bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ADHD classification with cross-dataset feature selection for biomarker consistency detection
Authors: Meng Xiaojing , Chen Ying , Gao Yuan , Geng Deqin , Tang Yibin
Published: May 2024

Objective. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children. While numerous intelligent methods are applied for its subjective diagnosis, they seldom consider the consistency problem of ADHD biomarkers. In practice, these data-driven approaches lead to varying learned features for ADHD classification across diverse ADHD datasets. This phenomenon significantly undermines the reliability of identified biomarkers and hampers the interpretability of these methods. Approach. In this study, we propose a cross-dataset feature selection (FS) module using a grouped SVM-based recursive feature elimination approach (G-SVM-RFE) to enhance biomarker consistency across multiple datasets. Additionally, we employ connectome gradient data for ADHD classification. In details, we introduce the G-SVM-RFE method to effectively concentrate gradient components within a few brain regions, thereby increasing the likelihood of identifying these regions as ADHD biomarkers. The cross-dataset FS module is integrated into an existing binary hypothesis testing (BHT) framework. This module utilizes external datasets to identify global regions that yield stable biomarkers. Meanwhile, given a dataset which waits for implementing the classification task as local dataset, we learn its own specific regions to further improve the performance of accuracy on this dataset. Main results. By employing this module, our experiments achieve an average accuracy of 96.7% on diverse datasets. Importantly, the discriminative gradient components primarily originate from the global regions, providing evidence for the significance of these regions. We further identify regions with the high appearance frequencies as biomarkers, where all the used global regions and one local region are recognized. Significance. These biomarkers align with existing research on impaired brain regions in children with ADHD. Thus, our method demonstrates its validity by providing enhanced biological explanations derived from ADHD mechanisms.
Control of elongated plasmas in superconductive tokamaks in the absence of in-vessel coils
Authors: De Tommasi G. , di Grazia L.E. , Dubbioso S. , Fiorenza F. , Frattolillo D. , Inoue S. , Mattei M. , Pironti A. , Urano H.
Published: May 2024

The roadmap for the commissioning and first operations of superconductive tokamaks envisages the possibility of running discharges with fairly elongated plasmas before the complete installation of the in-vessel components, including vertical stabilization coils, or any other specific sets of coils to be used for the magnetic control of fast transients. In the absence of dedicated actuators, the magnetic control system shall perform the essential fast control actions by using the out-vessel superconductive coils, if needed. These are typically less efficient in reacting to fast transients, due to the shielding effect of the vessel and imply a coupling with other control tasks relying on the same actuators, such as plasma current, position, and shape control. Hence, effective actuator-sharing strategies must be put in place. This paper presents an architecture and a possible control strategy that is able to cope with vertically unstable elongated plasmas subject to fast varying disturbances, in the absence of dedicated in-vessel coils. The architecture exploits a model-based actuator-sharing approach to effectively accomplish the main magnetic control objectives while minimizing the cross-couplings among the various tasks. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated by means of nonlinear simulations of realistic JT-60SA scenarios. In particular, an isoflux plasma shape controller is integrated with plasma current control and vertical stabilization. The proposed control approach proves to control vertical displacement events and plasma deformations due to fast variations of poloidal beta with satisfactory performance.
Optimization of parameters and formulation of numerical model employing GRA–PCA and RSM approach for friction stir welded Ti–6Al–4V alloy joints
Authors: D Srinivasan , P Sevvel , Babu S D Dhanesh , Roy Vasanthe
Published: May 2024

In this work, an endeavour was made to determine the impact of the tool’s shoulder diameter, pin profile, rotational and traverse speeds on the mechanical properties of the friction stir welded namely Ti–6Al–4 V alloy joints. A total of 21 experiments were carried out based on the central composite design (CCD) concept of response surface methodology (RSM). A quadratic regression based numerical model was formulated to ascertain the relationship amidst the parameters of FSW process and the mechanical properties of the fabricated Ti alloy joints. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to confirm the importance of parameters and their interactive impacts. Optimized process parameter combinations were ascertained by grey relation based analysis (GRA) was coupled together with principal component analysis (PCA), a hybrid based approach. Single score of GRG based response was determined and GRG scores were ranked for all experiments. 1st rank was attained by the experiment no. 20 possessing a GRG score of 2.9989. Optimized values of 25 mm shoulder diameter having a taper cylindrical pin geometry employed at a tool traverse speed of 40 mm min−1, rotational speed of 1400 rpm resulted in the generation of flaw free Ti alloy joint possessing a largest tensile strength of 809.8 MPa, yield strength of 778.7 MPa and percentage of elongation of 6.9%. SEM based fractography of Ti alloy joint specimens announced that taper cylindrical pin geometry along with 25 m shoulder diameter of employed tool have an inevitable part in generating frictional heat in ideal volumes and a perfect stirring action during FSW process.
Data-driven simulations to assess the impact of study imperfections in time-to-event analyses
Authors: Abrahamowicz Michal , Beauchamp Marie-Eve , Boulesteix Anne-Laure , Morris Tim P , Sauerbrei Willi , Kaufman Jay S , STRATOS Simulation Panel on behalf of the
Published: May 2024

Quantitative bias analysis (QBA) permits assessment of the expected impact of various imperfections of the available data on the results and conclusions of a particular real-world study. This article extends QBA methodology to multivariable time-to-event analyses with right-censored endpoints, possibly including time-varying exposures or covariates. The proposed approach employs data-driven simulations, which preserve important features of the data at hand while offering flexibility in controlling the parameters and assumptions that may affect the results. First, the steps required to perform data-driven simulations are described, and then two examples of real-world time-to-event analyses illustrate their implementation and the insights they may offer. The first example focuses on the omission of an important time-invariant predictor of the outcome in a prognostic study of cancer mortality, and permits separating the expected impact of confounding bias from noncollapsibility. The second example assesses how imprecise timing of an interval-censored event—ascertained only at sparse times of clinic visits—affects its estimated association with a time-varying drug exposure. The simulation results also provide a basis for comparing the performance of two alternative strategies for imputing the unknown event times in this setting. The R scripts that permit the reproduction of our examples are provided.
The improvement of inflammatory infiltration and pregnancy outcome in mice with recurrent spontaneous abortion by human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Xiao Yi , Zeng Fanyu , Sun Jingli
Published: May 2024

Recurrent spontaneous abortion is thought to be mostly triggered by immune-related causes. Mesenchymal stem cells, which exhibit the traits of multi-directional differentiation capacity and low immunogenicity, have recently been recommended as a viable treatment for spontaneous abortion-prone mice to increase the success of pregnancy. Amniotic membrane tissue is a byproduct of pregnancy and delivery that has a wide range of potential uses due to its easy access to raw materials and little ethical constraints. To construct an abortion-prone mouse model for this investigation, CBA/J female mice were coupled with male DBA/2 mice, while CBA/J female mice were paired with male BALB/c mice as a control. The identical volume of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells or phosphate buffer was injected intraperitoneally on the 4.5th day of pregnancy. CBA/J female mice were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the 13.5th day of pregnancy, the embryo absorption rate was calculated, and the uterus, decidua tissues and placenta were gathered for examination. Through detection, it was discovered that human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells significantly increased the expression of interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor beta, while they significantly decreased the expression of interleukin 1 beta and interleukin 6, improved vascular formation and angiogenesis, and minimized the embryo absorption rate and inflammatory cell infiltration in the recurrent spontaneous abortion + human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells group. In any case, human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells regulate inflammatory factors and cell balance at the maternal–fetal interface, which result in a reduction in the rate of embryo absorption and inflammatory infiltration and provide an innovative perspective to the clinical therapy of recurrent spontaneous abortion.
CorrespondenceAuthor reply to ‘Comment on ChatGPT and medical writing in dermatology: why should we keep writing?’ by Duff et al.
Authors: Potestio Luca , Megna Matteo , Cacciapuoti Sara , Martora Fabrizio , Villani Alessia
Published: May 2024

We read with great interest the article by Duff et al., recently published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, commenting on our previously submitted Letter to the Editor entitled ‘ChatGPT and medical writing in dermatology: why should we keep writing?’
Temperature’s Toll on Decision-Making
Authors: Escobar Carias Michelle , Johnston David W , Knott Rachel , Sweeney Rohan
Published: May 2024

Does temperature affect decision-making abilities and rationality? Using Indonesian data, we estimate how risky choices, impatience and rational choice violations vary with exposure to temperature. We show that hot weather temporarily increases rational choice violations and impatience, but does not affect risk-related decisions. These effects are primarily driven by nighttime rather than daytime temperatures. We provide suggestive evidence that the mechanism behind these effects is decreased sleep quality, affecting cognition the following day, particularly math skills. These skills are critical for rational and utility-maximising decision-making. Effects are largest for economically disadvantaged households and in areas with low rates of air-conditioning.
Digest: Repeated body size evolution in island bats
Authors: McCulloch Graham A
Published: May 2024

Island ecosystems represent outstanding natural laboratories for studying the interplay between ecology and evolution. Lavery et al., (2024) use genomic approaches to identify a remarkable example of repeated evolution in Hipposideros bats across the Solomon Islands archipelago. They show that larger-bodied bats have independently evolved on different islands, highlighting an exciting new system for exploring the ecological and evolutionary drivers of repeated evolution in mammals.
Reweighting UK Biobank corrects for pervasive selection bias due to volunteering
Authors: van Alten Sjoerd , Domingue Benjamin W , Faul Jessica , Galama Titus , Marees Andries T
Published: May 2024

Background

Biobanks typically rely on volunteer-based sampling. This results in large samples (power) at the cost of representativeness (bias). The problem of volunteer bias is debated. Here, we (i) show that volunteering biases associations in UK Biobank (UKB) and (ii) estimate inverse probability (IP) weights that correct for volunteer bias in UKB.

Methods

Drawing on UK Census data, we constructed a subsample representative of UKB’s target population, which consists of all individuals invited to participate. Based on demographic variables shared between the UK Census and UKB, we estimated IP weights (IPWs) for each UKB participant. We compared 21 weighted and unweighted bivariate associations between these demographic variables to assess volunteer bias.

Results

Volunteer bias in all associations, as naively estimated in UKB, was substantial—in some cases so severe that unweighted estimates had the opposite sign of the association in the target population. For example, older individuals in UKB reported being in better health, in contrast to evidence from the UK Census. Using IPWs in weighted regressions reduced 87% of volunteer bias on average. Volunteer-based sampling reduced the effective sample size of UKB substantially, to 32% of its original size.

Conclusions

Estimates from large-scale biobanks may be misleading due to volunteer bias. We recommend IP weighting to correct for such bias. To aid in the construction of the next generation of biobanks, we provide suggestions on how to best ensure representativeness in a volunteer-based design. For UKB, IPWs have been made available.
A linearly implicit finite element full-discretization scheme for SPDEs with nonglobally Lipschitz coefficients
Authors: Wang Mengchao , Wang Xiaojie
Published: May 2024

The present article deals with strong approximations of additive noise driven stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) with nonglobally Lipschitz nonlinearity in a bounded domain $ \mathcal{D} \in{\mathbb{R}}^{d}$, $ d \leq 3$. As the first contribution, we establish the well-posedness and regularity of the considered SPDEs in space dimension $d \le 3$, under more relaxed assumptions on the stochastic convolution. This improves relevant results in the literature and covers both the space-time white noise ($d=1$) and the trace-class noises ($\text{Tr} (Q) < \infty $) in multiple dimensions $d=2,3$. Such an improvement is achieved based on a key perturbation estimate for a perturbed PDE, with the aid of which we prove the convergence and uniform regularity of a spectral approximation of the SPDEs and thus get the improved regularity results. The second contribution of the paper is to propose and analyze a spatio-temporal discretization of the SPDEs, by incorporating a standard finite element method in space and a linearly implicit nonlinearity-tamed Euler method for the temporal discretization. The proposed time-stepping scheme is linearly implicit and does not suffer from solving nonlinear algebra equations as the backward Euler scheme does. Based on the improved regularity results, we recover the expected strong convergence rates of the fully discrete scheme and reveal how the convergence rates rely on the regularity of the noise process. In particular, a classical convergence rate of order $O(h^{2} +\tau )$ can be obtained even in high dimension $d=3$, as the driven noise is of trace class and satisfies certain regularity assumptions. The optimal error estimates turn out to be challenging and face some essential difficulties when the tamed time-stepping scheme meets the finite element spatial discretization, particularly in the context of low regularity and multiple dimensions $d \le 3$. Some highly nontrivial arguments are introduced to overcome the difficulties. Finally, numerical examples corroborate the claimed strong orders of convergence.
Working Time Remedies Beyond Brexit: Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Another v Agnew and Others
Authors: Rodgers Lisa , Golynker Oxana
Published: May 2024

On 4 October 2023, the ‘long-anticipated’ judgment in PCC v Agnew was handed down by the Supreme Court. This case concerned claims for holiday pay made by police officers and other civilian staff employed by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The Supreme Court had to decide two main issues. The first was whether police officers could take advantage of the more generous remedy provisions in respect of holiday pay claims in the Employment Rights Order 1996 (ERO) (which largely corresponds to the UK Employment Rights Act 1996) as opposed to the Working Time Regulations. The second issue was the correct interpretation of the ERO provisions. As well as the important practical implications of the case, there are also interesting jurisprudential issues that arise. The case deals with the interpretation of European Union (EU) derived rights in the labour context. This is a sensitive area, given that access to EU interpretive mechanisms usually equates to a more progressive reading of rights, and this fans the flame of UK government scepticism to both the EU and working time rights. This article discusses the particular approach to statutory interpretation taken by the Supreme Court and the implications of this approach for the progressive interpretation of EU-derived employment rights going forward.
OP v Commune d’Ans: Another Step in the Wrong Direction for Headscarf-Wearing Women
Authors: Howard Erica
Published: May 2024

This article analyses and criticises the latest Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) case concerning the wearing of Muslim headscarves at work. OP was refused permission to wear a Muslim headscarf at work because her employer, a public authority, had a policy of exclusive neutrality, prohibiting employees from wearing any form of religious clothing or symbols. The CJEU judgment limits the employment opportunities of Muslim women who want to wear headscarves for religious reasons and allows member states and infra-state bodies a margin of discretion to decide whether to ban religious clothing and symbols for all employees, only for employees who come into contact with service users or not to ban such items at all; and, it ignores any possibility of the presence of gender, race or multiple discrimination. Prohibitions on religious clothing and symbols affect especially Muslim women, who are often from a non-European background and thus could amount to gender discrimination, race discrimination and to discrimination on a combination of religion or belief, gender and racial or ethnic origin.
From the Recognition of ‘Psychiatric Disorder Caused by Asbestos Exposure’ to the Mobilisation of Dignity in Labour Law: A Comparison of France and Sweden
Authors: Andersson Peter , Lerouge Loïc
Published: May 2024

In two rulings on 8 February 2023, the French Court of Cassation invoked the notion of ‘dignity’ in labour law to support claims for ‘damage due to anxiety’ (‘préjudice d’anxiété’). The concept of ‘damage due to anxiety’, which might in English be translated more functionally as ‘psychiatric disorder caused by asbestos exposure’, is based on loss arising from the fear of developing a future disease due to occupational exposure to a toxic and hazardous substance, such as asbestos. Based on a reading of these two cases, the aim of this article is to analyse the approach developed in the French legal system, and to discuss it from the standpoint of Swedish law. The concept of ‘psychiatric disorder caused by asbestos exposure’ is not currently recognised in Swedish law. However, the idea that physical work environment factors can cause psychological injury is not entirely unfamiliar. It touches upon the ideas of a holistic approach to the work environment and a broad and inclusive concept of health and illness, which are important foundations for Swedish work environment law. By studying this specific occupational health and safety issue it is possible to illuminate not only how this topical and important issue is regulated in France and Sweden, but also on a broader level how these two legal systems—the French one based on the individual responsibility of the employer and the Swedish one on collective bargaining—are functioning when it comes to systems of prevention of and compensation for ill health.
Temporal trends in antibiotic prescribing and serious and nonserious infections in children presenting to general practice: a registry-based longitudinal cohort study of 162 507 individuals
Authors: Burvenich Ruben , De Boodt Sien , Lowie Lien , Janssens Arne , Beerten Simon Gabriël , Vaes Bert , Toelen Jaan , Verbakel Jan Yvan
Published: May 2024

Background

It is crucial to understand the trends in paediatric antibiotic prescribing and serious and nonserious infections to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for children in ambulatory care.

Objectives

Assessing trends in paediatric antibiotic prescribing and infection incidence in general practice from 2002 to 2022.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study using INTEGO network data from 162 507 patients in Flanders (Belgium), we calculated antibiotic prescribing rates and proportions alongside incidence rates of serious and nonserious infections, stratified by age (0–1, 2–6, 7–12 years) and municipality. We performed autoregressive moving average time-series analyses and seasonality analyses.

Results

From 2002 to 2022, antibiotic prescribing rate decreased significantly: 584/1000 person-years (PY) (95% CI 571–597) to 484/1000PY (95% CI 478–491); so did antibiotic overall prescribing proportion: 46.3% (95% CI 45.1–47.6) to 23.3% (95% CI 22.9–23.7) (59.3% amoxicillin and 17.8% broad spectrum). Prescribing proportions dropped significantly for nonserious (45.6% to 20.9%) and increased for serious infections (64.1% to 69.8%). Proportions significantly dropped for acute suppurative otitis media (74.7% to 64.1%), upper respiratory tract infections (44.9% to 16.6%), bronchitis/bronchiolitis (73.6% to 44.1%) and acute tonsillopharyngitis (59.5% to 21.7%), while significantly increasing for pneumonia (65.2% to 80.2%). Nonserious and serious infection incidence rates increased from 785/1000PY and 34.2/1000PY to 1223/1000PY and 64.1/1000PY, respectively. Blood and CRP testing proportions increased significantly.

Conclusions

Antibiotic prescribing in general practice for children declined from 2002 to 2022. Further targeted antibiotic stewardship initiatives are needed to reduce the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antibiotic prescribing for conditions such as otitis media and bronchitis/bronchiolitis.
Comparing natural language processing representations of coded disease sequences for prediction in electronic health records
Authors: Beaney Thomas , Jha Sneha , Alaa Asem , Smith Alexander , Clarke Jonathan , Woodcock Thomas , Majeed Azeem , Aylin Paul , Barahona Mauricio
Published: May 2024

Objective

Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms are increasingly being applied to obtain unsupervised representations of electronic health record (EHR) data, but their comparative performance at predicting clinical endpoints remains unclear. Our objective was to compare the performance of unsupervised representations of sequences of disease codes generated by bag-of-words versus sequence-based NLP algorithms at predicting clinically relevant outcomes.

Materials and Methods

This cohort study used primary care EHRs from 6 286 233 people with Multiple Long-Term Conditions in England. For each patient, an unsupervised vector representation of their time-ordered sequences of diseases was generated using 2 input strategies (212 disease categories versus 9462 diagnostic codes) and different NLP algorithms (Latent Dirichlet Allocation, doc2vec, and 2 transformer models designed for EHRs). We also developed a transformer architecture, named EHR-BERT, incorporating sociodemographic information. We compared the performance of each of these representations (without fine-tuning) as inputs into a logistic classifier to predict 1-year mortality, healthcare use, and new disease diagnosis.

Results

Patient representations generated by sequence-based algorithms performed consistently better than bag-of-words methods in predicting clinical endpoints, with the highest performance for EHR-BERT across all tasks, although the absolute improvement was small. Representations generated using disease categories perform similarly to those using diagnostic codes as inputs, suggesting models can equally manage smaller or larger vocabularies for prediction of these outcomes.

Discussion and Conclusion

Patient representations produced by sequence-based NLP algorithms from sequences of disease codes demonstrate improved predictive content for patient outcomes compared with representations generated by co-occurrence-based algorithms. This suggests transformer models may be useful for generating multi-purpose representations, even without fine-tuning.
Streamlining social media information retrieval for public health research with deep learning
Authors: Hua Yining , Wu Jiageng , Lin Shixu , Li Minghui , Zhang Yujie , Foer Dinah , Wang Siwen , Zhou Peilin , Yang Jie , Zhou Li
Published: May 2024

Objective

Social media-based public health research is crucial for epidemic surveillance, but most studies identify relevant corpora with keyword-matching. This study develops a system to streamline the process of curating colloquial medical dictionaries. We demonstrate the pipeline by curating a Unified Medical Language System (UMLS)-colloquial symptom dictionary from COVID-19-related tweets as proof of concept.

Methods

COVID-19-related tweets from February 1, 2020, to April 30, 2022 were used. The pipeline includes three modules: a named entity recognition module to detect symptoms in tweets; an entity normalization module to aggregate detected entities; and a mapping module that iteratively maps entities to Unified Medical Language System concepts. A random 500 entity samples were drawn from the final dictionary for accuracy validation. Additionally, we conducted a symptom frequency distribution analysis to compare our dictionary to a pre-defined lexicon from previous research.

Results

We identified 498 480 unique symptom entity expressions from the tweets. Pre-processing reduces the number to 18 226. The final dictionary contains 38 175 unique expressions of symptoms that can be mapped to 966 UMLS concepts (accuracy = 95%). Symptom distribution analysis found that our dictionary detects more symptoms and is effective at identifying psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression, often missed by pre-defined lexicons.

Conclusions

This study advances public health research by implementing a novel, systematic pipeline for curating symptom lexicons from social media data. The final lexicon's high accuracy, validated by medical professionals, underscores the potential of this methodology to reliably interpret, and categorize vast amounts of unstructured social media data into actionable medical insights across diverse linguistic and regional landscapes.
Mosquitoes harvested from rice fields as alternative protein ingredient in broiler feed: insights from the first pilot study
Authors: Tsafrakidou Panagiota , Papoti Vasiliki T , Giannakakis Efstathios , Christaki Androniki , Miaoulis Michael , Oppert Brenda , Cohnstaedt Lee W , Arsi Komala , Donoghue Annie M , Vergos Evangelos , Chaskopoulou Alexandra , Zinoviadou Kyriaki
Published: May 2024

Global population continuous growth and increasing consumers’ demands for protein-rich diets have posed sustainability challenges for traditional livestock feed sources. Consequently, exploring alternative and sustainable protein sources has become imperative to address the environmental burden and resource limitations associated with conventional ingredients. With respect to food security assurance, insects have emerged as a promising solution due to their exceptional nutritional profile, rapid reproduction rates, and low environmental impact. In the present pilot study, 10% of a soybean meal-based diet was replaced by adult mosquitoes harvested from rice fields. The objective was to assess the effect of this partial substitution on meat quality aspects and consumer acceptance. A total of 40 Cobb hybrid broiler chickens were randomly placed in a control and a mosquito-fed group. The study was conducted for 42 days and carcass physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological characteristics, as well as sensory attributes were evaluated. Overall, results regarding quality attributes were comparable between the control and the treatment group. The organoleptic evaluation showed that the thighs from the mosquito-fed group had the highest overall consumer acceptance. These outcomes indicate that mosquitoes could be successfully used as a protein source for broiler feed without compromising the quality and acceptability of the meat.
Clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with incidentally discovered chest wall sarcoma compared with those of symptomatic patients
Authors: Iwatsu Jun , Yoshida Shinichirou , Watanuki Munenori , Hitachi Shin , Oguro Sota , Watanabe Mika , Aizawa Toshimi
Published: May 2024

Objective

Sarcomas of the bone and soft tissues are detected after the onset of pain, detectable mass and related symptoms in the absence of a standardized screening examination. However, primary chest wall sarcomas can be incidentally detected upon chest X-ray or computed tomography. Previous studies of incidental primary chest wall sarcomas lack prognosis and disease-specific clinical data. This study aimed to investigate the prognoses of patients with incidental chest wall sarcomas and compare them with those of symptomatic patients.

Methods

This study included 18 patients diagnosed with primary chest wall sarcoma between 2010 and 2023. Patient information such as age, sex, tumour diameter, tumour location, symptoms, treatment, time to treatment initiation, pathological diagnosis and outcome were retrospectively analysed.

Results

Among the 18 patients, the sarcomas were incidentally detected in five by chest X-ray and computed tomography in three and two patients, respectively. The pathological diagnoses of the patients were Ewing sarcoma, Chondrosarcoma grade 1, grade 2, periosteal osteosarcoma and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour. The patients had no symptoms at the first visit to our hospital, and no lesions in other organs were detected at the time of the initial examination. At the final follow-up, the patients remained disease-free after radical treatment. The tumour sizes of the five patients were significantly smaller than those of patients with symptoms (P = 0.003).

Conclusions

The incidental detection of chest wall sarcomas and consequent early detection and treatment of tumours improves patient prognosis relative to that of symptomatically diagnosed patients.
Cecal volvulus secondary to mesodiverticular band
Authors: Blum Brice , Grimes Arthur D , Carroll Hannah L , Stettler Gregory R
Published: May 2024

Meckel’s diverticula are one of the most common gastrointestinal anomalies, yet mesodiverticular bands are rare. The treatment of these bands commonly requires surgery. A healthy patient in his 20s presented to the emergency department with a 1 day history of acute onset abdominal pain. Computed tomography imaging was consistent with volvulus of the large intestine. In the operating room, the patient was noted to have a band between the ileal mesentery and tip of a Meckel’s diverticulum, consistent with a mesodivertiular band, through which cecum had volvulized. The patient underwent resection. The patient recovered without major complications. Mesodiverticular bands are rare, but may present as hemoperitoneum, small bowel obstruction, or volvulus. Pre-operative diagnosis of a mesodiverticular band is often difficult and they are most commonly diagnosed intraoperatively. Treatment should include surgery and may include simple lysis of the band, bowel resection, or more extensive resection if other pathology is present.
A rare posterior mediastinal mass: chordoma
Authors: Willatt Lily Frances Stocking , Wollheim Martina Henrietta , Ehrsam Jonas Peter , Bode-Lesniewska Beata , Woernle Christoph , Schoeb Othmar , Inci Ilhan
Published: May 2024

A 72-year-old female presented with 2 years of pro-gradient pain in the upper thoracic spine radiating to the left arm and leg. MRI revealed a 2.7 × 2.0 × 12 cm paravertebral mass at T2/T3, extending into the foraminal and epidural nerves with extensive dural sac contact in the left hemithorax. The removed tumour was surprisingly soft for a schwannoma or chordoma. However, after the surgery, histopathology revealed the presence of brachyury protein (T-box transcription factor T), which is characteristic of a chordoma. While chordomas are extremely rare, it is important that they are kept in mind for the differential diagnosis of a posterior mediastinal mass. Successful treatment can only be achieved through a complete en bloc resection. This can often be complex due to their location along the spine. This case report aims to highlight the features and treatment of this rare disease.
Parameterization of manipulative media discourse: possibilities and problems of automatic diagnosis
Authors: Shakenova Maigul , Tashimkhanova Dybys , Shaikova Gulvira , Ospanova Ulzhan , Popovich Olga
Published: May 2024

The issue of quantitative measurement and automatic processing is a significant problem in determining the markers of the manipulative potential of media texts, since linguistic indicators are the basis of machine parameterization. The purpose of the research is to analyse the possibilities of the main language parameters of the manipulativeness of media discourse, which can be identified using machine learning. To achieve the research goals, the following methods were used: system, content analysis, computer modelling, and comparative. The results of the article determined that such language indicators as use of the subjunctive mood of verbs, capital letters, high frequency of use of the ‘not’ particle, punctuation marks, questions, or exclamations of a rhetorical nature, use of quotation marks for the purpose of irony, double negative sentences, use of the word ‘no’, and verbal structures calling to action act as computer classification parameters. In order to cover the above purpose, PYTHON software was implemented that allowed texts to be analysed and visualized in algorithmic and lexical-vocabulary ways. In addition, it was determined that by integrating the PYTHON tool, it became possible to use language transformation markers that formed linguistic patterns in the analysed text. The list of parameters for diagnosing manipulative texts is non-exhaustive, which emphasizes the possibility of machine measurement of the manipulative component of mass media discourse.
Mibianto: ultra-efficient online microbiome analysis through k-mer based metagenomics
Authors: Hirsch Pascal , Molano Leidy-Alejandra G , Engel Annika , Zentgraf Jens , Rahmann Sven , Hannig Matthias , Müller Rolf , Kern Fabian , Keller Andreas , Schmartz Georges P
Published: May 2024

Quantifying microbiome species and composition from metagenomic assays is often challenging due to its time-consuming nature and computational complexity. In Bioinformatics, k-mer-based approaches were long established to expedite the analysis of large sequencing data and are now widely used to annotate metagenomic data. We make use of k-mer counting techniques for efficient and accurate compositional analysis of microbiota from whole metagenome sequencing. Mibianto solves this problem by operating directly on read files, without manual preprocessing or complete data exchange. It handles diverse sequencing platforms, including short single-end, paired-end, and long read technologies. Our sketch-based workflow significantly reduces the data volume transferred from the user to the server (up to 99.59% size reduction) to subsequently perform taxonomic profiling with enhanced efficiency and privacy. Mibianto offers functionality beyond k-mer quantification; it supports advanced community composition estimation, including diversity, ordination, and differential abundance analysis. Our tool aids in the standardization of computational workflows, thus supporting reproducibility of scientific sequencing studies. It is adaptable to small- and large-scale experimental designs and offers a user-friendly interface, thus making it an invaluable tool for both clinical and research-oriented metagenomic studies. Mibianto is freely available without the need for a login at: https://www.ccb.uni-saarland.de/mibianto.
Anthropogenic warming is a key climate indicator of rising urban fire activity in China
Authors: Yao Qichao , Jiang Dabang , Zheng Ben , Wang Xiaochun , Zhu Xiaolin , Fang Keyan , Shi Lamei , Wang Zhou , Wang Yongli , Zhong Linhao , Pei Yanyan , Hudson Amy , Xu Shuai , Bai Maowei , Huang Xinyan , Trouet Valerie
Published: May 2024

China, one of the most populous countries in the world, has suffered the highest number of natural disaster-related deaths from fire. On local scales, the main causes of urban fires are anthropogenic in nature. Yet, on regional to national scales, little is known about the indicators of large-scale co-varying urban fire activity in China. Here, we present the China Fire History Atlas (CFHA), which is based on 19 947 documentary records and represents fires in urban areas of China over the twentieth century (1901–1994). We found that temperature variability is a key indicator of urban fire activity in China, with warmer temperatures being correlated with more urban fires, and that this fire–temperature relationship is seasonally and regionally explicit. In the early twentieth century, however, the fire–temperature relationship was overruled by war-related fires in large urban areas. We further used the fire–temperature relationship and multiple emissions scenarios to project fire activity across China into the twenty-first century. Our projections show a distinct increase in future urban fire activity and fire-related economic loss. Our findings provide insights into fire–climate relationships in China for densely-populated areas and on policy-relevant time scales and they contribute spatial coverage to efforts to improve global fire models.
PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATOR 3b and transcription factor ABF3 modulate abscisic acid-dependent drought stress response in soybean
Authors: Li Cong , Chen Yanhang , Hu Qing , Yang Xiaolan , Zhao Yunfeng , Lin Yan , Yuan Jianbo , Gu Jinbao , Li Yang , He Jin , Wang Dong , Liu Bin , Wang Zhen-Yu
Published: May 2024

The circadian system plays a pivotal role in facilitating the ability of crop plants to respond and adapt to fluctuations in their immediate environment effectively. Despite the increasing comprehension of PSEUDO-RESPONSE REGULATORs and their involvement in the regulation of diverse biological processes, including circadian rhythms, photoperiodic control of flowering, and responses to abiotic stress, the transcriptional networks associated with these factors in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we provide empirical evidence highlighting the significance of GmPRR3b as a crucial mediator in regulating the circadian clock, drought stress response, and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway in soybeans. A comprehensive analysis of DNA affinity purification sequencing and transcriptome data identified 795 putative target genes directly regulated by GmPRR3b. Among them, a total of 570 exhibited a significant correlation with the response to drought, and eight genes were involved in both the biosynthesis and signaling pathways of ABA. Notably, GmPRR3b played a pivotal role in the negative regulation of the drought response in soybeans by suppressing the expression of abscisic acid-responsive element-binding factor 3 (GmABF3). Additionally, the overexpression of GmABF3 exhibited an increased ability to tolerate drought conditions, and it also restored the hypersensitive phenotype of the GmPRR3b overexpressor. Consistently, studies on the manipulation of GmPRR3b gene expression and genome editing in plants revealed contrasting reactions to drought stress. The findings of our study collectively provide compelling evidence that emphasizes the significant contribution of the GmPRR3b-GmABF3 module in enhancing drought tolerance in soybean plants. Moreover, the transcriptional network of GmPRR3b provides valuable insights into the intricate interactions between this gene and the fundamental biological processes associated with plant adaptation to diverse environmental conditions.
Weak-formulated physics-informed modeling and optimization for heterogeneous digital materials
Authors: Zhang Zhizhou , Lee Jeong-Ho , Sun Lingfeng , Gu Grace X
Published: May 2024

Numerical solutions to partial differential equations (PDEs) are instrumental for material structural design where extensive data screening is needed. However, traditional numerical methods demand significant computational resources, highlighting the need for innovative optimization algorithms to streamline design exploration. Direct gradient-based optimization algorithms, while effective, rely on design initialization and require complex, problem-specific sensitivity derivations. The advent of machine learning offers a promising alternative to handling large parameter spaces. To further mitigate data dependency, researchers have developed physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) to learn directly from PDEs. However, the intrinsic continuity requirement of PINNs restricts their application in structural mechanics problems, especially for composite materials. Our work addresses this discontinuity issue by substituting the PDE residual with a weak formulation in the physics-informed training process. The proposed approach is exemplified in modeling digital materials, which are mathematical representations of complex composites that possess extreme structural discontinuity. This article also introduces an interactive process that integrates physics-informed loss with design objectives, eliminating the need for pretrained surrogate models or analytical sensitivity derivations. The results demonstrate that our approach can preserve the physical accuracy in data-free material surrogate modeling but also accelerates the direct optimization process without model pretraining.
Nano-ZnO-modified hydroxyapatite whiskers with enhanced osteoinductivity for bone defect repair
Authors: Wei Penggong , Wang Ning , Zhang Qiyue , Wang Wanfeng , Sun Hui , Liu Zengqian , Yan Tingting , Wang Qiang , Qiu Lihong
Published: May 2024

Hydroxyapatite (HA) whisker (HAw) represents a distinct form of HA characterized by its high aspect ratio, offering significant potential for enhancing the mechanical properties of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. However, the limited osteoinductivity of HAw hampers its widespread application. In this investigation, we observed HAw-punctured osteoblast membranes and infiltrated the cell body, resulting in mechanical damage to cells that adversely impacted osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. To address this challenge, we developed nano-zinc oxide particle-modified HAw (nano-ZnO/HAw). Acting as a reinforcing and toughening agent, nano-ZnO/HAw augmented the compressive strength and ductility of the matrix materials. At the same time, the surface modification with nano-ZnO particles improved osteoblast differentiation by reducing the mechanical damage from HAw to cells and releasing zinc ion, the two aspects collectively promoted the osteoinductivity of HAw. Encouragingly, the osteoinductive potential of 5% nano-ZnO/HAw and 10% nano-ZnO/HAw was validated in relevant rat models, demonstrating the efficacy of this approach in promoting new bone formation in vivo. Our findings underscore the role of nano-ZnO particle surface modification in enhancing the osteoinductivity of HAw from a physical standpoint, offering valuable insights into the development of bone substitutes with favorable osteoinductive properties while simultaneously bolstering matrix material strength and toughness.
Anlotinib hydrochloride consolidation after concurrent chemoradiotherapy in stage III non-small-cell lung cancer: a truncated, randomized, multicenter, clinical study (ALTER-L029)
Authors: Yang Dan , Li Xiaomin , Xue Xiaoying , Jiang Leilei , Shi Anhui , Zhao Jun
Published: May 2024

Anlotinib is an antiangiogenic drug that shows good efficacy and safety in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to explore the efficacy and safety of anlotinib for consolidation therapy in patients with stage III locally advanced, unresectable NSCLC after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT). This was a randomized, parallel-controlled, open-label, multicenter, phase II trial of patients with unresectable/nonoperated NSCLC treated with cCRT. The participants were randomized 2:1 to the anlotinib or control group. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were the disease control rate (DCR) and overall survival. This study was terminated early due to poor recruitment. Nine and two participants were randomly assigned to the anlotinib and control groups, respectively. One participant in the control group was excluded due to taking prohibited medications before the first efficacy evaluation. In the anlotinib group, the median age was 63 (range, 37–74) years. Two participants achieved partial response, six stable disease, and one progressive disease as best response. The DCR was 88.9%. The median PFS was 11.5 months, and the 12-month PFS rate was 33.9%. All related adverse events were grade 1 or 2. Two participants had a dose adjustment during the study. The evaluable data suggest that anlotinib alone was effective and tolerable in consolidation therapy after cCRT in patients with stage III unresectable NSCLC. The results need to be confirmed by a large-sample trial. This clinical trial was registered on www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03743129). Registration date: 6 September 2018.
EMA-Positive Superficial ALK–Rearranged Myxoid Spindle Cell Neoplasm Masquerading as Perineurioma/Hybrid Nerve Sheath Tumor
Authors: Hegazy Shaymaa , Naous Rana
Published: May 2024

Superficial anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)–rearranged myxoid spindle cell neoplasm (SAMS) is a recently described entity which coexpresses ALK, CD34, and commonly S100. These neoplasms are characterized morphologically by concentric spindle cell whorls and cords and are commonly set in an abundant myxoid to myxocollagenous stroma, thus mimicking perineurioma or hybrid nerve sheath tumor. EMA immunostain has been reported to be negative in SAMS which helps in excluding the latter entities. Herein, we report the first EMA-positive SAMS of the right leg in a 37-year-old female patient masquerading as perineurioma/hybrid nerve sheath tumor. The tumor morphologically was comprised of spindle cells arranged in loose whorls and short fascicles set in myxoid to collagenous stroma and coexpressed CD34 and EMA, reminiscent of perineurioma. S100 showed focal staining. ALK immunostain was subsequently performed and was positive. ALK gene rearrangement was identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization break-apart assay and was further confirmed by next-generation sequencing–based RNA sequencing demonstrating FLNA::ALK fusion, thus supporting the diagnosis of SAMS. In conclusion, EMA can be expressed in SAMS, thus posing as a diagnostic pitfall. ALK immunostain and molecular studies are essential for confirming the diagnosis of SAMS and excluding potential mimickers, particularly perineurioma or hybrid nerve sheath tumor.