bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The seventh cervical vertebra is an appropriate landmark for thoracic kyphosis measures using distance from the wall
Authors: Wiyanad Arpassanan , Amatachaya Sugalya , Amatachaya Pipatana , Suwannarat Patcharawan , Chokphukiao Pakwipa , Sooknuan Thanat , Gaogasigam Chitanongk
Published: January 2023

Background: Hyperkyphosis is frequently found nowadays due to the change in current lifestyles and age-related system decline. A simple hyperkyphosis measurement can be made easily using the perpendicular distance from the landmark to the wall. However, the existing evidence applied two different landmarks [occiput and the seventh cervical vertebra (C7)] and the measurement using rulers was susceptible to error due to their misalignment.

Objective: To assess an appropriate landmark for thoracic kyphosis measurement using distance from the wall (KMD), by comparing between occiput and C7, as measured using rulers and verified using data from a specially developed machine, the so-called infrared-gun kyphosis wall distance tool (IG-KypDisT), and the Cobb angles.

Methods: Community-dwelling individuals with a risk of thoracic hyperkyphosis (age [Formula: see text] years, [Formula: see text]) were cross-sectionally assessed for their thoracic hyperkyphosis using the perpendicular distance from the landmarks, occiput and C7, to the wall using rulers and IG-KypDisT. Then the Cobb angles of these participants were measured within seven days.

Results: The outcomes from both landmarks differed by approximately 0.8[Formula: see text]cm ([Formula: see text] 0.084). The outcomes derived from C7 were more reliable (ICCs[Formula: see text]0.93, [Formula: see text]0.001), with greater concurrent validity with the radiologic data ([Formula: see text] 0.738, [Formula: see text]0.001), with the overall variance predicted by the regression models for the Cobb angles being higher than that from the occiput (47–48% from C7 and 38–39% from occiput). The outcomes derived from rulers and IG-KypDisT showed no significant differences.

Conclusion: The present findings support the reliability and validity of KMD assessments at C7 using rulers as a simple standard measure of thoracic hyperkyphosis that can be used in various clinical, community, and research settings.
Toward calix[2]-type macrocycles: Synthesis and structural analysis of cyclic tetraketone and highly strained furanophane
Authors: Sano Taichi , Sun Yuhua , Mukai Taichi , Inaba Yuya , Yoneda Tomoki , Ide Yuki , Pirillo Jenny , Hijikata Yuh , Inokuma Yasuhide
Published: January 2023

Recent progress in the synthesis of calix[3]pyrrole has proven that cyclic polyketones composed of 3,3-dialkylated pentane-2,4-diones as the repeating unit are promising precursors for strained calix-type macrocycles. Toward the synthesis of calix[2]pyrrole and calix[2]furan, which are the most strained congeners among the possible calix[[Formula: see text]]pyrroles and calix[[Formula: see text]]furans, we report the synthesis of a cyclic dimer of 3,3-dimethylpentane-2,4-dione and its furanophane derivative. These compounds were produced from a linear tetraketone precursor. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the furan ring in the furanophane was highly strained with deformation angles [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of 3.69[Formula: see text] and 16.00[Formula: see text], respectively. These deformation angles were the largest in the series of 1,4-diketone-linked oligofuran macrocycles. Although these two macrocyclic compounds are likely the most promising precursors for calix[2]-type macrocycles, Paal–Knorr-type pyrrole or furan ring formation did not proceed under standard conditions used for calix[3]pyrrole or calix[3]furan. Theoretical calculations indicated that the second aromatic ring formation on the cyclic tetraketone is a highly uphill process whose activation energy cannot be overcome by standard thermal reactions.
A comparative study on optical properties of AlCl-Pc, AlH-Pc, Al-Pc, and phthalocyanine organic compounds
Authors: Ahmed A. Ben , Benhaliliba M. , Ocak Y.S. , Benouis C.E. , Ayeshamariam A.
Published: January 2023

The role of Cl and H atoms inside AlPc organic molecule by experimental, DFT, and TD-DFT methods is investigated. A detailed study of Pc, AlPc-Cl, and AlH-Pc absorption wavelengths, energies, and oscillator strengths are achieved. To strengthen such investigation, HOMO-LUMO and DOS spectrum analysis are described showing the optical band of 2.01, 2.11, and 2.18 eV for Al-Pc, AlH-Pc, and AlCl-Pc compounds respectively, and nonlinear optical properties are presented. Furthermore, the values of calculated dipole moment, polarizability, and second-order static hyperpolarizability of AlCl-Pc, AlH-Pc, Al-Pc, and Pc compounds are studied. The heterojunctions based on AlPc-Cl and AlPc-H are fabricated by low-cost routes. I-V characteristics are demonstrated under dark and room temperatures. A high rectifying ratio of our heterostructures based on AlPc is exhibited. Non-ideal behavior, [Formula: see text] 1, of the fabricated heterostructures due to the presence of interface states is revealed.
Synthetic strategies towards functionalizedN-bridged μ-nitrido diiron porphyrin complexes
Authors: Eren Olcay , Dumoulin Fabienne , İşci Ümit
Published: January 2023

[Formula: see text]-bridged diiron porphyrinoid complexes are powerful oxidation biomimetic catalysts. Their use as oxidation catalysts is quite recent, as it started approximately one decade ago. Many mechanistic works and elucidation of properties are conducted on simple derivatives which are not functionalized, preventing their covalent incorporation into advanced materials, even though it would expand their scope of applications. With the ultimate purpose to produce [Formula: see text]-bridged diiron porphyrinoid complexes that can be incorporated into advanced functionalized materials and thereby increase the range of their utilization, we have explored synthetic strategies to prepare di- and octafunctionalised [Formula: see text]-bridged diiron porphyrin complexes, either with hydroxyl or propargyl functions, which have been selected for their versatility. The considerations taken into account for the synthetic strategies are detailed and the complexes are fully characterized.
Automated Generation of Human-readable Natural Arabic Text from RDF Data
Authors: Touma Roudy , Hajj Hazem , El-Hajj Wassim , Shaban Khaled
Published: January 2023

With the advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP), the industry has been moving towards human-directed artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Recently, chatbots and automated news generation have captured a lot of attention. The goal is to automatically generate readable text from tabular data or web data commonly represented in Resource Description Framework (RDF) format. The problem can then be formulated as Data-to-text (D2T) generation from structured non-linguistic data into human-readable natural language. Despite the significant work done for the English language, no efforts are being directed towards low-resource languages like the Arabic language. This work promotes the development of the first RDF data-to-text (D2T) generation system for the Arabic language while trying to address the low-resource limitation. We develop several models for the Arabic D2T task using transfer learning from large language models (LLM) such as AraBERT, AraGPT2, and mT5. These models include a baseline Bi-LSTM Sequence-to-Sequence (Seq2Seq) model, as well as encoder-decoder transformers like BERT2BERT, BERT2GPT, and T5. We then provide a detailed comparative study highlighting the strengths and limitations of these methods setting the stage for further advancement in the field. We also introduce a new Arabic dataset (AraWebNLG) that can be used for new model development in the field. To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, general-purpose automated metrics (BLEU and Perplexity scores) are used as well as task-specific human evaluation metrics related to the accuracy of the content selection and fluency of the generated text. The results highlight the importance of pre-training on a large corpus of Arabic data and show that transfer learning from AraBERT gives the best performance. Text-to-text pre-training using mT5 achieves second best performance results even with multilingual weights.
Commentary and Notes on the Original Derivations of the Scharifker-Hills Model
Authors: Sun Yunkai , Zangari Giovanni
Published: January 2023

The Scharifker-Hills (S-H) model for the potentiostatic transients is one of the most widely utilized model in electrodeposition. With the concept of diffusion zones and the Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (KJMA) model, the occurrence of a peak current in the potentiostatic transient was elucidated. Unfortunately, the derivations of the S-H model had been scattered among several original papers. Herein, we have summarized the S-H model into the framework of the diffusion zone problem and compared the S-H model with the Classical model, the Scharifker and Mostany (S-M) model, the approach by Sluyters-Rehbach et al. (the SRWBS model), and the Heerman-Tarallo/Mirkin-Nilov (H-T/M-N) model.
Li+ Ion Doping Induced Photoluminescence Enhancement and Anti-Thermal Quenching of LaOBr: Eu3+ Phosphor
Authors: Duan Bosong , Wang Ting , Zhu Nannan , An Xin , He Qingshan , Zhu Xuanyu , Liu Haozhe , Feng Wei , Yu Xue
Published: January 2023

Thermal quenching (TQ) seriously restricts the practical applications of phosphor-converted white-lighting-emitting diodes (pc-WLEDs), especially for high-power operations. Here, a novel red-emitting phosphor LaOBr: Eu3+ with layered tetragonal structure was successfully synthesized by a solid-state reaction approach. Due to additional Li+ ion doping into LaOBr: Eu3+, the as-obtained phosphors manifest excellent performance with high internal quenching efficiency (IQE) (58.6%) and anti-thermal quenching performance. It is demonstrated that the structural rigidity of the lattice matrix could be enhanced with the introduction of Li+ ions and, then, it contributes to the suppression of TQ and the improvement of the luminescence efficiency. Furthermore, a fabricated WLED based on the LaOBr: Eu3+, Li+ sample displays an appropriate color rendering index (CRI = 83.1) and correlated color temperature (CCT = 4719 K), revealing the great potential of the as-obtained red phosphor for pc-WLEDs.
Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy with Mitochondrial DNA Mutation G11778A: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Yuan Jiajia , Zhao Jiaxun , Ye Chong , Pang Long , Zhang Xin , Luk Alvin , Du Yangyang , Fan Kai Yoon , Zhang Xiaowen , Li Bin , Chen Changzheng
Published: January 2023

Background. LHON is a progressive disease with early disease onset and male predominance, usually causing devastating visual loss to patients. These systematic review and meta‐analysis are aimed at summarizing epidemiology, disease onset and progression, visual recovery, risk factors, and treatment options of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) with mitochondrial DNA mutation G11778A from current evidence. Methods. The PubMed database was examined from its inception date to November 2021. Data from included studies were pooled with either a fixed‐effects model or a random‐effects model, depending on the results of heterogeneity tests. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to test the robustness of results. Results. A total of 41 articles were included in the systematic review for qualitative analysis, and 34 articles were included for quantitative meta‐analysis. The pooled estimate of proportion of G11778A mutation among the three primary mutations of mitochondrial DNA (G11778A, G3460A, and T14484C) for LHON was 73% (95% CI: 67% and 79%), and the LHON patients with G11778A mutation included the pooled male ratio estimate of 77% (76% and 79%), the pooled age estimate of 35.3 years (33.2 years and 37.3 years), the pooled onset age estimate of 22.1 years (19.7 years and 24.6 years), the pooled visual acuity estimate of 1.4 LogMAR (1.2 LogMAR and 1.6 LogMAR), and the pooled estimate of spontaneous visual recovery rate (in either 1 eye) of 20% (15% and 27%). Conclusions. The G11778A mutation is a prevalent mitochondrial DNA mutation accounting for over half of LHON cases with three primary mutations. Spontaneous visual recovery is rare, and no effective treatment is currently available.
Design and Development of a Hospital‐Based Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Registry in Iran
Authors: Garavand Ali , Rabiei Reza , Emami Hassan
Published: January 2023

Background. The incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of mortality in most developed and developing countries, is increasing. The adoption of hospital registries can improve care delivery and facilitate the management of CAD through better planning, as well as help with outcome assessment through more effective data management. Objectives. The present study is aimed at designing a hospital‐based CAD registry for managing CAD data. Methods. This developmental study was conducted in three phases. Initially, sources related to CAD registries were reviewed, the results of which were published in two studies. In the next phase, the prerequisites and requisites of the software were determined through a qualitative study. In this phase, the registry dataset was determined by using a questionnaire. Finally, the developed conceptual model of the software was validated. The software was then developed based on the validated conceptual model. Results. The registry data elements were classified into 13 main categories, including identification data, medical history, and risk factors. The dataset included 171 data elements, including data related to surgical and nonsurgical procedures. The conceptual model was approved by field experts, and the software was developed accordingly. Conclusion. The steps followed in the present study for developing the CAD registry can be used as an appropriate approach for designing similar hospital‐based registries. Considering the pivotal role of the registry in the management of CAD, the routine and systemic use of the registry is suggested in all healthcare centers.
An End-to-End Data-Adaptive Pancreas Segmentation System with an Image Quality Control Toolbox
Authors: Zhu Yan , Hu Peijun , Li Xiang , Tian Yu , Bai Xueli , Liang Tingbo , Li Jingsong
Published: January 2023

With the development of radiology and computer technology, diagnosis by medical imaging is heading toward precision and automation. Due to complex anatomy around the pancreatic tissue and high demands for clinical experience, the assisted pancreas segmentation system will greatly promote clinical efficiency. However, the existing segmentation model suffers from poor generalization among images from multiple hospitals. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end data-adaptive pancreas segmentation system to tackle the problems of lack of annotations and model generalizability. The system employs adversarial learning to transfer features from labeled domains to unlabeled domains, seeking a dynamic balance between domain discrimination and unsupervised segmentation. The image quality control toolbox is embedded in the system, which standardizes image quality in terms of intensity, field of view, and so on, to decrease heterogeneity among image domains. In addition, the system implements a data-adaptive process end-to-end without complex operations by doctors. The experiments are conducted on an annotated public dataset and an unannotated in-hospital dataset. The results indicate that after data adaptation, the segmentation performance measured by the dice similarity coefficient on unlabeled images improves from 58.79% to 75.43%, with a gain of 16.64%. Furthermore, the system preserves quantitatively structured information such as the pancreas’ size and volume, as well as objective and accurate visualized images, which assists clinicians in diagnosing and formulating treatment plans in a timely and accurate manner.
Evaluation of In‐House ELISA for Antirabies Antibodies Detection in Domestic Canine
Authors: Fitria Yul , Febrianto Niko , Putri Rahmi E. , Rahmadani Ibenu , Subekti Didik T.
Published: January 2023

Indonesia is known to be endemic for rabies in several areas, especially in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Flores Islands. Currently, vaccinating dogs has been shown to be the most cost‐effective strategy for preventing rabies in humans. Postvaccination monitoring should be carried out to evaluate the success of vaccination by measuring antibody titers in serum of vaccinated dogs. Serological methods for monitoring rabies‐specific antibody titers can be carried out using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods as recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). Therefore, the development of the in‐house ELISA (BukTi‐Vet) that we have carried out in order to support postvaccination monitoring in dogs needs to be evaluated for its diagnostic performance compared to commercial ELISA kits. The diagnostic performance of each ELISA kit was evaluated using 111 known positive and 47 negative serums. Each known positive and negative serum will be tested using the three rabies ELISA kits used in this study. BukTi‐Vet is an in‐house ELISA for the detection of rabies‐specific IgG antibodies that have been developed with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 98.19%, 97.87%, and 98.1%, respectively. Based on the value of its positive and negative clinical utility index, BukTi‐Vet is excellent for use in immunoassays directed for confirmatory (0.97) as well as screening (0.94) tests. BukTi‐Vet shows a very good agreement with both Platelia II and RFFIT, so it is convincing to be further refined into a diagnostic kit. Tests of field sera from dogs vaccinated with various vaccines should be performed to provide more complete information on diagnostic performance. BukTi‐Vet showed a very good agreement with RFFIT, while Pusvetma and Platelia II only showed good agreement. The average value of BukTi‐Vet compatibility with RFFIT can reach 94%.
The Global Dynamics of an Age-Structured Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease Model with Saturation Incidence and Time Delay
Authors: Yan Dongxue , Zhang Mengqi , Tang Jiashan
Published: January 2023

The global dynamic behavior of an age-structured hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) model with saturation incidence and time delay is investigated in the work. The time delay occurs during the transition from latent to infectious individuals. Firstly, the model is expressed as an abstract Cauchy problem. The presence of equilibria is then pointed; meanwhile, we define the model’s basic reproduction numberR0. The conclusions show that a threshold ofR0=1can be used to evaluate whether the disease is on the verge of extinction or is still present. WhenR0<1, the disease-free equilibrium is globally stable. WhileR0>1, there exists an endemic equilibrium, and the global stability of the endemic equilibrium is also demonstrated. Finally, some numerical examples are given to demonstrate the obtained conclusions.
Clinical Significance of Different Profiles of anti-Ro Antibodies in Connective Tissue Diseases
Authors: Yang Hai-Tao , Hong Xiao-Ping , Guo Jie-Wen , Zhong Xiao-Ling , Liao Rui , Liu Cui-Lian , Liu Li-Xiong , Li Kai , Chen Yu-Lan , Liu Dong-Zhou
Published: January 2023

Objective. Anti-Ro60 and anti-Ro52 antibodies are associated with different connective tissue diseases (CTDs). However, the clinical significance of anti-Ro antibodies is not always consistent among different global regions. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with anti-Ro antibodies. Methods. A total of 1596 inpatients with anti-Ro antibodies were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and serological data were compared between individuals with different profiles of anti-Ro antibodies: patients with anti-Ro52 antibodies alone, patients with anti-Ro60 antibodies alone, and patients with combined anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies. Results. Of the 1596 patients, 1362 (85.3%) were female, the mean age was 45.5 years, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (46.0%) and Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) (19.0%) were the most common CTD diagnoses. Among the patients with anti-Ro52 antibodies alone, idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (18.8%) and SLE (17.6%) were the most common CTD diagnoses. The coexistent autoantibodies of this group were significantly lower compared with those of the other two groups, while the presence of anti-Jo1 antibodies were significantly higher compared with those of the other two groups (3.7% vs. 0.6% vs. 1.9%,

p
=
0.029

). In addition, the patients with isolated anti-Ro52 antibodies were more likely to suffer from interstitial lung disease (35.5% vs. 11.3% vs. 13.7%,

p
<

10

−
4

) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (10.1% vs. 5.3% vs. 3.6%,

p
=
0.001

) compared with the other two groups of patients. Compared with patients with isolated anti-Ro52 or anti-Ro60 antibodies, the patients with combined anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 antibodies were more likely to suffer from xerophthalmia and xerostomia. Furthermore, hypocomplementemia, hyperglobulinemia, and proteinuria were particularly prevalent in patients with anti-Ro60 antibodies. Conclusion. Different profiles of anti-Ro antibodies were significantly associated with clinical phenotypic features in CTDs, indicating the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of these antibodies in clinical practice.
Modeling and performance analysis of open-loop remotely operated vehicles ORCA
Authors: Panati Tejaswini , Indraganti Sai Deepika , Santhanam Sakthivel Murugan
Published: January 2023

ORCA is a low cost remotely operated vehicle which was indigenously developed for underwater inspection and survey. As the underwater environment is quite unpredictable, dynamic modeling and simulation of the remotely operated vehicle are essential to understand the behavior of the vehicle and accomplish stabilized navigation. This paper discusses a detailed approach to the mathematical modeling of ORCA based on Newtonian dynamics and simulating the position and velocity responses in Simulink. The open loop nonlinear model of the remotely operated vehicle was used to study the navigation challenges due to the various perturbations present underwater namely Coriolis and centripetal force, added mass, hydrodynamic damping force, and restoring forces. The six-thruster open loop ORCA model was subjected to various thrust inputs (25%, 50%, and 75%) to achieve six degrees of freedom (DoF) respectively and it was observed that there was significant instability in the other DOFs along with the principal direction of motion. Further, the authors will incorporate the various control systems in ORCA and analyze the stability in navigation induced due to each of them.
A model-free continuous integral sliding mode controller for robust control of robotic manipulators
Authors: Ablay Gunyaz
Published: January 2023

This paper proposes a model-free continuous integral sliding mode controller for robust control of robotic manipulators. The highly nonlinear dynamics of robots and load disturbances cause control challenges. To achieve tracking control under load disturbances and nonlinear parameter variations, the controller is constructed with three continuous terms including an integral term that acts as an adaptive controller. The proposed controller is able to accomplish a non-overshoot transient response, a short settling time, and strong disturbance rejection performance for robotic manipulators. The developed model-free control method is implemented on the PUMA 560 robotic manipulator, and its performance is compared with the proportional-derivative (PD) plus gravity controller. Numerical results under measurement noise and load disturbances are provided in order to show the efficacy, validity, and feasibility of the method.
Mechanical Dyssynchrony of Isolated Left and Right Ventricular Human Myocardium in End-Stage Heart Failure
Authors: Mashali Mohammed A. , Saad Nancy S. , Peczkowski Kyra K. , Fanning Tom , Hare Austin N. , Whitson Bryan A. , Mokadam Nahush A. , Janssen Paul M.L.
Published: January 2023

Background:

The left and right ventricles of the human heart differ in embryology, shape, thickness, and function. Ventricular dyssynchrony often occurs in cases of heart failure. Our objectives were to assess whether differences in contractile properties exist between the left and right ventricles and to evaluate signs of left/right ventricular mechanical synchrony in isolated healthy and diseased human myocardium.

Methods:

Myocardial left and right ventricular trabeculae were dissected from nonfailing and end-stage failing human hearts. Baseline contractile force and contraction/relaxation kinetics of the left ventricle were compared to those of the right ventricle in the nonfailing group (n=41) and in the failing group (n=29). Correlation analysis was performed to assess the mechanical synchrony between left and right ventricular myocardium isolated from the same heart, in nonfailing (n=41) and failing hearts (n=29).

Results:

The failing right ventricular myocardium showed significantly higher developed force (Fdev;
P
=0.001; d=0.98), prolonged time to peak (
P
<0.001; d=1.14), and higher rate of force development (
P
=0.002; d=0.89) and force decline (
P
=0.003; d=0.82) compared to corresponding left ventricular myocardium. In healthy myocardium, a strong positive relationship was present between the left and right ventricles in time to peak (r=0.58,
P
<0.001) and maximal kinetic rate of contraction (r=0.63,
P
<0.001). These coefficients were much weaker, often nearly absent, in failing myocardium.

Conclusions:

At the level of isolated cardiac trabeculae, contractile performance, specifically of contractile kinetics, is correlated in the nonfailing myocardium between the left and right ventricles‚ but this correlation is significantly weaker, or even absent, in end-stage heart failure, suggesting an interventricular mechanical dyssynchrony.
Cardiologic Manifestations in Omicron‐Type Versus Wild‐Type COVID‐19: A Systematic Echocardiographic Study
Authors: Ghantous Eihab , Shetrit Aviel , Hochstadt Aviram , Banai Ariel , Lupu Lior , Levi Erez , Szekely Yishay , Schellekes Nadav , Jacoby Tammy , Zahler David , Itach Tamar , Taieb Philippe , Gefen Sheizaf , Viskin Dana , Shidlansik Lia , Adler Amos , Levitsky Ekaterina , Havakuk Ofer , Ingbir Merav , Banai Shmuel , Topilsky Yan
Published: January 2023

Background

Information about the cardiac manifestations of the Omicron variant of COVID‐19 is limited. We performed a systematic prospective echocardiographic evaluation of consecutive patients hospitalized with the Omicron variant of COVID‐19 infection and compared them with similarly recruited patients were propensity matched with the wild‐type variant.

Methods and Results

A total of 162 consecutive patients hospitalized with Omicron COVID‐19 underwent complete echocardiographic evaluation within 24 hours of admission and were compared with propensity‐matched patients with the wild‐type variant (148 pairs). Echocardiography included left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic, right ventricular (RV), strain, and hemodynamic assessment. Echocardiographic parameters during acute infection were compared with historic exams in 62 patients with the Omicron variant and 19 patients with the wild‐type variant who had a previous exam within 1 year. Of the patients, 85 (53%) had a normal echocardiogram. The most common cardiac pathology was RV dilatation and dysfunction (33%), followed by elevated LV filling pressure (E/e′ ≥14, 29%) and LV systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <50%, 10%). Compared with the matched wild‐type cohort, patients with Omicron had smaller RV end‐systolic areas (9.3±4 versus 12.3±4 cm
2
;
P
=0.0003), improved RV function (RV fractional‐area change, 53.2%±10% versus 39.7%±13% [
P
<0.0001]; RV S′, 12.0±3 versus 10.7±3 cm/s [
P
=0.001]), and higher stroke volume index (35.6 versus 32.5 mL/m
2
;
P
=0.004), all possibly related to lower mean pulmonary pressure (34.6±12 versus 41.1±14 mm Hg;
P
=0.0001) and the pulmonary vascular resistance index (
P
=0.0003). LV systolic or diastolic parameters were mostly similar to the wild‐type variant‐matched cohort apart from larger LV size. However, in patients who had a previous echocardiographic exam, these LV abnormalities were recorded before acute Omicron infection, but not in the wild‐type cohort. Numerous echocardiographic parameters were associated with higher in‐hospital mortality (LV ejection fraction, stroke volume index, E/e′, RV S′).

Conclusions

In patients with Omicron, RV function is impaired to a lower extent compared with the wild‐type variant, possibly related to the attenuated pulmonary parenchymal and/or vascular disease. LV systolic and diastolic abnormalities are as common as in the wild‐type variant but were usually recorded before acute infection and probably reflect background cardiac morbidity. Numerous LV and RV abnormalities are associated with adverse outcome in patients with Omicron.
Association Between Duration of Transient Neurological Events and Diffusion‐Weighted Brain Lesions
Authors: Joundi Raed A. , Yu Amy Y. X. , Smith Eric E. , Zerna Charlotte , Penn Andrew M. , Balshaw Robert F. , Votova Kristine , Bibok Maximilian B. , Penn Melanie , Saly Viera , Hegedus Janka , Coutts Shelagh B. , Nikolejsin Alison , Yu Amy Y. X. , Penn Andrew M. , Trivedi Anurag , Cook Jaclyn , Morrison Jaclyn , Blackwood Kaitlin , Richards Karen , Votova Kristine , Nealis Madeline , Bibok Maximilian B. , Penn Melanie , Beattyova Pavla , Rosenberg Priya , Frost Sheilah , Grant Carolyn , Hedgedus Janka , Grant Sarah , Watson Tim , Saly Viera , Sedgwick Colin , Lesperance Mary L. , Croteau Nicole S. , Appireddy Ramana , Balshaw Robert F. , Field Thalia S. , Dubuc Veronique , Demchuk Andrew M. , Jambula Anitha , Le Anne , Menon Bijoy K. , Calvert Carly , Kenney Carol , Zerna Charlotte , Nikneshan Davar , Smith Eric E. , Klourfeld Evgenia , Wagner Gabrielle , Klein Gary , Aram Heidi , Desai Jamsheed , Ryckborst Karla , Bilston Lisa , Hill Michael D. , Almekhlafi Mohammed , Godfrey Nathan , Imoukheude Oje , Stys Peter , Barber Philip A. , Couillard Phillippe , Eswaradas Prasanna , Rhandawa Privia , Coutts Shelagh B. , Bal Simerpreet , Peters Steven , Save Supriya , Subramaniam Suresh , Musuka Tapuwa , Stewart Teri , Hong Zachary M.
Published: January 2023

Background

The relationship between duration of transient neurological events and presence of diffusion‐weighted lesions by symptom type is unclear.

Methods and Results

This was a substudy of SpecTRA (Spectrometry for Transient Ischemic Attack Rapid Assessment), a multicenter prospective cohort of patients with minor ischemic cerebrovascular events or stroke mimics at academic emergency departments in Canada. For this study we included patients with resolved symptoms and determined the presence of diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) lesion on magnetic resonance imaging within 7 days. Using logistic regression, we evaluated the association between symptom duration and DWI lesion, assessing for interaction with symptom type (focal only versus nonfocal/mixed), and adjusting for age, sex, education, comorbidities, and systolic blood pressure. Of 658 patients included, a DWI lesion was present in 232 (35.1%). There was a significant interaction between symptom duration and symptom type. For those with focal‐only symptoms, there was a continuous increase in DWI probability up to 24 hours in duration (ranging from ≈40% to 80% probability). In stratified analyses, the increase in probability of DWI lesion with increased duration of focal symptoms was seen in women but not men. For those with nonfocal or mixed symptoms, predicted probability of DWI lesion was ≈35% and was greater in men, but did not increase with longer duration.

Conclusions

Increased duration of neurological deficits is associated with greater probability of DWI lesion in those with focal symptoms only. For individuals with nonfocal or mixed symptoms, about one‐third had DWI lesions, but the probability did not increase with duration. These results may be important to improve risk stratification of transient neurological events.
Illustrated key to the species in the genus Salapia Stål, 1865 (Heteroptera: Coreidae: Acanthocephalini), with descriptions of three new species
Authors: BRAILOVSKY HARRY , BARRERA ERNESTO
Published: January 2023

The genus Salapia Stål 1865 (Coreidae: Acanthocephalini) is redescribed and three new species are described: S. fundita from Ecuador, S. ignava from Peru, and S. nitella from Brazil. A revised key to all 21 species is included. Dorsal view photos of each known are provided.
Monogenea on exotic Indian freshwater fish. 5. First report of pathogenic Gussevia asota (Platyhelminths) from Oscar Astronotus ocellatus (Agassiz 1831) (Perciformes: Cichlidae)
Authors: TRIPATHI AMIT , MATEY CHAWAN
Published: January 2023

The neotropical Oscar Astronotus ocellatus has been translocated worldwide as an ornamental fish species with significant economic importance. Twelve adult individuals of A. ocellatus collected from aquaria shops in northern and eastern India were examined for monogenean parasites. Based on morphological methods, all fish samples were found to be infested with Gussevia asota, with a 100% prevalence and high mean intensity [30.16 ± 9.70 (18-48, n=12)]. Molecular analysis of the partial 28S rRNA gene sequence (675 bp), followed by phylogenetic analysis, confirmed the parasite’s identity further. This is the first report of G. asota in India and highlights the need to update and strengthen the quarantine procedures concerning the import of ornamental fish.
Description of the immature of Podisus graziae Brugnera, Roell & Lemaître, 2021 (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae)
Authors: SAMPAIO VINICIUS GOMES , PAIM MARCELO REGINATO , LIMBERGER GUILHERME MARTINS , BRUGNERA RICARDO
Published: January 2023

As predaceous insects, the Asopinae have a great economic importance. The knowledge about the development of the species is essential for use in biological control programs. However, only 1% of the Neotropical Asopinae species have the immature stages known. In this work we describe the egg and the five nymphal stages of Podisus graziae Brugnera, Roell & Lemaître, 2021 using light and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that P. graziae eggs and nymphs present unique characters which are not observed in other species of the genus and subfamily. As other Podisus species, the egg present long aero-mycropilar processes, however, the chorion and operculum have a ring of minute spine-like projections. As main diagnostic characters of nymphs, the iridescent coloration of head, thorax and abdominal plates, and a pair of yellow spots in the pronotum and anterior region of abdomen are noticed.
Evaluation of Subseasonal Drought Forecast Skill over the Coastal Western United States
Authors: Su Lu , Cao Qian , Shukla Shraddhanand , Pan Ming , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: January 2023

Predictions of drought onset and termination at subseasonal (from 2 weeks to 1 month) lead times could provide a foundation for more effective and proactive drought management. We used reforecasts archived in NOAA’s Subseasonal Experiment (SubX) to force the Noah Multiparameterization (Noah-MP), which produced forecasts of soil moisture from which we identified drought levels D0–D4. We evaluated forecast skill of major and more modest droughts, with leads from 1 to 4 weeks, and with particular attention to drought termination and onset. We find usable drought termination and onset forecast skill at leads 1 and 2 weeks for major D0–D2 droughts and limited skill at week 3 for major D0–D1 droughts, with essentially no skill at week 4 regardless of drought severity. Furthermore, for both major and more modest droughts, we find limited skill or no skill for D3–D4 droughts. We find that skill is generally higher for drought termination than for onset for all drought events. We also find that drought prediction skill generally decreases from north to south for all drought events.
Development of the Support self-guided, web application for adults living with type 1 diabetes in Canada by a multi-disciplinary team using a people-oriented approach based on the Behaviour Change Wheel
Authors: Xie Li Feng , Roy-Fleming Amélie , Haag Sarah , Costa Deborah Da , Brazeau Anne-Sophie
Published: January 2023

Background

Diabetes self-management education and support (DSME/S) are central in type 1 diabetes (T1D) where individuals are responsible for 95% of care. In-person DSME/S programs have been proven clinically effective (e.g. optimizing glycemic management, improving diabetes-related behaviors) but are limited by a lack of accessibility and long-term follow-up. Self-guided digital tools such as web applications (web apps) can be an alternative for delivering DSME/S.

Objective

This article describes the development of Support, a behavioral theory-based, self-guided, web application for adults living with T1D in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Methods

A multi-disciplinary team developed Support. Patient partners first proposed its focus, learning topics, and expressed barriers to using digital tools for DSME/S. These barriers were analyzed based on the Behaviour Change Wheel. A group of healthcare professionals (HCPs) drafted the evidence-based learning content which was reviewed by external HCPs and by patient partners.

Results

Support is a bilingual (English and French) web app accessible at any time via the Internet. It has four learning paths focusing on hypoglycemia and based on the user's method of diabetes treatment. Learning modules are divided into six categories with a maximum of three learning levels. It contains features such as a discussion forum, videos, and quizzes to ensure interactivity, provide social support, and maintain the motivation and long-term engagement of users.

Conclusions

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, Support is the first self-guided evidence-based web app for adults living with T1D. It is currently under study to evaluate its feasibility and clinical impacts.
Outcomes of breakthrough COVID-19 infections in patients with hematologic malignancies
Authors: Chien Kelly S. , Peterson Christine B. , Young Elliana , Chihara Dai , Manasanch Elizabet E. , Ramdial Jeremy L. , Thompson Philip A.
Published: January 2023

Patients with hematologic malignancies have both an increased risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and higher morbidity/mortality. They have lower seroconversion rates after vaccination, potentially leading to inferior coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes, despite vaccination. We consequently evaluated the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infections in 243 vaccinated and 175 unvaccinated patients with hematologic malignancies. Hospitalization rates were lower in the vaccinated group when compared with the unvaccinated group (31.3% vs 52.6%). However, the rates of COVID-19–associated death were similar at 7.0% and 8.6% in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients, respectively. By univariate logistic regression, females, older patients, and individuals with higher modified Charlson Comorbidity Index scores were at a higher risk of death from COVID-19 infections. To account for the nonrandomized nature of COVID-19 vaccination status, a propensity score weighting approach was used. In the final propensity-weighted model, vaccination status was not significantly associated with the risk of death from COVID-19 infections but was associated with the risk of hospitalization. The predicted benefit of vaccination was an absolute decrease in the probability of death and hospitalization from COVID-19 infections by 2.3% and 22.9%, respectively. In conclusion, COVID-19 vaccination status in patients with hematologic malignancies was associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization but not associated with a decreased risk of death from COVID-19 infections in the pre-Omicron era. Protective strategies, in addition to immunization, are warranted in this vulnerable patient population.
Clinical impact of ibrutinib plus R-CHOP in untreated DLBCL coexpressing BCL2 and MYC in the phase 3 PHOENIX trial
Authors: Johnson Peter W. M. , Balasubramanian Sriram , Hodkinson Brendan , Shreeve S. Martin , Sun Steven , Srinivasan Srimathi , Steele Andrew J. , Vermeulen Jessica , Sehn Laurie H. , Wilson Wyndham H.
Published: January 2023

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), with high coexpression of BCL2 and MYC proteins (DE lymphoma), is considered an adverse prognostic indicator associated mostly with non-germinal center B-cell–like (non-GCB) DLBCL. BCL2/MYC overexpression is associated with B-cell receptor (BCR) pathway activation; consequently, DE DLBCL may be sensitive to BCR inhibitors. We assessed whether high BCL2/MYC coexpression by RNA sequencing could identify a patient subset responsive to ibrutinib using baseline biopsies from the PHOENIX trial, which evaluated the addition of ibrutinib to rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) in untreated non-GCB DLBCL. BCL2/MYC RNA expression was correlated with lower event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) using Kaplan–Meier estimates with Cox regression and log-rank testing. In total, 234 of 766 (30.5%) patients had high BCL2/MYC coexpression: 123 of 386 (31.9%) received ibrutinib plus R-CHOP and 111 of 380 (29.2%) received R-CHOP. EFS was superior with ibrutinib plus R-CHOP compared with R-CHOP alone in patients with high BCL2/MYC coexpression, but there was no significant impact on OS. However, EFS and OS showed clinically meaningful improvement with ibrutinib plus R-CHOP over R-CHOP alone in patients aged <60 years with high BCL2/MYC coexpression. We observed a significant association between high BCL2/MYC coexpression and activated B-cell-like and MYD88L265P/CD79B-mutated subtypes of DLBCL. Consequently, high BCL2/MYC coexpression identified a subset of non-GCB DLBCL that may be preferentially responsive to ibrutinib and warrants further investigation. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01855750.
Self and caregiver report measurement of sensory features in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review of psychometric properties
Authors: Gunderson Jaclyn , Worthley Emma , Byiers Breanne , Symons Frank , Wolff Jason
Published: January 2023

Background

Unusual responses to sensory stimuli are considered a diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder with mounting research efforts put towards understanding, characterizing, and treating such symptoms.

Methods

This paper examines self and caregiver report tools used to measure sensory features in ASD through a systematic review of the psychometric evidence for their use. A total of 31 empirical papers were reviewed across 20 assessment tools. Substantial differences were identified in the specific sensory features defined across assessment tools. Sensory assessment questionnaires were evaluated against quality psychometric evidence criteria to provide a use recommendation.

Results

Five assessments were identified to be “appropriate with conditions,” while no sensory assessment tools were identified to have sufficient quality psychometric evidence to provide a recommendation of “Appropriate” for measuring sensory features in ASD.

Conclusion

Evidence from this review highlights potentially significant shortcomings among the current methods used to measure sensory features in ASD and suggests the need for more efforts in developing psychometrically sound sensory assessment tools for use in ASD populations.
Nest preference and laying duration traits to select against floor eggs in laying hens
Authors: Bécot Lorry , Bédère Nicolas , Coton Jenna , Burlot Thierry , Le Roy Pascale
Published: January 2023

Background

Floor eggs, which are defined as eggs that hens lay off-nest, are a major issue in cage-free layer poultry systems. They create additional work for farmers because they must be collected by hand. They are also usually soiled or broken, which results in economic losses. Nonetheless, knowledge about the genetics of nesting behavior is limited. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for traits related to nest preference for laying and to time spent in the nests used for laying (laying duration).

Methods

Two pure lines of laying hens were studied: 927 Rhode Island Red and 980 White Leghorn. Electronic nests were used to record the nesting behavior of these hens in floor pens from 24 to 64 weeks of age. Nest preference was studied based on the mean distance between nests used for laying and the percentage of nests used for laying. Laying duration was studied based on mean laying duration, mean duration in the nest before laying, and mean duration in the nest after laying. Genetic parameters were estimated for each line using a restricted maximum-likelihood method applied to a pedigree-based multi-trait animal model.

Results

Estimates of genetic parameters were similar for the two lines. Estimates of heritability ranged from 0.18 to 0.37 for nest preference traits and from 0.54 to 0.70 for laying duration traits. Estimates of genetic correlations of these traits with clutch number or mean oviposition time were favorable. Positive genetic correlations were estimated between nest preference and laying rate in the nests or nest acceptance for laying (+ 0.06 to + 0.37).

Conclusions

These results show that genetics influences traits related to nest preference and laying duration. Selecting hens that have no preference for particular nests and spend little time laying in the nests could help optimize nest use, reduce their occupation rate, and thus decrease the incidence of floor eggs in cage-free systems. Genetic correlations of these traits with other traits of interest related to hen welfare and egg quality have yet to be estimated.
SUFI: an automated approach to spectral unmixing of fluorescent multiplex images captured in mouse and post-mortem human brain tissues
Authors: Sadashivaiah Vijay , Tippani Madhavi , Page Stephanie C. , Kwon Sang Ho , Bach Svitlana V. , Bharadwaj Rahul A. , Hyde Thomas M. , Kleinman Joel E. , Jaffe Andrew E. , Maynard Kristen R.
Published: January 2023

Background

Multispectral fluorescence imaging coupled with linear unmixing is a form of image data collection and analysis that allows for measuring multiple molecular signals in a single biological sample. Multiple fluorescent dyes, each measuring a unique molecule, are simultaneously measured and subsequently “unmixed” to provide a read-out for each molecular signal. This strategy allows for measuring highly multiplexed signals in a single data capture session, such as multiple proteins or RNAs in tissue slices or cultured cells, but can often result in mixed signals and bleed-through problems across dyes. Existing spectral unmixing algorithms are not optimized for challenging biological specimens such as post-mortem human brain tissue, and often require manual intervention to extract spectral signatures. We therefore developed an intuitive, automated, and flexible package called SUFI: spectral unmixing of fluorescent images.

Results

This package unmixes multispectral fluorescence images by automating the extraction of spectral signatures using vertex component analysis, and then performs one of three unmixing algorithms derived from remote sensing. We evaluate these remote sensing algorithms’ performances on four unique biological datasets and compare the results to unmixing results obtained using ZEN Black software (Zeiss). We lastly integrate our unmixing pipeline into the computational tool dotdotdot, which is used to quantify individual RNA transcripts at single cell resolution in intact tissues and perform differential expression analysis, and thereby provide an end-to-end solution for multispectral fluorescence image analysis and quantification.

Conclusions

In summary, we provide a robust, automated pipeline to assist biologists with improved spectral unmixing of multispectral fluorescence images.