bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promoting physician-patient language concordance in undergraduate medical education: a peer assisted learning approach
Authors: Ismaiel Sawsan , AlGhafari Dana , Ibrahim Halah
Published: January 2023

Background

Verbal communication plays an important role in the patient-physician relationship. Research shows that language concordance, when a healthcare professional communicates fluently in the patient’s preferred language, contributes to patient satisfaction and improves healthcare outcomes. Yet, many medical schools worldwide, including most institutions in the Arab world, use English as the language of instruction. As a result, students lack confidence and feel unprepared to communicate effectively with the local population. This manuscript describes the development, implementation and early perceptions of an Arabic language program for medical students in the United Arab Emirates.

Methods

In 2020, the learning communities at Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences launched a pilot program implementing a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) framework to teach Arabic medical terminology and language to both native and non-native Arabic speaking medical students. A web-based survey was administered to the first two cohorts of students to assess satisfaction with the classes and the program’s impact on students’ communication skills during clinical encounters.

Results

Early perceptions of the program were very positive, with 43/48 students (89.6%) reporting that they used the information during home visits and clinical rotations, and 42 students (87.5%) admitting that the classes made them feel more comfortable in communicating with the Arabic speaking local patient population.

Conclusion

This paper explores a new educational approach to address the challenge of language barriers in healthcare. A feasible, low cost program using peer assisted learning can improve students’ comfort in communicating with patients in the local language.
Randomized, open-label, phase 2a study to evaluate the contribution of artefenomel to the clinical and parasiticidal activity of artefenomel plus ferroquine in African patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Authors: Gansane Adama , Lingani Moussa , Yeka Adoke , Nahum Alain , Bouyou-Akotet Marielle , Mombo-Ngoma Ghyslain , Kaguthi Grace , Barceló Catalina , Laurijssens Bart , Cantalloube Cathy , Macintyre Fiona , Djeriou Elhadj , Jessel Andreas , Bejuit Raphaël , Demarest Helen , Marrast Anne Claire , Debe Siaka , Tinto Halidou , Kibuuka Afizi , Nahum Diolinda , Mawili-Mboumba Denise Patricia , Zoleko-Manego Rella , Mugenya Irene , Olewe Frederick , Duparc Stephan , Ogutu Bernhards
Published: January 2023

Background

The contribution of artefenomel to the clinical and parasiticidal activity of ferroquine and artefenomel in combination in uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria was investigated.

Methods

This Phase 2a, randomized, open-label, parallel-group study was conducted from 11th September 2018 to 6th November 2019 across seven centres in Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Kenya, and Uganda. Patients aged ≥ 14–69 years with microscopically confirmed infection (≥ 3000 to ≤ 50,000 parasites/µL blood) were randomized 1:1:1:1 to 400 mg ferroquine, or 400 mg ferroquine plus artefenomel 300, 600, or 1000 mg, administered as a single oral dose. The primary efficacy analysis was a logistic regression evaluating the contribution of artefenomel exposure to Day 28 PCR-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR). Safety was also evaluated.

Results

The randomized population included 140 patients. For the primary analysis in the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic efficacy population (N = 121), the contribution of artefenomel AUC0–∞ to Day 28 PCR-adjusted ACPR was not demonstrated when accounting for ferroquine AUC0–d28, baseline parasitaemia, and other model covariates: odds ratio 1.1 (95% CI 0.98, 1.2; P = 0.245). In the per-protocol population, Day 28 PCR-adjusted ACPR was 80.8% (21/26; 95% CI 60.6, 93.4) with ferroquine alone and 90.3% (28/31; 95% CI 74.2, 98.0), 90.9% (30/33; 95% CI 75.7, 98.1) and 87.1% (27/31; 95% CI 70.2, 96.4) with 300, 600, and 1000 mg artefenomel, respectively. Median time to parasite clearance (Kaplan–Meier) was 56.1 h with ferroquine, more rapid with artefenomel, but similar for all doses (30.0 h). There were no deaths. Adverse events (AEs) of any cause occurred in 51.4% (18/35) of patients with ferroquine 400 mg alone, and 58.3% (21/36), 66.7% (24/36), and 72.7% (24/33) with 300, 600, and 1000 mg artefenomel, respectively. All AEs were of mild-to-moderate severity, and consistent with the known profiles of the compounds. Vomiting was the most reported AE. There were no cases of QTcF prolongation ≥ 500 ms or > 60 ms from baseline.

Conclusion

The contribution of artefenomel exposure to the clinical and parasitological activity of ferroquine/artefenomel could not be demonstrated in this study. Parasite clearance was faster with ferroquine/artefenomel versus ferroquine alone. All treatments were well tolerated.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03660839 (7 September, 2018).
Proteomic Analysis of Protective Effects of Dl-3-n-Butylphthalide against mpp + -Induced Toxicity via downregulating P53 pathway in N2A Cells
Authors: Zhao Yuan , Zhang Jian , Zhang Yidan , Li Shuyue , Gao Ya , Chang Cui , Liu Xiang , Xu Lei , Yang Guofeng
Published: January 2023

Background

Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) is an important medial therapy for acute ischemic stroke in China. Recent studied have revealed that NBP not only rescued the loss of dopaminergic neurons in cellular and animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD), but also could improve motor symptoms in PD patients. However, the protective mechanism is not fully understood. P53 is a multifunctional protein implicated in numerous cellular processes, including apoptosis, DNA repair, mitochondrial functions, redox homeostasis, autophagy and protein aggregations. In PD, p53 integrated with various neurodegeneration-related signals inducing neuronal loss, indicating the suppression of P53 might be a promising target for PD treatment. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to systemically screen new therapeutic targets of NBP in PD.

Method

In our study, we constructed mpp + induced N2A cells to investigate the benefit effect of NBP in PD. MTT assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability; TMT-based LC–MS/MS was applied to determine the different expressed proteins (DEPs) of NBP pretreatment; online bioinformatics databases such as DAVID, STRING, and KEGG was used to construe the proteomic data. After further analyzed and visualized the protein–protein interactions (PPI) by Cytoscape, DEPs were verified by western blot.

Result

A total of 5828 proteins were quantified in the comparative proteomics experiments and 417 proteins were considered as DEPs (fold change > 1.5 and p < 0.05). Among the 417 DEPs, 140 were upregulated and 277 were downregulated in mpp + -induced N2A cells with NBP pretreatment. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that lysosome, phagosome, apoptosis, endocytosis and ferroptosis are the mainly enriched pathways. By using MCL clustering in PPI analysis, 48 clusters were generated and the subsequent KEGG analysis of the top 3 clusters revealed that P53 signaling pathway was recognized as the dominant pathway for NBP treatment.

Conclusion

NBP significantly relived mpp + -induced cell toxicity. The neuroprotective role of NBP was implicated with P53 signaling pathway in some extent. These findings will reinforce the understanding of the mechanism of NBP in PD and identify novel therapeutic targets.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM31 attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome activation in Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis by regulating ROS and autophagy
Authors: Yu Qiao , Shi Huiying , Ding Zhen , Wang Zhe , Yao Hailing , Lin Rong
Published: January 2023

Background

The NLRP3 inflammasome activation is the molecular basis of Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-associated gastritis. Tripartite motif (TRIM) 31 is involved in diverse pathological events. However, whether TRIM31 plays a role in the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Hp infection is not clarified.

Methods

A mouse model of chronic Hp infection was established, and the gastric tissues were subjected to the polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, histopathological analysis, and RNA sequencing. The mitochondrial membrane potential and ROS in the human gastric epithelium GES-1 cells with or without Hp infection were measured by flow cytometry. GES-1 cells with or without TRIM31 knockdown were transfected with mCherry-EGFP-LC3 adenovirus. After rapamycin and bafilomycin A1 stimulation, autophagy flux in the above primed GES-1 cells was assessed by laser confocal microscope. Lysosomal acidification and expression levels of cathepsin B and cathepsin D in GES-1 cells with Hp infection were measured.

Results

NLRP3 inflammasome was activated in the gastric tissues of mice with chronic Hp infection in vivo and the GES-1 cells with Hp infection in vitro. TRIM31 was downregulated in Hp infection. TRIM31 negatively regulated the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Enhanced ROS, impaired autophagy flux, and decreased expression of lysosomal cathepsin B and cathepsin D were observed in TRIM31-deficient GES-1 cells with Hp infection. In turn, inhibition of ROS led to the decreased expression of NLRP3 inflammasome.

Conclusions

Together, our data identified that TRIM31 negatively regulated the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Hp-associated gastritis by affecting ROS and autophagy of gastric epithelial cells.
(Pro)renin receptor promotes colorectal cancer progression through inhibiting the NEDD4L-mediated Wnt3 ubiquitination and modulating gut microbiota
Authors: Wang Juan , Ding Yuwei , Li Dan , Zhu Ning , Nishiyama Akira , Yuan Ying
Published: January 2023

Background

We previously found that (pro)renin receptor ((P)RR) augments Wnt3 protein without affecting Wnt3 gene transcription in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells, thus contributes to CRC initiation. The present study aims to investigate whether (P)RR further promotes CRC progression following oncogenesis and the related mechanisms. Notably, we deeply elaborate how (P)RR affects Wnt3 protein level and the key enzyme that mediates this process.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry, western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to detect protein expression status. A kind of gastrointestinal epithelium-specific ATP6AP2 ((P)RR encoding gene) knock-in mice were generated using Crispr/Cas9 system.

Results

We found that increased (P)RR expression in primary CRC lesions is positively associated with higher Wnt3 protein level and disease progression. Progressive CRC presents less colocalization of Wnt3 and an E3 ubiquitin ligase NEDD4L in primary lesions than non-progressive CRC. In colon cancer cells, (P)RR dramatically inhibits the NEDD4L-mediated Wnt3 protein ubiquitination. ATP6AP2 knock-in mice show more diminished Wnt3-NEDD4L colocalization in their gut epithelium in comparison to wildtype mice. They also have abnormal gut bacterial flora distribution. Especially, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136 and Bacteroides genus, which are generally protective against CRC, are suppressed in guts of ATP6AP2 knock-in mice.

Conclusions

Collectively, (P)RR promotes CRC progression through inhibiting the NEDD4L-mediated Wnt3 ubiquitination and modulating gut microbiota.
Active school commuting in adolescents from 28 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia: a temporal trends study
Authors: Felez-Nobrega Mireia , Werneck André O. , Bauman Adrian , Haro Josep Maria , Koyanagi Ai
Published: January 2023

Background

Evidence examining trends in active school commuting among adolescents are mainly single-country studies, and principally focused on high-income countries. Thus, the present study aims to examine temporal trends in adolescents’ active school commuting and to examine if there are differences in such trends by sex. We used nationally representative samples of 28 countries, which were predominantly low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), covering 5 different WHO regions.

Methods

Data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2004–2017 were analyzed in 177,616 adolescents [mean (SD) age: 13.7 (1.0) years; 50.7% girls]. Active school commuting was self-reported (frequency of walking or riding a bike to and from school in the past 7 days). The prevalence and 95%CI of active school commuting (i.e., ≥ 3 days/week) was calculated for the overall sample and by sex for each survey. Crude linear trends in active school commuting were assessed by linear regression models. Interaction analyses were conducted to examine differing trends among boys and girls.

Results

Trends in active school commuting were heterogeneous across countries, with results showing stable patterns for the majority (16/28), decreasing trends for some (7/28) and increasing trends over time for a few (5/28). The majority of countries showed no differences in active school commuting trends between girls and boys.

Conclusions

The quantification of changes in adolescents’ active school commuting over time, together with a deeper understanding of local determinants for such behaviors will provide valuable evidence to inform the development of tailored and context-specific actions.
Intracellular deposits of amyloid-beta influence the ability of human iPSC-derived astrocytes to support neuronal function
Authors: Konstantinidis Evangelos , Portal Benjamin , Mothes Tobias , Beretta Chiara , Lindskog Maria , Erlandsson Anna
Published: January 2023

Background

Astrocytes are crucial for maintaining brain homeostasis and synaptic function, but are also tightly connected to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Our previous data demonstrate that astrocytes ingest large amounts of aggregated amyloid-beta (Aβ), but then store, rather than degrade the ingested material, which leads to severe cellular stress. However, the involvement of pathological astrocytes in AD-related synaptic dysfunction remains to be elucidated.

Methods

In this study, we aimed to investigate how intracellular deposits of Aβ in astrocytes affect their interplay with neurons, focusing on neuronal function and viability. For this purpose, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived astrocytes were exposed to sonicated Αβ42 fibrils. The direct and indirect effects of the Αβ-exposed astrocytes on hiPSC-derived neurons were analyzed by performing astrocyte–neuron co-cultures as well as additions of conditioned media or extracellular vesicles to pure neuronal cultures.

Results

Electrophysiological recordings revealed significantly decreased frequency of excitatory post-synaptic currents in neurons co-cultured with Aβ-exposed astrocytes, while conditioned media from Aβ-exposed astrocytes had the opposite effect and resulted in hyperactivation of the synapses. Clearly, factors secreted from control, but not from Aβ-exposed astrocytes, benefited the wellbeing of neuronal cultures. Moreover, reactive astrocytes with Aβ deposits led to an elevated clearance of dead cells in the co-cultures.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results demonstrate that inclusions of aggregated Aβ affect the reactive state of the astrocytes, as well as their ability to support neuronal function.
Safety and efficacy of switching to elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in treatment-experienced people with HIV: a multicenter cohort study
Authors: De Castro Nathalie , Brun Alexandre , Sellier Pierre , Hamet Gwenn , Mechaï Frédéric , Garrait Valérie , Chabrol Amélie , Bouldouyre Marie-Anne , Froguel Eric , Troisvallets Didier , Caraux-Paz Pauline , Delaugerre Constance , Rozenbaum Willy , Molina Jean-Michel
Published: January 2023

Objectives

We assessed the virologic efficacy of switching to co-formulated elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (E/C/F/TDF) in patients with controlled HIV infection.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective multicenter observational cohort study including adult patients with controlled HIV-1 infection on any stable antiretroviral (ART) regimen, who switched to E/C/F/TDF. Success was measured by the proportion of patients with plasma viral load < 50 copies/ml at W48 using the FDA snapshot algorithm. We also assessed risk factors associated with virological failure (VF).

Results

382 patients with HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL who switched to E/C/F/TDF were included in the study. Most patients (69.9%) were male, with median age 44 years (IQR 38–51), who had been on ART for a median of 7 years (IQR 4–13). Median CD4 count was 614/mm3 and 24.6% of the patients had a history of previous virological failure. The reasons for switching were simplification (67.0%) and tolerance issues (22.0%). At week 48, 314 (82.0% [95% CI 78.4–86.0]) patients had HIV RNA < 50 copies/mL, 13 (3.5% [95% CI 3.64–8.41]) experienced virological failure. Genotype at failure was available in 6/13 patients with detection of resistance-associated mutations to integrase inhibitors and NRTIs in 5/6 (83.3%) patients. We found no predictive factor associated with virological failure except for a borderline significance with the duration of viral suppression before the switch. Tolerability of E/C/F/TDF was good with 23/382 (6.0%) patients experiencing mild adverse reactions.

Conclusion

In our cohort, switching well-suppressed patients to E/C/F/TDF resulted in few virologic failures and was well tolerated. However, resistance to integrase inhibitors emerged in patients with virological failure.
Rapid remodeling observed at mid-term in-vivo study of a smart reinforced acellular vascular graft implanted on a rat model
Authors: Obiweluozor Francis O. , Kayumov Mukhammad , Kwak Yujin , Cho Hwa-Jin , Park Chan-Hee , Park Jun-kyu , Jeong Yun-Jin , Lee Dong-Weon , Kim Do-Wan , Jeong In-Seok
Published: January 2023

Background

The poor performance of conventional techniques used in cardiovascular disease patients requiring hemodialysis or arterial bypass grafting has prompted tissue engineers to search for clinically appropriate off-the-shelf vascular grafts. Most patients with cardiovascular disease lack suitable autologous tissue because of age or previous surgery. Commercially available vascular grafts with diameters of < 5 mm often fail because of thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia.

Result

Here, we tested tubular biodegradable poly-e-caprolactone/polydioxanone (PCL/PDO) electrospun vascular grafts in a rat model of aortic interposition for up to 12 weeks. The grafts demonstrated excellent patency (100%) confirmed by Doppler Ultrasound, resisted aneurysmal dilation and intimal hyperplasia, and yielded neoarteries largely free of foreign materials. At 12 weeks, the grafts resembled native arteries with confluent endothelium, synchronous pulsation, a contractile smooth muscle layer, and co-expression of various extracellular matrix components (elastin, collagen, and glycosaminoglycan).

Conclusions

The structural and functional properties comparable to native vessels observed in the neoartery indicate their potential application as an alternative for the replacement of damaged small-diameter grafts. This synthetic off-the-shelf device may be suitable for patients without autologous vessels. However, for clinical application of these grafts, long-term studies (> 1.5 years) in large animals with a vasculature similar to humans are needed.
CT-based machine learning radiomics predicts CCR5 expression level and survival in ovarian cancer
Authors: Wan Sheng , Zhou Tianfan , Che Ronghua , Li Ying , Peng Jing , Wu Yuelin , Gu Shengyi , Cheng Jiejun , Hua Xiaolin
Published: January 2023

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of C-C motif chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) expression level for patients with ovarian cancer and to establish a radiomics model that can predict CCR5 expression level using The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

Methods

A total of 343 cases of ovarian cancer from the TCGA were used for the gene-based prognostic analysis. Fifty seven cases had preoperative computed tomography (CT) images stored in TCIA with genomic data in TCGA were used for radiomics feature extraction and model construction. 89 cases with both TCGA and TCIA clinical data were used for radiomics model evaluation. After feature extraction, a radiomics signature was constructed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. A prognostic scoring system incorporating radiomics signature based on CCR5 expression level and clinicopathologic risk factors was proposed for survival prediction.

Results

CCR5 was identified as a differentially expressed prognosis-related gene in tumor and normal sample, which were involved in the regulation of immune response and tumor invasion and metastasis. Four optimal radiomics features were selected to predict overall survival. The performance of the radiomics model for predicting the CCR5 expression level with 10-fold cross- validation achieved Area Under Curve (AUCs) of 0.770 and of 0.726, respectively, in the training and validation sets. A predictive nomogram was generated based on the total risk score of each patient, the AUCs of the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model was 0.8, 0.673 and 0.792 for 1-year, 3-year and 5-year, respectively. Along with clinical features, important imaging biomarkers could improve the overall survival accuracy of the prediction model.

Conclusion

The expression levels of CCR5 can affect the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. CT-based radiomics could serve as a new tool for prognosis prediction.
The rate and assessment of muscle wasting during critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fazzini Brigitta , Märkl Tobias , Costas Christos , Blobner Manfred , Schaller Stefan J. , Prowle John , Puthucheary Zudin , Wackerhage Henning
Published: January 2023

Background

Patients with critical illness can lose more than 15% of muscle mass in one week, and this can have long-term detrimental effects. However, there is currently no synthesis of the data of intensive care unit (ICU) muscle wasting studies, so the true mean rate of muscle loss across all studies is unknown. The aim of this project was therefore to systematically synthetise data on the rate of muscle loss and to identify the methods used to measure muscle size and to synthetise data on the prevalence of ICU-acquired weakness in critically ill patients.

Methods

We conducted a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, PubMed, AMED, BNI, CINAHL, and EMCARE until January 2022 (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews [PROSPERO] registration: CRD420222989540. We included studies with at least 20 adult critically ill patients where the investigators measured a muscle mass-related variable at two time points during the ICU stay. We followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and assessed the study quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.

Results

Fifty-two studies that included 3251 patients fulfilled the selection criteria. These studies investigated the rate of muscle wasting in 1773 (55%) patients and assessed ICU-acquired muscle weakness in 1478 (45%) patients. The methods used to assess muscle mass were ultrasound in 85% (n = 28/33) of the studies and computed tomography in the rest 15% (n = 5/33). During the first week of critical illness, patients lost every day −1.75% (95% CI −2.05, −1.45) of their rectus femoris thickness or −2.10% (95% CI −3.17, −1.02) of rectus femoris cross-sectional area. The overall prevalence of ICU-acquired weakness was 48% (95% CI 39%, 56%).

Conclusion

On average, critically ill patients lose nearly 2% of skeletal muscle per day during the first week of ICU admission.
Efficacy and safety of GLucocorticoid injections into InfrapaTellar faT pad in patients with knee ostEoarthRitiS: protocol for the GLITTERS randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zhang Yan , Ruan Guangfeng , Zheng Peng , Huang Sili , Zhou Xiaoni , Liu Xuelian , Hu Wenjie , Feng Huiting , Lin Yangyang , He Juanjuan , Wei Zhenhai , Zhang Jiangshan , Chang Qing , Wei Xiaomei , Fan Tao , Jiang Li , Ding Changhai
Published: January 2023

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent disabling disorder that involves changes in articular cartilage damage, subchondral bone remodeling, synovitis, and abnormal infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP). Due to the complicated etiology and numerous phenotypes of knee OA, limited improvement is achieved for treatments among knee OA patients with different phenotypes. Inflammatory OA phenotype is a typical knee OA phenotype, and individualized treatment targeting inflammation is a promising way to obtain an optimal therapeutic effect for people with inflammatory knee OA phenotype. Glucocorticoid is a traditional anti-inflammatory drug for knee OA, and intra-articular glucocorticoid injections are recommended clinically. However, emerging evidence has shown that repeated intra-articular glucocorticoid injections in the long term would induce cartilage loss. IPFP and its adjacent synovium are considered as the main source of inflammation in knee OA. This GLITTERS trial aims to investigate if a glucocorticoid injection into the IPFP is effective and safe over 12 weeks among knee OA patients with an inflammatory phenotype.

Methods

GLITTERS is a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial among knee OA patients with both Hoffa-synovitis and effusion-synovitis. Sixty participants will be allocated randomly and equally to either the glucocorticoid group or the control group. Each group will receive an injection of glucocorticoid or saline into the IPFP with an intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection as a background treatment at baseline and be followed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcomes will be changes in knee pain on a visual analog scale and effusion-synovitis volume measured on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The secondary outcomes will be changes in the total score of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score, MRI-detected Hoffa-synovitis score, quality of life, pain medication use, IPFP volume, and the incidence of adverse reactions. Data analyses based on the intention-to-treat principle will include mixed-effects regressions, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and chi-square tests (or Fisher’s exact test).

Discussion

GLITTERS may provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided glucocorticoid injections into IPFP among people with inflammatory knee OA in a short term. The results of this trial are expected to provide a reliable reference for a longer-term risk–benefit profile of this treatment in the future.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05291650. Registered on 23 March 2022.
Necrobiosis lipoidica of the breast associated with Crohn’s disease: a case report
Authors: Kelati Awatef , Durupt François , Balme Brigitte
Published: January 2023

Background

Necrobiosis lipoidica located to the breast; without evidence of glucose intolerance, is extremely rare, and its association to Crohn’s disease is not usual.

Case presentation

We report an interesting case of an association of necrobiosis lipoidica of the breast and Crohn’s disease in a 54-year-old Moroccan woman. Skin necrobiotic changes are a characteristic feature in necrobiosis lipoidica, but they are exceptional in metastatic Crohn’s disease, since there are only three published cases of necrobiotic skin lesions on the lower leg resembling erythema nodosum in metastatic Crohn’s disease.

Conclusions

On the basis of this rare observation, necrobiosis lipoidica without evidence of glucose intolerance should be recognized as a possible cutaneous manifestation or association of Crohn’s disease.
The effect of altruism on COVID-19 vaccination rates
Authors: Hierro Luis Á. , Patiño David , Atienza Pedro , Garzón Antonio J. , Cantarero David
Published: January 2023

Background

After the emergence of the first vaccines against the COVID-19, public health authorities have promoted mass vaccination in order to achieve herd immunity and reduce the effects of the disease. Vaccination rates have differed between countries, depending on supply (availability of resources) and demand (altruism and resistance to vaccination) factors.

Methods

This work considers the hypothesis that individuals’ health altruism has been an important factor to explain the different levels of vaccination between countries, using the number of transplants as a proxy for altruism. Taking European Union’s countries to remove, as far as possible, supply factors that might affect vaccination, we carry out cross-sectional regressions for the most favorable date of the vaccination process (maximum vaccination speed) and for each month during the vaccination campaign.

Results

Our findings confirm that altruism has affected vaccination rates against the COVID-19. We find a direct relationship between transplants rates (proxy variable) and vaccination rates during periods in which the decision to be vaccinated depended on the individual’s choice, without supply restrictions. The results show that other demand factors have worked against vaccination: political polarization and belonging to the group of countries of the former Eastern bloc.

Conclusions

Altruism is a useful tool to define future vaccination strategies, since it favors the individuals’ awareness for vaccination.
Neocosmopolitan distributions of invertebrate aquatic invasive species due to euryhaline geographic history and human-mediated dispersal: Ponto-Caspian versus other geographic origins
Authors: Dobrzycka-Krahel Aldona , Stepien Carol A. , Nuc Zofia
Published: January 2023

Background

Aquatic invertebrate species that have broad salinity tolerances may be pre-adapted for invasion success and biogeographic distributional range expansions, facilitated by human-mediated dispersal (HMD), leading to a trend to become neocosmopolitan across many regions of the world. This pattern appears to characterize many Ponto-Caspian (P-C) aquatic invertebrates, which have a > 100-year history as aquatic invasive species (AIS), spreading throughout much of Eurasia and for some, in North America and beyond. Our study compiles comparative salinity conditions and distributional data for AIS invertebrate species globally versus those originating from the P-C region, to test whether they statistically differ.

Results

Our investigation discerns that a total of 1861 invertebrate AIS taxa have been recorded worldwide, with (A) 70.5% exclusively living in the saline adaptive zone of brackish (0.5–30 ppt; A1) and/or marine waters (> 30 ppt; A2), (B) 20% in the freshwater adaptive zone alone (0–0.5 ppt), (C) 7.5% being euryhaline (across both A and B), and (D) 2% being semi-aquatic in either (D1) freshwater/terrestrial or (D2) saline/terrestrial environments. In contrast, our results indicate the following proportions for AIS invertebrates of P-C origins: (A) 27% exclusively inhabit the saline adaptive zone, (B) 25% are entirely freshwater, (C) 45% are euryhaline, and (D) 3% are semi-aquatic, significantly differing from the global pattern. Euryhaline AIS native to the P-C region thus markedly outnumber (45%) those originating from other regions (7.5%), likely pre-adapting them for widespread establishment in harbors, estuaries, and coastal areas. Moreover, most P-C invertebrate AIS (70%) contain freshwater-tolerant populations (B + C), rendering them very successful invaders of inland water bodies. These broad salinity tolerances of P-C AIS underlie their tremendous invasion successes and growing neocosmopolitan distributions with HMD.

Conclusions

An evolutionary and recent history of broad salinity tolerances of a large proportion of P-C invertebrates appears to enhance their ability to invade, establish, and spread in new regions, especially harbors, estuaries, and freshwaters, leading to their increasing neocosmopolitan distributions. This trend likely will continue—accelerating with climate change and increased global transportation—meriting worldwide conservation agency focus and cooperation, along with public education programs aimed to rapidly identify and circumvent new introductions and spread.
The impact of genotyping strategies and statistical models on accuracy of genomic prediction for survival in pigs
Authors: Liu Tianfei , Nielsen Bjarne , Christensen Ole F. , Lund Mogens Sandø , Su Guosheng
Published: January 2023

Background

Survival from birth to slaughter is an important economic trait in commercial pig productions. Increasing survival can improve both economic efficiency and animal welfare. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of genotyping strategies and statistical models on the accuracy of genomic prediction for survival in pigs during the total growing period from birth to slaughter. 

Results

We simulated pig populations with different direct and maternal heritabilities and used a linear mixed model, a logit model, and a probit model to predict genomic breeding values of pig survival based on data of individual survival records with binary outcomes (0, 1). The results show that in the case of only alive animals having genotype data, unbiased genomic predictions can be achieved when using variances estimated from pedigree-based model. Models using genomic information achieved up to 59.2% higher accuracy of estimated breeding value compared to pedigree-based model, dependent on genotyping scenarios. The scenario of genotyping all individuals, both dead and alive individuals, obtained the highest accuracy. When an equal number of individuals (80%) were genotyped, random sample of individuals with genotypes achieved higher accuracy than only alive individuals with genotypes. The linear model, logit model and probit model achieved similar accuracy.

Conclusions

Our conclusion is that genomic prediction of pig survival is feasible in the situation that only alive pigs have genotypes, but genomic information of dead individuals can increase accuracy of genomic prediction by 2.06% to 6.04%.
Stage-specific nutritional management and developmental programming to optimize meat production
Authors: Zhao Liang , Liu Xiangdong , Gomez Noe A , Gao Yao , Son Jun Seok , Chae Song Ah , Zhu Mei-Jun , Du Min
Published: January 2023

Over the past few decades, genetic selection and refined nutritional management have extensively been used to increase the growth rate and lean meat production of livestock. However, the rapid growth rates of modern breeds are often accompanied by a reduction in intramuscular fat deposition and increased occurrences of muscle abnormalities, impairing meat quality and processing functionality. Early stages of animal development set the long-term growth trajectory of offspring. However, due to the seasonal reproductive cycles of ruminant livestock, gestational nutrient deficiencies caused by seasonal variations, frequent droughts, and unfavorable geological locations negatively affect fetal development and their subsequent production efficiency and meat quality. Therefore, enrolling livestock in nutritional intervention strategies during gestation is effective for improving the body composition and meat quality of the offspring at harvest. These crucial early developmental stages include embryonic, fetal, and postnatal stages, which have stage-specific effects on subsequent offspring development, body composition, and meat quality. This review summarizes contemporary research in the embryonic, fetal, and neonatal development, and the impacts of maternal nutrition on the early development and programming effects on the long-term growth performance of livestock. Understanding the developmental and metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscle, adipose, and fibrotic tissues will facilitate the development of stage-specific nutritional management strategies to optimize production efficiency and meat quality.
The development progress of multi-array colourimetric sensors based on the M13 bacteriophage
Authors: Kim Sung-Jo , Lee Yujin , Choi Eun Jung , Lee Jong-Min , Kim Kwang Ho , Oh Jin-Woo
Published: January 2023

Techniques for detecting chemicals dispersed at low concentrations in air continue to evolve. These techniques can be applied not only to manage the quality of agricultural products using a post-ripening process but also to establish a safety prevention system by detecting harmful gases and diagnosing diseases. Recently, techniques for rapid response to various chemicals and detection in complex and noisy environments have been developed using M13 bacteriophage-based sensors. In this review, M13 bacteriophage-based multi-array colourimetric sensors for the development of an electronic nose is discussed. The self-templating process was adapted to fabricate a colour band structure consisting of an M13 bacteriophage. To detect diverse target chemicals, the colour band was utilised with wild and genetically engineered M13 bacteriophages to enhance their sensing abilities. Multi-array colourimetric sensors were optimised for application in complex and noisy environments based on simulation and deep learning analysis. The development of a multi-array colourimetric sensor platform based on the M13 bacteriophage is likely to result in significant advances in the detection of various harmful gases and the diagnosis of various diseases based on exhaled gas in the future.
Adipose tissue macrophages: implications for obesity-associated cancer
Authors: Li Bei , Sun Si , Li Juan-Juan , Yuan Jing-Ping , Sun Sheng-Rong , Wu Qi
Published: January 2023

Obesity is one of the most serious global health problems, with an incidence that increases yearly and coincides with the development of cancer. Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) are particularly important in this context and contribute to linking obesity-related inflammation and tumor progression. However, the functions of ATMs on the progression of obesity-associated cancer remain unclear. In this review, we describe the origins, phenotypes, and functions of ATMs. Subsequently, we summarize the potential mechanisms on the reprogramming of ATMs in the obesity-associated microenvironment, including the direct exchange of dysfunctional metabolites, inordinate cytokines and other signaling mediators, transfer of extracellular vesicle cargo, and variations in the gut microbiota and its metabolites. A better understanding of the properties and functions of ATMs under conditions of obesity will lead to the development of new therapeutic interventions for obesity-related cancer.
Exploring the growth value equity valuation model with data visualization
Authors: Yeh I-Cheng , Liu Yi-Cheng
Published: January 2023

The Growth Value Model (GVM) proposed theoretical closed form formulas consisting of Return on Equity (ROE) and the Price-to-Book value ratio (P/B) for fair stock prices and expected rates of return. Although regression analysis can be employed to verify these theoretical closed form formulas, they cannot be explored by classical quintile or decile sorting approaches with intuition due to the essence of multi-factors and dynamical processes. This article uses visualization techniques to help intuitively explore GVM. The discerning findings and contributions of this paper is that we put forward the concept of the smart frontier, which can be regarded as the reasonable lower limit of P/B at a specific ROE by exploring fair P/B with ROE-P/B 2D dynamical process visualization. The coefficients in the formula can be determined by the quantile regression analysis with market data. The moving paths of the ROE and P/B in the current quarter and the subsequent quarters show that the portfolios at the lower right of the curve approaches this curve and stagnates here after the portfolios are formed. Furthermore, exploring expected rates of return with ROE-P/B-Return 3D dynamical process visualization, the results show that the data outside of the lower right edge of the “smart frontier” has positive quarterly return rates not only in the t + 1 quarter but also in the t + 2 quarter. The farther away the data in the t quarter is from the “smart frontier”, the larger the return rates in the t + 1 and t + 2 quarter.
Predicting abnormal trading behavior from internet rumor propagation: a machine learning approach
Authors: Cheng Li-Chen , Lu Wei-Ting , Yeo Benjamin
Published: January 2023

In 2021, the abnormal short-term price fluctuations of GameStop, which were triggered by internet stock discussions, drew the attention of academics, financial analysts, and stock trading commissions alike, prompting calls to address such events and maintain market stability. However, the impact of stock discussions on volatile trading behavior has received comparatively less attention than traditional fundamentals. Furthermore, data mining methods are less often used to predict stock trading despite their higher accuracy. This study adopts an innovative approach using social media data to obtain stock rumors, and then trains three decision trees to demonstrate the impact of rumor propagation on stock trading behavior. Our findings show that rumor propagation outperforms traditional fundamentals in predicting abnormal trading behavior. The study serves as an impetus for further research using data mining as a method of inquiry.
Evaluating the impact of factors in vehicle based pavement sensing implementation: sensor placement, pavement temperature, speed, and threshold
Authors: Zhang Dada , Ho Chun-Hsing , Zhang Fangfang
Published: January 2023

The purpose of the paper is to improve the efficiency of vehicle based sensing technology in highway pavement condition assessment by evaluating the effect of four factors (sensor placement, pavement temperature, drive speed, and threshold for pavement distress classification) and providing suggestions to better improve the accuracy of pavement condition detection and minimize the interruption of pavement sensing operation. Two I-10 corridors in the Phoenix region were selected for vibration data collection and data analysis. A series of statistical analyses were performed to determine if each one of the factors has a significant impact on the pavement distress detection. The results of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) tests show that the placement of sensors have a significant effect in the pavement condition assessments. The significant differences occurred in the group of sensors that were placed on the same side of the vehicle, as well as, in either front wheels or rear wheels of the vehicle. The effect of pavement temperature on the vehicle based sensing implementation is significant while the mean drive speed is not seen as a significant factor in the pavement condition survey. The two thresholds were determined to select points of interest (POI; cracks, potholes) for the pavement distress classification and these POIs are in good agreement with international roughness index (IRI) data in an ArcGIS map. The findings of the paper can be used to better improve the computing algorithms of vehicle based sensing techniques.
President's Page: 2023 is off to a good start!
Authors: Ardakani Ellie
Published: January 2023

SEG Innovation Advisor Ellie Ardakani writes about the new SEG Community — an online space to discover opportunities, connect with others who share a passion for geophysics, and create a meaningful impact on the future of SEG.
Introduction to this special section: Seismic resolution
Authors: Aharchaou Mehdi , Neelamani Ramesh (Neelsh) , Li Chengbo
Published: January 2023

The science of modern seismology was born more than 100 years ago (1889) when the first teleseismic record was identified and the seismograph was developed ( Ben-Menahem, 1995 ). In 1921, earth exploration was revolutionized when a team led by Clarence Karcher conducted the first field tests of the reflection seismograph in Oklahoma City ( Dragoset, 2005 ). That experiment showed that the subsurface can be imaged using seismic data. Businesses boomed as the seismic method started establishing its track record in finding hydrocarbons. Over the last century, the seismic method has emerged as the cornerstone of exploration geophysics, providing us with increasingly accurate characterizations of the subsurface and enabling us to better discover and describe hydrocarbon prospects, geothermal anomalies, seafloor hazards, aquifers, and much more.
Pushing seismic resolution to the limit with FWI imaging
Authors: Wei Zhiyuan , Mei Jiawei , Wu Zedong , Zhang Zhigang , Huang Rongxin , Wang Ping
Published: January 2023

Although the resolution of a seismic image is ultimately bound by the spatial and temporal sampling of the acquired seismic data, the seismic images obtained through conventional imaging methods normally fall very short of this limit. Conventional seismic imaging methods take a piecemeal approach to imaging problems with many steps designed in preprocessing, velocity model building, migration, and postprocessing to solve one or a few specific issues at each step. The inefficacies of each step and the disconnects between them lead to various issues such as velocity errors, residual noise and multiples, illumination holes, and migration swings that prevent conventional imaging methods from obtaining a high-resolution image with good signal-to-noise (S/N) and well-focused details. In contrast, full-waveform inversion (FWI) imaging models and uses the full-wavefield data including primaries and multiples and reflection and transmission waves to iteratively invert for the velocity and reflectivity in one go. It is a systemic approach to address imaging issues. FWI imaging has proven to be a superior method over conventional imaging methods because it provides seismic images with greatly improved illumination, S/N, focusing, and resolution. We demonstrate with a towed-streamer data set and an ocean-bottom-node (OBN) data set that FWI imaging with a frequency close to the temporal resolution limit of seismic data (100 Hz or higher) can provide seismic images with unprecedented resolution from the acquired seismic data. This has been impossible to achieve with conventional imaging methods. Moreover, incorporating more accurate physics into FWI imaging (e.g., upgrading the modeling engine from acoustic to elastic) can further improve the seismic resolution substantially. Elastic FWI imaging can further reduce the mismatch between modeled and recorded data, especially around bodies of large impedance contrast such as salt. It appreciably improves the S/N and resolution of the inverted images. We show with an OBN data set in the Gulf of Mexico that elastic FWI imaging further improves the resolution of salt models and subsalt images over its acoustic counterpart.