bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advances in breast cancer research using CRISPR/Cas9 system
Authors: Eskandari Fatemeh , Aali Mahdi , Hadisadegh Seyedeh Negin , Azadeh Mansoureh
Published: May 2024

Breast cancer is a highly prevalent malignancy that affects a significant number of women around the world. This is the leading cause of cancer‐related mortality among women. Various therapeutic approaches have been introduced to fight against it, including surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and biological therapies. However, attention to research and the development of innovative therapeutic interventions to reduce toxicity and increase treatment efficacy is always ongoing. As a novel method of treatment, gene therapy for modifying inappropriate genes and treating various types of cancer has gained attention. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology is a significant advancement in genetic editing that has gained widespread use in human cancer research and gene therapy. It is highly valued for its precision, specificity, cost‐effectiveness, and time‐saving properties with minimal risk. Our review focuses on CRISPR/Cas9's role as a targeted therapeutic approach for enhancing immunotherapy and overcoming drug resistance in breast cancer.
Measures of nutrition status and health for weight‐inclusive patient care: A narrative review
Authors: Mauldin Kasuen , Pignotti Giselle A. P. , Gieng John
Published: May 2024

In healthcare, weight is often equated to and used as a marker for health. In examining nutrition and health status, there are many more effective markers independent of weight. In this article, we review practical and emerging clinical applications of technologies and tools used to collect non–weight‐related data in nutrition assessment, monitoring, and evaluation in the outpatient setting. The aim is to provide clinicians with new ideas about various types of data to evaluate and track in nutrition care.
Evaluating ChatGPT's Performance in Answering Questions About Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Ye Fan , Zhang He , Luo Xin , Wu Tong , Yang Qintai , Shi Zhaohui
Published: May 2024

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the accuracy of ChatGPT in answering allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) related questions.

Study Design

This is a cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Each question was inputted as a separate, independent prompt.

Methods

Responses to AR (n = 189) and CRS (n = 242) related questions, generated by GPT‐3.5 and GPT‐4, were independently graded for accuracy by 2 senior rhinology professors, with disagreements adjudicated by a third reviewer.

Results

Overall, ChatGPT demonstrated a satisfactory performance, accurately answering over 80% of questions across all categories. Specifically, GPT‐4.0's accuracy in responding to AR‐related questions significantly exceeded that of GPT‐3.5, but distinction not evident in CRS‐related questions. Patient‐originated questions had a significantly higher accuracy compared to doctor‐originated questions when utilizing GPT‐4.0 to respond to AR‐related questions. This discrepancy was not observed with GPT‐3.5 or in the context of CRS‐related questions. Across different types of content, ChatGPT excelled in covering basic knowledge, prevention, and emotion for AR and CRS. However, it experienced challenges when addressing questions about recent advancements, a trend consistent across both GPT‐3.5 and GPT‐4.0 iterations. Importantly, the accuracy of responses remained unaffected when questions were posed in Chinese.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest ChatGPT's capability to convey accurate information for AR and CRS patients, and offer insights into its performance across various domains, guiding its utilization and improvement.
Engineering Long‐Releasing Hollow‐like or Condensed Progesterone Hormone Microcrystals with Controlled Polymorphism
Authors: Shaheen‐Mualim Merna , Odeh Edwar , Kutner Neta , Hijazi Muhammad , Farah Shady
Published: May 2024

Progesterone is an endogenous steroid hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. Progesterone crystallization techniques have previously reported. Among these techniques, solvent crystallization and different solvent:anti‐solvent systems are considered. Herein, the selective development of either hollow‐like or condensed progesterone microcrystals in elevated yield with controlled polymorphism, habit, and release is described for the first time. For the hollow microcrystals, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and double‐deionized water (DDW) system is developed as solvent:anti‐solvent, while acetonitrile (AcN) and DDW system are developed for the condensed microcrystals. The microcrystals obtained from both developed crystallization systems are thoroughly investigated with varied microscopic techniques, including brightfield and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and crystallography by powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and single XRD, and have been compared. Results show that the crystals of the IPA:DDW crystallization system are hollow and exhibit several habits, whereas the microcrystals of the AcN:DDW crystallization system are more condensed. However, both systems are found to have a wide crystal size distribution of one stable polymorph and are thus highly useful for tunable release. More importantly, these microcrystals exhibit elongated and slow release for 14 days under an expedited release conditions model, indicating suitability for long‐term and potential localized release applications.
Formation of Corrosion‐Resistant Nitride Coatings Based on Ti–Al–Cr–Fe–Ni High‐Entropy Alloy
Authors: Latushkina Svetlana , Posylkina Olga , Kuis Dmitry , Joglik Igor , Sechko Ivan , Gordienko Daniil , Rakovets Anton , Panin Evgeniy , Lezhnev Sergey
Published: May 2024

The purpose of the work is to study the features of the phase and structure formation of coatings (Ti–Al–Cr–Fe–Ni)N formed by vacuum arc deposition and to study the influence of technological parameters of the deposition process on their corrosive properties. It is established that on the basis of the selected elements, it is possible to form a high‐entropy compound in the form of a solid solution. The structure of nitride coatings based on high‐entropy compounds formed by vacuum arc deposition is studied. It is established that the phase composition of coatings largely depends on the ratio of titanium and aluminum, which is determined by the technological parameters of deposition. An analysis of the results of the electrochemical behavior of coatings (Al,Ti,Fe,Cr,Ni)N shows that an increase in the corrosion resistance of these coatings is due to the synergistic effect of the formation of a solid substitution solution with a dense nanoscale structure and an increased relative aluminum content in them.
Effect of Coordination Structure of Iron Ions on Iron Oxide Activity Coefficients in the CaO‐SiO2‐FeO‐Fe2O3 Slags at 1573 K Under Oxygen Partial Pressures Between 10−9 and 10−4 atm
Authors: Hayashi Miyuki , Takatsuji Shintaro , Kubuki Shiro , Watanabe Takashi , Endo Rie , Susa Masahiro
Published: May 2024

Activity coefficients of FeO and FeO1.5 in CaO‐SiO2‐FeO‐Fe2O3 melts have been investigated from the perspective of the coordination structures of iron ions. The percentages of Fe2+ and Fe3+ in octahedral symmetry (Fe3+(oct)) and Fe3+ in tetrahedral symmetry (Fe3+(tetr)) were measured by Mössbauer spectroscopy. It has been found that both values of γFeO and monotonically increase with increasing and that the γFeO values are higher than the values suggesting that FeO is more readily released from the silicate network to precipitate FeOx‐bearing compound from the slag than FeO1.5. It has also been found that the value increases with increasing the ratio of Fe3+(oct) pct./Fe3+(tetr) pct., which indicates that the values of (oct) are higher than those of (tetr). Accordingly, the hierarchy of the activity coefficients, i.e., γFeO > (oct) > (tetr) holds in the present system. The magnitude of effective ionic radii is in the hierarchy of Fe2+ > Fe3+(oct) > Fe3+(tetr), and thereby the bond strength between iron ion and oxide ion is in the hierarchy of Fe3+(tetr) > Fe3+(oct) > Fe2+. This suggests that Fe2+ are more loosely and Fe3+(tetr) are more rigidly bound to the silicate skeleton.
Working well with statisticians: Perceptions of practicing statisticians on their most successful collaborations
Authors: Peterson Ryan A. , Slade Emily , Pomann Gina‐Maria , Ambrosius Walter T.
Published: May 2024

Statistical collaboration requires statisticians to work and communicate effectively with nonstatisticians, which can be challenging for many reasons. To identify common themes and lessons for working smoothly with nonstatistician collaborators, two focus groups of primarily academic collaborative statisticians were held. We identified qualities of collaborations that tend to yield fruitful relationships and those that tend to yield nothing (or worse, with one or both parties being dissatisfied). The initial goal was to share helpful knowledge and individual experiences that can facilitate more successful collaborative relationships for statisticians who work within academic statistical collaboration units. These findings were used to design a follow‐up survey to collect perspectives from a wider set of practicing statisticians on important qualities to consider when assessing potential collaborations. In this survey of practicing statisticians, we found widespread agreement on many good and bad qualities to promote and discourage, respectively. Interestingly, some negative and positive collaboration qualities were less agreed upon, suggesting that in such cases, a mix‐and‐match approach of domain experts to statisticians could alleviate friction and statistician burnout in team science settings. The perceived importance of some collaboration characteristics differed between faculty and staff, while others depended on experience.
EMHD micropolar fluid flowing through a micro‐structural slipped surface with heat source/sink and chemical reaction
Authors: Ramesh Gosikere Kenchappa , Hiremath Pradeep N. , Madhukesh Javali Kotresh , Shehzad Sabir Ali
Published: May 2024

The electromagnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) has a vital role due to its importance in aerospace and plasma physics, including energy transformation systems in which interaction between the liquid and magnetic field is crucial. Further, micropolar fluids with microstructural slip is used in the lubrication and liquid crystals. From this observation, the current study is conducted to express an EMHD flow of liquid on a microstructural slipped surface. The effects of a uniform heat source/sink (HS/S) with homogeneous and heterogeneous chemical reactions have been incorporated in energy and mass profiles. The governing equations are converted to ordinary differential equations using proper similarity variables. The converted equations are computed by the implementation of Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg (RKF) 4th 5th order with shooting technique. A list of the essential dimensionless constraints and graphs showing how they are affected are provided. The outcome of the problem shows that the electric parameter will improve the velocity but decline the microrotation profile. Further, both heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions have a decreasing concentration. While the heat distribution rate increases with greater magnetic and electric fields, the surface drag force decreases.
A Comparative Journey into COVID-19 Policies in Europe
Authors: Egger Clara , Magni-Berton Raul
Published: May 2024

This introductory chapter discusses the specificities of crisis-management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and presents the main purpose of this book. It highlights the importance of collecting comparative and legislative data on pandemic containment to be able to evaluate emergency public policies. It then presents the EXCEPTIUS dataset, its methods and the indicators it uses to capture the stringency of COVID-19 exceptional policies. Based on legal data from 32 European countries, this dataset documents a high degree of variability between these countries, particularly regarding the concentration of power and the reduction of individual liberties.
Freedom of Movement
Authors: Conde Belmonte José Enrique , Huesca González Ana María , Villacián Goncer Paloma
Published: May 2024

Using comparative data from EXCEPTIUS combined with a focus on some typical country cases, this chapter compares the different restrictions to freedom of movement imposed by European countries. The European experience with restrictions on freedom of movement has been incredibly diverse and mixed. In this way, we can see that many EU Member States not only decided to close their external borders and suspend the freedoms linked to the Schengen area (e.g., by closing airports during the first wave), but in some cases limiting or even restricting mobility between municipalities and regions. The general line regarding movement restrictions in most cases would be limited only to the prohibition for nationals not to leave and for foreigners or non-residents to enter the country. However, in some more extreme or restrictive cases, prohibitions affected local entities of lower rank, including time restrictions and specific mobility limitations. The first part of the chapter delimits the legal framework used to regulate freedom of movement in the EU Member States. It then goes on with an evaluation of the different restrictions adopted by these governments. By doing so, the chapter provides a broad overview of the different and sometimes contradictory measures taken by national governments and other administrative entities, in addition to providing a human rights perspective.
COVID-19 and Asylum Rights
Authors: Churruca-Muguruza Cristina , Cretu Anca , Urrutia-Asua Gorka
Published: May 2024

Most countries in Europe and around the world adopted a vast array of measures and, especially during the first stages of the pandemic, many had a marked punitive and coercive nature. Governments used states of exception to curtail the rights of migrants and asylum seekers with a certain degree of impunity. In this context, the aim of this chapter is to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on the experiences of migrants and asylum seekers in the European Union (EU). To do so, it first discusses the main policy responses in the EU context and their implications for fundamental rights, specifically for the right to asylum. Then, special emphasis is given to the European Southern border, a critical intersection that illustrates the challenges and dilemmas faced by EU Mediterranean states in balancing public health priorities and human rights responsibilities. The chapter specifically focuses on the case study of the Spanish city of Melilla. Here, the merging of pandemic measures, border control and the treatment of vulnerable populations becomes visible, offering insights into the broader socio-political implications of the pandemic.
Stay at Home! A Comparative Analysis of the Implementation of Lockdowns as a Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chazel Laura
Published: May 2024

The year 2020 was marked by the implementation of lockdowns at the global scale to contain the COVID-19 pandemic by drastically minimizing human contacts. This public health measure was instantly described as “medieval” by several political actors but, facing the surge of the pandemic, most governments—with a few exceptions such as Sweden—opted for this choice. Social sciences literature has already begun to analyse the feelings and emotions of citizens towards lockdowns, the impact of health measures on trust in governments, the responses of so-called “populist” parties to this restriction of freedom of movement or the political aspect of lockdowns that were presented as health measures during the first wave of COVID-19. However, few studies have examined the different realities that lockdown measures recovered depending on the country in which they were implemented and the evolutions of these measures over time. This chapter aims to fill this gap and has a double objective. On the one hand, it aims to highlight these differences, and on the other hand to highlight the explanatory factors at the origins of these differences. The comparative analysis will be based on a database covering 32 countries to distinguish between strict and more flexible lockdowns by means of different variables such as the order to “stay home”, the number of kilometres of travel allowed outside home, or the presence or self-filled forms for leaving home. The study period is from March 2020 to July 2021 and spans across three different waves of COVID-19. A double synchronic and diachronic analysis will be performed to categorize the countries according to the strictness of the lockdowns for each wave but also in an evolutionary way to perform an average over the study period. The first results show that there is no correlation between the measures adopted by the countries and the actual circulation of the virus. One can also observe great divergences between countries according to the waves. For example, during the first wave, Southern Europe adopted much more drastic lockdown measures than Northern Europe, a trend that was subsequently reversed. These results will be controlled by the level of GDP or the confidence of citizens in institutions to understand the origin of these differences and their evolutions.
Masks and Social Distancing During COVID-19
Authors: de Saint-Phalle Eugénie
Published: May 2024

This chapter of the book addresses the most widespread (and controversial) COVID-19 measure: social distancing and wearing of the masks. Social distancing, that is, keeping distance between people in public spaces and decreasing the number of social contacts, was one of the first health-related measures that were introduced in March–April 2020 in most countries. However, the strictness of these measures, as well as government’s understanding of how the virus spreads, varied a lot. In some countries, people were asked to keep their distance at 2 m from each other, in other countries one-meter distance was considered to be enough. Moreover, open and closed spaces were not treated equally; in Switzerland, for example, people were required to keep distance in open spaces like parks, but not in closed spaces like supermarkets. In Belgium, April 2020 legal acts actively discouraged people to wear masks. This chapter aims to present an overview of legal responses to the health requirements, that is, how European governments integrated the medical advice into the exceptional measures. Secondly, this chapter seeks to map and classify these responses against infection levels, death count, as well as country-specific system factors. Finally, it aims to reconstruct the public response to mask wearing, a highly controversial measure in numerous European countries.
Education in Times of COVID-19
Authors: Litvyak Olga
Published: May 2024

The COVID-19 policies in the education sector have been particularly diverse, often with distinct approaches adopted not only across Europe but even at the regional level within one country, for example, in Spain or Germany. Furthermore, there has been a wide range of measures depending on the level of education. While universities largely switched to online learning, nursery and primary schools that initially also faced restrictions on face-to-face learning became crucial in providing support to parents working from home in the later stage of the pandemic. School closures during the lockdown periods largely disrupted education, leading to potential long-term consequences for children and increasing existing educational inequalities. Emerging research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector has shown that suspension of in-person learning has contributed to learning loss, exacerbating achievement gaps in several European countries and negatively impacted students’ well-being. At the same time, the switch to distance learning accelerated the digitalisation of education institutions and education systems across Europe, amplifying economic disparities across the countries. With digital learning becoming the dominant policy measure, supranational actors, such as the EU and the UN intensified competition for global education governance, proposing own policy solutions. This chapter discusses differences and similarities in education policy measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the countries of the European Economic Area and the role of supranational actors. It explores the country-level factors that influenced the policymaking process, such as economy, ideological stances of the government, level of education governance within the country, contrasting them with the COVID-19-related developments, such as the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Thus, it aims at providing an in-depth comparative examination of the emergency policymaking in the field of education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Compulsory Medical Examinations and “Green Pass”
Authors: Egger Clara , Magni-Berton Raul
Published: May 2024

To manage the COVID-19 pandemic, European governments have combined restrictive measures with a close monitoring of the epidemiological situation. The most stringent measures—such as the imposition of lockdowns, curfews and the closure of national borders—have always been justified by epidemiological indicators, in particular the evolution of COVID-19 cases and deaths. At the same time, the relaxing of containment measures has often come with the requirement to undergo compulsory medical examinations. This chapter discusses two types of medical procedures: compulsory testing policies predating the mass roll out of COVID-19 vaccines and COVID-19 passes. We show that, compared to other types of policies, the modalities of the pass were similar in the 26 European countries surveyed. Yet, its role and the epidemiological context in which it was implemented varied. Some countries introduced it when infections or deaths were increasing, while others did so during more stable periods. The vaccination rate following the introduction of the pass also varied. In countries with high vaccination rates but low confidence in vaccines, the impact of the pass was almost nil; conversely, it was high in countries with high confidence but low vaccination rates. Overall, we show the effectiveness of the COVID-19 pass to be context-dependent and preventing a blanket use in diverse countries.
Lockdowns and Mobility Rate Variation in the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Vulcano Rossella
Published: May 2024

This chapter assesses the impact of lockdowns on mobility rates. It notes the variation in mobility rates during lockdowns and the importance of understanding why citizens in different countries respond differently. The results suggest that the severity of lockdowns and the capacity to enforce the rules significantly reduce mobility rates. Interestingly, however, trust in government also significantly influences the impact of restrictions on mobility rates. Finally, the influence of COVID-19 risk perception on compliance does not appear to be very relevant. The research highlights the importance of political factors in shaping compliance during crises and provides insights for policy makers.
Conclusion: Learning from the COVID-19 Cases for Future Emergencies
Authors: Egger Clara , Magni-Berton Raul , de Saint-Phalle Eugénie
Published: May 2024

This concluding chapter offers recommendations for the future of emergency policymaking. The contributions gathered in this edited volume found that the policies implemented during the pandemic heavily depended on what had been done before. We argue that more attention should be paid to the principle of proportionality, especially in countries with low levels of institutional trust. Also, investing in legal preparedness is crucial to face situations where the emergency could lead to both ineffective policies and unnecessary curtailment of individual rights. Finally, in many countries, we have observed severe restrictions on data access that reduce the quality of evidence we can provide. We advocate the principle of evidence-based information restriction to promote access to information on a reasonable basis.
Elections and Special Voting Arrangements
Authors: Ehin Piret , Talving Liisa
Published: May 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on elections worldwide. Faced with health risks that a mass event such as an election poses, national decision-makers have had to make two major choices: whether to hold elections as scheduled or postpone them, and whether and how to modify the way elections are conducted. With regard to the second question, both policy and academic debates have focused on the introduction and expansion of special voting arrangements, including early, postal, proxy and remote internet voting, as well as the availability of the mobile ballot box. This chapter examines policy responses to the pandemic in the realm of election management in 27 member states of the European Union (EU), focusing on decisions to hold, postpone and modify elections. We find that 15 out of 60 scheduled national, regional and local elections were delayed in EU-27 over the first two years of the pandemic, with the length of the delay varying from seven weeks to nearly half a year. Most of the postponed events were local elections scheduled for the spring of 2020. In nationwide elections held amid the health crisis, voter turnout fell by 2.9 percentage points on average. We also find extensive differences among EU countries in terms of the use of special voting arrangements (SVAs). While 16 countries introduced new SVAs or expanded existing ones during the first two years of the pandemic, the modifications were, overall, limited in scope, attesting to the complexities of changing electoral legislation and practices over a short period of time. While the question of how to conduct elections amid the pandemic gave rise to heated debates in many EU countries, the controversies were most pronounced—and contributed to democratic backsliding—in settings where democracy had been eroding already before the health crisis.
Territorial Countervailing Powers Under the Pandemic
Authors: Magni-Berton Raul
Published: May 2024

Federal and decentralised countries are often expected to perform worse in crises for two reasons. First, they require more coordination resources, which are particularly costly when decisions must be made quickly. Second, in federal countries, subnational territories are countervailing powers. Counterpowers favour consensual policies but prevent policy changes and make countries less responsive to crises. While in economic crises this expectation is not clearly congruent with the data, during the COVID-19 pandemic much attention has been paid to its management in federal countries. The comparisons within federal states and between federal and centralised states were intended to illustrate different ways of dealing with the pandemic. Other studies assume that federal states are less efficient and try to find solutions. More surprisingly, no systematic study has attempted to assess whether decentralised management is less effective. This chapter takes advantage of EXCEPTIUS data, which covers the management of the pandemic at the subnational level to address this gap. Interestingly, France, like several other unitary states, has progressively decentralised its pandemic management. Federal states, such as Germany or Switzerland, were decentralised at the beginning of the pandemic, but centralised their management in subsequent waves. In regionalised states, such as Italy and Spain, the evolution of the regions’ competences follows contrasting patterns. The analysis of the role of territorial units and counter-powers in the management of the first three waves of the pandemic (January 2020–April 2021) makes it possible to identify in detail the type of approach chosen by each country and why. This systematic review allows a first preliminary assessment of the relative effectiveness of decentralised versus centralised management by comparing the lethality of the pandemic according to the territorial style of management, with inconclusive results.
The Impact of Measures Against COVID-19 on Freedom of Press and Expression
Authors: Neves Catarina , Merrill Roberto , Miguel Ricardo , Forte Rui
Published: May 2024

This chapter aims to analyse the impact of the first measures against COVID-19 regarding freedom of press and freedom of expression in the first pandemic wave (from January to June 2020). To do this, we used EXCEPTIUS data and discuss whether the policies used to fight COVID-19, particularly those targeting the spread of information, contributed to the erosion of fundamental rights and freedoms in the European context. Our chapter describes how restrictive measures varied across Europe and engages in a normative debate on the extent to which liberal democracies had a legitimate claim to restrict freedom to fight COVID-19. It is a debate on whether freedom of expression should be curtailed or not, a process that might lead to the erosion of democracy, or instead contribute to making it more robust, particularly in the context of a public health crisis, such as the one imposed by COVID-19.
Quantitative genomics-enabled selection for simultaneous improvement of lint yield and seed traits in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)
Authors: Li Zitong , Zhu Qian-Hao , Moncuquet Philippe , Wilson Iain , Llewellyn Danny , Stiller Warwick , Liu Shiming
Published: May 2024

Key message

A Bayesian linkage disequilibrium-based multiple-locus mixed model identified QTLs for fibre, seed and oil traits and predicted breeding worthiness of test lines, enabling their simultaneous improvement in cotton.

Improving cotton seed and oil yields has become increasingly important while continuing to breed for higher lint yield. In this study, a novel Bayesian linkage disequilibrium-based multiple-locus mixed model was developed for QTL identification and genomic prediction (GP). A multi-parent population consisting of 256 recombinant inbred lines, derived from four elite cultivars with distinct combinations of traits, was used in the analysis of QTLs for lint percentage, seed index, lint index and seed oil content and their interrelations. All four traits were moderately heritable and correlated but with no large influence of genotype × environment interactions across multiple seasons. Seven to ten major QTLs were identified for each trait with many being adjacent or overlapping for different trait pairs. A fivefold cross-validation of the model indicated prediction accuracies of 0.46–0.62. GP results based on any two-season phenotypes were strongly correlated with phenotypic means of a pooled analysis of three-season experiments (r = 0.83–0.92). When used for selection of improvement in lint, seed and oil yields, GP captured 40–100% of individuals with comparable lint yields of those selected based on the three-season phenotypic results. Thus, this quantitative genomics-enabled approach can not only decipher the genomic variation underlying lint, seed and seed oil traits and their interrelations, but can provide predictions for their simultaneous improvement. We discuss future breeding strategies in cotton that will enhance the entire value of the crop, not just its fibre.
Using polyphenol-rich extracts from tropical fruit byproducts to control lipid and protein oxidation in cooked chicken models
Authors: Cava Ramón , Ladero Luis
Published: May 2024

The present work aimed to analyse the bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities of peel and seed extracts obtained from three tropical fruits: papaya, mango, and loquat, with different solvents (water, ethanol, and water:ethanol, 1:1) and evaluate their potential effects as antioxidants in a cooked chicken model under refrigerated storage. In the seed and peel extracts produced, bioactive compounds (total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, and condensed tannins) were quantified. Additionally, antioxidant activities (ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP) were assayed spectrophotometrically. Seed extracts from the three fruits were selected for application in a cooked chicken model in which colour, lipids, and protein oxidation were evaluated during refrigerated storage. Moreover, compared with the other extracts, the mango seed extracts (MSEs), irrespective of the extraction solvent used, had the highest contents of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities. MSEs significantly reduced the CIE L* and increased the CIE a* while effectively controlling lipid and protein oxidation in cooked chicken models during refrigerated storage. Due to their high antioxidant activity and high concentration of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and condensed tannins, MSEs are interesting sources of natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds for use in the meat industry.
How thermal treatment affects the chemical composition and the physical, mechanical and swelling properties of Scots pine juvenile and mature wood
Authors: Broda Magdalena , Popescu Carmen-Mihaela , Poszwa Kamil , Roszyk Edward
Published: May 2024

High variations in juvenile wood properties in the radial direction and its worse performance than mature wood make it less suitable for some applications and often treated as waste material. This study aimed to assess how thermal modification affects the chemical composition and the physical, mechanical and swelling properties of Scots pine juvenile and mature wood. An additional goal was to evaluate if the modification can equalise the differences in selected properties of juvenile wood to those of mature wood so that from waste material, juvenile wood can become a fully-fledged raw material for various industrial applications. Thermal treatment at 220 °C influenced wood chemical composition, degrading mainly hemicelluloses but also affecting cellulose and lignin, which resulted in a reduction of hydroxyls and carbonyl/carboxyl groups. These changes were more pronounced for mature than juvenile wood. It reduced mass loss and swelling rate, and increased swelling pressure in the tangential and radial directions to a higher degree for juvenile than mature wood. Changes in mechanical properties in compression were statistically significant only for mature wood, while wood hardness remained unaffected. Although the applied heat treatment improved the performance of juvenile wood by reducing its swelling rate, it did not equalise the examined properties between juvenile and mature wood. Since higher juvenile wood proportion is expected in the wood supply from the future intensively managed forests, there is still a need to find suitable modification methods or better processing techniques so that instead of being thrown away as waste, it could be used broadly in various industrial applications.
Deep learning nomogram for predicting neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in locally advanced gastric cancer patients
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Zhang Qiang , Zhao Bo , Shi Gaofeng
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Developed and validated a deep learning radiomics nomogram using multi-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) images to predict neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response in locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) patients.

Methods

This multi-center study retrospectively included 322 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer from January 2013 to June 2023 at two hospitals. Handcrafted radiomics technique and the EfficientNet V2 neural network were applied to arterial, portal venous, and delayed phase CT images to extract two-dimensional handcrafted and deep learning features. A nomogram model was built by integrating the handcrafted signature, the deep learning signature, with clinical features. Discriminative ability was assessed using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and the precision-recall (P-R) curve. Model fitting was evaluated using calibration curves, and clinical utility was assessed through decision curve analysis (DCA).

Results

The nomogram exhibited excellent performance. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.848 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.793–0.893)], 0.802 (95% CI 0.688–0.889), and 0.751 (95% CI 0.652–0.833) for the training, internal validation, and external validation sets, respectively. The AUCs of the P-R curves were 0.838 (95% CI 0.756–0.895), 0.541 (95% CI 0.329–0.740), and 0.556 (95% CI 0.376–0.722) for the corresponding sets. The nomogram outperformed the clinical model and handcrafted signature across all sets (all P < 0.05). The nomogram model demonstrated good calibration and provided greater net benefit within the relevant threshold range compared to other models.

Conclusion

This study created a deep learning nomogram using CECT images and clinical data to predict NAC response in LAGC patients undergoing surgical resection, offering personalized treatment insights.

Graphical abstract
Water mass influence on spatial and seasonal distributions of diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores in the western Barents Sea
Authors: Luan Qingshan , Mitchell Elaine , Henley Sian F. , Orkney Andrew C. M. , Bouman Heather A. , Braun Judith S. , Poulton Alex J. , Davidson Keith
Published: May 2024

Arctic phytoplankton are highly sensitive to seawater physical and chemical conditions, especially in the context of rapid climate change and sea ice loss. We studied the spatial and seasonal distributions of diatoms, dinoflagellates and coccolithophores, and clarified their associations with light, temperature and nutrients in the western Barents Sea in late summer 2017, and winter, spring and early summer 2018. Diatoms, composed mainly of Chaetoceros, Fragilariopsis and Thalassiosira, bloomed in spring at the southern border of the marginal ice zone with mean abundance of 1.1 × 106 cells L−1 and biomass of 119.5 µg C L−1, and were observed to follow the retreat of sea ice in the Arctic water to the north at the shelf break near Nansen Basin, contributing to the progression of the summer situation. Dinoflagellates flourished in surface waters south of Svalbard in summer, with maxima of 2.2 × 105 cells L−1 and 78.2 µg C L−1. High abundances and calcite mass of coccolithophores were detected in the southern Barents Sea and southwest of Svalbard in summer, with maxima of 3.3 × 105 cells L−1 and 4.7 µg C L−1. Two distinct phytoplankton assemblages, closely linked with Atlantic water and Arctic water, were geographically separated by the Polar Front in two summers, with a percent similarity below 11.9%, suggesting great influence of the two water masses on large-scale distributions of phytoplankton. Redundancy analysis revealed that temperature was one of the most important factors in shaping the seasonal distributions of diatoms, while irradiance showed positive correlation with dominant dinoflagellates of each season. From the perspectives of phytoplankton composition and carbon biomass, our findings highlight the governing effect of physical seawater conditions on driving seasonal patterns of phytoplankton biogeography, as well as the pivotal role of nutrients in supporting the phytoplankton growing seasons in the western Barents Sea.
Mysis segerstralei, an unexpected but important prey for resident Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in a Svalbard lake
Authors: Svenning Martin-A. , Skogstad Ole Christian , Skogstad Øyvind , Borgstrøm Reidar
Published: May 2024

Mysis segerstralei is distributed over a wide geographic area and in habitats with a variety of salinity conditions, including marine and brackish waters around Svalbard. The species has seldom been found in freshwater lakes, and the discovery of M. segerstralei in Lake Pulmankijärvi at the border between Northeastern Norway and Finland, may represent the single known freshwater occurrences in western Europe. Svalbard lake systems are characterized by very low water temperatures, long-term ice cover, and low levels of nutrients. Food is thus limited, and chironomids generally dominate the stomach contents in Arctic charr, the only freshwater fish species on Svalbard. Based on several surveys in more than 30 of Svalbard lakes over many decades, M. segerstralei has only been found as food for Arctic charr in Lake Vårfluesjøen. In a later fishery survey, we studied the diet of Arctic charr in this lake. The stomach contents from Arctic charr sampled in the profundal habitats were dominated by M. segerstralei, but the species was also among the most frequent prey items in the littoral and pelagic habitats. This unexpected occurrence of M. segerstralei demonstrates the high importance of mysids even in a low-productive, High Arctic lake.
Illumination matters part I: comparative analysis of light sources and illumination in flexible ureteroscopy-fundamental findings from a PEARLS analysis
Authors: Kwok Jia-Lun , De Coninck Vincent , Corrales Mariela , Sierra Alba , Panthier Frédéric , Ventimiglia Eugenio , Gauhar Vineet , Schmid Florian Alexander , Hunziker Manuela , Poyet Cédric , Eberli Daniel , Traxer Olivier , Keller Etienne Xavier
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Illumination characteristics of flexible ureteroscopes have been evaluated in air, but not in saline, the native operative medium for endourology. The aim was to evaluate light properties of contemporary ureteroscopes in air versus saline, light distribution analysis, and color temperature.

Methods

We evaluated the Storz Flex-Xc and Flex-X2s, Olympus V3 and P7, Pusen 7.5F and 9.2F, and OTU WiScope using a 3D printed black target board in-vitro model submerged in saline. A spectrometer was used for lux and color temperature measurements at different opening locations.

Results

Illuminance was higher in saline compared to air (5679 vs. 5205 lx with Flex-Xc, p = 0.02). Illuminance in saline differed between ureteroscopes (ANOVA p < 0.001), with highest for the Flex-Xc at 100% brightness setting (5679 lx), followed by Pusen 9.2F (5280 lx), Flex-X2s (4613 lx), P7 (4371 lx), V3 (2374 lx), WiScope (582 lx) and finally Pusen 7.5F (255 lx). The same ranking was found at 50% brightness setting, with the highest ureteroscope illuminance value 34 times that of the scope with lowest illuminance.

Most scopes had maximum illuminance off center, with skewness. Three scopes had two light sources, with one light source for all other scopes. Inter-scope comparisons revealed significant differences of color temperature (ANOVA p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The study demonstrates the presence of inhomogeneous light spread as well as large differences in illumination properties of ureteroscopes, possibly impacting on the performance of individual scopes in vivo. Additionally, the study suggests that future studies on illumination characteristics of flexible ureteroscopes should ideally be done in saline, and no longer in air.
Cecum to pelvis technique: a simple and autologous solution to prevent postoperative complications in pelvic surgery
Authors: Guadalajara Hector , Toups Stacye Michelle , León-Arellano Miguel , Vizarreta Anthony , García-Olmo Damián
Published: May 2024

Background

Empty Pelvis Syndrome, subsequent to the removal of pelvic organs, results in the descent of the small bowel into an inflamed pelvic cavity, leading to the formation of adhesions and subsequent small bowel obstruction. However, no effective measures have been previously described.

Objective

Describe a simple and autologous solution to prevent “Empty Pelvis Syndrome,” small bowel obstruction, and adhesions by utilizing the cecum to occlude the pelvis.

Design

Mobilization of the right colon to lower the cecum into the pelvic cavity to occlude the superior pelvic ring to some degree and changing the direction of the terminal ileum.

Settings

Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Department of General Surgery, Colorectal Service.

Patients

Eight anonymized patients were included in this study, each with varying colorectal pathologies. Patients were above 18 years old.

Main outcome measures

Percent of blockage of the superior pelvic ring produced by the descended cecum recorded in percentage; the amount of small intestine descended past the superior pelvic ring recorded in cm.

Results

The mobilization of the cecum achieved partial occlusion of the superior pelvic ring. The descent of the small bowel beyond this landmark ranged from 0 to 4.9 cm.

Limitations

Given the small number of patients included in this study, these results cannot be generalized to the whole of the population. A bladder emptying protocol prior to CT scans was not implemented, resulting in variations in measurements among patients.

Conclusion

The cecum-to-pelvis technique is a simple method that can serve as an autologous solution to EPS (enteropelvic fistula) and help reduce postoperative complications such as SBO (small bowel obstruction) and adhesions. It is not essential to completely occlude the superior pelvic ring to achieve successful outcomes.
Leveraging intent–entity relationships to enhance semantic accuracy in NLU models
Authors: Albornoz-De Luise Romina Soledad , Arevalillo-Herráez Miguel , Wu Yuyan
Published: May 2024

Natural Language Understanding (NLU) components are used in Dialog Systems (DS) to perform intent detection and entity extraction. In this work, we introduce a technique that exploits the inherent relationships between intents and entities to enhance the performance of NLU systems. The proposed method involves the utilization of a carefully crafted set of rules that formally express these relationships. By utilizing these rules, we effectively address inconsistencies within the NLU output, leading to improved accuracy and reliability. We implemented the proposed method using the Rasa framework as an NLU component and used our own conversational dataset AWPS to evaluate the improvement. Then, we validated the results in other three commonly used datasets: ATIS, SNIPS, and NLU-Benchmark. The experimental results show that the proposed method has a positive impact on the semantic accuracy metric, reaching an improvement of 12.6% in AWPS when training with a small amount of data. Furthermore, the practical application of the proposed method can easily be extended to other Task-Oriented Dialog Systems (T-ODS) to boost their performance and enhance user satisfaction.
The Ki67 dilemma: investigating prognostic
cut-offs and reproducibility for automated Ki67 scoring in breast cancer
Authors: Rewcastle Emma , Skaland Ivar , Gudlaugsson Einar , Fykse Silja Kavlie , Baak Jan P. A. , Janssen Emiel A. M.
Published: May 2024

Purpose

Quantification of Ki67 in breast cancer is a well-established prognostic
and predictive marker, but inter-laboratory variability has hampered its clinical
usefulness. This study compares the prognostic value and reproducibility of Ki67
scoring using four automated, digital image analysis (DIA) methods and two manual
methods.

Methods

The study cohort consisted of 367 patients diagnosed between 1990 and
2004, with hormone receptor positive, HER2 negative, lymph node negative breast
cancer. Manual scoring of Ki67 was performed using predefined criteria. DIA Ki67
scoring was performed using QuPath and Visiopharm® platforms. Reproducibility was
assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). ROC curve survival analysis
identified optimal cutoff values in addition to recommendations by the International
Ki67 Working Group and Norwegian Guidelines. Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank test and
Cox regression analysis assessed the association between Ki67 scoring and distant
metastasis (DM) free survival.

Results

The manual hotspot and global scoring methods showed good agreement when
compared to their counterpart DIA methods (ICC > 0.780), and good to excellent
agreement between different DIA hotspot scoring platforms (ICC 0.781–0.906).
Different Ki67 cutoffs demonstrate significant DM-free survival (p < 0.05). DIA
scoring had greater prognostic value for DM-free survival using a 14% cutoff (HR
3.054–4.077) than manual scoring (HR 2.012–2.056). The use of a single cutoff for all
scoring methods affected the distribution of prediction outcomes (e.g. false
positives and negatives).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that DIA scoring of Ki67 is superior to manual
methods, but further study is required to standardize automated, DIA scoring and
definition of a clinical cut-off.