging areas from others is less established and warrants further research. We also conclude that phyllostomid bats present the best evidence of social learning about food and suggest future research, including investigating the possibility of nonhuman culture, focus on this diverse group.
Study of compact stars in $${\mathcal {R}}+ \alpha {\mathcal {A}}$$ gravity
Authors: Shamir M. Farasat , Meer Eesha
Published: January 2023

The main goal of this work is to provide a comprehensive study of relativistic structures in the context of recently proposed $${\mathcal {R}}+ \alpha {\mathcal {A}}$$

R
+
α
A

gravity, where $${\mathcal {R}}$$
R
is the Ricci scalar, and $${\mathcal {A}}$$
A
is the anti-curvature scalar. For this purpose, we examine a new classification of embedded class-I solutions of compact stars. To accomplish this goal, we consider an anisotropic matter distribution for $${\mathcal {R}}+ \alpha {\mathcal {A}}$$

R
+
α
A

gravity model with static spherically symmetric spacetime distribution. Due to highly non-linear nature of field equations, we use the Karmarkar condition to link the $$g_{rr}$$

g

rr

and $$g_{tt}$$

g

tt

components of the metric. Further, we compute the values of constant parameters using the observational data of different compact stars. It is worthy to mention here that we choose a set of twelve important compact stars from the recent literature namely $$4U~1538{-}52$$

4
U

1538
-
52

, $$SAX~J1808.4{-}3658$$

S
A
X

J
1808.4
-
3658

, $$Her~X{-}1$$

H
e
r

X
-
1

, $$LMC~X{-}4$$

L
M
C

X
-
4

, $$SMC~X{-}4$$

S
M
C

X
-
4

, $$4U~1820{-}30$$

4
U

1820
-
30

, $$Cen~X{-}3$$

C
e
n

X
-
3

, $$4U~1608{-}52$$

4
U

1608
-
52

, $$PSR~J1903{+}327$$

P
S
R

J
1903
+
327

, $$PSR~J1614{-}2230$$

P
S
R

J
1614
-
2230

, $$Vela~X{-}1$$

V
e
l
a

X
-
1

, $$EXO~1785{-}248$$

E
X
O

1785
-
248

. To evaluate the feasibility of $${\mathcal {R}}+ \alpha {\mathcal {A}}$$

R
+
α
A

gravity model, we conduct several physical checks, such as evolution of energy density and pressure components, stability and equilibrium conditions, energy bounds, behavior of mass function and adiabatic index. It is concluded that $${\mathcal {R}}+ \alpha {\mathcal {A}}$$

R
+
α
A

gravity supports the existence of compact objects which follow observable patterns.
A quantum view of photon gravity: The gravitational mass of photon and its implications on previous experimental tests of general relativity
Authors: Chang Donald C.
Published: January 2023

General relativity (GR) is an important theory that requires very stringent tests. So far, its supporting evidence comes mainly from measurements of photon gravitational effects, including light bending near the Sun, gravitational lensing in some galaxies and gravitational redshift of light. These previous experiments were designed based on a hidden assumption, namely, the gravitational mass of a photon is zero; thus, light should not be bent in a gravitational field if there is no space-time curving. In this work, we showed that the gravitational mass of a photon is not zero. Instead, it is equal to its quantum mass, which can be determined from its momentum using the de Broglie relation. Based on this understanding, the gravitational effects of light can be explained more simply using quantum physics. Our findings suggest that, in order to fully evaluate the theory of GR, more stringent experimental tests are required. Some examples of future experiments for testing the principle of equivalence are proposed here.
Chaotic Oscillator with Diode–Inductor Nonlinear Bipole-Based Jerk Circuit: Dynamical Study and Synchronization
Authors: Zourmba K. , Fischer C. , Gambo B. , Effa J. Y. , Mohamadou A.
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a novel jerk circuit obtained by using an alternative nonlinear bipole component of inductor and diode in parallel. The circuit is described by five differential equations and investigated by the stability analysis, equilibria points, Kaplan–Yorke dimension, phase portraits, Lyapunov characteristic exponent estimation, bifurcation diagram and the 0–1 test chaos detection. The control parameter is adopted by varying the inductor [Formula: see text] value, this system can display periodic orbit, quasi-periodic orbit and chaotic behavior. The dynamic influence of transit diode capacitance is done and this confirms the robustness of the system to noise influence. The validity of the numerical simulations is experimentally realized through the phase portraits of the circuit. Finally, the synchronization of the systems is studied and time simulation results are presented.
A Jointly Guided Deep Network for Fine-Grained Cross-Modal Remote Sensing Text–Image Retrieval
Authors: Yang Lei , Feng Yong , Zhou Mingling , Xiong Xiancai , Wang Yongheng , Qiang Baohua
Published: January 2023

Remote sensing (RS) cross-modal text–image retrieval has great application value in many fields such as military and civilian. Existing methods utilize the deep network to project the images and texts into a common space and measure the similarity. However, the majority of those methods only utilize the inter-modality information between different modalities, which ignores the rich semantic information within the specific modality. In addition, due to the complexity of the RS images, there exists a lot of interference relation information within the extracted representation from the original features. In this paper, we propose a jointly guided deep network for fine-grained cross-modal RS text–image retrieval. First, we capture the fine-grained semantic information within the specific modality and then guide the learning of another modality of representation, which can make full use of the intra- and inter-modality information. Second, to filter out the interference information within the representation extracted from the two modalities of data, we propose an interference filtration module based on the gated mechanism. According to our experimental results, significant improvements in terms of retrieval tasks can be achieved compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. The source code is available at https://github.com/CQULab/JGDN .
Nanoabrasives-Assisted Abrasive Water Jet Machining of Bio-Composites — An Experimental and Optimization Approach
Authors: Nargundkar Aniket , Gulia Vikas , Khan Ainulla
Published: January 2023

In recent years, biocomposites are developed to tackle the environmental legislation towards sustainable growth with renewable resources. Biocomposites are the most promising materials owing to their high strength-to-weight ratio and competitive cost. Among several biocomposites, Jute fiber and wood plastic composites (WPC) are preferred due to their wide applicability and availability. Abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) is a proven process for machining such biocomposites as it overcomes the drawbacks of conventional machining processes such as delamination and heat generation. In this work, experimental investigations for the effect of AWJM process parameters such as Standoff Distance, Traverse Speed and Water Pressure on responses Surface Roughness (Ra) and Kerf Taper Angle (Ta) for Jute Fiber and WPC through nanoabrasives-assisted AWJM have been carried out. The experiments are designed using response surface methodology (RSM) and further optimized using a genetic algorithm (GA). It is observed that water pressure is the most significant parameter irrespective of the material since higher pressure always yields better results compared to the lower pressure owing to the kinetic energy (impact) and molecular dynamics of abrasives. Further, this work explores the applicability of nanosized aluminum oxide as abrasives and results show that nanoparticles have significantly improved the surface finish.
Photodynamic effect of a galactodendritic porphyrin on the cytoskeletal network of human bladder cancer cells
Authors: Pereira José C. , Pereira Patrícia M. R. , Beirão Sandra , Girão Henrique , Tomé João P. C. , Fernandes Rosa
Published: January 2023

PorGal8, a porphyrin conjugated with dendritic galactose units, binds to galectin-1 in bladder cancer cells and induces localized cell death after light activation. Although it has been previously shown that photodynamic treatment (PDT) affects the cytoskeleton of cancer cells, it is still unclear how this change contributes to PDT-induced cell death. In this work, the association between changes in the cytoskeletal constituents and cell death triggered by PDT with PorGal8 was investigated in two bladder cancer cell lines derived from transitional cell carcinoma (UM-UC-3 and HT-1376 cells). Photoactivated PorGal8 did not change [Formula: see text]-tubulin protein levels in UM-UC-3 cells but reduced [Formula: see text]-tubulin in HT-1376 cells. A significant decrease in vimentin protein levels was exhibited in both cell lines 24 hours after irradiation. In the initial post-irradiation stage, both cell lines showed changes in actin filaments, but only recovery was apparent in HT-1376 cells 24 hours after treatment. In cells expressing higher levels of galectin-1 (UM-UC-3), PDT did not significantly affect these protein levels. Interestingly, 24 hours after irradiation, there was a robust increase in galectin-1 levels in HT-1376 cells. A small GTPases family protein, RhoA, involved in the galectin-1 expression, was also evaluated, indicating an increase in HT-1376 cells 24 hours after therapy. Overall, our results bring new insights into the relationship between the phototoxic effects of PorGal8 and the disorganization of the cytoskeleton. Clarifying the mechanisms underlying PDT efficiency might contribute to envisaging new potential therapeutic adjuvants for PDT, acting on the cytoskeleton, to treat resistant cancers.
Macroscopic scalar curvature and codimension 2 width
Authors: Alpert Hannah , Balitskiy Alexey , Guth Larry
Published: January 2023

We show that a complete [Formula: see text]-dimensional Riemannian manifold [Formula: see text] with finitely generated first homology has macroscopic dimension [Formula: see text] if it satisfies the following “macroscopic curvature” assumptions: every ball of radius [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] has volume at most [Formula: see text], and every loop in every ball of radius [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] is null-homologous in the concentric ball of radius [Formula: see text].
Study of Gap Flow Effects on Sound Transmission Through a Micro-Perforated Sandwich Cylindrical Shell Excited by a Plane Wave
Authors: Zhang Qunlin , Que Kaifang , Du Jinfu , Zhao Tong
Published: January 2023

This paper presents a theoretical model to study sound transmission through a micro-perforated double-walled sandwich cylindrical shell with emphasis on the potential of internal gap flow to improve the sound insulation performance. This model adopts Donnell’s thin shell theory to govern the shell motions and a simplified model based on Biot’s theory to describe sound propagation in the porous lining. The mean acoustic particle velocity model with the grazing flow effect is applied to define the coupling condition between the fluid medium and the perforated shell. Transmission loss (TL) through the configuration with one gap flow is numerically calculated using the mode superposition method when subjected to an oblique plane wave in the presence of an external mean flow. Results reveal that the gap flow in the opposite direction to the external flow would elevate the mid-frequency TL. Gap depth has a complicated effect on TL since it influences the aerodynamic damping of the gap flow and sound dissipation in the porous layer. The average TL in 20–20[Formula: see text]000[Formula: see text]Hz is then optimized with a genetic algorithm, and an increase of 17.82 dB is finally achieved. The possibility of tuning the structural sound insulation performance by the gap flow has been verified.
Pennsylvanian-age plant macrofossil biostratigraphy in tropical Pangaea: uniformitarianism, catastrophes and the ‘Cantabrian’ problem
Authors: Pfefferkorn Hermann W.
Published: January 2023

Upper Carboniferous stages in terrestrial strata are consistently recognizable throughout the Euramerican Realm based on the ranges of plant macrofossils rather than named biozones. Uniformitarianism is an invaluable principle used to understand much of Earth's history. However, it has been recognized that relatively short time intervals exist when major changes occurred in the biota and sedimentation style at a non-uniformitarian time scale. Many well-defined Upper Carboniferous stage boundaries are located at such events. The Cantabrian Stage was proposed in 1969 based on the assumption that the ‘Florensprung’ (‘floral jump’) of Gothan, a dramatic change in terrestrial floras at the traditional Westphalian–Stephanian boundary, indicated that strata were missing, and the postulated ‘gap’ had to be closed by finding strata representing this ‘missing’ time elsewhere. The suggestion of a ‘gap’ or hiatus at this level reflects uniformitarian thinking, but is incorrect. As recent work has shown that a drastic climatic change reached a threshold in the tropical palaeoequatorial parts of Pangaea at the Westphalian–Stephanian (approximately the Moscovian–Kasimovian) boundary as a consequence of a drying trend, floras changed rapidly, and the traditional Westphalian–Stephanian boundary is thus one of the most easily recognizable biostratigraphic boundaries in Pennsylvanian terrestrial beds. The Cantabrian Stage, proposed to fill the non-existent gap, does not exist and cannot be recognized, either in its type area or elsewhere.
The Premature Obituary of Programming
Authors: Yellin Daniel M.
Published: January 2023

Why deep learning will not replace programming.
The Elephant in the Room
Authors: Neville-Neil George V.
Published: January 2023

It is time to get the POSIX elephant off our necks.
Distributed Size-constrained Clustering Algorithm for Modular Robot-based Programmable Matter
Authors: Bassil Jad , Makhoul Abdallah , Piranda Benoît , Bourgeois Julien
Published: January 2023

Modular robots are defined as autonomous kinematic machines with variable morphology. They are composed of several thousands or even millions of modules that are able to coordinate to behave intelligently. Clustering the modules in modular robots has many benefits, including scalability, energy-efficiency, reducing communication delay, and improving the self-reconfiguration process that focuses on finding a sequence of reconfiguration actions to convert robots from an initial shape to a goal one. The main idea of clustering is to divide the modules in an initial shape into a number of groups based on the final goal shape to enhance the self-reconfiguration process by allowing clusters to reconfigure in parallel. In this work, we prove that the size-constrained clustering problem is NP-complete, and we propose a new tree-based size-constrained clustering algorithm called “SC-Clust.” To show the efficiency of our approach, we implement and demonstrate our algorithm in simulation on networks of up to 30000 modules and on the
Blinky Blocks
hardware with up to 144 modules.
Opinion Leaders for Information Diffusion Using Graph Neural Network in Online Social Networks
Authors: Jain Lokesh , Katarya Rahul , Sachdeva Shelly
Published: January 2023

Various opportunities are available to depict different domains due to the diverse nature of social networks and researchers' insatiable. An opinion leader is a human entity or cluster of people who can redirect human assessment strategy by intellectual skills in a social network. A more comprehensive range of approaches is developed to detect opinion leaders based on network-specific and heuristic parameters. For many years, deep learning–based models have solved various real-world multifaceted, graph-based problems with high accuracy and efficiency. The Graph Neural Network (GNN) is a deep learning–based model that modernized neural networks’ efficiency by analyzing and extracting latent dependencies and confined embedding via messaging and neighborhood aggregation of data in the network. In this article, we have proposed an exclusive GNN for Opinion Leader Identification (GOLI) model utilizing the power of GNNs to categorize the opinion leaders and their impact on online social networks. In this model, we first measure the n-node neighbor's reputation of the node based on materialized trust. Next, we perform centrality conciliation instead of the input data's conventional node-embedding mechanism. We experiment with the proposed model on six different online social networks consisting of billions of users’ data to validate the model's authenticity. Finally, after training, we found the top-N opinion leaders for each dataset and analyzed how the opinion leaders are influential in information diffusion. The training-testing accuracy and error rate are also measured and compared with the other state-of-art standard Social Network Analysis (SNA) measures. We determined that the GNN-based model produced high performance concerning accuracy and precision.
Understanding the Use of Emerging Technologies in the Public Sector: A Review of Horizon 2020 Projects
Authors: Kalampokis Evangelos , Karacapilidis Nikos , Tsakalidis Dimitris , Tarabanis Konstantinos
Published: January 2023

The main purpose of this article is to provide an up-to-date understanding of the utilization and deployment of emerging technologies in the public sector, as this is reflected through 19 recently funded Horizon 2020 research projects. For the needs of this study, we have adopted a well-known literature review method that enables a concept-centric analysis of the accumulated knowledge in the field under consideration, and accordingly proposed a conceptual framework that facilitates such an analysis. Through a detailed consideration of these projects and their pilot case implementations, a series of insights about recent research development and applications in the public sector are extracted and discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to gain such insights from a research projects perspective, which may reveal useful information about the utilization and deployment of these technologies in real-life pilots. The findings of this study are also justified or challenged by referring to recent review articles that investigate the use of emerging technologies in the public sector.
Pros and Cons of Long-Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Cardiovascular Health
Authors: Djuricic Ivana , Calder Philip C.
Published: January 2023

The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are found in seafood, supplements, and concentrated pharmaceutical preparations. Prospective cohort studies demonstrate an association between higher intakes of EPA+DHA or higher levels of EPA and DHA in the body and lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), especially coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, and of cardiovascular mortality in the general population. The cardioprotective effect of EPA and DHA is due to the beneficial modulation of a number of risk factors for CVD. Some large trials support the use of EPA+DHA (or EPA alone) in high-risk patients, although the evidence is inconsistent. This review presents key studies of EPA and DHA in the primary and secondary prevention of CVD, briefly describes potential mechanisms of action, and discusses recently published RCTs and meta-analyses. Potential adverse aspects of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in relation to CVD are discussed.
Effects of Capping Agents on Shape, Stability, and Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity of Copper Nanoparticles
Authors: Parkash Anand
Published: January 2023

Here, five different capping agents’ polyethylene glycol (PEG), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and oleylamine (OAm) are used to form copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs), along with their electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) properties. The produced Cu-NPs’ mono-dispersity and their interactions with PEG, CTAB, PVA, PVP, and OAm were examined. The mean particle size determined by TEM images for the uncapped Cu-NPs as generated, PVA-capped, PVP-capped, CTAB-capped, PEG-capped, and OAm-capped samples, respectively, were 2.71 nm, 2.22 nm, 3.10 nm, 3.31 nm, 1.49 nm, and 1.71 nm. Greater than prepared catalysts, commercial Pt/C has a 3.7 nm size. It’s interesting to note that the CTAB-capped Cu-NPs considerably exhibit the strongest OER activity, with a very low overpotential of 222 mV at 10 mA cm−2, lower than many previously reported and the high electrocatalytic activity for OER of the commercial RuO2 catalysts. However, an expedited stress experiment shows that the CTAB-capped NPs have greater structural stability during electrochemical cycling. Their strong capping tendency and particle shape are the key causes of this. The approach for creating Cu nanocatalysts described in this paper has several potential uses for the creation of bimetallic catalysts.
Clinical Characteristics of Posner‐Schlossman Syndrome Patients in China
Authors: Gao Tingting , Song Sijia , Ke Xianghan , Li Shushan , Zhang Di , Chen Xuhao , Zhang Chun
Published: January 2023

Background. To explore the clinical characteristics of Posner‐Schlossman syndrome (PSS) patients in China, especially the risk factors associated with the dynamic changes of corneal endothelial cell (CEC) density and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness during the course of the disease. Methods. In this retrospective cohort study, patients consequently suffering from PSS were recruited. Patients data including gender, age of onset, frequency of attack, and disease duration. We performed detailed ophthalmology examinations including intraocular pressure (IOP), best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA), slit‐lamp examination, optical coherence tomography (OCT), assessing RNFL thickness, and determined CEC density in the outpatient department. The unaffected eyes served as control. Results. We recruited 121 patients (eyes, n = 125), including 69 (57.0%) males and 52 (43.0%) females with Posner‐Schlossman syndrome. The age of first‐onset was 33.81 ± 13.63 years old. The majority of these patients were aged 20‐50 years (80.2%). The peak IOP was 47.67 ± 13.31 mmHg in the affected eyes. The frequency of PSS attack was 2.7 ± 3.7 times per year. The disease duration was 9.5 ± 10.4 years. Among all patients, there were 27 (22.31%) patients with a history of digestive disorders, 25 (20.66%) patients with a history of allergies, and 24 (19.83%) patients with a history of infectious disease. In the affected eyes, CEC density (2532.94 ± 490.83/mm2 vs. 2777.13 ± 356.87/mm2, p < 0.001), the RNFL thickness of four quadrants (superior 105.46 ± 29.86 μm vs. 121.33 ± 17.30 μm, p < 0.001; temporal 74.58 ± 22.21 μm vs. 81.94 ± 18.20 μm, p = 0.009; inferior 110.50 ± 33.42 μm vs. 128.29 ± 14.39 μm, p < 0.001; nasal 54.85 ± 14.48 μm vs. 63.49 ± 15.40 μm, p < 0.001) and central papillary (87.11 ± 21.18 μm vs. 99.18 ± 7.97 μm, p < 0.001) were significantly reduced compared to the fellow eyes. The disease duration and recurrent frequency were significantly associated with CEC density (p < 0.001 and p = 0.029) and the disease duration was significantly associated with RNFL thickness (p = 0.002). Conclusions. In this study, CEC loss and RNFL thinning were present in the affected eyes. Our results indicated that disease duration and recurrent frequency played an important role in the progression of PSS.
Effects of Two Different Acid Etching and Surface Washing Methods on Bond Strength on Different CAD‐CAM Blocks under Aging Protocols
Authors: Çınar Şevki , Fildişi Mehmet Ali , Altan Bike , Ozkan Davut
Published: January 2023

Aim. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of hydrofluoric acid and one‐component ceramic primer and silane (Monobond Etch and Prime (MEP)) applications on lithium disilicate glass ceramics and zirconium‐infiltrated lithium silicate glass ceramics, as well as the effect of ultrasonic and phosphoric acid surface washing methods on bond strength. Materials and Method. A total of 240 ceramic samples were prepared using two different CAD‐CAM material blocks with a thickness of 2 mm made of lithium disilicate glass‐ceramic (IPS e.max CAD) and zirconium‐infiltrated lithium silicate glass ceramic blocks (Celtra Duo). The samples were cemented to the composite discs (Tetric N‐Ceram) after two different acid treatments, and surface washing processes were applied to them. As such, 24 groups were formed, each with two different acid applications, three different washing processes, two different CAD‐CAM blocks, and two different aging procedures (n = 10). Following the application of the acid, different washing processes are used. These were HF acid and washing only (HF + W), HF acid and ultrasonic washing (HF + US), HF acid and phosphoric acid (HF + PA), MEP with washing only (MEP + W), MEP and ultrasonic washing (MEP + US), and MEP and phosphoric acid (MEP + PA). The composite discs were cemented with dual cure adhesive cement (Multilink Automix) after the determined surface treatments were applied to the blocks. After surface applications, SEM analysis was conducted. Following exposure to two different thermal procedures, long‐term (TL) and short‐term (TS), bond strengths were measured using an Instron universal test device. SPSS version 23.0 software was used to perform the statistical analyses. Histogram graphs and the Kolmogorov‐Smirnov/Shapiro‐Wilk test were used to assess the variables’ conformity to the normal distribution. Results. The bond strength values of TS and TL in the Celtra Duo block were significantly higher than those in the e.max CAD block (p < 0.05). The TS‐TL bonding strength value difference in the e.max CAD block was significantly higher than the surface measurements in the Celtra Duo block. While the highest bond strength value HF + US for TS in e.max CAD was 20.07 ± .31, the values of HF + US in Celtra Duo were significantly higher in terms of TL values when compared to other groups. Conclusion. Celtra Duo material demonstrated higher bond strength values after a short and long thermal cycle than e.max CAD material. In general, groups bonded with HF were less affected by the thermal cycle than groups treated with MEP.
BAP1 Loss Is Associated with Higher ASS1 Expression in Epithelioid Mesothelioma: Implications for Therapeutic Stratification
Authors: Barnett Sarah E. , Kenyani Jenna , Tripari Martina , Butt Zohra , Grosman Rudi , Querques Francesca , Shaw Liam , Silva Luisa C. , Goate Zoe , Marciniak Stefan J. , Rassl Doris M. , Jackson Richard , Lian Lu-Yun , Szlosarek Peter W. , Sacco Joseph J. , Coulson Judy M.
Published: January 2023

The nuclear deubiquitylase BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) is frequently inactivated in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and germline BAP1 mutation predisposes to cancers including MPM. To explore the influence on cell physiology and drug sensitivity, we sequentially edited a predisposition mutation (w-) and a promoter trap (KO) into human mesothelial cells. BAP1w-/KO MeT5A cells express less BAP1 protein and phenocopy key aspects of BAP1 loss in MPM. Stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture–mass spectrometry revealed evidence of metabolic adaptation, with concomitant alteration of cellular metabolites. In MeT5A, BAP1 deficiency reduces glycolytic enzyme levels but increases enzymes involved in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and anaplerotic pathways. Notably both argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), essential for cellular synthesis of arginine, and its substrate aspartate, are elevated in BAP1w-/KO MeT5A cells. Likewise, ASS1 expression is higher in BAP1-altered MPM cell lines, and inversely correlates with BAP1 in The Cancer Genome Atlas MESO dataset. Elevated ASS1 is also evident by IHC staining in epithelioid MPM lacking nuclear BAP1 expression, with improved survival among patients with BAP1-negative/ASS1-expressing tumors. Alterations in arginine metabolism may sensitize cells to metabolic drugs and we find that BAP1-negative/ASS1-expressing MPM cell lines are more sensitive to ASS1 inhibition, although not to inhibition of purine synthesis by mizoribine. Importantly, BAP1w-/KO MeT5A become desensitized to arginine deprivation by pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20), phenocopying BAP1-negative/ASS1-expressing MPM cell lines.

Implications:

Our data reveal an interrelationship between BAP1 and arginine metabolism, providing a potential means of identifying patients with epithelioid MPM likely to benefit from ADI-PEG20.
Mutant NPM1 Directly Regulates Oncogenic Transcription in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Uckelmann Hannah J. , Haarer Elena L. , Takeda Reina , Wong Eric M. , Hatton Charlie , Marinaccio Christian , Perner Florian , Rajput Masooma , Antonissen Noa J.C. , Wen Yanhe , Yang Lu , Brunetti Lorenzo , Chen Chun-Wei , Armstrong Scott A.
Published: January 2023

The dysregulation of developmental and stem cell–associated genes is a common phenomenon during cancer development. Around half of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) express high levels of HOXA cluster genes and MEIS1. Most of these AML cases harbor an NPM1 mutation (NPM1c), which encodes for an oncoprotein mislocalized from the nucleolus to the cytoplasm. How NPM1c expression in hematopoietic cells leads to its characteristic gene-expression pattern remains unclear. Here, we show that NPM1c directly binds to specific chromatin targets, which are co-occupied by the histone methyltransferase KMT2A (MLL1). Targeted degradation of NPM1c leads to a rapid decrease in gene expression and loss of RNA polymerase II, as well as activating histone modifications at its targets. We demonstrate that NPM1c directly regulates oncogenic gene expression in collaboration with the MLL1 complex and define the mechanism by which MLL1–Menin small-molecule inhibitors produce clinical responses in patients with NPM1-mutated AML.

Significance:

We uncovered an important functional role of mutant NPM1 as a crucial direct driver of oncogenic gene expression in AML. NPM1c can bind to chromatin and cooperate with the MLL complex, providing the first functional insight into the mechanism of Menin–MLL inhibition in NPM1c leukemias.

See related article by Wang et al., p. 724.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 517
MEK5-ERK5 Axis Promotes Self-renewal and Tumorigenicity of Glioma Stem Cells
Authors: Fukasawa Kazuya , Lyu Jiajun , Kubo Takuya , Tanaka Yuki , Suzuki Akane , Horie Tetsuhiro , Tomizawa Akane , Osumi Ryoma , Iwahashi Sayuki , Tokumura Kazuya , Murata Misato , Kobayashi Masaki , Todo Tomoki , Hirao Atsushi , Hinoi Eiichi
Published: January 2023

Glioma stem cells (GSC) promote the malignancy of glioblastoma (GBM), the most lethal brain tumor. ERK5 belongs to the MAPK family. Here, we demonstrated that MAPK kinase 5 (MEK5)-ERK5-STAT3 pathway plays an essential role in maintaining GSC stemness and tumorigenicity by integrating genetic and pharmacologic manipulation and RNA sequencing analysis of clinical specimens. ERK5 was highly expressed and activated in GSCs. ERK5 silencing by short hairpin RNA in GSCs suppressed the self-renewal potential and GBM malignant growth concomitant with downregulation of STAT3 phosphorylation. Conversely, the activation of the MEK5-ERK5 pathway by introducing ERK5 or MEK5 resulted in increased GSC stemness. The introduction of STAT3 counteracted the GSC phenotypes by ERK5 silencing. Moreover, ERK5 expression and signaling are associated with poor prognosis in patients with GBM with high stem cell properties. Finally, pharmacologic inhibition of ERK5 significantly inhibited GSC self-renewal and GBM growth. Collectively, these findings uncover a crucial role of the MEK5-ERK5-STAT3 pathway in maintaining GSC phenotypes and GBM malignant growth, thereby providing a potential target for GSC-directed therapy.

Significance:

In this study, we demonstrated that MEK5-ERK5-STAT3 axis plays a critical role in maintaining stemness and tumorigenicity in GSCs by using genetic, pharmacologic, and bioinformatics tools, identifying the MEK5-ERK5-STAT3 axis as a potential target for GSC-directed therapy.