bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Perceptive Responses to 2 Combined Training Methods in Adolescents: A Crossover Study
Authors: de Faria Waynne Ferreira , Camargo Corrêa Renan , Mendonça Filipe Rodrigues , Krinski Kleverton , Stabelini Neto Antonio
Published: February 2022

Objective: To compare the acute perceptive responses of different combined training methods in adolescents. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 50 adolescents, insufficiently active, aged between 14 and 18 years (58% female). The adolescents performed 2 sessions in a randomized order: moderate-intensity continuous training + resistance training (MICT + RT) and high-intensity interval training + resistance training (HIIT + RT). The rating of perceived exertion, affect, and satisfaction were measured by self-report in 5 moments during the combined training (HIIT or MICT—moments 1, 2, and 3; RT—moments 4 and 5) and 10 minutes after the end of the session. Results: During HIIT, adolescents reported higher values of rating of perceived exertion compared to the MICT session at moments 2 and 3 in both sexes (P < .05). In addition, at moments 2 and 3 of the HIIT session, female participants were reported to have a higher value of satisfaction compared to MICT (F = 3.953; P = .005; η2 = .067). Conclusion: During the execution of both HIIT + RT and MICT + RT protocols, adolescents showed an increase in the values of pleasure and satisfaction, regardless of sex.
Genomic Analysis of the Unusual Staphylococcus aureus ST630 Isolates Harboring WTA Glycosyltransferase Genes
tarM
and
tagN
Authors: Xiong Mengyuan , Chen Liangjun , Zhao Jin , Xiao Xiao , Zhou Junying , Fang Fang , Li Xinwei , Pan Yunbao , Li Yirong
Published: February 2022

The structure of wall-anchored glycopolymers wall teichoic acid (WTA) produced by most Gram-positive bacteria is highly variable. While most dominant
Staphylococcus aureus
lineages produce poly-ribitol-phosphate (RboP) WTA, the
tagN, tarM
-encoding ST630 lineage probably has a poly-glycerol-phosphate (GroP) WTA backbone like coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS).
Combined Prospective Seroconversion and PCR Data of Selected Cohorts Indicate a High Rate of Subclinical SARS-CoV-2 Infections—an Open Observational Study in Lower Saxony, Germany
Authors: Jonczyk Rebecca , Stanislawski Nils , Seiler Lisa K. , Blume Holger , Heiden Stefanie , Lucas Henning , Sarikouch Samir , Pott Philipp-Cornelius , Stiesch Meike , Hauß Corinna , Saletti Giulietta , González-Hernández Mariana , Kaiser Franziska Karola , Rimmelzwaan Guus , Osterhaus Albert , Blume Cornelia
Published: February 2022

Within this open observational study, repeated PCR (
n
 > 4,700) and antibody screening (
n
 > 1,600) tests were offered in three different working fields. The study identified 51 subjects with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and 37 subjects reported to have had a positive PCR test taken externally.
Isolation and Characterization of Novel Lytic Phages Infecting Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli
Authors: Vera-Mansilla Javiera , Sánchez Patricio , Silva-Valenzuela Cecilia A. , Molina-Quiroz Roberto C.
Published: February 2022

Urinary tract infections affect approximately 150 million people annually. The current antibiotic resistance crisis demands the development of novel therapeutic alternatives.
Characterization of Amino Acid Substitution W20S in MgrB Involved in Polymyxin Resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Roch Mélanie , Martins Willames M. B. S. , Sierra Roberto , Gales Ana C. , Andrey Diego O.
Published: February 2022

Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are designated critical pathogens by the World Health Organization. Polymyxins (i.e., polymyxin B and colistin) are last-resort antibiotics and particularly useful against these multidrug-resistant bacteria.
Sewage Promotes Vibrio vulnificus Growth and Alters Gene Transcription in Vibrio vulnificus CMCP6
Authors: Conrad James W. , Harwood Valerie J.
Published: February 2022

Vibrio vulnificus
infections have profound impacts such as limb amputation and death for individuals with predisposing conditions. The warming climate is contributing to rising
V. vulnificus
prevalence in waters that were previously too cold to support high levels of the pathogen.
Effects of Waterlogging on Soybean Rhizosphere Bacterial Community Using V4, LoopSeq, and PacBio 16S rRNA Sequence
Authors: Yu Taobing , Cheng Lang , Liu Qi , Wang Shasha , Zhou Yuan , Zhong Hongbin , Tang Meifang , Nian Hai , Lian Tengxiang
Published: February 2022

Soybeans are important oil-bearing crops, and waterlogging has caused substantial decreases in soybean production all over the world. The microbes associated with the host have shown the ability to promote plant growth, nutrient absorption, and abiotic resistance.
Density Analysis of Enterovirus D68 Shows Viral Particles Can Associate with Exosomes
Authors: Rudy Michael J. , Coughlan Christina , Hixon Alison M. , Clarke Penny , Tyler Kenneth L.
Published: February 2022

Despite the strong causal link between enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) and acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), it remains unclear how EV-D68 gains entry into the central nervous system and what receptors enable it to infect motor neurons. We show that EV-D68 particles can adhere to exosomes, placing EV-D68 among a handful of other picornaviruses which are known to interact with extracellular vesicles.
The newly discovered ca. 1.35 Ga metamafic rocks in the Oulongbuluke Block, NW China, and its record for transition from the Columbia to Rodinia supercontinent
Authors: Lv Pei , Yu Shengyao , Peng Yinbiao , Li Sanzhong , Liu Yongjiang , Wang Chunyu , Sun Deyou , Jiang Xingzhou , Gao Xiangyu , Ji Wentao , Li Chuanzhi
Published: February 2022

The Oulongbuluke Block is an integral part of the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents, but the lack of rock records from the transitional period between the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents during the mid–late Mesoproterozoic has impeded our understanding of the tectonic relationship of the Oulongbuluke Block, which lies between the Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents. In this contribution, we present a systematic petrographic, geochemical, and zircon U-Pb-Hf investigation of newly discovered metamafic rocks in the Oulongbuluke Block. The results show that the metamafic rocks have a protolith age of ca. 1.35 Ga and an arcrelated metamorphic age of ca. 1.11–1.09 Ga. The metamafic rock samples are geochemically characterized by relatively high FeOT/MgO and FeOT and low SiO2, MgO, and K2O + Na2O, which shows tholeiitic affinity. These metamafic rocks exhibit slight light rare earth element (LREE) depletion and flat heavy rare earth element (HREE) content with no obvious Eu anomalies and slightly negative Nb, Sr, and Zr anomalies. These conditions are similar to those of enriched midoceanic-ridge basalt (E-MORB) and normal mid-oceanic-ridge basalt (N-MORB). The metamorphic rocks studied also have positive zircon εHf(t) values (2.96–7.04). Hence, the protoliths of the metamafic rocks may have been produced by variable degrees of melting of spinel-phase lherzolite mantle in a mid-oceanic ridge setting that was probably induced by a mantle plume. The presence of metamafic rocks indicates that the Oulongbuluke Block experienced the final breakup of the Columbia supercontinent at ca. 1.35 Ga, and the ca. 1.11–1.09 Ga arc-related metamorphism coincided with the convergence of the Rodinia supercontinent. The tectonic setting of the Oulongbuluke Block changed from a mid-oceanic ridge setting to an arc setting during the mid–late Mesoproterozoic, which was likely a response to the transition from the Columbia supercontinent to Rodinia supercontinent.
Evidence supporting safe diagnosis of coeliac disease in children with antitissue transglutaminase titre ≥5 times upper limit of normal
Authors: Paul Siba Prosad , Raja Daniyal Isam , Sandhu Bhupinder Kaur , Rao Srinivasa R , Spray Christine H , Wiskin Anthony Edward , Selvarajan Lakshmipriya , Volonaki Eleni , Ramani Pramila , Tashtoush Lina Bourhan , Basude Dharamveer
Published: February 2022

Objective

European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) guidelines on coeliac disease (CD) recommend that children who have IgA-based antitissue transglutaminase (TGA-IgA) titre ≥10× upper limit of normal (ULN) and positive antiendomysial antibody, can be reliably diagnosed with CD via the no-biopsy pathway. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN and histologically confirmed diagnosis of CD.

Methods

Data including TGA-IgA levels at upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and histological findings from children diagnosed with CD following endoscopy from 2006 to 2021 were analysed. CD was confirmed by Marsh-Oberhuber histological grading 2 to 3 c. Statistical analysis was performed using χ² analysis (p<0.05= significant).

Results

722 of 758 children had histological confirmation of CD. 457 children had TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN and 455 (99.5%) of these had histological confirmation for CD; the two that did not had eventual diagnosis of CD based on clinicopathological features. 114 of 457 had between TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN and <10×ULN, all had confirmed CD. The likelihood of a positive biopsy with TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN (455/457) compared with TGA-IgA <5×ULN (267/301) has strong statistical significance (p<0.00001). The optimal TGA-IgA cut-off from receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was determined to be below 5×ULN for the two assays used.

Conclusion

99.5% of children with TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN had histological confirmation of CD, suggesting that CD diagnosis can be made securely in children with TGA-IgA ≥5×ULN. If other studies confirm this finding, there is a case to be made to modify the ESPGHAN guidelines to a lower threshold of TGA-IgA for serological diagnosis of CD.
Epidemiology and mapping of child road casualties
Authors: Smith Alexandra Celeste , Jones Sarah J , Hanna David
Published: February 2022

Background

Paediatric trauma following road traffic collisions (RTCs) represents a significant public health burden. This study aims to influence road safety in Wales.

Methods

Police (STATS19) and healthcare databases covering all or part of Wales were analysed, compared and mapped from 2017 to 2019 for RTCs involving children aged 0–16 years.

Results

STATS19 under-reports RTCs, recording 1859 road traffic injuries (RTIs) for all Wales compared with 1170 RTIs at one tertiary hospital in South East Wales. Boys aged 11–16 years had the highest injury rates (92.2 per 100 000 population). Injuries peaked at school journey times. The rate ratio of injury was 2.0 (95% CI 1.7 to 2.4) for the most deprived compared with the least deprived areas.

Conclusion

Improvements in data quality are essential to influence road policy. Improved road safety is needed in all communities but must be further enhanced in the most deprived areas, where the burden of injury is highest.
Mortality among US veterans after emergency visits to Veterans Affairs and other hospitals: retrospective cohort study
Authors: Chan David C , Danesh Kaveh , Costantini Sydney , Card David , Taylor Lowell , Studdert David M
Published: February 2022

Objective

To measure and compare mortality outcomes between dually eligible veterans transported by ambulance to a Veterans Affairs hospital and those transported to a non-Veterans Affairs hospital.

Design

Retrospective cohort study using data from medical charts and administrative files.

Setting

Emergency visits by ambulance to 140 Veteran Affairs and 2622 non-Veteran Affairs hospitals across 46 US states and the District of Columbia in 2001-18.

Participants

National cohort of 583 248 veterans (aged ≥65 years) enrolled in both the Veterans Health Administration and Medicare programs, who resided within 20 miles of at least one Veterans Affairs hospital and at least one non-Veterans Affairs hospital, in areas where ambulances regularly transported patients to both types of hospitals.

Intervention

Emergency treatment at a Veterans Affairs hospital.

Main outcome measure

Deaths in the 30 day period after the ambulance ride. Linear probability models of mortality were used, with adjustment for patients’ demographic characteristics, residential zip codes, comorbid conditions, and other variables.

Results

Of 1 470 157 ambulance rides, 231 611 (15.8%) went to Veterans Affairs hospitals and 1 238 546 (84.2%) went to non-Veterans Affairs hospitals. The adjusted mortality rate at 30 days was 20.1% lower among patients taken to Veterans Affairs hospitals than among patients taken to non-Veterans Affairs hospitals (9.32 deaths per 100 patients (95% confidence interval 9.15 to 9.50)v11.67 (11.58 to 11.76)). The mortality advantage associated with Veterans Affairs hospitals was particularly large for patients who were black (−25.8%), were Hispanic (−22.7%), and had received care at the same hospital in the previous year.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that within a month of being treated with emergency care at Veterans Affairs hospitals, dually eligible veterans had substantially lower risk of death than those treated at non-Veterans Affairs hospitals. The nature of this mortality advantage warrants further investigation, as does its generalizability to other types of patients and care. Nonetheless, the finding is relevant to assessments of the merit of policies that encourage private healthcare alternatives for veterans.
A mixed-methods study of maternal health care utilisation in six referral hospitals in four sub-Saharan African countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Banke-Thomas Aduragbemi , Semaan Aline , Amongin Dinah , Babah Ochuwa , Dioubate Nafissatou , Kikula Amani , Nakubulwa Sarah , Ogein Olubunmi , Adroma Moses , Anzo Adiga William , Diallo Abdourahmane , Diallo Lamine , Cellou Diallo Mamadou , Maomou Cécé , Mtinangi Nathanael , Sy Telly , Delvaux Therese , Afolabi Bosede Bukola , Delamou Alexandre , Nakimuli Annettee , Pembe Andrea Barnabas , Benova Lenka
Published: February 2022

Introduction

In sub-Saharan Africa, referral hospitals are important sources of key maternal health services, especially during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study prospectively assessed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health service utilisation in six large referral hospitals in Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda during the first year of the pandemic.

Methods

Mixed-methods design combining three data sources: (1) quantitative data based on routine antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care data collected March 2019–February 2021, (2) qualitative data from recurring rounds of semi-structured interviews conducted July 2020–February 2021 with 22 maternity skilled heath personnel exploring their perceptions of service utilisation and (3) timeline data of COVID-19 epidemiology, global, national and hospital-level events. Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed separately, framed based on the timeline analysis and triangulated when reporting.

Results

Three periods including a first wave, slow period and second wave were identified. Maternal health service utilisation was lower during the pandemic compared with the prepandemic year in all but one selected referral hospital. During the pandemic, service utilisation was particularly lower during the waves and higher or stable during the slow period. Fear of being infected in hospitals, lack of transportation, and even when available, high cost of transportation and service closures were key reasons affecting utilisation during the waves. However, community perception that the pandemic was over or insinuation by Government of the same appeared to stabilise use of referral hospitals for childbirth.

Conclusion

Utilisation of maternal health services across the continuum of care varied through the different periods and across countries. In crisis situations such as COVID-19, restrictions and service closures need to be implemented with consideration given to alternative options for women to access and use services. Information on measures put in place for safe hospital use should be communicated to women.
Barriers and facilitators to adopting horizon scanning to identify novel integrated care models: a qualitative interview study
Authors: Nuth Waggestad-Stoa Malin , Traina Gloria , Feiring Eli
Published: February 2022

Objectives

Horizon scanning methodologies are employed in healthcare to identify and prioritise innovations at the early stages of development processes. To date, horizon scanning has been predominantly applied to early awareness systems of health technologies to facilitate healthcare planning. Still, horizon scanning methodologies may also be relevant for identifying novel healthcare delivery models and interventions. This study aimed to examine perceptions of determinants for adopting horizon scanning in the context of the development of integrated care models.

Methods

Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted between March and May 2021. The interviewees (n=10) were participants in innovation projects in the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority. Data were analysed thematically with the aid of a predefined framework adapted from behavioural change theory.

Results

Determinants of adopting horizon scanning were reported at the individual, organisational and wider institutional levels. Seven domains were perceived to enable or hinder stakeholders’ potential use of horizon scanning: knowledge of structured reviews, skills to perform horizon scanning, beliefs about consequences (validity and reliability of information, outcomes of filtering and priority setting, stakeholder involvement), beliefs about capabilities (technical skills, knowledge of roles and professional identities, organisational regulations), emotions (positivity, engagement, change fatigue), organisational resources (professional library, time, management support), context (complexity of ‘integrated care’, professional hierarchies, legal and political regulations).

Conclusions

This study provides novel insights into potential determinants for adopting horizon scanning to identify, assess and prioritise innovative integrated care models. The findings may assist organisations considering using horizon scanning and inform strategies to mitigate barriers and promote facilitators.
Reference equations for pulmonary diffusing capacity using segmented regression show similar predictive accuracy as GAMLSS models
Authors: Zavorsky Gerald Stanley , Cao Jiguo
Published: February 2022

Purpose

To determine whether generalised additive models of location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) developed for pulmonary diffusing capacity are superior to segmented (piecewise) regression models, and to update reference equations for pulmonary diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and nitric oxide (DLNO), which may be affected by the equipment used for its measurement.

Methods

Data were pooled from five studies that developed reference equations for DLCO and DLNO (n=530 F/546 M; 5–95 years old, body mass index 12.4–39.0 kg/m2). Reference equations were created for DLCO and DLNO using both GAMLSS and segmented linear regression. Cross-validation was applied to compare the prediction accuracy of the two models as follows: 80% of the pooled data were used to create the equations, and the remaining 20% was used to examine the fit. This was repeated 100 times. Then, the root-mean-square error was compared between both models.

Results

In males, GAMLSS models were 7% worse to 3% better compared to segmented regression for DLCO and DLNO. In females, GAMLSS models were 2% worse to 5% better compared to segmented linear regression for DLCO and DLNO. The Hyp'Air Compact measured DLNO and alveolar volume (VA) that was approximately 16–20 mL/min/mm Hg and 0.2–0.4 L higher, respectively, compared to the Jaeger MasterScreen Pro. The measured DLCO was similar between devices after controlling for altitude.

Conclusions

For the development of pulmonary function reference equations, we propose that segmented linear regression can be used instead of GAMLSS due to its simplicity, especially when the predictive accuracy is similar between the two models, overall.
Towards codesign in respiratory care: development of an implementation-ready intervention to improve guideline-adherent adult asthma care across primary and secondary care settings (The SENTINEL Project)
Authors: Crowther Lucia , Pearson Mark , Cummings Helena , Crooks Michael George
Published: February 2022

Short-acting beta agonist (SABA) overuse (≥3 canisters annually) is associated with worse asthma outcomes and accounts for the majority of greenhouse gas emissions from asthma inhalers in England. Reducing SABA overuse aligns with the National Health Service long-term plan to optimise asthma treatment while minimising environmental impact, but adoption of local asthma guidelines for a SABA-free maintenance and reliever therapy strategy for step 3 asthma patients is limited. In thisPerspective,we describe patient and staff involvement in a codesign process adapted from experience-based codesign (EBCD) principles to develop an implementation-ready intervention within a practice-relevant timescale.

The codesigned intervention consists of five pillars: healthcare professional education; implementation of ‘gold standard’ prescribing practices; targeted asthma reviews; patient education and support; and real-time data monitoring and reporting of asthma care metrics. The codesign process contributed to all pillars and, by identifying potential individual and organisational barriers to implementation, enabled the development of plans to address these barriers.

In thisPerspective,we reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of our codesign process, outline how EBCD principles can be used in respiratory research and propose actions for patients, health professionals, researchers and funders to develop the potential of EBCD in respiratory research.
Clinical evaluation questionnaire in advanced cancer: a psychometric study of a novel measure of healthcare provider interactions
Authors: de Vries Froukje E , Mah Kenneth , Malfitano Carmine , Shapiro Gilla K , Zimmermann Camilla , Hales Sarah , Rodin Gary
Published: February 2022

Objectives

The Clinical Evaluation Questionnaire (CEQ) is a patient-reported experience measure (PREM) that assesses the perceived benefit of therapeutic interactions of patients with advanced cancer with their healthcare providers concerning issues relevant to their illness. It was developed for a randomised controlled trial of Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM), a brief supportive-expressive therapy for patients with advanced cancer. The present study evaluates the preliminary psychometric properties of the CEQ.

Method

Patients in the CALM and usual care groups completed the CEQ 3 (n=195) and 6 (n=186) months after randomisation. The CEQ’s internal consistency, factor structure and concurrent validity were evaluated, and CEQ scores in the treatment groups were compared.

Results

The CEQ demonstrated high internal consistency for both treatment arms (Cronbach’s α=0.94 to 0.95), and a single factor was consistently found in exploratory factor analyses. CEQ scores correlated significantly with satisfaction with the relationship with healthcare providers (r=0.23 to 0.61, p≤0.02) and life completion (r=0.24 to 0.37, p≤0.02) in both groups and with spiritual well-being in the CALM group (meaning: r=0.23 to 0.24, p=0.01 to 0.02; faith: r=0.24 to 0.34, p=0.001 to 0.02). The CALM group showed higher CEQ total scores than usual care at 6 months (CALM: 18.19±6.59; usual care: 14.36±7.67, p<0.001).

Conclusions

The CEQ is a reliable and valid PREM of the benefit perceived by patients with advanced cancer from their interactions with healthcare providers. Further study is needed to establish its value as a measure of perceived intervention benefit across different clinical and research settings.
PD-L1 blockade liberates intrinsic antitumourigenic properties of glycolytic macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lu Li-Gong , Zhou Zhi-Ling , Wang Xu-Yan , Liu Bo-Yuan , Lu Jin-Ying , Liu Shuai , Zhang Guang-Bo , Zhan Mei-Xiao , Chen Yun
Published: February 2022

Objective

Patients with increased PD-L1+host cells in tumours are more potent to benefit from antiprogrammed death-1/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) treatment, but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. We aim to elucidate the nature, regulation and functional relevance of PD-L1+host cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Design

A total of untreated 184 HCC patients was enrolled randomly. C57BL/6 mice are given injection of Hepa1-6 cells to form autologous hepatoma. ELISpot, flow cytometry and real-time PCR are applied to analyse the phenotypic characteristics of PD-L1+cells isolated directly from HCC specimens paired with blood samples or generated from ex vivo and in vitro culture systems. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry are performed to detect the presence of immune cells on paraffin-embedded and formalin-fixed samples. The underlying regulatory mechanisms of metabolic switching are assessed by both in vitro and in vivo studies.

Results

We demonstrate that PD-L1+host macrophages, which constructively represent the major cellular source of PD-L1 in HCC tumours, display an HLA-DRhighCD86highglycolytic phenotype, significantly produce antitumourigenic IL-12p70 and are polarised by intrinsic glycolytic metabolism. Mechanistically, a key glycolytic enzyme PKM2 triggered by hepatoma cell derived fibronectin 1, via a HIF-1α-dependent manner, concurrently controls the antitumourigenic properties and inflammation-mediated PD-L1 expression in glycolytic macrophages. Importantly, although increased PKM2+glycolytic macrophages predict poor prognosis of patients, blocking PD-L1 on these cells eliminates PD-L1-dominant immunosuppression and liberates intrinsic antitumourigenic properties.

Conclusions

Selectively modulating the ‘context’ of glycolytic macrophages in HCC tumours might restore their antitumourigenic properties and provide a precise strategy for anticancer therapy.
CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in Waldenström macroglobulinemia: a preclinical model and initial clinical experience
Authors: Palomba M Lia , Qualls David , Monette Sebastien , Sethi Shenon , Dogan Ahmet , Roshal Mikhail , Senechal Brigitte , Wang Xiuyan , Rivière Isabelle , Sadelain Michel , Brentjens Renier J , Park Jae H , Smith Eric L
Published: February 2022

Background

Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) is an incurable disease and, while treatable, can develop resistance to available therapies and be fatal. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy directed against the CD19 antigen has demonstrated efficacy in relapsed or refractory B lymphoid malignancies, and is now approved for B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and certain B cell lymphomas. However, CAR T therapy has not been evaluated for use in WM.

Methods and results

We performed preclinical studies demonstrating CAR T cell activity against WM cells in vitro, and developed an in vivo murine model of WM which demonstrated prolonged survival with use of CAR T therapy. We then report the first three patients with multiply relapsed and refractory WM treated for their disease with CD19-directed CAR T cells on clinical trials. Treatment was well tolerated, and observed toxicities were consistent with those seen in CAR T treatment for other diseases, and no grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity events occurred. All three patients attained at least a clinical response to treatment, including one minimal residual disease-negative complete response, though all three eventually developed recurrent disease between 3 and 26 months after initial treatment.

Conclusions

This report summarizes preclinical and clinical activity of CD19-directed CAR T therapy in WM, demonstrating early tolerability and efficacy in patients with WM, and representing a possible treatment option in patients with heavily pretreated and relapsed or refractory WM. Larger studies evaluating CAR T therapy in WM are warranted, along with further evaluation into mechanisms of resistance to CAR T therapy.
Demographics, distribution and experiences of UK clinical academic trainees using GMC NTS Survey data
Authors: Beckwith Hannah , Selimi Valmir , Mussad Asya , Graham-Brown Matt , Knapton Andy , Irish Bill , Carr Sue
Published: February 2022

Involvement in research plays an integral role in the delivery of high-quality patient care, benefitting doctors, patients and employers. It is important that access to clinical academic training opportunities are inclusive and equitable. To better understand the academic trainee population, distribution of academic posts and their reported experience of clinical training, we analysed 53 477 anonymous responses from General Medical Council databases and the 2019 National Training Survey. Academic trainees are more likely to be men, and the gender divide begins prior to graduation. There are very low numbers of international medical graduates and less than full-time academic trainees. A small number of UK universities produce a greater prevalence of doctors successfully appointed to academic posts; subsequent academic training also clusters around these institutions. At more senior levels, academic trainees are significantly more likely to be of white ethnicity, although among UK graduates, no ethnicity differences were seen. Foundation academic trainees report a poorer experience of some aspects of their clinical training placements, with high workloads reported by all academic trainees. Our work highlights important disparities in the demographics of the UK clinical academic trainee population and raises concerns that certain groups of doctors face barriers accessing and progressing in UK academic training pathways.
Machine learning algorithm can provide assistance for the diagnosis of non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
Authors: Qin Lian , Qi Quan , Aikeliyaer Ainiwaer , Hou Wen Qing , Zuo Chang Xin , Ma Xiang
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Our aim was to use the constructed machine learning (ML) models as auxiliary diagnostic tools to improve the diagnostic accuracy of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Materials and methods

A total of 2878 patients were included in this retrospective study, including 1409 patients with NSTEMI and 1469 patients with unstable angina pectoris. The clinical and biochemical characteristics of the patients were used to construct the initial attribute set. SelectKBest algorithm was used to determine the most important features. A feature engineering method was applied to create new features correlated strongly to train ML models and obtain promising results. Based on the experimental dataset, the ML models of extreme gradient boosting, support vector machine, random forest, naïve Bayesian, gradient boosting machines and logistic regression were constructed. Each model was verified by test set data, and the diagnostic performance of each model was comprehensively evaluated.

Results

The six ML models based on the training set all play an auxiliary role in the diagnosis of NSTEMI. Although all models taken for comparison performed differences, the extreme gradient boosting ML model performed the best in terms of accuracy rate (0.95±0.014), precision rate (0.94±0.011), recall rate (0.98±0.003) and F-1 score (0.96±0.007) in NSTEMI.

Conclusions

The ML model constructed based on clinical data can be used as an auxiliary tool to improve the accuracy of NSTEMI diagnosis. According to our comprehensive evaluation, the performance of the extreme gradient boosting model was the best.
Estimation of the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil incorporating the film flow
Authors: Zhai Qian , Ye Weimin , Rahardjo Harianto , Satyanaga Alfrendo , Du Yanjun , Dai Guoliang , Zhao Xueliang
Published: February 2022

In the conventional method for the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil, only the capillary water is considered in the estimation. However, it is known that a water film can be formed around soil particles due to the adsorptive force. The water may migrate in the soil through the water film. As a result, both water flow in the capillary water and water film should be considered in the estimation. In this paper, a new equation was proposed for the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil by considering the film flow. The proposed method was verified with the experimental data from the literature. It is recommended that both capillary water flow and film flow should be considered in the estimation of the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soil.
Superposition-based approach to generating river bathymetry: A case study
Authors: Goswami Henish M. , Li S. Samuel
Published: February 2022

The accuracy of two- or three-dimensional hydraulic modelling of river flow depends significantly on a realistic description of river channel and floodplain geometries in the form of a continuous, seamless topobathymetry digital elevation model (TB-DEM). However, bathymetric information for most rivers is not available in ready-to-use digital data format. The existing methods of generating TB-DEMs require access to raw data and ground measurements to some extent. This study proposed a simple superposition-based approach, comprising geographic information system-based interpolation and geoprocessing techniques to generate a seamless elevation model using topography and bathymetry from secondary data sources, including crowdsourcing. TB-DEM was generated for the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River upstream of Montreal in Quebec. The upland topography was unaffected by the superpositioning process, whereas the interpolated bathymetry showed significant positive linear associations with the reference elevation data. The vertical accuracy of the bathymetry digital elevation model was 1.43 m in root-mean-squared error.
Impact of conservation tillage on runoff, soil loss, and soil properties on acrisols and ferralsols in central Benin
Authors: Akplo Tobi Moriaque , Alladassi Félix Kouelo , Zoundji Mahougnon Charlotte Carmelle , Avakoudjo Julien , Houngnandan Pascal , Dagbénonbakin Dieudonné Gustave , Saïdou Aliou , Benmansour Moncef , Fulajtar Emil , Amadji Guillaume Lucien , Azontondé Hessou Anastase , Assogbadjo Achille Ephrem , Kakaï Romain Glèlè
Published: February 2022

The present study is aimed at assessing the impact of different tillage practices and mulch input rates on soil erosion and soil properties in Central Benin. The experiment was carried out at two sites (Dan and Za-zounmè) using a randomized complete block design. The effect of three tillage practices: contour ridging (CR), slope ridging (SR), and no-tillage (NT) and four mulch input rates (0, 3, 5, and 7 t·ha−1) was investigated. The runoff, the soil, and nutrients losses were measured during the major rainy seasons of 2018 and 2019. Bulk density, gravimetric moisture, and water infiltration were collected in 2019. The effect of the interaction between tillage practices and mulch input rates was significant on runoff amount, runoff coefficient, soil loss, N, P, and K losses, and soil moisture. Over the investigated seasons, CR + 7M decreased runoff amount, runoff coefficient, soil loss, and N, P, and K losses by 100% compared to the treatments. NT was found to be effective in runoff and soil erosion controlling when combined with a mulch quantity greater than 3 t·ha−1, and NT + 5M and NT + 7M reduced the soil loss, respectively, by more than 30% compared to the farmer’s practice (SR + 0M) at both sites. Contour ridge treatments yielded more soil moisture than NT and slope ridge treatments. Whatever the tillage practice, the greatest gravimetric moisture was recorded on 5 and 7 t·ha−1 plots (i.e., CR + 7M, NT + 7M, and SR + 7M). This study provides decision makers with requisite information for effective soil erosion management in Benin where mechanization aids are limited.
Reconstructing the neutrino energy for in-ice radio detectors
Authors: Aguilar J. A. , Allison P. , Beatty J. J. , Bernhoff H. , Besson D. , Bingefors N. , Botner O. , Bouma S. , Buitink S. , Carter K. , Cataldo M. , Clark B. A. , Curtis-Ginsberg Z. , Connolly A. , Dasgupta P. , de Kockere S. , de Vries K. D. , Deaconu C. , DuVernois M. A. , Glaser C. , Hallgren A. , Hallmann S. , Hanson J. C. , Hendricks B. , Hokanson-Fasig B. , Hornhuber C. , Hughes K. , Karle A. , Kelley J. L. , Klein S. R. , Krebs R. , Lahmann R. , Latif U. , Meures T. , Meyers Z. S. , Mulrey K. , Nelles A. , Novikov A. , Oberla E. , Oeyen B. , Pandya H. , Plaisier I. , Pyras L. , Ryckbosch D. , Scholten O. , Seckel D. , Smith D. , Southall D. , Torres J. , Toscano S. , Tosi D. , Van Den Broeck D. J. , van Eijndhoven N. , Vieregg A. G. , Welling C. , Wissel S. , Young R. , Zink A.
Published: February 2022

Since summer 2021, the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) is searching for astrophysical neutrinos at energies $${>10}$$

>
10

 PeV by detecting the radio emission from particle showers in the ice around Summit Station, Greenland. We present an extensive simulation study that shows how RNO-G will be able to measure the energy of such particle cascades, which will in turn be used to estimate the energy of the incoming neutrino that caused them. The location of the neutrino interaction is determined using the differences in arrival times between channels and the electric field of the radio signal is reconstructed using a novel approach based on Information Field Theory. Based on these properties, the shower energy can be estimated. We show that this method can achieve an uncertainty of 13% on the logarithm of the shower energy after modest quality cuts and estimate how this can constrain the energy of the neutrino. The method presented in this paper is applicable to all similar radio neutrino detectors, such as the proposed radio array of IceCube-Gen2.
Deformed relativistic kinematics on curved spacetime: a geometric approach
Authors: Pfeifer Christian , Relancio José Javier
Published: February 2022

Deformed relativistic kinematics have been considered as a way to capture residual effects of quantum gravity. It has been shown that they can be understood geometrically in terms of a curved momentum space on a flat spacetime. In this article we present a systematic analysis under which conditions and how deformed relativistic kinematics, encoded in a momentum space metric on flat spacetime, can be lifted to curved spacetimes in terms of a self-consistent cotangent bundle geometry, which leads to purely geometric, geodesic motion of freely falling point particles. We comment how this construction is connected to, and offers a new perspective on, non-commutative spacetimes. From geometric consistency conditions we find that momentum space metrics can be consistently lifted to curved spacetimes if they either lead to a dispersion relation which is homogeneous in the momenta, or, if they satisfy a specific symmetry constraint. The latter is relevant for the momentum space metrics encoding the most studied deformed relativistic kinematics. For these, the constraint can only be satisfied in a momentum space basis in which the momentum space metric is invariant under linear local Lorentz transformations. We discuss how this result can be interpreted and the consequences of relaxing some conditions and principles of the construction from which we started.
The timescale of solid-state deformation in the Northern Adamello igneous intrusive suite
Authors: Mittempergher S. , Zanchetta S. , Caldiroli F. , Zanchi A. , Bistacchi A. , Hanchar J. M. , Villa I. M.
Published: February 2022

The Cenozoic Adamello batholith in the Southern Alps records solid-state deformation structures including, in order of decreasing relative age, cooling joints, shear zones and faults. In the present study we constrained age and duration of each phase with
40
Ar/
39
Ar geochronology. The host granodiorite, cooling joints, mylonites, pseudotachylytes and cataclasites were characterized through microstructural and mineralogical analysis, micro-computerized tomography and electron probe microanalysis. The dated K-bearing phases are (1) magmatic biotite, (2) biotite and K-feldspar in joints and mylonites, (3) pseudotachylytes and (4) hydrothermal K-feldspar in cataclasites. The wall-rock biotite has an age of 33.2 ± 0.2 Ma, independent of grain size, overlapping with the age of the cooling joints. Bulk biotite-rich mylonites have ages between 32.4 ± 0.5 and 30.8 ± 0.08 Ma. The K-feldspar cementing cataclasite has an age of 25.5 ± 1.1 Ma. Pseudotachylyte ages cluster between 29.8 ± 0.3 and 31.7 ± 3.1 Ma, with one of 25.6 ± 0.3 Ma. The resolvable difference in age between magmatic biotite and mylonites indicates that biotite is not a thermochronometer, as its age is mostly controlled by deformation and fluid–rock interactions.
40
Ar/
39
Ar dates mostly confirm the relative ages determined from field relationships, with mylonites active within a time window of 1.6 myr and subsequent seismic faulting occurring for almost 6 myr.

Supplementary material:
Full analytical data are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5838146

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Isotopic Dating of Deformation collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/isotopic-dating-of-deformation
From electromagnetic to sediment textural maps: an integrated approach to unravel the intra-point-bar variability of sediment properties
Authors: Bellizia Elena , Tognin Davide , Boaga Jacopo , Cassiani Giorgio , Leardi Riccardo , Finotello Alvise , D'Alpaos Andrea , Ghinassi Massimiliano
Published: February 2022

Sedimentary sand bodies that originated by the evolution of meandering channels such as point bars, host surficial aquifers, providing preferential pathways for groundwater flow in mud-dominated floodplains. These aquifers are a major source of freshwater, yet they can suffer from different environmental issues such as pollution and salt-water intrusion, which can critically damage agriculture and socio-economical activities. Understanding the internal architecture of point-bar bodies is essential to plan proper aquifer management and address environmental issues in coastal plains.

To provide a spatially extensive, cost-effective characterization of point-bar body architecture, this work proposes a multidisciplinary approach to investigate geophysical and sedimentological data through statistical analyses, with an application to two palaeo-meanders in the Venetian Plain, Italy. In this setting, point-bar deposits mainly consist of fine to coarse sand and display lower electromagnetic conductivity values compared to the surrounding muddy overbank deposits. Statistical multivariate analyses on sedimentological and geophysical properties overcome the qualitative direct dependence of electromagnetic conductivity on sediment grain size alone, highlighting a stronger relationship with sediment sorting. By calibrating this relationship on a reasonable number of samples representative of the different depositional bodies, this methodology finally provides maps of sediment textural properties at the meander scale.
GraphBLAST: A High-Performance Linear Algebra-based Graph Framework on the GPU
Authors: Yang Carl , Buluç Aydın , Owens John D.
Published: February 2022

High-performance implementations of graph algorithms are challenging to implement on new parallel hardware such as GPUs because of three challenges: (1) the difficulty of coming up with graph building blocks, (2) load imbalance on parallel hardware, and (3) graph problems having low arithmetic intensity. To address some of these challenges, GraphBLAS is an innovative, on-going effort by the graph analytics community to propose building blocks based on sparse linear algebra, which allow graph algorithms to be expressed in a performant, succinct, composable, and portable manner. In this paper, we examine the performance challenges of a linear-algebra-based approach to building graph frameworks and describe new design principles for overcoming these bottlenecks. Among the new design principles is
exploiting input sparsity
, which allows users to write graph algorithms without specifying push and pull direction.
Exploiting output sparsity
allows users to tell the backend which values of the output in a single vectorized computation they do not want computed.
Load-balancing
is an important feature for balancing work amongst parallel workers. We describe the important load-balancing features for handling graphs with different characteristics. The design principles described in this paper have been implemented in “GraphBLAST”, the first high-performance linear algebra-based graph framework on NVIDIA GPUs that is open-source. The results show that on a single GPU, GraphBLAST has on average at least an order of magnitude speedup over previous GraphBLAS implementations SuiteSparse and GBTL, comparable performance to the fastest GPU hardwired primitives and shared-memory graph frameworks Ligra and Gunrock, and better performance than any other GPU graph framework, while offering a simpler and more concise programming model.
Learning from Temporal Spatial Cubism for Cross-Dataset Skeleton-based Action Recognition
Authors: Tang Yansong , Liu Xingyu , Yu Xumin , Zhang Danyang , Lu Jiwen , Zhou Jie
Published: February 2022

Rapid progress and superior performance have been achieved for skeleton-based action recognition recently. In this article, we investigate this problem under a cross-dataset setting, which is a new, pragmatic, and challenging task in real-world scenarios. Following the unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) paradigm, the action labels are only available on a source dataset, but unavailable on a target dataset in the training stage. Different from the conventional adversarial learning-based approaches for UDA, we utilize a self-supervision scheme to reduce the domain shift between two skeleton-based action datasets. Our inspiration is drawn from Cubism, an art genre from the early 20th century, which breaks and reassembles the objects to convey a greater context. By segmenting and permuting temporal segments or human body parts, we design two self-supervised learning classification tasks to explore the temporal and spatial dependency of a skeleton-based action and improve the generalization ability of the model. We conduct experiments on six datasets for skeleton-based action recognition, including three large-scale datasets (NTU RGB+D, PKU-MMD, and Kinetics) where new cross-dataset settings and benchmarks are established. Extensive results demonstrate that our method outperforms state-of-the-art approaches. The source codes of our model and all the compared methods are available at https://github.com/shanice-l/st-cubism.