bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SupportPrim—a computerized clinical decision support system for stratified care for patients with musculoskeletal pain complaints in general practice: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lervik Lars Christian Naterstad , Vasseljen Ottar , Austad Bjarne , Bach Kerstin , Bones Anita Formo , Granviken Fredrik , Hill Jonathan C. , Jørgensen Pål , Øien Torbjørn , Veites Paola Marin , Van der Windt Danielle A. , Meisingset Ingebrigt
Published: April 2023

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders represented 149 million years lived with disability world-wide in 2019 and are the main cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Current treatment recommendations are based on “one-size fits all” principle, which does not take into account the large degree of biopsychosocial heterogeneity in this group of patients. To compensate for this, we developed a stratified care computerized clinical decision support system for general practice based on patient biopsychosocial phenotypes; furthermore, we added personalized treatment recommendations based on specific patient factors to the system. In this study protocol, we describe the randomized controlled trial for evaluating the effectiveness of computerized clinical decision support system for stratified care for patients with common musculoskeletal pain complaints in general practice. The aim of this study is to test the effect of a computerized clinical decision support system for stratified care in general practice on subjective patient outcome variables compared to current care.

Methods

We will perform a cluster-randomized controlled trial with 44 general practitioners including 748 patients seeking their general practitioner due to pain in the neck, back, shoulder, hip, knee, or multisite. The intervention group will use the computerized clinical decision support system, while the control group will provide current care for their patients. The primary outcomes assessed at 3 months are global perceived effect and clinically important improvement in function measured by the Patient-Specific Function Scale (PSFS), while secondary outcomes include change in pain intensity measured by the Numeric Rating Scale (0–10), health-related quality of life (EQ-5D), general musculoskeletal health (MSK-HQ), number of treatments, use of painkillers, sick-leave grading and duration, referral to secondary care, and use of imaging.

Discussion

The use of biopsychosocial profile to stratify patients and implement it in a computerized clinical decision support system for general practitioners is a novel method of providing decision support for this patient group. The study aim to recruit patients from May 2022 to March 2023, and the first results from the study will be available late 2023.

Trial registration

The trial is registered in ISRCTN 11th of May 2022: 14,067,965.
A duplex tetra-primer ARMS-PCR assay to discriminate three species of the Schistosoma haematobium group: Schistosoma curassoni, S. bovis, S. haematobium and their hybrids
Authors: Blin Manon , Dametto Sarah , Agniwo Privat , Webster Bonnie L. , Angora Etienne , Dabo Abdoulaye , Boissier Jérôme
Published: April 2023

Background

The use of applications involving single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) has greatly increased since the beginning of the 2000s, with the number of associated techniques expanding rapidly in the field of molecular research. Tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system—PCR (T-ARMS-PCR) is one such technique involving SNP genotyping. It has the advantage of amplifying multiple alleles in a single reaction with the inclusion of an internal molecular control. We report here the development of a rapid, reliable and cost-effective duplex T-ARMS-PCR assay to distinguish between three Schistosoma species, namely Schistosoma haematobium (human parasite), Schistosoma bovis and Schistosoma curassoni (animal parasites), and their hybrids. This technique will facilitate studies of population genetics and the evolution of introgression events.

Methods

During the development of the technique we focused on one of the five inter-species internal transcribed spacer (ITS) SNPs and one of the inter-species 18S SNPs which, when combined, discriminate between all three Schistosoma species and their hybrid forms. We designed T-ARMS-PCR primers to amplify amplicons of specific lengths for each species, which in turn can then be visualized on an electrophoresis gel. This was further tested using laboratory and field-collected adult worms and field-collected larval stages (miracidia) from Spain, Egypt, Mali, Senegal and Ivory Coast. The combined duplex T-ARMS-PCR and ITS + 18S primer set was then used to differentiate the three species in a single reaction.

Results

The T-ARMS-PCR assay was able to detect DNA from both species being analysed at the maximum and minimum levels in the DNA ratios (95/5) tested. The duplex T-ARMS-PCR assay was also able to detect all hybrids tested and was validated by sequencing the ITS and the 18S amplicons of 148 of the field samples included in the study.

Conclusions

The duplex tetra-primer ARMS-PCR assay described here can be applied to differentiate between Schistosoma species and their hybrid forms that infect humans and animals, thereby providing a method to investigate the epidemiology of these species in endemic areas. The addition of several markers in a single reaction saves considerable time and is of long-standing interest for investigating genetic populations.

Graphical Abstract
A working taxonomy for describing the sensory differences of autism
Authors: He Jason L. , Williams Zachary J. , Harris Ashley , Powell Helen , Schaaf Roseann , Tavassoli Teresa , Puts Nicolaas A. J.
Published: April 2023

Background

Individuals on the autism spectrum have been long described to process sensory information differently than neurotypical individuals. While much effort has been leveraged towards characterizing and investigating the neurobiology underlying the sensory differences of autism, there has been a notable lack of consistency in the terms being used to describe the nature of those differences.

Main body

We argue that inconsistent and interchangeable terminology-use when describing the sensory differences of autism has become problematic beyond mere pedantry and inconvenience. We begin by highlighting popular terms that are currently being used to describe the sensory differences of autism (e.g. “sensitivity”, “reactivity” and “responsivity”) and discuss why poor nomenclature may hamper efforts towards understanding the aetiology of sensory differences in autism. We then provide a solution to poor terminology-use by proposing a hierarchical taxonomy for describing and referring to various sensory features.

Conclusion

Inconsistent terminology-use when describing the sensory features of autism has stifled discussion and scientific understanding of the sensory differences of autism. The hierarchical taxonomy proposed was developed to help resolve lack of clarity when discussing the sensory differences of autism and to place future research targets at appropriate levels of analysis.
Adrenal insufficiency after curative-intent gastric cancer treatment: a case report
Authors: Åkerström Johan Hardvik , Radkiewicz Cecilia
Published: April 2023

Background

Adrenal insufficiency is a life-threatening condition, and advanced gastric cancer is associated with very poor prognosis. Adrenalectomy and/or metastatic invasion of the adrenal glands can cause primary adrenal insufficiency, which in turn can present with symptoms mimicking advanced cancer.

Case presentation

Herein we report of a 68-year-old White male with a history of left adrenalectomy in conjunction with distal gastrectomy due to gastric adenocarcinoma. At the 2-year follow-up visit after cancer surgery, the patient presented with fatigue, unintentional weight loss, hyperkalemia, and a computed tomography scan with a right adrenal mass. Primary adrenal insufficiency caused by gastric cancer metastatic invasion of the remaining right adrenal gland was established and glucocorticoid therapy initiated. The patient received first line palliative chemotherapy with systemic disease control and subsequent stereotactic body radiotherapy to the right adrenal gland. More than 17 months after pathology-confirmed gastric cancer relapse, there is no clinical nor radiological evidence of active malignant disease and the patient is doing well on glucocorticoid replacement therapy.

Conclusions

This case does not only illustrate the importance of prompt and correct clinical management of adrenal insufficiency, but also that selected patients with advanced gastric cancer can gain from and achieve long-term survival using a multimodal treatment approach.
MicroRNAs-mediated regulation of the differentiation of dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells: a systematic review and bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Iranmanesh Pedram , Vedaei Amirhossein , Salehi-Mazandarani Sadra , Nikpour Parvaneh , Khazaei Saber , Khademi Abbasali , Galler Kerstin M. , Nekoofar Mohammad-Hossein , Dummer Paul M. H.
Published: April 2023

Background

Human dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hDP-MSCs), which include human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) and stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs), are promising cell sources for regenerative therapies. Nevertheless, a lack of knowledge relating to the mechanisms regulating their differentiation has limited their clinical application. microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulatory molecules in cellular processes including cell differentiation. This systematic review aims to provide a panel of miRNAs that regulate the differentiation of hDP-MSCs including hDPSCs and SHEDs. Additionally, bioinformatic analyses were conducted to discover target genes, signaling pathways and gene ontologies associated with the identified miRNAs.

Methods

A literature search was performed in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane Library. Experimental studies assessing the promotive/suppressive effect of miRNAs on the differentiation of hDP-MSCs and studies evaluating changes to the expression of miRNAs during the differentiation of hDP-MSCs were included. miRNAs involved in odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation were then included in a bioinformatic analysis. A miRNA-mRNA network was constructed, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was also constructed.

Results

Of 766 initially identified records through database searching, 42 and 36 studies were included in qualitative synthesis and bioinformatic analyses, respectively. Thirteen miRNAs promoted and 17 suppressed odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation of hDP-MSCs. hsa-miR-140-5p, hsa-miR-218 and hsa-miR-143 were more frequently reported suppressing the odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation of hDP-MSCs. hsa-miR-221 and hsa-miR-124 promoted and hsa-miR-140-5p inhibited neuronal differentiation, hsa-miR-26a-5p promoted and hsa-miR-424 suppressed angiogenic differentiation, and hsa-miR-135 and hsa-miR-143 inhibited differentiation within myogenic lineages. A miRNA-mRNA network including 1890 nodes and 2171 edges was constructed. KEGG pathway analysis revealed MAPK, PI3K-Akt and FoxO as key signaling pathways involved in the odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation of hDP-MSCs.

Conclusions

The findings of this systematic review support the potential application of the specific miRNAs to regulate the directed differentiation of hDP-MSCs in the field of regenerative therapies.
The positive impact of COVID-19 on critical care: from unprecedented challenges to transformative changes, from the perspective of young intensivists
Authors: Hermann Bertrand , Benghanem Sarah , Jouan Youenn , Lafarge Antoine , Beurton Alexandra ,   the ICU French FOXES (Federation Of eXtremely Enthusiastic Scientists) Study Group
Published: April 2023

Over the past 2 years, SARS-CoV-2 infection has resulted in numerous hospitalizations and deaths worldwide. As young intensivists, we have been at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and it has been an intense learning experience affecting all aspects of our specialty. Critical care was put forward as a priority and managed to adapt to the influx of patients and the growing demand for beds, financial and material resources, thereby highlighting its flexibility and central role in the healthcare system. Intensivists assumed an essential and unprecedented role in public life, which was important when claiming for indispensable material and human investments. Physicians and researchers around the world worked hand-in-hand to advance research and better manage this disease by integrating a rapidly growing body of evidence into guidelines. Our daily ethical practices and communication with families were challenged by the massive influx of patients and restricted visitation policies, forcing us to improve our collaboration with other specialties and innovate with new communication channels. However, the picture was not all bright, and some of these achievements are already fading over time despite the ongoing pandemic and hospital crisis. In addition, the pandemic has demonstrated the need to improve the working conditions and well-being of critical care workers to cope with the current shortage of human resources. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, we remain optimistic. In this ten-key points review, we outline our vision on how to capitalize on the lasting impact of the pandemic to face future challenges and foster transformative changes of critical care for the better.
Blow-up criteria of the simplified Ericksen–Leslie system
Authors: Chen Zhengmao , Wu Fan
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we establish scaling invariant blow-up criteria for a classical solution to the simplified Ericksen–Leslie system in terms of the positive part of the second eigenvalue of the strain matrix and orientation field in mixed-norm Lebesgue spaces. Our result may be also regarded as an extension or improvement of the corresponding results obatined by Neustupa and Penel (Trends in Partial Differential Equations of Mathematical Physics, pp. 197–212, 2005), Miller (Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 235(1):99–139, 2020) and Huang and Wang (Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 37(5):875–884, 2012).
Socio-economic factors affecting women’s entrepreneurial performance in MSEs in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia
Authors: Ayinaddis Samuel Godadaw
Published: April 2023

Women’s entrepreneurship is the pillar of economic expansion in many developing countries and is increasingly recognized as an essential driver of economic growth, productivity, innovation, employment, and economic dynamism. This study aimed to investigate the socio-economic factors that affect women’s entrepreneurial performance in MSEs in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. This study employed explanatory and descriptive survey designs using a quantitative research approach. The data were gathered from a survey of 348 registered women-owned MSEs. Statistical models, including factor analysis, correlation, and regression analysis, were used to look for patterns and relationships between variables apart from other descriptive statistics. Based on the statistical analysis, the variables social, economic, and legal and administrative factors have a positive relationship with women’s entrepreneurial performance in MSEs. On the other hand, demographic factors are found to be insignificant variables in predicting women’s entrepreneurial performance in MSEs. Therefore, the research recommends improvements in social and economic development to facilitate the successful performance of women entrepreneurs in MSEs in Bahir Dar city, Ethiopia.
Cryptosporidiosis threat under climate change in China: prediction and validation of habitat suitability and outbreak risk for human-derived Cryptosporidium based on ecological niche models
Authors: Wang Xu , Jiang Yanyan , Wu Weiping , He Xiaozhou , Wang Zhenghuan , Guan Yayi , Xu Ning , Chen Qilu , Shen Yujuan , Cao Jianping
Published: April 2023

Background

Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic intestinal infectious disease caused by Cryptosporidium spp., and its transmission is highly influenced by climate factors. In the present study, the potential spatial distribution of Cryptosporidium in China was predicted based on ecological niche models for cryptosporidiosis epidemic risk warning and prevention and control.

Methods

The applicability of existing Cryptosporidium presence points in ENM analysis was investigated based on data from monitoring sites in 2011–2019. Cryptosporidium occurrence data for China and neighboring countries were extracted and used to construct the ENMs, namely Maxent, Bioclim, Domain, and Garp. Models were evaluated based on Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, Kappa, and True Skill Statistic coefficients. The best model was constructed using Cryptosporidium data and climate variables during 1986‒2010, and used to analyze the effects of climate factors on Cryptosporidium distribution. The climate variables for the period 2011‒2100 were projected to the simulation results to predict the ecological adaptability and potential distribution of Cryptosporidium in future in China.

Results

The Maxent model (AUC = 0.95, maximum Kappa = 0.91, maximum TSS = 1.00) fit better than the other three models and was thus considered the best ENM for predicting Cryptosporidium habitat suitability. The major suitable habitats for human-derived Cryptosporidium in China were located in some high-population density areas, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the lower reaches of the Yellow River, and the Huai and the Pearl River Basins (cloglog value of habitat suitability > 0.9). Under future climate change, non-suitable habitats for Cryptosporidium will shrink, while highly suitable habitats will expand significantly (χ2 = 76.641, P < 0.01; χ2 = 86.836, P < 0.01), and the main changes will likely be concentrated in the northeastern, southwestern, and northwestern regions.

Conclusions

The Maxent model is applicable in prediction of Cryptosporidium habitat suitability and can achieve excellent simulation results. These results suggest a current high risk of transmission and significant pressure for cryptosporidiosis prevention and control in China. Against a future climate change background, Cryptosporidium may gain more suitable habitats within China. Constructing a national surveillance network could facilitate further elucidation of the epidemiological trends and transmission patterns of cryptosporidiosis, and mitigate the associated epidemic and outbreak risks.

Graphical Abstract
Evaluating classifier performance with highly imbalanced Big Data
Authors: Hancock John T. , Khoshgoftaar Taghi M. , Johnson Justin M.
Published: April 2023

Using the wrong metrics to gauge classification of highly imbalanced Big Data may hide important information in experimental results. However, we find that analysis of metrics for performance evaluation and what they can hide or reveal is rarely covered in related works. Therefore, we address that gap by analyzing multiple popular performance metrics on three Big Data classification tasks. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to utilize three new Medicare insurance claims datasets which became publicly available in 2021. These datasets are all highly imbalanced. Furthermore, the datasets are comprised of completely different data. We evaluate the performance of five ensemble learners in the Machine Learning task of Medicare fraud detection. Random Undersampling (RUS) is applied to induce five class ratios. The classifiers are evaluated with both the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC), and Area Under the Precision Recall Curve (AUPRC) metrics. We show that AUPRC provides a better insight into classification performance. Our findings reveal that the AUC metric hides the performance impact of RUS. However, classification results in terms of AUPRC show RUS has a detrimental effect. We show that, for highly imbalanced Big Data, the AUC metric fails to capture information about precision scores and false positive counts that the AUPRC metric reveals. Our contribution is to show AUPRC is a more effective metric for evaluating the performance of classifiers when working with highly imbalanced Big Data.
Quantifying numerical and spatial reliability of hippocampal and amygdala subdivisions in FreeSurfer
Authors: Kahhale Isabella , Buser Nicholas J. , Madan Christopher R. , Hanson Jamie L.
Published: April 2023

On-going, large-scale neuroimaging initiatives can aid in uncovering neurobiological causes and correlates of poor mental health, disease pathology, and many other important conditions. As projects grow in scale with hundreds, even thousands, of individual participants and scans collected, quantification of brain structures by automated algorithms is becoming the only truly tractable approach. Here, we assessed the spatial and numerical reliability for newly deployed automated segmentation of hippocampal subfields and amygdala nuclei in FreeSurfer 7. In a sample of participants with repeated structural imaging scans (N = 928), we found numerical reliability (as assessed by intraclass correlations, ICCs) was reasonable. Approximately 95% of hippocampal subfields had “excellent” numerical reliability (ICCs ≥ 0.90), while only 67% of amygdala subnuclei met this same threshold. In terms of spatial reliability, 58% of hippocampal subfields and 44% of amygdala subnuclei had Dice coefficients ≥ 0.70. Notably, multiple regions had poor numerical and/or spatial reliability. We also examined correlations between spatial reliability and person-level factors (e.g., participant age; T1 image quality). Both sex and image scan quality were related to variations in spatial reliability metrics. Examined collectively, our work suggests caution should be exercised for a few hippocampal subfields and amygdala nuclei with more variable reliability.

Graphical Abstract
Nitrogen transformation processes catalyzed by manure microbiomes in earthen pit and concrete storages on commercial dairy farms
Authors: Khairunisa Bela Haifa , Loganathan Usha , Ogejo Jactone A. , Mukhopadhyay Biswarup
Published: April 2023

Storing manure is an essential aspect of nutrient management on dairy farms. It presents the opportunity to use manure efficiently as a fertilizer in crop and pasture production. Typically, the manure storages are constructed as earthen, concrete, or steel-based structures. However, storing manure can potentially emit aerial pollutants to the atmosphere, including nitrogen and greenhouse gases, through microbial and physicochemical processes. We have characterized the composition of the microbiome in two manure storage structures, a clay-lined earthen pit and an aboveground concrete storage tank, on commercial dairy farms, to discern the nitrogen transformation processes, and thereby, inform the development of mitigation practices to preserve the value of manure. First, we analyzed the 16S rRNA-V4 amplicons generated from manure samples collected from several locations and depths (0.3, 1.2, and 2.1–2.75 m below the surface) of the storages, identifying a set of Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASVs) and quantifying their abundances. Then, we inferred the respective metabolic capabilities. These results showed that the manure microbiome composition was more complex and exhibited more location-to-location variation in the earthen pit than in the concrete tank. Further, the inlet and a location with hard surface crust in the earthen pit had unique consortia. The microbiomes in both storages had the potential to generate ammonia but lacked the organisms for oxidizing it to gaseous compounds. However, the microbial conversion of nitrate to gaseous N2, NO, and N2O via denitrification and to stable ammonia via dissimilatory nitrite reduction seemed possible; minor quantities of nitrate was present in manure, potentially originating from oxidative processes occurring on the barn floor. The nitrate-transformation linked ASVs were more prevalent at the near-surface locations and all depths of the inlet. Anammox bacteria and archaeal or bacterial autotrophic nitrifiers were not detected in either storage. HydrogenotrophicMethanocorpusculumspecies were the primary methanogens or methane producers, exhibiting higher abundance in the earthen pit. These findings suggested that microbial activities were not the main drivers for nitrogen loss from manure storage, and commonly reported losses are associated with the physicochemical processes. Finally, the microbiomes of stored manure had the potential to emit greenhouse gases such as NO, N2O, and methane.
Analysis of an event study using the Fama–French five-factor model: teaching approaches including spreadsheets and the R programming language
Authors: Martinez-Blasco Monica , Serrano Vanessa , Prior Francesc , Cuadros Jordi
Published: April 2023

The current financial education framework has an increasing need to introduce tools that facilitate the application of theoretical models to real-world data and contexts. However, only a limited number of free tools are available for this purpose. Given this lack of tools, the present study provides two approaches to facilitate the implementation of an event study. The first approach consists of a set of MS Excel files based on the Fama–French five-factor model, which allows the application of the event study methodology in a semi-automatic manner. The second approach is an open-source R-programmed tool through which results can be obtained in the context of an event study without the need for programming knowledge. This tool widens the calculus possibilities provided by the first approach and offers the option to apply not only the Fama–French five-factor model but also other models that are common in the financial literature. It is a user-friendly tool that enables reproducibility of the analysis and ensures that the calculations are free of manipulation errors. Both approaches are freely available and ready-to-use.
The H2TH-like motif of the Escherichia coli multifunctional protein KsgA is required for DNA binding involved in DNA repair and the suppression of mutation frequencies
Authors: Hayashi Yuichiro , Funakoshi Masafumi , Hirosawa Kaname , Zhang-Akiyama Qiu-Mei
Published: April 2023

Background

DNA oxidatively damaged by reactive oxygen species is repaired by base excision repair (BER) pathway proteins, with DNA glycosylases removing damaged or mismatched bases in the first step of BER. KsgA is a multifunctional protein that exhibits the activities of two enzymes, DNA glycosylase and rRNA dimethyltransferase. The structure-function relationship of the KsgA protein in cellular DNA repair remains unclear because the domains required for KsgA to recognize DNA have not been identified.

Purpose

To clarify the mechanisms by which KsgA recognizes damaged DNA and to identify the DNA-binding site, which exists in KsgA.

Methods

A structural analysis and in vitro DNA-protein binding assay were performed. The C-terminal function of the KsgA protein was investigated in vitro and in vivo.

Results

The 3D conformations of KsgA, MutM, and Nei were compared at UCSF Chimera. The root mean square deviation of KsgA (214-273) and MutM (148-212) and that of KsgA (214-273) and Nei (145-212) were 1.067 and 1.188 Å, both less than 2 Å, suggesting that the C terminal of KsgA is spatially similar to the H2TH domains of MutM and Nei. The full-length KsgA protein and KsgA lacking 1-8 or 214-273 amino acids were purified and used in gel mobility shift assays. KsgA exhibited DNA-binding activity, which was lost in the C-terminally deleted KsgA protein. Spontaneous mutation frequency was measured using a mutM mutY ksgA-deficient strain, and the results obtained showed that the mutation frequency was not suppressed by KsgA lacking the C-terminal region, whereas it was in KsgA. To assess dimethyltransferase activity, kasugamycin sensitivity was assessed in wild-type and ksgA-deficient strains. Plasmids carrying the full-length ksgA gene and C-terminal deletion gene were introduced into ksgA-deficient strains. KsgA lacking the C terminus restored dimethyltransferase activity in the ksgA-deficient strain as well as KsgA.

Conclusion

The present results confirmed that one enzyme exhibited two activities and revealed that the C-terminal (214-273) amino acids of KsgA were highly similar to the H2TH structural domain, exhibited DNA-binding activity, and inhibited spontaneous mutations. This site is not essential for dimethyltransferase activity.
Total knee arthroplasty in patients with severe obesity: outcomes of standard keeled tibial components versus stemmed universal base plates
Authors: Elcock Katherine L. , MacDonald Deborah J. , Clement Nick D. , Scott Chloe E. H.
Published: April 2023

Background

Patients with severe obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2] potentially overload the tibial component after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), risking tibial subsidence. Using a cemented single-radius cruciate-retaining TKA design, this study compared the outcomes of two tibial baseplate geometries in patients with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2: standard keeled (SK) or universal base plate (UBP), which incorporates a stem.

Methods

This was a retrospective, single-centre cohort study with minimum 2 years follow-up of 111 TKA patients with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2: mean age 62.2 ± 8.0 (44–87) years, mean BMI 44.3 ± 4.6 (40–65.7) kg/m2 and 82 (73.9%) females. Perioperative complications, reoperations, alignment and patient-reported outcomes (PROMS): EQ-5D, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score and satisfaction were collected preoperatively, and at 1 year and final follow-up postoperatively.

Results

Mean follow-up was 4.9 years. SK tibial baseplates were performed in 57 and UBP in 54. There were no significant differences in baseline patient characteristics, post-operative alignment, post-operative PROMs, reoperations or revisions between the groups. Three early failures requiring revision occurred: two septic failures in the UBP group and one early tibial loosening in the SK group. Five-year Kaplan–Meier survival for the endpoint mechanical tibial failure was SK 98.1 [94.4–100 95% confidence interval (CI)] and UBP 100% (p = 0.391). Overall varus alignment of the limb (p = 0.005) or the tibial component (p = 0.031) was significantly associated with revision and return to theatre.

Conclusions

At early to mid-term follow-up, no significant differences in outcomes were found between standard and UBP tibial components in patients with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2. Varus alignment of either tibial component or the limb was associated with revision and return to theatre.
Seismic velocity inversion transformer
Authors: Wang Hongzhou , Lin Jun , Dong Xintong , Lu Shaoping , Li Yue , Yang Baojun
Published: April 2023

Velocity model inversion is one of the most challenging tasks in seismic exploration, and an accurate velocity model is essential for high-resolution seismic imaging. Recently, velocity inversion methods based on deep learning (DL), particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), have attracted considerable attention from the seismic exploration community. These researchers aim to directly estimate the velocity model from raw seismograms using a well-trained model. Although CNN-based velocity inversion methods have demonstrated remarkable performance in terms of intelligence and automation, their inversion performance is often constrained by a limited long-range dependence. Specifically, when conducting a convolutional operation on raw seismic data using small kernels (i.e., 1 × 1, 3 × 3, 5 × 5, and 7 × 7), CNN-based methods extract only the local features and neglect the weak spatial correlation between different local features that reflect the information of the same interface. This correlation could assist CNN in providing an overview of the seismic data and promote inversion performance when using DL. Furthermore, the time-varying properties of seismic data pose a challenge to the weight sharing of CNNs. Here, we have developed a new DL framework based on a transformer, called the seismic velocity inversion transformer (SVIT), to address the problem of velocity inversion. SVIT uses a self-attention mechanism to capture the long-range dependence of seismic data, rather than stacking multiple convolutional layers as in CNNs. Thus, SVIT can provide more informative remote features for building velocity models. The validity and reliability of the proposed method are demonstrated through numerical experiments using synthetic models. Compared with the conventional full-waveform inversion method and an existing CNN-based velocity inversion method, our SVIT indicates greater consistency with the target in terms of the velocity value, subsurface structures, and geologic interfaces and is expected to provide a new DL-based solution to resolve inversion problems.
Human rights promotion and the ‘Geneva impasse’ in mental healthcare: scoping review
Authors: McSherry Bernadette , Gooding Piers , Maker Yvette
Published: April 2023

Background

The World Psychiatric Association recently emphasised that the protection of human rights in mental healthcare was a ‘central concern’. This paper examines recent literature on human rights and mental healthcare.

Aims

To (a) outline how international human rights law distinguishes between the protection and promotion of human rights; and (b) explore the literature on promoting human rights in mental healthcare which avoids what has been termed the ‘Geneva impasse’ between those who argue that compulsory care and treatment can never comply with human rights law and those who argue that they can if certain conditions are met.

Method

The following doctrinal methodology was used: (a) identification and detailed analysis of international human rights conventions and commentaries; (b) identification of key literature on human rights and mental healthcare; and (c) critical analysis of key issues emerging from the literature.

Results

Much of the literature on human rights and mental healthcare focuses on whether restrictions on compulsory care are required to meet the requirements of United Nations Conventions. There is an emerging literature identifying measures to promote the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of mental health.

Conclusions

There has been a focus on protecting the rights to liberty and equality before the law for mental health patients. The nascent literature on promoting human rights in mental healthcare could mark a way forward beyond the ‘Geneva impasse’ that has dominated public debate in recent years.
Physical coupling between inertial clustering and relative velocity in a polydisperse droplet field with background turbulence
Authors: Kumar M. Shyam , Chakravarthy S. R. , Mathur Manikandan
Published: April 2023

Natural processes, ranging from blood transport to planetary formation, are strongly influenced by particle collisions induced by background turbulence. While inertial clustering and particle pair relative velocity are recognized as the main collision enhancement factors, their physical coupling is poorly understood. In this experimental study, we measure clustering and relative velocity in a polydisperse droplet field with background air turbulence, to directly demonstrate the physical coupling between these collision enhancement factors. This coupling is shown to cause an inverse relation between clustering and relative velocity in the mean-flow–dominated turbulent flow we study, thus suppressing the intuitive effect of an increase in droplet collision rate with background air turbulence. Turbulence modulation due to clustering, and the resultant reduction of caustic droplet pairs with large relative velocities, are found to be the key physical mechanisms, and should be a consideration in droplet collision rate estimates in warm rain initiation.
Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Sheth Sunil A.
Published: April 2023

OBJECTIVE

Endovascular stroke therapy has greatly improved the ability to treat the deadliest and most disabling form of acute ischemic stroke. This article summarizes some of the recent innovations in this field and discusses likely future developments.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

At present, there is robust activity to improve all facets of care for patients with large vessel occlusion stroke, including better prehospital routing, more efficient in-hospital screening, expanding indications for thrombectomy eligibility, innovating novel thrombectomy devices, and improving the effects of recanalization on clinical outcomes. In addition, the integration of endovascular stroke therapy (EVT)—an emergent and frequently off-hours procedure that requires a specialized team of nurses, technologists, and physicians—into acute stroke care has transformed referral patterns, hospital accreditation pathways, and physician practices. The eligibility for the procedure will potentially continue to grow to include patients screened without advanced imaging, larger core infarcts, and more distal occlusions.

ESSENTIAL POINTS

In this review, we discuss the current state of EVT and its implications for practice, and present three cases that highlight some of the directions in which the field is moving.
Targeting Accuracy of the Leksell Vantage Stereotactic System for Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery: A Retrospective Review
Authors: Phillips Katharine R. , Mackel Charles E. , Alterman Ron L.
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND:

Compared with the Leksell G frame, the new Leksell Vantage stereotactic headframe offers many benefits during deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures.

OBJECTIVE:

To define the “real-world” targeting accuracy of the Vantage frame for performing DBS lead implants.

METHODS:

Retrospective review of all patients who underwent DBS using the Vantage frame with our surgeon between July 2021 and May 2022. Target and actual coordinates of implanted DBS leads were determined in BrainLab.

RESULTS:

Thirty-three electrode trajectories (17 left-sided, 16 right-sided) were included. On the right, actual electrode placement was, on average, 0.95 mm more medial, 1.06 mm more posterior, and 0.55 mm more superior compared with planned trajectories. The vector error was 1.93 ± 0.91 mm. On the left, actual electrode placement was 0.49 mm more lateral, 0.66 mm more posterior, and 0.67 mm more superior than planned trajectories. The vector error was 1.68 ± 0.66 mm. After excluding all electrodes that were repositioned after microelectrode recording and/or test stimulation, right-sided electrodes (n = 10) were 0.88 mm more medial, 0.94 mm more posterior, and 0.76 mm more superior than planned trajectories. The vector error was 1.74 ± 1.01 mm. Left-sided electrodes (n = 14) were 0.49 mm more lateral, 0.63 mm more posterior, and 0.49 mm more superior than planned trajectories. The vector error was 1.62 ± 0.68 mm.

CONCLUSION:

This study demonstrated the accuracy of the Leksell Vantage frame in comparison with the traditional Leksell G frame.
A Modified Technique for Interventional MRI-Guided Deep Brain Stimulation Using the ClearPoint System
Authors: Harland Tessa A. , Brougham Jared , Gupta Shruti , Strahan Jessica , Hefner Matthew , Wilden Jessica
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND:

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is increasingly performed using imaging-based techniques, which are rapidly evolving to minimize invasiveness and use limited resources efficiently.

OBJECTIVE:

To describe a modified surgical technique for interventional MRI-guided stereotactic procedures using ClearPoint.

METHODS:

A total of 160 consecutive DBS cases for Parkinson disease (48%), essential tremor (44%), dual essential tremor/Parkinson disease (3%), and dystonia (5%) were studied. Technique modifications included (1) preplanning the target/trajectory, (2) adoption of a smaller incision and new stereotactic frame, (3) changing the sequence of surgical steps, aiming to final target PRIOR to drilling, (4) reducing burr hole size, (5) minimizing dural opening, and (6) anchoring leads with a bio cement/plate combination in lieu of commercial devices. Demographic data, radial error, number of passes, and case time were prospectively collected while complications and clinical outcomes were retrospectively assessed.

RESULTS:

One hundred and forty seven DBS patients had 262 total leads placed. Average radial error was 0.41 mm bilaterally. Seventy nine leads had error <0.2 mm; 6 leads had error >1 mm. Pin-to-stylet insertion time, pin-to-frame removal time, and pin-to-room departure time were 2 hours 1 minute, 2 hours 48 minutes, and 3 hours 16 minutes, respectively, and were significantly shorter than those obtained with the original ClearPoint technique for our first 150 DBS cases (P < .0001). Complications included infection with hardware removal (2.5%) and superficial hemorrhage without permanent neurological sequelae (1.9%).

CONCLUSION:

The modified ClearPoint technique maintains accuracy while reducing invasiveness and MRI time. This workflow can be expanded to other applications, including laser interstitial thermal therapy and gene delivery.
Molecular basis of Climp63-mediated ER lumen spacing
Authors: Xu Lu , Xiang Yun , Hu Junjie
Published: April 2023

The width of cisternal structures in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is maintained by the ER-resident protein Climp63 (also known as CKAP4). Self-association of the Climp63 luminal domain (LD), even though moderate, plays a key role in shaping ER sheets. However, the molecular basis of luminal spacing remains elusive. Here, we analyzed the homotypic interactions of the Climp63 LD using deep learning-predicted structures. The LD is highly α-helical, with a flexible leading helix followed by a five-helix bundle (5HB). Charge-based trans associations were formed between the tip of the 5HB and the C-terminus of the LD, consistent with generating a width of ∼50 nm for ER sheets. The leading helix of the LD was dispensable for homotypic interactions but packing of the 5HB regulated self-association. The density of Climp63, likely reflecting the strength of cis interactions, influenced the ER width, which was maintained by trans interactions. These results indicate that a general principle in maintaining membrane tethering is multi-modular self-association.
SL METAVERSE: MEDIA ANTHROPOLOGY
Authors: Serra Navarro David
Published: April 2023

The metaverse that Neal Stephenson conceptualized in Snow Crash is much the same as the one that has evolved in recent years to accommodate networked virtual platforms. In anthropology these spaces are known as meta-places: a remix of information. Proposals like Second Life (SL), Fortnite or The Sims are already a name in the history of virtual universes, while worlds like The Sandbox, Decentraland or Axie exemplify contemporary decentralized organizations through their blockchain technology. The following contribution of ethnographic graphic story, experiential captures of virtual non-places, wants to document processes of appearance and disappearance through the image. Meanings, symbolisms, self-referentialities, ephemeral landscapes, mimesis of realities, dystopias or info-communicational disfigurements are some of the realities that hide behind each virtual creation or virtual island. Capturing these experiences in the first person over these years means approaching the logic and synergies of these meta-places. Specifically, the visual material shown is linked to the virtual world of Second Life. This metaverse constitutes one of the platforms most explored by the author, and currently retains its interaction design devised in 2003. Possibly Second Life, and its virtual peripheries, have given life to the burbclaves (isolated sites) and their social niches that Stephenson described to us, but also to a way of understanding the world inside and outside the interface.
PARTICIPATORY ACTIONS, PARTICIPATORY ART, AND RURAL LIFE IN THE POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY OF ASPROPYRGOS
Authors: Bouriti Emilia
Published: April 2023

The portfolio is a presentation of research and artistic practice used by the artist based on the role of participatory art in her collaboration with the rural Arvanitic community of the post-industrial city of Aspropyrgos. A Greek city located 18 kilometres west of Athens. An example of artistic practice is presented in the international interdisciplinary program "Amoli - Art and Culture: a collective project in the rural, post-industrial, multicultural community of Aspropyrgos" (the word 'Amoli' means to the farmers of Aspropyrgos the water through that irrigates the agricultural crops). The program is implemented in Aspropyrgos, a historically rural town, which went through a violent industrial development and is now going through its post-industrial phase, while the intense migration flow shaped the city's multicultural physiognomy. The portfolio presents the participatory actions of a diverse audience involved in the creation of the artistic work consisting of narratives, participation in agricultural work, participatory meals, walking routes, as well as holistic educational actions since the participants, despite belonging to different social groups, learn and collectively gets trained in the above mentioned actions. The above provides food for the creation of interdisciplinary visual works that are presented in rural areas, turning them into modern art spaces and bringing out questions that concern the international community, indicatively such as the value of arable land and food, the link of modern man with nature, the preservation of the cultural heritage of rural communities, the future of spoken languages. The Amoli international program through the practice of participatory art creates projects that respond to the above needs.
CLAY – A VEHICLE OF MEMORY
Authors: Basarab Vlad
Published: April 2023

Through my ceramic work and my experience in working with clay in various parts of the world, I look at how clay and ceramics have been forms of communication and are means of transmitting memory. I found in clay’s geologic transformations and in the human interventions it underwent, a metaphor to comment on both fragility and permanence of the human condition, as well as on the different perceptions of time and memory. Giving form out of clay is like writing, composing new meaning from a large database, yet it is empowering when you dig your own clay to know that you are the first human to touch it and are free to make anything you want out of it. My aim for the artwork that I produce is to generate a thought process in regards to how memory is transmitted and oftentimes altered, how accurate information is in general.
Transformation of the Education System as a Driver of Digitalization of the National Economy
Authors: Mahmudova Muhabbat
Published: April 2023

Purpose: analysis of changes in the Russian education system taking into account the requirements of the modern labor market in the conditions of digitalization.

Methods: generalization, abstraction and analysis of theoretical and practical factors of the digital economy that form the requirements of employers.

Results: Changes related to the use of digital technologies require new knowledge and competencies from a person. This will lead to the transformation of all models and formats of training: training, retraining, internship, advanced training, additional education, etc. Conclusions: The state, by implementing large-scale and targeted projects, will contribute to the timely adaptation of education to new conditions, and public investments in human capital will make these investments effective and quickly recouped.