bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Loss of CBX2 causes genomic instability and Wnt activation in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma cells
Authors: Ma Yujia , Liu Lin , Wei Zheng , Zhu Mengna , Huang Lin , Wang Shan , Yi Xiaoqing , Ying Feiquan , Zhao Simei , Cai Jing , Wang Zehua , Sun Si
Published: January 2023

High grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is lethal with insidious onset, rapid progression, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. Polycomb repressor complexes (PRC) 1 and 2 are intimately involved in progression of many types of cancer including HGSOC. Unlike the consistent constitution of PRC2, PRC1 consists of diverse components whose clinical significance in HGSOC are not entirely clear. Here, prognosis‐associated PRC1 components were identified through data‐mining. CBX2 promoted proliferation and reduced apoptosis of HGSOC cell lines OVCAR4, OVCAR3, and CAOV3. Complete loss of CBX2 by CRISPR‐cas9 editing (CBX2KO) destabilized genome stability with increased spontaneous chromosomal breaks and tendency to polyploidy accompanied by disrupted cell cycle especially stalled G2/M transition and caused severe cell death. Wnt/β‐catenin/LEF1/TCF7L1 was activated in surviving OVCAR4‐CBX2KO clones to bypass the crisis caused by loss of CBX2. The relieve of TCF7L1 core‐promoter region occupied by CBX2 might be one of the possible explanations to TCF7L1 increase in OVCAR4‐CBX2KO clones. Subcutaneous tumor model further validated that depletion of CBX2 repressed HGSOC cell line derived tumor growth. High immunohistochemistry score of CBX2 in primary ovarian cancer tissue associated with advanced clinical stage (p = 0.033), poor overall survival (HR = 3.056, 95% CI: 1.024−9.123), and progression free survival (HR = 4.455, 95% CI: 1.513−13.118) in HGSOC. Overall, our results suggested that CBX2 was a promising prognostic factor and therapeutic target in HGSOC.
Using Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Parts 2 and 3 Simultaneously: Combining the Patient Voice with Clinician Ratings
Authors: Guo Yuanyuan , Goetz Christopher G. , Stebbins Glenn T. , Mestre Tiago A. , Luo Sheng
Published: January 2023

Background

Regulatory recommendations favor outcomes combining objective and patient input. The Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS), the most commonly used scale in Parkinson's disease (PD), includes patient and investigator ratings in distinct parts, but original clinimetric analyses failed to confirm the validity of combining parts by simple summing.

Objectives

The aim was to develop clinimetrically valid constructs for combining patient‐reported Part 2 and investigator‐rated Part 3 MDS‐UPDRS scores.

Methods

Using 7888 MDS‐UPDRS scores, we assessed construct validity of combined Part 2 and Part 3 items using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and graded item response theory (IRT) with threshold criteria: comparative fit index ≥0.9 (EFA) and discrimination parameters ≥0.65 (IRT).

Results

The direct sum of Parts 2 + 3 failed to meet the threshold for a valid outcome of PD severity (comparative fit index, CFI = 0.855). However, a two‐domain construct combining item scores for tremor and non‐tremor domains from Parts 2 and 3 confirmed validity, meeting both EFA and IRT criteria as distinct but correlated indices of disease severity (CFI = 0.923; discrimination mean 2.197 ± 0.480 [tremor] and 1.737 ± 0.344 [non‐tremor] domains).

Conclusions

The sum of Parts 2 + 3 is not clinimetrically sound. However, considering tremor and non‐tremor items of both Parts 2 and 3 as two outcomes results in a valid summary of PD motor severity that leverages simultaneous patient‐ and investigator‐derived measures. This analytic application addresses regulatory prioritizations and retains the well‐validated MDS‐UPDRS items. In future interventional trials, we suggest that tremor and non‐tremor components of PD motor severity from Parts 2 + 3 be monitored and analyzed to accurately detect objective changes that integrate the patient's voice. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Quantification of blood–brain barrier water exchange and permeability with multidelay diffusion‐weighted pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling
Authors: Shao Xingfeng , Zhao Chenyang , Shou Qinyang , St Lawrence Keith S. , Wang Danny J. J.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To present a pulse sequence and mathematical models for quantification of blood–brain barrier water exchange and permeability.

Methods

Motion‐compensated diffusion‐weighted (MCDW) gradient‐and‐spin echo (GRASE) pseudo‐continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) sequence was proposed to acquire intravascular/extravascular perfusion signals from five postlabeling delays (PLDs, 1590–2790 ms). Experiments were performed on 11 healthy subjects at 3 T. A comprehensive set of perfusion and permeability parameters including cerebral blood flow (CBF), capillary transit time (τc), and water exchange rate (kw) were quantified, and permeability surface area product (PSw), total extraction fraction (Ew), and capillary volume (Vc) were derived simultaneously by a three‐compartment single‐pass approximation (SPA) model on group‐averaged data. With information (i.e., Vc and τc) obtained from three‐compartment SPA modeling, a simplified linear regression of logarithm (LRL) approach was proposed for individual kw quantification, and Ew and PSw can be estimated from long PLD (2490/2790 ms) signals. MCDW‐pCASL was compared with a previously developed diffusion‐prepared (DP) pCASL sequence, which calculates kw by a two‐compartment SPA model from PLD = 1800 ms signals, to evaluate the improvements.

Results

Using three‐compartment SPA modeling, group‐averaged CBF = 51.5/36.8 ml/100 g/min, kw = 126.3/106.7 min−1, PSw = 151.6/93.8 ml/100 g/min, Ew = 94.7/92.2%, τc = 1409.2/1431.8 ms, and Vc = 1.2/0.9 ml/100 g in gray/white matter, respectively. Temporal SNR of MCDW‐pCASL perfusion signals increased 3‐fold, and individual kw maps calculated by the LRL method achieved higher spatial resolution (3.5 mm3 isotropic) as compared with DP pCASL (3.5 × 3.5 × 8 mm3).

Conclusion

MCDW‐pCASL allows visualization of intravascular/extravascular ASL signals across multiple PLDs. The three‐compartment SPA model provides a comprehensive measurement of blood–brain barrier water dynamics from group‐averaged data, and a simplified LRL method was proposed for individual kw quantification.
Discrete empirical interpolation for hyper‐reduction of hydro‐mechanical problems in groundwater flow through soil
Authors: Nasika Christina , Díez Pedro , Gerard Pierre , Massart Thierry J. , Zlotnik Sergio
Published: January 2023

The recent surge in the availability of sensor data and computational resources has fostered the development of technologies for optimization, control, and monitoring of large infrastructures, integrating data and numerical modeling. The major bottleneck in this type of technologies is the model response time, since repetitive solutions are typically required. To reduce the computational time, reduced order models (ROMs) are used as surrogates for expensive finite element (FE) simulations enabling the use of complex models in this type of applications. In this work, ROMs are explored for the solution of the fully coupled hydro‐mechanical system of equations that governs the water flow through partially saturated soil. The POD‐based Reduced Basis Method and the Discrete Empirical Interpolation Method (DEIM), as well as its localized version (LDEIM), are examined in solving a parametrized problem simulating the mechanical loading of an embankment dam. Hydraulic and mechanical soil properties are considered as parameters. It is shown that the combination of these methods results in simulations that require 1/10 to 1/100 of the FE response time. Moreover, the method is shown to yield scaling efficiency gains with increasing problem size.
Maximizing the weighted number of just‐in‐time jobs in a distributed flow‐shop scheduling system
Authors: Shabtay Dvir
Published: January 2023

We study a set of scheduling problems in a distributed flow‐shop scheduling system consisting of several flow‐shop production systems (factories) working in parallel. Our objective is to assign the jobs to the factories, and to devise a job schedule for each of the factories such that the weighted number of jobs completed in just‐in‐time mode is maximized. We classify computational complexity of the problems, including the special cases of unit weights and job‐ or machine‐independent processing times.
Automatic generation of interpretable hyperelastic material models by symbolic regression
Authors: Abdusalamov Rasul , Hillgärtner Markus , Itskov Mikhail
Published: January 2023

In this article, we present a new procedure to automatically generate interpretable hyperelastic material models. This approach is based on symbolic regression which represents an evolutionary algorithm searching for a mathematical model in the form of an algebraic expression. This results in a relatively simple model with good agreement to experimental data. By expressing the strain energy function in terms of its invariants or other parameters, it is possible to interpret the resulting algebraic formulation in a physical context. In addition, a direct implementation of the obtained algebraic equation for example into a finite element procedure is possible. For the validation of the proposed approach, benchmark tests on the basis of the generalized Mooney–Rivlin model are presented. In all these tests, the chosen ansatz can find the predefined models. Additionally, this method is applied to the multi‐axial loading data set of vulcanized rubber. Finally, a data set for a temperature‐dependent thermoplastic polyester elastomer is evaluated. In latter cases, good agreement with the experimental data is obtained.
Development and psychometric appraisal of Head Nurse Research Leadership Scale
Authors: Guo Yuanli , Ma Keke , Guo Lina , Dong Xiaofang , Yang Caixia , Wang Min , Gao Huanhuan , Lv Peihua
Published: January 2023

Aim

To develop a Head Nurse Research Leadership Scale and evaluate its reliability and validity.

Design

A psychometric instrument validation study was conducted in two phases.

Methods

The item tool was generated based on a literature review, semi‐structured interview and brainstorming. Twenty experts validated the content of the initial version for two rounds. Thirty‐nine clinical nurses conducted the HNRLS‐v3 to test the readability of the items in pilot study I. Items were screened based on the critical ratio, correlation coefficient analysis, Cronbach's α coefficient and factor analysis using the data collected from 265 nurses in pilot study II. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in six hospitals to evaluate the reliability and validity between 4 January 2022 and 15 January 2022. Three hundred and sixteen nurses participated in this survey, and 60 completed the questionnaire to validate the test–retest reliability between 1 February and 6 February.

Results

A 15‐item Head Nurse Research Leadership Scale based on 5 dimensions was developed, and the content validity was satisfied. The 15 items accounted for 77.9% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable convergent validity and discriminant validity. The Cronbach's α coefficient, split‐half reliability and test–retest reliability of the scale were 0.966, 0.9633 and 0.927, respectively.
Stories of being a new nurse academic at a nursing education institution
Authors: Mutenga Linda , Downing Charlené , Kearns Irene J.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to explore and discover the best moments of being a new nurse academic at nursing education institutions.

Aim

The purpose of this study was to define, discover and learn about the experiences of being a new nurse academic.

Design

A qualitative design with inspiration from Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was used.

Method

Purposive and snowball sampling was used. Data collection was done using semi‐structured individual interviews. Data were analysed using Giorgi's method. The COREQ guidance was used for reporting of this study.

Results

Four themes were identified. (1) The emphasis was their transition from clinical setting into the world of academics, which was challenging, overwhelming and exciting all at the same time. (2) Participants were fulfilled and influenced to achieve more. (3) Participants expressed what they wished for. (4) Participants shared recommendations for job security, employment and retainment of new nurse academics.
Discovery of novel (N‐aryl‐4‐methylpiperidinyl)pyrazoles: a new class of potent lepidopteran insecticides
Authors: Pahutski Thomas F. , Ahmad Omar K. , Marshall Eric A. , Joraski Kathleen , Barry James D. , Keathley Craig , Cordova Daniel , Benner Eric , Nesnow David , Christianson Laurie , Slack Rachel D. , Lahm George P.
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

Insects of the order Lepidoptera are among the most destructive global pests, causing billions of dollars in damage annually. A new class of N‐arylpyrazole‐4‐methylpiperidines with potent activity on lepidopteran species has been discovered.

RESULTS

In a high‐throughput insecticide screen compound 1 was identified to possess modest activity on the lepidopteran insect Plutella xylostella. Optimization of 1 to compound 42 resulted in a compound with excellent activity on Spodoptera exigua, Spodoptera frugiperda, and Helicoverpa zea with median lethal concentrations values of 2.8, 1.4, and 12.5 ppm respectively. Although the mode of action remains unknown, these compounds do not appear to work by many of the known biochemical mechanisms of insect control.

CONCLUSION

N‐Arylpyrazole‐4‐methylpiperidines represent a new class of insecticides with excellent activity on a broad spectrum of lepidopteran pests. Studies to date indicate the potential for a novel mode of action; however, the target site is unknown at present. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Functional characterization of chemosensory proteins in response to artificial light treatment in Thalassodes immissaria
Authors: Yao Qiong , Liang Zhantu , Quan Linfa , Chen Bingxu
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) play a vital role in the response to environmental stimuli in insects. However, the involvement of insect CSPs in the stress response to night‐time environmental changes has not been examined.

RESULTS

In the current study, four TiCSP genes were first cloned from Thalassodes immissaria by transcriptome and RACE‐PCR techniques. TiCSPs had typical characteristics of insect CSPs, including a highly conserved four‐cysteine motif and olfactory‐specific protein D (OS‐D) or OS‐D superfamily domains. TiCSP1–4 were clustered classified within different clades in a phylogenetic analysis and were differentially expressed at all developmental stages. Under night‐time artificial light stress, the expression levels of TiCSP1 in males were significantly decreased at 24 h, and those of TiCSP2 were decreased in both adult sexes at 48 h. In a molecular docking analysis, TiCSPs showed relatively higher binding affinities with sex pheromone components than with host plant volatile molecules.

CONCLUSION

Taking the reduced expression levels of TiCSPs and binding affinities into account, TiCSP1 and TiCSP2 are involved in the stress response processes of T. immissaria under light treatment. Our study supplies basic data for the evaluation of the effects of light interference control technology – an emerging physical control measure on nontarget pests of lychee orchards. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
Indolizine: A Promising Framework for Developing a Diverse Array of C−H Functionalized Hybrids
Authors: Priyanka  , Rani Payal , Kiran  , Sindhu Jayant
Published: January 2023

C−H functionalized indolizines have emerged as a modern sustainable protocol, as it offers robust applications in the field of agriculture, medicine and pharmaceutical sciences. In recent times, a number of effective methods for the C−C, C−P and C−S bond formation via C−H functionalization of indolizines have been established. The present review article provides a thorough assessment of recent developments in the C−H functionalization of indolizines. The review has been categorized based on C−C, C−P and C−S bond formation using conventional as well as non‐conventional methodologies. Moreover, the reaction mechanism has been discussed in elaborated form.
Blue Fluorescent Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Dots for the Specific Detection of Mn2+
Authors: Li Yanrong , Li Haohao , Xu Yang
Published: January 2023

Manganese is one of vital elements related to various diseases. Nowadays, few works can specifically respond to Mn2+ alone. Hence, it is still challenging for specific detection of Mn ion. In this work, nitrogen‐doped carbon dots (N‐CDs) with blue luminescence properties was prepared using nitrated pyrene and diethylenetriamine (DETA) via one‐step solvothermal process. N‐CDs were applied as a fluorescent probe for specific detection of Mn2+ because of their high selectivity and sensitivity. No apparent fluorescence interferences can be observed with various amino acids and metal ions. The minimum concentration detected was 5 nM. The quenching mechanism maybe attributed to dynamic quenching processes. Notably, in this work, a visual early‐warning of Mn content exceeding the standard in drinking water in the light of fluorescence quenching of N‐CDs was achieved, and the practical sensing of N‐CDs which performed in environmental water samples demonstrated the detection performance of N‐CDs in real samples.
Effect of maternally derived antibodies on two commercial vaccines in changes of serum antibody titres against distemper in puppies
Authors: Shams Farzane , Pourtaghi Hadi
Published: January 2023

Background

Maternally derived antibodies (MDA) have protection against canine distemper virus (CDV) in the first weeks of puppies’ life. However, MDA decreases with age. The most important and effective factor on immunization is timely vaccination. But in recent years, there were some outbreaks of CDV among puppies in Iran and this problem could be related to vaccine failure.

Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the possible effect of MDA titre on vaccines against CDV and the efficacy of two commercial vaccines by using the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Methods

In this regard, 24 healthy 8‐week old terrier puppies were selected and divided into three identical groups based on a randomized, double‐blind comparative trial. The control group was injected normal saline, and group A was vaccinated by the vaccine namely Biocan L (Bioveta, Czech Republic), and the group B was vaccinated by the other vaccine called Duramune Max 5 + LCI/GP (Fort Dodge Animal Health, USA). The vaccines were used for the puppies between 8 and 16 weeks of age and in every 4 weeks.

Results

The results showed that the response of both vaccines was satisfactory, and no significant difference was observed between them. Moreover, the MDA in the control group reached an unprotective level in all puppies prior to their 14 weeks of age. In the vaccinated groups, after the second vaccine, all puppies in both groups reached protective levels.

Discussion

This is the first study on evaluation of two commercial vaccines in changes of serum antibody titres against distemper in puppies in Iran.

Conclusion

It is recommended that veterinarians during consulting use the ELISA to measure antibody titres to optimize the vaccination schedule and reduce the cost of vaccination failure. This is of paramount importance for puppies.
Investigating nocturnal UAS treatments in an applied context to prevent gulls from nesting on rooftops
Authors: Pfeiffer Morgan B. , Pullins Craig K. , Beckerman Scott F. , Hoblet Joshua L. , Blackwell Bradley F.
Published: January 2023

Ring‐billed (Larus delawarensis) and herring (L. argentatus) gulls are numerous and widespread in North America. These gulls rank among the top 9 species for risk of bird‐aircraft collisions (hereafter strikes). The ubiquitous presence of gulls in urban coastal environments, including rooftop nesting behavior, are factors impacting strike risk. Our purpose was to assess gull response to a small uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) in hazing flights at night during the nest‐building phase. We hypothesized that nocturnal UAS operation, like nocturnal predator disturbance, might reduce gull numbers and, thus, strike risk to aircraft. In spring 2021, we conducted UAS treatments over target roofs at least once every hour from 2000 until 0200, weather permitting, for 15 min and over a 14‐day period for each site. The UAS flew directly above (~4 m) and then descended (~4 m/s) within 1 m of loafing gulls. No gulls interacted with the UAS and most flushed within 6 minutes. Generally, the first treatment of a night dispersed all gulls (min–max = 1–130 individuals) from the target roof for an extended period. Our operations were often grounded because of weather and our gull response data were limited because of few individuals present. We discuss our observations with particular attention to feasibility and possible implications such as shifting birds to other sites which, potentially, could be counterproductive for management.
Short time existence for coupling of scaled mean curvature flow and diffusion
Authors: Abels Helmut , Bürger Felicitas , Garcke Harald
Published: January 2023

We prove a short time existence result for a system consisting of a geometric evolution equation for a hypersurface and a parabolic equation on this evolving hypersurface. More precisely, we discuss a mean curvature flow scaled with a term that depends on a quantity defined on the surface coupled to a diffusion equation for that quantity. The proof is based on a splitting ansatz, solving both equations separately using linearization and a contraction argument. Our result is formulated for the case of immersed hypersurfaces and yields a uniform lower bound on the existence time that allows for small changes in the initial value of the height function.
Singular modules for affine Lie algebras, and applications to irregular WZNW conformal blocks
Authors: Felder Giovanni , Rembado Gabriele
Published: January 2023

We give a mathematical definition of irregular conformal blocks in the genus-zero WZNW model for any simple Lie algebra, using coinvariants of modules for affine Lie algebras whose parameters match up with those of moduli spaces of irregular meromorphic connections: the open de Rham spaces. The Segal–Sugawara representation of the Virasoro algebra is used to show that the spaces of irregular conformal blocks assemble into a flat vector bundle over the space of isomonodromy times à la Klarès, and we provide a universal version of the resulting flat connection generalising the irregular KZ connection of Reshetikhin and the dynamical KZ connection of Felder–Markov–Tarasov–Varchenko.
Overcoming obstacles in insect utilization
Authors: Baigts-Allende Diana K. , Stathopoulos Constantinos
Published: January 2023

Edible insects have long been part of human diets in some countries, and they are expected to become an important alternative food source because of their nutritional value and favorable environmental impact. However, insects’ consumption safety and consumer acceptance are still significant barriers to market positioning, mainly in Western regions. Therefore, several processing technologies have been applied to develop insect-based food products and derivatives to increase consumer safety, shelf-life, and sensorial properties, including appearance. The processing pathway for insects as food might then be focused on eliminating such concerns. However, even though there is enough information related to processing techniques for edible insects, the use of the treated material has been limited as a substitute rather than a main constituted nutritional component. Moreover, there is little information about novel technologies and uses of insect derivatives compared to the minimally processed insect, as in the case of flours. This review presents the food safety (biological and chemical hazards) and cultural aspects of difficulties of eating insects and the role of processing raw material, extraction of insect derivatives (lipids and proteins), and food prototypes development on safety and consumer acceptance.

Graphical abstract
Kardar–Parisi–Zhang Equation from Long-Range Exclusion Processes
Authors: Yang Kevin
Published: January 2023

We prove here that the height function associated to non-simple exclusion processes with arbitrary jump-length converges to the solution of the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang SPDE under suitable scaling and renormalization. This extends the work of Dembo and Tsai (Commun Math Phys 341(1):219–261, 2016) for arbitrary jump-length and Goncalves and Jara (Stoch Process Appl 127(12):4029–4052, 2017) for the non-stationary regime. Thus we answer a "Big Picture Question" from the AIM workshop on KPZ and also expand on the almost empty set of non-integrable and non-stationary particle systems for which weak KPZ universality is proven. We use an approximate microscopic Cole-Hopf transform like in Dembo and Tsai (2016) but we develop tools to analyze local statistics of the particle system via local equilibrium and work of Goncalves and Jara (2017). Local equilibrium is done via the one-block step in Guo et al. (Commun Math Phys 118:31, 1988) for path-space/dynamic statistics.
Overexpression of the Persimmon Abscisic Acid DkUGT3 Gene Alters Plant/Fruit Development in Transgenic Tomato
Authors: Wang Juan , Xu Yandan , Yin Zhaonan , Peng Liangyu , Li Qian , Leng Ping
Published: January 2023

Persimmon (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) contains numerous uridine diphosphate glucosyltransferases (UGT), and their roles in fruit development and quality formation have not been well studied because of limited genetic information. This study investigated a persimmon DkUGT3 which is highly expressed in young fruits and leaves during development. DkUGT3 can catalyze ABA glycosylation to form ABA-GE, thereby reducing free ABA. Tomato with overexpressed (OE) DkUGT3 significantly induces pale green color phenotypes in both transgenic young plants and fruits. DkUGT3-OE significantly weakens the tomato ABA signaling which affects the expressions of ABA-inducible transcriptional factors (TFs), such as GLK1 and GLK2 and their downstream target genes involved in chlorophyll synthesis, chloroplast development, sugar metabolism and transport, and photosynthesis, thereby impeding leaf and fruit development and quality. Conversely, DkUGT3-RNAi-treatment recovered the OE tomato fruits from yellowing phenotype to green color. This study found that chlorophyll accumulations and ABA level were increased by DkUGT3-RNAi-treatment in young persimmon leaves. These results demonstrate that DkUGT3 plays crucial roles in ABA-mediated leaf and fruit development. This study provides new evidence for the regulation of ABA in early development.
Are we still too late? Timing of orchidopexy
Authors: Schmedding Andrea , van Wasen Felix , Lippert Ralf
Published: January 2023

An undescended testis is the most common genitourinary disease in boys. The German guidelines, first published in 2009, proposed the timing of orchidopexy to be before 12 months of age. The aim of the study was to analyze the implementation of these guidelines 10 years after publication. The national cumulative statistics of hospital admissions, provided by the Institute for the Remuneration System in Hospitals (InEK), and the statistics concerning procedures performed in private pediatric surgical practices of the professional association of pediatric surgeons (BNKD) regarding the time of surgeries for the year 2019 were analyzed. Data from InEK included all German hospital admissions. Data from BNKD included data from 48 private pediatric surgical practices. The hospitals treated 6476 inpatients with undescended testis, and 3255 patients were operated in private practices. Regarding the age at treatment, 15% of the hospital patients and 5% of the private practice patients were younger than 1 year and fulfilled the guideline recommendations. Forty percent of the hospital patients and 29% of the private practice patients were 1 or 2 years of age. All other patients were 3 years of age or older at the time of orchidopexy.

  Conclusions: The rate of orchidopexy within the first 12 months of life is remarkably low even 10 years after the publication of the guidelines. Awareness of the existing guideline must be increased for both referring pediatric and general practitioners.

What is Known:• In Germany, orchidopexy is performed by pediatric surgeons and urologists either in hospital settings or in private practices.• Most international guidelines set the age for surgical treatment of undescended testis between 12 and 18 months of age. The German guidelines, published in 2009, sets the time-limit at one year of age. Until five years after publication of the German guidelines, the number of patients treated before the first year of life was low; studies show an orchidopexy ratebetween 8% and 19% during this time.

What is New:• This study the first to cover all administered hospital patients in Germany and a large group of patients treated in private practices. It contains the largest group of German patients with undescended testis.• Although almost all children participate in the routine check-up at the age of seven months, which includes investigation for undescended testis, adherence to the orchidopexy guidelines is still low. Only 15% of the hospital patients and 5% of the patients in private practice were treated before their first birthdays.
Ein Kupferbeil aus der frühen Kupferzeit vom Heuberg bei Ohlstadt, Deutschland
Authors: Pechtl Joachim , Strobl Susanne , Haubner Roland
Published: January 2023

Ein am Heuberg bei Ohlstadt gefundenes Flachbeil aus Kupfer, welches typologisch dem frühen Jungneolithikum respektive der frühen Kupferzeit und somit der Zeit um 4000 v. Chr. zuzuordnen ist, wird im Rahmen der Studie materialkundlich untersucht. Eine RFA-Analyse ergab nahezu reines Kupfer mit geringen Mengen an Fe, P, Si, Ni und Al. Die Elemente As, Sb, S und Pb, die in derartigen Kupfergegenständen oft zu finden sind, waren nicht nachweisbar. Die metallographische Untersuchung zeigt ein sehr gleichmäßiges Gefüge mit feinem Cu-Cu2O Eutektikum. Aufgrund der Menge an Eutektikum wird der O Gehalt im Metall auf etwa 0,3 Gew. % geschätzt.

Die einzelnen Kupferkörner sind mit einer Größe zwischen 300–400 µm als grob zu bezeichnen. Auffallend ist, dass im Bereich der Beilschneide eine deutliche Verformung des Gefüges feststellbar ist. Diese dürfte durch gezieltes Hämmern entstanden sein. Aufgrund des Fehlens von S und As im Kupfer kann davon ausgegangen werden, dass nur oxydische Erze für die Kupfergewinnung verwendet wurden.
Evaluation of a city-wide physical activity pathway for people affected by cancer: the Active Everyday service
Authors: Humphreys Liam , Frith Gabriella , Humphreys Helen , Crank Helen , Dixey Joanne , Greenfield Diana M , Reece Lindsey J
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The primary goal of this article is to present an evaluation of a UK-based city-wide physical activity pathway for patients with a cancer diagnosis, the Active Everyday service. Active Everyday was a co-produced physical activity service for people affected by cancer. The service was underpinned by a behaviour change care pathway model developed by Macmillan Cancer Support charity.

Methods

This was a retrospective evaluation assessing physical activity levels and changes to outcome measures (fatigue, perceived health, and self-efficacy) over 6 months. Each participant self-reported their levels of physical activity for the previous 7 days at three-time points: baseline (T1), at 12-week exit from the scheme (T2), and at 6-month follow-up (T3).

Results

The Active Everyday service received 395 referrals, of which 252 attended a baseline assessment. Participants’ fatigue and self-efficacy improved between T1 and T2 and T1 and T3. Perceived health improved across all time points. Participant exercise levels showed significant differences between T1 and T2.

Conclusion

The service, provided over 3 years, resulted in positive health and wellbeing outcomes in people affected by cancer who engaged in the service. Future services must routinely include exercise referrals/prescriptions as a standard part of care to help engage inactive individuals. Services should focus on targeted promotion to people from ethnic minority groups, and a wide socioeconomic population.
Halo-pelvic traction in the treatment of severe scoliosis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Sun Yan , Zhang Yong , Ma Haoning , Tan Mingsheng , Zhang Zhihai
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To provide better evidence of the efficacy and safety of preoperative halo-pelvic traction on the improvements of deformity and pulmonary functions in patients with severe scoliosis.

Methods

Electronic database searches were conducted including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science and Embase. All studies of halo-pelvic traction for the management of severe spinal deformity were included. We referred to a list of four criteria developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to assess the quality of included studies. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.

Results

Based on the study selection criteria, a total of eight articles consisting of a total of 210 patients were included. Statistically significant differences were found in coronal Cobb angle (P < 0.001), sagittal Cobb angle (P < 0.001) and height (P < 0.001) between pre- and post-traction. Sensitivity analysis was conducted, and there were substantial changes in heterogeneity with preoperative thoracoplasty subgroup in coronal Cobb angle (P < 0.001). Three trials including 74 subjects reported FVC and FEV1 predicted value between pre- and post-traction. There were statistically significant differences in FVC, FVC%, FEV1 and FEV1% (P < 0.001). The complication rate was 6.6–26.7%, and symptoms disappeared after reasonable traction strategy and intensive care.

Conclusions

Preoperative halo-pelvic traction achieved significant improvements in spinal deformity and pulmonary functions, with minor and curable complications. Thus, it is an effective and safe solution before surgery and may be the optimal choice for severe scoliosis. In light of the heterogeneity and limitations, future researches are needed to better determine the long-term efficacy on comprehensive assessment and to explore the appropriate traction system.
Factors Associated with Preferences for Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy Among Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV in South Africa
Authors: Toska Elona , Zhou Siyanai , Chen-Charles Jenny , Gittings Lesley , Operario Don , Cluver Lucie
Published: January 2023

Long-acting injectable anti-retroviral therapy (LAART) may overcome barriers to long-term adherence and improve the survival of adolescents and young people living with HIV (AYLHIV). Research on the acceptability of LAART for this age-group is limited. We asked 953 AYLHIV about their preferred (theoretical) ART mode of delivery (pill, injectable, or other) in 2017–2018, before LAART was available or known to AYLHIV in South Africa. One in eight (12%) AYLHIV preferred LAART over single or multiple pill regimens. In multivariate analyses, six factors were associated with LAART preference: medication stock-outs (aOR = 2.56, 95% CI 1.40–4.68, p = 0.002), experiencing side-effects (aOR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.15–2.97, p = 0.012), pill-burden (aOR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.20–2.94, p = 0.006), past-year treatment changes (aOR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.06–2.51, p = 0.025), any HIV stigma (aOR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.39–3.53, p ≤ 0.001) and recent ART initiation (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.09–3.74, p = 0.025). In marginal effects modelling, 66% of adolescents who experienced all factors were likely to prefer LAART, highlighting the potential high acceptability of LAART among adolescents and young people living with HIV struggling to adhere and have good HIV treatment outcomes. Adolescent boys who reported high ART pill burden were more likely to prefer LAART than their female peers in moderation analyses, suggesting that LAART may be particularly important to improve treatment outcomes among male AYLHIV as they become older. Adding LAART to existing treatment options for AYLHIV, particularly higher risk groups, would support AYLHIV to attain and sustain viral suppression—the third 95, and reduce their risk of AIDS-related mortality.
Psychometric Properties of an Adapted Stigma Scale and Experiences of Stigma Associated with HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Use Among Men Who have Sex with Men: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Gillespie David , Williams Adam , Wood Fiona , Couzens Zoë , Jones Adam , Ma Richard , de Bruin Marijn , Hughes Dyfrig A. , Hood Kerenza
Published: January 2023

Stigma may influence the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, there is an absence of robust measures for PrEP-related stigma. We describe an adaptation of a HIV stigma scale for use in PrEP users and experiences of PrEP users in Wales (UK) with regards to PrEP-related stigma. A mixed methods study was conducted where PrEP users completed questionnaire items about PrEP-related stigma and a subset were interviewed about their experiences of taking PrEP. We adapted items from the HIV stigma scale and assessed construct validity and internal consistency. We analysed interview data using a framework approach, with themes focussing on enacted and anticipated stigma in order to identify areas for scale refinement. Our measure had good psychometric properties but additional items may be useful (e.g. specific instances of enacted stigma, concerns around homonegativity). Further work is needed to develop this scale and validate it in a larger sample.
Validation of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in Vietnamese Among People Living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Kieu Pham Tieu , Vuong Nguyen Lam , Dung Do Van
Published: January 2023

Social support plays a vital role in the health of HIV/AIDS patients, but there needs to be a validated instrument to measure social support in Vietnam. This cross-sectional study was to validate a Vietnamese translation of the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS). The study had three stages: [1] translation to Vietnamese, [2] pilot testing, and [3] validation of the translation. Stage 1, including forward and backward translation by four independent translators, resulted in a good content validity translation. Pilot testing was done on 30 HIV/AIDS patients: the translation was understandable, and no change was required. Five hundred HIV/AIDS patients were recruited in stage 3. The translation had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.90), good test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient: 0.95), and good concurrent validity. Construct validity was well established by confirmatory factor analysis. The Vietnamese translation of the MSPSS is reliable and valuable for measuring perceived social support.
Does Wearable-Measured Heart Rate Variability During Sleep Predict Perceived Morning Mental and Physical Fitness?
Authors: de Vries Herman , Oldenhuis Hilbrand , van der Schans Cees , Sanderman Robbert , Kamphuis Wim
Published: January 2023

The emergence of wearable sensor technology may provide opportunities for automated measurement of psychophysiological markers of mental and physical fitness, which can be used for personalized feedback. This study explores to what extent within-subject changes in resting heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep predict the perceived mental and physical fitness of military personnel on the subsequent morning. Participants wore a Garmin wrist-worn wearable and filled in a short morning questionnaire on their perceived mental and physical fitness during a period of up to 46 days. A custom-built smartphone app was used to directly retrieve heart rate and accelerometer data from the wearable, on which open-source algorithms for sleep detection and artefact filtering were applied. A sample of 571 complete observations in 63 participants were analyzed using linear mixed models. Resting HRV during sleep was a small predictor of perceived physical fitness (marginal R2 = .031), but not of mental fitness. The items on perceived mental and physical fitness were strongly correlated (r = .77). Based on the current findings, resting HRV during sleep appears to be more related to the physical component of perceived fitness than its mental component. Recommendations for future studies include improvements in the measurement of sleep and resting HRV, as well as further investigation of the potential impact of resting HRV as a buffer on stress-related outcomes.
Foam-formed biocomposites based on cellulose products and lignin
Authors: Miranda-Valdez Isaac Y. , Coffeng Sebastian , Zhou Yu , Viitanen Leevi , Hu Xiang , Jannuzzi Luisa , Puisto Antti , Kostiainen Mauri A. , Mäkinen Tero , Koivisto Juha , Alava Mikko J.
Published: January 2023

Foam-formed cellulose biocomposites are a promising technology for developing lightweight and sustainable packaging materials. In this work, we produce and characterize biocomposite foams based on methylcellulose (MC), cellulose fibers (CF), and lignin (LN). The results indicate that adding organosolv lignin to a foam prepared using MC and CF moderately increases Young’s modulus, protects the foam from the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria, and improves the hydrophobicity of the foam surface. This article concludes that organosolv lignin enhances many properties of cellulose biocomposite foams that are required in applications such as insulation, packaging, and cushioning. The optimization of the foam composition offers research directions toward the upscaling of the material solution to the industrial scale.

Graphical abstract
On computing exact means of time series using the move-split-merge metric
Authors: Holznigenkemper Jana , Komusiewicz Christian , Seeger Bernhard
Published: January 2023

Computing an accurate mean of a set of time series is a critical task in applications like nearest-neighbor classification and clustering of time series. While there are many distance functions for time series, the most popular distance function used for the computation of time series means is the non-metric dynamic time warping (DTW) distance. A recent algorithm for the exact computation of a DTW-Mean has a running time of $${\mathcal {O}}(n^{2k+1}2^kk)$$

O
(

n

2
k
+
1

2
k

k
)

, where k denotes the number of time series and n their maximum length. In this paper, we study the mean problem for the move-split-merge (MSM) metric that not only offers high practical accuracy for time series classification but also carries of the advantages of the metric properties that enable further diverse applications. The main contribution of this paper is an exact and efficient algorithm for the MSM-Mean problem of time series. The running time of our algorithm is $${\mathcal {O}}(n^{k+3}2^k k^3 )$$

O
(

n

k
+
3

2
k

k
3

)

, and thus better than the previous DTW-based algorithm. The results of an experimental comparison confirm the running time superiority of our algorithm in comparison to the DTW-Mean competitor. Moreover, we introduce a heuristic to improve the running time significantly without sacrificing much accuracy.
Automated Algorithm Selection: from Feature-Based to Feature-Free Approaches
Authors: Alissa Mohamad , Sim Kevin , Hart Emma
Published: January 2023

We propose a novel technique for algorithm-selection, applicable to optimisation domains in which there is implicit sequential information encapsulated in the data, e.g., in online bin-packing. Specifically we train two types of recurrent neural networks to predict a packing heuristic in online bin-packing, selecting from four well-known heuristics. As input, the RNN methods only use the sequence of item-sizes. This contrasts to typical approaches to algorithm-selection which require a model to be trained using domain-specific instance features that need to be first derived from the input data. The RNN approaches are shown to be capable of achieving within 5% of the oracle performance on between 80.88 and 97.63% of the instances, depending on the dataset. They are also shown to outperform classical machine learning models trained using derived features. Finally, we hypothesise that the proposed methods perform well when the instances exhibit some implicit structure that results in discriminatory performance with respect to a set of heuristics. We test this hypothesis by generating fourteen new datasets with increasing levels of structure, and show that there is a critical threshold of structure required before algorithm-selection delivers benefit.
Theorizing Urban Movements in Pierre Bourdieu’s Terms—the Example of Warsaw, Poland
Authors: Orchowska Justyna
Published: January 2023

For more than a decade, the importance of urban social movements has been systematically increasing in the Polish public sphere. However, available theories of social movements cannot account for the variety of forms of urban mobilization or for the ideological differences between organizations. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the relevance of Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of social class for research on urban movements. Using the concepts of “capital” and “habitus,” the paper explores the social vision and process of the emergence of two activist organizations in Warsaw, Poland. The study is based on qualitative research conducted from 2016 to 2019, which included an analysis of secondary resources and individual in-depth interviews with members from each organization. Bourdieu’s theory of social class facilitates consideration of different aspects of the functioning of urban social movements, including the role of resources and competences, ideological divisions, and chances of success. The theory also provides an explanation for the importance of class within urban social movements. The article shows that, even though the demands of social movements appear to be values-led, in fact, they are based on the class interests of their members.
Properties of Morphological Dilation in Max-Plus and Plus-Prod Algebra in Connection with the Fourier Transformation
Authors: Kahra Marvin , Breuß Michael
Published: January 2023

The basic filters in mathematical morphology are dilation and erosion. They are defined by a structuring element that is usually shifted pixel-wise over an image, together with a comparison process that takes place within the corresponding mask. This comparison is made in the grey value case by means of maximum or minimum formation. Hence, there is easy access to max-plus algebra and, by means of an algebra change, also to the theory of linear algebra. We show that an approximation of the maximum function forms a commutative semifield (with respect to multiplication) and corresponds to the maximum again in the limit case. In this way, we demonstrate a novel access to the logarithmic connection between the Fourier transform and the slope transformation. In addition, we prove that the dilation by means of a fast Fourier transform depends only on the size of the structuring element used. Moreover, we derive a bound above which the Fourier approximation yields results that are exact in terms of grey value quantisation.