bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shifting polar bear Ursus maritimus denning habitat availability in the European Arctic
Authors: Merkel Benjamin , Aars Jon
Published: January 2022

Climate warming has resulted in extensive sea ice loss across the Arctic. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) rely on sea ice for hunting, resting, travelling and in some parts of the Arctic also maternity denning. In the European Arctic, polar bears rely on snow drifts on land to den and give birth. Consequently, timely arrival of sea ice around land masses during autumn is important for pregnant females to reach their denning habitat from their sea ice hunting grounds. We defined denning habitat as landforms necessary to accumulate snow to a depth sufficient for dens. We quantified availability of terrestrial denning habitat across the three European Arctic archipelagos throughout the last four (1979–2020) and the next eight decades (until 2100) using arrival of autumn sea ice around these islands. Across the study area, a clear trend was visible towards later sea ice arrival, varying up to 102 days. Female polar bears in the European Arctic now have 33% denning habitat available compared to the 1980's as many areas became inaccessible in time to start maternity denning. By the 2090's, all areas were projected to be inaccessible to pregnant bears. This decline was unequally distributed, with most reduction in Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya until 2020, whilst denning habitat availability in Franz Josef Land remained unchanged until 2020 but is predicted to become inaccessible by the end of the century. This work emphasizes the importance of the temporal dimension of sea ice dynamics for the persistence of polar bear populations.
Variations in biomass of fungal guilds are primarily driven by factors related to soil conditions in Mediterranean Pinus pinaster forests
Authors: Hagenbo Andreas , Alday Josu G. , Martínez de Aragón Juan , Castaño Carles , de-Miguel Sergio , Bonet José Antonio
Published: January 2022

Soil fungi are vital for regulating ecosystem carbon balance and productivity, by driving processes related to soil carbon and nutrient cycling. The rate and capacity of fungi-mediated processes are linked to fungal biomass dynamics and identifying the drivers of fungal biomass is important for predicting ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Here, ergosterol-based fungal biomass estimates and ITS2-based fungal community composition profiles were used to assess biomass of fungal guilds. Effects of forest management (thinning), environmental factors (soil chemical properties, microclimate, weather and forest stand composition) and season were related to the fungal biomass dynamics to identify the guild-specific drivers of biomass. Biomass of most fungal guilds increased with nutrient availability (nitrogen and potassium in particular) and decreased with forest thinning, and variation in total biomass was mainly driven by variation in mycorrhizal biomass. Most fungal guilds reached a minimum in biomass during summer except for mycorrhizal and root-associated ascomycetes, which instead reached a minimum during winter. Mycorrhizal fungi and root-associated ascomycetes displayed similar spatiotemporal variability in biomass. Yeasts and moulds were the only fungi displaying strong linkages with microclimate, whereas pathogenic and moss-associated fungi largely diverged in their responses to the environmental factors. The results of our study highlight that environmental factors related to the availability of soil nutrients may have an overall stronger effect on variation in biomass of fungal guilds in Mediterranean Pinus pinaster forests than direct influences of microclimate, weather and forest management.
Endometrial preparation methods prior to frozen embryo transfer: A retrospective cohort study comparing true natural cycle, modified natural cycle and artificial cycle
Authors: Mensing Lena , Dahlberg Emilie S. , Bay Bjørn , Gabrielsen Anette , Knudsen Ulla B.
Published: January 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of three endometrial preparation methods prior to frozen embryo transfer (FET): Natural cycle (NC), modified natural cycle (mNC), and programmed/artificial cycle (AC) protocols. Primary outcomes investigated were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR).

Methods

A retrospective study on 2080 FET cycles including patients ≤ 35 years with a BMI ≤ 30 who underwent FET with a single autologous blastocyst stage embryo at Aarhus University Hospital or Horsens Regional Hospital in the period 2013–2019. Only blastocysts frozen by vitrification were included. No luteal phase support (LPS) was used in natural cycles.

Results

In NC, mNC and AC, CPRs were 34.9%, 40.6% and 32.0%, while LBRs were 32.3%, 36.3% and 26.6%, respectively. There were no significant differences in main outcomes when comparing AC with NC [LBR: OR = 0.9 (0.6; 1.2), p = 0.4]. Compared to NC, mNC-FET displayed significantly higher positive hCG, implantation rate, CPR and LBR [LBR: OR = 1.4 (1.0; 1.9), p = 0.03]. An analysis with mNC as reference group demonstrated significantly better outcomes in the mNC group compared to AC [LBR: OR 0.6 (0.5; 0.8), p =  < 0.01].

Conclusion

The present study overall demonstrated better outcomes including LBR with mNC protocol as compared to NC and AC protocol, while comparison of AC and NC showed both protocols to be equally effective. A programmed cycle may be necessary for women with anovulatory cycles; however, normo-ovulating women may be offered a natural cycle protocol.

Trial registration number

3-3013-3047/1 and 31-1522-44. Date of registration: June 24, 2019 and April 23, 2020.
Management of the first stage of convulsive status epilepticus in adults: a systematic review of current randomised evidence
Authors: Cruickshank Moira , Imamura Mari , Counsell Carl , Aucott Lorna , Manson Paul , Booth Corinne , Scotland Graham , Brazzelli Miriam
Published: January 2022

Background

Convulsive status epilepticus is the most severe form of epilepsy and requires urgent treatment. We synthesised the current evidence on first-line treatments for controlling seizures in adults with convulsive status epilepticus before, or at, arrival at hospital.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing antiepileptic drugs offered to adults as first-line treatments. Major electronic databases were searched.

Results

Four RCTs (1234 adults) were included. None were conducted in the UK and none assessed the use of buccal or intranasal midazolam. Both intravenous lorazepam and intravenous diazepam administered by paramedics were more effective than placebo and, notably, intramuscular midazolam was non-inferior to intravenous lorazepam. Overall, median time to seizure cessation from drug administration varied from 2 to 15 min. Rates of respiratory depression among participants receiving active treatments ranged from 6.4 to 10.6%. Mortality ranged from 2 to 7.6% in active treatment groups and 6.2 to 15.5% in control groups.

Conclusions

Intravenous and intramuscular benzodiazepines are safe and effective in this clinical context. Further research is needed to establish the most clinically and cost-effective first-line treatment and preferable mode of administration. Head-to-head trials comparing buccal versus intranasal midazolam versus rectal diazepam would provide useful information to inform the management of the first stage of convulsive status epilepticus in adults, especially when intravenous or intramuscular access is not feasible. Approaches to improve adherence to clinical guidelines on the use of currently available benzodiazepines for the first-line treatment of convulsive status epilepticus should also be considered.
Effects of suspension of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration in clinical setting
Authors: Matsubara Hisashi , Matsui Yoshitsugu , Miyata Ryohei , Ichio Atsushi , Chujo Shinichiro , Enomoto Hiroko , Sugimoto Masahiko , Kondo Mineo
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To investigate the outcomes of a suspension of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatments in the eyes with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).

Methods

This was a retrospective study that examined eyes having no exudation for 48 weeks while undergoing intravitreal anti-VEGF injections every 12 to 16 weeks. The rate and time of recurrences, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central subfield thickness (CST), number of visits, and reactivity to anti-VEGF were determined after the suspension of the anti-VEGF treatments.

Results

In 34 eyes of 34 patients, 17 eyes (50.0%) had a recurrence during the 24-month follow-up period. The median time of a recurrence was 10 months. The BCVA was maintained for 24 months after the suspension regardless of the development of any recurrences. In 41.7% of the eyes that resumed treatment, the duration of exudation suppression by the anti-VEGF therapy was shorter than 12 weeks during the 12 months after restarting the anti-VEGF treatments. There was a significant increase in the number of visits during the first year after beginning the suspension versus during the 1 year before the suspension (non-recurrence group; P = 0.007, recurrence group; P = 0.001).

Conclusion

Although one-half of the eyes had a recurrence within 24 months after a suspension of anti-VEGF treatment, the BCVA was maintained after a resumption of the anti-VEGF treatments. However, the number of hospital visits increases regardless of the recurrences and the lesion stability is altered by the anti-VEGF suspension. Clinicians should explain both the advantages and disadvantages of anti-VEGF suspension to nAMD patients.
Targeting CCR2+ macrophages with BET inhibitor overcomes adaptive resistance to anti-VEGF therapy in ovarian cancer
Authors: Wu Yutuan , Jennings Nicholas B. , Sun Yunjie , Dasari Santosh K. , Bayraktar Emine , Corvigno Sara , Stur Elaine , Glassman Deanna , Mangala Lingegowda S. , Lankenau Ahumada Adrian , Westin Shannon N. , Sood Anil K. , Hu Wei
Published: January 2022

Purpose

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are known to contribute to adaptive resistance to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody (AVA) therapy in ovarian cancer. BET (bromodomain and extra-terminal domain) inhibitors (BETi) may have unique roles in targeting TAMs. Our objective was to examine the effects of BETi on TAMs, especially in the context of enhancing the efficacy of AVA therapy.

Methods

We conducted a series of in vitro (MTT assay, apoptosis, flow cytometry, and RNA sequencing) and in vivo (xenograft ovarian cancer model) experiments to determine the biological effects of BETi combined with AVA in ovarian cancer. For statistical analysis, a two-tailed Student’s t test (equal variance) or ANOVA was used for multiple groups’ comparison, and p < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

BETi resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and induced apoptosis (p < 0.01) in ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3ip1, OVCAR5, and OVCAR8). Treatment with BETi significantly increased apoptosis in THP-1 monocytes and macrophages (PMA-differentiated THP-1; p < 0.01). Furthermore, BETi selectively induced greater apoptosis in M2-like macrophages (PMA and IL-4, IL-13-differentiated THP-1) (31.3%-36.1%) than in M1-like macrophages (PMA and LPS-differentiated THP-1) (12.4%-18.5%) (p < 0.01). Flow cytometry revealed that the percentage of M1-like macrophages (CD68+/CD80+) was significantly increased after treatment with low-dose BETi (ABBV-075 0.1 µM; p < 0.05), whereas the percentage of CD68+/CCR2+ macrophages was significantly decreased (p < 0.001); these findings suggest that BETi may selectively inhibit the survival of CCR2+ macrophages and re-polarize the macrophages into an M1-like phenotype. RNA-seq analysis revealed that BETi selectively targeted macrophage infiltration-related cytokines/chemokines in ovarian cancer (adjusted p < 0.05 and Log2 fold change ≥ 1.5). Finally, using in vivo ovarian cancer models, compared with control or monotherapy, the combination of BETi (ABBV-075) and bevacizumab resulted in greater inhibition of tumor growth and macrophage infiltration (p < 0.05) and longer survival of tumor-bearing mice (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Our findings indicate a previously unrecognized role for BETi in selectively targeting CCR2+ TAMs and enhancing the efficacy of AVA therapy in ovarian cancer.
Node Multiway Cut and Subset Feedback Vertex Set on Graphs of Bounded Mim-Width
Authors: Bergougnoux Benjamin , Papadopoulos Charis , Telle Jan Arne
Published: January 2022

The two weighted graph problems Node Multiway Cut (NMC) and Subset Feedback Vertex Set (SFVS) both ask for a vertex set of minimum total weight, that for NMC disconnects a given set of terminals, and for SFVS intersects all cycles containing a vertex of a given set. We design a meta-algorithm that allows to solve both problems in time $$2^{O(rw^3)}\cdot n^{4}$$

2

O
(
r

w
3

)

·

n
4

, $$2^{O(q^2\log (q))}\cdot n^{4}$$

2

O
(

q
2

log

(
q
)

)

·

n
4

, and $$n^{O(k^2)}$$

n

O
(

k
2

)

where rw is the rank-width, q the $${\mathbb {Q}}$$
Q
-rank-width, and k the mim-width of a given decomposition. This answers in the affirmative an open question raised by Jaffke et al. (Algorithmica 82(1):118–145, 2020) concerning an algorithm for SFVS parameterized by mim-width. By a unified algorithm, this solves both problems in polynomial-time on the following graph classes: Interval, Permutation, and Bi-Interval graphs, Circular Arc and Circular Permutation graphs, Convex graphs, k-Polygon, Dilworth-k and Co-k-Degenerate graphs for fixed k; and also on Leaf Power graphs if a leaf root is given as input, on H-Graphs for fixed H if an H-representation is given as input, and on arbitrary powers of graphs in all the above classes. Prior to our results, only SFVS was known to be tractable restricted only on Interval and Permutation graphs, whereas all other results are new.
Association between El Niño-Southern Oscillation events and stroke: a case-crossover study in Kaunas city, Lithuania, 2000–2015
Authors: Vaičiulis Vidmantas , Venclovienė Jonė , Kačienė Giedrė , Tamošiūnas Abdonas , Kiznys Deividas , Lukšienė Dalia , Radišauskas Ričardas
Published: January 2022

The aim of this study was to determine the association between the daily number of cases of ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) in patients aged 25–64 years and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events during 2000–2015. As an indicator of the effect of the ENSO, the monthly NIÑO 3.4 index (Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperature) was used. During the 5844-day study period, 5600 cases of stroke (3170 (56.61%) in men and 2430 (43.39%) in women) were analyzed. Of these, 4354 (77.8%) cases were IS, and 1041 (18.6%) cases were HS. In 3496 (62.2%) cases, stroke occurred in the age group of 55–64 years. In the analysis, we used the following categories of the ENSO events: strong La Niña, moderate La Niña, moderate El Niño, and strong El Niño. The effect of the ENSO was examined by using the multivariate Poisson regression adjusting for weather variables. The highest risk of both strokes (BS) was observed on days of strong and moderate La Niña (rate ratio (RR) 1.27, 95% CI 1.13–1.42) and RR = 1.15 (1.07–1.23), respectively), while the risk for IS was the highest on days of moderate El Niño (RR = 1.11(1.02–1.20)). A lower risk for BS was found on days of strong El Niño (RR = 0.77(0.62–0.97)). We found that ENSO events affected the occurrence of BS and IS in all age groups, and the strongest effect was observed among females. The results of this study provide new evidence that ENSO events may affect the risk of stroke, especially the risk of IS.
A Bayesian finite-element trained machine learning approach for predicting post-burn contraction
Authors: Egberts Ginger , Schaaphok Marianne , Vermolen Fred , Zuijlen Paul van
Published: January 2022

Burn injuries can decrease the quality of life of a patient tremendously, because of esthetic reasons and because of contractions that result from them. In severe case, skin contraction takes place at such a large extent that joint mobility of a patient is significantly inhibited. In these cases, one refers to a contracture. In order to predict the evolution of post-wounding skin, several mathematical model frameworks have been set up. These frameworks are based on complicated systems of partial differential equations that need finite element-like discretizations for the approximation of the solution. Since these computational frameworks can be expensive in terms of computation time and resources, we study the applicability of neural networks to reproduce the finite element results. Our neural network is able to simulate the evolution of skin in terms of contraction for over one year. The simulations are based on 25 input parameters that are characteristic for the patient and the injury. One of such input parameters is the stiffness of the skin. The neural network results have yielded an average goodness of fit ($$R^2$$

R
2

) of 0.9928 (± 0.0013). Further, a tremendous speed-up of 19354X was obtained with the neural network. We illustrate the applicability by an online medical App that takes into account the age of the patient and the length of the burn.
Social ski driver conditional autoregressive-based deep learning classifier for flight delay prediction
Authors: Bisandu Desmond Bala , Moulitsas Irene , Filippone Salvatore
Published: January 2022

The importance of robust flight delay prediction has recently increased in the air transportation industry. This industry seeks alternative methods and technologies for more robust flight delay prediction because of its significance for all stakeholders. The most affected are airlines that suffer from monetary and passenger loyalty losses. Several studies have attempted to analysed and solve flight delay prediction problems using machine learning methods. This research proposes a novel alternative method, namely social ski driver conditional autoregressive-based (SSDCA-based) deep learning. Our proposed method combines the Social Ski Driver algorithm with Conditional Autoregressive Value at Risk by Regression Quantiles. We consider the most relevant instances from the training dataset, which are the delayed flights. We applied data transformation to stabilise the data variance using Yeo-Johnson. We then perform the training and testing of our data using deep recurrent neural network (DRNN) and SSDCA-based algorithms. The SSDCA-based optimisation algorithm helped us choose the right network architecture with better accuracy and less error than the existing literature. The results of our proposed SSDCA-based method and existing benchmark methods were compared. The efficiency and computational time of our proposed method are compared against the existing benchmark methods. The SSDCA-based DRNN provides a more accurate flight delay prediction with 0.9361 and 0.9252 accuracy rates on both dataset-1 and dataset-2, respectively. To show the reliability of our method, we compared it with other meta-heuristic approaches. The result is that the SSDCA-based DRNN outperformed all existing benchmark methods tested in our experiment.
An evolving ensemble model of multi-stream convolutional neural networks for human action recognition in still images
Authors: Slade Sam , Zhang Li , Yu Yonghong , Lim Chee Peng
Published: January 2022

Still image human action recognition (HAR) is a challenging problem owing to limited sources of information and large intra-class and small inter-class variations which requires highly discriminative features. Transfer learning offers the necessary capabilities in producing such features by preserving prior knowledge while learning new representations. However, optimally identifying dynamic numbers of re-trainable layers in the transfer learning process poses a challenge. In this study, we aim to automate the process of optimal configuration identification. Specifically, we propose a novel particle swarm optimisation (PSO) variant, denoted as EnvPSO, for optimal hyper-parameter selection in the transfer learning process with respect to HAR tasks with still images. It incorporates Gaussian fitness surface prediction and exponential search coefficients to overcome stagnation. It optimises the learning rate, batch size, and number of re-trained layers of a pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN). To overcome bias of single optimised networks, an ensemble model with three optimised CNN streams is introduced. The first and second streams employ raw images and segmentation masks yielded by mask R-CNN as inputs, while the third stream fuses a pair of networks with raw image and saliency maps as inputs, respectively. The final prediction results are obtained by computing the average of class predictions from all three streams. By leveraging differences between learned representations within optimised streams, our ensemble model outperforms counterparts devised by PSO and other state-of-the-art methods for HAR. In addition, evaluated using diverse artificial landscape functions, EnvPSO performs better than other search methods with statistically significant difference in performance.
Design Considerations of a Dual Mode X-Band EPR Resonator for Rapid In-Situ Microwave Heating
Authors: Barter Michael , Magri Giuseppina , Harari Jaafar , Choi Heungjae , Folli Andrea , Slocombe Daniel R. , Richards Emma , Murphy Damien M. , Porch Adrian
Published: January 2022

This paper describes the design considerations for a dual mode X-band continuous wave (CW) Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) cavity, for simultaneous EPR measurement and microwave heating of the same sample. An elliptical cavity geometry is chosen to split the degeneracy of the TM110 mode, allowing for a well resolved EPR signal with the TM110,a and TM110,b modes resonating at around 10 GHz and 9.5 GHz, respectively, the latter of which is used for EPR measurements. This geometry has the benefit that the TM010 mode used for microwave heating resonates at 6.1 GHz, below the cut off frequency of the X-band waveguide used for the EPR channel, providing effective isolation between the heating and EPR channels. The use of a pair of 9 µm thick copper clad laminates as the flat cavity walls allows for sufficient penetration of the modulation field (Bmod) into the cavity, as well as maintaining a high cavity Q factor (> 5700) for sensitive EPR measurements. Locating the heating port at an angle of 135° to the EPR port provides additional space for easier coupling adjustment and for larger sample access to be accommodated. The associated decrease of EPR signal strength is fully compensated for by using a 7.2 GHz low pass filter on the heating port. EPR spectra using 1.6 mm and 4.0 mm sample tubes are shown at room temperature (298 K) and 318 K for a standard Cu(acac)2 solution, demonstrating the effectiveness of this dual-mode EPR cavity for microwave heating during EPR detection.
Interorgan amino acid interchange in propionic acidemia: the missing key to understanding its physiopathology
Authors: Stanescu Sinziana , Belanger-Quintana Amaya , Fernandez-Felix Borja Manuel , Ruiz-Sala Pedro , del Valle Mercedes , Garcia Fernando , Arrieta Francisco , Martinez-Pardo Mercedes
Published: January 2022

Background

Propionic acidemia is an inborn error of metabolism caused by a deficiency in the mitochondrial enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase that converts the propionyl CoA to methyl malonyl CoA. This leads to profound changes in distinct metabolic pathways, including the urea cycle, with consequences in ammonia detoxification. The implication of the tricarboxylic acid cycle is less well known, but its repercussions could explain both some of the acute and long-term symptoms of this disease.

Materials and methods

The present observational study investigates the amino acid profiles of patients with propionic acidemia being monitored at the Hospital Ramón y Cajal (Madrid, Spain), between January 2015 and September 2017, comparing periods of metabolic stability with those of decompensation with ketosis and/or hyperammonemia.

Results

The concentrations of 19 amino acids were determined in 188 samples provided by 10 patients. We identified 40 metabolic decompensation episodes (22 only with ketosis and 18 with hyperammonemia). Plasma glutamine and alanine levels were reduced during these metabolic crises, probably indicating deficiency of anaplerosis (p < 0.001 for both alanine and glutamine). Hypocitrulllinemia and hypoprolinemia were also detected during hyperammonemia (p < 0.001 and 0.03, respectively).

Conclusions

The amino acid profile detected during decompensation episodes suggests deficient anaplerosis from propionyl-CoA and its precursors, with implications in other metabolic pathways like synthesis of urea cycle amino acids and ammonia detoxification.
Error bounds and a condition number for the absolute value equations
Authors: Zamani Moslem , Hladík Milan
Published: January 2022

Due to their relation to the linear complementarity problem, absolute value equations have been intensively studied recently. In this paper, we present error bound conditions for absolute value equations. Along with the error bounds, we introduce a condition number. We consider general scaled matrix p-norms, as well as particular p-norms. We discuss basic properties of the condition number, including its computational complexity. We present various bounds on the condition number, and we give exact formulae for special classes of matrices. Moreover, we consider matrices that appear based on the transformation from the linear complementarity problem. Finally, we apply the error bound to convergence analysis of two methods for solving absolute value equations.
A Learning Theory Approach to Attachment Theory: Exploring Clinical Applications
Authors: Bosmans Guy , Van Vlierberghe Leen , Bakermans-Kranenburg Marian J. , Kobak Roger , Hermans Dirk , van IJzendoorn Marinus H.
Published: January 2022

Although clinicians typically acknowledge the importance of insecure attachment as one factor that can contribute to children’s psychopathology, translating attachment theory into clinical practice has proved a challenge. By specifying some of the mechanisms through which the child’s attachment develops and changes, learning theory can enhance attachment based approaches to therapy. Specifically, interventions building on operant (parent management training) and classical (exposure therapy) learning can be used to stimulate new learning that increases the child’s security and confidence in the parent’s availability and responsiveness. To explore the clinical application and utility of a Learning Theory of Attachment (LTA), we focus on two attachment-focused interventions: Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) and Middle Childhood Attachment-based Family Therapy (MCAT). VIPP-SD is an evidence-based parent management training designed to promote sensitive parenting and secure attachment in early childhood. MCAT is a recently developed intervention that uses exposure to stimulate secure attachment in middle childhood. LTA sheds light on the mechanisms set in train by VIPP-SD and MCAT facilitating the induction of professionals in clinical applications.
The Role of Comorbid Symptoms in Perceived Stress and Sleep Problems in Adolescent ADHD
Authors: Frick Matilda A. , Meyer Jenny , Isaksson Johan
Published: January 2022

We examined perceived stress and sleep problems in adolescent ADHD and whether this varies as a function of ADHD presentation and sex. Further, we mapped structural associations between ADHD symptoms, comorbid symptoms, perceived stress, and sleep problems. Participants were 306 adolescents aged 13–19 years (66.8% females, 193 had an ADHD diagnosis, 113 were controls). Parents rated ADHD symptoms, all other constructs were self-rated. Adolescents with ADHD had elevated levels of perceived stress and sleep problems. Girls with ADHD reported the highest levels of perceived stress. Emotional symptoms mediated the effect of inattention whereas conduct problems mediated the effect of hyperactivity/impulsivity on stress and sleep. Perceived stress and sleep problems should be considered when mapping ADHD-related problems. Comorbid symptoms are potential intervention targets that may increase treatment response.
Endocrine secretory granule production is caused by a lack of REST and intragranular secretory content and accelerated by PROX1
Authors: Ishii Jun , Sato-Yazawa Hanako , Kashiwagi Korehito , Nakadate Kazuhiko , Iwamoto Masami , Kohno Kakeru , Miyata-Hiramatsu Chie , Masawa Meitetsu , Onozaki Masato , Noda Shuhei , Miyazawa Tadasuke , Takagi Megumi , Yazawa Takuya
Published: January 2022

Endocrine secretory granules (ESGs) are morphological characteristics of endocrine/neuroendocrine cells and store peptide hormones/neurotransmitters. ESGs contain prohormones and ESG-related molecules, mainly chromogranin/secretogranin family proteins. However, the precise mechanism of ESG formation has not been elucidated. In this study, we experimentally induced ESGs in the non-neuroendocrine lung cancer cell line H1299. Since repressive element 1 silencing transcription factor (REST) and prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) are closely associated with the expression of ESG-related molecules, we edited the REST gene and/or transfected PROX1 and then performed molecular biology, immunocytochemistry, and electron and immunoelectron microscopy assays to determine whether ESG-related molecules and ESGs were induced in H1299 cells. Although chromogranin/secretogranin family proteins were induced in H1299 cells by knockout of REST and the induction was accelerated by the PROX1 transgene, the ESGs could not be defined by electron microscopy. However, a small number of ESGs were detected in the H1299 cells lacking REST and expressing pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) by electron microscopy. Furthermore, many ESGs were produced in the REST-lacking and PROX1- and POMC-expressing H1299 cells. These findings suggest that a lack of REST and the expression of genes related to ESG content are indispensable for ESG production and that PROX1 accelerates ESG production.

Trial registration: Not applicable.
Financial Literacy and Portfolio Diversity in China
Authors: Peng Congmin , She Po-Wen , Lin Ming-Kun
Published: January 2022

This study documents the effect of financial literacy on the portfolio diversity of family wealth in China with a two-way, fixed-effect model. The results show that most people in China do not have sufficient financial literacy to understand financial assets, which implies a lack of financial knowledge in China. It also looks into the determinants of holding each financial asset, no matter how high- or low-risk, which has not been fully explored in the existing literature. The empirical results found that the knowledge of portfolio diversity increases according to their levels of education and financial literacy. In addition, people living in urban areas diversify their portfolios more than in rural areas. People with high financial literacy understand the value of time (interest); therefore, they prefer to have portfolios that evaluate time and avoid options that do not (cash). We also found that people’s characteristics in risk significantly affect whether they hold stock, mutual funds, or other financial assets.
On love, becomings, and true generosity for science education: honoring Paulo Freire
Authors: Frausto Aceves Alejandra , Torres-Olave Betzabé , Tolbert Sara
Published: January 2022

In this editorial article, we draw on our experiences to create an opening for critical reflection in honor of Paulo Freire's centenary. We start by addressing the need to overcome the productivity logic of the Academy and instead prioritize thinking and being in communion with others. We orient toward Freirean critical hope as an impetus to move beyond the limits of commodified time and engage in the process of collective becoming. We share our struggles and tensions through stories of Freirean becomings, reflecting on those "limited situations" in which our critical hope acted as catalysts for us to embrace our unfinishedness. We draw from our collective experiences and becomings to think more deeply about “the heart” of science education. We believe a heart-centered science education is one that forges solidarity with human and more-than-human others, and exploits pockets of resistance in the name of more socially and ecologically just present futures.
Anomaly detection in chest 18F-FDG PET/CT by Bayesian deep learning
Authors: Nakao Takahiro , Hanaoka Shouhei , Nomura Yukihiro , Hayashi Naoto , Abe Osamu
Published: January 2022

Purpose

To develop an anomaly detection system in PET/CT with the tracer 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) that requires only normal PET/CT images for training and can detect abnormal FDG uptake at any location in the chest region.

Materials and methods

We trained our model based on a Bayesian deep learning framework using 1878 PET/CT scans with no abnormal findings. Our model learns the distribution of standard uptake values in these normal training images and detects out-of-normal uptake regions. We evaluated this model using 34 scans showing focal abnormal FDG uptake in the chest region. This evaluation dataset includes 28 pulmonary and 17 extrapulmonary abnormal FDG uptake foci. We performed per-voxel and per-slice receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses and per-lesion free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis.

Results

Our model showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.992 on discriminating abnormal voxels and 0.852 on abnormal slices. Our model detected 41 of 45 (91.1%) of the abnormal FDG uptake foci with 12.8 false positives per scan (FPs/scan), which include 26 of 28 pulmonary and 15 of 17 extrapulmonary abnormalities. The sensitivity at 3.0 FPs/scan was 82.2% (37/45).

Conclusion

Our model trained only with normal PET/CT images successfully detected both pulmonary and extrapulmonary abnormal FDG uptake in the chest region.
Prevalence of symptoms in 1512 COVID-19 patients: have dizziness and vertigo been underestimated thus far?
Authors: Aldè Mirko , Barozzi Stefania , Di Berardino Federica , Zuccotti Gianvincenzo , Consonni Dario , Ambrosetti Umberto , Socci Marina , Bertoli Simona , Battezzati Alberto , Foppiani Andrea , Zanetti Diego , Pignataro Lorenzo , Cantarella Giovanna
Published: January 2022

The relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and dizziness is still unclear. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence and characteristics of dizziness and vertigo among patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. Patients discharged from the emergency rooms with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis were assisted by daily telephone calls until nasopharyngeal swab negativization, and specific symptoms concerning balance disorders were investigated through targeted questions posed by experienced physicians. The study included 1512 subjects (765 females, 747 males), with a median age of 51 ± 18.4 years. New-onset dizziness was reported by 251 (16.6%) patients, among whom 110 (43.8%) complained of lightheadedness, 70 (27.9%) of disequilibrium, 41 (16.3%) of presyncope, and 30 (12%) of vertigo. This study analyzed in detail the prevalence and pathophysiological mechanisms of the different types of balance disorders in a large sample, and the results suggest that dizziness should be included among the main symptoms of COVID-19 because one-sixth of patients reported this symptom, with females being significantly more affected than males (20.3 vs 12.9%, P < 0.001). Most cases of dizziness were attributable to lightheadedness, which was probably exacerbated by psychophysical stress following acute infection and mandatory quarantine. Vertigo should not be underestimated because it might underlie serious vestibular disorders, and disequilibrium in elderly individuals should be monitored due to the possible risk of falls.
Hatching start-ups for sustainable growth: a bibliometric review on business incubators
Authors: Deyanova Kameliya , Brehmer Nataliia , Lapidus Artur , Tiberius Victor , Walsh Steve
Published: January 2022

Business incubators hatch start-ups, helping them to survive their early stage and to create a solid foundation for sustainable growth by providing services and access to knowledge. The great practical relevance led to a strong interest of researchers and a high output of scholarly publications, which made the field complex and scattered. To organize the research on incubators and provide a systematic overview of the field, we conducted bibliometric performance analyses and science mappings. The performance analyses depict the temporal development of the number of incubator publications and their citations, the most cited and most productive journals, countries, and authors, and the 20 most cited articles. The author keyword co-occurrence analysis distinguishes six, and the bibliographic coupling seven research themes. Based on a content analysis of the science mappings, we propose a research framework for future research on business incubators.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Association Between Human Non-obstructive Azoospermia and Plasticisers via Single-Cell and Traditional RNA Sequencing Methods
Authors: Zhang Xu , Ren Xiaohan , Zhang Tongtong , Zhou Xiang , Chen Xinglin , Lu Hongcheng , Zhou Xuan , Zhang Xiaolei , Wang Shangqian , Qin Chao
Published: January 2022

A father’s lifetime experience is a major risk factor for a range of diseases in an individual. The influences of exposure can also be transmitted to offspring. Previous studies demonstrated that plasticisers can damage the male offspring reproductive system, but the link between mammalian research and human non-obstructive azoospermia remains underexplored. Here, we analysed reproduction-related genes from four publicly available single-cell RNA-Seq datasets and RNA-Seq datasets on GEO databases to investigate the correlation between human non-obstructive azoospermia and exposure to plasticisers during pregnancy. The R software was used in statistical analyses. A total of 9 co-upregulated genes and 1 co-downregulated gene were found. The Gene Ontology enrichment analyses were performed using the “clusterProfiler” package. Single-cell analyses were conducted to visualise the gene expression pattern in testis cell subgroups. Immunohistochemical images were used to evaluate the level of protein in testicular organs from The Human Protein Atlas. GSVA results provided further functional annotations. Three signature genes, i.e. COL1A1, CYP17A1 and KIF11, might serve as promising diagnostic biomarkers in non-obstructive azoospermia caused by plasticisers. Our results provided a potential new protocol to evaluate the feasibility of life or clinical intervention in patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. We believe that these observations will improve our understanding of the potential mechanisms of plasticiser contributions to human non-obstructive azoospermia and help identify potential targets for immunotherapy in the future.
Latest outcomes of transcatheter left atrial appendage closure devices and direct oral anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation over the past 5 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Takeda Keiichi , Tsuboko Yusuke , Iwasaki Kiyotaka
Published: January 2022

Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) are emerging treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, data on the safety, efficacy, and medications for LAAC devices in patients with AF are lacking. We aimed to investigate the incidence of all-cause mortality, stroke, and major bleeding in AF patients with LAAC devices and DOACs. Moreover, we aimed to investigate the incidence rate of device-related thrombus (DRT) and the medications used in the management of AF patients with LAAC devices to gain insights into achieving better outcome. Based on a literature search using PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases between January 2015 and December 2020, eight LAAC device studies that used WATCHMAN and Amulet, and three DOAC studies that used rivaroxaban, with a total of 24,055 AF patients (LAAC devices, n = 2855; DOAC, n = 21,200), were included. A random-effects model was used to incorporate heterogeneity among studies. The pooled incidence of events per person-years were as follows: all-cause mortality, 0.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.02–0.10) for WATCHMAN, 0.04 (95% CI 0.00–0.14) for Amulet, and 0.03 (95% CI 0.01–0.04) for rivaroxaban; stroke; 0.02 (95% CI 0.00–0.04) for WATCHMAN, 0 for Amulet, and 0.01 (95% CI 0.01–0.02) for rivaroxaban; major bleeding, 0.04 (95% CI 0.02–0.06) for WATCHMAN, 0.02 (95% CI 0.00–0.06) for Amulet, and 0.02 (95% CI 0.01–0.03) for rivaroxaban. The incidence rate of DRT was 2.3%, and complications were reported in 9%. The incidence of all-cause mortality, stroke, and major bleeding were similar between LAAC devices and DOACs. The rate of complications was acceptable, and those of DRT were lower than the average incidence reported in previous studies. However, further follow-up is needed. Concomitant anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapies should be further evaluated to find the optimal regimen for AF patients with LAAC devices.
Few2Decide: towards a robust model via using few neuron connections to decide
Authors: Li Jian , Guo Yanming , Lao Songyang , Zhao Xiang , Bai Liang , Wang Haoran
Published: January 2022

Researches have shown that image classification networks are vulnerable to adversarial examples, which seriously limits their application in safely critical scenarios. Existing defense methods usually employ adversarial training or adjust the network structure to resist adversarial attack. Although these defense methods can improve the model robustness to some extent, they often significantly decrease the accuracy on the clean data and bring additional computational cost. In this work, we analyze the impact of adversarial example on neuron connections and propose a Few2Decide method to train a robust model by dropping part of non-robust connections in the fully connected layer. Our model can get high perturbed data accuracy without increasing trainable parameters, meanwhile, get high clean data accuracy. Experimental results prove that our method can provide a robust model and achieve state-of-the-art performance on the CIFAR-10 dataset. Specifically, our Few2Decide method achieves 73.01% adversarial accuracy on the CIFAR-10 dataset under the challenging untargeted attack in white-box settings with an attack strength 8/255, using ResNet-20[4$$\times $$×] architecture.
A Relational Approach to Learning Environments: Learning from Pacific Wisdom
Authors: Reynolds Martyn
Published: January 2022

A relational approach focusses on connections between things, assuming that all things exist in relatedness. In this article, attention is given to the relationship between innovative learning environments (ILE) as described in literature, and elements of the field of Pacific education. In order to investigate this relationship, I take a layered approach, attending to five relational matters. First, I ask how relationships are configured between key elements within ILE thinking. Second, I examine what the literature of Pacific education says about how relationships can be understood. Third, I investigate the relational space between ILE thinking and Pacific Education. Next, I describe some aspects of three innovative Pacific educational spaces. And finally, I seek to learn from these deliberately configured educational spaces. The inquiry trajectory grounds discussions of literature and theory in innovative practice, a significant move where the intent is to offer support for innovative educational spaces that might be beneficial to Pacific (and other non-majority) students.
A Research Protocol for Implementation and Evaluation of a Patient-Focused eHealth Intervention for Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Donald Maoliosa , Beanlands Heather , Straus Sharon , Harwood Lori , Herrington Gwen , Waldvogel Blair , Delgado Maria , Sparkes Dwight , Watson Paul , Elliott Meghan , McBrien Kerry , Bello Aminu , Hemmelgarn Brenda
Published: January 2022

Self-management in chronic kidney disease (CKD) can slow disease progression; however, there are few tools available to support patients with early CKD. My Kidneys My Health is a patient-focused electronic health (eHealth) self-management tool developed by patients and caregivers. This study will investigate the implementation of My Kidneys My Health across primary care and general nephrology clinics. The study aims to: (1) identify and address barriers and facilitators that may impact implementation and sustainability of the website into routine clinical care; (2) evaluate implementation quality to inform spread and scale-up. We will conduct a multi-stage approach using qualitative methods, guided by the Quality Implementation Framework and using a qualitative content analysis approach. First, we will identify perceived barriers and facilitators to implementation and considerations for sustainability through interviews with clinicians, based on the Readiness Thinking Tool and the Long Term Success Tool. Analysis will be guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Theoretical Domains Framework. Appropriate implementation strategies will be identified using the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change compilation, and implementation plans will be developed based on Proctor’s recommendations and the Action, Actor, Context, Target, Time framework. Finally, we will explore implementation quality guided by the RE-AIM framework. There is limited literature describing systematic approaches to implementing and sustaining patient-focused self-management tools into clinical care, in addition to employing tailored implementation strategies to promote adoption and sustainability. We aim to generate insights on how My Kidneys My Health can be integrated into clinical care and how to sustain use of patient-centric eHealth tools in clinical settings on a larger scale.
‘Je n’ai pas envie de chanter ce soir’: A Re-examination of Samuel Beckett’s Opera Collaboration Krapp, ou La Dernière bande
Authors: O’Neill Shane
Published: February 2022

This article re-examines Krapp, ou La Dernière bande (1961), an opera adaptation of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape (1958), which was a collaboration between the playwright and the Romanian composer Marcel Mihalovici. Beckett’s changes to the libretto give new insights into the writer’s developing concerns around form and his aesthetic of failure. In the programme for the Bielefeld production of the opera in 1961, Beckett supplied a sentence from the German translation of his Texts for Nothing, although inverting its first two clauses. His inclusion of this line in the programme affords us greater insight into Beckett’s ever evolving conception of the play. Shane O’Neill’s doctoral research on Samuel Beckett’s self-translated drama is funded by the Irish Research Council. He teaches at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, and has published essays in Samuel Beckett Today/Aujourd’hui and the edited volume Samuel Beckett and Translation (Edinburgh University Press, 2021).