bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and evaluation of a new website on oral health and Down syndrome
Authors: Otero Gemma Rey , Mundiña Berta Rivas , García‐Mato Eliane , Aneiros Iván Varela , López Lucía Sande , Iglesias José Ramón García
Published: April 2024

Aims

The objective of this study was to develop a new website in Spanish on oral health and dental care for use by the relatives/caregivers of individuals with Down syndrome, with the aim of incorporating the strengths and avoids the deficiencies of existing websites.

Methods

A freely accessible website was developed with dental content, whose access criteria included the age of the individual undergoing the consultation and the area of interest (tongue or teeth disease, oral functionality, oral hygiene, and dental visits). The definitive version of the website was analyzed by five external examiners, applying the DISCERN criteria and the Questionnaire to Evaluate Health Web Sites According to European Criteria (QEEC). The website's traffic during the first year of activity was recorded.

Results

The new website is known as “DentiDown”, and its access domain is https://odontoloxia‐accessible.org/dentidown/. On the home screen, the age group of interest to the user can be accessed. A dropdown menu then opens, listing the various options according to the area of interest. The oral hygiene section provides advice for improving toothbrushing efficacy through demonstration videos. With the DISCERN tool, an overall score of 4.75 ± 0.5 was achieved. With the QEEC, the external examiners’ general opinion was highly favorable. The website received the seal of quality from the Accredited Medical Web (AMW). During the first year of activity, a total of 4536 visits from a total of 45 countries were recorded.

Conclusion

A new Spanish website has been developed on oral health for use by the relatives/caregivers of individuals with Down syndrome. The website has been favorably evaluated by external experts and, to date, is the only one with these characteristics with the AMW seal of quality.
Elevated levels of anti‐Golgi antibodies: An early sign of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Salman Emrah , Dinç Bedia
Published: April 2024

Anti‐Golgi antibodies are uncommon antibodies that exhibit specific, polarized cytoplasmic staining on the Hep‐2 substrate. The objective of our study was to identify the clinical and laboratory features associated with anti‐Golgi antibodies. We examined 4.5 years of data from a Turkish tertiary hospital in this retrospective cohort analysis. The indirect immunofluorescence staining patterns, antinuclear antibody (ANA) titres and clinical data of all patients were obtained from the hospital record system. A total of 146,055 ANAs were detected, of which 224 patients (0.15%) exhibited anti‐Golgi antibody staining. In total, 39.4% of diagnosed patients had autoimmune diseases (AIDs). Of the AIDs, 26 (46.4%) were rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This is a very high rate and another remarkable point is that 17 (65.3%) of these patients had seronegative RA. High‐titre results (1 ≥ 1/320) were more common in patients with AID. Anti‐Ro52 was prevalent in 50% of extractable nuclear antigen (ENA)‐positive patients, making it a remarkable finding. The majority of individuals with high‐titre anti‐Golgi antibodies had AID, particularly RA. The majority of these patients also tested negative for anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti‐CCP) and rheumatoid factor (RF). Finally, high‐titre anti‐Golgi antibodies may be an important serologic marker for seronegative RA in the Turkish population.
The novel HLA‐C*07:02:147 allele characterised by two different sequencing‐based typing techniques
Authors: Dhuyser Adèle , Pérès Michaël , Clément Sandra , Morel Thomas , Aarnink Alice
Published: April 2024

The novel allele HLA‐C*07:02:147 differs from HLA‐C*07:02:01:01 by one synonymous nucleotide substitution in exon 2.
Strigolactones alleviate AlCl3 stress by vacuolar compartmentalization and cell wall blocking in apple
Authors: Zhang Yong , Li Jianyu , Guo Kexin , Wang Tianchao , Gao Lijie , Sun Zhijuan , Ma Changqing , Wang Caihong , Tian Yike , Zheng Xiaodong
Published: April 2024

Poor management and excess fertilization of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) orchards are causing increasingly serious soil acidification, resulting in Al toxicity and direct poisoning of roots. Strigolactones (SLs) are reported to be involved in plant responses to abiotic stress, but their role and mechanism under AlCl3 stress remain unknown. Here, we found that applying 1 μm GR24 (an SL analoge) significantly alleviated AlCl3 stress of M26 apple rootstock, mainly by blocking the movement of Al through cell wall and by vacuolar compartmentalization of Al. RNA‐seq analysis identified the core transcription factor gene MdWRKY53, and overexpressing MdWRKY53 enhanced AlCl3 tolerance in transgenic apple plants through the same mechanism as GR24. Subsequently, we identified MdPMEI45 (encoding pectin methylesterase inhibitor) and MdALS3 (encoding an Al transporter) as downstream target genes of MdWRKY53 using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP‐seq). GR24 enhanced the interaction between MdWRKY53 and the transcription factor MdTCP15, further increasing the binding of MdWRKY53 to the MdPMEI45 promoter and inducing MdPMEI45 expression to prevent Al from crossing cell wall. MdWRKY53 also bound to the promoter of MdALS3 and enhanced its transcription to compartmentalize Al in vacuoles under AlCl3 stress. We therefore identified two modules involved in alleviating AlCl3 stress in woody plant apple: the SL‐WRKY+TCP‐PMEI module required for excluding external Al by blocking the entry of Al3+ into cells and the SL‐WRKY‐ALS module allowing internal detoxification of Al through vacuolar compartmentalization. These findings lay a foundation for the practical application of SLs in agriculture.
Feasibility evaluation of a blood rotation system for efficient blood product utilization in remote island settings
Authors: Nagai Kazuhiro , Tomari Noriyuki , Egawa Satoko , Koga Yoshito , Itonaga Hidehiro , Imanishi Daisuke , Yoshida Shinichiro , Kinoshita Ikuo , Miyazaki Yasushi , Tanaka Asashi
Published: April 2024

Background and Objectives

Geographical limitations in remote island medical facilities result in excessive wastage of blood products. To address this, we explored the feasibility of a novel blood rotation system, which enables the return and redelivery of blood products to/from the blood bank while ensuring the management of product quality, including temperature control. This study aimed to enhance the supply of blood products to these facilities.

Materials and Methods

The Japan Red Cross Nagasaki Blood Center, Nagasaki Goto Chuoh Hospital (NGCH) and Nagasaki University Hospital collaborated to coordinate the transport and supply of red blood cell (RBC) products. Type O, RhD‐positive, irradiated RBC products were stored at a precise 4.0 ± 2.0°C in an active transport refrigerator (ATR). After transport from the Japan Red Cross Nagasaki Blood Center to NGCH, RBC products were held for 1 week in the ATR, and unused products were returned. Eligible returned products were reissued to the Nagasaki University Hospital.

Results

All the returned RBC products met the redelivery criteria. Among the 103 redelivered RBC preparations, 101 bags (98.1%) were successfully used. NGCH utilized 597 RBC products and discarded 80 samples. The ATR supplied 107 type O RBC bags without any wastage. The overall wastage rate was 10.2% during the study period compared with 24.2% in the same period in the previous year.

Conclusion

This innovative supply and operation system ensures a consistent and secure RBC product supply to remote islands while maximizing blood product use.
On the Pohozaev identity for the fractional p$p$‐Laplacian operator in RN$\mathbb {R}^N$
Authors: Ambrosio Vincenzo
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we show the existence of a nontrivial weak solution for a nonlinear problem involving the fractional ‐Laplacian operator and a Berestycki–Lions type nonlinearity. This solution satisfies a Pohozaev identity. Moreover, we prove that any sufficiently smooth solution fulfills the Pohozaev identity.
Carbon Footprint of Seawater Desalination Technologies: A Review
Authors: Wang Yongqing , Morosuk Tatiana , Cao Wensheng
Published: April 2024

As an important and effective way of mitigating water shortages, desalination has steadily and rapidly increased its global capacity over the decades. This raises concern about its environmental impacts, especially its carbon footprint (CF). Although the CF of desalination has been extensively studied, the existing literature lacks reviews exclusively for it. To help fill the research gap, this study presents a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the CF of seawater desalination technologies, including the conventional reverse osmosis (RO), multi-stage flash (MSF), multi-effect distillation (MED), electrodialysis (ED), and mechanical vapor compression (MVC), and the emerging membrane distillation (MD) and humidification–dehumidification (HDH). To our knowledge, this is the first review that focuses on the CF of seawater desalination. A general procedure for assessing the CF of a desalination system is discussed. The CF data of 211 scenarios from 34 studies published from 2004 to 2023 are reviewed and analyzed, with special focuses on the CF of different technologies, the roles of different life-cycle phases and material/energy flows, and the mitigation measures. The results highlight the CF advantage of RO and low-carbon heat-driven MSF, MED, and MD, and emphasize the dominant role of the operational energy consumption (the amount, the form, and especially the source of the energy) in the CF of desalination. This review improves the understanding of the CF of seawater desalination technologies and of the ways to reduce it.
Analytical Modeling and Validation of New Prismatic Compliant Joints Based on Zero Poisson’s Ratio Lattice Structures
Authors: Arredondo-Soto Mauricio , Cuan-Urquizo Enrique , Gómez-Espinosa Alfonso
Published: April 2024

The design and analysis of prismatic compliant joints have received less attention compared to that given to revolute compliant joints, thus limiting their implementation in compliant mechanisms beyond translational stages. Lattice structures have been used effectively to increase flexibility and stiffness ratios in compliant joints. Considering these, new prismatic compliant joints based on zero Poisson’s ratio lattice structures (ZP-PCJ) are proposed. Lattices with three different cell arrangements are considered: single cells, 2×2, and 3×3 lattices. Additionally, unit cells with three different geometries are studied: triangular, chamfer, and cosine. The compliance matrices of the ZP-PCJs are assembled analytically using Castigliano’s second theorem and compliance series–parallel simplification. The compliance ratios along the three orthogonal axes of the ZP-PCJs are computed varying their geometric parameters. Finite element models are constructed to validate the analytical results. Experimental tests are performed on additively manufactured ZP-PCJs to corroborate the compliance coefficients. Results showed that analytical models can predict the ZP-PCJ’s elastic properties accurately, differences less than 3% and 12% were obtained when compared to computational and experiments, respectively. Based on the compliance ratios obtained, the ZP-PCJs are suitable for two-dimensional applications. Finally, the ZP-PCJs are implemented in a compliant mechanism to evaluate their behavior, analytically and computationally. The ZP-PCJs have advantages such as eliminating axis drift and high flexibility in motion-direction while maintaining stiffness in other directions. The differences observed when comparing the analytically obtained estimations with simulations and experimental data suggest that ZP-PCJ analytical models are reliable for estimating their performance in compliant systems.
Experimental Analysis of the Time-Wise Compressor Fouling Phenomenon
Authors: Suman Alessio , Zanini Nicola , Pinelli Michele
Published: April 2024

Compressor fouling is still an unforeseen phenomenon. Gas turbines for heavy-duty and propulsion applications are subject to performance degradation due to fouling, erosion, and corrosion mechanisms. Unlike the last two, the fouling phenomenon is recoverable depending on weather, operating conditions, and operator actions. It is generated by the adhesion of micro-sized particles on the relevant surfaces, generating blade shape and surface roughness variations. Fouling could affect the machine performance differently. The interaction between machine characteristics, airborne contaminants, and environmental conditions determines fouling prediction challenges. An experimental campaign has been carried out in the present analysis to study the overtime modification of compressor performance and mass deposits on the blade and vane surfaces. The axial unit has been operated to control the performance and deposition process by keeping the contamination and the relative humidity constant during the time. The test matrix has been based on two relative humidity values and four exposure time intervals. The results have shown the action of the competitive phenomena as adhesion and detachment, generating a non-linear trend of the deposited mass−time relation depending on impact characteristics and humidity values. Compressor performance follows similar behavior and shows a non-linear trend instead of constant contamination. Data interpretation and generalization are reported to increase the possibility of better predicting the effects of particle adhesion on gas turbine performance degradation.
Threat of mining to African great apes
Authors: Junker Jessica , Quoss Luise , Valdez Jose , Arandjelovic Mimi , Barrie Abdulai , Campbell Geneviève , Heinicke Stefanie , Humle Tatyana , Kouakou Célestin Y. , Kühl Hjalmar S. , Ordaz-Németh Isabel , Pereira Henrique M. , Rainer Helga , Refisch Johannes , Sonter Laura , Sop Tenekwetche
Published: April 2024

The rapid growth of clean energy technologies is driving a rising demand for critical minerals. In 2022 at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), seven major economies formed an alliance to enhance the sustainability of mining these essential decarbonization minerals. However, there is a scarcity of studies assessing the threat of mining to global biodiversity. By integrating a global mining dataset with great ape density distribution, we estimated the number of African great apes that spatially coincided with industrial mining projects. We show that up to one-third of Africa’s great ape population faces mining-related risks. In West Africa in particular, numerous mining areas overlap with fragmented ape habitats, often in high-density ape regions. For 97% of mining areas, no ape survey data are available, underscoring the importance of increased accessibility to environmental data within the mining sector to facilitate research into the complex interactions between mining, climate, biodiversity, and sustainability.
Spatiotemporal audio feature extraction with dynamic memristor-based time-surface neurons
Authors: Wu Xulei , Dang Bingjie , Zhang Teng , Wu Xiulong , Yang Yuchao
Published: April 2024

Neuromorphic speech recognition systems that use spiking neural networks (SNNs) and memristors are progressing in hardware development. The conventional manual preprocessing of audio signals is shifting toward event-based recognition with convolutional SNNs. Despite achieving high accuracy in classification, the efficient extraction of spatiotemporal features from audio events continues to be a substantial challenge. In this study, we introduce dynamic time-surface neurons (DTSNs) using volatile memristors featuring an adjustable temporal kernel decay, enabled by series-connected transistors with an Au/LiCoO
2
/Au configuration. DTSNs act as feature descriptors, enhancing the spatiotemporal feature extraction from event audio data. A two-layer SNN classifier, fully connected and incorporating a 1T1R nonvolatile memristor array, is trained to recognize the spatiotemporal features of the audio data. Our findings show classification accuracies of up to 95.91%, substantial improvements in computational efficiency, and increased noise resilience, confirming the promise of our memristor-based speech recognition system for practical applications.
The ratting of North America: A 350-year retrospective on
Rattus
species compositions and competition
Authors: Guiry Eric , Kennedy Ryan , Orton David , Armitage Philip , Bratten John , Dagneau Charles , Dawdy Shannon , deFrance Susan , Gaulton Barry , Givens David , Hall Olivia , Laberge Anne , Lavin Michael , Miller Henry , Minkoff Mary F. , Niculescu Tatiana , Noël Stéphane , Pavao-Zuckerman Barnet , Stricker Leah , Teeter Matt , Welker Martin , Wilkoski Jennifer , Szpak Paul , Buckley Michael
Published: April 2024

While the impacts of black (
Rattus rattus
) and brown (
Rattus norvegicus
) rats on human society are well documented—including the spread of disease, broad-scale environmental destruction, and billions spent annually on animal control—little is known about their ecology and behavior in urban areas due to the challenges of studying animals in city environments. We use isotopic and ZooMS analysis of archaeological (1550s–1900 CE) rat remains from eastern North America to provide a large-scale framework for species arrival, interspecific competition, and dietary ecology. Brown rats arrived earlier than expected and rapidly outcompeted black rats in coastal urban areas. This replacement happened despite evidence that the two species occupy different trophic positions. Findings include the earliest molecularly confirmed brown rat in the Americas and show a deep ecological structure to how rats exploit human-structured areas, with implications for understanding urban zoonosis, rat management, and ecosystem planning as well as broader themes of rat dispersal, phylogeny, evolutionary ecology, and climate impacts.
An efficient approach toward production of near-zigzag single-chirality carbon nanotubes
Authors: Li Yahan , Li Linhai , Jiang Hua , Qian Liu , He Maoshuai , Zhou Duanliang , Jiang Kaili , Liu Huaping , Qin Xiaofan , Gao Yan , Wu Qianru , Chi Xinyan , Li Zhibo , Zhang Jin
Published: April 2024

Synthesizing single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with a narrow chirality distribution is essential for obtaining pure chirality materials through postgrowth sorting techniques. Using carbon monoxide chemical vapor deposition, we devise a ruthenium (Ru) catalyst supported by silica for the bulk production of SWCNTs containing only a few (
n
,
m
) species. The result is attributed to the limited carbon dissociation on the supported Ru clusters, favoring the growth of only small-diameter SWCNTs at comparable growth rates. The resulting materials expedite high-purity single chirality separation using gel chromatography, leading to unprecedented yields of 3.5% for (9, 1) and 5.2% for (9, 2) nanotubes, which surpass those separated from HiPco SWCNTs by two orders of magnitude. This work sheds light on the large-quantity synthesis of SWCNTs with enriched species beyond near-armchair ones for their high-yield separation.
Dr. Atl
Authors: Crausaz Winston
Published: April 2024

Dr. Atl (born Gerardo Murillo in 1875) was the Universal Man of Mexico. In addition to starting the Mexican Mural Movement and launching the careers of such famous artists as Siqueiros, Rivera, and Orozco, he was a revolutionary who, with blazing guns, political intrigue, and innumerable essays, helped to forge the modem Mexican democracy. His first love was volcanoes, and for sixty years he produced an avalanche of sketches, paintings, poems, essays, and monographs devoted to that subject. The mass of paintings and two monographs constitute his main contribution to volcanology.

Between 1911 and 1914 he studied Vesuvius, Etna, and Stromboli under the European volcanologists Perret and Friedlaender. The Mexican volcano Popocatepetl was his favorite mountain. When a crew of sulfur miners awakened it by blasting the crater with dynamite, Dr. Atl prepared a monograph based on decades of personal observations, interviews, Aztec legends, early written reports, sketches, paintings, and historical photographs. He described in detail the first man-made volcanic eruption, which raged in the crater from 1919 to 1938, and formed domes similar to the ones on Mt. St. Helens.

In 1943, when Paricutin erupted from a corn Geld, Dr. Atl raced to the site and started a seven-year study which culminated in the publication of his second scientific monograph. Although Dr. Atl was 75 at the time, his outlook was surprisingly modern. After discussing the ideas of Alfred Wegener, he declared that the forces of continental drift had formed the volcano.

At the age of 83, he sketched and painted a series of oblique landscapes from airplanes. Six years later, in 1964, while working on three murals in Cuernavaca, Dr. Atl died.
Severe insulin resistance in a patient with diabetes after treatment with brentuximab vedotin
Authors: Peeters Greet , Verhaegen Ann
Published: April 2024

A man in his late 60s with a history of well-controlled type 2 diabetes and hepatic cirrhosis presented to the emergency department due to uncontrollable hyperglycaemia following the initial brentuximab vedotin (BV) infusion. BV was initiated as a treatment for mycosis fungoides, a form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. The patient was diagnosed with severe hyperglycaemia with ketosis. Empiric treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, hydration and intravenous insulin infusion was initiated. Hyperglycaemia persisted despite receiving massive amounts of insulin and was corrected only after treatment with high-dose methylprednisolone for suspected type B insulin resistance. Extremely high and difficult-to-treat hyperglycaemia is a rare side effect of BV. Unfortunately, the patient died of upper gastrointestinal bleeding 22 days after discharge. In patients with obesity and/or diabetes mellitus, the blood glucose levels should be carefully monitored when treated with BV.
Acute lumbar paraspinal compartment syndrome after radical cystectomy
Authors: Sauliunaite Vilte , Vecsernyés Noémie , Coronado Marcos
Published: April 2024

Lumbar paraspinal compartment syndrome (LPCS) is a rare diagnosis, seen in patients chronically after repeated lumbar trauma or acutely in a postoperative setting. Only a dozen cases are documented worldwide, and to date no clinical guidelines exist for the diagnosis nor the treatment.

We describe the case of a 44-year-old man with excruciating lower back pain following a radical cystectomy. The postoperative laboratory values were compatible with acute rhabdomyolysis. The lumbar spine MRI showed necrosis of lumbosacral paraspinal muscles, making the diagnosis of acute LPCS. After seeking advice from different specialists, the conservative approach was chosen with combined pain treatment and physiotherapy. The patient is currently still disabled for some tasks and needs chronic pain medication.
Vaginal pessary: a culprit for intraperitoneal bladder perforation
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Channappa Chandrakala , Elsheikh Mohamed Abdelkhalek Ramadan Ibrahim , Annappa Manjula
Published: April 2024

Vaginal pessaries are widely considered to be a safe and effective non-surgical management option for women with pelvic organ prolapse. Complications may occur, and are more frequent with improper care and certain device designs and materials. It is imperative to provide information to patients about potential complications. We present the case of a woman in her 70s who presented to the Emergency Department with increasing groin and abdominal pain following a vaginal pessary insertion 2 days prior for grade 3 vaginal vault prolapse. On presentation, her abdomen was markedly distended with guarding. Laboratory investigations showed a significant acute kidney injury with a metabolic acidosis. An initial non-contrast CT showed fluid and inflammatory changes surrounding the bladder, and bladder perforation was suspected. A subsequent CT cystogram showed extravasation of contrast from the bladder into the peritoneal cavity, in keeping with an intraperitoneal bladder rupture. The patient underwent an emergency bladder repair in theatre.
Placental metastasis from maternal NUT carcinoma: diagnostic pitfalls and challenges
Authors: Lai Jonathan K , Panasci Lawrence , Patey Natalie Gabrielle , Wang Hangjun
Published: April 2024

We report a young pregnant woman with large midline thoracic mass and markedly elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. Initially suspected as a germ cell tumour (GCT) due to age, site, and high AFP levels, a biopsy unveiled a high-grade malignant tumour characterised by undifferentiated monotonous cells. Although tumour cells exhibited positive AFP, the overall immunoprofile did not provide additional evidence to support GCT. Further work-up showed positive for NUT (nuclear protein in testis) immunostaining and the presence of BRD4–NUT1 fusion, confirming the diagnosis of NUT carcinoma. On radiology, there were extensive metastases to lungs, liver, vertebrae, and placenta. Despite aggressive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy, she did not respond to the therapies. Fortunately, her child was not affected by the carcinoma. This is the first case highlighting that thoracic lung primary NUT carcinoma can spread to the placenta and manifest with elevated serum AFP levels, potentially leading to misdiagnosis as GCT both clinically and pathologically.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated profiles and subsequent site-specific risk of obesity-related cancers among Chinese patients with diabetes: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Yau Sarah Tsz Yui , Leung Eman , Wong Martin Chi Sang , Hung Chi Tim , Chong Ka Chun , Lee Albert , Yeoh Eng Kiong
Published: April 2024

Objectives

To compare metabolic dysfunction-associated profiles between patients with diabetes who developed different obesity-related site-specific cancers and those who remained free of cancer during follow-up.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Public general outpatient clinics in Hong Kong.

Participants

Patients with diabetes without a history of malignancy (n=391 921).

Primary outcome measures

The outcomes of interest were diagnosis of site-specific cancers (colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, bladder, kidney and stomach) during follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to assess the associations between metabolic dysfunction and other clinical factors with each site-specific cancer.

Results

Each 0.1 increase in waist-to-hip ratio was associated with an 11%–35% elevated risk of colorectal, bladder and liver cancers. Each 1% increase in glycated haemoglobin was linked to a 4%–9% higher risk of liver and pancreatic cancers. While low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were inversely associated with the risk of liver and pancreatic cancers, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was negatively associated with pancreatic, gastric and kidney cancers, but positively associated with liver cancer. Furthermore, liver cirrhosis was linked to a 56% increased risk of pancreatic cancer. No significant association between hypertension and cancer risk was found.

Conclusions

Metabolic dysfunction-associated profiles contribute to different obesity-related cancer outcomes differentially among patients with diabetes. This study may provide evidence to help identify cancer prevention targets during routine diabetes care.
Real-world effectiveness of upadacitinib in Crohn’s disease: a UK multicentre retrospective cohort study
Authors: Elford Alexander Thomas , Bishara Maria , Plevris Nikolas , Gros Beatriz , Constantine-Cooke Nathan , Goodhand James , Kennedy Nicholas A , Ahmad Tariq , Lees Charlie W
Published: April 2024

Background

Upadacitinib is a Janus kinase inhibitor, which has recently been approved for treating Crohn’s disease. There are limited real-world studies on the outcomes of upadacitinib in Crohn’s disease.

Objective

Our aim was to evaluate the outcomes of upadacitinib in a real-world Crohn’s disease cohort.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study over a 2-year period across National Health Service (NHS) Lothian and Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. The primary outcome was treatment persistence at week 24. Secondary endpoints were corticosteroid-free clinical remission (Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI)<5) and biomarker remission (C-reactive protein (CRP)≤5 mg/L and faecal calprotectin (FCAL)<250 µg/g) at 12, 24 and 52 weeks. We recorded adverse events.

Results

135 patients commenced upadacitinib as of the 1 January 2024, of which 93 patients with active Crohn’s disease were included with a minimum of 12 weeks follow-up. The median follow-up time was 25 weeks (IQR 15–42 weeks). 82% of the cohort had exposure to at least two classes of advanced therapies, and 52% had exposure to at least three classes of advanced therapies. Treatment persistence was 87.1% at week 12, 81.7% at week 24 and 62.8% at week 52. Rates of clinical remission were 64% (42/66), 48% (22/46) and 38% (8/21) at weeks 12, 24 and 52, respectively. Significant reductions in HBI, CRP and FCAL were observed during follow-up. 14% (13/91) had a hospitalisation due to Crohn’s disease. Adverse events occurred in 40% (37/93) of the cohort, of which 12% (11/93) were serious.

Conclusion

Upadacitinib was effective in a real-world, highly refractory, Crohn’s disease cohort with good persistence.
Clinical presentation and treatment of 26 spinal epidural arteriovenous fistulas: a single-center experience
Authors: Beaman Charles , Molaie Amir , Ghochani Yasmin , Fukuda Keiko , Peterson Catherine , Kaneko Naoki , Nour May , Szeder Viktor , Colby Geoffrey P , Tateshima Satoshi , Jahan Reza , Duckwiler Gary
Published: April 2024

Background

Spinal epidural arteriovenous fistulas (SEDAVFs) are rarely diagnosed vascular malformations that can cause spinal cord compression and congestive myelopathy.

Methods

This is a single-center, retrospective case series of patients with SEDAVFs who underwent observation or treatment at UCLA medical center between 1993 and 2023.

Results

Between 1993 and 2023 a total of 26 patients at UCLA were found to have a SEDAVF. The median age at treatment was 59 years (range 4 months to 91 years). Compared with sacral, lumbar, and thoracic SEDAVFs, patients with cervical SEDAVF were younger (41 years vs 63 years, P=0.016) and more likely to be female (66.7% vs 14.3%, P=0.006). Possible triggers for development of SEDAVFs may be prior spinal surgery or trauma (n=4), turning the neck (n=1), lifting a heavy box (n=1), a prolonged period of bending over (n=1), and neurofibromatosis type 1 (n=1). Of the 22 patients treated endovascularly, 18 (82%) were angiographically cured on the first attempt without complications. One patient underwent surgical treatment alone and had a failed surgery on the first attempt, and developed a surgical site infection after the second successful attempt at treatment. Of the 16 patients with adequate clinical follow-up, 11 (69%) demonstrated early improved clinical outcome (eg, improved strength on examination, absent bruit).

Conclusions

SEDAVFs are a rarely diagnosed disease that can be treated effectively and safely with endovascular embolization in most cases. Patients with sacral, lumbar, and thoracic SEDAVFs were older and more often male compared to patients with cervical SEDAVFs.
Effect of three-phase-lag thermal and three-phase-lag diffusion models on waves at the boundary of elastic and thermoelastic diffusion medium
Authors: Goel Shruti , Gupta Vandana , Kumar Manoj
Published: April 2024

In this paper, we discuss the reflection and refraction of an incident P wave or [Formula: see text] wave at the interface of a plane. The plane, which is divided into two halves, is an elastic medium [Formula: see text] having an incident wave and a thermoelastic diffusion medium [Formula: see text] with TPLT (i.e., three-phase-lag thermal) and TPLD (i.e., three-phase-lag diffusion) models. It has been noticed that two waves are reflected and four are refracted in an isotropic thermoelastic diffusion medium. Out of the four refracted waves, three are longitudinal waves: a quasi-longitudinal wave [Formula: see text] a quasi-mass diffusion wave [Formula: see text], a quasi-thermal wave [Formula: see text] and one is a transverse wave [Formula: see text]. If we consider the above waves first, the amplitude and energy ratio are calculated by using the surface boundary conditions and then graphically represented to compare the change in energy and amplitude ratio with the change in incident angle for three particular cases. The conservation of energy is depicted by verifying that all the energy sums up to unity. The considered problem has its application in earthquake engineering, astronautics, rocket engineering, seismology and many more engineering areas.
Sustainable Scientific and Technological Talents Recommendation Method Based on Recommendation Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Bei
Published: April 2024

In today’s rapid development of global technology, the global demand for scientific and technological talents remains high. To provide a reliable talent referral channel, a talent recommendation model based on Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Transformers (BERT) and Bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BLSTM) was constructed. This model enables the matching of talented individuals with job opportunities. The results demonstrated that the accuracy and F1 value of BLSTM-BERT in the test set were 0.95 and 0.92, respectively. The precision rate, recall rate, F1-socre value and accuracy rate of BLSTM-CNN model were 0.96, 0.97, 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. The correct prediction rate of the talent recommendation model for the four types of talents was 1.0. It is evident that the talent recommendation model has a high accuracy in predicting talent categories and can precisely recommend necessary scientific and technological professionals for businesses.
ALWAYS DESIRE MORE? CEO PERCEPTIONS OF RELATIVE COMPENSATION, RISK PROPENSITY, AND INNOVATION IN SMEs
Authors: CORTES ANDRES FELIPE , LEE YOUNGEEUN , HERRMANN POL
Published: April 2024

We study how the chief executive officers (CEOs) compensation perceptions and risk propensity influence exploratory innovation in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Based on survey data collected from 381 CEOs of private SMEs in Colombia, we find that (1) CEO underpayment perceptions have a positively increasing relationship with exploratory innovation, (2) CEO overpayment perceptions have a positively decreasing relationship with exploratory innovation, and (3) CEOs’ risk propensity does not moderate these relationships. Our study informs small business managers, boards of directors, and policy makers on how compensation aspirations and comparisons serve as motives for exploratory behaviour. Our study also represents a unique attempt to capture CEOs’ perceptions of their compensation and explore their influence on strategic outcomes. Further, we underscore the need to extend social comparison theories to better understand how CEOs’ compensation and dispositional motives shape firms.
ASSESSING THE ADOPTION OF FRUGAL INNOVATION USING SEM FROM CUSTOMERS’ AND FIRM’S PERSPECTIVES
Authors: AL-REFAIE ABBAS , ABU-GHANNAM ESRAA , AL-HAWADI AHMAD
Published: April 2024

This study assesses the adoption of frugal innovation from customers’ and firms’ perspectives using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Three measures of frugal innovation were considered including cost reduction, core functionalities, and performance level. Then, measurement and structural models were developed with three latent, frugal innovations, firm performance, and customer acceptance. Data were collected from 40 Jordanian firms and 200 customers. In total, 300 surveys were distributed. The response rate was 75%. Results indicated that cost reduction, core functionalities, and product performance were mostly affected by used material, functional aspects, and quality of innovative products, respectively. Further, revenues and meeting requirements had the largest impacts on firm performance and customer acceptance, respectively. Finally, frugal innovation significantly impacts firm performance directly and indirectly through customer acceptance. However, the impacts of customer acceptance on firm performance were found insignificant. In conclusion, frugal innovation can enhance firms’ performance and hence firms should offer customers affordable and good enough low-cost, simple, and robust innovative products to have a successful adoption of frugal innovation.
Inter-camera Identity Discrimination for Unsupervised Person Re-identification
Authors: Xiong Mingfu , Hu Kaikang , Lyu Zhihan , Fang Fei , Wang Zhongyuan , Hu Ruimin , Muhammad Khan
Published: April 2024

Unsupervised person re-identification (Re-ID) has garnered significant attention because of its data-friendly nature, as it does not require labeled data. Existing approaches primarily address this challenge by employing feature-clustering techniques to generate pseudo-labels. In addition, camera-proxy-based methods have emerged because of their impressive ability to cluster sample identities. However, these methods often blur the distinctions between individuals within inter-camera views, which is crucial for effective person re-ID. To address this issue, this study introduces an inter-camera-identity-difference-based contrastive learning framework for unsupervised person Re-ID. The proposed framework comprises two key components: (1) a different sample cross-view close-range penalty module and (2) the same sample cross-view long-range constraint module. The former aims at penalizing excessive similarity among different subjects across inter-camera views, whereas the latter mitigates the challenge of excessive dissimilarity among the same subject across camera views. To validate the performance of our method, we conducted extensive experiments on three existing person Re-ID datasets (Market-1501, MSMT17, and PersonX). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which shows a promising performance. The code is available at 
https://github.com/hooldylan/IIDCL
.
Digital reconstruction of partially lost altarpieces. The case of the Rosary's altarpiece of Sant Pere Màrtir de Manresa
Authors: Pagès-Vilà Anna , Pueyo Xavier , Muñoz-Pandiella Imanol
Published: April 2024

An important challenge of Digital Cultural Heritage is to contribute to the recovery of artworks with their original shape and appearance. Many altarpieces, which are very relevant Christian art elements, have been damaged and/or partly or fully lost. Therefore, the only way to recover them is to carry out their digital reconstruction. Although the procedure that we present here is valid for any altarpiece with similar characteristics, and even for other akin elements, our test bench is the altarpieces that were damaged or destroyed or that disappeared during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) in Catalonia, where most suffered these effects. The first step of our work has been the classification of these artworks into different categories on the basis of their degree of destruction and of the available visual information related to each one.

This article proposes, for the first time to our knowledge, a workflow for the virtual reconstruction, through photogrammetry, digital modeling, and digital color restoration, of whole altarpieces partially preserved with very little visual information. Our case study is the Rosary’s altarpiece of Sant Pere Màrtir de Manresa church. Currently, this altarpiece is partially preserved in fragments in the Museu Comarcal de Manresa (Spain). But it cannot be reassembled physically owing to the lack of space (actually the church does not exist anymore) and the cost of such an operation. Thus, there is no other solution than the digital one to contemplate and study the altarpiece as a whole. The reconstruction that we provide allows art historians and the general public to virtually see the altarpiece complete and assembled as it was until 1936. The results obtained also allow us to see in detail the reliefs and ornaments of the altarpiece with their digitally restored color.
Stack-like Contacting in Solid Oxide Cells: Electrochemical Characterization and Modeling
Authors: Ewald D. , Grosselindemann C. , Esau D. , Fuchs F.-M. , Weber A.
Published: April 2024

The integrity of metallic interconnectors (MICs) in a solid oxide cell stack is crucial because contact resistances or limitations in gas supply may occur. In this contribution, a Crofer 22 APU® interconnector with a (Mn, Co, Fe)3O4 spinel oxide (MCO) coating and a lanthanum-strontium-manganese-cobalt oxide (LSMC) contact layer at the air side was investigated. The electrochemical behavior was characterized by means of IV-characteristics, impedance spectroscopy and DRT analysis. In particular, the contact losses at the air side were measured with targeted potential probes. With respect to the contact layer mounted in a dried state, the application of a stack-like clamping pressure of

1

MPa

showed a significant decrease of the contact resistance. In order to extend an existing zero-dimensional performance model for an electrolyte-supported cell with a Ni/GDC fuel electrode and LSCF air electrode, a method was established to parameterize contact losses at the air electrode. The observed activation energy of the contact losses showed to be independent of the clamping pressure. Additionally, the dependency of the cell´s intrinsic ohmic losses towards the steam partial pressure at the Ni/GDC fuel electrode was quantified and included to the model. Simulation studies were validated with experimental data for technical operating conditions.
Simultaneous Determination of Magnolol and Honokiol Using a Glassy Carbon Electrode Modified by UIO-66-NH2 and Electroreduced Carboxylated Graphene Oxide
Authors: Zhang Zhengjie , Zhang Yiheng , Li Yangchun , Wang Yurong
Published: April 2024

An electrochemical sensor for the simultaneous detection of magnolol (MAG) and honokiol (HON) was constructed based on the metal-organic framework, UIO-66-NH2, and electroreduced carboxylated graphene oxide (ErGO-GOOH). The UIO-66-NH2@ErGO-COOH coating was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry was applied to investigate the electrochemical behavior of MAG and HON on UIO-66-NH2@ErGO-COOH/GCE. The electroanalytical method for the simultaneous determination of MAG and HON was established using linear sweep voltammetry. Under optimal experimental conditions, a linear range of 0.05 ∼ 8 μM and limits of detection of 16 and 7.0 nm for MAG and HON, respectively, were obtained. The sensor exhibited good repeatability, reproducibility, stability and anti-interference ability. The sensor was successfully applied to the simultaneous detection of MAG and HON in urine and serum samples with good recovery.
Na0.6Co3O4- La/Pr co-Doped Ceria as Semiconductor-Ionic Heterostructure Material for Fuel Cell Application
Authors: Sun Wanli , Yang Fan , Afzal Muhammad , Yang Xinlei , Kim Jung-Sik
Published: April 2024

Functional Sodium-doped cobalt oxide (Na0.6Co3O4, NCO) was incorporated to regulate and improve the electrochemical performance of La/Pr co-doped ceria (LCP) electrolytic materials with good operative stability, forming an p-n heterostructure electrolyte (LCP-NCO) for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LTSOFC) application. LCP-NCO is a new potential semiconductor-ionic material, achieving a maximum power density of 1075 mW cm−2 along with a high open-circuit voltage of 1.061 V at 520 °C. Scanning electron microscopy combined with transmission electron microscopy unveiled the crystallographic microstructure of heterostructure interface between LCP and NCO. Raman spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra were analyzed to distinguish the functional groups and the vibrational properties. Ultraviolet–visible absorption and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy have determined the accurate band edge positions of LCP and NCO and p-n heterojunction nature. Built-in electric field in semiconductor heterostructure and more oxygen vacancies created through the variation of Co3+/Co2+ ratio in LCP-NCO during the fuel cell test, contributed to the enhanced ionic transport. Characteristic of competent conductivity of 0.26–0.42 S cm−1 at 400 °C–520 °C, and the improved cell duration, revealed that the LCP-NCO as a hybrid oxygen ion and protonic conductor would be a potential electrolyte for LTSOFC.
Review—Novel Trends in the Determination of Pharmaceutical Compounds Commonly Found in Topical Treatments using Electrochemical Sensing Approaches
Authors: Tuchiu Bianca-Maria , Stefan-van Staden Raluca-Ioana , van Staden Jacobus (Koos) Frederick
Published: April 2024

Topical treatments rely on drugs that play a crucial role in addressing skin and mucous membrane disorders. Therefore, it is highly needed to utilize accurate analytical techniques that can determine the concentration of these chemicals in various sample matrices, including pharmaceuticals, food, and water. Currently, electrochemical sensors are predominantly used in specific fields such as biomedical, industrial, and environmental monitoring, while they have not yet been incorporated into the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. However, electrochemical methods employing an expanding range of sensors provide a reliable, cost-effective, and efficient substitute for classical analytical methods. Their potential is highly favorable, offering possibilities for simultaneous determination, miniaturization, and real-time on-site monitoring. This work covers numerous sensors designed between 2020 and 2023 for the determination of topical drugs, highlighting their respective benefits and drawbacks while illuminating emerging trends. Moreover, it discusses the correlation between the used materials and the ease of manufacturing, to the achieved results, including dynamic range, detection limit, sensitivity, and selectivity. This work aims to serve as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and policymakers in the evolving field of electrochemical sensing by providing guidance and facilitating decision-making, which could lead to significant innovations in sensor technology.
Electrodeposition of Co-Mo Alloys and Its Applications in Electrochemical Sensing of Phosphate
Authors: Sethupathi M. , Mariappan Siva Ananth , Alagesan Muthukrishnan , Manickam Pandiaraj , Rajasekaran N.
Published: April 2024

Quantification of phosphate ions in water ecosystems is crucial for maintaining a healthy aquatic environment and optimizing aquaculture parameters. While cobalt (Co) thin film modified electrodes are widely used as phosphate sensors, their selectivity and stability often require improvements for on-site measurement. The present work addresses this challenge by introducing a novel phosphate sensing platform utilizing Cobalt-Molybdenum (Co-Mo) alloy film deposited on copper substrate. The developed Co-Mo thin film sensor exhibited a good thermal stability (up to 60 °C) and significantly improved the detection ranges (10−6 M to 10−2 M). The influence of electrolyte pH and temperature toward potentiometric sensing of phosphate were investigated and the conditions were optimized to improve the sensor sensitivity. The sensor showed a sensitivity of −56 mV.dec−1 with a good correlation coefficient (0.988). The detection limit was determined to be 0.987 μM and the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 1.3% (n = 3). The Co-Mo thin film sensor exhibited negligible interference even in the presence of 10-fold excess concentrations of common interfering analytes, demonstrating its robust performance in real-world environment. To validate the field practicality, the sensor’s performance was successfully tested in real shrimp culture water samples, demonstrating its compatibility with complex environmental matrices.